Interaction of L-glutamic acid with human T-lymphocytes

A specific interaction of [3H]Glu with T lymphocytes from the blood of healthy donors (Kd = 0.236 microM) was revealed and described. It was found that unlabeled quisqualate, a structural analogue of L-glutamic acid, and unlabeled dipeptides Ala-Glu, Glu-Ala, and Glu-Glu competitively inhibit the specific binding of [3H]Glu to T lymphocytes (with Ki 0.19, 2.4, 3.4, and 1.2 microM, respectively). Binding experiments with conjugates of labeled and unlabeled glutamic acid with dextran showed that the receptors of [3H]Glu are localized on the outer surface of the plasma membrane of T lymphocytes.     

光纤通信系统在输油管道工程中的设计与应用

靖—惠输油管道工程沿线山峰起伏,沟壑纵横,约有30km的无人区,冬春两季多沙尘暴,故该线路对通信系统的实时性和误码率要求很高。通过对卫星通信和光纤通信的经济技术指标对比,并考虑管道沿线通信发展的趋势,选用了光纤通信方案。文章介绍了靖—惠输油管道工程通信系统设计方案,讨论了该通信系统的经济合理性、先进性与实用性,并介绍了该通信系统投入运行后的技术特点。     

SENSORY AND INSTRUMENTAL TEXTURE ANALYSIS OF CASSAVA (MANIHOT ESCULENTA, CRANTZ) ROOTS

Two cassava varieties, at three harvesting ages, 6, 12 and 24 months, were analyzed for sensory flavor and texture development. Maximum shear force, Texture Profile Analysis (TPA) and water absorption during cooking were determined at various sampling times. Changes during cooking were described by pseudo‐zero order models for water absorption, flavor and texture development for the fast cooking samples. The 24‐month‐old roots had higher variability and never reached optimum texture or flavor development. Significant pseudo first order models could represent hardness, cohesiveness and chewiness of the TPA, while springiness and adhesiveness varied in a non‐linear fashion. Maximum shear force was 111 N for raw samples and 8.1 N for samples that cooked in less than 25 min. Samples that required longer cook time had on the average a maximum shear force of 19 N.     

Lucigenin as a substrate of microsomal NAD(P)H-oxidoreductases

In various genetic disorders it has been observed that the severity of illness increases and the age at onset decreases in successive generations. This phenomenon is termed anticipation. We sampled 15 families, totalling 123 individuals with at least one person affected by a disease of the schizophrenia spectrum in the index generation in each family (IG; n = 33 affected out of a total of 67 individuals) and in the parental generation (PG; n = 16 affected out of a total of 56 individuals). The pedigrees had originally been identified for linkage studies in schizophrenia. We found a significant difference between IG and PG regarding severity of illness as defined by Kendler et al's hierarchical model of categories of the schizophrenia spectrum (p = 0.001). Age at onset was significantly earlier in the IG (21.6 +/- 6.6 years) than in the PG (40.2 +/- 9.2 years) (p = 0.0001). We excluded a potential birth cohort effect by investigating a control sample consisting of two non-overlapping birth cohorts of patients with schizophrenia. Age at onset between the two groups of the control sample did not differ. Anticipation is an important aspect in the investigation of a possible genetic basis, at least for the familial form of schizophrenia. Active research on a molecular level with special emphasis on trinucleotide repeats might be able to shed further light on this phenomenon.     

Mycophenolate mofetil: therapeutic applications in kidney transplantation and immune-mediated renal disease

The inhibition of arylamine N-acetyltransferase (NAT) activity by ibuprofen was determined in a human colon tumour (adenocarcinoma) cell line. Two assay systems were employed, one with cellular cytosols (9000 g supernatant) and the other with intact colon tumour cell suspensions. The NAT activity in a human colon tumour cell line was inhibited by ibuprofen in a dose-dependent manner in both systems, i.e. the greater the concentration of ibuprofen in the reaction, the greater the inhibition of NAT activities in both systems. The data also indicated that ibuprofen decreases the apparent Km and Vmax of NAT enzyme from human colon tumour cells in both systems examined. This report is the first demonstration to show that ibuprofen affects human colon tumour cell NAT activity.     

The aminoacceptor stem of the yeast tRNA(Lys) contains determinants of mitochondrial import selectivity

The effect of quinine, a cinchona alkaloid, was studied on gastrointestinal transit in mice. Intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of quinine inhibited the intestinal propulsion of a charcoal suspension at a dose of 100 mg/kg, comparing favorably with 5 mg/kg morphine. In an attempt to probe into the mechanism underlying this inhibition, a possible modulation by minoxidil (1 mg/kg, p.o.) and glibenclamide (1 mg/kg, p.o.), the drugs that, respectively, open and close ATP-sensitive K+ channels was tested on gastrointestinal transit in animals treated or not with quinine or morphine. While minoxidil produced no significant change of normal transit, glibenclamide significantly increased it. However, both drugs blocked the quinine-induced reduction in gastrointestinal transit. In contrast, the inhibitory effect of morphine on gastrointestinal transit was not modified by either drug. The effects of quinine as well as of morphine on gastrointestinal transit were significantly antagonized by naloxone (2 mg/kg, s.c.), a mu-opioid receptor antagonist but not by yohimbine (1 mg/kg, i.p.), an alpha2-adrenoceptor antagonist. Furthermore, quinine at a lower dose (25 mg/kg) that showed no per se effect on gastrointestinal transit, significantly potentiated the response to 2.5 mg/kg morphine. Although the role of ATP-sensitive K+ channels in the action of quinine and morphine was not clarified by the present results, a possible involvement of endogenous opioid(s) in the quinine-induced inhibition of gastrointestinal transit can be suggested.     

Analysis of dependent events and multiple unavailabilities with particular reference to common-cause failures

Historically the concern of reliability engineers in the aircraft, nuclear and chemical industries when dealing with dependent failures in high integrity systems has been with common mode or common cause failures. Starting from this perspective the paper considers dependent events, failure definition and classification schemes. Recently these schemes have explicitly distinguished different types of multi-unavailabilities and dependent events. The CSNI and EPRI sponsored data analyses are reviewed. CCF modelling and defenses are discussed and the limitations imposed by data are shown to lead to a possible requirement to consider a structured model that enables the engineer to consider various factors explicitly which could affect the specific system being assessed. This enables judgement to be used in an explicit way in evaluating common cause failures.     

Neurites of period-expressing PDH cells in the fly's optic lobe exhibit circadian oscillations in morphology

Circadian rhythms have been shown both in the expression of the period (per) gene in 'lateral neurons' and in cells of the outermost neuropil, or lamina, of the fly's optic lobe. Some lateral neurons also exhibit PDH peptide-like immunoreactivity, arborizing widely throughout the optic lobe. Using confocal microscopy in the housefly, we analysed the size and spacing of PDH neurite varicosities, sites of possible peptide release exhibiting circadian rhythmicity. During the subjective day in constant darkness, there were fewer, larger varicosities than during subjective night. The endogenous rhythm was masked by the light exposure that occurred under a day-night cycle and continuous light conditions. Our findings indicate that PDH neurites convey circadian information out from the pacemaker, where they could regulate the circadian rhythms that have been described in the lamina, possibly via cyclical release of their peptide.