Z-->bb-bar excess and top quark decay.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to E Ma.
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The development of the anterior pituitary gland involves the proliferation and differentiation of ectodermal cells in Rathke's pouch to generate distinct cell types, each of which produces its corresponding trophic hormone. Studying pituitary development will therefore reveal novel aspects of organogenesis. In the present study, we examined by in situ hybridization the expression of genes for anterior pituitary hormones during development of the fetal pig pituitary. We found that the beta-subunit gene of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH beta) was first expressed at E40, (E = day of embryonal/fetal life), growth hormone (GH) mRNA appeared between E40 and E50, and the gonadotrophin genes (LH beta and FSH beta) were expressed at E50. The transcripts for TSH beta, LH beta and FSH beta were abundantly expressed at about E80, while GH mRNA continued to be richly expressed until after birth. The GH gene was first expressed in the mantle layer of the anterior lobe, while the TSH beta and gonadotrophin (LH beta and FSH beta) mRNAs were found in the central and the basal regions of the anterior lobe, respectively. All of these mRNAs (GH, TSH beta, LH beta, and FSH beta) remained concentrated until the end of gestation in the area where they first appeared. The distinctive pattern of developmental expression of these hormone genes in the fetal pig anterior pituitary makes this tissue an excellent system in which to study tissue-specific gene activation and regulation.
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Agrin is a synapse-organizing protein synthesized and externalized by motor neurons in the spinal cord, which organizes the postsynaptic apparatus of the developing neuromuscular junction. Agrin mRNA in the nervous system consists of several alternatively spliced variants. Splicing of agrin gene transcripts at the major site of variability results in four variants: encoding 8 (B8) or 11 (B11) amino acid inserts, both (B19), or predominant variant (B0) without inserts. The insert-containing variants are neuron specific and encode agrin proteins with greater synapse-organizing activity than the B0 variant. Here, we report the localization and developmental regulation of agrin mRNA variants in chick embryo spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia. In situ hybridization using antisense oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) probes specific for the B8 and B11 sequences shows that the neuron-specific variants are concentrated in ventrolateral cells of the chick embryo spinal cord, presumably motor neurons, beginning at embryonic day 4 (E4). By E14, the insert-containing mRNAs are found almost exclusively in presumptive motor neurons. These variants are also found in dorsal root ganglia and sympathetic ganglia, but not in non-neural tissues. Analysis by polymerase chain reaction showed that the B11 and B19 mRNA variants appeared in spinal cord at E4, whereas the B8 variant was first seen at E14. During development, B11 decreased and disappeared by E20, whereas B8 increased from E14 to E20. A similar time course was seen in dorsal root ganglia. The greatest acetylcholine receptor-aggregating activity in the spinal cord was seen from E6 to E10, coincident with the highest proportion of B11-containing transcripts and with the peak of synaptogenesis in limb muscles. These data provide the first evidence linking appearance of the neuron-specific agrin mRNA variants with expression of the functional protein. The B11 and B19 variants appeared in E2 (stage 15) neural tubes cultured for 2 days with or without notochord and trunk tissues, indicating that there is no peripheral signal required to induce these agrin mRNA variants in developing motor neurons.
To understand the incidence and importance of anaerobic infection, the aerobic and anaerobic blood culture were carried out simultaneously in 127 patients with extensive burns (TBSA > 50%). Among 39 patients with positive culture, 26 had anaerob growth in blood culture. The total incidence rate of anaerobic septicemia was 20.4%. 61 strains (9 species) of anaerobes were isolated from blood specimens. The predominant anaerobes were Peptococcus (37.7%) and B. fragilis (36.1%). 20 (76.9%) were mixed infection of aerobes and anaerobes. The others thers suffered from combined infection of B. Fragilis and peptococcus combined infection. Finally, 19 patients survived and 7 died (26.9%). The sensitive tests showed that the effective drugs were metronidazot, chloramycin, and lincomycin. These data suggested that the septicemia of extensive burn patients is often caused by anaerobes. Therefore, anaerobe plays an important role in burn infection.
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The expression of proopiomelanocortin (POMC) mRNA, which plays an important role in neural, endocrine, neuroendocrine and immune systems, was studied by in situ hybridization during the development of pituitary in the domestic pig. The POMC gene was activated as early as fetal day 30 (E30). The signal for POMC mRNA in the anterior lobe progressively increased from E30 to E80 and then remained at relatively constant level. In contrast, POMC transcripts in the intermediate lobe first appeared at E40 and steadily increased during development. POMC transcripts in the brain were first found at E40 and were scattered in the arcuate nucleus (AN) and nucleus medialis thalami (NMT). At E50 the extra-pituitary POMC mRNA was located not only in the AN and NMT but also in the fasciculus tegmenti and entorhinal cortex. In the posterior lobe, no signal was detected. The specific pattern of expression of the pig POMC gene in the pituitary and in specific regions of the central nervous system suggests important roles for POMC in fetal development. These results also suggest that POMC is excellent for studying the expression and regulation of pituitary hormone genes because of its tissue-specific regulation and developmental pattern.
Serum copper and zinc were simultaneously determined by ion-exchange chromatography (IC) in 35 normal volunteers and 45 patients with benign diseases or different stage cancers of the digestive tract. No significant differences of serum Cu, Zn and Cu/Zn ratio were found among normal volunteers, patients with benign diseases and those with stage I or II cancers, while in the group of stage III and IV cancer patients, serum Cu (26.53 +/- 1.41 mumol/L) and Cu/Zn ratio (2.25 +/- 0.16) were very significantly elevated (P < 0.01) and that of serum Zn (11.78 +/- 0.46 mumol/L) was remarkably decreased (P < 0.05). Our results showed that serum Cu, Zn and Cu/Zn ratio were of no help in detecting early stage cancers and in differentiating them from benign diseases but were useful in predicting stages of cancers before operation for a better choice of therapy.
When the area of alopecia is very large, the normal scalp is not sufficient to cover the defect resulting from excision of the alopecia. From August 1987 to December 1989, 8 cases with large defect of scalp are repaired by means of expanded cross scalp flaps with good result. Among 8 cases, 7 are male and 1 female, and the largest area of alopecia is 300 cm2 and the smallest 112 cm2, with a mean of 191 cm2. Two expanders are buried under the galea aponeurotica on both sides of alopecia, and the scalp is expanded. The central part of the expanded scalp is chosen to form the "major flap", the lateral part of the expanded scalp to form the "adjuvant flap". Two flaps are then crossed and the defect is repaired. The method of scalp expansion and "axial flap" is used in marginal alopecia. An expander is buried under the galea aponeurotica on each side of the alopecia. After the scalp is expanded, the central part of the expanded scalp is chosen to from "axial flap" with the pedicle consisting of superficial temporal artery or occipital artery and the lateral part of the expanded scalp to form the "adjuvant flap". Then two flaps are transposed and the defect is thus repaired.
Agrin is a synapse-organizing protein likely to mediate nerve-induced aggregation of acetylcholine receptors and other postsynaptic components at the neuromuscular junction. We used in situ hybridization and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to define the localization of agrin mRNA and its alternatively spliced forms in the chick embryo nervous system. Agrin cRNA probes intensely labeled motor neurons, dorsal root ganglia, cerebellar Purkinje neurons, and retinal ganglion cells. Neuronal layers in optic tectum and ventricular regions were also labeled. Analysis by PCR showed that all parts of the nervous system at embryonic day 10 contained three major forms of agrin mRNA. Our results raise the possibility that agrin isoforms play a role in synapse formation or other aspects of neuronal development in the central nervous system.