Biofeedback,voluntary control,and human potential

This paper examines some of the philosophical and scientific relationships involving self-control, voluntary control, and psychophysiologic self-regulation. The role of biofeedback in mediating conscious and unconscious processes is explored. Demonstrations of superior voluntary control and its relationship to belief, confidence, and expectation are examined. Biofeedback demonstrates the potential of control to oneself, creating confidence in one's ability to establish enhanced and peak performance in athletics, education, and psychophysiologic therapy. Emphasis is placed on the power of images in all human functioning, and in enhancing human potential.Presidential address presented at the meetings of the Biofeedback Society of America, March 23, 1986, San Francisco.     

Comparison of glucokinase in C3H/He and C58 mice that differ in their hepatic activity

Partially purified preparations of the hepatic glucokinase from C3H/He and C58 inbred mice have been used to explore the molecular basis for the observed twofold difference in activity between the strains. The single codominant gene that appears to regulate activity, the alleles of which are designated Gk^a and Gk^b, respectively, for the two strains, could represent a structural gene change. This now seems unlikely because the mouse enzyme, although showing small differences from rat glucokinase, appeared to be identical in the two strains with respect to thermal stability, electrophoretic mobility in agarose gels, and kinetic properties such as the apparent K _m values for MgATP^2– and glucose and the unique cooperative interaction with the latter substrate. The enzymes also reacted identically in a range of immunological tests (double-diffusion, immunoelectrophoresis, immune precipitation and immune inhibition assays) and ELISA immune inhibition assays indicated that the twofold difference in activity was due to a similar difference in antigenically active enzyme. Genetic control over the physiologically significant regulation of enzyme amount is therefore probable.This work has been supported in part by a grant from the British Diabetic Association and a Training Studentship to PAJ from the Medical Research Council (U.K.).     

Adaptation to High-Intensity, Low-Wavelength Light among Surface Blooms of the Cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa

Natural populations of the nuisance bloom cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa obtained from the eutrophic Neuse River, N.C., revealed optimal chlorophyll a-normalized photosynthetic rates and resistance to photoinhibition at surface photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) intensities. At saturating PAR levels these populations exhibited higher photosynthetic rates in quartz than in Pyrex vessels. Eucaryotic algal populations obtained from the same river failed to counteract photoinhibition. At saturating PAR levels, such populations generally yielded lower photosynthetic rates in quartz containers than they did in Pyrex containers. Cultivation of natural Microcystis populations under laboratory conditions led to physiologically distinct populations which had photoinhibitory characteristics similar to those of other cultured cyanobacterial and eucaryotic algae. Our findings indicate that (i) photosynthetic production among natural surface populations is best characterized and quantified in quartz rather than Pyrex incubation vessels; (ii) extrapolation of natural photoinhibitory trends from laboratory populations is highly subjective to culture and PAR histories and may yield contradictory results; and (iii) buoyant surface-dwelling populations, rather than exhibiting senescence, are poised at optimizing PAR utilization, thereby maintaining numerical dominance in eutrophic waters when physico-chemical conditions favor bloom formation.     

Complete complementary DNA of rat tyrosine aminotransferase messenger RNA. Deduction of the primary structure of the enzyme

The primary structure of rat tyrosine aminotransferase (L-tyrosine:2-oxoglutarate aminotransferase; EC 2.6.1.5), a liver-specific enzyme involved in gluconeogenesis, has been deduced from the nucleotide sequence of a cloned full-length cDNA. The mRNA is 2362 nucleotides long (excluding the poly(A) tail) and codes for a polypeptide of 454 amino acids with a molecular weight of 50634. Unambiguous identification was obtained by comparison of this sequence with the amino acid sequences of several peptides obtained from the purified enzyme.     

Preliminary crystallographic data for cross-linked (lysine7-lysine41)-ribonuclease A

A cross-linked derivative of ribonuclease A, N^ε,N^ε′-(2,4-dinitrophenylene-1,5)-(lysine⁷-lysine⁴¹)-RNase A, has been crystallized by dialysis against 30% ($\text{v}\text{v}$) ethanol/water mixtures buffered at high pH. Single crystals belong to the orthorhombic space group P2₁2₁2₁, $\text{a = 37.2}\text{A}\text{?}\text{, b = 41.2}\text{A}\text{?}\text{, b = 41.2}\text{A}\text{?}$, with one molecule in the Crystallographic asymmetric unit.     

DNA analysis and sorting of rat testis cells using two-parameter flow cytometry

By use of two-parameter flow cytometry of rat testis cell suspensions stained with mithramycin for DNA (the peak amplitude of the fluorescence signal versus total fluorescence intensity integrated over time), eight cell compartments could be distinguished without pre-enrichment of the samples. Cells in these compartments were identified by sorting and subsequent microscopic examination.     

Flow cytometric analysis and sorting of human endometrial cells after immunocytochemical labeling for cytokeratin using a monoclonal antibody

Endometrial cells in suspension were stained with propidium iodide and a monoclonal antibody against a cytokeratin intermediate filament protein specific for glandular and columnar cells (RGE 53). In this way columnar epithelial cells of the normal endometrium and of adenocarcinomas can be distinguished and separated by flow cytometry from non-epithelial cells (fibroblasts and inflammatory cells) and squamous epithelial cells, all of which are negative for RGE 53. This makes it possible to analyse and also sort pure fractions of this particular tissue type for further studies. The use of propidium iodide allows simultaneous DNA flow cytometry of these columnar epithelial cells. Therefore, the use of antibodies to cytokeratin in combination with propidium iodide can be of help in analyzing and sorting pure fractions of both normal and malignant cells. This allows a more refined examination of complex cell mixtures using flow cytometry.     

Heterologous hybridization of Azospirillum DNA to Rhizobium nod and fix genes

Abstract Probes containing the nod and hsn regions of Rhizobium meliloti and the fixABC genes of Rhizobium japonicum were used to perform hybridization experiments with endonuclease-restricted DNA from Azospirillum brasilense strains and 2 Azospirillum lipoferum strains. Homology to nod, hsn and fixA was found in the 4 Azospirillum strains.