Chemical fractionation of organic matter and organic phosphorus extractions from freshwater lake sediment.

Lake sediment organic matter (OM) is composed of a variety of organic compounds differing in their biolability and origin. Sources of sediment OM can include terrestrial input from the watershed and algal/microbial metabolic byproducts residing in the water column or sediment. Dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP) is a critical component of OM in freshwater eutrophic lakes, often acting as a source for bioavailable phosphorus that fuels harmful algal and/or cyanobacterial blooms. Parallel extractions of lake sediment collected from Missisquoi Bay, a eutrophic bay in Lake Champlain, were conducted with the goal of identifying OM and organic P sediment constituents using ultrahigh-resolution mass spectrometry from various extractants. Extractants converged into two groups based on the characteristics of their extracted OM; "stronger extractants" were composed of highly acidic and alkali media, while "milder extractants" represented weaker acids and bases. Sediment treated with the strong extractants afforded highly oxygenated and unsaturated OM thought to be stable with mostly lower heteroatomic content. In contrast, milder extractants yielded highly aliphatic and saturated compounds with lower masses and greater heteroatom functionally, sharing characteristics with labile molecules. Extracted organic P molecules mirrored the bulk OM in terms of lability, mass, and oxygenation within their corresponding extractants. Milder extractants resulted in greater organic P formulae assignments than the stronger extractants, with NaHCO3 resulting in the most aliphatic organic P formulae. We recommend the use of acetic acid to probe lake sediment for overall molecular characterization, spanning the greatest ranges of O/C and H/C ratios and representing both labile and mineral-associated OM. Other extractants should be implemented for a more targeted analysis. For instance, the use of NaHCO3 for organic P characterization, while using NaOH when interested in sediment geochemistry; both of which are critical for understanding the factors contributing to internal P loading.

Use of self home-made diaphragm for protection against pregnancy and sexually-transmitted infections: case report.

This is a case report of a 44-year-old woman who used a home-made diaphragm for 16 years to protect herself from pregnancy and sexually-transmitted infections. The woman stitched a piece of cloth with folded polythene inside. This case report provides a vivid illustration of the limitations of available methods of protection for women. It consists of an introduction to the topic, a description of her experiences using her home-made diaphragm and a discussion of the significance of the case. This report supports the need for additional research on female-controlled methods of protection against sexually-transmitted infections, methods that can be used without male knowledge and co-operation, such as vaginal microbicides and cervical barriers against infection, including the diaphragm.

Induction of apoptosis in experimental human B cell lymphomas by conditional TRAIL-expressing T cells.

In the present study, we demonstrate the utility of a non-tumour-forming T-cell line for the inducible gene transfer of tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (Apo2L/TRAIL), which has been shown to selectively induce apoptosis in malignant but not in normal cells. To generate T cells inducible for TRAIL expression, we stably transfected Jurkat cells with TRAIL in the context of the Tet-On system. The switched on cells strongly expressed TRAIL mRNA, whose protein product was expressed on the cell surface. Paracrine induction of apoptosis in human target tumour cells was solely found for membrane-bound TRAIL. The Jurkat-TRAIL cells itself survived due to clonal selection of TRAIL-resistant cells. Jurkat-TRAIL cells had an additive effect with cytotoxic drugs in vitro, since cell death was enhanced. To elucidate the antitumoral activity of these Jurkat-TRAIL cells in vivo, we injected them intratumorally in xenografts of human Burkitt lymphomas. Switching on expression of TRAIL by adding tetracycline to the drinking water of the mice strongly reduced tumour growth by apoptosis in a caspase-dependent manner. Thus, non-tumour-forming T-cell lines offer a novel method for gene transfer and inducible expression of TRAIL in tumour therapy.

Genomic structure, alternative transcripts and chromosome location of the human LIM domain binding protein 1 gene LDB1.

By protein interaction screening using a radioactive LMO2 protein probe we have isolated a LIM domain binding protein. The gene shows high homology to independently isolated genes from mouse, Xenopus and Drosophila called Ldb1/Nli/Clim-2, Xldb1 and Chip, respectively. The human and mouse genes differ by only two amino acids, suggesting that the gene that we have isolated is the human homologue. Here we describe the genomic organization, alternative transcript forms and the chromosome mapping of the human gene LDB1 (alias NLI). The gene is spread over at least 12 kb and has 11 exons. Preceding the described ATG initiation site in the mouse a highly conserved region between mouse, chicken and human was detected with a second possible in frame initiation site coding for further 36 amino acids. An alternative splice site adding six nucleotides corresponding to the addition of two amino acids at the end of exon 10 was found. The gene was mapped to chromosome 10q24-->q25 by in situ hybridization, a region frequently deleted in many types of cancer. Fine mapping with a radiation hybrid panel localized the gene in the interval between the markers D10S603 and D10S540.

[Effectiveness and tolerance of amlodipine in treatment of patients with mild to moderate hypertension. Results of a long-term study with a new calcium antagonist]. / Wirksamkeit und Verträglichkeit von Amlodipin in der Behandlung von Patienten mit leichter bis mittelschwerer. Hypertonie Ergebnisse einer Langzeitstudie mit einem neuen Kalziumantagonisten.

The efficacy and safety of amlodipine in the long term treatment of outpatients with mild to moderate hypertension were examined in an open, non-comparative study. 87 patients were enrolled in the study, 62 (71%) of whom were observed for 27 months under controlled conditions. Daily doses of 5-10 mg amlodipine led to a statistically significant decrease in systolic and diastolic blood pressure (-30.5/-20.7 mmHg, p less than 0.01) while there was no substantial influence on heart rate or decrease in efficacy. Amlodipine was tolerated very well; only 17% of the patients reported side effects, most of which were either mild or moderate and were tolerated or disappeared with continued treatment. No clinically significant changes were noted in clinical laboratory or ECG examinations. Based on its special pharmacological and pharmacokinetic properties, amlodipine is a novel calcium antagonist from the dihydropyridine class which has proved to be effective in the treatment of hypertension. The antihypertensive effect, which is sustained for more than 24 hours, parallels the circadian variations in blood pressure and thus induces beneficial pharmacodynamic effects. Due to the low incidence of side effects and the once-daily dosage regimen, an improvement in patient compliance can be expected.

Light and electron microscopic investigation of in vitro starch synthesis in chromoplasts.

Chromoplasts having a globular inner structure in the petals of Forsythia suspensa can form starch grains in their stroma when incubated with glucose solution. The same result was obtained with chromoplasts, similar in structure, from Laburnum anagyroides and Ranunculus acer. Fibrillar chromoplasts in tepals of Lilium croceum are able to synthesize starch in vitro, not, however, from glucose but from glucose-1-phosphate. This starch differs from the above mentioned both in respect of electron microscopic structure and digestibility with alpha-amylase, a feature presumably caused by the relatively high activity of the branching (Q) enzyme. The substrate specificity of Lilium-starch synthesis can be explained by blocking of the phosphorylation of glucose in the cytoplasm, rather than by the selective permeability of the plasmalemma.

[Therapy and prophylaxis of recurrent erysipelas (author's transl)]. / Zur Therapie und Prophylaxe des rezidivierenden Erysipels

17 patients suffering from chronically recurrent erysipelas were treated through 10 days - every day - with 10 mega Na-penicillin G intravenously, before noon, and with 1.2 mega (900000 units clemizole penicillin G plus 300000 units Na-penicillin G) intramuscularly or 1 to 2 mega penicillin V acid orally, in the afternoon. Thereafter, these patients were to be injected through six months, in two week intervals, a repository penicillin (600000 units benzathine penicillin G, 300000 unmand in a divers manner. During the observation period from 1 7/12 to 2 8/12 years, 11 out of 17 patients remained without relapse. Frequency of recidivation significantly decreased in 3 patients; no improvement was achieved in the three last patients.