The Hemoglobin Conformation in Erythrocytes at Different Levels of Oxygen Partial Pressure

Biophysics - The variation in the conformations of hemoglobin heme and globin in response to different oxygen partial pressures (pO2) has been studied by Raman spectroscopy inside erythrocytes and...     

The fluorescence of mouse crystalline lenses at different stages of radiation cataract studied by synchronous scanning

Fluorescence of intact lenses of F1 (CBA x C57BL6) mice at different stages of X-ray cataract induced by gamma irradiation (5.00 Gr) has been studied by synchronous scanning of fluorescence, the shift between emission and excitation wave lengths being 20 nm. The ratio between peek intensities of the nontryptophan and tryptophan fluorescence within the synchronous scanning spectra (K) has increased 3.5 times as much at the stage of singular dot-like opacities. K-parameter correlated with GSH level in the lenses (r = -0.9). According to the results achieved, K could be regarded as an informative indicator of the development of X-ray cataract at the stage previous to turbidity.     

Characteristics of the effect of Ca/Mg-dependent endonuclease from cell nuclei of human lymphocytes on J kappa-cluster of immunoglobulin genes

The cleavage of the murine J kappa-segments by purified Ca/Mg-dependent endonuclease was studied. The enzyme was shown to cleave specifically the J kappa-segments introducing the double strand breaks in 5'-regions of the J kappa-genes. The number of thus generated discreet fragments does not change during incubation. Specificity of the enzyme is not changed by substitution of Ca/Mg for Mn. The enzyme activity is inhibited by 0.1 M NaCl as well as its specificity. Comparison of the enzyme with the known nuclease activities that cleave specifically the J kappa-segments demonstrated that the activities of the latter are determined by Ca/Mg-dependent endonuclease. The results suggest the possible participation of Ca/Mg-dependent endonuclease in Ig-genes recombination.     

Galvechelone lopezmartinezae gen. et sp. nov., a new cryptodiran turtle in the Lower Cretaceous of Europe

Abstract: The Spanish town of Galve (Teruel) is notable because of the abundance of Upper Jurassic and, especially, Lower Cretaceous vertebrates recorded there. Although most groups have been studied in detail, information on turtles is very limited even though the material is relatively abundant. So far, no turtle taxa have been identified at the generic level. The only Lower Cretaceous articulated specimen from Galve is analysed here. It is identified as a representative of Cryptodira, Galvechelone lopezmartinezae gen. et sp. nov. Galvechelone lopezmartinezae is determined as a taxon belonging to the node that groups the turtles traditionally assigned to ‘Macrobaenidae’ and ‘Sinemydidae’, and other taxa such as the members of Panchelonioidea. This node, very abundant in the Lower Cretaceous of Asia, and with a broad subsequent distribution, has recently been recognized in the Lower Cretaceous of Europe. The diversity of basal members of Eucryptodira in the European Late Jurassic (represented by Thalassemydidae, Plesiochelyidae and Eurysternidae) was high. Owing to a relative scarcity of well‐preserved early Cretaceous turtles from Europe, the knowledge of this group of reptiles is limited. The study of the new turtle from Galve, together with the recently described Hoyasemys jimenezi, and the recently completed review of the enigmatic Chitracephalus dumonii demonstrate that members of the cryptodiran node grouping ‘Macrobaenidae’, ‘Sinemydidae’ and Panchelonioidea were also very diverse in this period.     

Biophysical basis of medical thermovision

Characteristics of the thermal relief of the human body are reviewed. It is shown that the usage of thermovision in medical diagnostics requires the simultaneous and compatible consideration in the research process of three components: the contribution of the object itself, the influence of the medium through which the infrared radiation passes and the instrumental parameters of the infrared imager registering this radiation.     

Improving ability to identify malaria and correctly use chloroquine in children at household level in Nakonde District, Northern Province of Zambia

BACKGROUND: This study investigated causes of malaria and how cases were managed at household level, in order to improve the ability to identify malaria and ensure correct use of chloroquine. It was conducted in Nakonde District, Northern Province of Zambia, between 2000 and 2001. Nakonde district is in a hyperendemic malaria province, where Plasmodium falciparum is predominant. The district has a total population of 153, 548 people, the majority of whom are peasant farmers. The main aim of the post intervention survey was to establish the proportion of caretakers of children five years and below, who were able to identify simple and severe malaria and treat it correctly using chloroquine in the home. METHODS: A baseline survey was conducted in five wards divided into intervention and control.Intervention and control wards were compared. Village health motivators and vendors were identified and trained in three intervention wards, as a channel through which information on correct chloroquine dose could be transmitted. A total of 575 carers, who were 15 years old and above and had a child who had suffered from malaria 14 days before the survey commenced, were interviewed. The two control wards received no intervention. 345 caretakers were from the intervention wards, while 230 came from the control wards. Identification of malaria and correct use of anti-malarial drugs was assessed in terms of household diagnosis of malaria in children under five years, type and dose of anti-malarial drugs used, self medication and the source of these anti-malarials. RESULTS: The majority of respondents in the study were females (81%). Chloroquine was the most frequently used anti-malarial (48.5%) in both the intervention and control wards. There was no difference between the intervention and control wards at pre-intervention (P = 0.266 and P = 0.956), in the way mothers and other caretakers identified simple and severe malaria. At baseline, knowledge on correct chloroquine dosage in the under five children was comparable between intervention and control wards. Post-intervention revealed that mothers and other caretakers were 32% and 51%, respectively, more likely to identify simple and severe malaria. There was a 60% increase on correct chloroquine dosage in all age groups among carers living in post-intervention wards. CONCLUSION: Compliance with standard therapeutic doses and correct identification of malaria was poorest in control wards, where no motivators and vendors were trained.     

Direct detection of isotopically labeled metabolites bound to a protein microarray using a charge-coupled device

A charge-coupled device (CCD) was used to quantitatively detect isotope-labeled ligands bound to a protein microarray. Protein microarrays with protein dots, 10-50 microm in diameter, were fabricated on an aluminized Mylar film using an electrospray deposition technique. Proteins in dots were immobilized by cross-linking in glutaraldehyde vapor. After contact with solutions of isotope-labeled metabolites, the protein microarrays were washed, dried and placed face down onto the surface of a standard B/W video CCD chip with the protective window removed. We show here that such a simple inexpensive CCD detector can be used to quantify distribution of 14C and other radioactive isotopes on microarrays.