Career momentum in midlife women: life context, identity, and personality correlates.

Women (N = 83) in their early 50s indicated whether they were increasing, maintaining, or decreasing momentum in their career. On the basis of their career momentum, women were classified into 3 groups and compared on work and family patterns, the importance of work to their identity, personality characteristics, and psychological well-being. Women with high career momentum were in higher status jobs and viewed their work as more central to their identity than women who were maintaining or decreasing their career momentum. Also, women with high career momentum scored higher on measures of self-acceptance, independence, and effective functioning in their early 50s and also rated their physical health higher than the other groups. Prospective longitudinal analyses showed that personality and life context patterns differentiated among the career momentum groups as far back as 30 years before the assessment of career momentum. The significance of the results for women's career development in midlife and coping with retirement is discussed.

Radioimmunoguided surgery for colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Improving the survival rate of surgical treatments of cancer depends upon accurate staging of disease and the subsequent ability to completely resect the lesions. Radioimmunoguided surgery (RIGS) has been employed in the treatment of colon and rectal cancer, and a multicenter trial is under way. METHODS: Twenty-eight patients with either primary or recurrent colorectal cancer were injected with the monoclonal antibody CC49 labeled with iodine 125. A hand-held gamma-detecting probe was used intraoperatively to detect radiolabeled antibody. At surgery the patients underwent both traditional and RIGS explorations. RESULTS: RIGS detected radiolabeled antibody in 73% (14 of 19) of patients with primary colorectal cancer and in 100% (7 of 7) of patients with recurrent disease. Based on RIGS, 26% (5 of 19) of patients with primary cancer were upstaged from stage I/II to stage III/IV. CONCLUSIONS: Although the final results of this phase III trial are incomplete, RIGS appears to provide immediate, valuable information that is not available from more conventional methods.

Feeding and mating strategies in anopheles (Diptera: Culicidae): theoretical modeling approach.

The effects of various ecological factors, such as the probability of finding mates and hosts and of successfully obtaining a blood meal, on the mating and feeding strategies of domestic female anopheline mosquitoes was investigated using theoretical models. The models calculated the mean fitness of 1,000 nonblood-fed, anautogenous, virgin anophelines. One model simulated females that always mate before blood feeding, whereas another simulated females that are able to feed opportunistically if a host was detected before they mated. The models demonstrated highest fitness for mosquitoes capable of opportunistic feeding under nearly all simulated conditions. This advantage increased as the probability of finding hosts and mates decreased as a function of host and mate availability.

Host response profiles: a new theory to help us understand why and how attractants attract.

Much insect behavior is better described in terms of response profiles than by classical stimulus-response patterns; the response to a particular stimulus may vary with changing internal and external conditions, making it important to qualify statements such as "compound X is an attractant." Because of the large number of conditions that may affect responses, it is crucial to develop a theoretical basis to direct the collection of field and experimental data, and their interpretation. A theory-driven model can help us predict response profiles over a wide range of such conditions. We describe an example of such a model, the assumptions upon which it is based, how the model is constructed, and the types of results that a computer implementation of the model can produce.

Female transgenic mice carrying multiple copies of the human gene for S100 beta are hyperactive.

Down syndrome (DS) (trisomy 21) is the most frequent genetic cause of mental retardation in man. The gene coding for the beta subunit of human S100 protein (S100 beta) has been mapped to chromosome 21. The dimeric form of S100 beta may function as a neurotrophic factor in the CNS and may also influence the establishment of hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP). To study the behavioral consequences of overexpression of S100 beta in an animal model, we derived four lines of transgenic mice carrying multiple copies of the human S100 beta gene. The human S100 beta gene was expressed in the brain of these mice in a cell-specific and gene-dose-dependent manner. The motor and posture patterns of 16-month-old transgenic mice and their control (non-transgenic) littermates were studied in two tests, open field and bar-crossing, in order to examine novelty induced exploratory activities. Transgenic female mice were significantly hyperactive in both tests in comparison with their female control littermates. These differences were independent of the line of origin of the mice suggesting a causal relationship between the observed hyperactivity and the presence of multiple copies of the integrated human S100 beta gene. In contrast, transgenic males were not hyperactive in comparison with controls. Neither male nor female transgenic mice displayed any coordination defects. We speculate about how an interaction between the effects of elevated S100 beta levels and female specific hormonal changes could have resulted in the observed female restricted hyperactivity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Association of phenotypic abnormalities of Down syndrome with an imbalance of genes on chromosome 21.

The phenotype of the brain in Down syndrome is different from that of a normal child both in its reduced size and altered gyral configuration. Underlying the mental retardation are neuronal abnormalities, including alterations of cortical lamination, reduced dendritic ramifications, and diminished synaptic formation. However, cholinergic enzymes such as choline acetyl transferase and acetyl cholinesterase have shown no abnormalities in young children with Down syndrome. The pace of dendritic maturation is altered in Down syndrome. In infancy, the normal dendritic tree continuously expands; in Down syndrome, at 4 months of age, the neurons show a relatively expanded tree, but during the first year, the dendrites stop growing and become atrophic relative to control neurons. To relate these phenotypic alterations to chromosome 21, we examined the gene products of several genes localized to chromosome 21. Identification of such genes and determination of their gene product allow the production of specific antibodies and the identification, through immunohistochemical techniques, of the expression of these proteins in both normal development and Down syndrome. Specifically, the localization and appearance during development of proteins such as S100 beta, beta A4-amyloid, superoxide dismutase, and OK-2 are providing links between genotype and phenotype. S100 beta protein is of particular interest because of its effect in vitro on neuritic outgrowth and its increased expression in the temporal lobe in Down syndrome. The brains of transgenic mice bearing multiple copies of the human S100 gene show some comparable changes to those in Down syndrome. These experimental approaches provide the means for better understanding the cellular and molecular basis for the mental retardation in Down syndrome.

Cell-specific expression of high levels of human S100 beta in transgenic mouse brain is dependent on gene dosage.

The beta-subunit of S100 protein (S100 beta) is highly conserved in the mammalian brain. The gene coding for human S100 beta has been mapped to chromosome 21. In order to study the consequences of overexpression of the S100 beta gene, transgenic mice were generated by microinjection of a 17.3 kilobase human genomic fragment containing the three exons and the transcription control elements of the human S100 beta gene. Mice from four transgenic lines carried approximately 10-100 transgene copies. Northern blotting demonstrated a tissue-specific and gene dose-dependent expression of human S100 beta mRNA in mouse brain. Increased expression of S100 beta mRNA was correlated with an increased production of S100 beta protein. Examination of brain sections by in situ hybridization and immunocytochemistry indicated that S100 beta was localized globally to astrocytes, as well as to discrete neurons in the mesencephalic and motor trigeminal, facial, and lemniscus nuclei in both normal and transgenic mice. In peripheral tissues, human S100 beta was expressed at 10-50-fold lower levels than in brain. The strict gene dosage dependence and cell specificity of transgene expression suggest the presence of a locus control region (LCR) in the human S100 beta gene. The mice tolerated 10-100-fold higher than normal levels of S100 beta gene expression in brain without any gross physical or behavioral abnormalities. The high-level expression and cell specificity of the S100 beta promoter/LCR suggest that it may provide a valuable tool to direct the expression of other transgenic products to specific cell types in the CNS.

A general theory for host seeking decisions in mosquitoes.

We develop a theory for host seeking decisions in mosquitoes that explicitly considers the tradeoffs mosquitoes face in allocation to somatic and gametic function. Specifically, we consider conditions under which mosquitoes should seek out nectar and blood hosts upon encountering host odours. Results from development of a dynamic model that considers free and crop energy states suggest that mosquitoes should seek out blood hosts under a wide variety of conditions but that decisions to seek nectar depends upon crop volume, concentration and free energy. This pattern arises because mosquitoes carrying large crop loads are constrained in their ability to obtain large blood meals due to space limitations in the abdomen. The predicted patterns of behaviour are supported by published observations of mosquito behaviour.

Ulcerative colitis in the autotransplanted neovagina.

A 33-year-old woman had undergone a radical surgical excision for carcinoma of the vagina at age 11. Vaginal reconstruction using a pedicled transplant of the sigmoid colon was successfully accomplished at age 19. Fourteen years later she developed vaginal bleeding, and a biopsy of the neovagina revealed changes consistent with ulcerative colitis. Within 2 weeks the patient developed bleeding per ano, and a rectal biopsy also revealed changes consistent with ulcerative colitis. Symptoms responded to sulfasalazine. This is believed to be the first case report of ulcerative colitis developing in colonic tissue used for a neovagina. The etiology, natural history, and surveillance of ulcerative colitis in relation to this unique case are reviewed. This case argues against the hypothesis that chronic ulcerative colitis is causally related to direct exposure to alimentary antigens.

Cloning and expression of the human S100 beta gene.

S100 protein is a low molecular weight, EF-hand, Ca2(+)-binding protein widely distributed and conserved in the central nervous system of vertebrates. The gene coding for the beta subunit of human S100 protein (S100 beta) has been recently mapped to chromosome 21. In order to study the expression of this gene in normal and abnormal brain development, we have isolated and characterized overlapping genomic clones spanning the region coding for human S100 beta and its flanking sequences. The intron-exon organization of the human S100 beta gene is similar to that of the genes coding for several other members of the S100 protein subfamily of EF-hand proteins. The human S100 beta gene is composed of 3 exons, the first of which specifies the 5'-untranslated region, while the second and third each encode a single EF-hand, Ca2(+)-binding domain. The promoter region contains several potential regulatory transcription elements including the cAMP-responsive elements CRE and AP-2. A novel sequence motif, the S100 protein element, situated in close proximity to the TATA box of the genes of several members of the S100 protein subfamily, has been identified. In addition, multiple repeats with similar nucleotide sequence and location to the recently reported beta globin direct repeat elements have been also found in the human S100 beta promoter. A full length (17.3 kilobases) copy of the human S100 beta gene was constructed and transfected into rat glioma C6 cells. Stable transfectants were shown to express correctly initiated transcripts of the human S100 beta gene, indicating that the cloned sequences contain functional regulatory transcription elements.

Sulindac suppression of colorectal polyps in Gardner's syndrome.

Sulindac causes both regression and suppression of colorectal polyps in patients with Gardner's syndrome and familial polyposis coli. Three patients with Gardner's syndrome and multiple colonic polyps had complete regression of polyps after two to three months of sulindac therapy. The implication that sulindac may prevent colorectal cancer and prophylactic surgery in patients with hereditary polyps of the colon is intriguing but has not yet been substantiated.

Purinergic reception by culicine mosquitoes.

1. Adult female Culex pipiens and Culiseta inornata have purinergic receptors that respond to extracellular ADP and related compounds. Stimulation of these receptors caused ingestion of artificial diets. Addition of bicarbonate to the saline solvent enhanced the phagostimulatory effect. Saline-bicarbonate was as effective a solvent as blood plasma for Cx. pipiens, and was used in the dose-effect determinations. Ranking of the potencies was: ADP greater than AMP-PNP greater than ATP = AMP greater than AMP-PCP much greater than 2'dAMP greater than 2'dADP greater than 2'dATP. At 1 mM concentration, ITP, GTP, CTP, UTP, c-AMP, 2'AMP, 3'AMP, DPG, or GSH + glucose caused fewer than 50% of the insects to gorge, as did 2'3'dd-ATP, A tetra P, and AMP-CPP at 100 microM. 2. The potency ranking for Cu. inornata was: ADP greater than AMP-PNP greater than ATP greater than AMP-PCP much greater than AMP much greater than AMP-S. The concentrations required to produce the ED50 response (inducing 50% of the test insects to gorge) were much higher than those required for Cx. pipiens; however, saline, not saline-bicarbonate, was used as the solvent. With the exception of the very low potency of AMP for Cu. inornata, the ADP potency index values for the other chemicals tested on both species are similar.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Treatment of levator syndrome using high-voltage electrogalvanic stimulation.

Twenty patients diagnosed as having levator syndrome were treated with electrogalvanic stimulation (EGS). Many of these patients had previously been treated unsuccessfully with other methods. While 60 percent of patients had good or excellent response to EGS when assessed immediately after therapy, a subsequent telephone survey revealed that one third of this group experienced recurrence. Of the group of 20 patients, only five (25 percent) remained symptom-free. Though results in this study were less favorable than other reports, EGS may still serve as a valuable adjunct in the treatment of levator syndrome.

Dietary restrictions and fecal occult blood testing.

"Unprepped" sigmoidoscopy and fecal occult blood testing were performed simultaneously in 1,000 patients with no dietary restrictions. A total of 102 patients had a positive fecal occult blood test. Of these, 86 had visible blood in the rectum as demonstrated by sigmoidoscopy. Only two of the remaining 16 patients probably had a dietary-induced false-positive result on the occult blood test. Dietary restrictions for guaiac occult blood testing are unnecessary in more than 99 percent of patients.

The study of insect blood-feeding behaviour. 2. Recording techniques and the use of flow charts.

This paper continues a discussion of approaches and methodologies we have used in our studies of feeding in haematophagous insects. Described are techniques for directly monitoring behaviour: electrical recording of feeding behaviour via resistance changes in the food canal, optical methods for monitoring mouthpart activity, and a computer technique for behavioural event recording. Also described is the use of "flow charts" or "decision diagrams" to model interrelated sequences of behaviours.

The study of insect blood-feeding behaviour. 1: Feeding equipment, physical and endogenous factors, dose effect analysis, and diet destination.

Experimental techniques that we have found useful during our studies of insect blood-feeding behaviour are reviewed. Some of the principal findings resulting from these techniques are discussed. Where directly applicable, the work of others is included, but no complete review of the subject has been attempted.

The study of insect blood-feeding behaviour: 1. Feeding equipment, physical and endogenous factors, dose effect analysis, and diet destination

Experimental techniques that we have found useful during our studies of insect blood-feeding behaviour are reviewed. Some of the principal findings resulting from these techniques are discussed. Where directly applicable, the work of others is included, but no complete review of the subject has been attempted.