Effects of ionizing radiation of RNA metabolism in cultured mammalian cells. III. Specific reduction in mRNA synthesis during resumed division and plateau phases following exposure to 800 rads of x irradiation

The cell growth response of cultured Chinese hamster ovary cells, line CHO, to 800 rads of X irradiation involves a period of division delay, followed by a period of resumed division which terminates in a plateau phase. Over 95% of the cells die eventually. No direct effects of RNA or protein metabolism are evident during the delay period. During the resumed division and beginning of plateau phases, however, a specific and relatively constant reduction in mRNA synthesis relative to messenger-like RNA and heterogenous nuclear RNA synthesis is evidenced. The ratio of mRNA to messenger-like RNA synthesis ranges from 0.8 to 0.65 during these phases. The effect is not due to altered cell-cycle distribution, and evidence is presented to indicate that it is probably not a compensatory response to the unbalanced growth that occurs during the division delay period.     

Sperm immobilizing activity of a synthetic bioactive peptide 20-44 of 37-kDa cationic antimicrobial protein (CAP37) of human neutrophils

We have previously reported that human sperm coincubated with human peripheral blood neutrophils in the presence of complement (C)-fixing antisperm antibody (ASA)-positive sera are rapidly internalized and degraded within the neutrophil phagolysosome. However, the mechanism by which motile sperm are processed within the phagolysosome is unknown. Various spermicidal/antimicrobial proteins contained in azurophilic granules that can be secreted into the phagolysosome may play a role in sperm disposal. In this study, we examined the expression of a 37-kDa cationic antimicrobial protein (CAP37) during sperm phagocytosis and the effect of its synthetic bioactive fragment, Peptide 20-44 (P20-44), on sperm motility, acrosomal integrity, and mitochondrial functionality. CAP37 expression by neutrophils undergoing ASA- and C-dependent sperm phagocytosis was increased as measured by flow cytometry. Exposure of motile sperm to a cationic P20-44, the bioactive antimicrobial fragment of CAP37, resulted in the loss of sperm motility without disruption of the acrosomal membrane. The sperm immobilizing activity (SIA) of P20-44 was modulated by the length of incubation, the concentration of the peptide, and the pH of the assay medium. SIA induced by P20-44 was partially reversible and was unaffected by the presence of anionic heparin or seminal plasma. Similar to the antimicrobial activity of P20-44, the SIA was also dependent on the presence of a disulfide bond between cysteine residues at positions 26 and 42 and was inhibited by Lipid A. However, the mechanism of action of P20-44 on sperm is not totally dependent on the molecule's cationicity, because five other cationic antimicrobial peptides had no detectable effect on sperm viability. Thus, the mechanism of action of P20-44 on human sperm is different from its cationic antibactericidal effect. These findings established that motile human sperm are sensitive to CAP37 or its synthetic bioactive peptide and suggested that this protein could play a role in neutrophil-mediated immune destruction of sperm in the female genital tract. P20-44 of CAP37 may be useful in investigating the regulation of human sperm motility and to construct "hybrid peptides" with enhanced potency as a component of vaginal contraceptive that could doubly be effective by killing infectious agents and inhibiting sperm transport.     

Ocular characteristics associated with rigid gas-permeable lens adherence

PURPOSE: Rigid gas-permeable (RGP) lens adherence after overnight lens wear is clearly a patient-dependent phenomenon. However, no previous study has attempted to determine whether specific ocular characteristics are associated with an increased frequency of lens adherence. METHOD: In this study, clinically applicable tests were used to measure a range of ocular characteristics, including central and peripheral corneal curvature, tear film status, eyelid characteristics, central corneal thickness, and ocular rigidity in a group of 22 young adult subjects for whom reliable estimates for frequency of overnight RGP lens adherence had been obtained from earlier studies. RESULTS: Linear discriminant analysis revealed that a higher frequency of lens adherence was associated with lower ocular rigidity, thinner central corneas, greater eyelid tension, and lower amounts of corneal astigmatism. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest a clinical approach for identifying patients who may develop clinically significant lens adherence during RGP extended wear, and also provide support for the "thin film adherence" theory of RGP lens adherence.     

Somatosensory evoked potential monitoring in cervical surgery: identification of pre- and intraoperative risk factors associated with neurological deterioration

Cortical and subcortical somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) were noninvasively monitored in 191 surgical procedures involving the cervical spine. In nine patients in the poorest neurological condition, SSEPs could not be monitored. Lower limb SSEPs were often too degraded to be useful. Upper limb responses were reliably recorded in 182 procedures, with a sensitivity of 99% and a specificity of 27% in 10 patients who developed neurological signs postsurgery. The aim of monitoring was to detect changes in spinal cord function at a time when neurological deterioration could be prevented or reversed, and these studies alerted the authors to certain clinical and SSEP risk factors associated with deterioration. Clinical and operative risk factors were: 1) poor pre-operative neurological function (one-third of Ranawat Class IIIb patients deteriorated); 2) use of instrumentation (the risk doubled in preoperatively unimpaired patients); 3) upper cervical and clival surgery (the risk tripled); and 4) and multisegmental surgery (increased risk with each additional level). There were SSEP changes in 33 patients. Fifty percent of patients with a complete loss had neurological damage, unlike those who had incomplete loss or whose electrical changes had recovered by the end of surgery. In the authors' view these "false positives" may represent real physiological changes, the effects of which might have been minimized by an alteration in the surgeon's response as a result of the warning. Although these initial studies have made this surgical team more alert to potential problems, the role of intraoperative SSEP monitoring is still being debated.     

Diagnostic criteria for sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

BACKGROUND: Making a clinical diagnosis of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease relies on the evaluation of rapidly progressive dementia, ataxia, myoclonus, changes on the electroencephalogram, and other neurological signs. A definite diagnosis, however, is confined to cases that have been evaluated neuropathologically or by equivalent diagnostic techniques. This places a high priority on the establishment of reliable neuropathologic methods for the investigation and diagnosis of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate existing morphological and laboratory diagnostic techniques to reach a consensus on the definition of "definite Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease." METHODS: The existing morphological techniques, particularly immunohistochemistry, used in 4 laboratories--Germany, Great Britain, Japan, and the United States--are evaluated, and various laboratory diagnostic techniques are discussed. RESULTS: Immunohistochemistry with antibodies against the prion protein combined with special tissue pretreatment regimens gives reliable diagnostic results and, for its applicability to formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissue, is superior to other techniques that may be more sensitive but require fresh, unfixed brain tissue. CONCLUSIONS: Our experience suggests the following regimen for the diagnosis of suspected Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease: light microscopy of various brain regions, which in typical cases may lead to definite diagnosis. Immunohistochemistry with antibodies against the prion protein is preferable in all suspected cases of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and is mandatory whenever a routine histological workup does not yield definite results. Additional special techniques can be applied if required.     

改进的自适应中值滤波算法及其应用

针对自适应中值滤波在窗口迭代过程中存在像素点重复参与运算导致算法复杂度较高的问题,提出了一种改进的中值滤波算法.首先依据有效像素点与窗口中心点间的坐标距离来快速确定最佳滤波窗口尺寸,避免了窗口迭代造成的像素点重复排序;之后对窗口内的有效像素点进行取中值操作,有效削弱了噪声点的干扰,进一步提升了图像滤波的质量.经实验验证,与自适应中值滤波算法比较,复杂度显著降低,峰值信噪比(peak signal to noise ratio,PSNR)值平均提高10 d B左右.和同类文献比较在算法复杂度和图像降噪效果间做出了一个较佳的权衡.最后将该算法应用于Kinect深度图降噪上获得了不错的效果.     

水彩艺术中的“水”与“彩”

"水"和"彩"是水彩艺术最为突出和重要的特征和绘画元素,中国水彩艺术工作者在领悟中国传统绘画美学精神、研究西方美学核心内涵的前提下,完全可以在西方传统水彩艺术以水性美为审美趋向的基础上融入中国传统绘画美学中对水的理解和体味,同时结合西方绘画中对形、色的认知和理解,创造出体现中国艺术精神的当代中国水彩艺术。     

白洋淀入淀流量变异程度分析

为了评估白洋淀流域内水资源开发利用对湖泊水文情势的影响程度,提出以现状年环湖泊河流入湖实测月径流量与天然月径流量的差异表征入湖流量变异程度。结果表明：入湖天然径流量采用降雨径流关系法进行还原,效果较好;过度开发利用水资源,使入淀河流顺畅程度几乎全部为完全阻隔。最后提出相应的水资源利用和保护措施。     

基于UDP协议进行数据传输的研究与设计

在Windows操作系统中,基于UDP协议进行数据即时通信,数据以预订大小的包,通过程序控制传输信息,并记录信息包顺序位置,在网络发生拥塞时,保证数据传输可持续、完整地传输,数据安全可以考虑使用RSA等加密算法处理。