Use of a triaxial magnetometer for respiratory measurements

We describe a triaxial magnetometer (Tri-mag) system, which consists of a transmitter, four sensors, a processing unit, and a personal computer (PC). The Tri-mag processing unit outputs the position of each sensor relative to the transmitter in three orthogonal coordinates, and this information is communicated to the PC. First, we demonstrated that within a defined octant of a sphere in which the center is the transmitter, we can measure radial distances with an accuracy of +/- 1 mm over a range extending from 10 to 70 cm from the transmitter. Second, we recorded the three-dimensional movement of sensors on the anterior and posterior surfaces of the chest wall during maximum voluntary ventilation in four normal men; all sensors were placed in the midsagittal plane of the body. Anterior sensors were located on the sternum at the level of the third intercostal space and at 2 cm above the umbilicus, whereas posterior sensors were located on the posterior spine at the same vertical levels as the anterior sensors. In all subjects the following was found. 1) Both anterior sensors moved anterior and cephalad during inspiration. The anterior thoracic sensor showed greater vertical than anteroposterior (A-P) movement, whereas the anterior abdominal sensor showed greater A-P than vertical movement. 2) Inspiration was associated with spinal extension, whereas expiration was associated with spinal flexion. Third, we used Tri-mag information to 1) measure tidal volume (VT) over a range extending from 500 ml to inspiratory capacity and 2) measure the change in end-expiratory lung volume (EELV) over a range extending from FRC to FRC plus a minimum of 1.5 liters. Our results indicate that greater than 96% of the changes in VT and greater than 82% of the changes in EELV can be accounted for by changes in A-P, vertical, and lateral dimensions of the chest wall.     

Pulmonary surfactant will secure free airflow through a narrow tube

Well functioning pulmonary surfactant is necessary to ensure alveolar stability. It is proposed that surfactant is also required to keep the finest cylindrical airways open, thereby securing an unrestricted flow of air to and from the alveoli. If the surfactant is inadequate in quality or quality there is a risk that liquid will accumulate in the most marrow section of the airway and form a blocking column. To study that possibility special glass capillaries were used. The glass capillaries were heated and extended to make a short section very narrow. In the lumen of that section a minute volume (1 microliter) of liquid was deposited, which formed a blocking column. When pressure was raised on one side of the column, it forced the liquid to move away from the narrow section. Pressure dropped to zero as air could pass, and if the liquid column consisted of calf lung surfactant extract (CLSE), pressure remained at zero because a new liquid column did not form. If, on the other hand, the liquid column consisted of saline solution it would repeatedly reform as soon as it had been pressed out of the capillary's narrow section. The same occurred if the CLSE suspension forming the liquid column was very dilute or contained inhibiting proteins. These observations did not require that the capillary consisted of the material glass; they were also noted when the narrow tube was outlined by epithelium.     

汉中地区引种油橄榄的生态环境及适应性研究

 本文根据生态环境因子的分析,对油橄榄在原产地和汉中地区引种的气温、降雨量(特别是降雨季节分配)和日照及土壤条件的分析研究表明：旱季灌溉和雨季排水,改善土壤的物理性,调正pH值及施钙、磷、硼等来补充某些生态因子的不足,并需选择适应我国气候条件的品种,才是引种的重要途径。     

高胆固醇高脂肪膳食对家兔β-VLDL组成及其与巨噬细胞相互作用的影响的初步研究

给家兔喂以1％胆固醇及10％菜油(A组)或猪油(B组)50多天后A组血胆固醇水平(824.2±265.1mg/dl)明显低于B组(1666±693.8mg/dl);A组甘油三酯水平(51.9±19.1mg/dl)亦低于B组(104±40.2mg/dl)。二组家兔的β—VLDL的脂类组成无差别,但A组β—VLDL的apoE高于B组,分别为45.2％及37.5％。高分子量apoB(apoB_h)为33.6％,低于B组β-VLDL(47.3％)。A组β-VLDL促进小鼠腹腔巨噬细胞胆固醇堆积的程度大于B组,可能与apoE含量高有关。我们认为多不饱和脂酸减轻动脉粥样硬化(As)的作用不在于改变脂蛋白构成后阻碍泡沫细胞的形成而是促进β—VLDL从体内清除。     

A duplex of the oligonucleotides d(GGGGGTTTTT) and d(AAAAACCCCC) forms an A to B conformational junction in concentrated salt solutions

The coexistence of both A form and B form tracts and formation of an A-B junction in the oligomer d(GGGGGTTTTT).d(AAAAACCCCC) in saturated sodium chloride solution have been detected by Raman spectroscopy. The entire duplex adopts the familiar B-form conformation in aqueous solution at low salt concentrations (0.1M NaCl). In 6M NaCl the adoption of an A form is observed within the G,C tract while a B-form is maintained in the A.T tract. The experimental results indicate that two different helical forms can co-exist in a rather short oligonucleotide and that formation of an A-B junction can occur over a fairly small span of bases. This is in agreement with recent rules governing the relation between base sequence and secondary structure of DNA published from this laboratory. The conformational preferences of each of the individual oligomers d(AAAAACCCCC) and d(GGGGGTTTTT) have also been investigated. The oligomer d(AAAAACCCCC) is single stranded but some evidence for base stacking is observed at 2 degrees C. In contrast, a double stranded B-form structure characterized by wobble G-T base pairing is observed for d(GGGGGTTTTT) in 0.1M and 6M NaCl.     

Second virial coefficient of alpha-crystallin

Light scattering studies were performed on bovine alpha-crystallin measuring the scattering intensities as a function of scattering angle, concentration, and temperature. The data yielded the molecular weight, radius of gyration, and second virial coefficient of alpha-crystallin at different temperatures. The second virial coefficient increased with increasing temperature. Both the enthalpy and entropy of solution of alpha-crystallin are positive. The Flory theta temperature was found to be 271 K.     

Phorbol myristate acetate-induced down-modulation of CD4 is dependent on calmodulin and intracellular calcium

PMA causes rapid down-modulation of CD4 molecules on murine immature thymocytes, human PBL, and CD4-positive human tumor cell lines, but not on murine peripheral lymphocytes. The mechanisms of phorbol ester-induced down modulation of CD4 molecules, however, have not been elucidated. To determine how PMA down-modulates CD4 expression by T lymphocytes, we studied the ability of inhibitors of protein kinase C, calmodulin, actin, and tubulin to block PMA-induced modulation of CD4 in several murine and human cell types. We also tested the ability of intracellular and extracellular calcium chelators to block CD4 internalization. There was marked variability in the degree of PMA-induced down-modulation of CD4 among various cell types. The effects of PMA on CD4 expression were greater for murine thymocytes, for human PBL, and for the human lymphoblastic leukemia cell line, MOLT-3, than for any of the other cell types studied. The protein kinase C inhibitor, 1-(5-isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine, blocked phosphorylation but not internalization of CD4 molecules induced by PMA. Therefore, phosphorylation of CD4 molecules by protein kinase C is not required for the internalization of the molecules. Internalization was blocked by both inhibitors of calmodulin, N-(6-aminohexyl)-5-chloro-1-naphthalene-sulfonamide, and trifluoperazine. PMA-induced internalization of CD4 was blocked by Quin-2 AM, which chelates intracellular calcium. EGTA, which chelates extracellular calcium, did not block internalization. Inhibitors of actin or tubulin did not block internalization. These results suggest that PMA-induced modulation of CD4 can occur in the absence of phosphorylation of the CD4 molecules and is calmodulin and intracellular calcium dependent.