Evolutionary aspects of compensation of functions of the damaged spinal cord

In animal experiments with spinal lesions, phylo- and ontogenetic features of development of plasticity in the CNS of mammals and high reliability of the CNS have been demonstrated. It has been shown that possibilities of compensation processes and the upper limit of plasticity increase in phylogeny. Much attention has been attached to the higher regions of the CNS and hypothalamus as well as to ecological and biological characteristics of animals. Changes in the structure and functions of the damaged spinal cord have been studied. The significance of sympathetic innervation and involvement of ATP and ATPase in the spinal cord functioning after injury have been demonstrated. The article reviews the investigations of the role of the cicatrixce and some endocrine glands (adrenal glands, pancreas, and thyroid gland) performed at the laboratory. In phylogeny, high plasticity has been demonstrated at early ontogenetic stages. Enzymes have been shown to facilitate recovery of spinal functions after injury.     

Diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori

The different invasive and noninvasive diagnostic tests for Helicobacter pylori have been applied mainly in emerging countries. Molecular methods have been developed, especially a test for detection of H. pylori and its clarithromycin resistance directly from stools. The long-term effects of eradication on histologic lesions have been studied in a meta-analysis and the prognostic value of post-treatment in gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma has been assessed. An operating link for gastritis assessment (the OLGA staging) has also been published. Attempts to simplify the urea breath test protocol have been made, and new stool antigen tests have been proposed and compared to those previously available.     

Adenylate cyclase of the causative agent of plague: its purification and properties

Three forms of adenylate cyclase have been detected in Y. pestis: membrane-bound, cytoplasmic and extracellular. Extracellular adenylate cyclase has been purified so as to achieve a homogeneous state, and some of its physicochemical parameters have been investigated. In the process of purification the initial preparation of this enzyme has been subjected to heating at 100 degrees C for 15 minutes, fractionation with ammonium sulfate, and gel filtration on Sephadex G-100. The homogeneity of adenylate cyclase has been confirmed by electrophoresis in 7.5% polyacrylamide gel and precipitation by the plague agglutinating serum. The enzyme has been found to have a molecular weight of 30,000 daltons and to show the optimum activity at pH 7.0-7.2 and at a temperature between 37 and 40 degrees C. Monospecific rabbit serum to the homogeneous preparation of adenylate cyclase has been obtained.     

Production of tetanolysin preparations and characteristics of their properties

As the result of the study of tetanolysin-producing Clostridium tetani strains, their populations have been found to be markedly heterogeneous with respect to the hemolytic activity of clone cultures. On the basis of normal and dialyzed cultures of selected variants with maximum activity the preparations of tetanolysin have been obtained, and their hemolytic activity and antigenic properties have been studied. Antihemolytic rabbit sera have also been obtained and characterized. Partially purified preparations of tetanolysin with high hemolytic activity have been obtained by the fractionation of C. tetani dialyzed cultures with ammonium sulfate.     

Toxicity of cycads

This is a review of the literature on the use of cycads as food and medicine, with special attention to their toxic properties. In the tropics and subtropics, where the plants are indigenous, their toxicity has long been known. Both gastrointestinal and neurological effects have been reported. Although several toxic components of the plants have been investigated, none has yet been shown to be responsible for specific effects. No lesion has been demonstrated to account for the progressive and apparently irreversible posterior paralysis which reputedly follows consumption of the plants by cattle. Current interest in the toxicity of the cycads has been stimulated by recognition of the high incidence of neurological diseases in an area of the world where they are used as food.     

Characterization of non-linear behaviour of an animal membrane using electro-kinetic studies

Electro-kinetic studies of water, aqueous solutions of urea, thiourea, glucose, creatinine and urine solution across urinary bladder membranes of goat have been used to explain non-linear behaviour. It has been found that fluxes are non-linearly related with forces. The structure of the membrane is a decisive factor when the range of driving forces is not too high. Stability of the steady state has also been examined and has been found to remain quite stable even in non-linear regions. The results have been examined using the methodology of non-equilibrium thermodynamics.     

Mapping of phase response properties of monopolar ECG voltages

In the present investigation an attempt has been made to study the phase response properties of monopolar chest lead ECG voltages. Using a generator model of the heart an equivalent circuit of ECG network has been developed. The equivalent impedance between WCT and probe electrode has been determined by reduction techniques. From this equivalent impedance the phasor characteristics of monopolar ECG voltages have been analysed for change in probe electrode locations. The source of the generated voltage, i.e., the heart, will develop a different voltage for its different condition. There will also be a change in impedances. Thus for the normal subject the distribution of the phasor of the ECG voltages will be different from that of the abnormal one. A software tool has been developed to evaluate the relative phase response of ECG voltages. The data acquisition of monopolar ECG records of chest leads V1 to V6 from chart recorder has been done with the help of AutoCAD application package. The harmonic constituents of ECG voltages have been evaluated at each harmonic plane and the phase characteristics have been studied in polar coordinate for normal subjects as well as for a typical case. An interesting result has been observed in typical cases which are indicated in the paper.     

Characteristics of Pseudomonas aeruginosa pili and an elucidation of their relation to the virulence of the bacteria

The electron microscopic study of 175 P. aeruginosa museum and newly isolated strains has been made and their virulence has been determined. In 32% of these strains the presence of pili has been established. However, among the museum strains those with pili have been found to constitute only 19.5%, while among newly isolated strains pili have been detected in 39.7% of cases (the difference is statistically significant at p less than 0.01). No correlation between the formation of pili and the virulence of P. aeruginosa has been established.     

一种用于测试生物样品拉曼光谱的新方法

本文报道了一种在测试拉曼光谱时把硝基苯掺入蛋白质溶液再加以萃取的预处理方法。该法能迅速猝灭蛋白质分子的荧光,得到稳定清晰的拉曼图谱,而且不影响蛋白质分子的构象分析。     

The enzyme-antienzyme interactions of a number of Burkholderia pseudomallei hydrolases with monoclonal immunoglobulins

Phosphatase, phospholipase C and a proteolytic complex, including casein- and hemoglobin-hydrolases, have been isolated from cell-free extracts of B. pseudomallei cultivation medium. A set of monoclonal antibodies (McAb) to the antigenic complexes of this infective agent has been obtained. Conditions for the study of the interaction of the enzymes and McAb have been worked out, and most of the 14 immunoglobulins under study have been shown to neutralize 2-3 hydrolases each. Three types of McAb, selectively inhibiting only the proteolytic complex, only casein-hydrolase and only phospholipase C, have been identified.     

Identification of rat neurophysins: Complete amino acid sequences of MSEL- and VLDV-neurophysins

Two rat neurophysins have been purified by salt precipitation, molecular sieving and ion-exchange chromatography. The proteins, performic-acid oxidized or reduced-alkylated, have been split either by trypsin or by staphylococcal proteinase and fragments have been separated by peptide mapping. Amino acid sequences of tryptic peptides have been determined either directly or after cleaving the large fragments by subtilisin, chymotrypsin, elastase or staphylococcal proteinase and characterizing the subfragments. Tryptic peptides have been ordered through the fragments given by staphylococcal proteinase. The N-terminal sequences of both proteins have also been established by automated degradation.The two usual types of mammalian neurophysins have been identified. One neurophysin belongs to the MSEL-neurophysin family and shows 11 substitutions and a 2-residue C-terminal truncation when compared with bovine MSEL-neurophysin. The other belongs to the VLDV-neurophysin family and shows 8 substitutions when compared with bovine VLDV-neurophysin. There are 23 differences between the MSEL- and VLDV-neurophysins of the rat.     

Value of ambroxol in treatment of bronchial asthma and spastic bronchitis]

Ambroxol (Bronchopront-Mack) was administered to 73 patients with the bronchial asthma and spastic bronchitis with expectoration disorders. The drug was given in the dosage forms of slow release capsules, syrup, drops, intramuscular injections and inhalations for about 14 days. All patients have been carefully examined clinically, PEF has been measured, and sputum physico-chemical properties have been tested prior to and 10 days after treatment. Complete disappearance of cough, liquefaction of sputum and clearance of airways have been achieved in 47% of patients. A significant improvement has been noted in 38.4% of cases. The treatment failed in 2.7% of patients. Ambroxol has been well tolerated. No adverse effects on laboratory findings have been noted. Results suggest, that ambroxol is valuable drug in the combined treatment of patients with the bronchial asthma and spastic bronchitis.     

Conformational study of thyrotrophin-releasing hormone. I. Aspects of importance in the design of novel TRH analogues

The solution conformations of thyrotrophin-releasing hormone (TRH), a biologically-active tripeptide, have been predicted computationally using a method which represents solution effects as a dielectric continuum surrounding the molecule throughout energy minimisation; this is described as the reaction field contribution. The predicted conformations have been compared with previous experimental and theoretical studies. Favoured conformations of TRH under other simulated conditions have also been examined, including the behaviour of the cis isomer, and have been related to possible interactions with intermediates and with specific receptors. The relevance of these predictions to the design of biologically-active analogues of TRH has been analysed.     

肝再生增强因子超家族研究进展

从断奶大鼠的肝脏中纯化得到了肝刺激物质（ＨＳＳ）的有效成份,即肝再生增强因子（ＡＬＲ）的蛋白质,酶解并对其多肽末端测序,据此推导出简并核苷酸序列,合成探针,对大鼠肝脏来源的ｃＤＮＡ文库进行筛选,首选获得了大鼠ＡＬＲ的ｃＤＮＡ克隆,随后又分别克隆了人和小鼠的ＡＬＲ的ｃＤＮＡ。与此同时,从酵母细胞中克隆了与线粒体氧化－－磷酸化功能密切相关的ＥＲＶ１基因,然后克隆了人的ＥＲＶ１同源基因,从功能上证实人     

The effect of ultrasound on the antigenic activity of human erythrocytes

The effect of ultrasound (frequency 0.88 MHz, intensity from 0.05 to 1 W/cm2) on alterations in antigenic activity has been investigated in vitro using ABO antigens of human erythrocytes. The existence of threshold doses of ultrasound influence has been found. These doses are shown to be independent of ultrasound intensity. The dependence of the effect on erythrocyte concentration has been established. Individual and group differences in the antigenic resistance to ultrasonic exposure in donors of groups A and B have been revealed. A drop in antigenic activity equal to 97% has been obtained.     

Sensitivity of the rabbit embryonal Leydig cells to the action of different pituitary hormones

Leydig cells reaction of rabbits testis to choriogonin action has been investigated during the prenatal period of ontogenesis. It has been found, that these cells sensitivity to the hormones studied has been detected at the early stages of embryogenesis. The specialization of Leydig cells response to choriogonin, thyrotrophin and prolactin in the process of prenatal period has been shown.     

Directed evolution of microbial oxidative enzymes

In the past year, a number of oxidative enzymes have been the target of directed evolution. Catalase reaction specificity has been shifted to peroxidase, the high pH, thermal and oxidative stability of a fungal peroxidase has been dramatically improved, and the substrate specificity of cytochrome P450 has been altered to include substrates that the wild-type enzymes are incapable of oxidizing.     

Molecular dynamics simulation of glycoprotein-glycans of immunoglobulin G and Immunoglobulin M

Glycoprotein-glycans have recently been implicated to play a variety of functional roles. The same glycan chain have been found complexed with proteins of diverse functions. In this article two such glycan chains found attached to Fc regions of immunoglobulin G and immunoglobulin M have been studied. An extensive simulated annealing procedure have been adopted to arrive at a low-energy minimum of the two oligosaccharides. Molecular dynamics simulations have been performed to study the flexibility of the glycosidic linkages. It was found that both glycan chains can undergo conformational transitions and adopt folded and extended conformations. The two β(1–2) linkages of complex-type glycan had been found to prefer different conformational regime and the terminal fucose linked to the GlcNAc residue drastically modifies the GlcNAc β(1–4)GlcNAc linkage conformation. In the high-mannose type glycan chain α(1–3) linkages can induce flexibility in addition to the α(1–6) linkages. The results have been compared with recent experimental nmr and fluorescence energy transfer data. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biopoly 45: 177–190, 1998     

Influence of secondary reactions on the synthetic efficiency of DHAP-aldolases

The effect of secondary reactions on DHAP-dependent aldolase stereoselective synthesis yields is reported. The fuculose-1-phosphate aldolase catalyzed synthesis between DHAP and Cbz-S-alaninal has been chosen as case study. It has been demonstrated that DHAP is not only chemically degraded in the reaction medium, but also enzymatically. The last reaction has been shown to take place when type II aldolases are used as biocatalysts. In order to minimize the effect of non-desired reactions, temperature reduction has been shown to be favorable, and operation at 4 degrees C has been chosen as appropriate. On the other hand, the fed-batch addition of DHAP also increased the synthesis yields and, combined with low temperature, led to almost quantitative conversion.     

Measurement and study of the nose and face and their correlations in the young adult of Han nationality

The measurement of 13 items in the face and nose of 220 young adults (110 males and 110 females) of the Han nationality between the ages of 18 and 21 years has been done in the Henan Province of China. The means and standard deviations have been obtained, and the significant differences in many items between males and females have been proved. Some items influencing outer nasal shape have been analyzed. The correlations between nose height, nose length, and morphologic facial height and physiognomic facial height have been discussed. The ratio and amount of nasal breadth to facial breadth and nasal breadth to interocular breadth have been compared and analyzed, and the differences among the different races and between the sexes have been explained.