LAP-1 cold preservation solution for isolation of high-quality human pancreatic islets

The purpose of this study was to determine the precision of proprioceptive localization of the hand in humans. We derived spatial probability distributions which describe the precision of localization on the basis of three different sources of information: proprioceptive information about the left hand, proprioceptive information about the right hand, and visual information. In the experiment subjects were seated at a table and had to perform three different position-matching tasks. In each task, the position of a target and the position of an indicator were available in a different combination of two of these three sources of information. From the spatial distributions of indicated positions in these three conditions, we derived spatial probability distributions for proprioceptive localization of the two hands and for visual localization. For proprioception we found that localization in the radial direction with respect to the shoulder is more precise than localization in the azimuthal direction. The distributions for proprioceptive localization also suggest that hand positions closer to the shoulder are localized more precisely than positions further away. These patterns can be understood from the geometry of the arm. In addition, the variability in the indicated positions suggests that the shoulder and elbow angles are known to the central nervous system with a precision of 0.6-1.1 degrees. This is a considerably better precision than the values reported in studies on perception of these angles. This implies that joint angles, or quantities equivalent to them, are represented in the central nervous system more precisely than they are consciously perceived. For visual localization we found that localization in the azimuthal direction with respect to the cyclopean eye is more precise than localization in the radial direction. The precision of the perception of visual direction is of the order of 0.2-0.6 degrees.     

Intraluminal duodenal diverticulum presenting as obstructive chronic pancreatitis

The presence of angiotensin II receptors was found on cells of three colorectal carcinoma cell lines. The binding assays with 125I-labelled angiotensin II and ligands specific for angiotensin AT1 or AT2 receptors showed that angiotensin receptors on colorectal cancer cells are mostly of the AT2 type. The binding capacity of tumor cells was not significantly changed by butyrate-induced differentiation.     

Reversal of cerebral vasospasm using an intrathecally administered nitric oxide donor

A systematic approach to evaluation of suspected occupational lung disorders is presented to assist the health care professional with diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis, as well as management of the disease in the workplace.     

Efficient expression of the gene for spinach phosphoribulokinase in Pichia pastoris and utilization of the recombinant enzyme to explore the role of regulatory cysteinyl residues by site-directed mutagenesis

Phosphoribulokinase (PRK), unique to photosynthetic organisms, is regulated in higher plants by thioredoxin-mediated thiol-disulfide exchange in a light-dependent manner. Prior attempts to overexpress the higher plant PRK gene in Escherichia coli for structure-function studies have been hampered by sensitivity of the recombinant protein to proteolysis as well as toxic effects of the protein on the host. To overcome these impediments, we have spliced the spinach PRK coding sequence immediately downstream from the AOX1 (alcohol oxidase) promoter of Pichia pastoris, displacing the chromosomal AOX1 gene. The PRK gene is now expressed, in response to methanol, at 4-6% of total soluble protein, without significant in vivo degradation of the recombinant enzyme. This recombinant spinach PRK is purified to homogeneity by successive anion-exchange and dye-affinity chromatography and is shown to be electrophoretically and kinetically indistinguishable from the authentic spinach counterpart. Site-specific replacement of all of PRK's cysteinyl residues (both individually and in combination) demonstrates a modest catalytically facilitative role for Cys-55 (one of the regulatory residues) and the lack of any catalytic role for Cys-16 (the other regulatory residue), Cys-244, or Cys-250. Mutants with seryl substitutions at position 55 display non-hyperbolic kinetics relative to the concentration of ribulose 5-phosphate. Sulfate restores hyperbolic kinetics and enhances kinase activity, presumably reflecting conformational differences between the position 55 mutants and wild-type enzyme. Catalytic competence of the C16S-C55S double mutant proves that mere loss of free sulfhydryl groups by oxidative regulation cannot account entirely for the accompanying total inactivation.     

The neuroprotective kappa-opioid CI-977 alters glutamate-induced calcium signaling in vitro

The effect of the neuroprotective kappa opioid agonist CI-977 on glutamate (GLU)-stimulated calcium signaling was studied in individual primary rat cortical neurons. Using laser scanning confocal microscopy and the fluorescent calcium probe fluo-3, both the sustained and biphasic intracellular calcium concentration [Ca2+]i changes induced by GLU (20-40 microM) were altered by CI-977 (25-100 nM), thereby shifting the neuronal population response from unbuffered to buffered patterns of [Ca2+]i flux. This effect was consistent with the previously demonstrated neuroprotective action of CI-977 against glutamate toxicity in vitro. The effect of CI-977 in altering GLU-induced [Ca2+]i signaling was attenuated by naloxone, consistent with a neuroprotective action of CI-977 at opioid receptors, presumably of the kappa subtype.     

Negative dispersion-flattened fibre suitable for 10 Gbit/s directly-modulated signal transmission in whole telecommunication band

New dispersion-flattened fibres having negative dispersion of about -8 ps/nm/km over the whole telecommunication band are developed. Transmissions with 10 Gbit/s directly modulated LDs over 51 km at 1275 nm and over 80 km at 1550 nm are realised without dispersion compensation.     

Incidence of urolithiasis in northeast Thailand

We performed an anterior spinal fusion using a vascularized fibular bone graft combined with posterior fusion for a patient with severe cervical kyphosis due to neurofibromatosis. The kyphosis was corrected from 85 degrees preoperatively to 38 degrees postoperatively. A vascularized fibular bone graft is a useful surgical procedure in selected patients to obtain successful bony union.     

Dietary and physiological studies to investigate the relationship between calcium and magnesium signalling in the mammalian myocardium

This study employs both dietary and physiological studies to investigate the relationship between calcium (Ca2+) and magnesium (Mg2+) signalling in the mammalian myocardium. Rats maintained on a low Mg2+ diet (LMD; 39 mg Kg-1 Mg2+ in food) consumed less food and grew more slowly than control rats fed on a control Mg2+ diet (CMD; 500 mg Kg-1 Mg2+ in food). The Mg2+ contents of the heart and plasma were 85 +/- 3% and 34 +/- 6.5%, respectively relative to the control group. In contrast, Ca2+ contents in the heart and plasma were 177 +/- 5% and 95 +/- 3%. The levels of potassium (K+) was raised in the plasma (129 +/- 16%) and slightly decreased in the heart (88 +/- 6%) compared to CMD. Similarly, sodium (Na+) contents were slightly higher in the heart and lowered in the plasma of low Mg2+ diet rats compared to control Mg2+ diet rat. Perfusion of the isolated Langendorff's rat heart with a physiological salt solution containing low concentrations (0-0.6 mM) of extracellular magnesium [Mg2+]o resulted in a small transient increase in the amplitude of contraction compared to control [Mg2+]o (1.2 mM). In contrast, elevated [Mg2+]o (2-7.2 mM) caused a marked and progressive decrease in contractile force compared to control. In isolated ventricular myocytes the L-type Ca2+ current (ICa,L) was significantly (p < 0.001) attenuated in cells dialysed with 7.1 mM Mg2+ compared to cells dialysed with 2.9 microM Mg2+. The results indicate that hypomagnesemia is associated with decreased levels of Mg2+ and elevated levels of Ca2+ in the heart and moreover, internal Mg2+ is able to modulate the Ca2+ current through the L-type Ca2+ channel which in turn may be involved with the regulation of contractile force in the heart.     

Epidemiology, clinical aspects, and biology of IDDM patients under age 40 years. Comparison of data from Antwerp with complete ascertainment with data from Belgium with 40% ascertainment. The Belgian Diabetes Registry

OBJECTIVE: To compare the incidence rate of IDDM in the age-groups 0-14 and 15-39 years in Antwerp, Belgium, and to compare demographic, clinical, and biological data from Antwerp IDDM patients with 92% ascertainment with those from a larger Belgian patient group with 40% ascertainment. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Incident cases of IDDM were reported by physicians of the Belgian Diabetes Registry and in Antwerp by several other sources. In Antwerp, completeness of ascertainment was calculated by the capture-recapture method. Demographic and clinical data were collected by questionnaire. Blood was sampled for HLA-DQ genotyping and, in new-inset patients, for autoantibodies. RESULTS: In Antwerp, the age- and sex-standardized IDDM incidence rates were similar in both age-groups (0-14 years: 11.8/100,000; 15-39 years: 8.9/100,000). The incidence rate decreased in girls above age 15 years (6.9/100,000; P = 0.003) but not in boys (11.0/100,000). Both in Antwerp and Belgium, IDDM was diagnosed more frequently in the 15-39 years age-group (60% of all cases) than under age 15 years, with a lower prevalence of acute symptoms, ketonuria, high-risk HLA-DQ genotype, and autoantibodies against insulin, islet cells, and IA-2, but with a higher prevalence of GAD65 autoantibodies. CONCLUSIONS: In Antwerp, the incidence rate of IDDM under age 15 years is intermediately high compared with the rates in other European regions. It is similar in the 15-39 years age-group, but with a marked male predominance. Demographic, clinical, and biological data show the same age-dependent heterogeneity as the data collected nationwide, with 40% ascertainment indicating the representativeness of the latter.     

The influence of polymer structure on the interactions of cationic polymers with DNA and morphology of the resulting complexes

Four cationic polymers used to deliver DNA into cultured cells: polylysine, intact polyamidoamine dendrimer, fractured polyamidoamine dendrimer and polyethylenimine, are examined for their ability to interact with DNA. Complexes between the polymers and DNA were examined using electron microscopy. Similar toroidal structures with diameters of 55 +/- 12 nm were formed from all of the cationic polymers with DNA. The DNA complexes of the fractured dendrimer and polyethylenimine were observed as single, distinct units; their apparent diameters in solution as measured by dynamic light scattering ranged from 90 to 130 nm. The DNA complexes of polylysine and intact dendrimer generally appeared as clusters in electron micrographs; their diameters in solution were larger than 1000 nm, which suggests that their toroidal complexes aggregate in solution. The cationic polymers bind to DNA in a stoichiometry that is nearly 1:1 in primary amines to DNA phosphates. The apparent binding of all cationic polymers to DNA decreases linearly with increasing ionic strength, up to 0.8 M NaCl. Thus, at the concentrations studied, these polymers interact electrostatically with DNA forming a unit structure with toroidal morphology; the extent of aggregation of the unit structures in solution depends upon the characteristics of the individual polymer.