Effect of pneumonectomy on the remaining lung in dogs

To determine the magnitude of functional compensation after pneumonectomy and whether compensation is related to maturity of the animal at the time of resection, we performed left pneumonectomy in either adult or 10-wk-old beagles. Studies were performed in adults 7-9 mo after surgery and in puppies 18-23 mo after surgery when the dogs reached full maturity. Results were compared with those in age- and sex-matched unoperated controls. Measurements included pressure-volume relationships, pulmonary hemodynamics, rebreathing studies of lung volume, diffusing capacity and its components, lung tissue volume, and pulmonary blood flow. Computerized-tomographic scans were performed in the puppy groups to determine changes in thoracic shape and size. Morphometric analysis of the lungs was performed under light microscopy. There was partial compensation for loss of one lung by functional improvement in the remaining lung. Compensation was greater in those pneumonectomized as puppies than as adults. Volume of the remaining lung was larger than predicted for a given transpulmonary pressure in both groups. Diffusing capacity, pulmonary capillary blood volume, and lung tissue volume were larger than expected for the normal right lung. After pneumonectomy, compliance of the rib cage was greater in puppies than in adults. Weight of the costal diaphragm was reduced in pneumonectomized puppies. Pulmonary hypertension at rest did not develop, and pulmonary vascular reactivity to hypoxia was unchanged after pneumonectomy in both groups. Significant correlations were obtained between physiological and morphometric measurements.     

Characterization of rat ribosomal DNA. The highly repetitive sequences that flank the ribosomal RNA transcription unit are homologous and contain RNA polymerase III transcription initiation sites

The non-transcribed spacers (NTS) of the ribosomal genes of a number of organisms have been studied and were found to contain repetitive sequences. In these studies with plasmid subclones of NTS, designated p3.4, p2.6 and p1.7, which come from both 5' and 3' flanking regions of the rat ribosomal genes, respectively, it has been determined that these sequences are found elsewhere within the genome. Southern hybridization analysis has demonstrated that the 5' and 3' NTS subclones cross-hybridize, and that the cross-hybridizing regions are synonymous with the highly repetitive regions. Sequences homologous to the rat NTS were specifically localized to both 5' and 3' flanking regions as well as to a number of the introns of cloned genes including rat serum albumin, rat alpha-fetoprotein, rat casein and human serum albumin. No hybridization was detected of the 5' NTS subclone to the human Alu sequence clone, Blur 8, or to the rodent equivalent, a clone containing Chinese hamster ovary type I and II Alu sequences. However, as reported for type II Alu sequences, the subcloned rat NTS sequences contain RNA polymerase III initiation sites and also hybridize to a number of small RNAs, but not 4.5 S or 7 S RNA. Sequence analysis of two distinct repetitive regions in p1.7 has revealed a region of alternating purine-pyrimidine nucleotides, potentially of Z DNA, and stretches of repetitive sequences. The possible roles for these repetitive sequences in recombination and in maintaining a hierarchical structure for the ribosomal genes are discussed.     

Occupational hydrocarbon exposure among fathers of Prader-Willi syndrome patients with and without deletions of 15q.

Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a multiple-anomaly disorder in which 50%-70% of cases are associated with a de novo interstitial deletion [del 15(q11-13)] on prometaphase cytogenetic analysis, the remainder having apparently normal chromosomes. In most instances, the paternally derived chromosome has become deleted in the affected child, suggesting the possibility of a predisposing environmental factor. Strakowski and Butler found an increased incidence of paternal periconceptional employment in hydrocarbon-exposing occupations in this population. This observation may suggest a causal relationship to PWS. To determine whether this association may distinguish the cytogenetically different groups, we identified 81 patients with the disorder who were physically and cytogenetically examined in three centers, and we compared the frequency of possible periconceptional occupational hydrocarbon exposure between fathers of patients who demonstrate a 15q deletion and those who do not. There was no statistically significant difference between the cytogenetically different groups. In both groups, approximately half of the fathers had been employed in hydrocarbon-exposing jobs. These findings suggest lack of etiologic heterogeneity between the cytogenetically different groups for PWS and affirm the need to seek submicroscopic deletions through molecular genetic studies. These data also provide additional evidence that hydrocarbon exposure among fathers of children with PWS may be causally related to the disorder, and they also suggest the need for more accurate assessment of exposure via a large, controlled study.     

Towards a more rapid diagnosis of rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis.

An attempt was made to provide simple practical guidelines to alert general practitioners to the diagnosis of rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis and lead to early referral to hospital. The duration of illness before referral to this hospital and its effect on outcome in patients with crescentic nephritis were assessed retrospectively from the case notes of 24 patients referred over two years. Four patients had Goodpasture''s syndrome, 11 Wegener''s granulomatosis, seven microscopic polyarteritis, and two idiopathic progressive glomerulonephritis. The duration of symptoms before referral to the local hospital was similar in the four groups of patients and varied from one week to 28 months (mean 10 months). The duration of stay in the local hospital was two, nine, 11, and 180 days in the patients with Goodpasture''s syndrome and a mean of four days (range one to eight) in those with Wegener''s granulomatosis and 10 days (one to 18 days) in those with microscopic polyarteritis. In the local hospital the diagnosis was based on the results of renal biopsy and detection of antibodies to glomerular basement membrane in two patients with Goodpasture''s syndrome and on the results of renal biopsy in seven of the other patients aided by the detection of antibodies to the cytoplasm of neutrophils (ANCA) in 10. Three of the 24 patients died and four required maintenance haemodialysis. Patients who present to their general practitioners with persistent non-specific symptoms should have a urine dipstick test and then blood tests and emergency referral to hospital if necessary. Hospital physicians should be aware of the speed and accuracy with which current assays can confirm a diagnosis of rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis.     

On the Composition, Deposition and Mobilization of Proteins in the Cotyledons of Castor Bean (Ricinus communis L. cv. Hale) Seeds: Their Role as Storage Proteins

Proteins in the soluble and insoluble fractions, extracted frommature castor bean cv. Hale seed cotyledons, differ quantitativelyand qualitatively from their counterparts extracted from theendosperm. The soluble fraction contains no glycoproteins, andthe lectins RCA₁ and ricin D are absent. While the insolubleproteins are electrophoretically and immunologically similarto those in the endosperm, they do not form the 100 kD subunitdimers which characterize some of the endosperm insoluble crystalloidproteins. Rapid rates of deposition of all of the soluble andinsoluble proteins present in the mature seed cotyledons commences30–35 d after pollination (DAP) and continues until 45DAP. These proteins are mobilized rapidly beginning 1–2d after seed imbibition and this coincides with an increasein specific activity, in the cotyledons, of two aminopeptidasesand a carboxypeptidase. The soluble and insoluble proteins inthe cotyledons of the mature seed probably function as storageproteins and support the growth of the germinated seed priorto the mobilization of the major protein storage reserves ofthe endosperm. Key words: Ricinus communis, Castor bean, Hale cultivar, Cotyledon, Storage protein, Seed development, Seed germination     

Trigonocephaly and the 11q- syndrome.

A seventh case of deletion of the distal long arm of a chromosome 11 is described. As in other cases with this karyotypic abnormality, trigonocephaly is the most noticeable phenotypic peculiarity. A review of common developmental and dysmorphic features among the seven recognized cases is presented.     

Automated analysis of antigen-stimulated lymphocytes.

Human peripheral blood lymphocytes were stimulated with phytohemagglutinin and tuberculin-purified protein derivative to determine if flow microfluorometric techniques had the sensitivity to detect high and low levels of blastogenic response. The deoxyribonucleic acid content of the lymphocytes was analyzed after culture. Blastogenic response was found to be measurable both sensitively and reproducibly. Tritiated thymidine incorporation measurements were also made. Preliminary experiments using inactivated Herpesvirion (type I) as a stimulant showed blastogenic response detectable by flow microfluorometric deoxyribonucleic acid measurements. Refinements of this technique may prove to be useful in the study of lymphocyte response to viral antigens in patient populations.     

Effect of registration on cyclical kinematic data

Given growing interest in functional data analysis (FDA) as a useful method for analyzing human movement data, it is critical to understand the effects of standard FDA procedures, including registration, on biomechanical analyses. Registration is used to reduce phase variability between curves while preserving the individual curve's shape and amplitude. The application of three methods available to assess registration could benefit those in the biomechanics community using FDA techniques: comparison of mean curves, comparison of average RMS values, and assessment of time-warping functions. Therefore, the present study has two purposes. First, the necessity of registration applied to cyclical data after time normalization is assessed. Second, we illustrate the three methods for evaluating registration effects. Masticatory jaw movements of 22 healthy adults (2 males, 21 females) were tracked while subjects chewed a gum-based pellet for 20 s. Motion data were captured at 60 Hz with two gen-locked video cameras. Individual chewing cycles were time normalized and then transformed into functional observations. Registration did not affect mean curves and warping functions were linear. Although registration decreased the RMS, indicating a decrease in inter-subject variability, the difference was not statistically significant. Together these results indicate that registration may not always be necessary for cyclical chewing data. An important contribution of this paper is the illustration of three methods for evaluating registration that are easy to apply and useful for judging whether the extra data manipulation is necessary.     

Micelle‐enhanced spectrofluorimetric method for determination of lacidipine in tablet form; application to content uniformity testing

A highly sensitive, simple and rapid spectrofluorimetric method was developed for the determination of lacidipine (LCP) in tablets. The proposed method is based on the investigation of the fluorescence spectral behavior of LCP in both sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) and the tween‐80 micellar system. In aqueous solutions of acetate buffer (pH 4.5), the fluorescence intensities of LCP were greatly enhanced (ca. 2.4 and 4.3 folds) in the presence of either SDS or tween‐80, respectively. The fluorescence intensity was measured at 444 nm after excitation at 277 nm using either SDS or tween‐80 as a surfactant. The fluorescence–concentration plots were rectilinear over the ranges of 50.0–500.0 ng/ml and 5.0–200.0 ng/ml with lower detection limits of 5.11 and 2.06 ng/ml and lower quantification limits of 17 and 6.87 ng/ml using SDS and tween‐80, respectively. The method was successfully applied to the analysis of LCP in commercial tablets and the results were in good agreement with those obtained with the comparison method. Furthermore, content uniformity testing of pharmaceutical tablets was also conducted. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.