Effects of wearing two different types of clothing on body temperatures during and after exercise

The experiment was conducted to investigate the human thermoregulatory responses during rest, exercise and recovery atT _a 20°C and 60% R.H. under the conditions of wearing two different types of clothing. Six healthy men wore two types of clothing: one covering the whole body area except the head (Type A, weight 1656 g), and the other covering only the trunk, upper arms and thighs (Type B, weight 996 g). The level of rectal temperature was kept significantly higher in Type B than in Type A during rest and recovery. The increased and decreased rates of rectal temperature during exercise and recovery were significantly greater in Type A than in Type B, respectively. These findings are discussed from the viewpoint of the differences of skin temperatures of the extremities between Type A and Type B.     

Strain-dependent expression of VH gene families

The tremendous diversity of the antibody specificity repertoire stems from the ability of each developing B cell to select one out of many possible variable, diversity, and joining gene segments by specific rearrangement of the DNA. The mechanism by which V region gene segments is selected is not known. Moreover, evidence for both random and nonrandom expression of VH genes in mature B cells has been presented previously. In this report, the technique of in situ hybridization is used to accurately measure at the single cell level VH gene family expression in LPS-induced cells from several strains. In this way, at least one-third of the B cells are stimulated and a large sampling of activated splenocytes from each strain analyzed. The use of in situ hybridization eliminates any potential biases resulting from transformation protocols. In addition, because all populations of cells are analyzed by both in situ hybridization and immunocytochemical staining with anti-IgM, the proportion of cells detected by in situ hybridization could be compared with the proportion of B cells, blasts, and plasma cells in the population. It was concluded from these comparisons that the cells being detected by in situ hybridization under the conditions described are plasmablasts and plasma cells. Therefore, an accurate measure of the functional and expressed VH gene repertoire could be made. The results clearly demonstrate strain-dependent variation in VH gene family expression, particularly VH 7183 and VH J558 with up to three-fold differences observed. Thus, either there is considerable strain variation in the number of functional VH gene family segments or the expression of VH genes is not entirely random.     

MacELISA、RPHI和IFAT用于流行性出血热早期诊断的比较

比较了IgM捕获ELISA(MacELISA)、反向间接血凝抑制试验(RPHI)和间接免疫荧光抗体试验(IFAT)检测流行性出血热(EHF)病人血清特异性抗体的结果。MacELISA对急性期血清IgM抗体的阳性检出率与RPHI对总抗体的阳性检出率相近,两法都具有较高的敏感性。而IFAT检测IgG抗体的阳性率则较低。总抗体滴度(RPHI)与IgG抗体滴度(IFAT)相关(r=0.542,P<0.01),而与IgM抗体滴度(MacELISA)无明显相关(r<0.1)。但进一步研究发现,3日内血清IgM抗体滴度与总抗体滴度(RPHI)存在相关关系(r=0.701,P<0.01),表明IgM抗体可能也与发病初期RPHI的较高的阳性检出率有关。本工作表明,MacELISA作为一种早期诊断方法具有高度的特异性和敏感性,而RPHI操作简便、快速、敏感性高,但存在一定的非特异性。研究还发现,流行区临床诊断为EHF的病人,IFAT(IgG)和RPHI检测均阳性,而MacELISA(IgM)阴性,提示用RPHI进行血清学诊断时,检查双份血清是必要的。     

流行性出血热病毒R22株cDNA克隆及其特异性鉴定

用家鼠型流行性出血热病毒R22株RNA,经polyA接尾,以Oligo-dT做引物,合成cDNA。用pUC18为载体转染E.coli Mc1061,建立cDNA克隆。再经菌落杂交,选择病毒特异性的5个阳性克隆制成缺口翻译探针,与病毒RNA3个片段进行反杂交,确定RNA片段的特异性。结果表明,3个克隆为中(M)片段的cDNA,另两个分别为大(L)和小(S)片段cDNA。核苷酸序列分析证明,克隆的DNA中含病毒特异的核苷酸序列。     

Involvement of protein sulfhydryls in the trigger reaction of rhodotorucine A, a farnesyl peptide mating pheromone of Rhodosporidium toruloides.

The involvement of protein sulfhydryls for the signaling of rhodotorucine A, a mating pheromone produced by mating type A cells of Rhodosporidium toruloides, was investigated by the use of sulfhydryl compounds. The sulfhydryl-blocking reagent 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB; Ellman's reagent) strongly inhibited both the biological effect of the pheromone on the recipient cell and the hydrolysis of the pheromone, which is catalyzed by the mating type-specific surface endopeptidase of the recipient cell. Conversely, the two reactions were markedly enhanced by the presence of the reducing reagent dithiothreitol. The inhibitory effect of DTNB on the pheromone response of the recipient cell was specific to an initial stage of the differentiation; once it had initiated, the reagent had no effect on its progression. The results suggested that dithiothreitol enhances and DTNB impairs the efficiency with which the pheromone triggers sexual d differentiation. The reaction of DTNB with cellular protein sulfhydryls was highly restricted to those at the exterior surface of the membrane due to the impermeability of the reagent through the membrane. Phosphorylation of endogenous proteins, which is modulated by the pheromone added to an in vitro phosphorylation system, was also blocked by DTNB. The results showed that sulfhydryl groups are involved in the pheromone hydrolysis by the surface endopeptidase of the recipient cell and that pheromone metabolism is indispensable for the signaling reaction. We suggest that the modulation of protein phosphorylation of membrane proteins by the pheromone is an initial transmembrane response coupled to pheromone metabolism.     

Grape pomace: A novel substrate for microbial production of citric acid

Summary Grape pomace was used as substrate for microbial production of citric acid. Of the five cultures examined,Aspergillus niger NRRL 567 was found to produce the greatest amount of citric acid from grape pomace in the presence of methanol at a concentration of 3% (vol/wt). The yield was 60% based on the amount of fermentable sugar consumed.     

In vitro growth and differentiation of human kidney tubular cells on a basement membrane substrate

Summary Kidney cortical tubular cells, mainly proximal tubular cells, isolated from human kidney and grown either on a basement membrane substrate in chemically defined medium or on plastic in serum-supplemented medium, had substantial proliferative potential and could be propagated for more than 10 generations or 8 passages before senescence. Basement membrane produced on a plastic substrate by the HR-9 endodermal cell line could replace serum supplementation in promoting tubular cell growth. Tubular cells grown on an HR-9 basement membrane substrate exhibited stable epithelial morphology over an extended period of time; in the presence of 5% serum they differentiated into organized structures such as hemicysts and cell cords. Cells grown on plastic failed to differentiate and gradually degenerated. Tubular cells on HR-9 basement membrane were characterized by densely packed microvilli, abundant rough endoplasmic reticulum and free polysomes, basal cell membrane interdigitations, a well-developed endocytotic apparatus, and conspicuous junctional complexes—all features of the proximal tubular cell. Compared with cells on plastic substrate, there were higher levels of the brush border enzymes γ-glutamyl transpeptidase,l-leucine aminopeptidase, and alkaline phosphatase in cells maintained on an HR-9 basement membrane substrate, further supporting the conclusion that a basement membrane substrate promoted differentiation of tubular cells. These data and morphological observations indicate that a basement membrane substrate can promote growth and both functional and morphologic differentiation of human kidney tubular cells. This work was supported by the Veterans Administration.     

宁夏同心中新世铲齿象化石

本文记述了宁夏同心地区中中新世哺乳动物群中铲齿象化石——同心铲齿象 (Platybelodon tongxinensis) (原定为同心嵌齿象 (Gomphotherium tongxinensis). 通过与国内外已现的有关铲齿象对比,确认其与国内已发现的葛氏种关系最近,可能属同一枝系.同心种与葛氏种相比,是性质相对原始分布层位较低的我国第二个铲齿象种.文章初步讨论了其 M_3 的某些变异性状.并结合现有的其它标本初步阐述了铲齿象类下门齿的两种结构类型,原始型的同心层状结构和衍生型的齿质柱状结构.建议根据这两种结构仍将铲齿象类划分为 Platybelodontinae 和 Amebelodontinae.