Identification and characterization of mutations in 'X' region of a hepatitis B virus carrier.

A defective form of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) was identified in an apparently healthy voluntary blood donor, who was positive for the presence of HBV by dot blot hybridization, but did not have any serological markers of HBV infection. Two regions, part of X and part of surface antigen genes, were amplified by polymerase chain reaction, cloned and sequenced by Sanger's dideoxy chain termination method. The base sequence analysis revealed that the HBV mutant belonged to ayw serotype and showed three point mutations, in the form of deletions at nucleotides number 1402, 1438 and 1450. Such mutations in the 'X' region, and their likely presence elsewhere, could explain altered antigenic expression.     

Surgical treatment of nasal obstruction secondary to craniofacial fibrous dysplasia

Craniofacial fibrous dysplasia, a skeletal disorder most often affecting the mandible or maxilla, can cause a variety of complications. Nasal obstruction secondary to this unusual disorder presents a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. The nasal obstruction in this case is due to expansion of fibrous lesions in adjacent bones as well as direct involvement of the turbinates with fibrous dysplasia. We describe the surgical correction of nasal obstruction in this unique setting and present a brief update of this intriguing disorder.     

PARATI – a dynamic model for radiological assessments in urban areas

The structure and mathematical model of PARATI, a detailed computer programme developed for the assessment of the radiological consequences of an accidental contamination of urban areas, is described with respect to the scenarios used for the estimation of exposure fields in a village or town, the models for the initial and secondary contamination with the radionuclide ¹³⁷Cs, the concepts for calculating the resulting radiation exposures and the changes with time of the contamination and radiation fields. Kerma rates at various locations in tropical urban areas are given, and the contribution of different contaminated surfaces to these rates after dry or wet deposition are discussed. Received: 12 April 1996 / Accepted in revised form: 30 August 1996     

Stock grazing of semi-natural habitats on National Trust land

Stock grazing is essential in many habitats owned by the National Trust if their nature conservation interests are to be maintained or enhanced. In this review, the benefits of grazing cattle, sheep and other livestock in different habitat types are described, together with constraints imposed by tenancy agreements and difficulties in obtaining the most appropriate animal. The majority of upland heaths, calcareous grasslands and lowland/coastal heaths on Trust land are being grazed satisfactorily. However, the nature conservation interest of parklands is currently being eroded in part because of inappropriate grazing regimes. It is argued that the best use of stock in the future is in extensive grazing regimes.     

Medicinal plants of the Argentine Yungas plants of the Las Yungas biosphere reserve, Northwest of Argentina, used in health care

We have compared the species richness of medicinal plants and the differential patterns of use amongst settlements in the Andean communities of Northwest Argentina which have differing levels of isolation. About 259 ethnoespecies, belonging to 74 plant families, were included, representing between 70 and 80% of the total estimate. The results indicate that Coronopus didymus is the most relevant and important species. The method of use of medicinal plants and the ailments treated by rural doctors compared to those of the layperson is different. Native and exotic plants are used differently according to the body system treated. There are some relationships between internal and external use and body systems and recipes. The greater medicinal species richness found in the less isolated locations is due to external enriching cultural influences.     

Right lower lobe oedema as a rare sign of left heart failure

Two cases of right lower lobe oedema are presented as a supposedly very rare sign of left heart failure after myocardial infarction in the presence of acute mitral regurgitation. Causes of unilateral oedema and its clinical relevance in the diagnostic and therapeutic perspectives are discussed, and a review of the literature on this topic is presented.     

Conserved water-mediated H-bonding dynamics of catalytic Asn 175 in plant thiol protease

The role of invariant water molecules in the activity of plant cysteine protease is ubiquitous in nature. On analysing the 11 different Protein DataBank (PDB) structures of plant thiol proteases, the two invariant water molecules W1 and W2 (W220 and W222 in the template 1PPN structure) were observed to form H-bonds with the O_b atom of Asn 175. Extensive energy minimization and molecular dynamics simulation studies up to 2 ns on all the PDB and solvated structures clearly revealed the involvement of the H-bonding association of the two water molecules in fixing the orientation of the asparagine residue of the catalytic triad. From this study, it is suggested that H-bonding of the water molecule at the W1 invariant site better stabilizes the Asn residue at the active site of the catalytic triad.     

Na+ and K+ binding by glycerinated muscle fibers with reciprocal cation concentrations in the medium

The binding of Na+ and K+ by glycerinated muscle fibres was observed at reserve concentrations of NaCl in the medium. Under external concentrations of Na+ of K+ up to 0.4-0.5 mM, a constant fraction (0.15-0.25 mmoles/kg dry weight of the fibres) bound by glycerinated fibres was revealed. With the increase of NaCl or KCl concentration in the medium up to 10 mM the concentration of bound cations increased too. The parameters of Na+ and K+ sorption by glycerinated models were calculated. The values of Na+ and K+ binding limits were 4.4 and 1.8 mmole/kg dry weight of the fibres and those of affinity, 3.2 and 4.1 kcal/mol, respectively. The binding of one cation took place in conditions when its concentration was 10,000-20,000 fold less than that of the other cation. This points to the fact that Na+ and K+ binding is highly specific and is carried out by different centres. It is suggested that myosin ATPase is a substratum binding Na+ and K+ in glycerinated muscle fibres at reverse ratio concentrations of these cations in the medium.     

Early endosteal bone response to incorporated plutonium-238 in mice

Ten Swiss albino ICR SPF female mice 110 days old (weight about 30 g) were exposed for 48 hours to a solution of plutonium-238 nitrate (spec. act. 5 MBq/1 m1, pH 2.7) injected in amounts of 0.01 ml into the popliteal area of the right femur, each thus receiving about 500 kBq per 30 g body weight. Of the injected activity, 50% was retained in the right femur, 2% in the left femur and approximately 2-3% in the excrements collected separately from each animal during the whole exposure period. Ultrastructurally, electron micrographs revealed a variety of changes, including hypertrophy and destruction of endosteal cell organelles (primary damage), deformation and hypertrophy of osteocytes (secondary damage) and the irregularities in the osteocyte self-burial process leading to an abnormal formation of bone tissue structure (tertiary damage). Qualitatively, these changes in the irradiated bone ultrastructure were analogous to those occurring with age. This was confirmed by comparing two groups of control mice 110 and 330 days old. Assessed quantitatively, changes due to irradiation were more pronounced than those associated with aging.