SOME DATA ON THE PULSICHROMETER1

A table has been worked out of the plate openings necessary to use with enamel and slips of different weights reducing the skill required to obtain a smooth coating on a piece. The apparatus is described and tests were run on varying materials, viz., raw materials; fritted enamels and slips. The theory is advanced that the large orifice fails to develop enough back pressure to give the enamel sufficient velocity through the tube. Other features of the pulsichrometer are discussed.     

Radio-Frequency Coils in Implantable Devices: Misalignment Analysis and Design Procedure

Radio-frequency (RF) coils are used extensively in the design of implantable devices for transdermal power and data transmission. The practical issues of coil misalignments and configurations have not been investigated, and this paper presents a detailed theoretical analysis of misalignment effects in RF coil systems, including lateral and angular misalignments. Formulas are derived for the mutual inductance and, whenever possible, simplified upper bounds and lower bounds of the coupling coefficient are provided. A design procedure is established to maximize coil coupling for a given configuration, and a companion paper [1] discusses a circuit design technique to reduce the effects of misalignment on transmission efficiency.     

Involvement of specific mechanism in plasmid DNA uptake by mouse peritoneal macrophages

Lamina-associated polypeptide (LAP)2, which directly interacts with B-type lamins and chromosomes, is an integral membrane protein specifically distributed along the inner nuclear membrane of the nuclear envelope. Multiple regions of its large nucleoplasmic domain promote this localization, including the first (residues 1-296) and the second (residues 298-409) halves of the LAP2 N terminus. The second half is involved in LAP2 association with the nuclear lamina [Furukawa, K., Panté, N., Aebi, U. & Gerace, L. (1995) EMBO J. 14, 1626-1636]. In this study to further define its role, we examined which domain of B-type lamin interacts with LAP2 by means of a binding assay with bacterially expressed proteins and a yeast two-hybrid system. We found that amino acids in the region of residues 78-258 of the lamin B1 rod domain directly bound with LAP2. The data suggest that LAP2 may modulate the assembly of nuclear lamins.     

Healthy endings. A collaborative health promotion project for the elderly

This article describes a collaborative health promotion project between a graduate nursing program at a state university and a small community hospital. The Healthy Endings program provided health promotion education to groups of older adults at a local senior center. Health promotion in this population is vital to prevent complications and decrease risks that affect quality of life. Health promotion programs were designed to be accomplished through three major components: education, health screenings/services, and the referral process. Specific project objectives focused on safety, sensory deprivation, exercise, screening, compliance with medications, and a variety of psychosocial issues. Graduate nursing students functioning proactively in a senior center on a consistent basis were viewed as valuable by both members and staff.     

Multiple human cytochromes contribute to biotransformation of dextromethorphan in-vitro: role of CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2D6, and CYP3A

Cytochromes mediating the biotransformation of dextromethorphan to dextrorphan and 3-methoxymorphinan, its principal metabolites in man, have been studied by use of liver microsomes and microsomes containing individual cytochromes expressed by cDNA-transfected human lymphoblastoid cells. In-vitro formation of dextrorphan from dextromethorphan by liver microsomes was mediated principally by a high-affinity enzyme (Km (substrate concentration producing maximum reaction velocity) 3-13 microM). Formation of dextrorphan from 25 microM dextromethorphan was strongly inhibited by quinidine (IC50 (concentration resulting in 50% inhibition) = 0.37 microM); inhibition by sulphaphenazole was approximately 18% and omeprazole and ketoconazole had minimal effect. Dextrorphan was formed from dextromethorphan by microsomes from cDNA-transfected lymphoblastoid cells expressing CYP2C9, -2C19, and -2D6 but not by those expressing CYP1A2, -2E1 or -3A4. Despite the low in-vivo abundance of CYP2D6, this cytochrome was identified as the dominant enzyme mediating dextrorphan formation at substrate concentrations below 10 microM. Formation of 3-methoxy-morphinan from dextromethorphan in liver microsomes proceeded with a mean Km of 259 microM. For formation of 3-methoxymorphinan from 25 microM dextromethorphan the IC50 for ketoconazole was 1.15 microM; sulphaphenazole, omeprazole and quinidine had little effect. 3-Methoxymorphinan was formed by microsomes from cDNA-transfected lymphoblastoid cells expressing CYP2C9, -2C19, -2D6, and -3A4, but not by those expressing CYP1A2 or -2E1. CYP2C19 had the highest affinity (Km = 49 microM) whereas CYP3A4 had the lowest (Km = 1155 microM). Relative abundances of the four cytochromes were determined in liver microsomes by use of the relative activity factor approach. After adjustment for relative abundance, CYP3A4 was identified as the dominant enzyme mediating 3-methoxymorphinan formation from dextromethorphan, although CYP2C9 and -2C19 were estimated to contribute to 3-methoxymorphinan formation, particularly at low substrate concentrations. Although formation of dextrorphan from dextromethorphan appears to be sufficiently specific to be used as an in-vitro or in-vivo index reaction for profiling of CYP2D6 activity, the findings raise questions about the specificity of 3-methoxymorphinan formation as an index of CYP3A activity.