Maximum tolerable afterload and afterload reserve for the evaluation of ventricular performance

The concept of a maximum tolerable afterload and an afterload reserve was proposed for evaluating ventricular function. A maximum tolerable afterload was defined as the systolic ventricular pressure during gradual proximal arterial obstruction, at the point where a distal arterial pressure or flow began to fall. An afterload reserve was defined as the difference between a maximum tolerable afterload and a basal afterload. By using right heart bypass preparations in dogs, a maximum tolerable afterload and an afterload reserve were compared with the ventricular function curve. An improved ventricular function curve was always associated with a greater maximum tolerable afterload and a greater afterload reserve, whereas a depressed function curve with a smaller maximum tolerable afterload and a smaller afterload reserve.

Ultrastructural studies of nuclei and nucleoli in psoriatic epidermis, compared with those in normal epidermis

Quantitative and qualitative differences of the nuclear and nucleolar structures in normal and psoriatic (involved and uninvolved) epidermis were revealed with the electron microscope. The size of nuclei and nucleoli was increased, the frequency of nuclear bodies was increased, and the relative amount of heterochromatin was decreased in involved skin compared to normal or uninvolved skin. There was no significant difference between normal skin and uninvolved skin of psoriasis. In addition to these changes, multiple fibrillar centers within nucleoli and small masses of chromatin in the epidermal nucleoplasm were observed very frequently in involved skin, while rarely or not at all in normal and uninvolved skin. These results suggest that involved psoriatic keratinocytes have increased metabolic activity and abnormal protein synthesis, having undergone gene derepression.

[Genetical investigation of adenylate kinase in the population of the Lübeck area using agarose-thin-layer electrophoresis (author's transl)]

Adenylate kinase phenotypes were determined in a sample of 604 persons in the vicinity of Lübeck by means of thin-layer agarose-electrophoresis: A gene frequency of 0,9577 was estimated for AK1 and 0.0423 for AK2.

A case report of primary hepatic carcinoma with prolonged HB virus infection and mono-clonal gammopathy

A case of alpha-feto protein (AFP) positive hepatic cell carcinoma has been presented in which the appearance of a mono-clonal gammopathy can be explained by persistent infection with HB virus (HBV). The patient, a fifty year old male, developed acute jaundice with hepatitis in July, 1952, and died of an hepatic cell carcinoma in December, 1973. The interest of this case lies in the fact that during the seven months prior to be patient's demise, a mono-clonal gammopathy of IgG (L type), together with positive titeres for HBs Ag (adr) and AFP, was demonstrated.

Tissue localization of C1q in HBs antigen positive liver disease patients by direct immunofluorescent technique

Tissue localization of a subcomponent of the first component of complement (CLq) was examined in one postmortem case of HBs antigen (HBs Ag) positive hepatocellular carcinoma and in six cases of chronic hepatitis from liver biopsy specimens. The direct immunofluorescent method was used after fixation with 2% para-formaldehyde in concentrated ammonium sulfate. CLq localization was found in collagen fibers and the cytoplasm of fibroblasts in the connective tissues of specimens examined. The localization was particularly marked in the region of the fundal glands of the gastric wall. Apart from collagen fibers, other sites of localization included the surface membrane of lymphocytes, especially those cells of the mesenteric lymph nodes. In HBs Ag positive specimens, immune deposit-like substances appeared localized intra-hepatically and in the renal glomeruli. Since C3 and C4 were identified concomitantly, it indicates that these substances were indeed immune diposits. Despite the finding that C3 and C4 were identified together in the hepatic cell cytoplasm, C1q itself was not demonstrated in all hepatic cell cytoplasms.

Uptake and utilization of vitamin B6 and its phosphate esters by Escherichia coli

Escherichia coli KG980, a vitamin B6 auxotroph derived from E. coli K12, utilized the three unphosphorylated forms of vitamin B6, more or less effectively, for growth, but did not utilize the three phosphate forms at concentrations ranging from 10(-7) to 10(-5) M in the minimum medium of Davis and Mingioli. The bacterium, however, utilized the phosphate forms, although less effectively than the unphosphorylated forms, in the phosphate starving medium of Garen and Levinthal which is known to derepress alkaline phosphatase. Correspondingly, the phosphate forms of 3H-labeled vitamin B6 in the minimum medium were not taken up by the bacterial cells grown in the same medium, but were taken up when the phosphate starving medium was used for growth and uptake experiments; the unphosphorylated forms were taken up with either of the media used. After 30-min incubation of the cells grown in the phosphate starving medium with 3H-pyridoxine phosphate added to the same medium, the main extracellular 3H-vitamin B6 was found to be pyridoxine, evidently indicating an involvement of alkaline phosphatase action. It is concluded from these results that the phosphate forms of vitamin B6 can be taken up and utilized only after dephosphorylation but not taken up in their intact form. The initial rate of 3H-pyridoxal and 3H-pyridoxamine uptake in the minimum medium showed saturation kinetics. The Km and Vmax values were 1.2 X 10(-6) M and 62 pmoles/min/mg (dry cell weight) for pyridoxal; 11 X 10(-6) M and 65 pmoles/min/mg for pyridoxamine. 3H-Pyridoxine uptake apparently consisted of a high-affinity saturable component, whose Km value was tentatively estimated to be 2.2 X 10(-6) M, and an unsaturable component. The uptake rates of these three unphosphorylated vitamin B6 compounds compared at limiting concentrations for the growth of E. coli KG980 appear to be essentially in good agreement with the response pattern of this bacterium to the three compounds.

An epidemiological study of viral hepatitis type B in Taichung, Taiwan based on detection of HBc antibody

The city of Taichung (Taiwan) can be considered as one of the areas contaminated by HB virus. Using, as a control group, the population of three districts in Japan, i.e. 2,820 residents of the cities of Kumayama (Okayama prefecture), Bizen (Okayama prefecture), and Aki (Kochi prefecture), the extent of this problem was investigated by reference to HB antigens detected in 350 patients who presented at the Taichung hospital. The Taichung detection rates for HBs antigen, HBs antibody and HBc-antibody were 20.3%, 45.3%, and 96.9% respectively. In contrast to this, the results for the Japanese control areas were, in order, 1.2-2.9%, 14.3-22.2%, and 28.6-94.3%. The HBs antigen subtype in Taichung was predominantly adw (87.3%) rather than adr. It became clear that Taichung is, indeed, an area heavily contaminated with HB virus and, at the same time, that the number of patients with viral hepatitis type B is large.

Production of an extracellular maltase by thermophilic Bacillus sp. KP 1035

Production of extracellular maltase was studied with thermophilic Bacillus sp. KP 1035, which was selected as the organism producing the highest levels of maltase. The final enzyme yield was increased by maltose, peptone, and yeast extract but reduced by succinate and fumarate. Maximum enzyme production was achieved at 55 degrees C and at an initial pH of 6.2 to 7.0 on a medium containing 0.3% maltose, 1% peptone, 0.1% meat extract, 0.3% yeast extract, 0.3% KH2PO4, and 0.1% KH2PO4. Maltase was synthesized in cytoplasm and accumulated as a large pool during the logarithmic growth phase, which preceded sporulation. At the end of this phase, the enzyme appeared in the culture broth, and its accumulation increased in parallel with a rise in the extracellular protein level. Maltase was stable for 24 h at 60 degrees C over a pH range of 5.6 to 9.0 and retained 95% of the original activity after treatment for 20 min at 70 degrees C at pH 6.8.

Subcutaneous fat necrosis of the newborn: Light and electron microscopic studies

Specimens from two cases of subcutaneous fat necrosis of the newborn were studied by light and electron microscopy. Crystallization of the fat cell started with clearing of the central fat droplet, followed by the appearance of cylindrical crystals. The fat crystals were phagocytosed by cytoplasmic projections of macrophages as well as by foreign body giant cells. Calcium deposits were demonstrated within the central fat droplet of the degenerated fat cell of Case 2.

Acquired generalized anhidrosis

A patient developed generalized anhidrosis, probably following sunstroke. Light microscopy showed an atrophic, deeply lobulated or elongated configuration of the eccrine sweat glands, most of them containing many vacuoles that possessed strong acid phosphatase activity. Electron microscopy revealed that the vacuoles were bound by a unit membrane and that the contents varied. Fusion of the vacuoles and accumulation of cellular debris in the lumen were also seen. It was concluded that the vacuoles showed areas of autolysis and were classified in the group of lysosomes. In addition, it is postulated that the anhidrosis resulted from a critical rise in body temperature with subsequent changes in the secretory cells.

Detection of HBs antigen in routine paraffin embedded liver tissue by enzyme-labelled antibody technique

HB surface antigen (HBs Ag) was detected using the enzyme-labelled antibody technique on routinely processed liver biopsy material fixed in Bouin's fixative and embedded in paraffin. Of 85 examined specimens, 45 cases were HBs Ag positive by both the immunofluorescent test and the enzyme labelled antibody technique. The remaining 40 cases were negative by both techniques. The specificity of HBs Ag detected by the enzyme-labelled antibody technique was confirmed by the blocking test using guinea pig specific HBs antibody. The results indicate that the enzyme-labelled antibody technique may be useful for detecting HBs Ag on routine paraffin sections.

Detection of liver HBc antigen and its antibody in sera from viral hepatitis by the immunofluorescent complement technique

Hepatitis B core antigen (HBc Ag) and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBs Ag) were detected in the liver tissue of a patient with chronic aggressive hepatitis by the immunofluorescent complement technique. The presence of anti-HBc was examined by the same method in 67 human sera previously tested for HBs Ag, anti-HBs and s-GPT levels. HBc Ag was localized mainly in the nucleus and sometimes in the cytoplasm of the hepatic cells. HBs Ag was found only in the cytoplasm. The focal area of HBc Ag positive hepatic cells seemed to correspond to the HBs Ag positive cells. Double staining demonstrated the simultaneous presence of HBs Ag and HBc Ag in individual cells. Anti-HBc positive serum was found in 46 (68.7%) cases. Forty-eight (71.6%) indicated a combination of HBs Ag and anti-HBc.

The mode of growth of eccrine duct milia

Light and electron microscopic studies were performed utilizing serial sections in 10 patients with secondary milia to clarify the incidence of eccrine duct milia and to demonstrate the life history of the milia. Out of 69 milia after blistering taken from 8 patients, 52 were found to connect with the eccrine sweat duct (75.4%) while only 1 connected with the hair follicle (1.5%). In the control group, of 4 milia taken from 2 patients, 2 were found to connect with the eccrine sweat duct and 1 with the hair follicle. Various degrees of milium formation were observed ranging from incomplete and having either concave-shape, U-shape, capped U-shape, or O-shape. The eccrine duct milia in all types possess structures resembling the epidermal sweat duct unit. The epithelial cells constituting the recess or cyst differ from epidermal cells.

Excluded-Volume Effects in Dilute Polymer Solutions. V. Butyl Rubber in Various Solvents

It is a fundamental requirement of the two-parameter theory of linear homopolymers in dilute solution that the expansion factor α, and the interpenetration function Ψ depend only on the excluded-volume parameter z and that these functions are universal in the sense that their forms are independent of the chemical nature of the polymer and solvent as well as of the temperature. It follows immediately from the above requirement that the values of Ψ for different combinations of polymer, solvent, and temperature should form a single composite curve when plotted against αs.