THE PREVENTION OF LUNG CANCER—Applications of Some Current Theories

The rapid increase in the incidence of bronchogenic carcinoma, the difficulties in early diagnosis and the infrequency of successful treatment emphasize the importance of attempts at its prevention. Much has been learned regarding the role of a variety of environmental factors in the genesis of this disease, although further studies are to be desired.The complete elimination of exposures to excessive irradiation or the inhalation of radioactive substances, to inorganic, organic or animate particles which may be responsible for chronic pulmonary diseases, and especially to automobile exhaust and cigarette smoke, occupational irritating or carcinogenic air pollutants and other predisposing conditions may require extensive changes in industry, government and society. A number of practical personal precautions are available, however, which may greatly reduce the hazard for the individual observing them.     

The vegetation of springs,lakes and “flags” of Reykjanes Peninsula,SW. Iceland (Plant communities of Reykjanes Peninsula,Part 3)

In this paper the syntaxonomy and ecology of the following plant communities is discussed:Montic-Cardaminetalia: Montion: Philonoto-Saxifragetum stellaris; Koenigio-Microjuncion: Equiseto palustris-Sedetum villosi, Koenigio-Agrostetum stoloniferae; Litorelletalia: Subularion aquaticae: Subulario-Ranunculetum reptantis; Isoetion lacustris: Ranunculo-Isoetetum lacustris.     

The Effect of ATP (Disodium Salt) upon Rotational Streaming

Through the continuous treatment with various solutions of ATP disodium salt the rotational streaming of the cytoplasma in barley root hairs has been stimulated about 1.2–1.7 times. With the concentrations employed the stimulation of the streaming did not depend on the external ATP supply, but on the initial rate of streaming. It is assumed that the main source of energy supporting the protoplasmic streaming is ATP. Therefore, the results obtained may be interpreted on the basis of variations in ATP content and its degradation products. The differences between initial rates of streaming are supposed to be due to variations of the endogenous ATP level. The ATP taken up probably stimulates the rotational streaming both through the supply of delivered energy and by lowering the cytoplasm viscosity. On the contrary, products of ATP hydrolysis increase the cytoplasm viscosity and induce a lowering or even cessation of the streaming.     

A review of the alien and expansive species of freshwater cyanobacteria and algae in the Czech Republic

The invasion and spread of non-native species of many different kinds of organisms is of increasing interest to researchers. Invasions by microscopic organisms, however, are poorly understood, and their impact on the environment is probably underestimated. We collected available data on non-native and invasive/expansive algae and cyanobacteria in the Czech Republic; we mapped their distribution and assessed their impact on local species and other real or potential risks resulting from their spread. The list of alien species in the Czech Republic contains 10 species of cyanobacteria, 9 species of Bacillariophyceae, 1 species of Dinophyta, 1 species of Ulvophyceae, 2 species of Chlorophyceae, and 1 species complex of Zygnematopyceae. The literature on the worldwide occurrence of these taxa is also reviewed.     

DISEASES AND DEATHS—A Summary of Data from the Los Angeles County General Hospital, 1918 to 1948—Part I

Classification of the 2,557,035 diagnoses made in 1,168,139 different patients at the Los Angeles County General Hospital in the period 1918-48 has been compiled according to the new International List of Causes of Diseases and Death. Similar tabulation of the 377,776 diagnoses made in the 112,409 patients who died while in the hospital reflects the fatality rates associated with these diagnoses. Striking differences are shown in the incidence and fatality rates in the various conditions and great changes have occurred in both during this time. Defects and sources of error in these data are recognized, but they offer a wealth of valuable material for further study and interpretation.     

Orotidine Monophosphate Decarboxylase——A Fascinating Workhorse Enzyme with Therapeutic Potential

Orotidine 50-monophosphate decarboxylase(ODCase) is known as one of the most proficient enzymes. The enzyme catalyzes the last reaction step of the de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis, the conversion from orotidine 50-monophosphate(OMP) to uridine 50-monophosphate. The enzyme is found in all three domains of life, Bacteria, Eukarya and Archaea. Multiple sequence alignment of 750 putative ODCase sequences resulted in five distinct groups. While the universally conserved Dx Kxx Dx motif is present in all the groups,depending on the groups, several characteristic motifs and residues can be identified. Over 200 crystal structures of ODCases have been determined so far. The structures, together with biochemical assays and computational studies, elucidated that ODCase utilized both transition state stabilization and substrate distortion to accelerate the decarboxylation of its natural substrate. Stabilization of the vinyl anion intermediate by a conserved lysine residue at the catalytic site is considered the largest contributing factor to catalysis, while bending of the carboxyl group from the plane of the aromatic pyrimidine ring of OMP accounts for substrate distortion. A number of crystal structures of ODCases complexed with potential drug candidate molecules have also been determined, including with 6-iodouridine, a potential antimalarial agent.     

Determination of clindamycin in human plasma by liquid chromatography–electrospray tandem mass spectrometry: application to the bioequivalence study of clindamycin

A simple, sensitive and specific liquid chromatography–electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS–MS) method for the determination of clindamycin (I) was developed. Both I and verapamil (II, internal standard) were analyzed using a C₁₈ column with a mobile phase of 80% acetonitrile–0.01% trifluoroacetic acid. Column eluents were monitored by electrospray tandem mass spectrometry. Multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) using the parent to daughter combinations of m/z 425→126 and 455→165 was used to quantitate I. A limit of quantitation of 0.0500 μg/ml was found. The assay exhibited a linear dynamic range of 0.0500–20.0 μg/ml and gave a correlation coefficient (r²) of 0.998 or better. The chromatographic run time was approximately 2 min. The intra-batch precision and accuracy of the quality controls (QCs, 0.0500, 0.150, 1.50, 15.0 and 20.0 μg/ml) were characterized by coefficients of variation (CVs) of 5.13 to 13.7% and relative errors (REs) of −4.34 to 4.58%, respectively. The inter-batch precision and accuracy of the QCs were characterized by CVs of 4.35 to 8.32% and REs of −10.8 to −4.17%, respectively. The method has successfully been applied to the analysis of samples taken up to 12 h after oral administration of 300 mg of I in healthy volunteers.     

An activation mechanism for ATP cleavage in muscle

Evidence for a proposed activation mechanism is summarized. The low rate of ATP cleavage in the resting state of muscle is considered to result from the formation of a stable ring structure involving the two essential sulfhydryl groups on each myosin head and MgATP. Activation is thought to occur by interaction of actin in the vicinity of one of the essential sulfhydryl groups, Thus opening the stable ring leading to rapid dissociation of split products. This idea is consistent with the kinetic scheme of ATP cleavage developed recently by other workers and allows a prediction of the shift in population of intermediate states with changes in solvent conditions. It is also supported by our recent studies on the spatial geometry of the ring. The possibility that other nucleophilic groups may replace the sulfhydryl groups in other contractile systems is considered. The relevance of the ring structure to the tension generating event is discussed on the basis of recent measurements of the rate of contraction of modified (SH₁-blocked) actomyosin threads. Results indicate that the ability to form the ring structure is an essential requirement of the contractile process in these systems, and, moreover, that single, modified heads of myosin can act independently to produce the same rate of contraction as native myosin. This latter finding suggests that the myosin duplex exhibits some type of negative cooperativity in the contractile process.