A study of macromolecular diffusion through native porcine mucus

A diffusion chamber technique based on time-lag analysis for the estimation of effective diffusion coefficients of radiolabelled macromolecules of varying molecular weights through native mucus gel is reported. For all solutes studied, a reduction in effective diffusion coefficients was observed with a retardation of solute flux in both aqueus and mucus layers. Over the molecular weight range of solutes investigated (126–186 000 Daltons), a consistent effect of molecular weight was evident with regard to the retarding effect of mucus. No apparent or absolute molecular weight cut-off for macromolecular transfer was exhibited. However, at high molecular weights (>30 000 Daltons) the retardation was greatly enhanced. The results confirm that mucus can be regarded as a gel with finite pores, but that it does not constitute an absolute barrier to even high molecular weight solutes.     

A C-terminally elongated form of PHI from porcine intestine

A C-terminally elongated form of peptide histidine isoleucine amide (PHI) was isolated from porcine intestine based on its effect on cAMP production in IMR-32 cells. The structure was determined by amino acid sequence analysis of tryptic fragments and by mass spectrometry. The peptide has 42 amino acid residues like those described from human, rat and mouse, but the amino acid sequence of the C-terminal extension of pig PHI is unique. Unlike the other peptides, it has a C-terminal Ala and it differs at five positions from the human form and at six positions from the rat form, while the human and the rat forms differ by only two substitutions. To avoid confusion arising from different C-terminal residues, a unifying nomenclature is proposed: PHI-27 for the hormone and PHI-42 for the elongated product.     

X-ray microanalyser study on the localization of minerals in native plant tissue sections

Zusammenfassung Mit Hilfe der elektronischen Röntgen-Mikrosonde konnten die Elemente K, Ca, Sr, Fe, Si, P und S in Kryostatschnitten von nativem Pflanzengewebe lokalisiert nachgewiesen werden. Versuche über die Verteilung von K und P in Maisblättern zeigen eine bevorzugte Anhäufung in den Leitbündeln und im Sklerenchym der Mittelrippe. Elektronenbilder lassen eine dunkle Phase, vermutlich die Verteilung von Fe anzeigend, hauptsächlich in den Zellwänden der Leitbündel erkennen.     

Immunofluorescent localization of the acid-stable proteinase inhibitor (antileukoprotease) of human cervical mucus.

Localization of the acid-stable proteinase inhibitor of human cervical mucus within the epithelium of the upper cervix was possible by indirect immunofluorescence.     

The diffusion of scientific innovations: A role typology

How do scientific innovations spread within and across scientific communities? In this paper, we propose a general account of the diffusion of scientific innovations. This account acknowledges that novel ideas must be elaborated on and conceptually translated before they can be adopted and applied to field-specific problems. We motivate our account by examining an exemplary case of knowledge diffusion, namely, the early spread of theories of rational decision-making. These theories were grounded in a set of novel mathematical tools and concepts that originated in John von Neumann and Oskar Morgenstern's Theory of Games and Economic Behavior (1944/1947) and subsequently spread widely across the social and behavioral sciences. Introducing a network-based diffusion measure, we trace the spread of those tools and concepts into distinct research areas. We furthermore present an analytically tractable typology for classifying publications according to their roles in the diffusion process. The proposed framework allows for a systematic examination of the conditions under which scientific innovations spread within and across preexisting and newly emerging scientific communities.     

A histochemical study of denervated marsupial hemidiaphragm.

The marsupial (quokka) hemidiaphragm showed postdenervation hypertrophy and subsequent atrophy. The type II muscle fibres hypertrophied up to 20 days postoperation and then regressed. However, the type I fibres hypertrophied throughout the experimental period (100 days) studied. Unlike denervated eutherian hemidiaphragm, fibre-splitting was absent in the denervated marsupial muscle. An enhancement of the ATPase reaction in the denervated type I fibres may be due to dedifferentiation. Presumably innervation exerts a 'negative control' and prevents increase of type I fibre size in the normal hemidiaphragm.     

A SAXS-based ensemble model of the native and phosphorylated regulatory domain of the CFTR

The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), the defective protein in cystic fibrosis, is an anion channel activated by protein kinase A phosphorylation. The regulatory domain (RD) of CFTR has multiple phosphorylation sites, and is responsible for channel activation. This domain is intrinsically disordered, rendering the structural analysis a difficult task, as high-resolution techniques are barely applicable. In this work, we obtained a biophysical characterization of the native and phosphorylated RD in solution by employing complementary structural methods. The native RD has a gyration radius of 3.25 nm, and a maximum molecular dimension of 11.4 nm, larger than expected for a globular protein of the same molecular mass. Phosphorylation causes compaction of the structure, yielding a significant reduction of the gyration radius, to 2.92 nm, and on the maximum molecular dimension to 10.2 nm. Using an ensemble optimization method, we were able to generate a low-resolution, three-dimensional model of the native and the phosphorylated RD based on small-angle X-ray scattering data. We have obtained the first experiment-based model of the CFTR regulatory domain, which will be useful to understand the molecular mechanisms of normal and pathological CFTR functioning.     

The Keplerian and mean motions. A geometrical study

Summary The point of reference to which the mean motion of the planets against Keplerian motion can optimally be applied and the behavior of its astronomical functions are analysed mathematically. To the results of our problem, which was solved by the first and second laws of Kepler, virtually all models of planetary motions seem to be related.     

A comparison between the photoreactivity of some furocoumarins with native DNA and their skin-photosensitizing activity

Riassunto È stata determinata la fotoreattività con DNA nativo di un gruppo di furocumarine per irradiazione a 365 nm. I valori ottenuti sono risultati in accordo con quelli di attività fotosensibilizzatrice cutanea posseduti dalle stesse sostanze.     

The pharmacological effect of fractions obtained by smoking cannabis through a water-pipe. II. A second fractionation step

Summary The catatonic activity, prolongation of phenobarbital sleeping-time, convulsant action and disruption of nestbuilding activity were assessed in mice subjected to 4 cannabis pyrolysis products and their tobacco analogues. All but one of the cannabis fractions prolonged the pentobarbital sleeping-time and disrupted the nest-building activity of mice in a way not related to their content in the main cannabinoids. Nest-building activity seems to be the most valid assay we have used so far.     

A transformation of solutions of diffusion equations valid for certain initial and boundary conditions

Zusammenfassung Eine grosse Anzahl von Auflösungen für mathematische Gleichungen, die sich mit der Diffusion einer Substanz von einem Raum (Raum1), in dem sie ursprünglich in einheitlicher Konzentration vorhanden sind, in einen anderen Raum (Raum2) befassen, sind allgemein zugänglich. Es wird eine Methode beschrieben, die Auflösungen dieser Art in solche umwandelt, die sich unter der Bedingung verwenden lassen, dass die diffundierende Substanz ursprünglich abwesend ist, später jedoch mit konstanter Geschwindigkeit (in Raum1) produziert wird. Eine solche Methode der Umwandlung ist für eine Anzahl von Grenzschichtbedingungen (boundary conditions) anwendbar.     

A transmission and scanning electron microsope study of primary neural induction.

Normal primary neural induction has been further studied by TEM and SEM. A single mesoderm cell is usually in contact with several ectoderm cells. The mesoderm cells are also contacting other mesoderm cells. It is suggested that ectoderm cells are induced in groups and that induction is synchronized by these contacts. At the points of contact between mesoderm and ectoderm cells cytoplasmic changes are present in the induced tissue.     

Growth of follicular cells in aphids. A cytophotometric and autoradiographic study

Riassunto I nuclei delle cellule follicolari degli Afidi mostrano nell'ambito di uno stesso tollicolo variazioni pressochè continue nel contenuto di DNA. Dopo brevi intervalli di tempo dall'iniezione di timidina tritiata, una elevata percentuale di questi nuclei risulta marcata. È stata fatta l'ipotesi che ogni ciclo di poliploidizzazione in questi nuclei si componga di un lungo periodo di sintesi di DNA seguito da uno breve di intersintesi. La lunghezza del periodo sintetico è dovuta presumibilmente all'asincronia nella sintesi di DNA che esiste tra i vari elementi cromatici in uno stesso nucleo.     

Effect of insulin on lateral diffusion of pyrene in rat liver plasma membrane.

The yield of excimer formation by pyrene molecules inserted in rat liver plasma membranes in sensibly decreased in the presence of 1 nM insulin. This effect can be interpreted as indicating a decrease of the value of the translational diffusion coefficient of the dye within the membrane.     

A simple interspike interval analyzer for study of neuronal spike trains.

A simple, low cost interspike interval analyzer for the analysis of trains of nerve impulses is described. The analyzer is built with readily available integrated circuits and has been used to analyze spike trains in the lateral vestibular nucleus of cats.     

Angiotensin II in the hippocampus. A histochemical and electrophysiological study

Summary The presence of the renin angiotensin system in the hippocampus is shown by immunohistochemistry. Intra- and extra-cellular recordings revealed that angiotensin II and III excite CA 1 pyramidal cells by disinhibition. The effect is antagonized by [Sar¹, Thr⁸]-A II.This work was supported by grant Nos 3.271.78 and 3.396.78 of the Swiss National Science Foundation and research grant HL-24112 from NIH. T. Inagami was a visiting scientist of the Roche Medical Research Foundation.     

A novel strategy for development of glucocorticoids through non-genomic mechanism

Glucocorticoids (GCs) are routinely believed to take effect through genomic mechanisms, which are also largely responsible for GCs’ side effects. Beneficial non-genomic effects of GCs have been reported as being independent of the genomic pathway. Here, we synthesized a new type of GCs, which took effect mainly via non-genomic mechanisms. Hydrocortisone was conjugated with glycine, lysine and phenylalanine to get a bigger molecular structure, which could hardly go through the cell membrane. Evaluation of the anti-inflammatory efficacy showed that hydrocortisone-conjugated glycine (HG) and lysine could inhibit neutrophil degranulation within 15 min. HG could inhibit IgE-mediated histamine release from mast cells via a non-genomic pathway, and rapidly alleviate allergic reaction. Luciferase reporter assay showed that HG would not activate the glucocorticoid response element within 30 min, which verified the rapid effects independent of the genomic pathway. The work proposes a novel insight into the development of novel GCs, and provides new tools for experimental study on non-genomic mechanisms.     

Penetration of oximes across the blood-brain barrier. A histochemical study of the cerebral cholinesterases reactivation.

The comparison of the effects of 4 oximes upon the cerebral cholinesterases reactivation after intoxication with paraoxon shows that the best results are obtained with toxogonine and 1574 [(carbaldoxime-4 pyridinium)-1(methyl-1 imidazolium-3)-3 propane]. The reactivation power of this latter compound seems due to the ease with which it can pass through the blood-brain barrier.