Dielectric behavior of pulmonary edema induced in the rat lung

The dielectric properties (conductivity, kappa and relative permittivity, epsilon) of excised rat lung are modified by lung air and water content. The measurements of these quantities were made over the frequency range of 10 kHz to 100 MHz with an open-ended coaxial probe. The following relationships were analyzed in an oleic acid-induced pulmonary edema model using 18 animals: the spectra of kappa, epsilon and the loss tangent as a function of lung air and water content. Secondly, an isolated-perfused lung system was produced to induce a gradual increase in lung water. The time course of kappa, epsilon and the loss tangent for one excised lung was analyzed. The principal findings were: (i) a decrease in kappa and epsilon with increasing air content, (ii) an increase in kappa and epsilon with increasing water content, and (iii) a good correlation between lung water content and maximum loss tangent that was insensitive to changes in air content. We conclude that this technique could provide a quantitative assessment of lung water during pulmonary edema formation.     

Nitric oxide used to test pulmonary gas exchange in rabbits

 To evaluate whether nitric oxide (NO) is an appropriate test gas for assessing pulmonary gas exchange, we determined the rates of disappearance from the alveolar space (λ) of NO and singly and doubly ¹⁸O-labelled carbon dioxide (C¹⁶O¹⁸O, C¹⁸O₂) by performing single-breath manoeuvres on seven artificially ventilated rabbits. By exploiting unique features of both isotopic species and by analysing pulmonary gas transport and λ values with a commonly used model, we found that diffusion forms 98±6% (mean ± SD) of the overall resistance to alveolar-capillary NO transfer. This means that measurements of pulmonary NO uptake reveal the entire diffusive properties of the alveolar-capillary membrane, because the extremely fast binding of NO to haemoglobin negates the ”reactive” component within red blood cells of pulmonary capillaries. Received: 8 May 1998 / Received after revision: 12 August 1998 / Accepted: 17 August 1998     

Molecular weights of individual proteins correlate with molecular volumes measured by atomic force microscopy

 Proteins are usually identified by their molecular weights, and atomic force microscopy (AFM) produces images of single molecules in three dimensions. We have used AFM to measure the molecular volumes of a number of proteins and to determine any correlation with their known molecular weights. We used native proteins (the TATA-binding protein Tbp, a fusion protein of glutathione-S-transferase and the renal potassium channel protein ROMK1, the immunoglobulins IgG and IgM, and the vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein VASP) and also denatured proteins (the red blood cell proteins actin, Band 3 and spectrin separated by SDS-gel electrophoresis and isolated from nitrocellulose). Proteins studied had molecular weights between 38 and 900 kDa and were imaged attached to a mica substrate. We found that molecular weight increased with an increasing molecular volume (correlation coefficient = 0.994). Thus, the molecular volumes measured with AFM compare well with the calculated volumes of the individual proteins. The degree of resolution achieved (lateral 5 nm, vertical 0.2 nm) depended upon the firm attachment of the proteins to the mica. This was aided by coating the mica with suitable detergent and by imaging using the AFM tapping mode which minimizes any lateral force applied to the protein. We conclude that single (native and denatured) proteins can be imaged by AFM in three dimensions and identified by their specific molecular volumes. This new approach permits detection of the number of monomers of a homomultimeric protein and study of single proteins under physiological conditions at the molecular level. Received: 14 February 1997 / Received after revision: 8 September 1997 / Accepted: 8 September 1997     

Fear of Movement/Injury in the General Population: Factor Structure and Psychometric Properties of an Adapted Version of the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia

In recent years, several studies have pointed out the importance of pain-related fear in the development and maintenance of chronic pain. An important instrument for measuring pain-related fear in the context of low back pain is the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK). Recently, a version of this questionnaire has been developed for administration among the general population (TSK-G). To determine the factor structure of the TSK-G, data from a random sample of the Dutch general population were studied separately for people who had had back complaints in the previous year, and people who had been without back complaints. For both groups the TSK-G appeared to consist of one, internally consistent, factor of 12 items. The one-factor TSK-G also appeared valid after comparison with scores on measures of catastrophizing and general health status.     

Novel Semi‐Fluorinated Poly(ether imide)s Derived From 4‐(p‐Aminophenoxy)‐3‐trifluoromethyl‐4′‐aminobiphenyl

An unsymmetrical diamine monomer 4‐(p‐aminophenoxy)‐3‐trifluoromethyl‐4′‐aminobiphenyl has been synthesized successfully. This monomer leads to the synthesis of different novel poly(ether imide)s when reacted with different dianhydrides like pyromellatic dianhydride (PMDA), benzophenone tetracarboxylic acid dianhydride (BTDA), 2,2‐bis(3,4‐dicarboxyphenyl) hexafluoropropane (6FDA), and oxy diphthalic anhydride (ODA). The poly(ether imide) prepared from this monomer on reaction with 6FDA is soluble in several organic solvents such as N‐methylpyrolidinone (NMP), dimethylformamide (DMF), N,N‐dimethylacetamide (DMAc), tetrahydrofuran (THF), and CHCl₃. The poly(ether imide)s prepared from BTDA and ODA are soluble in NMP, DMF, and DMAc but not in THF or CHCl₃, whereas the polymer prepared from PMDA is soluble only in NMP. The water uptake value for these poly(ether imide) films is very low (0.2–0.5%), and exhibited low dielectric constants (2.81 at 1 MHz). The polymers exhibited high thermal stability up to 532 °C in air for 5% weight loss, and high glass transition temperatures up to 288 °C. The polymer exhibited high tensile strength up to 135 MPa, modulus 3.2 GPa, and elongation at break up to 25%, depending on the exact polymer structure.

The structure of the poly(ether imide) synthesised from 4‐(p‐aminophenoxy)‐3‐trifluoromethyl‐4′‐aminobiphenyl and 2,2‐bis(3,4‐dicarboxyphenyl) hexafluoropropane. This polymer was soluble in many organic solvents.     

Molecular abnormality and cDNA cloning of human aldehyde dehydrogenases

Usual human livers contain two major ALDH isozymes, i.e., cytosolic ALDH1 and mitochondrial ALDH2, while approximately 50% of Orientals are "atypical" and have only the ALDH1 and are missing the ALDH2. Instead, the atypical livers contain an enzymatically inactive but immunologically cross-reactive material (CRM) corresponding to the ALDH2 component. Some Orientals are found to be atypical also in the ALDH1 locus, i.e., they are missing the enzymatically active ALDH1 but contain a large amount of CRM corresponding to the ALDH1 component. cDNA for ALDH1 and that for ALDH2 were cloned and their nucleotide sequences were determined. The amino acid sequences of ALDH1 and ALDH2 were deduced from their cDNA sequences. The molecular abnormality of the inactive ALDH2(2) is found to be the substitution of Glu at the 14th position from the COOH-terminal of the protein by Lys which resulted from G----A transition in the gene.     

Pretherapeutic flow cytometric DNA investigations in radiotherapy patients with maxillo-facial carcinomas

In order to analyze the possible meaning of cellular DNA content and cell cycle phases for the radiosensitivity and the prognosis of human malignant tumors, flow cytometric measurements have been performed in biopsies of 131 patients with histologically proven squamous cell carcinomas of the maxillo-facial region. In two-thirds of the patients (88/131; 67%), aneuploid tumor cell lines have been found, only 33% (43/131) had a diploid DNA distribution pattern. The average DNA index (DI) of the aneuploid carcinomas was 3.4 +/- 0.6 (normal nonmalignant tissue DI = 2.0). The frequency of S-phase cells, which represents the "proliferative activity", was between 4.8 and 63.2%, regardless of the ploidy stages. The aneuploid carcinomas had about twice as many S-phase cells (mean 23.7 +/- 11.8%) than diploid tumors (mean 12.7 +/- 4.8%). Mean survival for patients with diploid carcinoma and aneuploid carcinoma was 12 and 9.5 months, respectively. Concerning the relationship of S-phase frequency and survival times in our material there was a high negative statistical correlation (Spearman-Rank test) in patients with diploid carcinomas. A high S-phase fraction resulted in short survival times. No correlation was found in the aneuploid carcinomas: patients with tumors in high S-phase values in their biopsies showed no difference in prognosis in comparison to tumors with lower S-phase fractions.     

Optimum support properties for protein separations by high-performance size exclusion chromatography

Optimum chromatographic properties of high performance size exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) of proteins, such as resolution, molecular weight accuracy and recovery, are obtained on packings and columns with tailor-made physical and chemical structures, employed at properly adjusted eluent compositions and operation conditions. SEC-theory suggests that a broad molecular weight fractionation range and high linearity of the log-linear calibration plot can be achieved by the use of two packings (10- and 80-nm pore size, characterized by a pore-size distribution (psd) equal to or less than 1 decade and by equal internal column porosity (p)), rather than a single 30- to 50-nm pore-size packing with a wide psd. Favourably high-phase ratios of (p)/(o)/ 1.0 for HPSEC columns were accomplished with a minimum interstitial column porosity (o) and a high value for the internal column porosity (p) (the specific pore volume, nu(p), multiplied by the packing density, varrho(p).) Ligands such as diol, N-acetoxyamino and oligomeric ether with a propyl- or propoxy-spacer bonded to the silica at the highest density appear to provide high mass recovery and bioactivity as well as chemical stability. Such packings, available in 3-5 mum particle size ranges of narrow distribution, packed into columns 6 mm i.d. and 500 mm in length, offer the best compromise with respect to resolution, speed and pressure drop. More careful studies are required to explain the effects of protein conformational changes and interconversions during elution on HPSEC columns.     

2019年广东省部分地区感染性腹泻病原学及人轮状病毒分子流行病学特征

目的 对感染性腹泻样本进行检测鉴定,并对轮状病毒A组进行病毒分离,研究2019年广东省部分地区感染性腹泻病原学及轮状病毒分子流行病学特征。方法 2019年1月1日至2020年1月12日,采集广东省广州市、东莞市和江门市临床感染性腹泻患者粪便样本,进行多重RT-PCR扩增和微球杂交技术检测鉴定,并对轮状病毒A组阳性样本进行分离后,采用半巢式PCR试验对阳性细胞培养物进行G/P基因分型。结果 共纳入706例合格病例,病原体总检出率43.06%,病毒检出率18.13%高于细菌检出率8.36%高于寄生虫检出率1.27%。病毒病原谱以轮状病毒A组G9P[8]和诺如病毒GII型感染为主,细菌病原谱以沙门菌和艰难梭菌为主,寄生虫以蓝氏贾第鞭毛虫为首。不同季度、不同年龄组病原谱构成各不相同。轮状病毒A组主要受累群体为≤5岁儿童,主要时间分布于1—4月,基因型呈现多样性,包括G2P[4]、G3P[8]和G9P[8]。结论 2019年广东省部分地区感染性腹泻病毒类病原体高于细菌类高于寄生虫类,轮状病毒A组G9P[8]、诺如GII型、沙门菌和蓝氏贾第鞭毛虫是最主要的病原体,且G9P[8]型A组轮状病毒毒株在轮状病毒感染中占主导趋势。在防控病毒性和细菌性腹泻的同时,应警惕寄生虫所致腹泻并重视混合感染的病原学监测。     

一种复合微生物菌肥对穿心莲生长、品质及土壤性质的影响

目的：研究一种微生物复合菌肥对穿心莲生长、品质及土壤性质的影响,旨在为穿心莲栽培生产中微生物复合菌肥的应用提供依据。方法：通过盆栽的共5个处理试验,CK（不施肥）组、A处理（施化肥）组、B处理（施微生物菌肥,施用量为2.5 g·kg-1土）组、C处理（施微生物菌肥,施用量为7.5 g·kg-1土）组、D处理（施微生物菌肥,施用量为12.5 g·kg-1土）组,研究一种复合微生物菌肥对穿心莲的农艺性状、有效成分含量及根际土壤细菌、放线菌、真菌的数量和土壤理化性质的影响。结果：施加一定量的复合微生物菌肥,穿心莲的株高、叶片数、叶面积、地上部、地下部鲜重较CK组和A处理组显著升高,不同生长期有差异。复合微生物菌肥对穿心莲内酯、脱水穿心莲内酯、新穿心莲内酯及14-去氧穿心莲内酯含量影响有差异,与CK组、A处理组比较,C处理组的穿心莲内酯分别明显升高26.13%、13.23%(P<0.05);新穿心莲内酯的含量随微生物菌肥施加量的增加而增加,在D处理组下的效应最显著,与CK组、A处理组比较,分别明显升高9.06%、50.33%(P<0.05);B处理组的14-去氧穿心莲内酯较A处理组...