A new PCR-primer for specific amplification of human DNA fragments selected on the basis of computer analysis of the nucleotide sequences of MER1 dispersed repeats in man

A HPLC method with coulometric detection has been established to carry out the separation of the three nitrofuran derivatives, nitrofurantoin, furazolidone and furaltadone. A Nova-Pak C18 column (150 x 3.9 mm) and a Coulochem II detector from ESA have been used. After obtaining the hydrodynamic curves of the three compounds in the porous graphite electrode a potential of -600 mV was selected as the working potential. The influence of other variables such as mobile phase composition and flow-rate were studied. The mobile phase considered as an optimum was acetonitrile-0.1 M aqueous solution of sodium perchlorate (28:72), with 0.5% glacial acetic acid. The oxygen of the mobile phase was removed with a vacuum system on-line and a nitrogen stream was used to remove the oxygen of the samples. The calibration graphs and the detection limits were established. The method proposed was used, with good results, for the determination of the three compounds in milk.     

Profile of intestinal helminthiases in school aged children in the city of Abidjan]

Experiments were carried out using rats to investigate whether 5-HT1A neural mechanisms are involved in lithium-induced conditioned taste aversion (CTA). We found that the 5-HT1A antagonists p-MPPI and pindolol caused CTA similar to that produced by LiCl. The 5-HT1A agonist 8-OH-DPAT counteracted lithium-induced CTA. Pindolol dose-dependently abolished effects of 8-OH-DPAT on LiCl-induced CTA. These findings support the notion that lithium has antagonistic actions on 5-HT1A receptors. Inhibition of 5-HT synthesis by PCPA failed, however, to prevent lithium-induced CTA. Evidently, mechanisms other than those governed solely by 5-HT are also involved in lithium-induced CTA.     

The properties of simian coronavirus

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of a unique educational program in critical care medicine on the attitudes, knowledge, and skills of general internists who care for critically ill patients. DESIGN: Comparison of objective assessments and self-assessments obtained before and after the one-year educational program. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: Eighteen general internists practicing in a 350-bed university-affiliated community teaching hospital. RESULTS: After the program, the internists felt significantly more competent in, knowledgeable about, comfortable with, and satisfied with caring for critically ill patients than they did when completing the precourse self-assessments (p < 0.05). Participants felt particularly more comfortable with managing ventilator patients and leading the advanced cardiac life-support team (p < 0.05). Comfort levels for other commonly performed critical care procedures did not vary. No significant change in knowledge test scores was noted from before to after the one-year program (61% vs 60%). Residents and nurses rated the internists' overall ability in critical care medicine to be the same as that of senior medical residents. They also favorably rated the internists on humanism, teaching skills, and interpersonal interactions. Residents also appreciated the decrease in their night call because of the program. CONCLUSIONS: This unique educational program increased comfort and satisfaction of general internists caring for critically ill patients. The program was well accepted by residents and nurses because of favorable interaction with the internists and a decrease in resident night-call responsibility. This curriculum is recommended to other teaching hospitals.     

Changes in the intensity of effect and spectrum of action on quantitative traits of genes in Arabidopsis under varying conditions of cultivation

Three experiments were performed in different years to study a pleiotropic effect of two marker genes A and B on quantitative traits in Arabidopsis thaliana L. (Heynh.) Experiments differed in their conditions for plant growth (light intensity and soil fertility). In experiment 1, substitution of B- by bb did not affect the duration of the sowing-flowering period, whereas substitution of A- by aa caused a 2-day delay in flowering. Experiment 2 showed that both genes affected this trait. The delay in flowering was one, two, or three days when B- was substituted by bb, A- by aa, or A-B- by aabb, respectively. Therefore, these genes were additive. Data of experiments 3 were opposite to those of experiment 1: substitution of A- by aa did not affect the trait studied, whereas substitution of B- by bb caused a 2-day elongation of the sowing-flowering period. Thus, variations in growth conditions transformed the effects of the marker genes duration of the sowing-flowering period and changed a set of genes that determined this trait. Note that effects of A and B genes on other qualitative and quantitative traits (for example, plant height) were constant in all experiments. Therefore, transformation of a gene set, which influenced the sowing-flowering period, was not related to the repression or derepression of A and B genes.