Interaction of nonylphenol and hepatic CYP1A in rats

Both estradiol and nonylphenol (NP) inhibited hepatic microsomal 7-ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD) activity of beta-naphthoflavone-treated rats. Enzyme kinetic analyses (Lineweaver-Burk plots) using different estradiol and NP concentrations with graded increases in the concentrations of the substrate, ethoxyresorufin, showed that the inhibition was of a competitive nature at all concentrations of estradiol or NP used. Thus, the mechanism by which NP inhibits EROD activity is similar to that of estradiol. NP, however, was much less potent than estradiol. Young rats treated in vivo with 80 mg/kg body weight of NP demonstrated a slight but significant decrease in their hepatic microsomal EROD activity and CYP1A protein as measured by western blot analysis. In addition, treatment with NP led to a decrease in the steady-state levels of hepatic CYP1A mRNA in rats, suggesting that NP acted at the pre-translational level. The competitive nature of inhibition by NP on hepatic microsomal EROD activity indirectly suggests that this compound is a possible substrate of the CYP1A enzyme. Furthermore, NP had a moderate modulating effect on the expression of CYP1A in rat liver.     

Cardiac dysrrhthmia in systemic disease

This is an ECG of a 6-year-old girl. She presented to us for management of epilepsy. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain showed multiple lesions consistent with cortical and subcortical tubers. There were also achromic spots on her skin and echocardiography demonstrated a rhabdomyoma near the right ventricular outflow tract. A diagnosis of tuberous sclerosis, an autosomal-dominantly inherited condition, was made. What is abnormal about the ECG?     

Multiple cerebellar infarction due to vertebral artery obstruction and bulbar symptoms associated with vertical subluxation and atlanto-occipital subluxation in ankylosing spondylitis

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) results in disease-specific inflammation at the site of ligamentous insertion into the bone. Atlantoaxial joint subluxation and vertical subluxation of the axis may occur as a consequence of instability resulting from the inflammatory process. Spontaneous anterior atlantoaxial subluxation is a well recognized complication in about 2% of patients with AS, and presents with or without signs of spinal cord compression. Vertical subluxation may follow anterior or posterior subluxation. It was noted in 3-8% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, but is an exceedingly rare complication of AS. Moreover, it has never been reported that multiple cerebellar infarction and bulbar symptoms developed spontaneously due to atlanto-occipital subluxation and vertical subluxation in a patient with a long [corrected] history of AS. We describe a man with AS who developed multiple cerebellar infarction due to vertebral artery obstruction and bulbar symptoms associated with atlanto-occipital subluxation and vertical subluxation.     

The small-cell variant of mycosis fungoides. A clinicopathological and quantitative electron microscopic study on 14 patients

Small-cell variants of Sézary syndrome and mycosis fungoides (MF) have been described. However, in these studies the nuclear area of the small-cell variant of MF (SC-MF) as compared to histological classical MF (CL-MF) was not characterized objectively by quantitative electron microscopy. In a 14-year follow-up period, of a total of 76 patch/plaque stage MF patients seen in the Department of Dermatology of the University Hospital Utrecht, 14 (18%) had an infiltrate composed of atypical lymphocytes characterized by a distinctly smaller cell diameter and smaller, hyperchromatic, deeply indented nuclei as compared to the usual cell type of MF. The aim of the investigation was to confirm this observation objectively using quantitative electron microscopy (morphometry) and to define SC-MF as compared to CL-MF. The study was performed on the 14 patients with SC-MF, and 10 patients with clinical and histological CL-MF and 4 patients with chronic eczema. Electron micrographs of sections obtained from each biopsy were analysed by computer to produce the following data: a nuclear contour index (NCI), the mean nuclear area (MNA), the mean nuclear area of the cells above the 75th percentile (P75NA) and the percentage of cells larger than 30 microm2. The values of MNA differed significantly between patients with SC-MF and those with CL-MF (17.6 vs 23.2 microm2; P = 0.02), as did the values of P75NA (20.7 vs 27.9 microm2; P = 0.01). The NCI of the SC-MF and CL-MF patients were similar. These results are consistent with our observations that SC-MF does indeed exist.     

Microstructure and fracture behaviour of short and long fibre-reinforced polypropylene composites

Microstructure and fracture mechanical behaviour of injection-moulded, longer glass fibrereinforced polypropylene (Verton* aspect ratio 320) were studied as a function of fibre volume fraction and compared to that of shorter fibre-filled polypropylene (aspect ratio 70). Toughness was measured using instrumented notched lzod and falling weight impact tests, as well as compact tension specimens. It was found that the addition of longer fibres generally increased the toughness of the material, although more significant increases were seen in the impact tests than were seen in the compact tension test. For the latter results, a correlation between toughness improvement and microstructural details was performed on the basis of the microstructural efficiency concept, a semi-empirical approach of the formK _c,C = (a* +nR)K _c,M, where,K _c,C andK _c,M are the fracture toughnesses of the composite and the matrix, respectively,_a* is a matrix stress correction factor,n is a scaling parameter andR is a fibre reinforcement effectiveness factor. The latter corrects for differences in the composite microstructures, and incorporates effective fibre orientation factors, layering of injection moulded parts, and fibre volumes in the different layers.Nomenclature a crack length - a ^* matrix toughness correction factor - A cross-sectional area - B thickness of the sample plaques - C thickness of the composite core regions - E _peak energy adsorbed up to the maximum force in the impact load-displacement curve - E _t tensile modulus - F _max maximum force in impact force-displacement curves - f _p fibre orientation factor - f _pe effective orientation factor - f _pe,C effective orientation parameter, core region - f _{pe, s} effective orientation parameter, surface region - F critical load in the tensile test load-displacement curves - K _c critical stress intensity factor/fracture toughness - K _L fracture toughness of the composite materials - K _d dynamic fracture toughness - K _L fracture toughness of the matrix - L test with crack parallel to the mould filling direction - M microstructural efficiency factor - n scaling parameter for reinforcement effectiveness factor (energy absorbtion ratio) - R reinforcement effectiveness factor - S thickness of the composite surface regions - T test with crack perpendicular to the mould filling direction - V _f fibre volume fraction - V _m matrix volume fraction (= 1 —V _f) - W specimen width - W _f fibre weight fraction - W _m matrix weight fraction (= 1 —W _f) - X _n number average fibre length - X _v volume average fibre length - Y(a/ W) polynomial correction for compact tension specimens - variable in effective orientation factor formula - variable in effective orientation factor formula - _B strain to break - _c density of the composite - _f fibre density - _m matrix density - _F fracture strength - fibre angle with respect to a reference direction     

The Complex and Critical Role of Glycine 12 (G12) in Beta-Connexins of Human Skin

Glycine is an amino acid with unique properties because its side chain is composed of a single hydrogen atom. It confers conformational flexibility to proteins and conserved glycines are often indicative of protein domains involving tight turns or bends. All six beta-type connexins expressed in human epidermis (Cx26, Cx30, Cx30.3, Cx31, Cx31.1 and Cx32) contain a glycine at position 12 (G12). G12 is located about halfway through the cytoplasmic amino terminus and substitutions alter connexin function in a variety of ways, in some cases altering protein interactions and leading to cell death. There is also evidence that alteration of G12 changes the structure of the amino terminus in connexin- and amino acid- specific ways. This review integrates structural, functional and physiological information about the role of G12 in connexins, focusing on beta-connexins expressed in human epidermis. The importance of G12 substitutions in these beta-connexins is revealed in two hereditary skin disorders, keratitis ichthyosis and erythrokeratodermia variabilis, both of which result from missense mutations affecting G12.     

The reaction of 1,2-dichloroethane with copper

The decomposition of 1,2-dichloroethane on polycrystalline copper has been studied using a microreactor. The reaction is found to have an activation energy of 81±5 kJ mol^–1 generating gaseous ethene and chemisorbed chlorine. The reaction terminates on completion of a monolayer of chemisorbed chlorine and is followed by a much slower reaction. The rate limiting step is thought to be C₂H₄Cl_2(phys)C2H₄Cl(_ads)+Cl_ads The reaction is compared with a UHV study of the same molecule on Cu(l 11) and the possibility of a negative ion transition state is discussed.     

Induced chemical shifts in the NMR spectrum of methyl petroselinate

The use of a pseudo contact shift reagent, (Eu[fod]₃), to obtain simplified NMR spectra of a typical long chain monounsaturated fatty acid methyl ester, methyl petroselinate, is described. Spectra were obtained in which individual methylene groups are identifiable from their splitting patterns. Non-equivalent splitting patterns were observed for the methine protons with varying amounts of reagent used. The effect of concentration of the shift reagent on the chemical shift is discussed. Presented in part at the Meeting of the Gulf Coast Instrumental Analysis Group, Houston, October 1971. S. Market. and Nutr. Res. Div., ARS, USDA     

Raman spectroscopic analysis of thecis/trans isomer composition of edible vegetable oils

A new method is presented for determining thecis/trans isomer content of edible vegetable oils. The intensities of Raman lines near 1656 and 1670 cm⁻¹ are associated with thecis andtrans configuration, respectively. A precision of ca. 1% can be obtained in thecis/trans isomer analysis of binary mixtures of methyl esters and triglycerides of monoenes and dienes and of hydrogenated vegetable oils. The spectroscopic data also provide the iodine value of vegetable oils or isolated fractions with precision for a single determination of ca. 1%. Presented at the AOCS meeting, Houston, May 1971. W. Market. Nutr. Res. Div., ARS, USDA.     

Assessment of response function in two PET scanners with and without interplane septa

The authors have assessed the response function both experimentally and theoretically for two commercial tomographs: CTI 931/08-12 and CTI 953B with and without interplane septa. Monte Carlo simulations were undertaken using the GEANT package from CERN. Spatial resolution (tomographic and axial) was calculated for line sources at various positions in the field of view. Sensitivity and scatter fraction (SF) were calculated for various source geometries as a function of energy discrimination. A very realistic response function in positron emission tomography (PET) is obtained by Monte Carlo methods, using global parameters to account for unsimulated phenomena such as scintillation light transport inside a detector block and its sharing among the various phototubes. Minor discrepancies remain for sensitivity and SF at high energy thresholds and may probably be explained by introducing the observed dispersion in the energy response for the various crystals within a detector block.