Encapsulation Response ofCiona intestinalis(Ascidiacea) to Intratunical Erythrocyte Injection

1996

Previous studies on the ascidian Ciona intestinalis have shown that an encapsulation response is experimentally induced by inserting vertebrate erythrocytes into the tunic, which initiates a massive inflammatory cell infiltration to isolate the injured area. Several hemocytes contribute to capsule formation, destruction of the foreign cells, tunic regeneration, and wound healing. The fine features of some inflammatory cell types are described although the complete capsular structure is not yet reported. Accordingly, the present investigation further examines various aspects of this cellular reaction against erythrocytes and, for the first time, presents the involvement of extratunical circu…

Palaeozoic pre- and post-collision calc-alkaline magmatism in the Qinling orogenic belt, central China, as documented by zircon ages on granitoid roc…

1996

Based on large-scale reconnaissance mapping, we identified two calc-alkaline plutonic assemblages from the northern Qinling orogenic belt. central China. The older assemblage of intrusions. closely associated and deformed coevally with their host volcanic arc sequences, seems to represent the fractionation product of basaltic arc magma. It therefore predates the collision of the North China Block with the Central Qinling island-arc system that developed in a SW Pacific-type oceanic domain south of the North China Block. Single-zircon 207Pb/206Pb evaporation dating yielded early to middle Ordovician ages for this assemblage. with a relatively small range from 487.2 ± 1.1 to 470.2 ± 1.3 Ma. I…

Interventional cardiology: Differences in the morphology of unstable and stable coronary lesions and their impact on the mechanisms of angioplasty. A…

1996

The aim of this study was to compare the morphology of stable and unstable coronary lesions using intravascular ultrasound in patients undergoing coronary balloon angioplasty and to determine whether lesion morphology had any influence on the mechanism of balloon angioplasty. Thirty three (15 stable and 18 unstable) patients undergoing single lesion percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty were studied with intravascular ultrasound before and after intervention. All examinations, recorded on S-VHS video tape, were studied off-line and matched sites from the point of minimum lumen area after the procedure and the corresponding site prior to intervention were compared. The morphology of…

Inhibitory Effects of Various Extracts of Argentine Plant Species on Free-radical-mediated Reactions and Human Neutrophil Functions

1996

Extracts of Argentine plant species used in folk medicine were evaluated for their antioxidant properties and ability to influence human neutrophil functions, including superoxide anion release and degranulation. The infusion and methanol extract of Achyrocline flaccida, and the infusion of Pterocaulon polystachium exhibited chain-breaking antioxidant activity in Fe 2+ /ascorbate-induced lipid peroxidation of rat liver microsomal fractions and scavenged peroxyl radicals in an aqueous assay system. Nevertheless their superoxide scavenging ability was lower. The dichloromethane extracts of Phyllanthus sellowianus, Achyrocline flaccida, Gamochaeta simplicicaulis, Pterocaulon polystachium and E…

EARLY EFFICACY OF LIPOSOMAL AMPHOTERICIN B IN THE TREATMENT OF VISCERAL LEISHMANIASIS

1996

The rapidity and efficacy of a short course of liposomal amphotericin B was evaluated in 29 children affected by visceral leishmaniasis (Leishmania infantum). Their overall health status was assessed using the prognostic inflammatory and nutritional index (PINI), and their haematological status by the reticulocyte count and haemoglobin blood levels. All these quantities were measured on day 0, and 3 and 10 d after starting therapy. A significant decrease of inflammatory signs, associated with an improved reticulocyte count, was recorded after 3 d of therapy. A significant increase of haemoglobin levels was also observed 10 d after the start of treatment. The early reduction of inflammatory …

Continuous measurement of cardiac output by the Fick principle in infants and children: comparison with the thermodilution method.

1996

To compare a system that continuously monitors cardiac output by the Fick principle with measurements by the thermodilution technique in pediatric patients.Prospective direct comparison of the above two techniques.Pediatric intensive care unit of a university hospital.25 infants and children, aged 1 week to 17 years (median 10 months), who had undergone open heart surgery were studied. Only patients without an endotracheal tube leak and without a residual shunt were included.The system based on the Fick principle uses measurements of oxygen consumption taken by a metabolic monitor and of arterial and mixed venous oxygen saturation taken by pulse- and fiberoptic oximetry to calculate cardiac…

Well water quality in Latvia

1996

A total of 2500 water samples from drinking water shallow wells and boreholes in rural areas of Latvia were collected. The samples were analyzed for 20 parameters. Well waters in Latvia can be characterized by a high content of organic (humic) substances. Mean values for analyzed water parameters are: 0.17 mg/1 NH4, 0.016 mg/1 NO2, 2.90 mg/1 NO3, 0.028 mg/1 PO4, 25.53 mg/1 Cl, 0.12 mg/1 Fe, 7.4 pH, 784 μ/cm conductivity, 24 degrees in PtCo scale color, 7.5 mgequiv/1 total hardness. Comparison with water quality criteria adopted in the USA and European Communiy indicate that water quality is often unsatisfactory. For example, nitrate concentrations exceed standards in nearly 20% of the surve…

Astrophysical reaction rates forB10(p,α)7Be andB11(p,α)8Be from a direct model

1996

The reactions $^{10}\mathrm{B}$(p,\ensuremath{\alpha}${)}^{7}$Be and $^{11}\mathrm{B}$(p,\ensuremath{\alpha}${)}^{8}$Be are studied at thermonuclear energies using DWBA calculations. For both reactions, transitions to the ground states and first excited states are investigated. In the case of $^{10}\mathrm{B}$(p,\ensuremath{\alpha}${)}^{7}$Be, a resonance at ${\mathit{E}}_{\mathrm{res}}$=10 keV can be consistently described in the potential model, thereby allowing the extension of the astrophysical S-factor data to very low energies. Strong interference with a resonance at about ${\mathit{E}}_{\mathrm{res}}$=550 keV require a Breit-Wigner description of that resonance and the introduction o…

Tumour-cell-endothelial interactions: free radicals are mediators of melanoma-induced endothelial cell damage

1996

Damage to vascular endothelium may play an important role during metastasis. We used a three-dimensional model of tumour cell extravasation to test the hypothesis that certain types of tumour cells are able to induce vascular endothelial cell injury. Multicellular tumour spheroids (MCTS) of 14 human cancer cell lines and spheroids from two benign cell lines were transferred onto confluent monolayers of human endothelial cells (EC). MCTS from 4 of 7 melanoma cell lines induced damage of the endothelium which was closely associated with tumour cell attachment. Endothelial cell injury became evident morphologically by loss of cell membrane integrity and sensitivity to shear stress. Similar res…

Possible reason for preferential damage to renal tubular epithelial cells evoked by amphotericin B

1996

An important determinant of nephrotoxicity, which is the major complication of long-term amphotericin B treatment, is dysfunction of distal tubular epithelial cells. The underlying cause for this rather selective damage to the cells is unknown. In the present investigation, it was shown that kidney epithelial cells were initially damaged by amphotericin B at concentrations of 2.5 to 10 micrograms/ml, as demonstrable by a dramatic drop in cellular K+ levels. Cells could recover from the initial toxic action of the polyene if they were kept in medium of neutral pH, and cellular K+ levels returned to normal after 6 h. However, the recovery mechanisms failed at lower pHs of 5.6 to 6.0. At low p…

Biogeographical comparison of winter bird assemblages in urban environments in Finland

1996

We studied biogeographical variation of urban bird assemblages in Finland. Winter birds were censused by single-visit study plot method from thirty-one centres of villages or towns along 950 km latitudinal extent. A total twenty-eight bird species was observed and the average density was 61.2 ind./10 ha. The number of dominant species in study areas varied between two and seven and their proportion of the whole assemblage was over 70%. Species richness, but not the density of birds, decreased northwards in pooled data. Higher species richness in south than in north was mainly due to the higher amount of delayed migratory birds (e.g. waterbirds, finches) and southerly distributed bird specie…

Mapping of the Discontinuous Kininogen Binding Site of Prekallikrein

1996

Prekallikrein, the precursor to the serine proteinase kallikrein, circulates in plasma in an equimolar complex with H-kininogen. The binding to H-kininogen is mediated by the kallikrein heavy chain consisting of four "apple" domains, A1-A4, which attaches to H-kininogen with high specificity and affinity (KD = 83 nM). At least two distinct portions of the kallikrein heavy chain form this H-kininogen binding site: a proximal segment located in the NH2-terminal fragment of the heavy chain encompassing A1, and distal segment(s) located in COOH-terminal fragment spanning domains A2-A4. The proximal binding segment has been located to amino acid positions 56-86 of A1. To precisely map the distal…

New electrophilic reactions of 2,2′-bisindolyls with acid chlorides and carbodienophiles

1996

Some new acylation and cyclization reactions of 2,2′-bisindolyls 1, 2 are described. The product patterns constitute acyl derivatives 3, 4, 5 and an aldehyde 7, indolo[2,3-a]carbazoles 6, 14, 17, 19, 20 and cyclopentadiindoles 22 and 24. In the reaction with aryne or diazotated anthranilic acid, a 3-benzoylindole derivative 9 and phenylindolyl azo dye 10 are formed. N-methylmaleimide reacts with 2,2′-bisindolyl 2 via Michael type addition, dehydrogenation and cyclization to several functionalized or anellated indole derivatives 11, 12, 13 and 14, respectively.

The Bohm-Aharonov effect: A seven-dimensional structural group

1996

We realize a nonfaithful representation of a seven-dimensional Lie algebra, the extension of which to its universal enveloping algebra contains most of the observables of the scattering Aharonov-Bohm effect, as essentially self-adjoint operators: the scattering Hamiltonian, the total and kinetic angular momenta, the positions and the kinetic momenta. By restriction, we obtain the model introduced in Lett. Math. Phys.1 (1976), 155–163.

Electron microscopic demonstration of intracelluar promethazine accumulation sites by a precipitation technique: application to the cerebellar cortex…

1996

A method is described that allows electron microscopic identification of the phenothiazine neuroleptic promethazine after supravital intracardiac injection of high drug concentrations (greater than or equal to 3 %). The cerebellar cortex of the mouse was used for the investigation. This procedure is based on simultaneous fixation of drug and tissue by immersion in a paraformaldehyde-glutaraldehyde solution with the addition of phosphomolybdic acid. The electron microscopic investigation revealed that the drug could easily be identified as an electron-dense precipitate. Subpopulations of neurons exhibited a higher affinity for the drug than others, but no preference for any nerve cell type …

Different acute effects of single-axis and multi-axis hand-arm vibration.

1996

Under laboratory conditions the effects of single-axis and multi-axis hand-arm vibration exposure on several strain parameters were tested in up to 20 male subjects. As parameters of these acute effects, the biodynamic vibration behavior of the hand-arm system, the electrical activity of the most affected muscle groups, the skin temperature, the vibration sensitivity of the fingertips, and the subjective vibration sensation were measured. When comparing simulated three-axis vibration exposure with single-axis vibration exposure, synergistic effects in the form of an increasing reaction could be found. It could be proven that the vector sum of the frequency-weighted acceleration in the three…

Insulin resistance syndrome and autonomically mediated physiological responses to experimentally induced mental stress in adolescent boys

1996

We investigated the relationship between hemodynamic and other autonomically mediated responses to experimentally induced mental stress and the parameters of the insulin resistance syndrome (IRS) in 48 healthy adolescent boys. Mental stress was induced with mental arithmetic and the Stroop Color-Word Test. Heart rate (HR), finger blood volume (FBV), and skin conductance level (SCL) were recorded continuously during task performance. IRS parameters measured were serum insulin, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, serum triglyceride (TG), systolic blood pressure (SBP), subscapular skinfold (SSF), and subscapular to triceps skinfold ratio (STR). The results indicated that a high level a…

Augmented antigen presentation by mouse Ia + T clone cells BK-BI-2.6.O4.1 mediated by transferrin receptors.

1996

The murine T clone cells BK-BI-2.6.O4.1 (BI/O4.1) synthesize and express MHC class II molecules constitutively. BI/O4.1 cells are able to present various protein antigens to antigen-specific CD4 + T cells. However, a 10-fold higher concentration of antigen is needed to activate specific T cells to lymphokine secretion by BI/O4.1 cells in comparison with spleen cells or with the more homogeneous population of bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMMph). The authors tested whether the reduced antigen presentation potential of BI/O4.1 cells was augmented by transferrin-mediated uptake of the model antigen ovalbumin (OVA) coupled to human ferric transferrin. It was shown that 240-fold less OVA was …

Rare pre-core stop-codon mutant nt. 1897 predominates over wide-spread mutant nt. 1896 in an unusual course of chronic hepatitis B

1996

We present a patient with an unusual course of hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-negative chronic hepatitis B who had repeated reactivations of his disease progressing to cirrhosis with terminal liver failure. Each flare up presented like an acute hepatitis with very high titres of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and high inflammatory activity followed by rapid clearance of viraemia. The pre-core genome of HBV isolated from sera during 5 years of follow up was analysed. Direct sequencing of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products derived from consecutive sera showed a rare pre-core stop-codon mutation at nucleotide (nt.) 1897 G --> A with an accompanying mutation nt. 1857 C --> T as well as a stop-cod…

Acetylcholine in isolated airways of rat, guinea pig, and human: species differences in role of airway mucosa

1996

Stored endogenous acetylcholine (ACh) and in vitro synthesis of [3H]ACh were measured in isolated, mucosa-intact and mucosa-denuded airways of rat, guinea pig, and humans. In addition, choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity and ACh content were measured in freshly isolated airway mucosa as well as in cultured epithelial cells of rat tracheas. Rat tracheas stored 25 nmol/g ACh, whereas guinea pig tracheas and human bronchi contained only 2-3 nmol/g ACh. When incubated with [3H]choline, the isolated airways of rat, guinea pig, and human synthesized significant amounts of [3H]ACh. In guinea pig and human airways, removal of the mucosa affected neither stored ACh nor in vitro synthesis of […

Does risk of small mustelid predation affect the oestrous cycle in the bank vole,Clethrionomys glareolus?

1996

Female bank voles suppress their reproduction when the risk of small mustelid predation is high. The mechanism for this reproductive suppression is unknown. Because rodents are known to alter their oestrous cycle in response to changing environmental conditions, the eVect of predation risk on the oestrous cycle of bank vole females was studied. The oestrous cycles of 24 females divided into two treatments (predation risk and control) were observed for 20 days using female receptivity as an indication of oestrus. Voles exposed for 2-3 h a day for 20 days to the close presence of a least weasel, Mustela nivalis nivalis, had fewer oestrous cycles than control females exposed to a domestic rabb…

Isotope separation by nonlinear resonances in a Paul trap

1996

Deviations from the ideal quadrupole potential in a Paul ion trap create nonlinear resonances at certain operating points inside the stability diagram, where in the absence of potential pertubations storing times are very long. In the presence of those pertubations, however, the ions are lost from the trap. Since these resonances are mass dependent and the mass resolution is of the order of 100 it can be used to separate isotopes of a given element by choosing suitable trap operating conditions. Experiments on a natural mixture of Eu+ ions of mass 151 and 153 show that in a simple way, by proper choice of the operating point, the ions can be completely separated and laser-induced optical sp…

Nano-lithography using a resist, patterned by electron exposure in an AFM configuration

1996

We have used a metallised force microscope tip to apply a voltage and thereby expose a very thin resist film. It is possible to image the film surface before, during and after the exposure, without interference with the process. Uniform resist films as thin as 10 nm are fabricated using the Langmuir-Blodgett technique. To orient the defined pattern and to make electrical connections a special larger scale alignment structure is first defined by conventional electron beam lithography, either directly in the Langmuir-Blodgett resist film or in a complete first process with a separate resist system. The results from the one resist process gave conducting 50 nm lines in a 60 A thick aluminium f…

Computation of the field diffracted by a local surface defect: application to tip–sample interaction in the photon scanning tunneling microscope

1996

We use a method based on the Fourier transform of the electromagnetic field to compute the field diffracted by a local deformation of a plane boundary surface. We give a complete development of each step of the technique. To show the interaction that exists between the probe of a near-field optical microscope and the observed sample, we use the model of a truncated cone-shaped tip above a rectangular surface defect. We compute the electrical intensity along a line located between the tip and the local surface defect. We show the influence of the polarization of the incident wave and the effect of the position of the tip with respect to the position of the surface defect.

Results of conservative treatment (transurethral resection plus adjuvant intravesical chemotherapy) in patients with primary T1, G3 transitional cell…

1996

Objectives. To evaluate a selected population of 50 consecutive patients with primary T1, G3 bladder transitional cell carcinoma in the absence of carcinoma in situ (Tis) treated with a bladder-sparing approach. Methods. Between January 1983 and December 1992, all patients were treated by transurethral resection (TUR) plus adjuvant intravesical chemotherapy over 1 year. In most cases, doxorubicin, epirubicin, and mitomycin were used alone or in combination. Results. At a mean follow-up period of 52 months (range, 18 to 126), 16 of 50 patients (32%) showed a recurrent superficial tumor. The recurrent lesion was of Stage T1 in 11 (22%) cases, but was a T1, G3 tumor only in 5 cases (10%). In 2…

Interface localization transition in Ising films with competing walls: Ginzburg criterion and crossover scaling.

1996

Stage, tissue, and cell specific distribution of alternative Ultrabithorax mRNAs and protein isoforms in the Drosophila embryo

1996

The homeotic gene Ultrabithorax encodes a family of six homeoproteins translated from alternatively spliced mRNAs. The structures of these UBX isoforms have been conserved among anciently diverged Drosoph-ila species and functional distinctions between some isoforms have been reported that suggest subtle but important roles in Ubx action. We present a detailed analysis of the expression patterns of Ubx mRNAs and proteins during embryogenesis, using isoform-specific monoclonal antibodies and synthetic oligonucleotide probes. These patterns are remarkably complex, each mRNA and corresponding protein isoform being expressed in a partially overlapping but distinct stage and tissue-specific patt…

Epidemiology of viral hepatitis and HCC in Italy

1996

Pleuropulmonary changes induced by ergoline drugs.

1996

Classic ergolines, such as bromocriptine, methysergide and ergotamine, can induce chronic pleuropneumonitis. We present the cases of eight patients who developed similar changes whilst on other ergolines. In this retrospective case study spanning 1985-1995, clinical data, radiological material, pulmonary function, bronchoalveolar lavage and histopathology were reviewed. Earlier literature on ergoline-induced pleuropulmonary changes was reviewed. Eight middle-aged to elderly individuals of both sexes developed pleuropulmonary changes during long-term therapy with regular dosages of nicergoline (n = 4), dihydroergocristine (n = 3), or dihydroergotamine (n = 1). Bibasilar pleural thickening wi…

Cutaneous Exposure to the Superantigen Staphylococcal Enterotoxin B Elicits a T-Cell-Dependent Inflammatory Response

1996

We analyzed the impact of superantigens secreted by skin-colonizing Staphylococci on the skin and the associated lymphoid tissue following epicutaneous application and intracutaneous injection of small amounts of staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB). A single intracutaneous injection of 50 ng of SEB elicited a strong inflammatory response in the skin of BALB/c mice. Three to 6 h later, we observed langerhans cell activation, mast cell degranulation, vasodilation, upregulation of ICAM-1, and induction of VCAM-1 on dermal blood vessels, with vascular adhesion of granulocytes. by 12 to 24 h, cell infiltration of the dermis increased, reaching the epidermis. Among the infiltrating leukocytes, a s…

Systematic screening for mutations in the human serotonin-2A (5-HT2A) receptor gene: Identification of two naturally occurring receptor variants and …

1996

A statistically significant association between a silent mutation (102T/C) in the serotonin-2A (5-HT2A) receptor gene and schizophrenia has recently been reported in a sample of Japanese patients and healthy controls. This finding suggests that genetic predisposition to schizophrenia may be affected by a functional 5-HT2A receptor variant that is in linkage disequilibrium with 102T/C. In the present study, we have sought to identify genetic variation in the 5-HT2A receptor gene by screening genomic DNA samples from 91 unrelated subjects comprising 45 patients with schizophrenia and 46 healthy controls by using single-strand conformation analysis. We have identified four nucleotide sequence …

false

1996

18:2Δ 9c,12t and 18:2 Δ9t,12c are present in our diet, as result of heat treatment of vegetable oils. A nutritional study was carried out in order to obtain more precise information on the conversion of these two isomers into long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) by rat tissues. This in vivo study performed using rat fed with small quantities of mono trans linoleic acid isomers (0.6% of total energy) showed that 18:2 Δ9c,12t was converted into 20:4 Δ5c,8c,11c,14t while 18:2 Δ9t,12c was only slightly converted into 20:4 Δ5c,8c,11t,14c. Furthermore 18:2 Δ9t,12c was preferentially elongated into 20:2 Δ11t,14c. Each C20 metabolite of these mono trans 18:2 isomers was isolated as methyl …

Observation of an Intense Quasicontinuum of Superdeformed Rotational Transitions inEu143

1996

Quasicontinuum spectra in coincidence with transitions belonging to the different potential wells of {sup 143}Eu are studied with an increasing number of coincidence folds. An intense bump of rotationally correlated transitions is observed to develop in the high spin region. Fold distributions, angular anisotropies, moment of inertia determinations, and lower limits of lifetimes as a function of the rotational frequency show that the bump originates from highly collective rotationally damped {ital E}2 transitions generated by superdeformed states. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physical Society.}

H2-M polymorphism in mice susceptible to collagen-induced arthritis involves the peptide binding groove.

1996

The ability to develop type II collagen (CII)-induced arthritis (CIA) in mice is associated with the major histocompatibilityI-A gene and with as yet poorly defined regulatory molecules of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II antigen processing and presentation pathway. H2-M molecules are thought to be involved in the loading of antigenic peptides into the MHC class II binding cleft. We sequencedH2-Ma, H2-Mb1, andH2-Mb2 genes from CIA-susceptible and-resistant mouse strains and identified four differentMa andMb2 alleles and three differentMb1 alleles defined by polymorphic residues within the predicted peptide binding groove. Most CIA-resistant mouse strains share commonMa, M…

Anti-helicobacter regimens

1996

Ras, Rap, and Rac Small GTP-binding Proteins Are Targets for Clostridium sordellii Lethal Toxin Glucosylation

1996

Lethal toxin (LT) from Clostridium sordellii is one of the high molecular mass clostridial cytotoxins. On cultured cells, it causes a rounding of cell bodies and a disruption of actin stress fibers. We demonstrate that LT is a glucosyltransferase that uses UDP-Glc as a cofactor to covalently modify 21-kDa proteins both in vitro and in vivo. LT glucosylates Ras, Rap, and Rac. In Ras, threonine at position 35 was identified as the target amino acid glucosylated by LT. Other related members of the Ras GTPase superfamily, including RhoA, Cdc42, and Rab6, were not modified by LT. Incubation of serum-starved Swiss 3T3 cells with LT prevents the epidermal growth factor-induced phosphorylation of m…