China considers voluntary euthanasia

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Affinity purification of IgG subclasses and the distribution of thyroid auto-antibody reactivity in Hashimoto's thyroiditis

To delineate accurately the IgG subclass distribution of thyroid auto-antibodies, sera from nine patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis were fractionated into IgG subclasses by complete depletion of the other IgG subclasses on affinity columns. All IgG subclass fractions contained thyroglobulin and microsomal (or thyroid peroxidase) antibody activity, although when compared to the total serum concentrations of IgG subclasses, IgG4 antibodies were overrepresented. However, in contrast to recent studies, this particular subclass never predominated--IgG4 antibody levels being exceeded by those of the IgG1 and IgG2 subclasses; it seems likely that these differences relate to varying sensitivity for different subclasses in previously used assay methods. This pattern of subclass activity differed from that of tetanus toxoid antibodies, which were found in six subjects. There was no light chain restriction within any subclass, showing that the overproduction of IgG4 thyroid antibodies is not of monoclonal origin. The functional affinity of subclasses for both thyroid antigens varied between patients, but IgG2 subclass fractions showed the highest functional affinity in the majority of samples. We also found that IgG2 subclass thyroid antibodies were ineffective in eliciting antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity, as distinct from the other three subclasses. Our results show that thyroid antibodies are less restricted in their IgG subclass distribution and patients are less heterogeneous than previously described. Moreover, IgG2 thyroid antibodies are quantitatively important and differ in relative functional affinity and effector function from IgG1 and IgG4 thyroid antibodies.

Metabolic fate of the new anti-ulcer drug enprostil in animals. 1st communication: absorption, distribution and excretion in the mouse, rat and rabbit

Absorption, distribution and excretion of [3H]-enprostil ((+-)-11a,15a-dihydroxy-9-oxo-16-phenoxy-17,18,19,20-tetranorpr osta -4,5,13(t)-trienoic acid methyl ester, TA-84135), a new anti-ulcer prostaglandin, were studied in mice, rats and rabbits. Radioactivity associated with enprostil was rapidly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract with Tmax values of 15 or 30 min. Absorption was also efficient inasmuch as approximately 80% of an oral dose was recovered in bile and urine in 24 h in bile duct-cannulated rats. Experiments in pylorus-ligated, bile duct-cannulated rats demonstrated that enprostil was mainly absorbed from the intestine, rather than from the stomach. In mice given oral doses of 2, 8 and 32 micrograms/kg, Cmax and AUC values of enprostil radioequivalents increased proportionately to the increase in dose, indicating linear kinetics over this dose range. Distribution of enprostil-associated radioactivity was investigated in rats by quantitating tritium in various tissues after the oral administration of [3H]-enprostil. Radioactivity in tissues was highest at 15 or 30 min after dosing. Highest levels of radioactivity were found in the stomach and intestines, the organs which came into direct contact with the dose, and the liver and kidney, the organs involved in excretion of enprostil. The rate of elimination of enprostil-associated radioactivity from all tissues and from plasma was similar. Enprostil-associated radioactivity did not accumulate in any tissue. Radioactivity was found in fetuses following oral administration of [3H]-enprostil to rats on the 12th or 19th day of gestation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Addition of ammonium sulfate improves the specificity of the assay for the interferon-induced protein kinase

When the assay for the interferon-induced protein kinase is performed in the presence of ammonium sulfate, the activity of other cellular kinases is selectively inhibited. Ammonium sulfate has little effect on the autophosphorylation of the interferon-induced kinase or the phosphorylation of a secondary acceptor, calf thymus histone. Conditions are described for the measurement of interferon-induced kinase activity by trichloroacetic acid precipitation.

South Africa's urban policy: a new form of influx control

"The South African government has repealed influx control for blacks living in the 'non-independent homelands.' Although the urban shift of the black population is increasingly accepted, controls on the supply of housing and land for housing blacks have been retained. The emphasis is now on alternative restrictions on black urbanization. The restrictions, however, contrast with the wishes of South Africa's business leadership. The 1986 'reforms' are explained by exploring the relationship between government policy and business interests. Finally, the urban policies are contrasted with the new metropolitan government, the Regional Services Councils, through which blacks are being brought into multiracial governmental structures but on unequal terms."

Some systems aspects of strategic planning

This paper is concerned with the strategic planning process and the contribution that analysis can make to it. It develops a conceptual model of the strategic planning process based on the traditional control system model and identifies a number of basic elements of the process. Four groups of analytical tools are presented and their relevance to the planning process discussed. It is suggested that tools from the different groups may be used concurrently at different parts of the process, although the use of analytical tools in some parts of the planning process is not well established. Finally the role of the analyst in the overall planning process is discussed.