Risk of cancer in Finnish children living close to power lines

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the risk of cancer in children living close to overhead power lines with magnetic fields of > or = 0.01 microteslas (microT). DESIGN: Cohort study. SETTING: The whole of Finland. SUBJECTS: 68,300 boys and 66,500 girls aged 0-19 years living during 1970-89 within 500 m of overhead power lines of 110-400 kV in magnetic fields calculated to be > or = 0.01 microT. Subjects were identified by record linkages of nationwide registers. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Numbers of observed cases in follow up for cancer and standardised incidence ratios for all cancers and particularly for nervous system tumours, leukaemia, and lymphoma. RESULTS: In the whole cohort 140 cases of cancer were observed (145 expected; standardised incidence ratio 0.97, 95% confidence interval 0.81 to 1.1). No statistically significant increases in all cancers and in leukaemia and lymphoma were found in children at any exposure level. A statistically significant excess of nervous system tumours was found in boys (but not in girls) who were exposed to magnetic fields of > or = 0.20 microT or cumulative exposure of > or = 0.40 microT years. CONCLUSIONS: Residentia magnetic fields of transmission power lines do not constitute a major public health problem regarding childhood cancer. The small numbers do not allow further conclusions about the risk of cancer in stronger magnetic fields.     

In vitro synthesis of molybdopterin from precursor Z using purified converting factor. Role of protein-bound sulfur in formation of the dithiolene

The pterin component of the molybdenum cofactor, termed molybdopterin, is synthesized in Escherichia coli by enzymes encoded at the chl loci. A late step in the biosynthetic pathway, the conversion of a molybdopterin intermediate, precursor Z, to molybdopterin, requires the activity of a two-subunit protein, the converting factor. Precursor Z has many of the features of molybdopterin but lacks the dithiolene function essential for molybdenum ligation. Conversion of precursor Z to molybdopterin is accomplished by transfer of sulfur to produce the dithiolene. The present study describes an in vitro system for molybdopterin biosynthesis comprised of purified precursor Z and purified converting factor. It is established that these components are sufficient to yield molybdopterin, identified by conversion to its characteristic products, Form A, Form B, and dicarboxamidomethylmolybdopterin. Under conditions of precursor excess, the formation of molybdopterin was stoichiometric with converting factor, as would be expected in the absence of a sulfur-regenerating system. The labile product of the reaction, molybdopterin, remained associated with the converting factor large subunit. These results establish that the source of sulfur for molybdopterin biosynthesis is the converting factor and suggest that in vivo a novel sulfur cycle must function to resupply sulfur to the converting factor.     

Repeated immunization with recombinant gp160 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) envelope protein in early HIV-1 infection: evaluation of the T cell proliferative response

This longitudinal study was designed to evaluate cellular immunity in early-stage, asymptomatic human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1-infected persons (CD4 cell count,>400/mm3; median, 625/mm3) who were immunized with either recombinant (r) gp160 or placebo every 2 months for 5 years. Proliferative responses were assessed against rgp160, rp24, and a panel of recall antigens and mitogens. Despite good reactivity to recall antigens, at baseline approximately 33% had proliferative responses to gp160, and approximately 42% showed p24 gag responses. There was no statistical difference between vaccine and placebo groups for antigens or mitogens. After 1 year, approximately 73% of the subjects in the vaccine arm had new or boosted responses to gp160, versus approximately 18% in the placebo arm. Statistical significance was maintained throughout the study. Recurrent vaccination with recombinant gp160 was proven to be persistently immunogenic, increasing significantly the ability of HIV-1-infected persons to mount new proliferative responses to the vaccine.     

Effect of austenitising conditions on the impact properties of an alloyed austempered ductile iron of initially pearlitic matrix structure

This study sets out to investigate the effect of austenitising conditions on the microstructure and impact properties of an austempered ductile iron containing Copper and Nickel and having an initially fully pearlitic structure. Un-notched Izod impact test specimens were solution treated in the range 850–1000 °C for durations between 15 and 360 min. and then austempered at 360 °C for 180 min.

It was shown that increasing the austenitising temperature increases the amount of carbon taken in solution by the original austenite. This reduces the driving force controlling the transformation of the austenite to the ausferrite product, ferrite and austenite. As a result, the retained austenite volume in the final microstructure increases but simultaneously its stability falls. This places an upper limit on the austenitising temperature and the amount of retained austenite permissible. On the other hand, for optimum properties, the austenitising temperature and time must be high and long enough respectively to ensure complete austenitisation.

It was also shown that generally, in irons with an initially pearlitic structure, the impact properties increase steadily to a maximum value as the austenitising time increases to about 180 min. and remain constant as the soaking period extends further. Optimum properties are obtained following austenitising between 850 and 900 °C for durations of 120 to 180 min. and correspond to heat treatment cycles which saturate the initial austenite with carbon.     

An improvement in the methods for the microbiological study of the blood from patients with suppurative-septic infections

The new method for microbiological analysis of blood in patients with pyoseptic infections is based on separate inoculations of plasma, erythrocyte mass, and leukocyte layer in nutrient medium providing conditions for growth of a wide spectrum of aerobes and obligate anaerobes. The method in general ensures a more rapid result and permits differentiation between true and false-positive bacteremia and between stages of septic process (bacteremia and septicemia).     

Two pleiotropic classes of daf-2 mutation affect larval arrest, adult behavior, reproduction and longevity in Caenorhabditis elegans

The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans responds to overcrowding and scarcity of food by arresting development as a dauer larva, a nonfeeding, long-lived, stress-resistant, alternative third-larval stage. Previous work has shown that mutations in the genes daf-2 (encoding a member of the insulin receptor family) and age-1 (encoding a PI 3-kinase) result in constitutive formation of dauer larvae (Daf-c), increased adult longevity (Age), and increased intrinsic thermotolerance (Itt). Some daf-2 mutants have additional developmental, behavioral, and reproductive defects. We have characterized in detail 15 temperature-sensitive and 1 nonconditional daf-2 allele to investigate the extent of daf-2 mutant defects and to examine whether specific mutant traits correlate with each other. The greatest longevity seen in daf-2 mutant adults was approximately three times that of wild type. The temperature-sensitive daf-2 mutants fell into two overlapping classes, including eight class 1 mutants, which are Daf-c, Age, and Itt, and exhibit low levels of L1 arrest at 25.5 degrees. Seven class 2 mutants also exhibit the class 1 defects as well as some or all of the following: reduced adult motility, abnormal adult body and gonad morphology, high levels of embryonic and L1 arrest, production of progeny late in life, and reduced brood size. The strengths of the Daf-c, Age, and Itt phenotypes largely correlated with each other but not with the strength of class 2-specific defects. This suggests that the DAF-2 receptor is bifunctional. Examination of the null phenotype revealed a maternally rescued egg, L1 lethal component, and a nonconditional Daf-c component. With respect to the Daf-c phenotype, the dauer-defective (Daf-d) mutation daf-12(m20) was epistatic to daf-2 class 1 alleles but not the severe class 2 alleles tested. All daf-2 mutant defects were suppressed by the daf-d mutation daf-16(m26). Our findings suggest a new model for daf-2, age-1, daf-12, and daf-16 interactions.     

Room-temperature, monolithic, electrically-pumped type-L quantum-well SB-based VCSELS emitting at 2.3 mm

An all-epitaxial monolithic vertical cavity surface emitting laser grown on GaSb substrate is presented. The structure is composed of two n-doped AlAsSb/GaSb distributed Bragg reflectors, a type-I GalnAsSb/AlGaAsSb multi-quantum-well active region and a tunnel junction. Quasi continuous-wave laser operation is demonstrated at 2.3 mum up to room temperature. Threshold current densities of 0.8 and 0.6 kA/cm^-2 are obtained at 300 and 280 K for 80 mum-diameter devices (1 mus pulses, 10% duty cycle). A peak output optical power of 2 mW was achieved at 280 K.