Immunofluorescent detection of actin in non-muscle cells of the developing mouse palatal shelf

Cryostat sections of foetal mouse heads, taken at 14–15 days in utero, were incubated first in serum containing smooth muscle auto-antibody and then in fluorescein-conjugated rabbit or goat IgG directed against human IgG. A positive fluorescent reaction was observed in epithelial and mesenchymal cells of the secondary palate, oral mucosa, nasal septum and tongue. Incubating the auto-antibody-containing serum with highly purified actin blocked the auto-antibody and produced no reaction, suggesting that the contractile protein detected in non-muscle cells of the developing palatal shelf contain the muscle protein, actin.     

C-reactive protein as a predictor of relapse in asymptomatic patients with Crohn's disease

Comparison of the Crohn's Disease Activity Index (CDAI) with serum levels of the acute phase proteins during a 4-year study period of 50 patients with Crohn's disease has shown the serum C-reactive protein (CRP) to be a sensitive indicator of clinical status. Five patients are described in whom raised CRP levels reliably predicted relapse at a time when the patients were asymptomatic and the CDAI was normal. Measurement of serum CRP by radial immunodiffusion is cheap and simple, and if performed frequently in the follow-up of patients with Crohn's disease it may permit earlier, and therefore possibly more effective, treatment of relapse.     

Gender and number processing in Chinese learners of Spanish - evidence from Event Related Potentials

Traditionally, age of acquisition (AoA) has been considered the single most important factor in second language (L2) acquisition and processing, particularly in the area of syntax processing. However, there is now growing evidence of the importance of other factors, such as the level of proficiency attained and the degree of overlap or similarity between the first language (L1) and L2 structures and possibility of transfer of features and/or processing routines. However, the relative importance of these factors and the nature of L1-L2 transfer are still unclear. To shed light on these issues, we recorded the electrical brain activity of a group of Chinese proficient late learners of Spanish, using the Event Related Potentials technique, while they read Spanish sentences containing violations of number and grammatical gender agreement (adjective-noun agreement and article-noun agreement). Unlike Spanish, Mandarin Chinese is an isolating language in which morphosyntactic features such as gender and number are not computed and so the ERP results from this group can help to clarify the role of L1-L2 transfer in morpho-syntax processing routines. The results included P600 effects for both gender and number agreement violations, with no differences between these disagreement conditions. These results are taken to support second language acquisition models which stress the roles of proficiency and L1-L2 transfer in L2 syntax processing.     

Pancreatic function in the reserpinized rabbit--a model for cystic fibrosis. I. Effect of secretin

Pancreatic juice was collected from rabbits treated with reserpine and from untreated controls. The volume of pancreatic juice secreted, flow rate and the bicarbonate output were all significantly reduced in the treated animals during both spontaneous flow and during secretin-stimulated flow. On the other hand, the total protein concentration, the amylase activity and the calcium concentration of the pancreatic juice were all significantly elevated in the treated animals. The elevation in the total protein concentration appeared to be due to both increased amounts of protein and decreased amounts of water. Of particular interest was that secretin stimulation caused the same % increase in the flow rate and output of pancreatic juice in both control and reserpine treated rabbits. The method by which fluid is secreted by the treated animal, therefore, appeared to be depressed at all times and under all conditions. Decreased volumes of pancreatic juice, a decreased bicarbonate output and increased concentrations of protein and calcium are found in this model and are consistent with clinical findings present in the pancreatic secretions obtained from individuals with cystic fibrosis. Therefore, the similarities between secretions of the reserpine treated rabbit and those observed in the cystic fibrosis patient support its use as an experimental model for investigating the abnormal pancreatic secretions in this disease.