7Li NMR of Normal Human Erythrocytes

Lithium has been known to be an effective medication for people with bipolar disorder. The mechanisms of action of lithium in the brain is not very well understood. NMR spectroscopy and imaging are effective both in determining lithium levels in tissue and brain. We have monitored lithium levels in red blood cells. We have been able to separate intra- and extracellular compartments of lithium using shift reagents, thereby obtaining T^1 \u27s of both the compartments. Lithium uptake as a function of hematocrit was monitored weekly over a 3 week period. The time constant of 50 mM lithium uptake at 25°C and 85% hematocrit was found to be 16.5 hrs. The time constant of 1.8 mM lithium uptake at 37 °C and 45% hematocrit was found to be 11.6 hrs. Experiments on the visibility of the quadrupolar nuclei indicate that it is only 74-90% visible and the visibility decreased with decreasing concentrations

Human cancers over express genes that are specific to a variety of normal human tissues

We have analyzed gene expression data from 3 different kinds of samples: normal human tissues, human cancer cell lines and leukemic cells from lymphoid and myeloid leukemia pediatric patients. We have searched for genes that are over expressed in human cancer and also show specific patterns of tissue-dependent expression in normal tissues. Using the expression data of the normal tissues we identified 4346 genes with a high variability of expression, and clustered these genes according to their relative expression level. Of 91 stable clusters obtained, 24 clusters included genes preferentially expressed either only in hematopoietic tissues or in hematopoietic and 1-2 other tissues; 28 clusters included genes preferentially expressed in various non-hematopoietic tissues such as neuronal, testis, liver, kidney, muscle, lung, pancreas and placenta. Analysis of the expression levels of these 2 groups of genes in the human cancer cell lines and leukemias, identified genes that were highly expressed in cancer cells but not in their normal counterparts, and were thus over expressed in the cancers. The different cancer cell lines and leukemias varied in the number and identity of these over expressed genes. The results indicate that many genes that are over expressed in human cancer cells are specific to a variety of normal tissues, including normal tissues other than those from which the cancer originated. It is suggested that this general property of cancer cells plays a major role in determining the behavior of the cancers, including their metastatic potential.Comment: To appear in PNA

Human Gait Database for Normal Walk Collected by Smart Phone Accelerometer

The goal of this study is to introduce a comprehensive gait database of 93 human subjects who walked between two endpoints during two different sessions and record their gait data using two smartphones, one was attached to the right thigh and another one on the left side of the waist. This data is collected with the intention to be utilized by a deep learning-based method which requires enough time points. The metadata including age, gender, smoking, daily exercise time, height, and weight of an individual is recorded. this data set is publicly available

Management of threats and errors in normal operations of assistant controllers : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master in Aviation at Massey University

"To err is indeed human, so to err is normal" Human errors are usually pronounced in accident or incident reports. Seldom does one pay enough attention to these errors during daily normal operations as these either go unnoticed or unreported for whatsoever the reasons may be. Therefore, the causes of these errors and also the system threats prevalent in the daily operations may not be fully contained. On the other hand, problematic situations that are successfully tackled by human skills are quite often treated as less important than they really are. The job of an assistant controller (AC) is one of the important domains in air traffic management (ATM). The AC work together with air traffic controllers as team members and they do have direct and indirect contributions to the safe, orderly and efficient flow of air traffic. In this study, the threats, errors and potential undesired states occurring with AC during normal operations will be recorded by a methodology, which is new to Hong Kong Air Traffic Control (ATC). This methodology, called Normal Operations Safety Observation (NOSO), is built on the Threat and Error Management (TEM) framework. The results will generate a broad outline on what sorts of threats, errors and undesired states an AC can be facing during normal operations. The relative frequencies of occurrence of these conditions will be presented separately in tables and figures. The AC's potential vulnerabilities and capabilities to cope with these threats, errors and undesired states will be discussed together with a suggested ranking. It is envisaged that an analysis of the data collected will aid the development and evaluation of safety defence measures in ATM and further support the applicability of this data collection methodology in other ATM operations and subsequent researches. KEYWORDS:- Normal Operations Safety Observation, Threat and Error Management, Safety Management, Air Traffic Control

Fludarabine as a cost-effective adjuvant to enhance engraftment of human normal and malignant hematopoiesis in immunodeficient mice

There is still an unmet need for xenotransplantation models that efficiently recapitulate normal and malignant human hematopoiesis. Indeed, there are a number of strategies to generate humanized mice and specific protocols, including techniques to optimize the cytokine environment of recipient mice and drug alternatives or complementary to the standard conditioning regimens, that can be significantly modulated. Unfortunately, the high costs related to the use of sophisticated mouse models may limit the application of these models to studies that require an extensive experimental design. Here, using an affordable and convenient method, we demonstrate that the administration of fludarabine (FludaraTM) promotes the extensive and rapid engraftment of human normal hematopoiesis in immunodeficient mice. Quantification of human CD45+ cells in bone marrow revealed approximately a 102-fold increase in mice conditioned with irradiation plus fludarabine. Engrafted cells in the bone marrow included hematopoietic stem cells, as well as myeloid and lymphoid cells. Moreover, this model proved to be sufficient for robust reconstitution of malignant myeloid hematopoiesis, permitting primary acute myeloid leukemia cells to engraft as early as 8 weeks after the transplant. Overall, these results present a novel and affordable model for engraftment of human normal and malignant hematopoiesis in immunodeficient mice

Function of B cells expressing a human immunoglobulin M rheumatoid factor autoantibody in transgenic mice.

We have generated transgenic mice that express the immunoglobulin (Ig)M heavy chain and kappa light chain genes coding for a human IgM rheumatoid factor (RF), Les. Transgenic B cells expressing human IgM RF show striking similarities to their counterparts in normal humans. They comprise a significant proportion of the adult B cell population, but secrete only low levels of RF into the serum. The RF transgene-expressing B cells localize to primary B cell follicles and the mantle zone regions of secondary follicles in the spleen. Using these mice we have been able to show that one of the central functions of normal RF-expressing B cells may be to act as highly efficient antigen-presenting cells for low concentrations of immune-complexed antigen. High levels of secretion of IgM RF can not be induced under normal circumstances, although RF-expressing B cells proliferate well in vitro to both aggregated human IgG and anti-human IgM antibodies. However, these mice are not intrinsically secretion deficient. By crossing the RF transgenic mice with the autoimmune MRL/lpr background, we find a dramatic increase, > 200-fold, in levels of serum RF. The results strongly suggest that a major function of normal resting RF B cells is unrelated to antibody secretion. Rather, the RF B cells in the follicles may play a role in antigen presentation and regulation of immune responses to antibody-bound nonself-, and possibly self-antigens. This physiologic role of RF B cells may be disrupted in RF-associated autoimmune disease

Human factors of flight-deck checklists: The normal checklist

Although the aircraft checklist has long been regarded as the foundation of pilot standardization and cockpit safety, it has escaped the scrutiny of the human factors profession. The improper use, or the non-use, of the normal checklist by flight crews is often cited as the probable cause or at least a contributing factor to aircraft accidents. An attempt is made to analyze the normal checklist, its functions, format, design, length, usage, and the limitations of the humans who must interact with it. The development of the checklist from the certification of a new model to its delivery and use by the customer are discussed. The influence of the government, particularly the FAA Principle Operations Inspector, the manufacturer's philosophy, the airline's culture, and the end user, the pilot, influence the ultimate design and usage of this device. The effects of airline mergers and acquisitions on checklist usage and design are noted. In addition, the interaction between production pressures and checklist usage and checklist management are addressed. Finally, a list of design guidelines for normal checklists is provided