Previous PET imaging studies have demonstrated mixed findings regarding dopamine D2/D3 receptor availability in obese relative to nonobese humans. Nonspecific D2/D3 radioligands do not allow for ...separate estimation of D2 receptor (D2R) and D3 receptor (D3R) subtypes of the D2 receptor family, which may play different roles in behavior and are distributed differently throughout the brain. These radioligands are also displaceable by endogenous dopamine, confounding interpretation of differences in receptor availability with differing levels of dopamine release. The present study used PET imaging with the D2R-selective radioligand (N-(11)C methyl)benperidol ((11)CNMB), which is nondisplaceable by endogenous dopamine, to estimate D2R specific binding (BPND) and its relationship to body mass index (BMI) and age in 15 normal-weight (mean BMI = 22.6 kg/m(2)) and 15 obese (mean BMI = 40.3 kg/m(2)) men and women. Subjects with illnesses or taking medications that interfere with dopamine signaling were excluded. Striatal D2R BPND was calculated using the Logan graphical method with cerebellum as a reference region. D2R BPND estimates were higher in putamen and caudate relative to nucleus accumbens, but did not differ between normal-weight and obese groups. BMI values did not correlate with D2R BPND . Age was negatively correlated with putamen D2R BPND in both groups. These results suggest that altered D2R specific binding is not involved in the pathogenesis of obesity per se and underscore the need for additional studies evaluating the relationship between D3R, dopamine reuptake, or endogenous dopamine release and human obesity.
Previous work from our laboratory showed that an
aroA mutant strain of
S. typhimurium, SL3235, induces profound immunosuppression 7
days post-parenteral inoculation, and that the suppression is ...mediated by nitric oxide. Suppression was measured by the capacity of spleen cells to mount a primary in vitro plaque-forming cell response to sheep red blood cells in Mishell–Dutton cultures. In the present studies, the capacity of a panel of strains of attenuated Salmonella with various genetic lesions was tested. Most of the strains were
S. typhimurium, but several were
S. dublin. It was found that a variety of Salmonella strains induced suppression, demonstrating that suppressive capacity is not unique to SL3235 or to
S. typhimurium. A strong correlation was obtained between the log
10 of the microbial burden (cfu spleen
−1) on the seventh day post-vaccine inoculation and the degree of immunosuppression. Strains that gave high spleen counts gave greater suppression. Microbial burden also correlated with the size of the spleen and the amount of nitrite produced by spleen-cell cultures, a measure of nitric oxide. Finally, the degree of immunosuppression was found to be linearly related to the log
10 of the amount of nitrite produced. The capacity of the various strains of Salmonella to protect against challenge with virulent
S. typhimurium, strain W118-2, was also tested. No correlation was found between suppressive and protective capacities of the various strains. Two strains suppressed, but did not protect. While most strains that protected grew or persisted in vivo, a
phoP::Tn10 mutant of
S. typhimurium did not grow or persist; this
phoP mutant did not cause immunosuppression, but gave 100% protection against challenge with wild type
S. typhimurium, suggesting that such mutants have advantageous properties as live vaccines.
Familial cutaneous and subcutaneous tumoral calcifications are a recognized entity of unknown pathogenesis. The course of calcinosis and various treatments are discussed and the literature concerning ...the aetiology is reviewed. Our ten cases provided some experience in dealing with tumoral calcinosis and demonstrated, in addition, some clinical phenomena unrecognized previously, such as involvement of the mucous membranes and an erythematous rash preceding the development of calcified nodules.
The use of reperfusion therapy in patients with ST elevation acute coronary syndromes had been established. However, reperfusion therapy is usually considered contra-indicated in those with ST ...depression, despite the knowledge that regional posterior infarction is typically indicated by ST depression maximal in leads V
1 to V
3 and nonregional subendocardial infarction is typically indicated by marked ST depression maximal in other leads. This study of patients with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndromes investigates the quantitative relationship between presenting ST depression and final QRS changes in both of these subgroups. The final QRS score was significantly higher (2.44 points) than that of a control group with not ST depression, (1.55 points) in the group with maximal ST depression in V
1 to V
3 (
P=0.04). However, in the entire population, there was a highly significant correlation (
P=.003) between the sum of the presenting ST depression and the final QRS score. Trials of reperfusion therapy will be required to determine if such evolution to electrocardiogram documented acute myocardial infarction can be prevented in patient with marked ST depression acute coronary syndromes.
DESI (Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument) is a Stage IV ground-based dark energy experiment that will study baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO) and the growth of structure through redshift-space ...distortions with a wide-area galaxy and quasar redshift survey. To trace the underlying dark matter distribution, spectroscopic targets will be selected in four classes from imaging data. We will measure luminous red galaxies up to \(z=1.0\). To probe the Universe out to even higher redshift, DESI will target bright O II emission line galaxies up to \(z=1.7\). Quasars will be targeted both as direct tracers of the underlying dark matter distribution and, at higher redshifts (\( 2.1 < z < 3.5\)), for the Ly-\(\alpha\) forest absorption features in their spectra, which will be used to trace the distribution of neutral hydrogen. When moonlight prevents efficient observations of the faint targets of the baseline survey, DESI will conduct a magnitude-limited Bright Galaxy Survey comprising approximately 10 million galaxies with a median \(z\approx 0.2\). In total, more than 30 million galaxy and quasar redshifts will be obtained to measure the BAO feature and determine the matter power spectrum, including redshift space distortions.
DESI (Dark Energy Spectropic Instrument) is a Stage IV ground-based dark energy experiment that will study baryon acoustic oscillations and the growth of structure through redshift-space distortions ...with a wide-area galaxy and quasar redshift survey. The DESI instrument is a robotically-actuated, fiber-fed spectrograph capable of taking up to 5,000 simultaneous spectra over a wavelength range from 360 nm to 980 nm. The fibers feed ten three-arm spectrographs with resolution \(R= \lambda/\Delta\lambda\) between 2000 and 5500, depending on wavelength. The DESI instrument will be used to conduct a five-year survey designed to cover 14,000 deg\(^2\). This powerful instrument will be installed at prime focus on the 4-m Mayall telescope in Kitt Peak, Arizona, along with a new optical corrector, which will provide a three-degree diameter field of view. The DESI collaboration will also deliver a spectroscopic pipeline and data management system to reduce and archive all data for eventual public use.
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