Spleen cells from mice immunized with an allogeneic tumor when cultured with the specific tumor cells release into the supernatant a specific macrophage-arming factor(s) (SMAF) which binds nonspecifically to macrophages from both mice and rats and renders these cytotoxic to the specific tumor cells. SMAF also binds in an immunologically specific way to the target cells. SMAF-treated target cells grow normally in the absence of macrophages but are killed in the presence of normal macrophages. Thymus-derived cells are necessary for the production of SMAF since (a) after treatment with anti-theta serum immune spleen cells fail to release SMAF; (b) spleen cells from immunized T cell-deprived mice (thymectomized as adults followed by whole body irradiation and restored with bone marrow) fail to produce SMAF on stimulation with the specific target cells. While SMAF has the properties of a cytophilic antibody, it does not belong to one of the established classes of immunoglobulin since high activity is found after column separation in a fraction having a molecular weight between 50,000-60,000 daltons.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Age-related changes of calbindin-D28k, calretinin, and parvalbumin mRNAs in the hamster brain.

Changes of three different cytosolic Ca2+ binding proteins, calbindin-D28k, calretinin, and parvalbumin mRNA expression in the brain of the hamster during aging were investigated by in situ hybridization using brains from hamsters aged 4, 9, 13, 19, to 24 months old. In cerebellum area, calbindin-D28k transcripts showed about 50% to 68% decrease in content in aged-hamster (19 and 24 months old) compared with young (4 months) and adult (9 months), whereas calretinin and parvalbumin mRNA expression remain unchanged throughout the ages examined. Calbindin-D28k gene expression was decreased during aging also in the hippocampus (approximately 60% reduction) and striatum (approximately 25%). In the same areas, striatum and hippocampus, calretinin and parvalbumin mRNA expression in the equivalent sections were not significantly changed with age. These data raise the possibility that CNS calbindin-D28k expression may be selectively down-regulated during aging. The statistically significant decrease of calbindin-D28k mRNA in the normal aging process also suggests and provides further support for the hypothesis that this calcium binding protein may have an important role in neuronal degeneration.

Aging↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Identifying participation rates at outpatient cardiac rehabilitation programs in Victoria, Australia.

BACKGROUND: Much has been achieved in implementing structured outpatient cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs in Victoria, Australia, but little is known about the percentage of eligible patients who participate. This study was undertaken to determine the feasibility of establishing a database of CR participants and comparing it to the Victorian Inpatient Minimum Database (VIMD), a routinely collected hospital morbidity data set documenting all admissions to Victorian public and private hospitals. This would enable program participants and nonparticipants to be identified and program participation rates to be calculated. METHODS: Data on program participants were collected from a sample of eight CR programs. Records from the VIMD were extracted for the concurrent time period for patients discharged home after acute myocardial infarction (AMI), coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, and percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), and therefore considered eligible to participate. Victorian Inpatient Minimum Database data were aggregated according to program catchment areas. Data were compared for program participants and patients eligible to participate. RESULTS: Seven hundred fifty-eight patients were identified as being eligible to attend; 240 (32%) were identified as participating at least once. Discharged CABG patients participated on average at a rate of 53.1%, compared with 27.2% of AMI patients and only 10.3% of PTCA patients. CONCLUSIONS: Despite a comprehensive network of CR programs in Victoria, they are used on average by only a minority of eligible patients. Further work is required to determine barriers to participation to develop strategies to increase participation rates.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Symbolic interaction and retirement adjustment: an empirical assessment.

Using a variety of indicators of retirement adjustment most studies have focused on two variables as the critical ones: the kind of work the individual was involved in prior to retirement with its concomitant style of life or the individual's pre-retirement attitudes. Focusing on the latter variable and using a symbolic interaction perspective, it was hypothesized that the individual's significant others are crucial to both the development of his pre-retirement attitudes and his post-retirement adjustment. The data upheld both the predicted relationships, and further suggest that the social world of older people is comprised of both primary groups and proximate others. The Lowenthal and Haven concept of confidants as a major factor in the adjustment of older people, though valuable, too narrowly defines their social world. The broader concept of significant others comprised of both confidants and proximate others seems more realistic.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Evaluating a continuing nursing education program.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Education, Nursing, Continuing↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Low-cost device for avoiding bulk susceptibility artifacts in chemical-selective fat saturation MR of the head and neck.

An inexpensive, commercially available travel pillow filled with a suspension of attapulgite provided good suppression of inhomogeneous chemical-selective fat saturation in imaging of the head and neck. This device is assembled from readily available materials at a low cost and compares favorably with a commercially available perfluorochemical-filled device.

Adipose Tissue↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A woman's death in the coronary care unit.

Driscoll's model of reflection is used to review the care of a patient in a coronary care unit. Feelings of guilt and frustration were experienced when the potential for a peaceful death was nearly lost by a doctor's attempt to make one final effort at defibrillation. Implications for nurses' education and support are identified within the context of the multidisciplinary team.

Coronary Care Units↗