Effect of exogamy on morbidity among children during the first three years of life

The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae mRNA capping enzyme is composed of two subunits of alpha (52 kDa, mRNA guanylyltransferase) and beta (80 kDa, RNA 5'-triphosphatase). We have isolated the alpha subunit gene (CEG1) by immunological screening. In this report, with the aid of partial amino acid sequences of purified yeast capping enzyme, we isolated the gene, designated CET1, encoding the S. cerevisiae capping enzyme beta subunit. Amino acid sequence analysis revealed that the gene encodes for 549 amino acids with a calculated M(r) of 61,800 which is unexpectedly smaller than the size estimated by SDS-PAGE. Gene disruption experiment showed that CET1 is essential for yeast cell growth. The purified recombinant CET1 gene product, Cet1, exhibited an RNA 5'-triphosphatase activity which specifically removed the gamma-phosphate from the triphosphate-terminated RNA substrate, but not from nucleoside triphosphates, confirming the identity of the gene. Interaction between the Cet1 and the Ceg1 was also studied by the West-Western procedure using recombinant Ceg1-[32P]GMP as probe.     

Bone densitometry of proximal femur in Chinese subjects: gender differences in bone mass and bone areas

Whether an association exists between cystopathy and progression of diabetic nephropathy has never been clarified. The aim of the present study was to measure the degree of cystopathy in relation to the rate of progression of diabetic nephropathy. To that end, 17 insulin-dependent diabetic patients with diabetic nephropathy but without voiding symptoms were investigated urodynamically. The median age of the patients was 45 years (range 27-67 years), diabetes duration 23 years (range 14-44 years) and the serum creatinine level was 162 mumol/L (median, range 65-449 mumol/L) at the time of the study. The progression rate of diabetic nephropathy was analysed retrospectively by measuring changes in yearly mean values of Log10 serum creatinine for a period of 13 years (3-15 years) before the investigation. The progression rate was 0.028 mumol/L/year (median). Patients with a progression rate above and below the median rate were considered to be rapid (n = 8) and slow (n = 9) progressors, respectively. More women than men had a rapid progression rate of nephropathy. Rapid progressors were found to have smaller volume or residual urine (90 vs 165 ml; p < 0.05), larger volume voided (440 vs 270 ml; p < 0.05), lower opening pressure (18 vs 48 cm H2O; p < 0.05) and lower pressure at maximum flow (37 vs 64 cm H2O; p < 0.05) compared to slow progressors. However, these variables were not related to the progression rate of nephropathy (MANOVA). Furthermore, these results should be interpreted with caution because of the natural gender differences in pressure conditions. In conclusion, rapid progression of diabetic nephropathy does not seem to be associated with dysfunction of the urinary bladder measured with cystometry and pressure flow.     

Neurokinin induced inositol phosphate production in guinea pig bladder

PURPOSE: To examine second messenger pathways involved in neurokinin induced bladder contractions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Neurokinin induced changes in inositol phosphate production and in adenylyl cyclase activity are measured in the guinea pig bladder. RESULTS: Substance P, substance P methyl ester, neurokinin A, and neurokinin B each increase [3H]-inositol phosphate production in the guinea pig bladder. Substance P (10(-6) M) increases [3H]-inositol trisphosphate levels within 30 sec. Substance P and neurokinin A have an additive effect on inositol phosphate production, however substance P (10(-5) M) or neurokinin A (10(-5) M) induced inositol phosphate production is less than that induced by carbachol (10(-5) M). Neurokinin B and to a lesser extent neurokinin A inhibit forskolin-activated adenylyl cyclase activity. CONCLUSIONS: These data are compatible with neurokinin-induced inositol phosphate production being coupled to increases in contractile force of the guinea pig urinary bladder, however more than one second messenger pathway may be involved.     

Effect of cadmium on antioxidant enzyme activities and lipid peroxidation in a freshwater field crab, Barytelphusa guerini

The kinetics of efflux of calcium mobilized from intracellular stores following activation of human neutrophils with the synthetic chemotactic tripeptide, fMLP (1 microM), as well as that of the subsequent store-operated influx of this cation, has been measured by radiometric procedures using 45Ca. These procedures enabled distinction between net efflux and influx of 45Ca. Preincubation of neutrophils in medium containing 45Ca as the sole source of Ca2+, followed by activation with fMLP, resulted in a rapid efflux of the cation, which coincided with its release from intracellular stores. Efflux terminated at approximately 30 s after addition of fMLP to neutrophils and resulted in the loss of 42 +/- 3% (P < 0.005) of cell-associated 45Ca. Net influx of 45Ca, which was insensitive to the voltage-dependent Ca2+ channel blockading agent, verapamil (20 microM), could only be detected at 30-60 s after the addition of fMLP to neutrophils, and proceeded for about 5 min, resulting in intracellular concentrations of Ca2+ which were 27 +/- 3% (P<0.05) higher than preactivation levels. These results demonstrate that the efflux of cytoplasmic Ca2+ mobilized from intracellular stores during activation of neutrophils by fMLP, and the subsequent influx of extracellular Ca2+ to replete these stores, are chronologically distinct events in fMLP-activated neutrophils.     

Magnetic resonance imaging study of hippocampal volume in chronic, combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder

This study used quantitative volumetric magnetic resonance imaging techniques to explore the neuroanatomic correlates of chronic, combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in seven Vietnam veterans with PTSD compared with seven nonPTSD combat veterans and eight normal nonveterans. Both left and right hippocampi were significantly smaller in the PTSD subjects compared to the Combat Control and Normal subjects, even after adjusting for age, whole brain volume, and lifetime alcohol consumption. There were no statistically significant group differences in intracranial cavity, whole brain, ventricles, ventricle:brain ratio, or amygdala. Subarachnoidal cerebrospinal fluid was increased in both veteran groups. Our finding of decreased hippocampal volume in PTSD subjects is consistent with results of other investigations which utilized only trauma-unexposed control groups. Hippocampal volume was directly correlated with combat exposure, which suggests that traumatic stress may damage the hippocampus. Alternatively, smaller hippocampi volume may be a pre-existing risk factor for combat exposure and/or the development of PTSD upon combat exposure.     

Use of dispersion analysis in the evaluation of the effects of immersion and individual differences on the variability of orthostatic reactions

With the use of dispersion analysis the variation of indices of central and peripheral hemodynamics in healthy volunteers stayed from 1 to 7 days under conditions of "dry" immersion (DI) was studied. Nine persons were investigated at rest, 5 individuals during orthostatic tests before and after dry immersion sessions. The central hemodynamic indices were calculated, the arterial pressure (AD) was measured by Korotkoff's method, indices of rheoencephalographic and rheoplethysmographic indices of lower leg were found. The significant differences of mean values of measured parameters before and after DI at rest were not revealed. Two-factor dispersion analysis of the orthostatic test data revealed the high levels of significance of influencing immersion and personality factors as well as their interaction on the variation of most indices. For excluding an individual uniformity there has been done an analysis of dynamics of indices according to their relative values which allowed one to isolate qualitative peculiarities of changes and distinctions between persons with different orthostatic tolerance even before orthostatic testing.     

Low energy electron induced characteristic losses in the Fe73.6Cu1Nb2.4Si15.8B7.2 (FINEMET) alloy surface

Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy has been employed for investigation of the electronic states of amorphous and crystalline Fe_73.6Cu₁Nb_2.4Si_15.8B_7.2 (FINEMET) alloy surface and alloy components. Electron energy losses have been measured for primary electron beam energies E₀ from 150 to 650 eV. The characteristic energy loss spectra were composed of main peaks which we have interpreted due to surface and bulk plasmons, a combination of surface and bulk losses, high harmonics of plasma losses, inter-band transitions and ionization of core levels. The measured energies for the plasmon excitations were found not to agree with calculated values according to the classical theory for the collective oscillations in solids. Changes in the intensity lines of the surface and bulk plasmons were observed for all specimens depending on primary electron energy E₀. The present results are compared with characteristic energy loss data reported in the literature.