Plasma lipid-bound sialic acid alterations in neoplastic diseases

Plasma lipid-bound sialic acid (LSA) was assayed in normal volunteers, patients with non-malignant diseases, and a variety of cancer patients. Mean plasma LSA in 50 normal volunteers, 16 patients with non-malignant diseases, 54 breast cancer, 17 lung cancer, 15 colon cancer, 7 ovarian cancer, 5 prostate cancer, 4 leukemia, 4 gastrointestinal, 3 thyroid cancer, 3 pancreas cancer and 2 adrenal cancer patients were 17.7, 23.2, 58, 85, 56.7, 46.2, 56.7, 53.3, 31.1, 33.2 and 119.5 mg/dl, respectively. None of the normal volunteers had elevated plasma LSA values. Plasma LSA level was not significantly different in male and female volunteers. Two out of 114 different cancer patients had plasma LSA levels within normal range exhibiting 98.2% sensitivity of the assay. Plasma LSA, which is relatively simple to assay, may be used as a tumor marker in wide variety of neoplastic diseases.     

Plasma lipid-bound sialic acid alterations in neoplastic diseases

Summary Plasma lipid-bound sialic acid (LSA) was assayed in normal volunteers, patients with non-malignant diseases, and a variety of cancer patients. Mean plasma LSA in 50 normal volunteers, 16 patients with non-malignant diseases, 54 breast cancer, 17 lung cancer, 15 colon cancer, 7 ovarian cancer, 5 prostate cancer, 4 leukemia, 4 gastrointestinal, 3 thyroid cancer, 3 pancreas cancer and 2 adrenal cancer patients were 17.7, 23.2, 58, 85, 56.7, 46.2, 56.7, 53.3, 31.1, 33.2 and 119.5 mg/dl, respectively. None of the normal volunteers had elevated plasma LSA values. Plasma LSA level was not significantly different in male and female volunteers. Two patients with rheumatic arthritis had LSA values slightly elevated over the mean + 2 SD for the normal volunteers. Two out of 114 different cancer patients had plasma LSA levels within normal range exhibiting 98.2% sensitivity of the assay. Plasma LSA, which is relatively simple to assay, may be used as a tumor marker in wide variety of neoplastic diseases.     

Interaction of organic dyes with hepatic microsomal drug-metabolizing monoöxygenases in vitro

Summary Organic dyes such as malachite green, methylene blue, fuchsin, safranine T, neutral red, phenazine methosulphate, riboflavin, dichlorophenolindophenol, phenolphthalein, and fluorescein, inhibit hepatic microsomal mixedfunction oxidases and, partly, enhance, partly, inhibit hepatic microsomal NADPH-dependent cytochrome c and neotetrazolium reductases, in contrast to other inhibitors of drug metabolism which do not affect cytochrome c reductase but only interact with cytochrome P-450.Dedicated to Prof. G. Pfleiderer on the occasion of his 60th birthday.Acknowledgment. The author thanks Mrs Fey, Mrs Meier, and Mr Weinrauch, for their skilful technical assistance; he is grateful to Dr A. Sinharay (Hoechst AG) for providing him with anisic ester and methylayapanine.     

Examination of the potential mutagenicity of hair dye constituents using the micronucleus test

Summary 12 compounds which are constitutents of hair dyes or chemically related aromatic amines, aminophenols, their nitroderivatives and aromatic hydroxyderivatives were examined for evidence of mutagenic potential by means of the micronucleus test. None of the compounds tested caused an increase in the incidence of micronucleated erythrocytes after oral dosing.Acknowledgment. These investigations were conducted on behalf and with the assistance of Elida-Gibbs GmbH, Hamburg, Goldwell GmbH, Darmstadt, Thera-Chemie GmbH, Dusseldorf, L'Oreal-Haarkosm, und Parf. GmbH, Karlsruhe, Kadus-Werk K.G., Lenzkirch, Hans Schwarzkopf GmbH, Hamburg, Wella AG, Darmstadt.     

Biochemical polymorphism of Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica): comparison of functionally different proteins (author's transl)]

The polymorphism observed among the enzymes involved in the respiratory metabolism (lactate dehydrogenase, malate dehydrogenase, phosphoglucomutase, phosphohexoseisomerase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase fructose 1-6 diphosphate dehydrogenase) is less important than that of the enzymes physiologically less essential, such as the various esterases, the alkaline phosphatase, the alcohol dehydrogenase, and of the non-enzymatic proteins (ovalbumin, ovoglobulins, ovomucoid, conalbumin, transferrin, etc.).     

Helminthosporoside,a host-specific toxin fromHelminthosporium sacchari: A structure revision and a new partial structure

Summary Reevaluation of the previously proposed structure of helminthosporoside, a host-specific toxin fromHelminthosporium sacchari, reveals a sesquiterpenoid bis-digalactoside. The carbohydrate portion of the toxin was characterized by¹³C-NMR spectroscopy, methylation analyses, FD and FAB mass spectroscopy. The ring size and anomeric configuration of the galactose moieties were determined by utilizing a¹³C-NMR structural analysis method. A new partial structure is proposed.Acknowledgment. We extend special thanks to C.E. Costello, Department of Chemistry, M.I.T., Cambridge, MA, for FD mass spectral analyses, and to C.E. Ballou, Department of Biochemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA, for FAB mass spectral analyses. We submit sincere appreciation to both V.N. Reihold, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, and P. Albersheim, Department of Chemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, for methylation analyses. We thank J.S. Frye at the Colorado State University Regional NMR-Center, funded by National Science Foundation grant No. DHE 78-18581, Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Co, for high resolution CMR and NMR, and we are grateful to P.W. Jennings, Department of Chemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, Mt, for total carbon analyses. This work was supported in part by a Herman Frasch Foundation grant to G.A. Strobel, by NSF grant PCM-78-22517, and funds from the Montana Agricultural Experiment Station. B.P. Mundy acknowledges the partial support of NSF (ISP-801149).     

The presence of free D-serine, D-alanine and D-proline in human plasma.

Twelve neutral free amino acids, i.e. serine, threonine, glutamine, asparagine, alanine, proline, methionine, tyrosine, valine, leucine, isoleucine and phenylalanine, were surveyed for the presence of D-enantiomers in plasma samples from patients with renal diseases and from normal subjects. D-serine, D-alanine and D-proline were found in the patient's plasma. The highest concentrations (D/L ratio) of D-serine, D-alanine and D-proline were 0.2362, 0.2087 and 0.0986, respectively. The sum of the contents of the three D-amino acid was shown to be present in the plasma proteins.     

Aminoacidi della Perilinfa

Summary The following aminoacids have been detected in the perilymph from horses by filter paper chromatography: aspartic acid, glutamic acid, phosphocolamine, glycine, serine, taurine, threonine, alanine, glutamine, lysine, arginine,-aminobutyric acid, proline, valine, leucine, tyrosine, phenylalanine, cystine.A comparative study of chromatograms obtained from blood, perilymph and liquor showed that the perilymph is much more similar to the blood than to the cerebrospinal fluid either for qualitative and for quantitative content in aminoacids.     

基因工程改造噬菌体应用于细菌感染的研究进展

噬菌体作为细菌病毒,在细菌性感染尤其是多重耐药菌感染的治疗方面具有抗生素无法比拟的优势。目前人工改造噬菌体的理论和技术已趋成熟,研究者通过基因工程技术解决了噬菌体特异性高、半衰期短、释放内毒素等问题,使基因工程改造噬菌体具有了较强的临床应用潜力。本文主要就基因工程改造噬菌体在扩大宿主范围、增强抗生素疗效、延缓免疫清除、避免内毒素释放等方面所具有的优势,及其在剂量确定、细菌耐受、宿主安全性等方面可能会出现的问题进行了阐述。     

Fred Neufeld and pneumococcal serotypes: foundations for the discovery of the transforming principle

During the first decade of the twentieth century, the German bacteriologist Fred Neufeld, later Director of the Robert Koch-Institute in Berlin, first described the differentiation of pneumococci into serotypes on the basis of type-specific antisera. This finding was essential for subsequent research at the Rockefeller Institute of Medical Research (RIMR) in New York, and elsewhere, aiming for the conquest of human pneumococcal pneumonia, including antiserum therapy, the discovery that the type-specific antigens were carbohydrates, and the development of effective multivalent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccines. Moreover, on the basis of pneumococcal serotypes Fred Griffith, in 1928 in London, discovered pneumococcal transformation, and Oswald T. Avery and coworkers, in 1944 at RIMR, identified DNA as the transforming substance. This sequence of events, leading to today’s knowledge that genes consist of DNA, was initiated by a farsighted move of Simon Flexner, first Director of the RIMR, who asked Neufeld to send his pneumococcal typing strains, thus setting the stage for pneumococcal research at RIMR. Here, we describe Fred Neufeld’s contributions in this development, which have remained largely unknown.     

Quantum dissidents: Research on the foundations of quantum theory circa 1970

This paper makes a collective biographical profile of a sample of physicists who were protagonists in the research on the foundations of quantum physics circa 1970. We study the cases of Zeh, Bell, Clauser, Shimony, Wigner, Rosenfeld, d’Espagnat, Selleri, and DeWitt, analyzing their training and early career, achievements, qualms with quantum mechanics, motivations for such research, professional obstacles, attitude towards the Copenhagen interpretation, and success and failures. Except for Rosenfeld, they were all dissidents, fighting against the dominant attitude among physicists at the time according to which foundational issues had already been solved by the founding fathers of the discipline. Theirs is a story of success as the foundations of quantum mechanics finally entered the physics mainstream despite the fact that their expectations of breaking down quantum mechanics were not fulfilled.     

图像分割方法综述

图像分割是由图像处理进到图像分析的关键步骤。不仅总结了传统的图像分割方法,还介绍了一些近年来热门的分割方法,如聚类分析、模糊集理论、小波变换、神经网络、水平集、均值迁移、图论等,分析了各种方法的原理和特点,并用部分分割方法对经典的Lena图像进行了处理,最后对图像分割方法的研究进行了总结。     

Biological indicators of cadmium exposure and toxicity

The increasing environmental and occupational exposure of populations to cadmium creates the need for biological indicators of cadmium exposure and toxicity. The advantages and disadvantages of monitoring blood cadmium, urinary, fecal, hair, and tissue cadmium, serum creatinine, beta 2-microglobulin, alpha 1-antitrypsin and other proteins, and urinary amino acids, enzymes, total proteins, glucose, beta 2-microglobulin, retinol-binding protein, lysozyme, and metallothionein are discussed. It is concluded that urinary cadmium, metallothionein and beta 2-microglobulin may be used together to assess cadmium exposure and toxicity.     

可再生能源互联网中的微电子技术

可再生能源互联网对电子系统提出了五大要求:高效性、安全性、可靠性、便利性、宽泛性.为了实现上述要求,可再生能源互联网需要多学科、多方面、多层次的创新.微电子技术将会渗透到可再生能源互联网的各个层级,是可再生能源互联网的重要支撑性技术之一.文章重点围绕固态变压器、分布式储能技术、信息采集芯片技术、通信芯片技术四个方面,阐述了可再生能源互联网中的微电子技术所面临的特殊要求、技术挑战及未来可能的发展趋势.     

The alkaloids ofAspidosperma neblinae. An application of a directly coupled gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer

Zusammenfassung Die Analyse der Basenfraktion vonAspidosperma neblinae mit Hilfe eines mit einem Massenspektrometer gekuppelten Gas-Chromatographen führte zur Identifizierung der folgenden Alkaloide: Aspidospermidin, 1, 2-Dehydroaspidospermidin, Deacetylpyrifolidin, 1, 2-Dehydrodeacetylpyrifolidin, Demethoxyaspidospermin, Aspidospermin, Demethylaspidospermin, Pyrifolidin, Aspidocarpin, Eburnamonin, und Neblinin.     

Lipid-lowering drugs

Although a change in life-style is often the method of first choice for lipid lowering, lipid-lowering drugs, in general, help to control elevated levels of different forms of lipids in patients with hyperlipidemia. While one group of drugs, statins, lowers cholesterol, the other group, fibrates, is known to take care of fatty acids and triglycerides. In addition, other drugs, such as ezetimibe, colesevelam, torcetrapib, avasimibe, implitapide, and niacin are also being considered to manage hyperlipidemia. As lipids are very critical for cardiovascular diseases, these drugs reduce fatal and nonfatal cardiovascular abnormalities in the general population. However, a number of recent studies indicate that apart from their lipidlowering activities, statins and fibrates exhibit multiple functions to modulate intracellular signaling pathways, inhibit inflammation, suppress the production of reactive oxygen species, and modulate T cell activity. Therefore, nowadays, these drugs are being considered as possible therapeutics for several forms of human disorders including cancer, autoimmunity, inflammation, and neurodegeneration. Here I discuss these applications in the light of newly discovered modes of action of these drugs. Received 5 September 2005; received after revision 29 December 2005; accepted 26 January 2006     

A generalized homology correlation for various hormones and proteins

Résumé La calcitonine, la cholécystokinine, la motilin, la pancreozymine, le peptide inhibiteur gastrique, le peptide vasoactif, la gastrine, le glucagon, et la secretine sont comparables par leur composition en amino acides a l'hormone de croissance, à l'hormone luteinigène, la gonadotropine, au facteur de croissance nerveux, à l'hormone parathyroidienne, au lactogène du placenta, à la proinsuline, à la rénine et à la thyrotropine. Ces peptides proviennent probablement d'un génotype dont l'origine se trouve dans le système digestif.     

Are Rab proteins the link between Golgi organization and membrane trafficking?

The fundamental separation of Golgi function between subcompartments termed cisternae is conserved across all eukaryotes. Likewise, Rab proteins, small GTPases of the Ras superfamily, are putative common coordinators of Golgi organization and protein transport. However, despite sequence conservation, e.g., Rab6 and Ypt6 are conserved proteins between humans and yeast, the fundamental organization of the organelle can vary profoundly. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the Golgi cisternae are physically separated from one another, while in mammalian cells, the cisternae are stacked one upon the other. Moreover, in mammalian cells, many Golgi stacks are typically linked together to generate a ribbon structure. Do evolutionarily conserved Rab proteins regulate secretory membrane trafficking and diverse Golgi organization in a common manner? In mammalian cells, some Golgi-associated Rab proteins function in coordination of protein transport and maintenance of Golgi organization. These include Rab6, Rab33B, Rab1, Rab2, Rab18, and Rab43. In yeast, these include Ypt1, Ypt32, and Ypt6. Here, based on evidence from both yeast and mammalian cells, we speculate on the essential role of Rab proteins in Golgi organization and protein transport.