Influence of Neotyphodium coenophialum on copper concentration in tall fescue

Poor performance of livestock that graze tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) has been associated with the endophyte fungus Neotyphodium coenophialum [Morgan-Jones and Gams] Glenn, Bacon, and Hanlin). Recent evidence suggests lowered Cu status and a depression of Cu-related immune function in steers that graze endophyte-infected (E+) tall fescue. Greenhouse and field studies investigated relationships between the endophyte and Cu concentrations in tall fescue. Seventeen infected 'Kenhy' clones were divided, and one plant of each pair was treated three times with Benomyl to remove the endophyte (E-). Plants were watered with nutrient solution in a greenhouse for 6 mo before sampling. Copper concentrations were greater (P < .001) in E- than in E+ clones (3.4 vs 2.8 microg/g; SE, .06). In the second greenhouse experiment, genetically similar E+ and E- 'Kentucky'-31 (KY-31) and 'Georgia Jessup' were grown from seed and fertilized with nutrient solution to produce mature plants. Copper concentrations were higher (P < .05) in E- than in E+ tall fescue (8.6 vs 7.6 microg/g; SE, .3). In a field plot experiment in Texas, E+ and E- KY-31 were grown with 0, 50, and 100% replacement of potential evapotranspiration. By September, Cu concentrations were higher (P < .05) in E- than in E+ tall fescue (7.3 vs 6.6 microg/g; SE, .2). In pasture experiments, KY-31 E+ (> 70% infection level) and E- (< 5% infection level) tall fescue were grown in Virginia at two locations with three rates of N fertilizer. Copper concentrations were higher (P < .05) in E- than in E+ tall fescue (4.8 vs 4.5 microg/g; SE, .1) and increased (P < .01) linearly in response to N. Our data demonstrate that the presence of the endophyte is associated with lower Cu concentrations in tall fescue, which may contribute to lowered Cu status in animals and thus contribute to the etiology of fescue toxicity.     

The effect of insulin on the function of the lysosomal apparatus of the neutrophilic leukocytes during the formation of a stress syndrome

In experiments on male rabbits with the lack of insulin it is been revealed violations after the past immobilization the intensivity and duration of neutrophilic leukocytosis decrease, contents of lysosomes in neutrophils, activity of acid phosphatase. By lysosomal ferments don't determine the can observer discordance of processes of coagulation, fibrinolysis, kininogenesis.     

Electrical conductivity studies of copper-substituted and non-substituted Ni-Zn mixed ferrites

The electrical conductivity of Ni-Zn and copper-substituted Ni-Zn ferrites is investigated in the range 300 to 1000 K. It is seen that the plots of log against 10³/T exhibit a linear relationship. There are four distinct regions exhibited by the Ni-Zn ferrite. However, with the substitution of copper there appears to be gradual disappearance of the fourth region. Also for the samples of Ni-Zn ferrite with more than 80% Zn, there are only three regions in the variation of log with 10³/T. The breaks and discontinuities are attributed to several sources. The electrical conduction in these ferrites is explained on the basis of a hopping mechanism. The activation energy in the paramagnetic region is found to be more than that for the ferri magnetic region. This is attributed to the effect of the magnetic ordering in the conduction process.     

IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS INDUCING IMPELLER DESIGN

Rate of gas induction, static pressure, mixing time and power consumption have been measured in 0.57 m i.d. vessel. Different types of impellers namely shrouded disc turbine, shrouded curved blade turbine and pitched blade turbine were used. The impeller diameter was varied from 0.15-0.25 m and the impeller speed was varied from 3 to 20 r/s.

The pitched blade turbine was found to give 30-60 per cent higher rates of gas induction as compared with the best design reported in the literature. The mixing time was found to be lower by a similar magnitude. Moreover in the case of pitched blade turbine it was found that the gas was getting induced radially as well as axially. This eliminates the necessity of the diffuser and hence reducing the complexities in the mechanical structure.     

Gas hold-up in highly viscous pseudoplastic non-newtonian solutions in three phase sparged reactors

Gas hold-up structure was studied in a three phase sparged reactor of 200 mm diameter. Air and aqueous solutions of carboxymethyl cellulose were used as gas and liquid phases. Spherical glass beads formed the solid phase. The superficial gas velocity, rheological properties, particle size and solid loading were varied over a wide range and their effects on gas hold-up structure were studied. A correlation for the estimation of the gas hold-up as a function of superficial gas velocity, apparent liquid viscosity, particle settling velocity and solid loading was established.     

Detection and preliminary characterization of matrix metalloproteinase activity in temporomandibular joint lavage fluid

MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the period 1986-1994, 2950 patients with cardiovascular diseases were surgically treated. In 2104 cases we placed biological or synthetic grafts to maintain vascular continuity. The most common has turned out to be abdominal aortic aneurysm. We treated 783 cases in emergency conditions. Staging and localization of infection has been the first aim in patients with synthetic vascular grafts. We studied signs and symptoms related to infections. In all cases we discovered the microorganism responsible of infection we started antibiotic therapy. RESULTS: Surgical infection incidence is 4.9% (154 cases). Series analysis has evidenced a decrease in infection incidence in the period 1986-1994. The most frequent infections are: the urinary tract infection (59 cases, 38.5%) followed by surgical wound infection (37 cases, 24.1%), respiratory tract infection (27 cases, 17.5%), vascular graft infection (23 cases, 14.4%). All patients underwent a preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis with 2 degrees-3 degrees generation cephalosporines. We noted a higher graft infection incidence in patients treated with aortobifemoral reconstruction. We handled surgical infection following two main directions: 1-antibiotic therapy, 2-surgical treatment and antibiotic therapy. CONCLUSIONS: We noted surgical technique improvement and correct application of an antibiotic prophylaxis form has turned out to be the "gold standard" in order to reduce cardiovascular surgical infections. To reduce sepsis or graft infection we can work on either of the following: 1) antibiotic therapy; 2) operative time reduction; 3) try to limit vascular surgery in case of concomitant gastrointestinal surgical disease; 4) using alloplastic vascular grafts with high biological compliance; 5) patency time reduction of invasive diagnostic technique.     

Retardation of human drug-resistant HL-60 cell in G1 phase and induction of sensitive cell to apoptosis by cyclosporine A

To further study the relationship between resistance to apoptosis and drug resistance in harringtonine-resistant HL-60 cells (HR20), cyclosporine A (CsA) 20, 10 micrograms.ml-1 was shown to induce the sensitive HL-60 cells to apoptosis, showing a typical DNA "ladder" band. But the same concentrations of CsA retarded the HR20 cells in G1 phase and could not induce the cells to apoptosis. The cellular daunorubicin accumulation increased when HR20 cells were treated with low concentration of CsA and the reversal of drug resistance by CsA was unrelated to the retardation of cell cycle progression. High phosphorylation of about 50 kDa protein occured when HR20 cells were treated with CsA 10 micrograms.ml-1. The results domonstrate that cyclosporine A retarded the harringtonine-resistant HL-60 cells in G1 phase but induced HL-60 cells to apoptosis, and the retardation was unrelated to drug resistance.     

Coping, drinking motives, goal attainment expectancies and family models in relation to alcohol use among college students

Associations between coping responses, drinking motivations, expectations of meeting social and academic goals, and family of origin problem drinking and measures of college students' quantity/frequency of alcohol use and social complications of alcohol use were investigated in a sample of 218 college students. Positive associations were found between "emotion-focused" forms of coping such as detachment and the criterion measures, whereas "problem-focused coping" was not significantly associated with quantity/frequency of alcohol use or drinking complications. Positive correlations were also found between drinking motives, goal attainment expectancies and family models measures and the criterion measures. Regression models constructed for alcohol quantity/frequency and drinking complications implicated the total number of drinking motives, family models of problem drinking and the coping strategy of self-blame as strongly related to criterion measures. Positive social drinking motives and coping by seeking social support were implicated as possible protective factors.     

Turnover of inositol polyphosphate pyrophosphates in pancreatoma cells

There is little information concerning the intracellular function of inositol 1,3,4,5,6-pentakis- and hexakisphosphate, despite their being the most abundant inositol polyphosphates. Current opinions that they play passive roles as antioxidants (Graf, E., Mahoney, J. R., Bryant, R. G., and Eaton, J. W. (1987) J. Biol. Chem. 259, 3620-3624) or "housekeeping" molecules (Berridge, M. J., and Irvine, R. F. (1989) Nature 341, 197-205) arises from belief in their metabolic lethargy. However, we have discovered that cell homogenates, incubated with 5 mM fluoride and 5 mM ATP, converted both inositol hexakisphosphate (Km = 2 +/- 0.5 microM, Vmax = 9 +/- 2 pmol/mg of protein/min) and inositol 1,3,4,5,6-pentakisphosphate (Km = 13 +/- 4 microM, Vmax = 11 +/- 5 pmol/mg of protein/min) to more polar products. These reactions were also observed in intact cells treated with 0.5-20 mM fluoride, and the precursor/product relationships were confirmed by comparing the effects of fluoride on cells differentially labeled with [3H]inositol in either short-term or pulse-chase protocols. The novel products were determined to be inositol pyrophosphates because of their relatively specific hydrolysis by tobacco pyrophosphatase and alkaline phosphatase. The pyrophosphates were metabolized rapidly by cell homogenates back to their pentakisphosphate and hexakisphosphate precursors. This endogenous pyrophosphatase activity was inhibited by up to 99% by 5 mM fluoride in vitro. In intact cells incubated with 10 mM fluoride, about 20% of the inositol 1,3,4,5,6-pentakisphosphate pool, and 50% of the inositol hexakisphosphate pool were each converted to pyrophosphate derivatives within 1 h.     

Pitfalls in quantitative contrast echocardiography: the steps to quantitation of perfusion

Current methods used clinically to assess myocardial perfusion are invasive and expensive. As the technology of ultrasound imaging improves, CE may provide a relatively inexpensive, noninvasive means of quantitating myocardial perfusion. Issues regarding stability of microbubble contrast agents must be studied more closely under physiologic conditions. As such, encapsulated microbubbles may provide more stability under physiologic pressures than free gas microbubbles. Introducing high concentrations of contrast, either by hyperconcentrating the contrast agent or by increasing the injection rate, may provide greater stability under physiologic conditions. Further, before quantitative statement of tissue perfusion can be made, the relationship between tracer concentration and system response must be established. Further, a "linear" postprocessing ultrasound setting does not eliminate this requirement as data must still undergo nonlinear transformation during log compression and time-gain compensation. Additionally, issues regarding "electronic thresholding" must be explored more extensively in vivo. Commercial ultrasound scanners, in their present form, may not offer adequate sensitivity for absolute quantitative studies. Further development of modified ultrasound systems may provide sufficient sensitivity for quantitative perfusion imaging. CE offers a potentially powerful tool in the clinical management of patients with ischemic heart disease. Conventional coronary angiography provides information on the size of a lesion, but accompanying tissue perfusion distal to the lesion cannot be determined. Doppler ultrasonography determines velocity of blood flow in large vessels but does not offer the potential to quantitate tissue perfusion. Clearly, CE has a place in the future of diagnostic imaging. The recent work of Ito et al. demonstrated the qualitative potential of CE in the identification of "areas at risk" in patients who had undergone thrombolysis or percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty after an acute myocardial infarction. With further improvement in the ultrasound imaging techniques and microbubble stability, CE may offer an inexpensive, noninvasive means of assessing myocardial perfusion.