Determination of diffusion coefficient of hydrogen in metals and their elastic modulus by generalised impedance

Transport of hydrogen in elastic metals has been analysed in terms of an impedance-like non-linear transfer function (TF). The equilibrium in a membrane specimen is perturbed by a sinusoidal signal of the concentration of hydrogen, of large amplitude, applied to one of its surfaces. The fundamental harmonics of periodically reproducible flux at the same surface is considered as a response. The TF is defined as the ratio of the signal to the response. The power of the said TF in determining the diffusion coefficient of hydrogen in a metal–hydrogen system and its bulk elastic modulus was analysed for the example of α-phase Pd–H and Pd₈₁Pt₁₉–H systems. It has been found that such a TF is suitable for determination of the above parameters. Also, the sensitivity of these estimates to the uncertainty of concentration of hydrogen in the metal, its partial molar volume and the thickness of the specimen has been explored.     

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.     

Evidence for effector independent and dependent representations and their differential time course of acquisition during motor sequence learning

To investigate the representation of motor sequence, we tested transfer effects in a motor sequence learning paradigm. We hypothesize that there are two sequence representations, effector independent and dependent. Further, we postulate that the effector independent representation is in visual/spatial coordinates, that the effector dependent representation is in motor coordinates, and that their time courses of acquisition during learning are different. Twelve subjects were tested in a modified 2x10 task. Subjects learned to press two keys (called a set) successively on a keypad in response to two lighted squares on a 3x3 display. The complete sequence to be learned was composed of ten such sets, called a hyperset. Training was given in the normal condition and sequence recall was assessed in the early, intermediate, and late stages in three conditions, normal, visual, and motor. In the visual condition, finger-keypad mapping was rotated 90 degrees while the keypad-display mapping was kept identical to normal. In the motor condition, the keypad-display mapping was also rotated 90 degrees, resulting in an identical finger-display mapping as in normal. Subjects formed two groups with each group using a different normal condition. One group learned the sequence in a standard keypad-hand setting and subsequently recalled the sequence using a rotated keypad-hand setting in the test conditions. The second group learned the sequence with a rotated keypad-hand setting and subsequently recalled the sequence with a standard keypad-hand setting in the test conditions. Response time (RT) and sequencing errors during recall were recorded. Although subjects committed more sequencing errors in both testing conditions, visual and motor, as compared to the normal condition, the errors were below chance level. Sequencing errors did not differ significantly between visual and motor conditions. Further, the sequence recall accuracy was over 70% even by the early stage when the subjects performed the sequence for the first time with the altered conditions, visual and motor. There were parallel improvements thereafter in all the conditions. These results of positive transfer of sequence knowledge across conditions that use dissimilar finger movements point to an effector independent sequence representation, possibly in visual/spatial coordinates. Initially the RTs were similar in the visual and the motor conditions, but with training RTs in the motor condition became significantly shorter than in the visual condition, as revealed by significant interaction for the testing stage and condition term in the repeated measures ANOVA. Moreover, using RTs for single key pressing in the three conditions as baseline indices, it was again observed that RTs in the visual and motor conditions were not significantly different in the early stage, but motor RTs became significantly shorter by the late testing stage. These results support the hypothesis that the motor condition benefits more than the visual because it uses identical effector movements to the normal condition. Further, these results argue for the existence of effector dependent sequence representation, in motor coordinates, which is acquired relatively slowly. The difference in the time course of learning of these two representations may account for the differential involvement of brain areas in early and late learning phases found in lesion and imaging studies.     

Dynamic properties of vestibular reflexes in the decerebrate cat

Summary Vestibulocollic (VCR) and vestibulo-ocular (VOR) reflexes were studied during angular rotation in the horizontal plane in precollicular decerebrate cats. Angular position was modulated by sinusoids or sums of sinusoids with frequencies ranging from 0.05 to 5 Hz.Reflex motor output was measured by recording electromyographic (EMG) activity of the lateral rectus and dorsal neck muscles and discharge of abducens motoneurons. Measured with respect to input angular acceleration VCR motor output displayed a second order lag at low frequencies, bringing mean EMG phase (–136 °) and gain slope (–35 dB/ decade) close to those of an angular position signal at 0.2 Hz. At higher frequencies the lag was counteracted by a second order lead bringing mean phase (–52 °) and gain slope (–5.6 dB/decade) back close to those of an angular acceleration signal at 3 Hz. By contrast, mean phase (–113 ° to –105 °) and gain slope (–21 to –28 dB/decade) of the VOR motor output remained close to those of an angular velocity signal across the entire frequency range.The data suggest that neural pathways producing the VCR receive selective input from irregular type horizontal semicircular canal afferents which provide one lag and one lead in the overall transfer function while the other lag and lead are produced by central pathways.Transaction of the medial longitudinal fasciculus (MLF), which eliminates all of the most direct (three neuron) arcs of the horizontal VCR, did not cause any detectable change in the horizontal VCR at either low or high frequencies. Reductions in overall gain occurred in some cases but these could be attributed to damage to axons outside the MLF. Less direct pathways, probably including vestibulo-reticulospinal pathways, are thus able to produce both the low-frequency, phase-lagging and high-frequency, phase-leading components of the horizontal VCR.Supported in part by NIH grants EY 02249, EY 00100, and NS 02619Recipient of NIH Fellowship NS 06030     

激光扫描共聚焦显微镜在肿瘤研究中的应用

激光扫描共聚焦显微镜是近年来出现的一种新的分子细胞生物学分析仪器,已经广泛应用于生物医学研究的许多领域.简介其基本功能和特点.并从肿瘤组织细胞蛋白的定位和定量、肿瘤细胞亚细胞结构观察、肿瘤受体研究、肿瘤药物分布和肿瘤多耐药机制等角度.综述了近年来激光扫描共聚焦显微镜在肿瘤研究中应用的进展.     

Modulation transfer functions of tomographic systems

The modulation transfer function for an elliptical tomographic scan is derived. Its imaging characteristics are compared with those of linear and circular scans

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Zusammenfassung Die Modulationsaustauschfunktion einer elliptischen tomographischen Abastung wird abgeleitet. Ihre Abbildungsmerkmale werden mit denen von linearen und runden Abtastungen verglichen.

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Sommaire La fonction de transfert de modulation d'un balayage tomographique elliptique est dérivée dans cet article. Ses caratéristiques d'image sont comparées avec celles des balayages circulaires et linéaires.

     

转基因内皮细胞的构建及其在复合血管上种植的初步研究

目的:为了解决小口径(直径7mm以下)人造血管术后通畅率低下的问题,利用生物-人工复合血管,结合分子生物学手段,将转入血管内皮生长因子(VEGF165)基因的人脐静脉内皮细胞(HUVEC)种植于复合血管内腔面,为解决此临床难题提供新的思路和手段。材料方法:构建VEGF165真核表达质粒pCI-neo-VEGF165,获得正确的质粒用于转染HUVEC。从中科院购买HUVEC(代号:ECV-304),用脂质体介导法将pCI-neo-VEGF165转入细胞,经G418筛选后,计数阳性克隆,以比较脂质体和质粒在不同比例情况下转染效率的高低。实验组按质粒和脂质体比例的不同分为4组:1μg/3μl;2μg/6μl;2μg/8μl;3μg/12μl。ELISA检测瞬时转染后HUVEC培养上清中VEGF的表达。再将VEGF165基因瞬时转入HUVEC,利用自己设计的旋转培养装置,将细胞均匀地粘附、种植于复合血管内腔面。复合血管是人工材料(聚酯)和生物材料(成纤维细胞长入,胶原形成)有机结合而成,是将包有聚酯网的硅胶棒埋入绵羊背部皮下组织,3个月后取出,抽去硅胶棒而得到的。结果:脂质体转染效率以2μg/8μl组阳性克隆数最多;ELISA测定瞬时转染后HUVEC培养上清中VEGF的表达量为532·5±43·1pg/ml。使用旋转培养装置的细胞均匀地粘附于复合血管,未使用者细胞积聚于血管腔面下部;转入和未转入VEGF165基因的HUVEC在复合血管内腔面覆盖面积百分比分别为69·9%±3·5%、43·7%±2·5%,有明显改善。结论:转入VEGF后可促进HUVEC在复合血管上生长,旋转培养装置有利于细胞的均匀粘附。     

Decreased lung capillary blood volume post-exercise is compensated by increased membrane diffusing capacity

The diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO) decreases to below the pre-exercise value in the hours following a bout of intense exercise. Two mechanisms have been proposed: (1) development of pulmonary oedema and (2) redistribution of central blood volume to peripheral muscles causing a reduction in pulmonary capillary blood volume (V_c). In the present study DLCO, V_c and the membrane diffusing capacity (D_m) were measured in nine healthy females using a rebreathing method, in contrast to the single breath technique employed in previous studies. DLCO, V_c and D_m were measured before and at 1, 2, 3, 16 and 24 h following maximal treadmill exercise. Compared with pre-exercise values, DLCO was depressed by up to 8.9 (3.0)% (P<0.05) for the first 3 h following exercise, but had returned to pre-exercise values by 16 h post-exercise. V_c fell by 21.2 (4.1)% (P<0.05) at 3 h post-exercise, but at the same time D_m increased by 14.7 (9.1)%. It was concluded that: (1) the increase in D_m made it unlikely that the fall in DLCO was due to interstitial oedema and injury to the blood gas barrier; (2) on the other hand, the reduction in DLCO following exercise was consistent with a redistribution of blood away from the lungs; and (3) the trend for D_m and V_c to reciprocate one another indicates a situation in which a fall in V_c nevertheless promotes gas transfer at the respiratory membrane. It is suggested that this effect is brought about by the reorientation of red blood cells within the pulmonary capillaries following exercise.     

Amygdala kindling and muricide in rats

It was demonstrated that home cage muricide in the Wistar rat was uneffected by bilateral amygdala after-discharge threshold (ADT) reduction. The subsequent kindling of the amygdala, however, resulted in an apparent facilitation in the onset of the predatory response. In a larger predatory arena, the above manipulations had no effect upon the muricide response of Royal Victoria Hooded rats. There were no obvious amygdala EEG correlates of muricidal versus non-muricidal rats, e.g., differences in ADT, AD duration, kindling rate, etc. In addition, the ADT of the two amygdalae were seemingly independent. Similarly, ADT reduction and/or kindling had no effect upon the contralateral amygdala ADT. As has been previously shown, kindling of one amygdala significantly facilitated the rate of motor seizure development from the second, as well as provoking changes in the onset latency to motor seizure. The muricide data were discussed in the context of kindled induced synaptic facilitation and functional lesion effects.     

树鼩胆固醇酯转运蛋白的cDNA和蛋白质结构分析

目的　获得不易感动脉粥样硬化动物树胆固醇酯转运蛋白 (CETP)的cDNA和蛋白质序列 ,分析其结构特点 ,寻找其可能的抗动脉粥样硬化分子机制。方法　以从树肝脏mRNA反转录获得的cDNA一链为模板 ,应用SMART RACE技术 ,获得了树CETP的cDNA序列 ,并推导出其蛋白质氨基酸序列 ,应用分子生物学软件对该蛋白的一级、二级结构进行分析和比较。结果　获得的树CETPcDNA(在GenBank中的注册号为AF334 0 33)长 16 36bp ,编码 485个氨基酸 ,其成熟蛋白由 477个氨基酸组成 ,比人多一个氨基酸 (Gly318) ,该蛋白与人、家兔的同源性分别为 88%和 82 %。序列中与CETP结合和转运中性脂质功能相关的区域均非常保守 ,但在Asn34 2位的N 糖基化位点缺失 ,可能使其转运胆固醇酯的活性增加 ,利于外周组织和血浆中的胆固醇及其酯的清除。通过对不同种属蛋白序列的比较 ,初步分析了树CETP蛋白与功能相关的结构特点。结论　树CETP糖基化的特点有可能是该动物对动脉粥样硬化具有不易感性的分子机理之一