A noncompetitive peptide inhibitor of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor from Conus purpurascens venom

A paralytic peptide, psi-conotoxin Piiie has been purified and characterized from Conus purpurascens venom. Electrophysiological studies indicate that the peptide inhibits the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR). However, the peptide does not block the binding of alpha-bungarotoxin, a competitive nAChR antagonist. Thus, psi-conotoxin Piiie appears to inhibit the receptor at a site other than the acetylcholine-binding site. As ascertained by sequence analysis, mass spectrometry, and chemical synthesis, the peptide has the following covalent structure: HOOCCLYGKCRRYOGCSSASCCQR* (O = 4-trans hydroxyproline; * indicates an amidated C-terminus). The disulfide connectivity of the toxin is unrelated to the alpha- or the alphaA-conotoxins, the Conus peptide families that are competitive inhibitors of the nAChR, but shows homology to the mu-conotoxins (which are Na+ channel blockers).     

The double-reversing Z-plasty in primary palatoplasty: operative experience and early results

The double-reversing Z-plasty of Furlow for closure of the soft palate was used in 34 children with various types of cleft palate. Mean age at repair was 12.8 months. Intraoperative experience was favorable, with acceptable operating time and blood loss. Length of hospitalization averaged 1.9 days. Postoperatively, two children experienced temporary stridor, which resolved within 24 to 48 hours. One child had dehiscence of the hard palate (Von Lagenbeck repair) 4 weeks postoperatively, and three children developed small oronasal fistulae. Early speech evaluation demonstrated adequate soft palate mobility in 33 of 34 patients, with observable velopharyngeal function. Twelve children had mild velar compromise, with eight exhibiting slight nasal air escape.     

Stochastic model for a wavelike exothermal reaction in condensed heterogeneous systems

The labile protons of two 32-base-pair, four-arm models of immobile Holliday junctions have been studied by two-dimensional 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Overlap of resonances in the imino-imino region of two-dimensional nuclear Overhauser enhancement (NOE) spectra necessitates the use of a multi-pathway approach for obtaining sequence-specific assignments wherein all possible NOE connectivities to the labile protons are utilized, including those from the 2H of adenine, 5CH3 of thymine, and 5H of cytosine. Resonance assignments are obtained for all slowly exchanging imino and cytosine amino protons. Base-pairing up to and including the junction point is found in all four arms of both Holliday junctions. Several cross-arm NOE connectivities are identified and can be used to infer the geometry of the helical stacking domains. The two Holliday junctions studied, which differ only by the exchange of two base pairs at the branch point, appear to have opposite arm stacking geometries. These assignments form an important part of the critical background for detailed NMR analysis of Holliday junction structure and dynamics.     

A case-mix classification system for medical rehabilitation

Dissatisfaction with Medicare's current system of paying for rehabilitation care has led to proposals for a rehabilitation prospective payment system, but first a classification system for rehabilitation patients must be created. Data for 36,980 patients admitted to and discharged from 125 rehabilitation facilities between January 1, 1990, and April 19, 1991, were provided by the Uniform Data System for Medical Rehabilitation. Classification rules were formed using clinical judgment and a recursive partitioning algorithm. The Functional Independence Measure version of the Function Related Groups (FIM-FRGs) uses four predictor variables: diagnosis leading to disability, admission scores for motor and cognitive functional status subscales as measured by the Functional Independence Measure, and patient age. The system contains 53 FRGs and explains 31.3% of the variance in the natural logarithm length of stay for patients in a validation sample. The FIM-FRG classification system is conceptually simple and stable when tested on a validation sample. The classification system contains a manageable number of groups, and may represent a solution to the problem of classifying medical rehabilitation patients for payment, facility planning, and research on the outcomes, quality, and cost of rehabilitation.     

Hepatic and splenic sarcoidosis: ultrasound and MR imaging

Two polypeptide antigens with molecular sizes of 34,000 daltons (34 kDa) and 38 kDa were separated from heated cells of a human clinical treponeme strain G7201 and Treponema denticola ATCC 35404, respectively. The rabbit polyclonal antisera against these antigens were produced and examined for their immunological reactions with the two heated antigens or intact spirochetal cells. Immunoblot analysis showed that the 34-kDa protein was also detected in T. denticola ATCC 35404 and ATCC 33520, and the 38-kDa protein was detected only in the two ATCC strains. Immunoelectron microscopy using the two rabbit antisera and protein A-gold complexes demonstrated that the 38-kDa protein antigen was present on the axial flagella of two T. denticola strains, and that the 34-kDa protein was located in the axial flagella of the G7201 cell, but neither in axial flagella nor on outer envelopes of the two ATCC strains cells, suggesting that the native 34-kDa axial flagellar protein of the G7201 strain may be different from that of T. denticola in terms of immunological reactivity.     

Long-term results after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for chronic myelogenous leukemia in chronic phase: a report from the Chronic Leukemia Working Party of the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation

The purpose of this study was to determine the long-term results of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for chronic myeloid leukemia. A retrospective analysis was carried out of the outcome of 373 consecutive transplants performed at 38 European institutions between 1980 and 1988 and reported to the registry of the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation. All transplants were carried out for first chronic phase of chronic myelogenous leukemia using unmanipulated marow cells from HLA-identical sibling donors. The probability of survival and leukemia-free survival at 8 years were 54% (95% CI: 49-59) and 47% (95% CI: 41-52) respectively. The probabilities of developing acute GVHD (II-IV) at 100 days and chronic GVHD at 4 years after transplant were 47% (95% CI: 41-53) and 52% (95% CI: 46-58) respectively. The probabilities of transplant-related mortality and leukemic relapse 8 years after BMT were 41% (95% CI: 36-48) and 19% (95% CI: 14-25), respectively. Transplant within 12 months of diagnosis was associated with reduced transplant-related mortality (34 vs 45%, P = 0.013) and resulted in improved leukemia-free survival (52 vs 44%, P = 0.03). The probability of relapse was significantly reduced in patients who developed chronic GVHD (RR = 0.33, P = 0.004). The probability of relapse occurring more than 2 years after transplant was increased more than five-fold in patients transplanted from a male donor (RR = 5.5, P = 0.006). Sixty-seven patients in hematologic remission were studied for residual disease by two-step RT/PCR for BCR-ABL mRNA and 61 (91%) tested negative. We conclude that bone marrow transplantation can induce long-term survival in approximately one-half of CML patients; the majority of survivors have no evidence of residual leukemia cells when studied by molecular techniques. The probability of late relapse is increased with use of a male donor.     

Kanga(ROO): Handling the micro-DST of the BaBar experiment with ROOT

A system based on ROOT for handling the micro-DST of the BaBar experiment is described. The purpose of the Kanga system is to have micro-DST data available in a format well suited for data distribution within a world-wide collaboration with many small sites. The design requirements, implementation and experience in practice after three years of data taking by the BaBar experiment are presented.