Distribution and carbohydrate structures of high molecular weight glycoproteins, MUC1 and MUCX, in bovine milk

High molecular weight glycoproteins, MUC1 and MUCX, originating from bovine milk, were compared with regard to their distribution in milk fat and skim milk fractions and for presence of carbohydrate structures. Polymorphic MUC1, which migrated into 6% resolving SDS-PAGE gels, was found in both milk fat globule membrane and skim milk phases of bovine milk. In contrast, MUCX, appearing as a non-polymorphic single band in 3% polyacrylamide stacking gels, was present only in the skim milk fraction. Peptide-N-glycosidase F digestion studies indicated that MUC1 and MUCX possessed N-glycans with MUC1 containing more N-glycans than MUCX. Exoglycosidase digestion studies revealed the existence of abundant terminal sialic acid residues in both MUC1 and MUCX. Lectin-binding studies showed that MUCX likely possessed more complex carbohydrate structures than MUC1. The complex carbohydrate structures carried by both MUC1 and MUCX suggest that they may have potential to bind a wide spectrum of pathogenic microorganisms. If that proves to be the case in vivo, such structures could have a role in preventing or reducing some infectious diseases.     

Costs of acid-related disorders to a health maintenance organization

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the economic impact of the acid-related disorders (ARDs), which include dyspepsia, gastritis, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and peptic ulcer disease (PUD), in managed care patient populations. OBJECTIVES: To describe the prevalence of medically attended ARDs, and their direct medical costs from the perspective of a large health maintenance organization (HMO). METHODS: A total of 1,550 ARDs subjects (age > or = 18 years), were randomly sampled from outpatient diagnosis and pharmacy databases of the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program of Northern California and verified by chart review. Five age- and gender-matched controls were identified per subject. One-year prevalence, excess annual costs, and initial 6-month costs for incident cases were estimated using the HMO cost accounting system. RESULTS: Total ARDs prevalence (5.8%) increases with advancing age. GERD is the most common ARD (2.9% overall prevalence). Annual per person attributable costs were $1,183, $471, and $431 respectively for PUD, GERD, and gastritis/dyspepsia. Excess inpatient costs for PUD explain its higher costs. Outpatient costs were somewhat higher for GERD ($279) than for PUD or gastritis/dyspepsia. Pharmacy costs were relatively low for each condition, in part because many patients were treated with generic cimetidine. Total annual HMO expenditures for ARDs were $59.4 million, with 40.6%, 36.8%, and 22.6% respectively for GERD, PUD, and gastritis/dyspepsia. CONCLUSIONS: Acid-related disorders, particularly GERD and PUD, contribute substantially to the direct costs of medical care in this managed care population.     

Enzymic assay for uric acid in milk

Summary The adaptation of a commerically available enzymatic test kit to the determination of uric acid in milk is described. The basis for the assay is the enzymatic conversion of a) uric acid to allantoin and hydrogen peroxide (uricase), b) reaction of the peroxide with ethanol (catalase), c) reduction of the acetaldehyde formed to ethanol (alcohol dehydrogenase) and measurement of the disappearance of NADH, which is proportional to the uric acid concentration in the sample. The method proved to be highly accurate (recovery of added uric acid =99%), rapid an precise (CV=3.57%).

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Enzymatische Bestimmung von Harnsäure in Milch

Zusammenfassung Es wird die Anpassung eines käuflichen Testes für die enzymatische Bestimmung von Harnsäure an Milch als Substrat beschrieben. Die Bestimmung basiert auf der enzymatischen Umwandlung von Harnsäure in Allantoin und Wasserstoffperoxid mit Uricase, dem Umsatz des Peroxides mit Katalase und Ethanol, der Reduktion des gebildeten Acetaldehydes mit NADH und Alkoholdehydrogenase. Der Verbrauch an NADH ist proportional dem Harnsäuregehalt der Milch. Die Methode ist sehr genau (99% Wiederfindungsrate bei zugesetzter Harnsäure), schnell und präzise (VK=3,57%).

     

Glasslike behaviour of polycrystalline Pb(Sc0.5 Nb0.5)O3 at low temperatures

Thermal conductivity, specific heat capacity and complex dielectric constant of PSN ceramic have been measured from 0.1 K up to 100 K. The thermal conductivity increases after poling of the sample but no influence of an applied electric field on the specific heat and the dielectric constant has been detected. Below 0.3 K a strong decreasing of the density of states has been observed.     

50 GHz InGaAs edge-coupled PIN photodetector

An edge-coupled PIN photodetector with an InGaAs absorber layer has been designed and fabricated. Values of bandwidth at 1530 nm, with and without bias, have been measured as 50 GHz and 20 GHz, respectively. The external quantum efficiency is as high as 40% using a standard 12 mu m radius lens-ended single-mode fibre.<>     

Progress towards robotic exploration of extreme terrain

A high degree of mobility, reliability, and efficiency are needed for autonomous exploration of extreme terrain. These requirements have guided the development of the Ambler, a six-legged robot designed for planetary exploration. To address issues of efficiency and mobility, the Ambler is configured with a stacked arrangement of orthogonal legs and exhibits a unique circulating gait, where trailing legs recover directly from rear to front. The Ambler is designed to stably traverse a 30 degree slope while crossing meter sized features. The same three principles have provided many constraints on the design of a software system that autonomously navigates the Ambler through natural terrain using 3-D perception and a combined deliberative/reactive architecture. The software system has required research advances in real-time control, perception of rugged terrain, motion planning, task-level control, and system integration. This paper presents many of the factors that influenced the design of the Ambler and its software system. In particular, important assumptions regarding the mechanism, perception, planning, and control are presented and evaluated in light of experimental and theoretical research of this project.     

A synchrotron X-ray diffraction study of the local residual strains around a single inclusion in an AI/W metal-matrix composite

An X-ray technique for local measurements of the internal residual stress near inclusions in metalmatrix composites (MMCs) is presented. The technique utilizes medium- to high-energy monochromatic X-rays from a synchrotron source and a combination of slits on the entry and exit sides of the sample in order to determine the strains from small volumes deep within the composite sample. The strains of the individual matrix grains are sampled and averaged, allowing for a much improved spatial resolution. An analyzer is used in order to avoid well-known systematic errors related to geometry and stability of the beam. First results are obtained on a model system consisting of a 500 μm continuous W fiber imbedded in an A1 matrix. Two specimens were investigated with typical Al grain sizes of 1 mm and 30 μm. With a gage volume of 10×10×170 μm³, we obtained count rates on the order of 5000 cps and an accuracy in the strain measurements of Δε≤5×10⁻⁵. For both specimens, we found no variations of the radial and transverse strain components with the distance to the fiber, indicating either a complete debonding of the system, a very weak interface, or interface deterioration due to chemical reaction. Intragranular strain fluctuations on the order of ε=±10⁻⁴ were found to build up close to the grain boundaries. For the specimen with the smaller Al grain size, sampling data from approximately 15 grains at the same distance to the fiber was sufficient for averaging out the intergranular fluctuations. Finally, we observe effects from the conventional metallurgic sample preparation up to 400 μm from the surface, emphasizing the relevance of bulk techniques.