Linear Unsaturated Polyamides: Nylons 6 u18 and 18 u18

Summary: Linear unsaturated nylons 6 u18 and 18 u18 have been made containing a double bond in the center of the diacid segment with potential for additional functionalization. Solution state NMR showed the presence of a small portion of cis amide units. Solid state NMR verified the presence of the double bond in the bulk, and that the polyamides were present in the α‐crystalline form. Thermal stability was comparable to linear saturated nylons, and the melting and crystallization temperatures of the unsaturated nylons were lower compared to the saturated analogs.

DSC heating and cooling thermograms for nylons 6 u18 and 18 u18.     

Gross anatomy: An outdated subject or an essential part of a modern medical curriculum? Results of a questionnaire circulated to final-year medical students

Final-year undergraduate medical students were given a questionnaire on the gross anatomy curriculum they had experienced in their first year at medical school 5 years earlier. They were asked to evaluate the relevance of the dissection course, lectures and seminars in gross anatomy for clinical courses, clerkships, and everyday practical work on the ward. About two-thirds of the students found the time spent on 10 different regions in anatomy to be adequate, and a considerable number of students would have liked even more details. The vast majority expressed a wish to repeat topographical anatomy during their clinical teaching. Furthermore, ～75% of the students showed interest in short, specialized dissection courses during the clinical curriculum. Medical students just before graduation ranked gross anatomy with the dissection course and integrated clinical topics as a keystone for their clinical courses. The results of such surveys should be taken into consideration when discussing modification to teaching gross anatomy or arguing about a balanced dissection course. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Transfer factor (TF) treatment of patients with HBs-Ag-positive chronic active hepatitis

Summary It is a clinically and experimentally well supported working hypothesis that infection with hepatitis B virus may result in chronic active hepatitis in patients with suspected immune deficiencies. On this basis, a pilot study was performed in order to evaluate the effect of specific transfer factor (TF) in the treatment of HB_s-Ag-positive chronic active hepatitis. From the leukocytes of 500 ml venous blood each of 40 volunteers that had completely recovered from acute virus hepatitis B within the last 6 months, a unique TF pool (40 units of TF) was prepared according to the method of Lawrence. Preexaminations indicated that this preparation was able to enhance cellular immune reactions in vitro. Thirteen patients with HB_s-antigenemia and chronic active hepatitis (i.e., two liver biopsies within the last 6 or more months with the histological criteria of chronic aggressive hepatitis according to de Groote, elevated serum levels of bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, transaminase activities, and/or -globulines) were randomized: Seven received s.c. injections of two units of TF each on days 1 and 15, the other six saline. Conversion of skin reactions to some ubiquitous antigens occurred in the TF group, but no significant and constant drop of HB_s-Ag serum titers was observed. Although some of the biochemical parameters seemed to ameliorate in the TF group, the differences versus the control group did not prove to be significant within the limited number of patients under observation. The in vitro reactivity of patients' lymphocytes to HB_s-Ag, tested by means of the³H-thymidine uptake, was never found enhanced after TF application. In the used doses, specific TF was not effective in the treatment of HB_s-Ag-positive chronic active hepatitis; unfavorable side-effects were not observed.     

Elastohydrodynamic separation of pleural surfaces during breathing

To examine effects of lung motion on the separation of pleural surfaces during breathing, we modeled the pleural space in two dimensions as a thin layer of fluid separating a stationary elastic solid and a sliding flat solid surface. The undeformed elastic solid contained a series of bumps, to represent tissue surface features, introducing unevenness in fluid layer thickness. We computed the extent of deformation of the solid as a function of sliding velocity, solid elastic modulus, and bump geometry (wavelength and amplitude). For physiological values of the parameters, significant deformation occurs (i.e. bumps are 'flattened') promoting less variation in fluid thickness and decreased fluid shear stress. In addition, deformation is persistent; bumps of sufficient wavelength, once deformed, require a recovery time longer than a typical breath-to-breath interval to return near their undeformed configuration. These results suggest that in the pleural space during normal breathing, separation of pleural surfaces is promoted by the reciprocating sliding of lung and chest wall.     

Signal transduction in human B cells initiated via Ig{beta} ligation

Ig and Igß heterodimers are non-covalently associatedwith Ig to compose the antigen receptor complexes on B cells.The demonstration that different sets of tyrosine kinases bindto the cytoplasmic tails of Ig and Igß suggests thatIg and Igß may activate distinct second messengerpathways. In this study, we examined the effects of mAbs againstan exposed epitope of human Igß on pre-B and B celltriggering. Cross-linkage of Igß on B cells leadsto activation of tyrosine kinases, hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositides,and elevation of intracellular Ca²⁺, effects qualitatively identicalto those of anti-_µ mAbs. Our observations thus indicatethat cross-linking of Igß does not segregate signaltransduction pathways connected with the cytoplasmic talls ofIg and Igß. Ig ligation has been reported to be moreeffective in triggering pre-B than B cells, whereas our resultsindicated that Igß ligation is more efficient in triggeringB than pre-B cells. In addition to their activation properties,the anti-Igß mAbs effectively modulated B cell receptorcomplexes and blocked terminal differentiation of all plasmacell isotypes. The findings support the idea that anti-Igßcould serve as a universal B cell immunosuppressant.     

Changes of the beat amplitude power after partial left ventriculectomy and coronary artery bypass grafting

Partial left ventriculectomy (PLV) was originally introduced as a new surgical approach by patients with an end stage of cardiac disease. Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is a standard procedures used in cardiac surgery. Multichannel ECG (MECG) measurements and body surface mapping (BSM) were used to analyse the normalised beat amplitude power maps (BAM) that reflect an overall cardiac activity. The resulting BAMs show that the amplitude of cardiac signals decrease for approximately 30% after the PLV and stay in the same level during the postoperative monitoring interval while after CABG no significant changes in BAM have been observed. In addition the electrodes from the body surface area above the left ventricle, where surgery was performed, show significant changes in beat amplitudes.     

Dominant IgM synthesis against the soluble form of the prevailing variant surface glycoprotein from TeAp-N/D1 Trypanosoma equiperdum throughout the experimental acute infections of horses with non-tsetse transmitted Trypanozoon parasites

ABSTRACT

Two horses were infected with distinct non-tsetse transmitted Trypanozoon Venezuelan stocks, namely TeAp-N/D1 Trypanosoma equiperdum and TeAp-El Frio01 Trypanosoma evansi. Preceding reports have revealed that a 64-kDa antigenic glycopolypeptide (p64), which is the soluble form of the predominant variant surface glycoprotein from TeAp-N/D1 T. equiperdum, can be used as a good antigen for immunodiagnosis of animal trypanosomosis. Here, the course of the experimental acute infection in both horses was monitored by evaluating total anti-p64 IgG and particular anti-p64 γ-specific IgG and μ-specific IgM isotypes in sera using indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Both equines showed a maximum of whole anti-p64 antibody generation, which dropped to readings below the maximum but always above the positive cutoff point. Levels of specific IgG and IgM isotypes oscillated throughout the course of the experiments. Essentially, the γ-specific IgG response remained very close to the cutoff point, whereas the μ-specific IgM response displayed values that were mostly above the positive cutoff point, showing a major peak that coincided with the maximum of complete anti-p64 IgG production. These results showed that horses infected with non-tsetse transmitted Trypanozoon parasites developed an immune reaction characterized by a dominant IgM generation against the p64 antigen.     

胆总管的矢状断层解剖研究

在３０套成人腹部连续矢状断层标本上，胆总管与下腔静脉主要出现于Ｒ２－Ｒ３断层；胆总管胰腺段与胰头的关系有部分包埋，完全包埋及胰腺后型；十二指肠大乳头集中出现于Ｒ３断层；胆总管的行程有４种形式。文内还探讨了矢状断层里胆总管各段的毗邻及识别标志。     

Structure, Metabolism, and Functions of Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes during Long-Term Persistence of Epstein-Barr Virus

Study of surface architectonics, blast transformation potential, and cytochemical activity of peripheral blood lymphocytes from children infected with Epstein-Barr virus revealed imbalance between structural, metabolic, and functional state of lymphocytes. This imbalance persists in delayed period after infection and determines long-term viral persistence in the macroorganism.     

小儿肝的年龄解剖学研究

分六个年龄组观察了180个(男98,女82)小儿肝的形态、度量、位置及体表投影.小儿肝相对较大,右叶大于左叶,下界位置较低并逐渐上移.在右锁骨中线的肋弓下一般均可触到.小儿肝重随其年龄(身高)的增长而增长,其增长速度相对较慢,尤以Ⅶ组小儿更明显.