MRI-based Neuropathy Score Reporting And Data System (NS-RADS): multi-institutional wider-experience usability study of peripheral neuropathy conditions among 32 radiology readers

OBJECTIVE

To determine the inter-reader reliability and diagnostic performance of classification and severity scales of Neuropathy Score Reporting And Data System (NS-RADS) among readers of differing experience levels after limited teaching of the scoring system.

METHODS

This is a multi-institutional, cross-sectional, retrospective study of MRI cases of proven peripheral neuropathy (PN) conditions. Thirty-two radiology readers with varying experience levels were recruited from different institutions. Each reader attended and received a structured presentation that described the NS-RADS classification system containing examples and reviewed published articles on this subject. The readers were then asked to perform NS-RADS scoring with recording of category, subcategory, and most likely diagnosis. Inter-reader agreements were evaluated by Conger's kappa and diagnostic accuracy was calculated for each reader as percent correct diagnosis. A linear mixed model was used to estimate and compare accuracy between trainees and attendings.

RESULTS

Across all readers, agreement was good for NS-RADS category and moderate for subcategory. Inter-reader agreement of trainees was comparable to attendings (0.65 vs 0.65). Reader accuracy for attendings was 75% (95% CI 73%, 77%), slightly higher than for trainees (71% (69%, 72%), p = 0.0006) for nerves and comparable for muscles (attendings, 87.5% (95% CI 86.1-88.8%) and trainees, 86.6% (95% CI 85.2-87.9%), p = 0.4). NS-RADS accuracy was also higher than average accuracy for the most plausible diagnosis for attending radiologists at 67% (95% CI 63%, 71%) and for trainees at 65% (95% CI 60%, 69%) (p = 0.036).

CONCLUSION

Non-expert radiologists interpreted PN conditions with good accuracy and moderate-to-good inter-reader reliability using the NS-RADS scoring system.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT

The Neuropathy Score Reporting And Data System (NS-RADS) is an accurate and reliable MRI-based image scoring system for practical use for the diagnosis and grading of severity of peripheral neuromuscular disorders by both experienced and general radiologists.

KEY POINTS

• The Neuropathy Score Reporting And Data System (NS-RADS) can be used effectively by non-expert radiologists to categorize peripheral neuropathy. • Across 32 different experience-level readers, the agreement was good for NS-RADS category and moderate for NS-RADS subcategory. • NS-RADS accuracy was higher than the average accuracy for the most plausible diagnosis for both attending radiologists and trainees (at 75%, 71% and 65%, 65%, respectively).

The clincoradiologic spectrum of notochordal derived masses

The notochord is an essential part of human development that regresses with age. Masses derived from notochordal tissue may be encountered during imaging of the neuroaxis. Fortunately, the majority of these are benign and can usually be differentiated by radiological and clinical findings. In this manuscript, we discuss the clinical and radiologic presentation of the four notochordal derived masses and present a brief overview of their management.

Rapid Microbiology Screening in Pharmaceutical Workflows

Recently advances in miniaturization and automation have been utilized to rapidly decrease the time to result for microbiology testing in the clinic. These advances have been made due to the limitations of conventional culture-based microbiology methods, including agar plate and microbroth dilution, which have long turnaround times and require physicians to treat patients empirically with antibiotics before test results are available. Currently, there exist similar limitations in pharmaceutical sterility and bioburden testing, where the long turnaround times associated with standard microbiology testing drive costly inefficiencies in workflows. These include the time lag associated with sterility screening within drug production lines and the warehousing cost and time delays within supply chains during product testing. Herein, we demonstrate a proof-of-concept combination of a rapid microfluidic assay and an efficient cell filtration process that enables a path toward integrating rapid tests directly into pharmaceutical microbiological screening workflows. We demonstrate separation and detection of Escherichia coli directly captured and analyzed from a mammalian (i.e., CHO) cell culture with a 3.0 h incubation. The demonstration is performed using a membrane filtration module that is compatible with sampling from bioreactors, enabling in-line sampling and process monitoring.

The glenoid track: a review of the clinical relevance, method of calculation and current evidence behind this method

In the setting of bipolar bone injury, orthopedic surgeons are currently making use of the glenoid track method to guide surgical management. Using preoperative CT or MR imaging, this method allows the identification of patients who are more likely to fail a primary capsuloligamentous Bankart repair. As the glenoid track method becomes increasingly used in preoperative planning, it is important for the radiologist to become familiar with its concept and method of calculation. This review article aims to concisely summarize the current literature and the clinical implications of the glenoid track method.

A microfluidic model for organ-specific extravasation of circulating tumor cells

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are the principal vehicle for the spread of non-hematologic cancer disease from a primary tumor, involving extravasation of CTCs across blood vessel walls, to form secondary tumors in remote organs. Herein, a polydimethylsiloxane-based microfluidic system is developed and characterized for in vitro systematic studies of organ-specific extravasation of CTCs. The system recapitulates the two major aspects of the in vivo extravasation microenvironment: local signaling chemokine gradients in a vessel with an endothelial monolayer. The parameters controlling the locally stable chemokine gradients, flow rate, and initial chemokine concentration are investigated experimentally and numerically. The microchannel surface treatment effect on the confluency and adhesion of the endothelial monolayer under applied shear flow has also been characterized experimentally. Further, the conditions for driving a suspension of CTCs through the microfluidic system are discussed while simultaneously maintaining both the local chemokine gradients and the confluent endothelial monolayer. Finally, the microfluidic system is utilized to demonstrate extravasation of MDA-MB-231 cancer cells in the presence of CXCL12 chemokine gradients. Consistent with the hypothesis of organ-specific extravasation, control experiments are presented to substantiate the observation that the MDA-MB-231 cell migration is attributed to chemotaxis rather than a random process.

Stable dispersions of hybrid nanoparticles induced by stereocomplexation between enantiomeric poly(lactide) star polymers

We report the formation and characterization of stable dispersions of hybrid nanoparticles in solution formed via stereocomplexation of enantiomeric poly(lactide) hybrid star polymers. The hybrid starlike polymers, having polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) nanocages as the core and either poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) or poly(D-lactide) (PDLA) as the arms, are synthesized via ring-opening polymerization of lactide using octafunctional POSS as the macroinitiator. In the solid state, differential scanning calorimetry and wide-angle X-ray scattering measurements confirmed the formation of the stereocomplex in the mixture of POSS-star-PLLA and POSS-star-PDLA (50:50, wt %). In a solution of the same mixture in tetrahydrofuran (THF), sterocomplexation leads to formation of hybrid nanaoparticles. Detailed accounts of the nanoparticle formation and influence of aging and concentration have been presented. It was observed that at low concentration the stereocomplexed nanaoparticles remain stable over 45 days and are not sensitive to dilution, suggesting the formation of a stable hybrid nanoparticle dispersion in solution. In contrast, the aggregates of the individual POSS-star-PLLA or POSS-star-PDLA in THF, formed via weak solvophobic interactions, tended to disintegrate into smaller aggregates on dilution. Exploiting the PLLA-PDLA stereocomplexation with an appropriate molecular design can be a versatile route to develop stable organic/inorganic hybrid nanoparticle dispersions.

Spikes and epilepsy

Digital EEG analysis provides significantly more information to the clinical electroencephalographer (EEGer) for scalp as well as for intracranial monitoring than is currently being routinely utilized. When modern data analysis software is used, interictal spikes contain considerably more information than had previously been ascribed to them. To optimize the diagnostic value of the EEG, sleep recordings after sleep deprivation is valuable because focal spikes, unless abundant, are relatively rare in the waking state. Recording time should also be sufficiently long to allow spikes to emerge. Spikes are always pathologic and can be associated with impaired cerebral perfusion, metabolic changes and concomitant behavioral changes. They can also be separated into simple and complex forms which may allow prognostic statements. The simplest way to accomplish this is by placing a cursor on the peak of the spike and see whether or not other channels show latency differences. More precise methods are: comparisons of voltage maps with current source density maps, principal component analysis and distinctions between stationary versus moving dipoles. Averaging of spikes is valuable but care must be taken that only those spikes which have the same distribution are averaged, and when the average is obtained only from the spike peak, propagation may already have occurred. It has been recommended that the midpoint of the ascending negative phase be used as the point for averaging. In intracranial recordings the frequencies above the gamma range should also be assessed. Their small electrical field allows a differentiation between locally generated events from those which are volume conducted and can thereby more accurately reflect the epileptogenic zone(s). High frequency activity can also be recorded from foramen ovale electrodes which enhances their diagnostic utility. It is emphasized that for centers which perform pre-surgical evaluations the software supplied by instrument manufacturers is inadequate and needs to be supplemented by additional commercially available programs. Furthermore, archived data should be used for retrospective investigations and follow-up studies of patients who have undergone either excisions, resections, or multiple subpial transections to evaluate the success rates by taking into account all the properties of interictal and ictal recordings which are mentioned in this article.

Photocatalytic oxidation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: intermediates identification and toxicity testing

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are hydrophobic pollutants and their low water solubility limits their degradation in aqueous solution. The presence of water-miscible solvent such as acetone can increase the water solubility of PAHs, however acetone will also affect the degradation of PAH. In this study the effects of acetone on the photocatalytic degradation efficiency and pathways of 5 selected PAHs, namely naphthalene (2 rings), acenaphthylene (3 rings), phenanthrene (3 rings), anthracene (3 rings) and benzo[a]anthracene (4 rings) were investigated. The Microtox toxicity test was used to determine whether the PCO system can completely detoxify the parental PAHs and its intermediates. The addition of 16% acetone can greatly alter the degradation pathway of naphthalene and anthracene. Based on intermediates identified from degradation of the 5 PAHs, the location of parental PAHs attacked by reactive free radicals can be correlated with the localization energies of different positions of the compound. For toxicity analysis, irradiation by UV light was found to induce acute toxicity by generating intermediates/degradation products from PAHs and possibly acetone. Lastly, all PAHs (10 mg l(-1)) can be completely detoxified by titanium dioxide (100 mg l(-1)) within 24h under UVA irradiation (3.9 mW cm(-2)).

Degradation of Acid Orange 7 using magnetic AgBr under visible light: the roles of oxidizing species

AgBr was creatively immobilized on a magnetic substrate (SiO(2)-coated Fe(3)O(4) nanoparticle, SFN) to achieve magnetic separation after visible light-driven photocatalytic oxidation (PCO). The resulted Ag/AgBr/SFN was characterized by TEM, vibrating sample magnetometer and other techniques. It is found that the average diameter of the Ag/AgBr/SFN particle is less than 20 nm. The typical superparamagnetic behavior of Ag/AgBr/SFN implies that the catalyst can be magnetically separated. The physicochemical features of the used Ag/AgBr/SFN after visible light irradiation were not dramatically changed by X-ray diffraction, UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectra and Fourier transform-infrared analysis. SiO(2) interlayer was proven to slightly increase the degradation efficiency for an azo dye Acid Orange 7. UV-Vis spectra and HPLC analysis indicated that the dye was oxidized and decomposed. The photoactivity of Ag/AgBr/SFN was partly maintained after successive PCO under visible light. In order to evaluate the roles of e(-)-h(+) pairs and reactive oxygen species, the quenching effect was examined by employing Ag/AgBr/SFN and commercial TiO(2) (P-25) under visible light (lambda>400 nm) and UV-A irradiation, respectively. Active h(+) and the resulting (*)OH played the major roles for degradation. The effect of active h(+) and (*)OH were proven to be highly dependent on the concentration of photocatalysts. The effect of (*)OH was more obvious for P-25, while that of active h(+) was more predominant for Ag/AgBr/SFN.

Comprehensive characterization of indoor airborne bacterial profile

This is the first detailed characterization of the airborne bacterial profiles in indoor environments. Two restaurants were selected for this study. Fifteen genera of bacteria were isolated from each restaurant and identified by three different bacterial identification systems including MIDI, Biolog and Riboprinter. The dominant bacteria of both restaurants were Gram-positive bacteria in which Micrococcus and Bacillus species were the most abundant. Most bacteria identified were representative species of skin and respiratory tract of human, and soil. Although the bacterial levels in these two restaurants were below the limit of the Hong Kong Indoor Air Quality Objective (HKIAQO) Level 1 standard (i.e., < 500 cfu/m3), the majority of these bacteria were opportunistic pathogens. These results suggested that the identity of airborne bacteria should also be included in the IAQ to ensure there is a safety guideline for the public.

Photocatalytic disinfection of marine bacteria using fluorescent light

Photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) using fluorescent light was used to disinfect two marine bacteria: Alteromonas alvinellae and Photobacterium phosphoreum. Results showed that P. phosphoreum exhibited a lower susceptibility towards PCO than A. alvinellae, which was related to their fatty acid profiles and levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT). Results also revealed that CAT and SOD levels would be triggered by PCO reaction. In addition, PCO disinfection efficiency could be enhanced by acidic pH levels and increased temperatures, while different growth phases demonstrated diverse effects to the studied bacteria, probably due to their morphological difference or change in physiological state. Lastly intracellular leakage of potassium ion (K(+)), in line with the loss of cell viability, was observed during PCO. Mineralization of bacteria by PCO was monitored by total organic carbon analysis. From the regrowth study, the tested strains failed to reactivate within 96h after PCO treatment, indicating PCO caused irreversible bacterial inactivation.

Postprocessing statistical language models for handwritten Chinese character recognizer

Two statistical language models have been investigated on their effectiveness in upgrading the accuracy of a Chinese character recognizer. The baseline model is one of lexical analytic nature which segments a sequence of character images according to the maximum matching of words with consideration of word binding forces. A model of bigram statistics of word-classes is then investigated and compared against the baseline model in terms of recognition rate improvement on the image recognizer. On the average, the baseline language model improves the recognition rate by about 7% while the bigram statistics model upgrades it by about 10%

Disinfection of Legionella pneumophila by photocatalytic oxidation

Photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) was proven to be efficacious in the inactivation of Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 Strains 977, 1009, 1014 and ATCC 33153. The local (Strains 997, 1009 and 1014) and ATCC (Strain 33153) strains showed sensitivity differences towards PCO. The inactivation mechanisms of PCO were investigated by transmission and scanning electron microscopy by which PCO was found to disintegrate the cells eventually. Before the disintegration, there was lipid peroxidation of outer and cytoplasmic membrane causing holes formation and leading to the entry of OH into the cells to oxidize the intracellular components. Fatty acid profile analysis found that the amount of saturated, 16-carbon branched-chain fatty acid, which is predominant in Legionella, decreased in the surviving populations from PCO. A relationship between the amount of this fatty acid and the PCO sensitivity of the tested strains was also observed. Mineralization of cells by PCO was proven by total organic carbon analysis.

Adsorption of copper ion on magnetite-immobilised chitin

The adsorption of Cu2+ from aqueous solution by magnetite-immobilised chitin (MC) was studied in batch mode. Two conventional adsorbents, cation exchange resin (CER) and activated carbon (AC) were used for the comparison. The physicochemical parameters including pH, concentration of adsorbent, temperature and initial Cu2+ concentration were optimised. Under the optimised conditions, the removal efficiencies of Cu2+ for MC, CER and AC were 91.67, 93.36 and 89.16%, respectively. In addition, the removal capacities of Cu2+ for MC, CER and AC were 56.71, 74.84 and 6.55 mg/g, respectively. The adsorption isotherm studies indicated that the adsorptive behaviour of Cu2+ on three adsorbents could be well described by the Langmuir model. The maximum adsorption capacities (qmax) for MC, CER and AC were 53.19, 89.29 and 5.82 mg/g, respectively. The applicability of the kinetic model has been investigated for MC. Experimental results indicated that a pseudo-second-order reaction model provided the best description of the data with a correlation coefficient 0.999 for different initial Cu2+ concentrations. The rate constants were also determined. Various thermodynamic parameters such as standard free energy (DeltaG 0), enthalpy (DeltaH 0) and entropy (DeltaS 0) were calculated for predicting the adsorption nature of MC. The results indicated that this system was a spontaneous and endothermic process.

Photocatalytic degradation of di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate adsorbed by chitin A

Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) is a ubiquitous environmental contaminant due to its extensive use as a plasticiser and its persistence. Currently, there is no cost-effective treatment method for its removal from industrial wastewater. In a previous study, DEHP was effectively adsorbed from aqueous solution by biosorption onto chitinous materials. Biosorption can pre-concentrate DEHP from the aqueous phase for further treatment. As biosorption cannot degrade DEHP, in this study the degradation (and detoxification) of DEHP adsorbed onto chitinous material by photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) is attempted. PCO relies on hydroxyl radical (.OH), which is a strong oxidising agent, for the oxidative degradation of pollutants. It is a non-selective process which can degrade DEHP adsorbed onto chitinous material. The first part of this study is the optimisation of the degradation of adsorbed DEHP by PCO. Adsorption was carried out in the physicochemical conditions optimised in the previous study, with 500 mg/L chitin A and 40 mg/L DEHP at initial pH 2, 22+/-2 degrees C and 150 rpm agitation for 5 min. After optimisation of PCO, a 61% removal efficiency of 10 mg/L of DEHP was achieved within 45 min under 0.65 mW/cm2 of UV-A with 100 mg/L TiO2, and 10 mM of H2O2 at initial pH 12. The optimisation study showed that UV-A and TiO(2) are essential for the degradation of DEHP by PCO. The degradation intermediates/products were identified by GC-MS analysis. GC-MS results showed that the di(2-ethylhexyl) side chain was first degraded, producing phthalates with shorter side chains. Further reaction produced phathalic anhydride and aliphatic compounds such as alkanol and ester. The toxicities of parental and degradation intermediates in the solution phase and on chitinous materials were followed by the Microtox test. Results indicated that toxicity can be removed after 4 h treatment by PCO. Thus the decontamination of DEHP by integrating biosorption and PCO is feasible.

Short-term dynamic change of gill copper in common carp, Cyprinus carpio, evaluated by a sequential extraction

Dynamic changes in Cu speciation and its binding to fish gills were investigated by exposing common carp (Cyprinus carpio) to a 1 mg/1 Cu solution for 7 hours. Cu speciation in the bulk solution and fish gill microenvironment was calculated using general chemical equilibrium modeling. A sequential extraction procedure using distilled water, magnesium dichloride (1.0 mol/1), and acetic acid (10%) was used to characterize the Cu associated with the fish gills. Cu residual in the gill tissue was measured after the sequential extraction. Changes in total Cu concentration, pH, and dissolved organic carbon (Doc) in the bulk solution were recorded during the experimental period and calculated for the fish gill microenvironment. Cu-hydroxide species and Cu2 were dominant Cu species in both bulk solution and the fish gill microenvironment, whereas increased Cu-mucus was found in the fish gill microenvironment. DOC in the exposure medium, assumed to arise from mucus release, also increased and complexed Cu in solution. Forty-three percent of the Cu associated with the gills was readily water extractable, with an additional 22% exchangeable with Mg2+ or protons. Only 35% of the Cu accumulated within the gill tissues. The binding of Cu to the fish gills reached apparent equilibrium after 3 hours of exposure. Furthermore, the amount of water-extractable Cu within the gills showed significant correlation to the concentration of Cu predicted to be complexed with calculated free mucus in the gill microenvironment.

An approach to assess ecological risk for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in surface water from Tianjin

Three approaches were applied and compared to evaluate additive toxic effects of eight PAHs to aquatic organisms in rivers in the Tianjin area. Although the toxicity of the studied PAH compounds did not significantly increase the risk to aquatic organisms, the results of all three approaches indicated that the additive effect of the eight PAHs was significantly stronger than any individual compound acting alone, which indicated the applicability of the approaches. Further, of the compounds studied, anthracene was the major contributor to the overall toxic effect of the mixture. The calculated geometric means of the hazard quotient for the additive effect varied from 0.00055 to 0.00062, compared to the hazard quotient of individual PAHs which ranged from 5.1 x 10-6 to 0.00053. The hazard quotient distribution geometric mean was 0.00058, with 95% of the quotient between 6.6 x 10-5 and 0.051. Overlapping areas varied from 0.00015 to 0.02 for individual PAHs and was 0.03 for additive toxicity.

Human exposure and health risk of alpha-, beta-, gamma- and delta-hexachlorocyclohexane (HCHs) in Tianjin, China

The dynamic exposures to HCHs of individuals born between the years 1913 and 1993 in Tianjin have been simulated by connecting a fugacity model (IV) with a multimedia exposure model. Ingestion is the most important pathway for human beings to take up HCHs, and concentrations in the human body correlate with body weight changes. Accumulations of HCHs were derived assuming that the degradation in human body behaved linearly. The health risk of exposure to HCHs was measured using cancer risk and loss of life expectancy (LLE), and LLE was modified from its original definition to incorporate a dynamic calculation that takes variances in exposure into account. Monte-Carlo simulations were run to analyze the uncertainties of the model.

Determination of dichloroacetic acid and trichloroacetic acid in drinking water by acidic methanol esterification and headspace gas chromatography

A simple and rapid headspace method for gas chromatographic determination of dichloroacetic acid (DCAA) and trichloroacetic acid (TCAA) in drinking water was developed. Acidic methanol esterification followed by a headspace technique using a capillary column gas chromatograph (GC) equipped with an electron capture detector (ECD) was applied to determine the levels of DCAA and TCAA in drinking water. The major advantages of this method are the use of acidic methanol as the derivatization agent instead of the hazardous diazomethane, and esterification is carried out in water instead of organic solvent. DCAA and TCAA methyl esters produced in the reaction were determined directly by a headspace GC/ECD method. The linear correlation coefficients at concentrations ranging from 0 to 60 microg/L were 0.992 and 0.996 for DCAA and TCAA, respectively. The relative standard deviations (RSD, %) for the determination of DCAA and TCAA in drinking water were 15 and 21.3%, respectively (n=3). The detection limits of this method were 3 and 0.5 microg/L for DCAA and TCAA, respectively, and the recovery was 68-103.2% for DCAA and TCAA.

Contamination of rivers in Tianjin, China by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Tianjin urban/industrial complex is highly polluted by some persistent organic pollutants. In this study, the levels of 16 priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were tested in sediment, water, and suspended particulate matter (SPM) samples in 10 rivers in Tianjin. The total concentration of 16 PAHs varied from 0.787 to 1943 microg/g dry weight in sediment, from 45.81 to 1272 ng/L in water, and from 0.938 to 64.2 microg/g dry weight in SPM. The levels of PAHs in these media are high in comparison with values reported from other river and marine systems. Variability of total concentrations of PAHs in sediment, water, and SPM from nine different rivers is consistent with each other. No obvious trends of total PAHs concentration variations were found between upstream and downstream sediment, water, and SPM samples for most rivers, which indicate local inputs and disturbances along these rivers. The spatial distributions of three-phase PAHs are very similar to each other, and they are also similar to those found in topsoil. However, their chemical profiles are significantly different from that of topsoil. The change of profiles is consistent with the different aqueous transport capability of 16 PAHs. Low molecular weight PAHs predomination suggests a relatively recent local source and coal combustion source of PAHs in the study area.

Toxicity identification evaluation (TIE) of pore water of contaminated marine sediments collected from Hong Kong waters

Marine sediment can function both as a source and as a sink of marine chemical contaminants. The toxicity of contaminated marine sediment can be assessed by toxic evaluation of its pore water, the inter-particle water of sediment, because toxicants in the pore water may be bioavailable to marine organisms. In this study, the toxicity identification evaluation (TIE) was performed to identify the major toxicants in the pore water of marine sediment collected in Hong Kong waters. In Phase 1 TIE, the suspected toxicants were characterized as anions or organic compounds that are either oxidizable or filterable in alkaline medium. In Phase 2 TIE, the suspected toxicants were identified as sulfide (S(2-)) based on the reduction of toxicity due to lowering of sulfide concentrations by experimental manipulations. The mass balance and spiking analyses in Phase 3 confirmed that S(2-) was one of the major toxicants and that some non-toxic unknown compounds measured by LC-MS, which was removed by C18 solid phase extraction, enhanced the toxicity of S(2-) in the pore water samples.

Treatment of atrazine by integrating photocatalytic and biological processes

This research examines the degradation of atrazine by photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) under different experimental conditions. Deisopropylatrazine, deethylatrazine and deethyldeisopropylatrazine were formed as major intermediates based on gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The reaction mixture was found to be toxic towards two bioassays, i.e. the Microtox and amphipods survival tests even when atrazine was completely degraded by PCO within 2 h under optimized conditions. The results indicate that adding H2O2 could significantly enhance the degradation of atrazine by PCO. Ammeline, ammelide and cyanuric acid (CA) became the major intermediates/products as detected by high performance liquid chromatography from 6th to the 40th h of PCO treatment. After 72 h PCO treatment, only CA was detectable in the reaction mixture. Further degradation of CA was carried out by a newly isolated CA-degrading bacterium, Sphingomonas capsulata. The photochemical pretreatment integrated with microbial degradation lead to the complete degradation and detoxification of atrazine.

Optimization of photocatalytic oxidation of 2,2',3,3'-tetrachlorobiphenyl

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are wide spread environmental pollutants. This research focused the optimum physico-chemical conditions under which photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) can be used to degrade 2,2',3,3'-tetrachlorobiphenyl (tetra-CB). Among the optimal physico-chemical conditions studied were UV intensity, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) concentrations, initial pH, and possible reaction intermediates were also determined. The results indicate that the optimal physico-chemical conditions necessary for the degradation of tetra-CB by PCO were UV intensity at 3.16 mW/cm2, 30 mM of H2O2 and 100 mg/l of TiO2. In contrast to the results of PCO studies on other organic compounds, the optimum pH for PCO degradation of tetra-CB was 5.5. The removal efficiency was also higher under acidic conditions than alkaline conditions. Although degradation intermediates such as 1,3-bis(1,1-dimethylethyl)benzene, 2,4-bis(1,1-dimethylethyl)phenol, and 3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxybenzaldehyde were identified at an early stage in the reaction process, they were not completely degraded even after 7h of PCO reaction.

Application of a toxicity identification evaluation for a sample of effluent discharged from a dyeing factory in Hong Kong

A first toxicity identification evaluation (TIE) was conducted in three phases using the Microtox test to identify the major toxicant(s) in effluent discharged from a dyeing plant in Hong Kong. In Phase I toxicity characterization indicated that anions were likely to be the major toxicants for the entire effluent. In Phase II concentrations of sulfite and other anions in the original and the anion exchange resin-treated effluent samples were determined by ion chromatography. Anions, which were found in the effluent at comparatively high concentrations and were suspected of being responsible for the toxicity to luminescent bacteria, were selected for further study in Phase III. Investigation in Phase III using the spiking and mass balance approaches confirmed that the sulfite ion was the major toxicant in the effluent.

Microbial enhancement of Cu2+ removal capacity of Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.)

Bacteria resistant to Cu2+, Ni2+ or Zn2+ were isolated from the rhizosphere of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.)) and their metal ion removal capacities (RCs) were determined. The Ni2+ and Zn2+ RCs of the respective metal ion-resistant bacteria were less than 4.1 mg g(-1), while one of the Cu2+-resistant bacteria (Strain CU-1) showed a significant high Cu2+ RC of 10.6 mg g(-1). The effect of inoculating water hyacinth with Strain CU-1 on its Cu2+ RC was further studied. Water hyacinths were treated with an antibiotic, oxytetracycline (OTC), to remove most rhizospheric bacteria of plant roots. Inoculation of Strain CU-1 increased the Cu2+ RC of the plant root by 1.91 (OTC-treated) and 1.56 (OTC-untreated) folds respectively when compared with the control. Results also showed that Strain CU-1 colonized onto the plant root and led to the increase of Cu2+ RC of the roots of water hyacinth.

Ni2+ removal and recovery from electroplating effluent by Pseudomonas putida 5-x cell biomass

Ni2+ and Cu2+ are the major heavy metal ions in electroplating wastewater of Hong Kong. In the present study, Pseudomonas putida 5-x cell biomass was used to remove Ni2+ from electroplating effluent. Ni2+ adsorption capacity of P. putida 5-x cell biomass cultured in sulphate-limiting medium was found to be minimum in early logarithmic growth phase, and maximum of 28.1 mg g(-1) in late stationary growth phase. Pretreated cells by 0.1 mol L(-1) HCl could greatly enhance the Ni2+ adsorption capacity of cell biomass from 28.1 to 36.7 mg g(-1) and had no significant effect on biomass loss. The adsorption process of P. putida 5-x fresh cells and pretreated cell all could be expressed with Freundlich isotherm. TEM analyses indicated that acidic pretreatment degraded the superficial layer-capsule outside of the fresh cell to improve the adsorption capacity of cell to Ni2+. The Ni2+ bound by P. putida 5-x cell biomass could be efficiently recovered using 0.1 mol L(-1) HCl, and the cell biomass could be reused at least five cycles for Ni2+ removal and recovery with 93% above removal efficiency and 98% above recovery rate. Owing to the Cu2+ presented in electroplating wastewater inhibiting Ni2+ adsorption process by P. putida 5-x cell biomass, two-stage biosorption processes should be designed to remove and recover Cu2+ and Ni2+ sequentially from electroplating effluent.

Role of cell surface components on Cu2+ adsorption by Pseudomonas putida 5-x isolated from electroplating effluent

A gram-negative bacterium Pseudomonas putida 5-x with high Cu2+ accumulating capability was isolated from electroplating effluent in Kwun Tong, Hong Kong. The pretreated cells without superficial layer-capsule, isolated cell envelopes and the separated peptidoglycan layer materials were obtained from fresh P. putida 5-x cells, their Cu2+ adsorption capacities and properties were compared with that of the fresh cells. Pretreatment by 0.1 mol L(-1) HCl enhanced Cu2+ adsorption capacity due to the degradation of cell superficial layer-capsule of P. putida 5-x cells. Isolated cell envelopes possessed five times more Cu2+ adsorption capacity than that of fresh intact cell. The Cu2+ adsorption of separated peptidoglycan layer materials indicated that the peptidoglycan layer only played 10-15% part of the Cu2+ adsorption capacity, and implied other cell surface components such as outer membrane or inner membrane might play an important role in such high Cu2+ binding of the cell envelopes. The adsorption process of fresh cells, pretreated cells and cell envelopes of P. putida 5-x could be described with Freundlich isotherm, while the adsorption of Cu2+ by separated peptidoglycan layer materials was better described with Langmuir isotherm.

Development of seaweed biomass as a biosorbent for metal ions

Three seaweed species collected from Hong Kong waters were screened for their adsorption abilities for Cu2+, Ni2+ and Zn2+ and Ulva lactuca having the highest metal ion removal capacity (RC) was chosen for further study. Effects of algal biomass and medium pH on the metal ions RC of Ulva lactuca were determined and optimized. Under the optimal conditions of the corresponding metal ions, the algal Cu2+, Ni2+ and Zn2+ RCs were 65.54, 21.00 and 49.54 mg/g, respectively. The presence of other cations and anions affected the metal ions adsorption by the seaweed. The effect was dependent on the between the target metal ions and other cations/anions. The kinetic study revealed that the adsorption of Cu2+, Ni2+ and Zn2+ by Ulva lactuca fitted the Langmuir isotherm. Comparing with 0.1 M HCl, citric acid, thiourea, EDTA and HNO3, 0.1 M H2SO4 efficiently recovered close to 100% adsorbed metal ions from Ulva lactuca. In three successive adsorption-desorption cycles, reduction in metal ion RCs was found in the second and third cycles, but almost all adsorbed metal ion could be recovered.

Correlation relationships between physico-chemical properties and gas chromatographic retention index of polychlorinated-dibenzofurans

Correlation relationships between physico-chemical properties including vapor pressures (P), water solubilities (S), Henry's law constants (H(c)), n-octanol-water partition coefficients (K(ow)), sediment-water partition coefficient (K(pw)) and biotic lipid-water partition coefficient (K(bw), bioconcentration factor) of polychlorinated-dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and their gas chromatographic retention indices (GC-RIs) were established. A model equation between GC-RIs (= RI) and these physico-chemical properties (K) of PCDFs was in a form of log K = aRI2 + bRI + c with correlation coefficients (R2) greater than 0.94, except H(c). These equations were derived from six experimental data (five experimental data for log K(bw)) in each physico-chemical properties of PCDFs reported previously. The values of log P, log S, log H(c), log K(ow), log K(pw) and log K(bw) of PCDFs predicted by these equations based on their GC-RIs in the present study derviated from those calculated by the solubility parameters for fate analysis method in a previous study by 0.49, 0.32, 0.11, 0.34, 0.14 and 0.22 log units, respectively.

Degradation of azo dye Procion Red MX-5B by photocatalytic oxidation

The photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) of a monoazo dye Procion Red MX-5B under various physico-chemical conditions was investigated. Degradation of the dye by PCO was enhanced by augmentation in UV intensity, titanium dioxide and hydrogen peroxide concentrations but was inhibited by increase in initial dye concentration. The PCO process was affected by pH in a peculiar way. In the presence of 100 mg/l of TiO2 and the absence of H2O2, the highest reaction rate was observed when the initial pH was 10. With 500 mg/l of TiO2 and 10 mM of H2O2, the reaction was the fastest at initial pH of 3-5. The optimal conditions for the degradation of the dye, at an UV intensity of 17 mW/cm2, were determined to be: TiO2 concentration, 500 mg/l; initial H2O2 concentration, 10 mM; initial pH, 5.0. Monitoring of TOC loss showed that the dye was mineralized by 90% within 80 min under these conditions. Nevertheless, the persistence of a low level of TOC indicated that mineralization was not complete and dead-end product(s) which was (were) resistant to PCO might have accumulated.

Mathematical relationships between vapor pressure, water solubility, Henry's law constant, n-octanol/water partition coefficent and gas chromatographic retention index of polychlorinated-dibenzo-dioxins

Mathematical relationships between vapor pressures (P), water solubilities (S), Henry's law constants (Hc). noctanol/water partition coefficients (Kow) and gas chromatograph retention indices (GC-RIs) of polychlorinated-dibenzo-dioxins (PCDDs) were established. A model equation was established between GC-RIs (= RI) and other physico-chemical parameters (K) of PCDDs in the form of log K = aRI2 + bRI + c with correlation coefficients (R2) greater than 0.97, except Hc. These equations were derived from 56 experimental data of PCDDs reported previously. The values of P, S, Hc and Kow of PCDDs predicted by these equations based on their GC-RIs in the present study deviated from those calculated by the SOFA method in a previous study by only 0.19, 0.13, 0.18 and 0.096 log units, respectively.

Effects of pulse methylprednisolone on macrophage chemotactic protein-1 and macrophage inflammatory protein-1alpha in rheumatoid synovium

OBJECTIVE

To determine the effect of pulse methyprednisolone (PMP; 1000 mg) on the expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1 and macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1alpha in rheumatoid synovial membrane.

METHODS

Seven patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were studied. Arthroscopically-directed synovial biopsies were taken before and 24 hours after treatment with intravenous PMP. Synovial membranes were stained by immunohistochemical techniques with monoclonal antibodies against MCP-1, MIP-1alpha and CD68 (a macrophage marker). Quantitation of staining was performed by computer-assisted color video image analysis.

RESULTS

PMP therapy was associated with a rapid (within 24 hours) and substantial decrease in the expression of MCP-1 and MIP-1alpha expression by a mean of 55% (p = 0.05) and 45% (p = 0.03), respectively, with no effect on CD68 expression in the synovial lining layer. There was no significant change in MCP-1, MIP-1alpha or CD68 expression in the synovial sublining.

CONCLUSION

PMP therapy rapidly reduces MCP-1 and MIP-1alpha levels in the synovial lining layer without a fall in macrophage numbers. It thus appears that the initial effect of PMP is that of reducing macrophage activation.

Enhanced proteolysis of IkappaBalpha and IkappaBbeta proteins in astrocytes by Moloney murine leukemia virus (MoMuLV)-ts1 infection: a potential mechanism of NF-kappaB activation

Moloney murine leukemia virus (MoMuLV)-ts1-mediated neuronal degeneration in mice is likely due to loss of glial support and release of inflammatory cytokines and neurotoxins from surrounding ts1-infected glial cells including astrocytes. NF-kappaB is a transcription factor that participates in the transcriptional activation of a variety of immune and inflammatory genes. We investigated whether ts1 activates NF-kappaB in astrocytes and examined the mechanism(s) responsible for the activation of NF-kappaB by ts1 infection in vitro. Here we present evidence that ts1 infection of astrocytes in vitro activates NF-kappaB by enhanced proteolysis of the NF-kappaB inhibitors, IkappaBalpha and IkappaBbeta. In in vitro studies using protease inhibitors, IkappaBalpha proteolysis in ts1-infected astrocytes was significantly blocked by a specific calpain inhibitor calpeptin but not by MG-132, a specific proteasome inhibitor, whereas rapid IkappaBbeta proteolysis was blocked by MG-132. Furthermore, treatment with MG-132 increased levels of multiubiquitinated IkappaBbeta protein in ts1-infected astrocytes. These results indicate that the calpain proteolysis is a major mechanism of IkappaBalpha proteolysis in ts1-infected astrocytes. Additionally, ts1 infection of astrocytes in vitro increased expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), a NF-kappaB-dependent gene product. Our results suggest that NF-kappaB activation in ts1-infected astrocytes is mediated by enhanced proteolysis of IkappaBalpha and IkappaBbeta through two different proteolytic pathways, the calpain and ubiquitin-proteasome pathways, resulting in increased expression of iNOS, a NF-kappaB-dependent gene.

[Determination of Henry's law constants for dimethyl sulfide in seawater]

The article presents the method of determination of Henry's Law Constant(K) for dimethyl sulfide (DMS) in seawater using multiple phase equilibration/headspace gas chromatography. The method is based on the demonstration that analysis of only one phase after multiple phase equilibration give all necessary data. The values of K of DMS in seawater determined by this method was 0.089 with relative standard deviation(RSD) of 5.50% at 22 degrees C. The linear relationship between log K and w (NaCl) was log K = 0.0688.w (NaCl) - 1.3568 with correlation coefficient(r) of 0.997. The regression equation of log K against reciprocal of absolute temperature(T) was log K = -1,544.8/T + 4.2112 with r of 0.996.

The ataxia-telangiectasia gene product may modulate DNA turnover and control cell fate by regulating cellular redox in lymphocytes

The ATM kinase, when activated postnatally, exerts multiple functions to prevent the onset of ataxia-telangiectasia (AT). Using freshly isolated thymocytes from Atm-/- mice that were under stress during postnatal differentiation, we noted that thiol redox activity, as indicated by reduction of the tetrazolium MTS, and DNA turnover activity, as indicated by incorporation of [(3)H]thymidine into DNA, were both greatly increased compared with activities in thymocytes from Atm+/+ mice. This increased thymidine incorporation could be suppressed by the thiol N-acetylcysteine. In primary noncycling splenocytes, mitogens proportionally increased both the rate of [(3)H]thymidine incorporation and the rate of reduction of MTS. The mitogen-induced activities in splenocytes were not affected by ATM but were suppressed by the calcineurin-dependent inhibitor FK-506, which has no effect on these activities in thymocytes. These findings suggest that increased [(3)H]thymidine incorporation and reducing power indicate increased cell cycling in mitogenically stimulated splenocytes, whereas these two indicators represent increased FK-506-independent DNA turnover activities in thymocytes. Thus, a primary function of ATM is to activate the redox-sensitive checkpoint required for down-regulation of DNA turnover activities in developing lymphocytes. Cell-cycling checkpoints in undamaged quiescent lymphocytes are not activated by ATM with mitogenic stimulation. ATM may suppress abnormal DNA turnover and the resultant oncogenesis by regulating cellular thiol redox pathways.

A single Glu(62)-to-Lys(62) mutation in the Mos residues of the R7Delta447Gag-tMos protein causes the mutant virus to induce brain lesions

We previously reported that R7Delta447, a 2954-base-pair (bp) laboratory-generated Moloney murine sarcoma virus, induced subcutaneous tumors in about 14% of infected mice but did not induce brain lesions. We now report that R7Delta447K, a spontaneous mutant of R7Delta447, induced brain lesions as well as subcutaneous tumors in all injected mice. The genomes of the two viruses differ in a single base pair: the deduced Glu(62) of the Mos residue of the R7Delta447 Gag-tMos protein is changed to Lys(62). More R7Delta447 than R7Delta447K focus-forming units were detected in both NIH3T3 and mouse cerebral vascular endothelial (MCVE) cells. However, R7Delta447K transformed NIH3T3 and MCVE cells more acutely than did R7Delta447. A distinctive feature that distinguished the morphologic transformation of R7Delta447- and R7Delta447K-infected MCVE cells is the markedly prolonged spindle-shaped phase exhibited by R7Delta447-infected MCVE cells. In addition, R7Delta447K was more efficient in inducing the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 than R7Delta447 in both MCVE and NIH3T3 cells. Moreover morphologic transformation was inhibited, and levels of phosphorylated ERK1/2 were reduced when R7Delta447- or R7Delta447K-infected NIH3T3 or MCVE cells were grown in the presence of the MEK1/2-specific inhibitor PD98095. Thus, we have identified a key residue in the Gag-tMos protein that profoundly affects activation of the Mos/MEK/ERK pathway, virus and cell replication, morphologic transformation in vitro and pathogenicity in vivo.

The accumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in lubricating oil over time--a comparison of supercritical fluid and liquid-liquid extraction methods

Optimal extraction conditions including extraction temperature, fluid density of carbon dioxide and concentration of modifier for supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) to extract of 16 2-6-ring polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) spiked into used lubricating oil collected from a gasoline-driven automobile were determined. A comparison of extraction efficiency 2-6-ring PAHs spiked into the used lubricating oil extracted by SFE and liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) methods was made. Results indicated that recoveries of PAHs extracted by SFE from the used lubricating oil were higher than those by LLE. PAH profiles of lubricating oil samples collected at various driving distances from an old and a new gasoline-driven automobiles were determined by combining SFE, gel permeation chromatography clean up and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. Results showed that the concentrations of total PAH in lubricating oils collected from both automobiles increased rapidly after oil change. Two- and three-ring PAHs dominated the PAH profiles of oil samples collected from both automobiles. High concentrations of the more toxic 4-6-ring PAHs, were found in the oil samples collected from both automobiles even at a short driving distance after oil change. The concentrations of total PAH in lubricating oil collected from two automobiles driven for a longer distance after oil change were very similar.

Effects of knee joint angles and fatigue on the neuromuscular control of vastus medialis oblique and vastus lateralis muscle in humans

The effects of different knee joint angles and fatigue on the neuromuscular control of the vastus medialis oblique (VMO) and vastus lateralis (VL) muscles were investigated in 17 (11 men, 6 women) young subjects. The electromyogram (EMG) activities and the force generation capacities were monitored before and after a fatigue protocol at three different knee joint angles, 90 degrees, 150 degrees, 175 degrees of knee extension, on three occasions. In response to randomly triggered light signals, the subjects performed three isometric maximal voluntary contraction (IMVC) that lasted for 4 to 8 s. This was then followed by the fatigue protocol which consisted of six bursts of contractions fixed at 30 s on and 10 s off. Immediately after the exercise to fatigue, the subjects performed another three IMVC in response to the light signals. Repeated measures ANOVA were performed to examine the effects of fatigue at these three positions on the electromechanical delay (EMD), median frequency (fmed), peak force (Fpeak) and root mean square (rms)-EMG:Fpeak quotient of VMO and VL. The results revealed a significant effect of the three knee joint angles on the EMD before the fatigue (P < 0.05). The fatigue protocol induced a significant decrease in Fpeak at all the three positions (P < 0.01). However, the fatigue induced a significant decrease of fmed at only 90 degrees and 150 degrees of knee extension (P < 0.01). This occurred in parallel with the lengthening of EMD at these two joint angles (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05). The effects of fatigue on the fmed and EMD were not significant between VMO and VL at all three angles. The insignificant difference in fmed and EMD between VMO and VL at the three knee positions before and after fatigue indicated that no preferential onset activation between VMO and VL had occurred.

A novel magnetite-immobilized cell process for heavy metal removal from industrial effluent

The sorption and desorption of copper (II) (Cu[II]) ions from the wastewater by magnetite-immobilized cells of Pseudomonas putida 5-x with acidic pretreatment were studied. Pretreating cells with 0.6 N HCl was found to enhance greatly the adsorption capacity of biomass up to 85.6 mg/g and had no significant effect on the loss of P. putida 5-x cells during biosorbent pretreatment. The biosorption capacity to Cu2+ of magnetite-immobilized cells of P. putida 5-x harvested during various growth phases was also investigated. The experimental results illustrated that the adsorption capacity to Cu2+ of P. putida 5-x cultured in sulfate-limiting medium reached maximum during the late stationary growth phase or early death phase, and reached minimum during the log growth phase. The mechanism of copper sequestering by this type of biomass was studied via transmission electron microscopy. A degradation of the peptidoglycan layer of the cell wall was observed in the acidic pretreatment, but no further degradation appeared after the adsorption-desorption cycle. Cu(II) accumulated mostly on the surface of the cell walls and was effectively desorbed by the acidic treatment during the desorption process.

Changes in the N- and C-terminal sequences of the murine R7 Gag-tMos protein affect brain lesion induction

Our preliminary studies suggested that the novel gag-truncated mos (tmos) open reading frame (ORF) of R7, a spontaneous deletion mutant of Moloney murine sarcoma virus 124 (MoMuSV124), may be responsible for R7's unique ability to induce brain lesions in all R7-injected mice. However, when we replaced the gag-tmos ORF with either the MoMuSV124 or the homologous myeloproliferative sarcoma virus env-mos gene, we found that both recombinant viruses also induced brain lesions in all injected mice. Although these studies suggested that the critical determinants for brain lesion induction may reside in the tmos sequence common to all three viruses, they did not demonstrate if the N-terminus of Mos was dispensable for this activity. By inserting the FLAG sequence at the 3' end of the R7 gag-tmos ORF, we demonstrated that R7 does synthesize a Gag-tMos fusion protein. Using R7 gag deletion mutants with and without the FLAG sequence, we further demonstrated that (i) deletion of the entire gag sequence abolished R7's transforming activity; (ii) the ability of the virus to transform cultured NIH/3T3 cells was significantly reduced only when most of gag was deleted; (iii) the ability of the virus to induce brain lesions was inversely proportional to the extent of its gag deletions; and (iv) the insertion of FLAG at the Mos C-terminus did not reduce the in vitro transforming activity of the FLAG-tagged viruses but did reduce their ability to induce brain lesions. Thus, we have demonstrated that altering the N- or C-terminus of the R7 Gag-tMos fusion protein can affect disease manifestation.

Effects of 2,4-D, glyphosate and paraquat on growth, photosynthesis and chlorophyll-a synthesis of Scenedesmus quadricauda Berb 614

The effects of 2,4-D, glyphosate and paraquat on growth, photosynthesis and chlorophyll-a synthesis by a freshwater green alga, Scenedesmus quadricauda Berb 614, were determined. These herbicides are the most often used in Hong Kong. Within the concentration range 0.02-200 mg/l, paraquat was more toxic than glyphosate and 2,4-D to the growth, photosynthesis and chlorophyll-a synthesis. The presence of 0.02, 0.2 or 2 mg/l of 2,4-D was not toxic to the alga. Algal growth, photosynthesis and chlorophyll-a synthesis were stimulated by the presence of low concentrations (0.02 or 0.2 and 0.02 mg/l, respectively) of 2,4-D and glyphosate. The presence of 0.02 or 0.2 mg/l of paraquat, 2 mg/l of glyphosate or 20 mg/l of 2,4-D was significantly inhibitory to the three test parameters, whereas the presence of 2 or more mg/l of paraquat, 20 or more mg/l of glyphosate or 200 mg/l of 2,4-D completely inhibited algal growth, photosynthesis and chlorophyll-a synthesis. The use of the alga as a bio-indicator of herbicide contamination in freshwater environment was discussed.

Modulation of G-protein linked cAMP accumulation in immortalized murine cortical astrocytes by retroviral infection

The present study characterized beta-adrenergic receptors (beta-AR) in a clonal cell line (C1) immortalized from cerebral cortical astroglial cells of FVB/N mice. We also determined whether the wild type Moloney murine leukemia virus (wt-MoMuLV) and one of its neuropathogenic mutants, ts1-MoMuLV, modulated the beta-AR system in these cells. We observed that C1 cells possess a functional beta-AR system coupled to cAMP accumulation and capable of normal agonist-induced regulation (desensitization). Significant increases were observed in forskolin stimulated cAMP accumulation in C1 cells infected by wt MoMuLV and by ts1-MoMuLV. In contrast, the cAMP response to beta-AR stimulated by isoproterenol was relatively spared after viral exposure.

Studies on the pathology, especially brain hemorrhage and angioendotheliomas, induced by two new mos-containing viruses

Recombinant virus 7 (R7), a spontaneous deletion mutant of SV7, which is itself a molecular clone of Moloney murine sarcoma virus 124 (MoMuSV 124), induces brain lesions and tumors of the subcutaneous tissue and spleen in all infected mice. In contrast, SV7 only induces tumors of the spleen and subcutaneous tissues. One of the genetic differences between R7 and SV7 is that R7 encodes a Gag-Mos protein whereas SV7 encodes an Env-Mos protein. To investigate whether the novel R7 gag-mos oncogene is required for brain lesion induction, two viruses (SV7d1 and SVM1) were constructed in which the R7 gag-mos sequences and the adjacent 53 bp of the 5' noncoding sequence were replaced by either the SV7 or myeloproliferative sarcoma virus (MPSV) env-mos oncogenes, respectively. Like R7, SV7d1 and SVM1 induced brain lesions and tumors in the spleen and subcutaneous tissues. A prominent component of R7-, SV7d1-, and SVM1-induced tumors of the brain, subcutaneous tissues, and spleen was the presence of abnormally enlarged cells with eccentric nuclei lining vessels, scattered singly or in small clusters. Their size, localization to the luminal surface of distended vessels, and binding to Bandeiraea simplicifolia (BS-1) lectin, an endothelial cell (EC) marker, suggest that they are most likely transformed ECs. Our findings therefore indicate that the induction of brain lesions is not limited to the expression of the R7 Gag-Mos protein. However, our findings also indicate that expression of the different forms of the Mos protein results in differences in the relative abundance of ECs in brain angioendotheliomas and subcutaneous and spleen tumors induced by these viruses.