The relationship between monkey dentate cerebellar nucleus activity and kinematic parameters of wrist movement

Extracellular single-unit recordings were made from cerebellar dentate neurones in two conscious monkeys trained to perform wrist flexion and extension movement tasks that produced a range of static joint positions and dynamic velocities. The experiment was designed to establish whether there is a relationship between the discharge of dentate neurones and movement kinematics. The discharge patterns of 58 “wrist-related” neurones were correlated with joint position, duration of unidirectional movement (referred to as duration of velocity) and amplitude of velocity (peak velocity). Significant (P<0.05) correlations were found between the level of tonic discharge and static joint position in 21 of 58 (36%) neurones. Correlations between phasic discharge and at least one of the velocity variables were found in 17 of 43 (40%) neurones [7 of 43 (16%) showed a correlation between the duration of phasic excitation associated with movement and duration of velocity, 5 of 43 (12%) between the peak rate of phasic excitation and peak velocity and 10 of 43 (23%) between the number of discharges in the period of phasic excitation and peak velocity]. We conclude (for reasons outlined in the Discussion) that there is not a strong relationship between neuronal discharge and kinematic parameters of wrist movement in the dentate nucleus. Received: 21 October 1996 / Accepted: 14 August 1997     

腹部外科常见感染性疾病的病原菌及药敏试验研究

为了了解本地区本医院腹部外科感染性疾病病原菌的构成比和药物敏感率的变化,指导临床用药,我们采用美国BD公司生产的6B和7D两种增菌瓶采集标本和培养细菌,并用该公司生产的生化板和药敏板,对1994～1996年269例常见的普外科感染性疾病患者的手术标本进行前瞻性的细菌培养和药敏试验研究.     

Human slow-wave sleep and the cerebral cortex

SUMMARY  Recent hypotheses about the roles of human slow-wave sleep (hSWS—delta EEG activity) are appraised. The possible linkage between hSWS and the functions of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) are explored with respect to normal subjects and to disorders involving PFC deficits.     

Of sleep state and postnatal age on arousal responses induced by mild hypoxia in infants

STUDY OBJECTIVES: It has been suggested that mild hypoxia may not be a potent stimulus for arousal during sleep in infants because infants frequently fail to arouse from quiet sleep (QS). Our aim was to characterize arousal responses of sleeping infants in both active sleep (AS) and QS under normoxic and mildly hypoxic (15% O2) conditions over the first 6 months of life. PARTICIPANTS: Five healthy term and 6 healthy preterm infants were each studied at 2 to 5 weeks, 2 to 3 months, and 5 to 6 months postterm. All infants underwent daytime polysomnography during which nasal airflow was monitored using a purpose-built pneumotachograph. All infants were studied under both normoxic (21% O2) and hypoxic (15% O2, balance N2) conditions (presentation order randomized) in each sleep state at each study age. Tests were terminated at arousal, O2 saturation falling below 85%, or 5 minutes (failure to arouse). MEASUREMENTS: Probability of failure to arouse and mean arousal latency were compared between each experimental condition, with each infant serving as its own control. RESULTS: Infants aroused more frequently under hypoxic conditions than under normoxic conditions. Overall, arousal latencies were shorter during hypoxia compared to normoxia in both sleep states at each age. Arousal latencies were longer in QS compared to AS in both hypoxic and normoxic conditions. CONCLUSION: In sleeping infants, mild hypoxia serves as a stimulus for arousal in both AS and QS. Of particular significance is our finding that arousal from AS is readily elicited by mild hypoxia.     

Mitochondrial Antibodies in Primary Biliary Cirrhosis: II. The Complement Fixing Antigen as a Component of Mitochondrial Inner Membranes

The autoantibodies found in the sera of patients with primary biliary cirrhosis have been shown to react with a component of the mitochondrial inner membranes. Outer membranes were inactive. The purity of the inner and outer membrane fractions obtained by 2 different methods was assessed by electron microscopy and marker enzyme tests. Using negative-staining it was possible to visualize antibody binding to mitochondrial membranes. At high resolution it could be seen that the 90° particles on the cristal membranes were not involved in the reaction with antibody, but it was not possible to establish in the present studies the precise antigenic site upon the mitochondrial inner membranes.     

Haemoglobin H disease in 2 Filipino families.

Haemoglobin H disease is described in successive generations of 2 Filipino families. The condition was asymptomatic. The inheritance pattern of haemoglobin H disease in these families appeared to be like that described for Thais.     

Performance of a commercial, type-specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for detection of herpes simplex virus type 2-specific antibodies in Ugandans

Two hundred forty-eight human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive and 496 HIV-negative subjects in Uganda were tested by HerpeSelect herpes simplex virus type 2 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blotting to optimize the ELISA for use in this population. A higher index cutoff value was required for optimal sensitivity and specificity, and overall performance of the assay was not affected by HIV status.