Inhibition of Protein S by Autoantibodies in Patients with Acquired Protein S Deficiency

1996

SummaryThis study was undertaken to analyze antibodies to protein S (PS) in patients with an acquired PS deficiency. Plasma from symptomatic patients with acquired (n = 14) or congenital (n = 10) PS deficiency and 10 healthy donors was screened for PS antibodies by immunoblotting and for anti-phospholipid antibodies. PS antibodies (IgG) were detected in five of the patients with acquired PS deficiency. These antibodies belonged to the G1 and G4 immunoglobulin subclasses. IgG fractions from the same 5 patients were shown to inhibit PS activity. The inhibition of PS activity by the 5 IgG fractions was shown to be time-and dose-dependent and was abolished following incubation with purified PS,…

Functional Characterization of a Guanylyl Cyclase-activating Protein from Vertebrate Rods

1996

The membrane-bound guanylyl cyclase in vertebrate photoreceptor cells is one of the key enzymes in visual transduction. It is highly sensitive to the free calcium concentration ([Ca2+]). The activation process is cooperative and mediated by a novel calcium-binding protein named GCAP (guanylyl cyclase-activating protein). We isolated GCAP from bovine rod outer segments, determined amino acid sequences of proteolytically obtained peptides, and cloned its gene. The Ca2+-bound form of native GCAP has an apparent molecular mass of 20.5 kDa and the Ca2+-free form of 25 kDa as determined by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Recombinant GCAP was functionally expressed in Escherichia coli. Act…

The interaction of Fe(III), adriamycin and daunomycin with nucleotides and DNA and their effects on cell growth of fibroblasts (NIH-3T3)

1996

The interactions of the iron complexes of the anthracycline antitumour drugs daunomycin (DN) and adriamycin (ADM) with the mononucleotide AMP, herring sperm DNA, plasmic pBR322 and immortalized 3T3 fibroblasts were studied. By means of Mössbauer spectroscopy it was demonstrated that DNA is a powerful ferric iron chelator as compared with AMP, which is not able to compete with DN or acetohydroxamic acid for ferric iron. The difference between AMP and DNA is postulated to be based on the chelate effect. The Mössbauer spectra of the ternary Fe-anthracycline-DNA systems differ from Fe-anthracycline binary complexes, indicating rearrangement reactions. Dialysis experiments clearly disclose the f…

Novel acrylamido monomers with higher hydrophilicity and improved hydrolytic stability: I. Synthetic route and product characterization.

1996

The novel acrylamido monomer reported by our group (N-acryloylaminoethoxyethanol, AAEE; Chiari et al., Electrophoresis 1994, 15, 177-186), found to combine high hydrophilicity with extraordinary resistance to alkaline hydrolysis, has come under closer scrutiny due to unexpected and random autopolymerization while stored as a 1/1 v/v water solution at 4 degrees C (possibly due to a greater oxidability of the ether group). We have additionally found a unique degradation pathway of the monomer, called "1-6 H-transfer", by which the C1 (on the double bond site), by constantly ramming against the C6, next to the ether oxygen (O7, which in fact favors the transfer of the hydrogen atom by C1), pro…

Primary cultures of human synovial macrophages metabolize androgens.

1996

Effects of strength and endurance training on isometric muscle strength and walking speed in elderly women

1996

The separate effects of 18 weeks of intensive strength and endurance training on isometric knee extension (KE) and flexion (KF) strength and walking speed were studied in 76- to 78- year-old women. Maximal voluntary isometric force for both KE and KF was measured in a sitting position on a custom-made dynamometer chair at a knee angle of 60 degrees from full extension. Maximal walking speed was measured over a distance of 10 m. The endurance-trained women increased KE torque and KE torque/body mass after the first 9 weeks of training when compared with the controls. when comparing the baseline, 9 week and 18 week measurements within the groups separately, both the endurance- and strength-tr…

POSTMATING ISOLATION ANALYSIS IN FOUNDER-FLUSH EXPERIMENTAL POPULATIONS OF DROSOPHILA PSEUDOOBSCURA.

1996

In this paper, we report a detailed analysis intended to detect postmating barriers in experimental populations of Drosophila pseudoobscura obtained through nine founderflush cycles. The number of offspring produced was determined in three consecutive generations of hybridization. It is found that the evolution of premating barriers, as shown by two of these populations, is not necessarily accompanied by the evolution of postmating ones. Under the founder-flush model of speciation proposed by Carson (1971), the first step in the speciation process is usually thought to be an incidental genetic change through founder effect affecting mating behavior so that sexual premating isolation evolves…

Product selectivity effects during cracking of alkanes at very short and longer times on stream

1996

Abstract Cracking of C 7 , C 10 , C 12 and C 14 n-alkanes, over USY, Beta and ZSM-5 zeolites was carried out in a reaction system which allows to obtain instantaneous conversions at very short times on stream. With this system the influence of operation variables, chain length of the paraffin fed, and catalyst structure on product selectivity was established. Positive and negative effects of catalyst decay on product selectivity were obtained, and this behaviour could be simulated by using a deactivation model in which the rate of deactivation depends on the product concentration. It was observed that olefin/paraffin, branched/normal paraffin, branched/normal olefin ratios and aromatic sele…

Prefractionation of aroma extracts from fat-containing food by high-performance size-exclusion chromatography

1996

A method for the prefractionation of aroma extracts of fat-containing food using high-performance size-exclusion chromatography is presented. The aim was to obtain a fraction of volatile compounds with a residual triglyceride content as low as possible, in order to allow its direct analysis by gas chromatography. Two different mobile phases, diethyl ether and dichloromethane, were tested and the elution volumes of triglycerides and a large variety of aroma compounds were measured. The quality of separation between triglycerides and volatile compounds as a function of column load was studied. The method was successfully applied to the analysis of goat cheese volatiles.

Developmental activation and segment-specific co-expression of kininogen and bradykinin (BK) B2-receptors during rat nephrogenesis. • 2143

1996

Developmental activation and segment-specific co-expression of kininogen and bradykinin (BK) B 2 -receptors during rat nephrogenesis. • 2143

Mechanical and thermal behaviour of networks with “flexible” and “rigid” chains

1996

“Rigid-rod” telechelics were synthesized via repetitive Diels-Alder reaction of biscyclohexadienes and bis(1,2,4-triazoline-3,5-diones). The bistriazolinediones were used in slight excess. The rigidity of the building blocks and the molecular weight were varied. Various amounts of these reactive telechelics are used to crosslink cis-1,4-polybutadiene. The mechanical and the thermal properties of these two-component networks were investigated by stress-strain, differential scanning calorimetry and dynamic-mechanical measurements. The occurrence of microphase separation between the “rigid” and the “flexible” components is discussed to explain the properties of these materials.

Prolactin plasma levels and D2-dopamine receptor occupancy measured with IBZM-SPECT

1996

By the application of 123([123I]IBZM), an iodine-labelled dopamine D2-receptor antagonist, brain D2 receptors in humans can be visualized with single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). The ratio of IBZM binding to striatal regions versus binding to frontal cortex (ST/FC ratio) provided a semiquantitative measurement of D2 receptor binding in the striatum. This study investigated the relationship between receptor occupancy and plasma prolactin levels in 12 male patients treated with haloperidol, benperidol or clozapine. Prolactin levels were positively correlated with D2 receptor occupancy, reflecting at least in part a comparable dopamine receptor antagonism in different dopaminer…

NMR spectroscopy: Basic principles, concepts, and applications in chemistry

1996

Dianions of Unsaturated Carboxylic Acids in Synthesis. Synthesis of Juvocimene I

1996

Abstract Juvocimene I is prepared by a non ambiguous synthesis based on the regioselective alkylation of 4-methylhexa-2,4-dienoic acid, and Wittig olefination of the aldehyde corresponding to the alkylated acid.

Involvement of secretory phospholipase A2 activity in the zymosan rat air pouch model of inflammation.

1996

1. In the zymosan rat air pouch model of inflammation we have assessed the time dependence of phospholipase A2 (PLA2) accumulation in the inflammatory exudates as well as cell migration, myeloperoxidase activity, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and leukotriene B4 (LTB4) levels. 2. A significant increase in PLA2 activity was detected in 1,200 g supernatants of exudates 8 h after injection of zymosan into rat air pouch. This event coincided with peaks in cell accumulation (mainly neutrophils) and myeloperoxidase activity in exudates and was preceded by a rise in eicosanoid levels. 3. This enzyme (without further purification) behaved as a secretory type II PLA2 with an optimum pH at 7-8 units, lack o…

Immunomodulatory Mechanisms Mediated by Sex Hormones in Rheumatoid Arthritis

1996

Electronically conducting polymers and activated carbon: Electrode materials in supercapacitor technology

1996

Effects of nicotinamide on central cholinergic transmission and on spatial learning in rats

1996

High-dose nicotinamide (1000 mg/kg) leads to a minor increase of plasma choline but to a major increase of the choline concentrations in the intra- and extracellular spaces of the brain. In the hippocampus, the nicotinamide-induced increase in choline was associated with an increase in the release of acetylcholine under stimulated conditions. In young rats, nicotinamide in doses between 10 and 1000 mg/kg did not influence spatial learning, as tested in the Morris water maze. In old rats, low doses of nicotinamide were ineffective whereas the high dose of 1000 mg/kg even impaired spatial learning. The combined administration of choline and nicotinamide had a synergistic effect on brain choli…

Chemisorption of hydrogen on a V5+ cluster

1996

Abstract The binding between V 5 + and hydrogen is studied by collision induced dissociation of the cluster-adsorbate V 5 + H 2 . Vanadium clusters are produced by laser vaporization and injected into an electromagnetic ion trap. After mass separation of V 5 + , the pulsed addition of hydrogen yields V 5 + H 2 . The desorption of hydrogen is studied by acceleration of V 5 + H 2 with variable rf voltages and collisions with argon atoms. From the threshold voltage necessary for dissociation a binding energy of H 2 on V 5 + of 2.4 ± 0.3 eV is estimated. This value is consistent with a dissociative chemisorption of hydrogen.

Endoscopic surgery of the rhinobasis with a computer-assisted localizer

1996

The endoscope is useful for the diagnosis and surgical therapy of diseases of the nose, the paranasal sinuses and its neighboring regions, and allows for microinvasive, functional approaches. The reduced invasiveness of therapeutic procedures is sometimes accompanied by insufficient clearness of the surgical field, however. This significant problem is solved by the computer-assisted-surgery (CAS) system, an intraoperative localizer. It allows continuous orientation based on three-dimensional reconstructed preoperative CT scans with superimposed positioning of the endoscope. We have now adapted CAS for endoscopic sinus surgery, which meant that a variety of visualization methods were tested.…

Rahel's way: One does not escape pariahdom

1996

(1996). Rahel's way: One does not escape pariahdom. The European Legacy: Vol. 1, Fourth International Conference of the International Society for the study of European Ideas, pp. 427-432.

A new method to measure cardiac inositol levels in intact animals.

1996

Inositol levels have been studied in cellular cultures and recently by perfusion of isolated hearts. The study was aimed to assess inositol turnover in rabbit hearts from intact animals. Thirty rabbits were injected i.v. three times (every 12 hr) with 25 microCi/kg of myo-3H-inositol. The rabbits 12 hr after the last injection were killed and the hearts perfused according to Langerdorff technique. Systolic and diastolic ventricular pressures (SVP, DVP), dp/dt, and coronary flow (CFl) were measured. The hearts (n = 14) were perfused under aerobic conditions and 16 hearts under ischemic conditions for 30 min. In addition, 5 hearts were perfused under aerobic conditions for 10 min, and 6 heart…

Human intestinal Vdelta1+ lymphocytes recognize tumor cells of epithelial origin.

1996

gammadelta T cells can be grouped into discrete subsets based upon their expression of T cell receptor (TCR) variable (V) region families, their tissue distribution, and their specificity. Vdelta2+ T cells constitute the majority of gammadelta T cells in peripheral blood whereas Vdelta1+T cells reside preferentially in skin epithelium and in the intestine. gammadelta T cells are envisioned as first line host defense mechanisms capable of providing a source of immune effector T cells and immunomodulating cytokines such as interleukin (IL) 4 or interferon (IFN) gamma. We describe here the fine specificity of three distinct gammadelta+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) obtained from patient…

Approximate triangle amplitude for three-body charge exchange processes.

1996

The single-rescattering contribution to the amplitude pertaining to three-body charge exchange reactions (triangle amplitude) contains the off-shell Coulomb {ital T}-matrix {ital T}{sup {ital C}} describing the intermediate-state Coulomb scattering of charged subsystems. For ease of computation, the latter is usually replaced by the potential {ital V}{sup {ital C}} which, however, is unsatisfactory in many cases. An alternative approximation, obtained by {open_quote}{open_quote}renormalizing{close_quote}{close_quote} the {open_quote}{open_quote}triangle{close_quote}{close_quote} contribution with {ital V}{sup {ital C}} instead of {ital T}{sup {ital C}} by a simple analytic expression, is sh…

Investigation of the decay of to excited states in

1996

The two-neutrino mode of double beta decay of is investigated both theoretically and experimentally. The calculations, using the quasiparticle random phase approximation approach, show that for the detection of transitions to the two first excited states in the daughter nuclide will be possible in the very near future. On the experimental side, new, most stringent limits on half-lives for the double beta decay of to excited states in have been obtained with a `well-type' germanium detector. They range between and years (90% CL).

Prevalence of epilepsy. A door-to-door survey in the Sicilian community of Riposto.

1996

In a door-to-door survey of common neurological disorders in Sicily (SNES Project), we administered a screening symptoms questionnaire and a brief neurological examination to detect epileptic patients. All of the subjects effectively resident in the community of Riposto on 1 November 1987 (prevalence day) were investigated (n = 9956). The subjects with a positive questionnaire or a previous diagnosis of epilepsy were extensively examined by a neurologist and then definitively classified for epilepsy by a panel of senior neurologists. The crude prevalence of active and non-active epilepsy was 3.21/1000; the prevalence of active epilepsy alone was 2.71/1000. Of the 27 active cases, sixteen we…

Effect of the preparation method and grinding time of some mixed valency ferrite spinels on their cationic distribution and thermal stability toward …

1996

Abstract The reactivity in oxygen of several mixed valency ferrite spinels, namely Fe3O4, FeCr2O4, Fe3 − xTixO4 and Fe3 − xMoxO4 was investigated by derivative thermogravimetry (DTG) analysis as a function of the conditions of preparation and grinding. For all these compounds, low temperature preparation or prolonged grinding time enables small particles ( 0.5 μm), it was observed that oxidation was starting at higher temperature and that the defect spinel phases could not be retained during oxidation. This behaviour was attributed to the presence of stresses induced by the lattice parameter gradient and promoting the formation of nuclei of the α-rhombohedral phase from the superficial γ-de…

Effectiveness of microwave based digestion procedures for the demineralization of human milk and infant formulas prior to fluorometric determination …

1996

The use of two types of microwave oven, one domestic (A) and the other specially designed for laboratory (B) for microwave-based digestion, to destroy the organic matter in milk and infant formulas prior to fluorometric determination of selenium is studied in order to check their applicability and reliability. In both systems the best results were obtained using the acid mixture HNO3—H2O2, and additional treatment with perchloric acid (60%) in a Thermoblock. The application of two different microwave-based digestion procedures to infant formulas was free of interferences. In the case of human milk, it was necessary to use the standard addition method. Values obtained for detection and quant…

Simultaneous measurement of rotational and translational diffusion by forced Rayleigh scattering. Colloid spheres in suspension

1996

Abstract It is shown that the technique of forced Rayleigh scattering, traditionallyemployed to probe translational diffusion, can be employed to probe rotational diffusion as well. Thus with a single experiment both quantities are measured. The system under investigation is colloid spheres suspended in a glass-forming liquid. Furthermore, it is shown that the Stokes-Einstein and Debye-Stokes-Einstein relations for translational and rotational diffusion, respectively, are valid for spherical colloid particles in a supercooled liquid matrix in the vicinity of the glassy state.

First evidence for excited states inIn101

1996

The first evidence for excited states in In-101 is presented. In-101 is the lightest In isotope observed in an in-beam experiment. Two gamma-ray transitions at 1309 and 341 keV, respectively, are s ...

A graph colouring model for assigning a heterogeneous workforce to a given schedule

1996

Abstract We analyze a heterogeneous workforce assignment problem in which the minimum number of workers required to carry out a machine load plan is calculated. The problem is formulated as a restricted vertex colouring problem and a branch and bound algorithm is presented. The special characteristics of the graph to be coloured allow an efficient implementation of the branch and bound. Computational results show that the algorithm can solve problems of 50 activities, 5, 10 and 15 machines and between 2 to 15 different types of workers in just a few seconds.

Common and form-specific cell wall antigens of Candida albicans as released by chemical and enzymatic treatments.

1996

In order to investigate the antigenic properties of the proteins and mannoproteins present in the cell surface of Candida albicans, and to identify individual antigenic moieties and their distribution, a number of polyclonal antisera were obtained by immunizing rabbits with chemical and enzymatic cell wall extracts obtained from intact cells from both growth forms (yeast and mycelium) of the fungus. Prior to injection, wall moieties present in the extracts were subjected to different treatments and/or purification procedures such as adsorption onto polystyrenelatex microbeads or electrophoretic separation. When used as probes in indirect immunofluorescence assays, the different antisera gav…

Die Hochdosischemotherapie in der Behandlung des Mammakarzinoms: Gegenwärtiger Stand und Grenzen der Therapiemethode

1996

Current Status and Limits: High-dose chemotherapy with autologous haematopoietic stem cell rescue has become in recent years a widely accepted therapeutic modality for advanced stage breast cancer in North America. The emergence of modern supportive measures like peripheral blood stem cell rescue has significantly decreased the toxicity and cost of high-dose chemotherapy. The rationale for use of escalated chemotherapy doses in breast cancer is the establishment of a dose-response relationship, with higher doses producing increased response rates in preclinical studies as well as in clinical trials. The dose limiting myelotoxicity of several active agents in breast cancer can only be overco…

A Graph-Grammar Approach to Represent Causal, Temporal and Other Contexts in an Oncological Patient Record

1996

AbstractThe data of a patient undergoing complex diagnostic and therapeutic procedures do not only form a simple chronology of events, but are closely related in many ways. Such data contexts include causal or temporal relationships, they express inconsistencies and revision processes, or describe patient-specific heuristics. The knowledge of data contexts supports the retrospective understanding of the medical decision-making process and is a valuable base for further treatment. Conventional data models usually neglect the problem of context knowledge, or simply use free text which is not processed by the program. In connection with the development of the knowledge-based system THEMPO (The…

Continuity in early language development

1996

Population genetic structure of the butterflyMelitaea didyma(Nymphalidae) along a northern distribution range border

1996

The population genetic structure of the butterfly Melitaea didyma was studied along the northern distribution range border in Central Germany by means of allozyme electrophoresis. Individuals were sampled from a total of 21 habitat patches from four regions, and two provinces. Sampling was designed to estimate local vs. regional differentiation. High levels of variability were found, He= 0.14-0.21. The mean expected sample heterozygosity from one region, Mosel, was significantly lower than from the Hammelburg region, He= 0.17 and 0.19, respectively. Two hierarchical levels of genetic differentiation were found. Within regions individuals sampled from different patches behaved as belonging t…