The behaviour of activity of selected enzymes in urine and in serum in experimental intoxication of animals with sublimate (mercury chloride). Part I. Acute intoxication

In the work the behaviour of activity of selected enzymes in urine and in serum of experimental animals, which were intoxicated in an acute way, is presented. In the investigations there was observed the increase of activity of alkaline phosphatase in urine, simultaneous with its decrease in serum, the increase of GGTP in urine and shift in the composition of LDH isoenzymes in direction of slow migrating fractions.     

浅论记者的职业心理动机

采访与写作是新闻记者的一种社会性活动，社会的政治经济动向、科教文化潮流、外交军事突变以及各种风云人物的活动都是这一工作反映的内容。要写出一篇好的作品．必须要有一定的社交能力、应变能力、观察能力及写作能力．这是脑力劳动和体力劳动的综合行为。当记者在枯燥的材料堆里翻开资料，当他与一个初次采访的人物去谈话．在面临危险的环境中找新闻时……．是何种动机支配着记者去克服困难．完成这些采访任务的呢？心理学认为动机是直接推动个体活动以达到一定目的的内部动力。     

Physical and spectroscopic methods for the evaluation of the interactions of antimitotic agents with tubulin.

The physico-chemical methods for the study of the binding of ligands to tubulin are examined in-depth, emphasizing the assumptions on which they are based and their limitations. The criteria of specificity and linkage to protein self-association are presented. It is shown that, of the direct equilibrium binding techniques, Hummel-Dreyer gel permeation chromatography and rapid ultracentrifugation are applicable only when binding is not linked to protein self-association. Disc filtration is valid only when the reverse unbinding reaction is very low. Binding linked to protein self-association can be measured by batch gel permeation or by dialysis equilibrium. The indirect techniques, such as fluorescence perturbation or difference absorption spectroscopy are discussed in terms of the assumptions on which they are based. They are shown to be used best only after characterization of the binding by direct techniques. Equilibrium binding parameters can also be deduced from careful kinetic experiments. Comparison of calorimetrically measured enthalpies of binding to van't Hoff enthalpies derived from equilibrium measurements indicates that the method of choice is calorimetric, while comparison with van't Hoff analysis can reveal the existence of reaction steps not detected by equilibrium measurements. Use of other indirect approaches, such as titration of an enzymic activity, can also lead to the detection of additional steps. The criteria are set up for the proper data analysis of ligand binding linked to protein self-association and the selection of the proper mode of linkage. It is shown how the thermodynamic contributions of various moieties of a ligand can be established by a rational structural modification of the ligand and the proper analysis of the binding measurements, in which all non-specific entropic contributions are taken into account. It is demonstrated also how a similar analysis of binding data can lead to conclusions about the reaction pathway from a comparison of equilibrium thermodynamic measurements on judiciously modified ligand molecules.     

Effects of the amphiphilic peptides melittin and mastoparan on calcium influx, phosphoinositide breakdown and arachidonic acid release in rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells.

Two amphiphilic peptides from hymenopterid insects, melittin and mastoparan, stimulate secretion in a variety of cell types. In PC12 cells, both peptides stimulate calcium influx with melittin some 20-fold more potently than mastoparan. Melittin stimulates both breakdown of phosphoinositides (Pl) by phospholipase C to yield inositol phosphates and hydrolysis of phospholipids by phospholipase A2 to release arachidonic acid (AA). Mastoparan stimulates Pl breakdown, but has no effect on AA release. Maximal stimulation of Pl breakdown occurs at 1 to 2.5 micrograms/ml melittin and 30 micrograms/ml mastoparan, whereas maximal stimulation of AA release occurs at 2 to 5 micrograms/ml melittin. Organic calcium channel blockers (nifedipine, verapamil, diltiazem) have little or no effect on responses to the peptides. The influx of calcium elicited by melittin or mastoparan is completely or nearly completely blocked by inorganic calcium channel blockers (Co++, Mn++, Cd++). Mn++ and Cd++ inhibit melittin-induced Pl breakdown and AA release and mastoparan-induced Pl breakdown. Co++ has no effect on melittin-induced Pl breakdown and potentiates mastoparan-induced Pl breakdown. Pertussis toxin has no effect on the Pl breakdown induced by either peptide. The responses to melittin and mastoparan in PC12 cells are compared to those reported for maitotoxin.     

Mycotic aneurysms of the intracavernous carotid artery: a case report and review of the literature.

A case of mycotic aneurysm of the intracavernous carotid artery is reported and the literature is reviewed on this uncommon entity. Nineteen cases have been reported, most often occurring in the clinical setting of meningitis. Management recommendations include angiographic confirmation of aneurysm and follow-up with magnetic resonance imaging during antibiotic therapy. Evidence of aneurysm enlargement is an indication for endovascular trapping of the aneurysm or carotid occlusion.     

Murine CD9 is the receptor for pregnancy-specific glycoprotein 17.

Pregnancy-specific glycoproteins (PSGs) are a family of highly similar secreted proteins produced by the placenta. PSG homologs have been identified in primates and rodents. Members of the human and murine PSG family induce secretion of antiinflammatory cytokines in mononuclear phagocytes. For the purpose of cloning the receptor, we screened a RAW 264.7 cell cDNA expression library. The PSG17 receptor was identified as the tetraspanin, CD9. We confirmed binding of PSG17 to CD9 by ELISA, flow cytometry, alkaline phosphatase binding assays, and in situ rosetting. Anti-CD9 monoclonal antibody inhibited binding of PSG17 to CD9-transfected cells and RAW 264.7 cells. Moreover, PSG17 binding to macrophages from CD9-deficient mice was significantly reduced. We then tested whether PSG17 binds to other members of the murine tetraspanin family. PSG17 did not bind to cells transfected with CD53, CD63, CD81, CD82, or CD151, suggesting that PSG17-CD9 binding is a specific interaction. We have identified the first receptor for a murine PSG as well as the first natural ligand for a member of the tetraspanin superfamily.     

Examining Equivalence of Concepts and Measures in Diverse Samples

While there is growing awareness for the need to examine the etiology of problem behaviors across cultural, racial, socioeconomic, and gender groups, much research tends to assume that constructs are equivalent and that the measures developed within one group equally assess constructs across groups. The meaning of constructs, however, may differ across groups or, if similar in meaning, measures developed for a given construct in one particular group may not be assessing the same construct or may not be assessing the construct in the same manner in other groups. The aims of this paper were to demonstrate a process of testing several forms of equivalence including conceptual, functional, item, and scalar using different methods. Data were from the Cross-Cultural Families Project, a study examining factors that promote the healthy development and adjustment of children among immigrant Cambodian and Vietnamese families. The process described in this paper can be implemented in other prevention studies interested in diverse groups. Demonstrating equivalence of constructs and measures prior to group comparisons is necessary in order to lend support of our interpretation of issues such as ethnic group differences and similarities.