Presence of the functional CASPASE-12 allele in Indian subpopulations.

Most humans lack a functional CASP12 gene, with the nonfunctional variant (CASP12p1), found in 100% of the Caucasian and east Asian population, and in approximately 80% of people of African descent. However, 20% of Africans carry an intact allele of CASP12, which produces a full-length pro-enzyme and increases the risk of sepsis. We examined CASP12 allele distribution in persons from central and southern Asia and found that CASP12 was significantly present in members of the Dravidian language group, particularly in persons from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

RecA force generation by hydrolysis waves.

We present a simple theory of the dynamics of force generation by RecA during homologous strand exchange and a continuous, deterministic mathematical model of the proposed process. Calculations show that force generation is possible in this model for certain reasonable values of the parameters. We predict the shape of the force-velocity curve for the Holliday junction, which exhibits a distinctive kink at large retarding force, and suggest experiments which should distinguish between the proposed model and other models in the literature.

Glucose effectiveness is the major determinant of intravenous glucose tolerance in the rat.

To determine the importance of insulin for glucose disposal during an intravenous glucose tolerance test in rats, experiments were performed in four cohorts of conscious unrestrained rats fasted overnight. In cohorts 1-3, a bolus of tracer ([3-3H]glucose, 50 microCi) was given alone, with glucose (0.3 g/kg) to induce an endogenous insulin response (approximately 1,100 pmol/l), or with exogenous insulin to give physiological (1,700 pmol/l) or supraphysiological (12,000 pmol/l) plasma levels. Raising plasma insulin within the physiological range had no effect (P > 0.05), but supraphysiological levels induced hypoglycemia (7.3 +/- 0.2 to 3.6 +/- 0.2 mmol/l) and increased [3H]glucose disappearance rate (P < 0.001). In cohort 4, a primed, continuous tracer infusion was started 120 min before saline or glucose bolus injection. [3H]glucose levels fell 15-20%, and the disappearance rate rose 36% (P < 0.05) after glucose injection. These results indicate that in fasted rats a tracer bolus injection protocol is not sufficiently sensitive to measure the physiological effect of insulin released in response to a bolus of glucose because this effect of insulin is small. Glucose itself is the predominant mediator of glucose disposal after a bolus of glucose in the fasted rat.

Optical characteristics of wood stains and rot.

Measurements of the diffuse reflection of various samples of softwood were made over the wavelength range 380-1040 nm to determine if certain types of defect, such as strains, can be distinguished by reasonably straight forward optoelectronic means. Healthy specimens of spruce, fir, and pine were tested, followed by specimens from the same wood species which were disfigured by brown stain, rot, heart stain, blue beetle stain, and white speck. Samples were measured at a single angle of incidence, and no attempt was made to obtain the absolute value of the diffuse reflectivity. The results showed that there were significant differences between clear and stained wood, with sufficient spectral difference between different types of defect that allow automated optoelectronic sorting of the wood according to the specific type of stain present.