Increased urinary excretion of zinc and copper by mercuric chloride injection in rats

The effects of HgCl2 on urinary excretion of Zn, Cu and metallothionein at different time intervals were observed in male Wistar rats. The rats were given a daily intraperitoneal injection of 203HgCl2 (0.5 or 1.0 mg Hg kg-1) for 2 days. 203Hg, Zn, Cu and metallothionein in urine, kidney and liver were analyzed. Significant increases in urinary Zn and Cu concentrations were found in HgCl2-dosed groups. Elevated urinary Zn and Cu concentrations were accompanied by an increased metallothionein excretion in urine at different time periods. Zn concentration in urine remained elevated during the entire observation period of 7 days. There were also increased concentrations of Cu and Zn in the renal cortex in one of the two exposed groups. The results indicate that urinary Cu and Zn are related to the manifestation of renal toxicity and/or the synthesis of metallothionein in kidney induced by mercury.

[EEG studies in female adolescent delinquents. Quantitative and visual analysis]

Quantitative analysis and visual interpretation on spontaneous brain electrical activity were both undertaken in 41 female adolescents and 55 normal controls. Delinquent group had higher abnormal rate of electrical encephalogram (EEG) than normal group. Spectral power analysis showed that the power of fast activity was increased in central region and the power of all bands (1-30 Hz) was generally decreased in occipital region in delinquents. It indicates that synchronization of EEG in female delinquents may be weak. The results of multi-variate discrimination analysis suggest the possibility of discriminating two groups with quantitative EEG data.

Two optical methods for simultaneous measurement of particle size, velocity, and refractive index

Two optical methods that were developed for recognizing the composition of moving spherical particles as well as measuring their sizes and velocities are described here. Both methods are meant for characterizing single particles with a high spatial and temporal resolution. One method is an extension of the phase-Doppler technique, whereas the other is a newly developed method that utilizes cylindrical waves of laser light to illuminate the particles. The principles of both methods are described, and some experimental data are presented to demonstrate the feasibility of the theoretical concepts.

Adenovirus E1A activation domain binds the basic repeat in the TATA box transcription factor

The adenovirus large E1A protein is a potent activator of transcription. We use several different experimental approaches to demonstrate that the large E1A protein binds specifically and stably to the TATA box-binding factor (TFIID), the general polymerase II transcription factor that initiates assembly of transcription complexes. Sedimentation velocity centrifugation revealed that TFIID and E1A form a heterodimer in vitro. We demonstrate that the activation domain of E1A (conserved region 3) binds to TFIID. E1A interacts with a 51 residue region from the conserved C-terminal domain of TFIID that includes a repeat of basic residues between the homologous direct repeats of TFIID. Analysis of TFIID binding by various E1A mutants indicates that TFIID binding is necessary, although not sufficient, for E1A transactivation.

[Quantitative EEG analysis and the value for differential diagnosis on depression: I. Spectral power and coherence analysis]

Spectral power and coherence analysis were taken on 47 depressive patients and 43 normal controls. Depressive patients showed abnormal brain activity mostly in frontal-central regions. The endogenous and manic-depressive groups mainly presented higher power of slow activity and predominant in right hemisphere, while the non-endogenous and other groups presented higher power mainly in the fast bands. Coherence analysis showed that the coherence of EEG between homogenous points of two hemispheres was decreased in depressed patients.

[Quantitative EEG analysis and the value for differential diagnosis on depression: II. Multivariate regression and discriminate analysis]

Multivariate regression and discriminate analyses were carried out based on the EEG power variables and some related clinical materials from 47 depressed patients and 43 normal controls. The results of regression analysis showed that the severity and duration of depression were associated with EEG slow activity, while the age of first episode and age of the patients were associated with EEG fast activity. Discriminate analysis clearly demonstrates the possible utility of EEG data in the differential diagnosis of depression.

[Efficiency evaluation of combined intervention measures with improving drinking water first to prevent infantile acute diarrhea]

The paper analysed factors of acute diarrhea in children under five by Mantel-Haenszel stratification and Logistic regression. The total person-years of observation were 1332. The results showed that the combined risk factors which caused diarrhea were drinking the pond water and failure to wash hands before eating and so on. The combined intervention Measures, especially improvement of drinking water had effectively decreased the incidence rate of infantile acute diarrhea through the observation in the past two years.

A morphological study of primary pulmonary hypertension--an analysis of six autopsy cases

Six typical autopsy cases of primary pulmonary hypertension are reported. The histopathological features were as follows: medial hypertrophy of the muscular pulmonary arteries, muscularization of arterioles, internal fibrosis and fibroelastosis of muscular pulmonary arteries with typical "onion-skin" configuration, fibrinoid necrosis of the media or necrotizing arteries of muscular pulmonary arteries, and formation of highly characteristic plexiform lesions and dilatation lesions. It is thought that the plexiform lesions seen in all six cases represent morphological changes resulting from pulmonary hypertension rather than congenital abnormalities or thromboembolism.

[Determination of baicalin in xiaoer feire kechuan mixture by dual-wavelength spectrophotometry]

A method for the determination of baicalin in traditional Chinese medicine Xiaoer Feire Kechuan Mixture with dual-wavelength spectrophotometry is described. The interference of coexisting ingredients may be eliminated without separation of the samples. Both 751 and UV-3000 spectrophotometers were used.

[Studies on warming the middle-jiao and analgesic effect of flos Caryophylli]

The effects of water extract and ether extract of Flos Caryophylli have been investigated by four experimental gastric ulcer models, choleresis in rats, two diarrhea models in mice, two pain stimulations in mice, and acute liver injury induced by CCl4 in rats. The results suggest that the action of Flos Caryophylli on dispelling the cold by warming the middle-jiao and curing abdominalgia is related to its anti-ulcer, choleresis increasing, anti-diarrhea and analgesic functions.

A post-transcriptional mechanism contributes to circadian cycling of a per-beta-galactosidase fusion protein

The period gene (per) of Drosophila melanogaster affects circadian rhythms. Circadian fluctuations in per mRNA levels are thought to contribute to circadian fluctuations in per protein levels in the heads of adult flies. To address the mechanisms underlying these oscillatory phenomena, we have analyzed RNA and protein cycling from two per-beta-galactosidase fusion genes. These studies demonstrate that 5' noncoding sequences from per are sufficient to cause the fusion mRNA levels to cycle in a wild-type (rhythmic) background. Protein cycling requires additional sequences derived from the per coding region. The data suggest that there is a per-dependent posttranscriptional mechanism that is under circadian clock control required for per protein levels to fluctuate in a rhythmic fashion.

[Diagnostic value of fibrolaparoscopy and direct-vision peritoneal biopsy in atypical tuberculous peritonitis]

Fifty-three cases of atypical tuberculous peritonitis were diagnosed by Machida FLA-8 fibrolaparoscope and direct-vision peritoneal biopsy in our hospital during the last few years. The misdiagnosis rate of this disease is very high. The rate of accurate clinical diagnosis was only 39.6% in patients of this study, while 60.4% was misdiagnosed as other diseases, such as cirrhosis, chronic hepatitis, hepatic carcinoma ovarian cyst etc. In addition, many patients with other diseases were misdiagnosed as tuberculous peritonitis by clinical consideration, for instance, 56 cases who were diagnosed or doubted as tuberculous peritonitis by clinical consideration were diagnosed as other diseases by laparoscopy and liver and peritoneal biopsy under direct-vision. Among them chronic hepatitis accounted for 32 cases, peritoneal carcinoma 11 cases, cirrhosis 7 cases, normal peritoneum, liver, gall bladder and spleen 6 cases. Therefore, the patient who is presumptively diagnosed as tuberculous peritonitis by clinical consideration should have laparoscopy and direct-vision peritoneal biopsy performed.

The strength and periodicity of D. melanogaster circadian rhythms are differentially affected by alterations in period gene expression

The per gene of D. melanogaster influences or participates in the generation of biological rhythms. Previous experiments have identified the head as the location from which per exerts its effect on circadian rhythms. To localize further this region and to examine the effects of altered levels and altered spatial expression patterns of the per gene on circadian rhythms of locomotor activity, we have characterized transformed lines containing per gene constructs missing substantial cis-acting regulatory information. The data suggest that wild-type levels of per gene expression are necessary in only a small fraction of the nervous system for near wild-type periods, whereas a larger fraction of per-expressing cells in the brain contributes to the strength of the circadian rhythms.

Optical programmable cellular logic array for image processing

An optical parallel architecture is suggested to implement a basic programmable cellular logic array for image processing. Interconnection of the neighboring cells is achieved by using an optical correlator. The required parallel logic gates are executed with spatial coding and electronic thresholding methods. Another optical correlator is used to spatially code the outputs from the 2-bit decoder array of shadowgrams. The optical method for the directional interconnection is also discussed. An image processing example is simulated and verified experimentally.

[Culture of anaerobic bacteria and antibiotic sensitivity test in ocular infectious diseases]

Anaerobes were isolated from 43.9% of 116 eyes with infectious diseases and 21.4% of 140 normal conjunctival sacs. The predominant anaerobes were peptococcus (28.6%) in the former and propionibacterium (53.3%) in the latter. In eyes with infection, only anaerobes were isolated from 27, and a mixture of anaerobes and aerobes in 24. The sensitivity of anaerobes (68 strains) to 10 antibiotics differed significantly from that of aerobes (102 strains). Most anaerobes are sensitive to chloramphenicol and cephaloridine, but not to aminoglycosides or polymyxin B. Therefore, when an ocular infection shows a negative aerobic culture, anaerobic infection should be suspected and chloramphenicol is indicated as first choice for treatment.