A three‐dimensional stereoscopic monitor system in microscopic vascular anastomosis

Microvascular procedures not only demand precise movements but also usually require a long operation time. Using a conventional surgical microscope, microvascular surgeons need to keep the neck in a fixed flexion posture, which can lead to physical fatigue. Thus, our aim was to develop a three‐dimensional (3D) monitoring system to improve the microsurgery environment. It consists of four main parts: the surgical microscope, the charge‐coupled devices, the 3D multiplexer, and the 3D monitor. Two patients with head and neck cancers who underwent tumor resections were reconstructed with free flap microsurgeries. Both artery anastomoses were completed successfully and the postoperative courses of the two patients were smooth. Vascular anastomosis can be performed successfully with the help of the new 3D display system. Although the artery anastomosis procedures took longer than under a surgical microscope, the 3D system offers another option to improve the working environment for surgeons. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microsurgery, 2012.     

Processed forms of neuroendocrine proteins 7B2 and secretogranin II are found in porcine pituitary extracts

The complete structure of the novel polypeptide 7B2 recently deduced from cDNA clones has been reported to be highly conserved in a variety of species. The deduced amino acid sequence of the mature protein is predicted to be 185 or 186 amino acids long. While its biological role is still unknown, its occurrence in neuroendocrine secretory granules has been largely documented. This report shows: (i) that the protein, isolated from a large quantity of porcine pituitary glands, does not correspond to the full predicted cDNA structure but, on the contrary, to a truncated form; (ii) that the latter could arise from proteolytic cleavage at position ISO following pairs of basic residues; (iii) that it contains an extra residue at position 100 which is absent in the cDNA sequence; and, finally, (iv) that it displays a higher than expected molecular weight on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. In addition, a copurifying peptide was identified as an NH₂-terminal related fragment of the secretogranin II molecule. Protein sequencing of the latter demonstrates (i) that the correct amino terminus of mature porcine secretogranin II is an Ala residue and not the previously proposed Gin residue and (ii) that this fragment could also arise from proteolytic cleavage at a pair of basic residues located within the secretogranin II sequence.     

Ostrich MSEL-neurophysin belongs to the class of two-domain “big” neurophysin as indicated by complete amino acid sequence of the neurophysin/copeptin

Mammalian neurohypophyseal hormones, oxytocin and vasopressin, are known to be synthesized as part of two larger precursors containing, respectively, a VLDV-neurophysin and a MSEL-neurophysin together with its associated glycopeptide. Starting from ostrich neurohypophyses, a “big” neurophysin was isolated and chemically characterized. Following sequence determination of the CNBr-derived fragments and of peptides obtained from trypsin and V8-protease digestion of the oxidized protein, this “big” neurophysin was found to contain an MSEL-neurophysin moiety (94 residues) still covalently associated with the COOH-terminal glycopeptide (38 residues, copeptin). This study demonstrates that the ostrich MSEL-neurophysin sequence closely resembles all known MSEL-neurophysin sequences and that, furthermore, it does not contain the single amino acid insertion shown previously in the ostrich VLDV-neurophysin. It is also shown that the stretch of amino acids, linking the MSEL-neurophysin and the copeptin, is clearly different from its mammalian homologues and lacks the Arg residue normally recognized by the cleaving enzyme. This study also demonstrates that the ostrich copeptin is more closely related to the amphibian copeptin sequence than to its mammalian homologue, leading to the hypothesis that two families of copeptin molecules might exist. Thus, the ostrich MSEL-neurophysin-copeptin molecule is the first “big” neurophysin reported in birds and, together with the guinea pig and amphibian homologues, represents the third example of partial or no neurophysin-copeptin cleavage.     

台东县原住民布农族小学健康体重行动研究

目的通过实行行动研究方法,从健康促进学校6大范畴介入,以改善学生身体质量指数(BMI)、体重控制行为及运动时间。方法使用问卷调查,以本校1~6年级学生为对象,先进行前测,然后进行介入,期间配合学校的体能活动与每天20min课间活动,进行健康操、跳绳和跑步等,并给予饮食营养教育。倡导(含家长)、督促饮用白开水每天2次,每天3蔬2果,共开展活动3个月,每天进行体重检测,每周进行身高检测,施行自我及饮食内容评估。结果通过6大范畴介入,学生BMI正常占比由58.9%提升至66.1%。总体而言学生正常BMI占比、运动的天数与时间有显著提升。结论经由学校推动全方位健康体重活动各项策略及定期测量身高、体重,有助于学生对体重的控制。     

氯霉素之合成研究(五) DL-threo-1-对硝基苯-2-氨基-1,3-丙二醇的分拆

研究了应用酒石酸来分拆DL-threo-1-对-硝基苯-2-氨基-1,3-丙-二醇为旋光体的基本数据。首先制备了D-和L-threo-1-对硝基苯-2-氨基-1,3-丙二醇,它們底酸性酒石酸盐和正酒石酸鹽,测定了物理常數(表1)。D-和L-threo-1-对-硝基苯-2-氨基-1,3-丙二醇的混合熔点曲線提示了混旋化合物的存在(圖1)。事实上,DL-化合物和其各別旋光体在水中的溶解度也不同(圖2). 酸性酒石酸盐和正酒石酸鹽在甲醇中,以及前者在水中的溶解度曲線,均經分別测定(圖3—5)。据此,我們建議了通过酸性酒石酸鹽,以甲醇或水为溶剂来提取的,旋光体分拆方法。     

中药研究中色层分离法的应用 (三)大黄

大黄为一种重要的中药,以在甘肃、青海、陕西及四川北部所产的品质最佳,称为掌叶大黄俗称为绵纹大黄,属于蓼科植物 Rheum palmatum L.及其变种的干燥根茎;四川南部、湖北、湖南、云南及西康等地所产的品质稍次,称为药用大黄,俗称马蹄大黄,为 Rheum officinale B.及其变种的干燥根茎。相类似的有土大黄,又可分为台黄、祁黄、籽黄及峪黄,它们的原植物尚未十分确定,可能为 Rheum undulutum 和R.rhaponticum 等,产于山西五台山的为台黄,产于河北安国县的为祁黄,河北阜平县一带所产的为籽黄,内蒙古和部分河北、山西等地区所产的则为峪黄,这些土大黄均不可供药用。