Time-series analyses of the American suicide rate

A time-series study of suicide in the USA from 1940 to 1984 explored the extent to which social and economic variables could predict the actual suicide rate, the smoothed trend in the suicide rate, and deviations of the actual suicide rate from the smoothed trend. It was found that the social and economic variables were more successful in predicting the smoothed trend in the suicide rate.

[Reconstitution of rabbit brain GABA binding protein (receptor) on Xenopus oocytes]

Gurdon's Xenopus laevis oocyte translation system has been extensively employed to investigate the molecular biology of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors in the brains of embryonic chick, rat, etc. As GABA and its receptor may play a role in the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy and a rabbit model of fulminant hepatitis has been established, we reconstituted the rabbit model of fulminant hepatitis has been established, we reconstituted the rabbit brain GABA binding protein (receptor) on Xenopus laevis oocytes to offer a base for further study of the pathological effects of GABA receptor at molecular level. In this report, total RNA was extracted from rabbit brain by guanidine hydrochloride method. The total RNA was then subjected to oligo-(dT)-cellulose affinity chromatography to isolate mRNA. All the RNA samples achieved a high purity with an average OD260/OD280 ratio of about 2.10. The clear bands of 18 S and 28S rRNA in electrophoresis implied that the RNA was not degraded and was therefore available for expression. After two days of incubation of the oocytes injected with mRNA, radioreceptor assay indicated that saturable and specifically displaceable GABA binding sites were implanted onto the oocyte membrane. This result led us to the conclusion that rabbit brain GABA binding protein (receptor) can be reconstituted by injecting exogenous mRNA inclusive of those encoding the receptor into Xenopus oocytes. However, the functional activity of the reconstituted receptor as a GABA gated chloride ion channel needs to be further characterized by patch clamping.

Protocol conformance test generation using multiple UIO sequences with overlapping

This paper describes an optimization method for reducing the length of protocol conformance test sequences by overlapping test subsequences obtained using UIO sequences. It is shown that test sequences generated by this method are substantially shorter than those generated by other methods employing UIO sequences.

A study on the inhibition of rat myocardium glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase by moniliformin

In preparations of Wistar rat myocardium, Km values of GSH-Px to the substrates, H2O2 and GSH, as determined by the DTNB method, were 1.9 x 10(-4) mol/L and 2.0 x 10(-3) mol/L respectively. The Km value of GSSG-R to GSSG was 6.0 x 10(-5) mol/L by UV spectrophotometric assay. In vitro, the activity of GSH-Px was inhibited by 1.0, 6.0 and 16.0 mmol/L synthetic moniliformin (MF) with the corresponding activities of 89.4%, 65.2% and 47.9% of control values (n = 6). The activities of GSSG-R in the presence of 16.0 and 32.0 mmol/L MF were 74.4% and 61.9% of controls (n = 5) respectively. These results revealed that the inhibition of GSH-Px by MF was stronger than that of GSSG-R. As determined by Lineweaver-Burk and of Dixon plots, the inhibition of GSH-Px and GSSG-R by MF was competitive and noncompetitive, respectively. The affinity of GSH-Px to MF was higher than that of GSSG-R because the inhibition constant Ki of the former (6.0 mmol/L) was less than that of the latter (39 mmol/L). We suggest that the mechanism of toxic-damaging effects of MF on myocardium, may be closely related to the failure of remove of free radicals by some enzymes, as GSH-Px and GSSG-R, and that MF may be involved in keshan disease.

[Effects of noradrenaline,glycine, gamma-aminobutyric acid and L-glutamic acid on spinal field potentials in the rat]

Noradrenaline (NE), glucine (GLY), gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and L-glutamic acid (L-GLU) were locally applied to the dorsal surface of lumbar spinal cord on anesthetized and immobilized rats and their effects on segmental (SP) and descending (DP) spinal field potentials were examined. Both waves N and P of SP and DP were reduced markedly in amplitudes following local application of NE. A significant decrease in amplitude of wave N and a remarkable increase in wave P in both SP and DP were shown during the application of GLY, GABA and L-GLU. The results suggest that these neurotransmitters may be involved in the generation of waves N and P, particularly affecting the activities of interneurons in the spinal dorsal horn.

Predicting execution rates in the USA

Analysis of data from Cloninger, collected in 1977, showed that his set of variables provided a more powerful predictor of the homicide rates of the continental states in 1955–1959 than of the execution rates.

Description of Meloidogyne pini n. sp., a Root-Knot Nematode Parasitic on Sand Pine (Pinus clausa), with Additional Notes on the Morphology of M. megatyla

Meloidogyne pini n. sp. is described from sand pine, Pinus clausa, in Georgia. The perineal pattern of the female has a large cuticular ridge surrounding a deeply recessed perivulval area. The lateral fields are marked by transverse striae. The female stylet is 14.6 mum long, and the knobs are small, rounded, and set off from the straight and narrow shaft. The excretory pore is near the level of the base of the stylet. The labial disc of the male is large, rounded, and fused with the crescent-shaped medial lips. The head region is smooth, the styler is 20.8 mum long, and the cone is more than twice as long as the shaft. The knobs are rounded and set off from the shaft. In the second-stage juvenile, the labial disc, medial lips, and lateral lips form one smooth, continuous, ovoid head cap. Mean juvenile length is 434 mum, stylet length is 12.8 mum, and tail length is 44.4 mum. M. pini n. sp. also parasitizes loblolly and slash pine. Additional morphological details of M. megatyla are presented.

Meloidogyne enterolobii n. sp. (Meloidogynidae), a Root-knot Nematode Parasitizing Pacara Earpod Tree in China

Meloidogyne enterolobii n. sp. is described and illustrated from roots of pacara earpod tree, Enterolobium contortisiliquum (Vell.) Morong, on Hainan Island in China. The perineal pattern of the female is usually oval shaped, the striae are fine to coarse, the dorsal arch is moderately high to high and usually rounded, and the phasmids are large. The stylet knobs in females are divided longitudinally by a groove so that each knob appears as two. The mean distance of the excretory pore to the anterior end in the female is 62.9 mum. Males have a large, rounded labial disc that fuses with the medial lips to form a dorso-ventrally elongate head cap. The labial disc is slightly elevated, and the medial lips are crescent shaped. The second-stage juvenile mean body length is 436.6 mum. The lateral lips are large and triangular in face view. The tail is 56.4 mum long and narrow with a broad, bluntly rounded tip. M. enterolobii n. sp reproduces well on E. contortisiliquum and causes severe damage. Other good hosts include cotton, resistant tobacco 'NC 95,' pepper, watermelon, and tomato.

The role of the human caudate nucleus in acupuncture analgesia

The role of the caudate nucleus in acupuncture analgesia was studied in 17 patients receiving caudate stimulation through chronic implanted electrodes to relieve intractable pain caused by late malignancy. Electrical stimulation of the head of the caudate nucleus provided relief from intractable pain in all 17 patients. The pain and pain tolerance threshold were elevated, the alteration in skin galvanic activity, respiratory movement and fingertip plethysmography elicited by a given painful stimulus were depressed. The analgesia required a period of induction and persisted for some time after cessation of stimulation; it showed no obvious segmental topography. These characteristics are similar to those observed in acupuncture analgesia. The effect of caudate stimulation was similar to that of electric needling in depressing the late component of the somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) recorded over the scalp and from the centrum medianum of the thalamus. Evoked potentials could be recorded from the caudate nucleus when an acupuncture point was electrically stimulated. The evoked potential record was a complex wave of positive and negative components, the peak latencies of main components being 100-180 msec for positive wave and 148-332 msec for negative wave components. The present study supports the supposition that the caudate nucleus may play a role in acupuncture analgesia. The possibility that the effect of caudate stimulation is brought on by inhibiting the activity of the medial thalamus is discussed.