The distribution of the T-system along the sarcomeres of frog and toad sartorius muscles

1. Frog and toad sartorius muscles were soaked in ferritin suspensions and then fixed and prepared for electron microscopy. Ferritin particles were counted in micrographs of regions where fibril striations were in good register, and the number of particles plotted according to position along the sarcomeres.2. The distribution of ferritin particles in both frog and toad muscle sarcomeres could be accounted for by a single peak centred at the Z-line, with a total width of about 0.4 mu.3. The peak in toad fibres was slightly broader than that in frog fibres, and this was due to more frequent branching of the T-system in the toad. In both frog and toad sartorius muscles branching increases the total quantity of T-system by around 30%.4. No peak was found in the ferritin distribution which could account for the peak of albumin distribution observed near the A-I boundary of toad sartorius muscles by Hill (1964).     

The possible involvement of endogenous opioid peptides and catecholestrogens in provoking menstrual irregularities in women athletes

It is well known that women athletes engaged in strenuous physical exercise and endurance training may develop "athletic menstrual irregularities" (AMI). Although many studies have appeared dealing with the immediate endocrinological and physiological changes in these women, the underlying mechanisms have remained unknown to date. A number of hypotheses have been put forward, the most well-known among them, for example, defending the existence of a critical percent of body fat necessary to trigger or maintain normal menstruation. All these theories have, however, their own, sometimes numerous, methodological inaccuracies and a teleological way of investigation. Spectacular, and perhaps promising new developments concern the possible involvement of endogenous opioid peptides and catecholestrogens in these processes. In basal circumstances beta-endorphin, the most well-known endogenous substance with opiate-like activity, may decrease LH levels by suppressing hypothalamic GnRH. This phenomenon is, however, only observed during the estrogen-dominant late-follicular and mid-luteal phases. As for catecholestrogens, it appears essential to differentiate between, for example, the 2- and 4-hydroxy derivatives of both estrone and estradiol. While some of these catecholestrogens obviously seem to suppress LH levels, others seem to potentiate and induce the LH surge. In any case, similar to beta-endorphin, these activities of catecholestrogens appear to depend upon the essential presence of a sufficiently estrogenic environment. In addition, both endogenous opioid peptides and some of the catecholestrogens appear to be able to suppress prolactin release, probably by interfering with its inhibiting factor dopamine. Other effects of catecholestrogens may include the control of the luteolysis-potent prostaglandin F2 alpha. Although a number of studies have investigated the behaviour of beta-endorphin during and post-exercise, similar studies investigating catecholestrogens as to their relation to physical exercise are almost nonexistent. This, in association with the numerous methodological inaccuracies of various studies, makes it difficult to draw any firm conclusion. As to formulate new hypotheses, the only reasonable suggestion considers the possible existence of a complex feedback system including catecholestrogens and endogenous opioid peptides. Furthermore, recommendations made in this survey may be helpful in designing new, perhaps more firmly supported and appropriate future studies.     

The use of PTFE graft to correct anomalous drainage of persistent left superior vena cava

A new technique to correct persistent left superior vena cava (LSVC) drainage into the left atrium is described in a 14-year-old patient with situs inversus, left atrial isomerism common atrium, and mitral valve regurgitation. During surgery, occlusion of the LSVC markedly increased the venous pressure, precluding its ligation. Because of the malposition of the heart and the unusual atrial anatomy, correction with an intra-atrial baffle was not attempted. After correcting the intra-cardiac anomaly, the LSVC was divided and anastomosed to the "right" atrial appendage using a segment of PTFE graft. The postoperative course was uneventful and an angiogram demonstrated excellent performance of the graft.     

Assessment of Photoinduced Frontal Polymerization Processes for a Stable 1K System

Frontal polymerization (FP) has attracted increasing interest in recent years in various applications. This polymerization method can be very promising for the polymerization of thick materials with high fillers content in the range of 50–80% (weight) by local application of a reasonable amount of energy. In this work, recent advances in controllable and predictive behavior for photoinduced frontal photopolymerization are reported. Here, tert-butyl peroxybenzoate (Luperox-P) is selected to initiate thermal polymerization at depth because its high polymerization ability and its decomposition temperature is in a promising range, i.e., neither extremely high (monomer decomposition) nor very low (storage stability issues). Thermal imaging experiments are used to follow the temperatures in the samples in real time. The number of cured layers and the depth of cure are also determined. This paper investigates various factors such as the contents of both photo and thermal initiators, the light intensity, the fiber contents, the irradiation time, etc., resulting in a statistical design of experiments with the factors: 1) content of Luperox P and 2) the irradiation time used to investigate the influence on photoinduced frontal polymerization. Markedly, FP appears to be fully controllable for a storage-stable, tunable 1K system.     

社区老年高血压病人健康教育近期效果评价

为了解在社区老年高血压患者中进行的联合型健康教育活动的近期效果,作者重复调查了健教组社区老年人有关高血压“知-信-行”的状况,与基线和对照组的情况进行了比较分析。结果表明：本次联合型的健康教育活动使健教组在高血压的相关知识、信念、行为方面均有一定的改善。作者还对这项联合型健康教育活动的可行性及存在的问题进行了讨论。总结了本次研究的体会,并指出了进一步提高这项活动效率、效果的工作重点和建议。     

Transoesophageal echocardiography detects residual ductal flow during video-assisted thoracoscopic patent ductus arteriosus interruption

This report describes transoesophageal echocardiographic (TEE) monitoring in a one-year-old boy undergoing patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) interruption. After application of a first vascular clip, echocardiographic monitoring detected incomplete interruption of ductal flow, prompting the surgeon to add a second clip to the ductus. The procedure was performed via a new surgical technique: video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). This innovative approach offers many advantages to patient care including reduced postoperative pain and better preservation of pulmonary function. We conclude that the use of TEE monitoring during PDA interruption via the VATS procedure may improve the surgical result, and eliminate reintervention and the complications associated with residual ductal flow.     

Evidence against a role of nitric oxide in the indirect negative inotropic-effect of M-cholinoceptor stimulation in human ventricular myocardium

Nitric oxide (NO) has been reported to mediate several effects in response to muscarinic cholinergic stimulation in cardiovascular tissues. Recently, an attenuation of guinea pig cardiac myocyte contraction by NO has been described. The aim of the present study was to determine whether the indirect negative inotropic effect of M-cholinoceptor stimulation in human myocardium is in part due to an effect of endogenous NO. Therefore, the effect of carbachol was studied under control conditions and during inhibition of NO-synthase by pretreatment with N^G-monomethyl-l-arginine (NMMA). Functional experiments were performed in isolated, electrically driven (1 Hz, 37°C) left ventricular papillary muscle strips of human myocardium. Since cytokines have been reported to be increased in the serum of patients with heart failure and could induce NO-synthase activity in failing myocardium, we compared samples from nonfailing and terminally failing (classified as NYHA IV) hearts. The indirect negative inotropic effect of carbachol (10 mol/l) was studied in the presence of the \-adrenoceptor agonist isoprenaline (0.03 mol/l).After stimulation with isoprenaline, carbachol significantly (P < 0.05) reduced force of contraction. This effect was diminished in failing myocardium compared to nonfailing, probably due to the diminished inotropic response most likely due to the lower cAMP levels in response to \-adrenoceptor stimulation in the former condition. Pretreatment with NMMA (100 mol/l) altered the antiadrenergic effect of carbachol neither in nonfailing nor in failing preparations. Furthermore, inhibition of guanylyl cyclase, the target enzyme of NO, by preincubation with methylene blue (10 mol/l) for 30 min had no effect on the carbachol-induced decrease in force of contraction. Basal force of contraction, as well as the positive inotropic effect of isoprenaline remained unaffected by NMMA or methylene blue.The present study provides evidence that the indirect negative inotropic effect of M-cholinoceptor agonists is not due to an effect of NO in the human myocardium. Furthermore, the well known enhancement of cGMP in response to M-cholinoceptor stimulation appears not to be involved in this antiadrenergic effect.     

Training of local health managers: process of identification of strategic actions]

In Brazil, in recent years, as a result of the increasing participation of county authorities in health care, a need for tools which would contribute to the better preparation of local administrators, complementary to the activities of a more academic nature, has been recognized. One of the possible alternatives is the exploitation of experiences, regarded as successful, in local health care planning and administration, by using them as material for "case studies" in activities with selected groups of health care administrators thus, stimulating the identification of those elements which contributed to the favorable results attained, and their interactions, in the quest for analogies which would facilitate the identification of new perspectives for their own situations. In this article an experience of a "case studies" development, in response to a demand from UNICEF, based on 8 counties in from the North and Northeast, which were successful in using a "focus approach" in their organization of data and their utilisation in a seminar with 21 local managers from both regions, is presented. During the seminar the local health managers attained greater knowledge of the strategies implemented and identified feasible intervention alternatives. The methodological proposition of teaching on the basis of case studies, using a conceptual strategy of grouping experiences according to specific dimensions enabled local health managers to learn from their practical experiences.     

Expression of pyruvate kinase M2 in preneoplastic hepatic foci of N-nitrosomorpholine-treated rats

 The expression of the pyruvate kinase (PK) isoenzymes L and M₂ was analysed in the livers of rats treated with the hepatocarcinogenic agent N-nitrosomorpholine (NNM) in the drinking water. In control animals L-PK expression was restricted to liver parenchymal cells, whereas M₂-PK was detected in bile duct epithelial, blood vessel wall, endothelial and Kupffer cells. In rats treated with NNM proliferating oval cells were consistently L-PK negative and M₂-PK positive, while the ductal cells of cholangiofibroses were clearly L-PK positive and coexpressed M₂-PK. However, no morphological differentiation of ductal cells into hepatocyte-like cells was observed. In the clear and acidophilic cell foci storing glycogen in excess strong staining for L-PK was observed. In glycogen-poor foci induced by NNM a shift from L-PK to M₂-PK expression takes place. Received: 24 March 1998 / Accepted: 13 November 1998     

Spatial regularization of flow patterns in magnetic resonance velocity mapping.

A technique dedicated to spatial regularization of magnetic resonance (MR) velocity data has been implemented to improve flow image quality. It is assumed that neighboring flow-velocity pixels are partially correlated, although large-velocity discontinuities remain possible. Increasing MR signal magnitude due to the in-flow effect also is used to enhance further reliability of the estimated velocity. By using an eight-step Fourier-encoding approach, 162 "reference" velocity images acquired in the ascending aorta from six healthy volunteers were compared with "raw" and "regularized" images that were computed from only two gradient steps. The mean square error decreased from 0.12 m(2) x s(-2) to 0.06 m(2) x s(-2) (P < 10-9) for velocity pixel values and from 1929 ml(2) x s(-2) to 1336 ml(2) x s(-2) (P < 0.01) for instantaneous flow rates. The regularization of two-step data sets provides the same velocity image quality as that found after using three-step data sets without regularization. The method can be applied to phase-velocity data sets of any MR technique to reduce velocity noise. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 1999;10:851-860.