Reduction mammaplasty improves symptoms of macromastia

The condition macromastia has not been defined and characterized precisely by the medical community. Whether the patient with hypertrophic breasts is a candidate for or can be helped by reduction mammaplasty is unclear to both the medical and the lay community. A prospective study of 39 women undergoing reduction mammaplasty surgery was initiated to answer these questions. Patients rated the severity of their somatic pain symptoms and discomfort before reduction mammaplasty and again after complete recovery. The severity of their symptoms and complaints was numerically graded and analyzed. These data were compared with similar data obtained from 40 "small-breasted" women of similar age. Headache, neck pain, back pain, shoulder pain, and bra strap groove pain were present in 60 to 92 percent of patients, and 97 percent of patients had at least three of these pain symptoms preoperatively. All the patients had reduction of their pain symptomatology postoperative, and 25 percent of the study patients had total elimination of pain symptoms by reduction mammaplasty. The postoperative incidence and severity of pain symptoms and discomfort complaints were statistically equivalent to or less than the levels in the control group.     

Fungal products. Part XVII. Microbiological hydroxylation of gibberellin A9 and its methyl ester

Angiotensin II (A II) and analogues were tested for their ability to restore electrical and mechanical activity to cardiac muscle preparations in which the fast Na+ channels had been inactivated by partial depolarization (22-27 mM K+) or by tetrodotoxin (TTX). The partially depolarized or TTX-blocked preparations were chosen because under these conditions electrical and mechanical responses are primarily Ca2+ -dependent. In depolarized rabbit right atria, A II restored spontaneous mechanical and electrical activity (measured by both intracellular and extracellular recording techniques). The frequency of action potential discharge was concentration-dependent; the threshold concentration of A II was 10(-10) M, the ED50 was 8 X 10(-9) M, and the maximum effect was observed at 5 X 10(-8) M. In contrast, depolarized guinea pig atria were insensitive to A II, Sar1-angiotensin II, and des-Asp1-angiotensin II, even at concentrations as high as 10(-5) M. Rabbit papillary muscle (TTX-blocked), embryonic (18-day) chick heart (partially depolarized) and chick heart reaggregates (TTX-blocked) responded similarly to rabbit atria in that A II (9.6 X 10(-7) M) restored both electrical and mechanical activity. We found that in these preparations the action of A II was unaffected by propranolol (5.0 X 10(-6) M to 5.0 X 10(-5) M) but was blocked by Mn2+ (10(-3) M), D-600 (1 X 10(-7) g/ml) and the specific A II antagonists Sar1-Ala8-angiotensin II (P-113) (5.0 X 10(-5) M) and Sar1-Ile8-angiotensin II (5.28 X 10(-5) M). We conclude that the positive inotropic effect of A II on the myocardium is due to its ability to increase transmembrane ion movements in or through the cell membrane. The ability of Mn2+ and D-600 to block this effect suggests that this ion movement is via the so-called "slow channels."     

机构输入与识别系统的研究——机构创新设计系统研究之三

介绍了机构创新设计系统以两种方式输入简图作为构型设计的原形。一种是在系统界面环境直接点击专用菜单绘制简图；一种方式是由设计者提供手绘草图或图纸，通过图像处理和模式识别技术，实现草图的获取，转化为系统机构绘制单元组成的简图。机构生成模块对简图可以进行自动识别纠错，保证机构的合理性，得到完整的机构信息。机构输入系统的实现，奠定了机构创新设计的自动化、智能化基础。     

ZnO-Al_2O_3-B_2O_3-SiO_2系微晶玻璃与可伐合金的润湿性能

研制了一种新型的与可伐熔封的ZnO-Al_2O_3-B_2O_3-SiO_2系微晶玻璃,研究了不同工艺条件下微晶玻璃与可伐合金间的润湿角大小,结果表明,熔封气氛和熔封温度对润湿性能影响很大,熔封时间影响最小.采用最佳的工艺条件,其润湿性能与现有的其它玻璃润湿性能相似.同时发现玻璃与可伐合金间的润湿角保持在10°～30°之间能得到质量良好的熔封产品.在基本不改变传统工艺制度的条件下,可完成锌铝硼硅系微晶玻璃与可伐合金的熔封,即利用排蜡过程同时完成微晶玻璃的形核,熔封后在稍低温度保温或减慢冷却速度可以完成微晶玻璃的结晶过程.锌铝硼硅系微晶玻璃与预氧化可伐合金的封接依靠玻璃中的SiO_2与FeO或Fe_3O4发生界面反应形成牢固的结合.     

Icons improve older and younger adults' comprehension of medication information

We examined whether timeline icons improved older and younger adults' comprehension of medication information. In Experiment 1, comprehension of instructions with the icon (icon/text format) and without the icon (text-only format) was assessed by questions about information that was (a) implicit in the text but depicted explicitly by the icon (total dose in a 24 hour period), (b) stated and depicted in the icon/text condition (medication dose and times), and (c) stated but not depicted by the icon (e.g., side effects). In a separate task, participants also recalled medication instructions (with or without the icon) after a study period. We found that questions about dose and time information were answered more quickly and accurately when the icon was present in the instructions. Notably, icon benefits were greater for information that was implicit rather than stated in the text. This finding suggests that icons can improve older and younger adults' comprehension by reducing the need to draw some inferences. The icon also reduced effective study time (study time per item recalled). In Experiment 2, icon benefits did not occur for a less integrated version of the timeline icon that, like the text, required participants to integrate dose and time information in order to identify the total daily dose. The integrated version of the icon again improved comprehension, as in Experiment 1, as well as drawing inferences from memory. These findings show that integrated timeline icons improved comprehension primarily by aiding the integration of dose and time information. These findings are discussed in terms of a situation model approach to comprehension.     

Definition of natural T cell antigens with mimicry epitopes obtained from dedicated synthetic peptide libraries

Progress has recently been made in the use of synthetic peptide libraries for the identification of T cell-stimulating ligands. T cell epitopes identified from synthetic libraries are mimics of natural epitopes. Here we show how the mimicry epitopes obtained from synthetic peptide libraries enable unambiguous identification of natural T cell Ags. Synthetic peptide libraries were screened with Mycobacterium tuberculosis-reactive and -autoreactive T cell clones. In two cases, database homology searches with mimicry epitopes isolated from a dedicated synthetic peptide library allowed immediate identification of the natural antigenic protein. In two other cases, an amino acid pattern that reflected the epitope requirements of the T cell was determined by substitution and omission mixture analysis. Subsequently, the natural Ag was identified from databases using this refined pattern. This approach opens new perspectives for rapid and reliable Ag definition, representing a feasible alternative to the biochemical and genetic approaches described thus far.     

Surface structure of human mucin using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

The stimulating effect of antiparkinsonian drugs, talipexole and bromocriptine, on the striatal postsynaptic dopamine receptors were studied by measuring contralateral rotational behavior in rats. The nigro-striatal dopamine system of rats was degenerated by unilateral injection of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA, 8 micrograms/rat) into substantia nigra. By subcutaneous administration, talipexole at 0.16 mg/kg and bromocriptine at 10.24 mg/kg induced significantly increased rotational behavior to the contralateral direction to the lesioned side. The onset of the effect was 30 min for talipexole and 90 min for bromocriptine. By intragastric administration, talipexole at 0.4 mg/kg and bromocriptine at 20.48 mg/kg significantly increased the rotational behavior, and the onset of the effect was 60 min for talipexole and 180 min for bromocriptine. Rotational behavior induced by talipexole was suppressed by a D2 antagonist, sulpiride (40 mg/kg, s.c.), but not by a D1 antagonist, SCH23390 (1 mg/kg, s.c.). In contrast, rotational behavior induced by bromocriptine was suppressed by both sulpiride and SCH23390. These results indicated that when the nigrostriatal dopaminergic functions are disrupted, talipexole stimulates the striatal postsynaptic dopamine receptors at much lower doses than bromocriptine. Also it was indicated that the stimulating effect of talipexole is solely mediated by dopamine D2 receptors, whereas the effect of bromocriptine is mediated by both D1 and D2 receptors.     

Pattern formation in chick feather development: distribution of beta 1-integrin in normal and scaleless embryos

We have examined the immunolocalization of beta 1-integrin during feather development in the spino-lumbar tract of the backskin from normal and scaleless chick embryos. beta 1-integrin appears during early feather development in three distinct phases which correspond to important developmental events. The first phase (5-5 1/2 days of incubation; Hamburger and Hamilton [H.H.] stage 27) represents the period prior to the formation of dermis. During this phase, beta 1-integrin antiserum labels mesenchymal cells located in the central region of the spino-lumbar tract where the initiation site for feather development is located. The second phase (5 1/2-7 1/2 days of incubation; H.H. stages 28-32) corresponds to the period during which dermis is formed. The cells that make up the dermis are readily distinguished by their lack of beta 1-integrin immunostaining. The third phase (7 1/2-10 days of incubation; H.H. stages 33-36) begins with the sudden appearance of beta 1-integrin in the central and lateral regions of the dermis. The pattern of beta 1-integrin immunostaining in scaleless backskin becomes different from that of normal backskin during this phase. In normal backskin the dermal condensations of feather germs are not labeled with the beta 1-integrin antiserum. This produces a heterogeneous immunostaining pattern very similar to the pattern seen for Type I collagen (Mauger et al. [1982] Dev. Biol. 94:93-105). In contrast, homogeneous immunostaining is observed in the dermis of scaleless backskin. The initial time of appearance, manner of appearance, and pattern of integrin expression in the third phase suggest that beta 1-integrin may be involved in the stabilization of the feather pattern. We also observed the appearance of beta 1-integrin on the epidermal basal cells during the time of feather follicle formation. The beta 1-integrin antiserum reacts strongly with the baso-lateral surfaces of normal basal cells, yet the basal surfaces of the scaleless basal cells are unstained. This lack of immunostaining along the basal surfaces of the scaleless basal cells may relate to the abnormal adhesion between the epidermis and dermis in scaleless backskin.