Genotype-dependent effects of septal lesions on different types of learning in the mouse.

Tested 80 C57BL/6J, DBA/2J, and SEC/1ReJ mice with septal or control lesions for exploratory behavior, shuttle-box avoidance learning, discriminated avoidance, and maze-learning ability. Control DBA and SEC Ss normally displayed low levels of exploratory behavior and efficient avoidance and maze learning. High exploratory activity and low avoidance and maze learning were characteristically shown by C57 controls. All strains with septal lesions increased levels of exploratory and avoidance behaviors. In contrast, following septal lesions the 3 strains performed more poorly in discriminated-avoidance and maze learning. It is concluded that differences in septal function-e.g., in level of response inhibition-do not substantially account for the learning differences evident between these strains. (19 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Multiple correspondence analysis in S-PLUS

Multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) is a multivariate method for analyzing multidimensional contingency tables. General software procedures to perform MCA are available. Among them SAS Proc CORRESP, SPAD CORMU procedure and the mca function of the MASS library in S-PLUS are probably the most used. However, CORRESP and CORMU output is different from that of mca function. The aim of this short note is showing how to obtain from mca function results compatible with those achieved with SAS or SPAD. A modified code is proposed in order to obtain the same coordinate system computed by SAS and SPAD. Moreover, the computation of the contributions of the levels of the factors to the inertia explained by each axis, the squared cosine of each factor level and the re-evaluation of the inertia explained by each axis have been added in order to improve the interpretations of the results of the decomposition.     

Determination of primary and secondary standards and characterization of appropriate salt bridges for pH measurements in formamide

For the first time, the standardization for pH measurements is here implemented in the domain of superpermittive media. The nonaqueous solvent studied is formamide (epsilon = 109.5 at 298.15 K) for which three primary standards and two secondary standards have been determined, whose excellent internal consistency has also been demonstrated by specific cell measurements. A comparison of the pH scale in formamide with the aqueous scale has been duly tried by accounting for the primary medium effect on the H+ ion. Furthermore, as a result of an ad hoc supplementary systematic investigation, three salt bridges of appropriate level of equitransference in formamide, that is, NH(4)Cl, NH(4)Br, and NH(4)I, have been characterized for abating the liquid junction potentials intervening in the pH-measuring cell to enable the user to carry out regular pH measurements and related controls.     

Chemical synthesis of the RGD-protein decorsin: Pro-->Ala replacement reduces protein thermostability

Decorsin is a 39-residue polypeptide chain, crosslinked by three disulfide bridges, that strongly inhibits platelet aggregation. We report the chemical synthesis and characterization of analogs of decorsin with the aim of investigating the role of proline residues in protein structure, stability and biological activity. Decorsin analogs have been synthesized in which one (P23A and P24A decorsin) or two (P23,24A decorsin) proline residues have been substituted by alanine. The crude synthetic polypeptides were purified by reversed-phase HPLC in their reduced form and allowed to refold oxidatively to their disulfide-crosslinked species. The homogeneity of the synthetic mini-proteins, and also the correct pairing of the three disulfide bridges, were established by a number of analytical criteria, including fingerprinting analysis of the refolded synthetic analogs by using thermolysin and proteinase K as proteolytic enzymes. Replacement of proline by alanine results in a significant and cumulative decrease of the high thermal stability (Tm 74 degrees C) of native decorsin. The mono-substituted analogs display a Tm of 66-67 degrees C, while the double-substituted analog a Tm of 50 degrees C. On the other hand, the overall secondary and tertiary structures were not affected by the Pro-->Ala exchanges, as judged from circular dichroism measurements. Platelet aggregation assays established that the proline substitutions do not impair significantly the biological activity of decorsin. The results of this study clearly indicate that proline residues contribute significantly to the protein thermal stability. Our results are in line with the 'proline rule', previously advanced for explaining the unusual thermal stability of thermophilic enzymes, which usually show an enhanced content of proline residues with respect to their mesophilic counterparts.     

Tension-free hernioplasty: technical remarks and personal experience

The authors report their experience with 463 tension free hernioplasty procedures for inguinal and femoral hernias. The surgical technique included the insertion of both a polypropylene plug and a polypropylene mesh, and was carried out mostly in local anesthesia (84.2%) using bupivacaine 0.25% for ileoinguinal and ileohypogastric blockage and mepivacaine 0.5% for local infiltration. There was no major intraoperative complication; local postoperative complications were rare (10%) and easily managed; postoperative pain was frequently observed (66%), though mild and transient; resumption of working activity occurred within a month in 96.6% of cases; there were only 3 post-operative recurrences (respectively, at 1, 6 and 12 months). The authors conclude that the tension free hernioplasty is a simple, rapid, low-cost and effective technique, easily performed under local anesthesia.     

Carcinoma of the pancreatic head area: follow-up

Preliminary results of a planned follow-up schedule based on periodic clinicoinstrumental controls applied to a population of 73 patients with pancreatic cancer undergoing combined modality treatments modulated according to the different prognosis, are reported. The following considerations are stressed: 1) the feasibility of scheduled controls is confirmed by the low rate (1.4%) of patients lost to follow-up in spite of the rapidly fatal course of the disease, characterized by the deteriorating performance status in most patients; 2) radiologic exams should be performed in the same center where the patients were initially staged by a team experienced in the natural history of this disease and aware of the difficulties in assessing the treatment, surgery in particular; 3) supportive care plays a major role in patients followed-up for the frequent onset of symptoms which impact on the quality of life; 4) the interdisciplinary collaboration between surgeons, oncologists, radiotherapists, endoscopists and experts in nutrition and pain relief plays a major role.     

Biochar-containing construction materials for electromagnetic shielding in the microwave frequency region: the importance of water content

Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy - Electromagnetic waves in the X-band (8.2–12.4 GHz frequency) are used for radar, satellite communication, and, in some countries, for...