Effects of ethanol on glucose transporter expression in cultured hippocampal neurons

Glucose transport was studied in primary hippocampal neuron cultures exposed to ethanol. Immunofluorescent staining with antibodies against neuron-specific enolase and glial fibrillary acidic protein identified approximately 95% of the cultured cells as neurons. Western blot analysis was conducted with polyclonal antisera to glucose transporter isoforms GLUT1 and GLUT3. As previously seen in astrocytes, GLUT1 protein was regulated by the culture medium glucose content. Exposure to 50 and 100 mM of ethanol for 5 hr induced dose-dependent reductions in GLUT1 and GLUT3 protein. In contrast, GLUT1 mRNA abundance was increased relative to controls under the same conditions. Glucose uptake, measured with the nonmetabolized analog, 2-deoxy-D-glucose, was reduced by 50 and 100 mM of ethanol in four experiments. These results indicate a direct effect of ethanol on neuronal glucose transporter expression, which may play a role in the neurotoxic effects of alcohol.     

Continuing education for dental practitioners

Attendance of continuing education courses by dentists is important for the practitioner, the profession and the patient. This survey was undertaken to determine the attendance pattern and discipline preferences for such courses during the period 1985 to 1989. A total of 2674 questionnaires were sent to dentists and 706 (26.4 per cent) were returned. Courses were attended by 88.5 per cent of the respondents. The most popular disciplines were Operative Dentistry, Aesthetic Dentistry and Fixed Prosthodontics.     

Group B meningococcal meningitis in India

The first case of infection with Group B meningococcus in India is reported. The patient was a 4-month-old boy who presented with meningitis and died within 6 h of admission. Gram stain of CSF showed meningococci and latex particle agglutination test on CSF was strongly positive for Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B. The CSF was also positive for meningococcus by polymerase chain reaction using primers NM1 and NM6, which amplify a 650 bp region of the dihydropteroate synthase (dhps) gene of N. meningitidis.     

Ulcerative colitis and coexisting colorectal cancer: recurrence rate after restorative proctocolectomy

BACKGROUND: The association between mucosal ulcerative colitis (MUC) and adenocarcinoma is well established. METHODS: Records of patients who had undergone restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) from 1983 through 1992 were examined. Of these, 604 had MUC and 27 (4.3%) had MUC with coexisting cancer. Patients were surveyed annually for recurrent disease. Pouch function and quality of life were evaluated with a questionnaire and physical examination. RESULTS: The duration of disease was longer (p = 0.001) in patients with cancer (16.1 +/- 8.0 years) than in those without cancer (9.1 +/- 7.1 years), although the mean age at diagnosis of MUC was the same. Of the 27 patients, 20 had colon cancer and seven had rectal cancer. Multicentricity was found in seven (25.9%) patients. Using the TNM staging classification, 14 patients (51.8%) had stage 1 cancer, eight (29.6%) had stage 2, four (14.8%) had stage 3, and one (3.8%) had stage 4. The patient with stage 4 cancer died 5 months after surgery and was excluded from the follow-up analysis. During a mean follow-up time of 4.3 +/- 2.6 years, cancer recurred in two of the remaining 26 patients (7.7%). In one patient, a local recurrence was found 8 months after surgery, and distant metastases were found in the other patient 35 months after surgery. Both recurrences were in patients with colon cancer. Two of the 26 patients died; one death was related to cancer recurrence (3.8%). Pouch function is good to excellent in all surviving patients. CONCLUSIONS: Restorative proctocolectomy for patients with MUC and coexisting colorectal cancer can be performed with a favorable prognosis and function. It is appropriate for curative intent, given that an adequate margin without tumor is obtained.     

PKC in rat cortical synaptosomes: effects of depolarization

Glomerulopathy with predominant fibronectin deposits (GFD) is a newly recognized autosomal dominant renal disease that leads to albuminuria, microscopic hematuria, hypertension, renal tubular acidosis type IV, and end-stage renal disease in the second to fourth decade of life. Light microscopy documents extensive deposits in the subendothelial space, which on electron microscopy consist of non-oriented 12 x 125 nm fibers. Deposits are strongly immunoreactive for antibodies to fibronectin. We examined the hypothesis that a genetic defect in the gene for fibronectin is responsible for the disease. In a 197 member pedigree, 13 relatives developed end-stage renal failure from the disease. In 99 individuals haplotype analysis was performed using 6 microsatellite markers spanning a > 56 cM interval in chromosome region 2q34, where fibronectin, villin, and desmin map in close proximity. Haplotype analysis resulted in exclusion of the whole range of 78 cM covered by the markers examined. This result excludes fibronectin, villin, and desmin from being the causative genes for GFD in this large kindred.     

用设计管理功能改变FPGA设计流程

在传统的FPGA系统设计中,不同的尝试必须按顺序依次进行,使得编译时间延长,而采用新的设计工具可并行编译多个实现,用一次编译时间比较两种实现的结果,可加快产品开发速度。     

AMOLED电视将继续面临成本困扰

尽管AMOLED电视在今年美国CES展上露面令人振奋,但由于制造困难和原材料成本高昂,未来几年这种电视的全球出货量将非常有限。     

在先进移动设备上应用MEMS传感器

MEMS传感器包括加速度计、陀螺仪、磁力计、压力传感器和麦克风,因其具有低成本、小尺寸、低功耗、高性能等特性,近几年来被大量集成到便携设备中。     

A wreath product group approach to signal and image processing .II.Convolution, correlation, and applications

For pt.I see ibid., vol.48, no.1, p.102-32 (2000). This paper continues the investigation of the use of spectral analysis on certain noncommutative finite groups-wreath product groups-in digital signal processing. We describe the generalization of discrete cyclic convolution in convolution over these groups and show how it reduces to multiplication in the spectral domain. Finite group-based convolution is defined in both the spatial and spectral domains and its properties established. We pay particular attention to wreath product cyclic groups and further describe convolution properties from a geometric view point in terms of operations with specific signals and filters. Group-based correlation is defined in a natural way, and its properties follow from those of convolution (the detection of similarity of perceptually similar signals) and an application of correlation (the detection of similarity of group-transformed signals). Several examples using images are included to demonstrate the ideas pictorially