Analysis of the structure and expression of the c-myc oncogene in cervical tumor and in cervical tumor-derived cell lines

The structure of the c-myc oncogene in 17 cervical tumors and patient-matched nontumor tissues from Chinese patients residing in Taiwan was analysed. In contrast to recent reports on Mexican patients, none of the samples showed rearrangements and sequence amplification in the c-myc gene. The discrepancy may be explained by different carcinogenesis mechanisms being in operation in different geographic regions. Although no structural alterations in the c-myc gene were found in seven cervical carcinoma cell lines analysed, Northern blot analysis indicated different levels of c-myc gene expression which may be related to the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) sequence in the cell and suggests a possible c-myc-hpv interaction in some stages of the transformation process.     

Effect of membrane additives on vesicle fusion

A large variety of alkyl derivatives were found to either slow or block the low-temperature induced fusion of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine small unilamellar vesicles (DPPC SUV) when incorporated into the SUV bilayer at five mol%. Only corn oil was fusogenic.     

The control of oscillatory movements of the forearm

The patterns of EMG activity in the biceps and triceps muscles were recorded during horizontal oscillatory movements of the forearm. Subjects showed increased frequency of oscillation as they voluntarily reduced movement amplitude. EMG burst duration was significantly correlated with wavelength of oscillation in every case. In almost half the cases burst intensity was also positively correlated with wavelength. Subjects seemed to be using one or both these methods to control amplitude. A model was developed in three stages which satisfactorily accounted for the data.     

Dependence of hypoxic changes in macro- and micro-hemodynamics on the activity of adrenoreceptors in the skeletal muscle in hypothermia

Dependence of hypoxic changes of macro- and microcirculation on the activity of adrenergic receptors in the cooled organism was studied on decentralized shank of cat under perfusion with constant blood flow. After cooling of cat (to 30 degrees C) and blockade of alpha-adrenoreceptors hypoxic hypoxia (10% O2 in N2) caused (a) much greater reduction of precapillary resistance of shank, (b) more striking (by 3 times) increase of capillary filtration coefficient and (c) the increase of capillary pressure and postcapillary resistance in contrast to their decrease to hypoxia under hypothermia before alpha-blockade. Beta-adrenoreceptor blockade had no influence on the changes of the resistance and exchange function of skeletal muscle blood vessels evoked by hypoxia under cooling.     

Three types of vitronectin in human blood

Vitronectin is a cell-adhesive glycoprotein in serum and plasma, also termed serum spreading factor and complement S-protein. It consists of a mixture of a polypeptide of molecular weight 75 kilodalton (kDa) and its nicked product of 65 kDa plus 10 kDa. By a quantitative immunoblotting assay, human blood samples could be classified into three distinct vitronectin types; type I (58% of the population) was 75 kDa rich and 65 kDa poor, type II (35% of the population) contained approximately equal amounts of 75 kDa and 65 kDa, and type III (5% of the population) was 75 kDa poor and 65 kDa rich. The vitronectin type did not correlate with age, sex, or ABO blood type.