Differences in self reported morbidity by educational level: a comparison of 11 western European countries

Raman and infrared spectra were examined for guanosine 5'-diphosphate (GDP) and guanosine 5'-triphosphate (GTP) in aqueous solution. The vibrational modes were assigned on the basis of isotopic frequency shifts and relative intensities in the Raman and infrared spectra. The observed frequency shifts on 18O isotope labeling made it possible to identify the bands from each phosphate group (alpha, beta, gamma). Frequency shifts were observed as Mg2+ complexes with GDP and GTP. The results suggested that Mg2+ binds to GDP in a bidentate manner to the alpha, beta P[symbol: see text]O bonds and in a tridentate manner to the alpha, beta and gamma P[symbol: see text]O bonds of Mg.GTP. The results indicate that structure of Mg2+ coordinated to GTP in aqueous solution differs somewhat to that found for Mg.ATP.     

MPP+ induced SH-SY5Y apoptosis is potentiated by cyclosporin A and inhibited by aristolochic acid

The purpose of the study was evaluate hepatic (portal and arterial) and splenic perfusion at parenchymal level using dynamic computed tomography (CT) in patients with diffuse liver disease and controls. Nineteen patients and 30 normal controls underwent dynamic CT of the liver. Single-location dynamic sequences were carried out after intravenous administration of a 40 ml bolus of contrast medium (Ioversol: 5 cc/s). Hepatic arterial perfusion, hepatic portal perfusion and splenic perfusion were calculated from time-attenuation curves. Hepatic portal perfusion was significantly lower in patients (0.63 +/- 0.33 ml/min/ml (mean +/- SD); P = 0.003) compared with that in controls (1.03 +/- 0.43), although hepatic arterial perfusion did not differ (0.090 +/- 0.044 versus 0.102 +/- 0.114). Splenic arterial perfusion was significantly lower in patients (0.92 +/- 0.31; P = 0.0009) than in controls (1.35 +/- 0.44). The decreased hepatic portal perfusion in patients with diffuse liver disease was not supplemented by an increase in hepatic arterial perfusion. The decreased splenic perfusion in patients may be due to increased portal pressure. Dynamic CT enables quantification of hepatic and splenic perfusion.     

Synthesis and antiplatelet, antiinflammatory, and antiallergic activities of substituted 3-chloro-5,8-dimethoxy-1,4-naphthoquinone and related compounds

2-Amino (6), 2-alkylamino (7-8), 2-methoxy (9), 2-acetamido (10), and 5,8-diacetoxy (11) derivatives of the lead compound 2,3-dichloro-5,8-dimethoxy-1,4-naphthoquinone (4) were synthesized, together with 6,7-dichloro-5,8dimethoxy-1,4-naphthoquinone (5), a positional isomer of 4. Antiplatelet, antiinflammatory, and antiallergic activities were evaluated, and most compounds were quite potent in all assays. Compounds 5 and 9-11 were especially active; however, 5 was ineffective against neutrophil superoxide formation, and 10 was ineffective against mast cell degranulation.     

Partial functional deficiency of E160D flap endonuclease-1 mutant in vitro and in vivo is due to defective cleavage of DNA substrates

To assess the roles of the active site residues Glu160 and Asp181 of human FEN-1 nuclease in binding and catalysis of the flap DNA substrate and in vivo biological processes of DNA damage and repair, five different amino acids were replaced at each site through site-directed mutagenesis of the FEN-1 gene. The mutants were then expressed in Escherichia coli and purified using a His-tag. Even though the mutants bind to the flap DNA to different degrees, most of the mutants lost flap nuclease activity with the exception of an E160D mutant. This mutant retained wild type-like binding ability, specificity, and partial catalytic activity. Detailed steady state and pre-steady state kinetic analysis revealed that the functional deficiency of this mutant was due to retardation of the endonucleolytic cleavage. When the mutant enzyme E160D was expressed in yeast, it partially complements the biological functions of the homologous yeast gene, RAD27, and reverses the hyper-temperature lethality and hypersensitivity to methyl methanesulfonate, in a manner corresponding to the in vitro activity.     

Nutrient utilization by sheep and performance and carcass characteristics of steers fed crab waste-straw silage

Exacerbations of asthma have been associated with exposure to ozone or particles with a 50% cut-off aerodynamic diameter of 10 microm (PM10). We postulated in this study that the association of summertime air pollution (i.e. ozone and PM10) with acute respiratory symptoms, medication use and peak expiratory flow differs among patients grouped according to asthma severity. During the summer of 1995, effects of ambient air pollution on these parameters were studied in a panel of 60 nonsmoking patients with intermittent to severe persistent asthma. These patients were recruited from our Pulmonary Out-patient Clinic. Subgroup analysis was performed on the degree of hyperresponsiveness and lung steroid use before the start of the study, as indictors for the severity of asthma. Associations of the parameters studied with ozone, PM10, nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulphur dioxide (SO2) and black smoke were evaluated using time series analysis. Several episodes with increased summertime air pollution occurred during the 96 day study period. Eight hour average ozone concentrations exceeded the World Health Organization (WHO) Air Quality Guidelines (120 microg x m(-3)) on 16 occasions. Daily mean levels of PM10 were moderately elevated (range 16-98 microg x m(-3)). Levels of the other measured pollutants were low. There was a consistent, positive association of the prevalence of shortness of breath (maximal relative risk (RRmax) 1.18) with ozone, PM10, black smoke and NO2. In addition, bronchodilator use was associated with both ozone and PM10 levels (RRmax 1.16). Stratification by airway hyperresponsiveness and steroid use did not affect the magnitude of the observed associations. No associations with peak expiratory flow measurements were found. We conclude that the severity of asthma is not an indicator for the sensitivity to air pollution.     

Effect of dietary insulin on the response of suckling mice enterocytes to Escherichia coli heat-stable enterotoxin

OBJECTIVE: There are many different approaches to vaginal reconstruction. Methods include simple dilatation, skin grafts techniques, amnion grafts and the use of bowel segments for vaginal replacement. METHOD: We herein discuss the most common surgical techniques and present our series of 15 patients who underwent intestinal vaginoplasty with either sigmoid colon or cecum. RESULTS: The complication rate was low, with two patients requiring revision for prolapse. Ten patients are sexually active with only one describing any degree of dyspareunia. CONCLUSION: When dealing with vaginal aplasia, intestinal vaginoplasty seems to have clear advantages with an excellent surgical success rate and low incidence of complications.     

Lack of sensitization to the effects of d-amphetamine and apomorphine on sensorimotor gating in rats

Haemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS) is the leading cause of acute renal failure in the childhood. It is characterised by microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, acute renal failure and injury of the renal microvascular endothelium. In HUS the condition of proteolytic kallikrein-kinin system is unknown. The renal KKS seems to participate in the regulation of blood pressure, control of sodium and water excretion, renal vascular resistance and renin release. In this study the role kallikrein in the developing HUS was studied. The general activity of kallikrein in plasma and urine was determined by trypsin-like peptidohydrolase activity (TP), which was measured using substrate Z-D-Ala-Leu-Arg-pNa. Chymotrypsin-like protease activity (ChP) was measured using substrate Glp-Ala-Ala-Leu-pNa. Clinical data were analysed on 60 pediatric patients with HUS, 29 girls and 31 boys, ranging in the age from 3 months to 11 years. TP and ChP levels were determined in different periods of HUS (anuria, diuresis beginning, polyuria, recovery) in serum and urine. In acute phase TP and ChP activities increased significantly. In diuresis recovery serum TP activity was higher, but urine TP level became normal. In dynamic serum and urine ChP levels had tendency to decrease. The present work showed that TP and ChP levels demonstrated activity of pathological renal process and condition of glomerules.     

The perinatal mortality rate as an indicator of quality of care in international comparisons

Priming and recollection are expressions of human memory mediated by different brain events. These brain events were monitored while people discriminated words from nonwords. Mean response latencies were shorter for words that appeared in an earlier study phase than for new words. This priming effect was reduced when the letters of words in study-phase presentations were presented individually in succession as opposed to together as complete words. Based on this outcome, visual word-form priming was linked to a brain potential recorded from the scalp over the occipital lobe about 450 ms after word onset. This potential differed from another potential previously associated with recollection, suggesting that distinct operations associated with these two types of memory can be monitored at the precise time that they occur in the human brain.