Characterization and potential application of purified aldehyde oxidase from Pseudomonas stutzeri IFO12695.

The molecular weight of purified aldehyde oxidase from Pseudomonas stutzeri IFO12695 was estimated to be 160 kDa by a gel filtration method. SDS-PAGE showed that the enzyme consisted of three non-identical subunits with molecular weights of 18, 38, and 83 kDa. The enzyme exhibited an absorption spectrum with maxima at 277, 325, 365, 415, 450, 480, and 550 nm and possessed molybdenum, CMP, iron, sulfur, and FAD as its cofactors, indicating that it belonged to the xanthine oxidase family. A variety of aliphatic and aromatic aldehydes were oxidized; and among them n-hexylaldehyde gave the most rapidly action. When 10 mM formaldehyde was treated with the aldehyde oxidase in the presence of catalase for 240 min, the formaldehyde concentration was reduced to 0.8 mM, suggesting this enzyme might be effective for the removal of formaldehyde contained in wastewater.

Characterisation of size and direction of osteophyte in knee osteoarthritis: a radiographic study.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the size and direction of osteophyte in knee osteoarthritis (OA) and to determine associations between osteophyte size and other radiographic features. METHODS: Knee radiographs (standing extended anteroposterior and 30 degrees flexion skyline views) were examined from 204 patients referred to hospital with symptomatic knee OA (155 women, 49 men; mean age 70, range 34-91 years). A single observer assessed films for osteophyte size and direction at eight sites; narrowing in each compartment; varus/valgus angulation; patellofemoral subluxation; attrition; and chondrocalcinosis using a standard atlas, direct measurement, or visual assessment. For analysis, one OA knee was selected at random from each subject. RESULTS: Osteophyte direction at the eight sites was divisible into five categories. At all sites, except for the lateral tibial plateau and the medial patella, osteophyte direction varied according to (a) the size of osteophyte and (b) the degree of local narrowing. At the medial femur, medial tibia, and lateral femur osteophyte direction changed from being predominantly horizontal to predominantly vertical with increasing size. The size of osteophyte correlated positively with the severity of local narrowing, except for the medial patellofemoral compartment where osteophyte size correlated positively with the severity of narrowing in the medial tibiofemoral compartment. Logistic regression analysis showed that osteophyte size was associated not only with local narrowing but also with local malalignment and bone attrition, and that chondrocalcinosis was positively associated with osteophyte size at multiple sites. CONCLUSION: In patients referred to hospital with knee OA different patterns of osteophyte direction are discernible. Osteophyte size is associated with local compartmental narrowing but also local alignment and attrition. Chondrocalcinosis is associated with osteophytosis throughout the joint. These data suggest that both local biomechanical and constitutional factors influence the size and direction of osteophyte formation in knee OA.

Development of a logically devised line drawing atlas for grading of knee osteoarthritis.

OBJECTIVES: To (a) develop an atlas of line drawings for the assessment and grading of narrowing and osteophyte (that is, changes of osteoarthritis) on knee radiographs, and (b) compare the performance of this atlas with that of the standard Osteoarthritis Research Society (OARS) photographic atlas of radiographs. METHODS: Normal joint space widths (grade 0) for the medial and lateral tibiofemoral and medial and lateral patellofemoral compartments were obtained from a previous community study. Grades 1-3 narrowing in each compartment was calculated separately for men and women, grade 3 being bone on bone, grades 1 and 2 being two thirds and one third the value of grade 0. Maximum osteophyte size (grade 3) for each of eight sites was determined from 715 bilateral knee x ray films obtained in a knee osteoarthritis (OA) hospital clinic; grades 1-2 were calculated as two thirds and one third reductions in the area of grade 3. Drawings for narrowing and osteophyte were presented separately. 50 sets of bilateral knee x ray radiographs (standing, extended anteroposterior; flexed skyline) showing a spectrum of OA grades were scored by three observers, twice using the OARS atlas and twice using the drawn atlas. RESULTS: Intraobserver and interobserver reproducibility was similar and generally good with both atlases, though varied according to site. All three observers preferred the line drawing atlas for ease and convenience of use. Higher scores for patellofemoral narrowing and lower scores for osteophyte, especially medial femoral osteophyte, were seen using the line drawing atlas, showing that the two atlases are not equivalent instruments. CONCLUSION: A logically derived line drawing atlas for grading of narrowing and osteophyte at the knee has been produced. The atlas showed comparable reproducibility with the OARS atlas, but was discordant in several aspects of grading. Such a system has several theoretical and practical advantages and should be considered for use in knee OA studies.

Pathoanatomic mechanisms of degenerative spondylolisthesis. A radiographic study.

STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective case-control study was performed using the radiographs taken at the first hospital visit in two groups; in one group, spondylolisthesis developed after the first hospital visit, and, in the other, spondylolisthesis had not developed over 10 years. OBJECTIVES: To determine possible radiographic differences between these two groups to clarify the pathoanatomic mechanisms of anterior slipping. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: The etiology of degenerative spondylolisthesis, for example, underlying pathoanatomic mechanisms such as dysfunction of the disc or horizontalization of the lamina and the facets, has been difficult to resolve, because radiographs taken before the occurrence of the slip have not been available in previous investigations. METHODS: Sixty-nine patients with spondylolisthesis in whom degenerative spondylolisthesis developed after the first hospital visit and for whom radiographs taken before the slip were available were studied retrospectively. In 63 patients slipping did not develop over 10 years, with or without intervertebral instability; these patients were studied as a control group. The radiographs taken before and after the occurrence of the slip in the patients with spondylolisthesis were examined and compared with those without spondylolisthesis. Dysfunction of the disc, horizontalization of the lamina and the facets, and the sagittal alignment of the facet joints were assessed in each group. RESULTS: Patients in whom anterior slipping developed had signs indicating that horizontalization of the lamina and the facets had occurred before the slip. However, the patients in whom spondylolisthesis did not develop had no horizontalization of the lamina and the facets at the first hospital visit or during the follow-up period. There was no significant difference in dysfunction of the disc between the cases with and without spondylolisthesis. Sagittal alignment of the facet joints was seen more frequently in the patients in whom slipping occurred than in patients with no spondylolisthesis, but approximately 40% of the patients in whom slipping occurred did not demonstrate sagittal alignment. CONCLUSION: Horizontalization of the lamina and the facets is a pathoanatomic risk factor that can predispose for the development of degenerative spondylolisthesis. If dysfunction of the disc occurs in addition to these conditions, spondylolisthesis may develop.

Strength distribution in the tibia.

Stress fracture of a tibia is rarely associated with osteoarthros of the knee joint (gonarthrosis), whereas the present authors experienced a case of tibial stress fracture with high level lateral flail. To make an analysis with the statics of an elastic body, the shape of the tibia was read from a roentgenogram with a digitizer. The bend of a tibia was expressed with curvature (the reciprocal with curvature radius); fracture was expected to occur where the curvature was large. From the analysis, the fracture had occurred near one of the maximums of the curvature when the knee side was fixed and a force was applied to the ankle side --walking situation, e.g. The analysis also has indicated that the tibia would be very weak when the ankle side was fixed--skiing situation, e.g.

Salting-out extraction technique for pretreatment in the liquid chromatographic determination of copper(II), aluminum(III), iron(III) and manganese(II) in biological samples.

A solvent extraction method for the simultaneous determination of Cu, Al, Fe and Mn by reversed phase liquid chromatography is presented. The metal chelates with 5-chloro-8-quinolinol are extracted into an acetonitrile phase with tetrabutylammonium perchlorate and ammonium sulfate as salting-out agents, followed by LC separation and determination using an ODS column. The experimental parameters such as the composition of mobile phase and concentration of the salting-out agent for phase separation have been investigated. The mobile phase is a mixture of 3:1 (v/v) acetonitrile-0.02 mol l(-1) sodium acetate solution containing 5x10(-3) mol l(-1) 5-chloro-8-quinolinol. The proposed method has been applied to the trace analysis of Cu, Al, Fe and Al in bovine liver and citrus leaves.

Extraction equilibria of some transition metal ions by bis(2-ethylhexyl)phosphinic acid.

Measurements of dimerization constants (K(d,HR)) and distribution constants (K(D,HR)) of bis(2-ethylhexyl)phosphinic acid (PIA-8) in three kinds of organic diluents were carried out by a potentiometric two-phase titration technique at 298 +/- 0.1 K. Extraction of iron(III), zinc(II), copper(II), manganese(II), cadmium(II), cobalt(II) and nickel(II) by PIA-8 from 1.0 mol dm(-3) ammonium sulfate solution into heptane was investigated as a function of pH and extractant concentration. The data have been analyzed both graphically and numerically to determine the stoichiometry of extracted species and their extraction constants. The extracted metal species were found to be FeR(3) . 2HR for iron(III), ZnR(2) and ZnR(2) . 3HR for zinc(II), CuR(2) . HR and CuR(2) . 5HR for copper(II), MnR(2) . 2HR and MnR(2) . 3HR for manganese(II), CdR(2) . 3HR for cadmium(II), CoR(2) . HR and CoR(2) . 4HR for cobalt(II) and NiR(2) . 3HR and NiR(2) . 6HR for nickel(II), respectively.

Comparison of on-column and precolumn derivatization for liquid chromatographic determination of molybdenum in seawater and bovine liver.

A rapid, accurate, and sensitive method was developed for the determination of molybdenum in seawater and bovine liver samples by reversed-phase liquid chromatography (LC) using a C18 column. The method was based on chelation of the metal with 8-hydroxyquinoline by on-column or precolumn derivatization followed by LC elution with acetonitrile-0.02M acetate buffer (3 + 2; pH 4.1) and 1 x 10(-3)M of the ligand as the mobile phase. The spectrophotometric detection was made at 390 nm. Data obtained from the 2 derivatizations (on- and precolumn chelation) were compared in terms of detection limit, precision, accuracy, and ease of LC determination of molybdenum. No significant difference exists in the detection limit and the sensitivity of the 2 methods. However, the on-column chelation method, that is, the direct injection of aqueous samples onto the column, showed relatively less interference from manganese and greater simplicity in operation compared with precolumn chelation; therefore, on-column chelation is preferable for routine analyses. The on-column method produced mean levels of 9.6 +/- 0.4 micrograms/L for the seawater sample and 3.6 +/- 0.2 microgram/g (certified value, 3.5 +/- 0.5 microgram/g) for bovine liver.

The relationship between intramuscular pressure of the paraspinal muscles and low back pain.

STUDY DESIGN: The relationship between lumbar intramuscular pressure and backache with degenerative lumbar spine diseases was examined. Lumbar intramuscular pressure in 102 patients with low back pain and in 20 normal adults was compared in different positions using Miller's microtip catheter transducer. OBJECTIVES: This study sought to study the relationship between intramuscular pressure of the lumbar back muscles and degenerative lumbar diseases. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Measurement of intramuscular pressure is an objective technique for diagnosing lumbar compartment syndrome. The diagnosis of chronic compartment syndrome of the lumbar back muscles is confirmed when an association between an increase in intramuscular pressure and the onset of back pain is established. As spinal alignment changes from lordosis to kyphosis, the intramuscular pressure increases and blood flow decreases. METHODS: Intramuscular pressure measurements of the lumbar back muscles were performed in various positions and loading. Results in patients with low back pain and in normal adults were compared. RESULTS: The intramuscular pressure levels were found to be closely related to position and loading. The pattern of changes in pressure depended on the type of disease. The changes in intramuscular pressure in the patients with backache were classified into four distinct patterns. Chronic compartment syndrome of the lumbar back muscles showed two pattern: waxing and plateau. CONCLUSIONS: Measurement of intramuscular pressure of the lumbar back muscles might be an important method of obtaining a greater knowledge about backache.

[A case report of A-C bypass surgery in coronary atherosclerosis with anomalous origin of left coronary artery].

Anomalous coronary artery originating from the aorta without complicated congenital cardiac anomaly is rare. We describe a case with the left coronary artery originating from the right sinus of Valsalva. Cardiac catheterization revealed a left coronary artery transverse between the aorta and the pulmonary artery. Severe atherosclerotic stenosis was present at segment 3 of the right coronary artery. Electrocardiogram and myocardial scintigraphy revealed that the angina occurred due to stenosis of the right coronary artery. We tried PTCA, but could not pass the catheter through the stenosis. After PTCA, he complained of anterior chest pain frequently, so we performed an aortocoronary bypass operation to the right coronary artery with saphenous vein graft. Postoperative course was not eventful and angina disappeared.

Differential pulse polarographic determination of molybdenum after separation by 8-hydroxyquinoline extraction into dichloromethane.

A polarographic investigation of several metal 8-hydroxyquinolinates in dichloromethane medium following solvent extraction has been made. From the data obtained, a selective, specific and sensitive method for the determination of molybdenum at ng ml levels has been developed involving direct differential pulse polarographic measurement on the dichloromethane extract. In this work, EDTA is used as an effective masking agent to separate molybdenum from other metals. The proposed method has been applied to the determination of molybdenum in a variety of steels and NBS-SRM 1577 bovine liver with good accuracy and precision.

Determination of cadmium by differentialn pulse anodic-stripping voltammetry after salting-out extraction into acetonitrile.

A selective and specific method is presented for anodic-stripping voltammetric determination of cadmium after extraction with 0.1Mtetrabutylammonium iodide solution in acetonitrile from aqueous ammonium sulphate solutions. The detection limit of this method is 0.2 ng ml (in the acetonitrile extract). Interference from matrices or large amounts of elements reduced at more positive potentials can be eliminated by prior extraction. The method has been applied to trace analysis for cadmium in zinc, lead and indium metals, and some inorganic salts.

Polarographic determination of indium(III) after salting-out extraction of the bromide complex into acetonitrile.

A simple and sensitive method has been developed for the polarographic determination of indium(III) after solvent extraction into acetonitrile, salted-out from aqueous solution with sodium bromide. The extracted indium(III)-bromide complex gives a well-defined d.c. wave with E(1 2 ) = -0.69 V vs. SCE. The wave-height is directly proportional to the concentration of indium(III) from 1.6 x 10(-6) to 3.0 x 10(-4)M with respect to the original aqueous solution. In the a.c. polarographic method, a linear calibration curve is obtained for indium(III) over the concentration range from 1.6 x 10(-6) to 1.5 x 10(-5)M, and interference from most foreign ions can be eliminated. In particular, 10.0 mg of Fe(III) and 2.5 mg of Tl(III) are tolerated when 1.0 g of ascorbic acid is added. The lower limit of determination is 8 x 10(-8)M indium(III) by the square-wave polarographic method.