Biomedical subjects

L Zheng

Publications and source records attributed to L Zheng.

At least 217 records · Page 12Linked to original sources

PubMed1997

CONV--convolution for responses to a finite diameter photon beam incident on multi-layered tissues.

A convolution program (CONV) solving responses to a collimated finite diameter photon beam perpendicularly incident on a multi-layered tissue has been coded in ANSI Standard C, hence, the program can be executed on various computers. The program, employing an extended trapezoidal rule for integration, convolves the responses to an infinitely narrow photon beam computed by a companion program (MCML). Dynamic data allocation is used for CONV as well as MCML, therefore, the number of tissue layers and grid elements of the grid system can be varied at run time. The potential error due to not scoring the first photon-tissue interactions separately is illustrated. The program, including the source code, has been in the public domain since 1992 and can be downloaded from the web site at http:(/)/biomed.tamu.edu/-lw.

Computer Simulation↗

PubMed1997

Iris hooks for phacoemulsification of the subluxated lens.

Phacoemulsification of the lens in eyes with zonular loss risks dislocation of the lens into the vitreous cavity. We describe the use of iris hooks after capsulorhexis to support the lens during surgery. With iris hooks, the lens can be stabilized, helping prevent additional loss of zonules and permitting retention of the capsule to support an intraocular lens.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

The c-erbB-2/neu proto-oncogene in human pituitary tumours.

OBJECTIVE: The aetiology of most pituitary tumours remains unknown. We have examined the potential role of neu receptor proto-oncogene in human pituitary tumorigenesis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ten non-tumorous pituitary glands and 16 morphologically characterized functional and clinically non-functioning pituitary adenomas were studied. Protein expression was examined by immunohistochemistry, mRNA expression by RT-PCR and competitive PCR, gene amplification by differential PCR, and point mutations by DNA sequencing. RESULTS: Cytoplasmic positivity for neu was identified in a few scattered cells of the non-tumorous adenohypophysis using an antibody to the intracytoplasmic domain of neu, but no membrane staining was found with an antibody to the extracellular domain; the latter is said to reflect gene amplification. mRNA transcript signals of the expected size were identified in the normal adenohypophysis and in all 16 adenomas examined. No increase in the degree of mRNA expression, however, was noted in the different tumour types compared to normal human pituitary tissue as determined by competitive PCR. As neu can be activated to an oncogene by a point mutation in the transmembrane region, nucleotide substitutions in this domain were investigated. Direct sequencing of codon 659 revealed no point mutations in any of the tumours. Furthermore, since amplification of neu has been noted in various human malignancies, DNA from these tumours was examined by differential PCR. No detectable differences were noted between the neu gene and the single-copy reference gene IFN-gamma. CONCLUSION: The neu gene is expressed in adenohypophysial cells and their tumours. In pituitary adenomas, this expression is not associated with gene amplification or activating mutations to suggest a direct role in pituitary tumorigenesis.

Adenoma↗

PubMed1997

Progress in the map-based cloning of the Anopheles gambiae genes responsible for the encapsulation of malarial parasites.

A genetically selected strain of the mosquito Anopheles gambiae, the major vector of malaria in sub-Saharan Africa, is able to encapsulate and kill Plasmodium ookinetes after they have penetrated the midgut cells and come to rest between the midgut epithelial cells and the surrounding basal lamina. The genetic basis of this phenotype has now been examined by high-resolution mapping using microsatellite loci. Results of this mapping indicate that three genes contribute to this phenotype, with one gene on the left arm of chromosome 2 accounting for the most of the effect. These genes, called Pen1, Pen2, and Pen3 (for Plasmodium encapsulation genes 1, 2 and 3) have also been physically localized to relatively small and well defined regions of the polytene chromosome complement. Strategies for cloning these genes by genetic and physical mapping methods are discussed.

Africa South of the Sahara↗

PubMed1997

Promoter analysis and expression of a phospholipase D gene from castor bean.

The expression of a castor bean (Ricinus communis L.) phospholipase D (PLD; EC 3.1.4.4) gene has been studied by examining its promoter activity in transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) carrying a PLD promoter-glucuronidase transgene and by monitoring the levels of PLD mRNA in castor bean. Sequence and the 5' truncation analyses revealed that the 5' flanking region from nucleotide -1200 to -730 is required for the regulation and basal function of the PLD promoter. The PLD promoter in vegetative tissues is highly active in the rapidly growing regions such as the shoot apex and the secondary meristem producing axillary buds and vascular tissues of young leaves and stems. The PLD promoter activity in floral tissues was high in stigma, ovary, and pollen grains, but low in petals, sepals, the epidermis of anthers, styles, and filaments. The PLD promoter activity was enhanced by abscisic acid. Northern-blot analysis of PLD in castor bean showed that the PLD mRNA levels were high in young and metabolically more active tissues such as expanding leaves, hypocotyl hooks, developing seeds, and young seedlings, and they decreased in mature tissues such as fully expanded leaves and developed seeds. These patterns of expression suggest a role of PLD in rapid cell growth, proliferation, and reproduction.

Base Sequence↗

PubMed1997

Purification of the Azotobacter vinelandii nifV-encoded homocitrate synthase.

The nifV gene product (NifV) from Azotobacter vinelandii was recombinantly expressed at high levels in Escherichia coli and purified. NifV is a homodimer that catalyzes the condensation of acetyl coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA) and alpha-ketoglutarate. Although alpha-ketoglutarate supports the highest level of activity, NifV will also catalyze the condensation of acetyl-CoA and certain other keto acids. E. coli cells in which a high level of nifV expression is induced excrete homocitrate into the growth medium.

Azotobacter vinelandii↗

PubMed1997

Role of NifS in maturation of glutamine phosphoribosylpyrophosphate amidotransferase.

Glutamine phosphoribosylpyrophosphate amidotransferase from Bacillus subtilis is synthesized as an inactive precursor that requires two maturation steps: incorporation of a [4Fe-4S] center and cleavage of an 11-residue NH2-terminal propeptide. Overproduction from a multicopy plasmid in Escherichia coli leads to the formation of soluble proenzyme and mature enzyme forms as well as a small fraction of insoluble proenzyme. Heterologous expression of Azotobacter vinelandii nifS from a compatible plasmid increased the maturation of the soluble proenzyme three- to fourfold without influencing the content of the insoluble fraction. These results support a role for NifS in heterologous Fe-S cluster assembly and enzyme maturation.

Amidophosphoribosyltransferase↗

PubMed1997

Scar collagen deposition in the airways of allografts of lung transplant recipients.

Collagen subtype deposition has not been studied in the airways of transplanted lungs. As part of rejection, a series of immunologic insults results in a remodeling of the allograft. In chronic rejection, changes in the airway leading to obliterative bronchiolitis syndrome (OBS) are particularly important. To better understand the mechanism of OBS occurring in chronic lung rejection, we investigated deposition of three fibrillar collagens (type I, III, V) in airway biopsies of lung allografts taken from 10 clinically well lung transplant recipients (wLTR) and eight lung transplant recipients (LTR) with OBS (OBLTR) using an immunoperoxidase method. Collagen III deposition and the ratio of collagen type III to type I were found to be significantly increased in OBLTR compared with wLTR (p < 0.05), and the latter correlated inversely with both FEF(25-75) (r = -0.69; p < 0.05) and FEV1 (r = 0.62; p = 0.05) in OBLTR. This suggests that an increased proportion of collagen III in the airway walls of transplanted lungs might be an early signal of the progression to terminal chronic lung allograft dysfunction. The changes in the ratio of type III to type I collagen in the airways of lung allografts may provide important insights into the process of airway remodeling in chronic lung rejection.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

Airway versus transbronchial biopsy and BAL in lung transplant recipients: different but complementary.

Lung transplantation is now an established therapeutic intervention for end-stage cardiopulmonary disease in humans. Chronic rejection, in the form of bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS), remains the commonest cause of morbidity and mortality in those surviving more than 3 months. The pathology of BOS involves airway changes. We have evaluated the potential for endobronchial biopsies (EBB) to complement existing sampling methods used in allograft monitoring and have compared the results of EBB findings with those of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and transbronchial biopsy (TBB) in 18 clinically stable patients. We found that all the EBB had inflammatory cells present but that only five TBB specimens had evidence of inflammation, with airway material being present in 78% of the TBB. Paired BAL and EBB yielded different results, with no correlations between total macrophages, lymphocytes, CD4+ cells or CD8+ cells. We conclude that endobronchial biopsies are potentially useful as an additional sample for the monitoring of inflammation in lung allografts, since they yield different, and potentially complimentary, information to bronchoalveolar lavage and transbronchial biopsy.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

Wortmannin-sensitive and -insensitive steps in calcium-controlled exocytosis in pituitary gonadotrophs: evidence that myosin light chain kinase mediates calcium-dependent and wortmannin-sensitive gonadotropin secretion.

In cultured rat pituitary cells, increases in the cytosolic calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) and LH release are induced by activation of GnRH receptors as well as by nonreceptor-mediated stimuli. Treatment of pituitary cells with the myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) inhibitor, wortmannin, attenuated GnRH-induced LH release. Wortmannin also reduced the LH responses to nonreceptor-mediated elevation of [Ca2+]i by ionomycin and activation of voltage-sensitive Ca2+ channels by Bay K 8644 or high K+, as well as Ca2+-induced LH release in permeabilized pituitary cells. The [Ca2+]i responses to these stimuli were unaltered in wortmannin-treated pituitary cells, indicating that this compound inhibits a Ca2+-dependent step in exocytosis without affecting Ca2+ signaling. In perifused pituitary cells, the GnRH-induced early spike phase of LH release was not affected by wortmannin, whereas the subsequent plateau phase was almost completely inhibited. No significant changes in GnRH-induced phospholipase D activity and diacylglycerol production were observed in wortmannin-treated pituitary cells during the sustained phase of agonist stimulation. Wortmannin also had no effect on LH responses to the protein kinase C activator, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, further indicating that the attenuation of agonist-induced LH release is not related to inhibition of the diacylglycerol/protein kinase C pathway. In addition, agonist-induced LH release was attenuated by two other MLCK inhibitors, MS-347a and KT5926. These data suggest that MLCK mediates the downstream effects of Ca2+ on exocytosis, an action supported by the finding of wortmannin-sensitive phosphorylation of a 20-kDa protein in pituitary cells and alphaT3-1 gonadotrophs treated with GnRH, K+, and Bay K 8644. This protein was coprecipitated from pituitary extracts with a specific antibody to nonmuscle myosin IIB and comigrated with 20-kDa smooth muscle myosin light chain on SDS-PAGE. These results demonstrate that Ca2+ controls exocytosis through an initial wortmannin-insensitive step and a sustained wortmannin-sensitive step and suggest that the latter event in the cascade of cellular responses is dependent on phosphorylation of nonmuscle myosin IIB light chain by MLCK.

3-Pyridinecarboxylic acid, 1,4-dihydro-2,6-dimethy↗

PubMed1997

[The alveolar bone density in rats with experimental diabetes].

The alveolar bone turnover in rat with experimental diabetes was investigated. The serum osteocalcin concentration in diabetic rat was shown to increase as determined by radioimmunoassay; while alveolar and femur bone density decrease as determined by Dual Energy X-ray Bone Densitometer; histological examination showed that bone resorption was increased and bone formation decreased in the alveolar bone in diabetic rat. It is suggested that the alveolar bone in rats with diabetes mellitus have a tendency to develop osteoporosis.

Alveolar Process↗

PubMed1997

[Discovery of a novel reassortant H1N2 influenza virus].

Three strains of influenza A virus were isolated from patients suffering from influenza like disease in Railway Hygiene and Anti-epidemic Station of Taiyuan in January 1996. The identification results by serological method indicated that the isolates were different from H1N2 subtype of influenza A virus isolated from men in 1989 and 1992 and that their HA antigenicity was similar to that of A/RP/8/34 (H1N1) virus, but distinguishable from that of influenza A (H1N1) virus circulating in mans recently. The comparison of migration patterns of the RNA among the isolates, the A/PR//34 (H1N1) and the A/Wuhan/359/95 (H3N2) viruses revealed that the migration patterns of RNA 1-4 segments of the isolates were similar to those of A/PR/8/34 (H1N1) virus, but those of RNA 5-6 segments were indistinguishable from those of A/Wuhan/359/95 (H3N2) strain. However, the migration patterns of RNA 7-8 segments of the isolates were not only different from those of A/PR/8/34 (H1N1) virus, but also distingrasgable from those of A/Wuhan/359/95 (H3N2) strain. Therefore, it could be considered that the isolates were a novel reassortant H1N2 influenza A virus.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1997

[A survey on mother's nutritional knowledge-attitude on the feeding of young child in Guangdong province].

A survey on mother's nutrition knowledge-attitude on the feeding of young child was conducted in Guangdong province in 1995 among 414 mothers of 0 to 18 months old children. The results showed that the nutritional knowledge-attitude level of the mothers was low in both city and township. Only 51% of them had qualified level. The level of general nutritional concepts and the nutritional knowledge-attitude during weaning period were significantly lower than that of breastfeeding and follow-weaning. It suggests that the promotion of nutritional education in the feeding of young children is urgent in Guangdong province especially in township and rural area. It is necessary to focus on the improvement of nutritional knoweledge in weaning period and general nutrition concepts.

Breast Feeding↗

PubMed1997

[Study of spectrometer calibration experiment research].

Spectrometer calibration is very important for quantitative research of imaging spectral remote sensing. After spectral calibtation and radiometric calibration, it was known that the average shift of wavelength of SE590 channels was 8nm, and the linear response was depended on the change of energy recieved by SE590, and spectral response resolution was unreasonable beyond 950nm range. At last, the calibration results were proved by the field experiment measurement data.

English Abstract↗

PubMed1997

[The infrared spectra of alkyl hydrogen styrylphosphonates and their complexes with metals].

The infrared spectra in the range of 4000 approximately 650cm(-1) for alkyl hydrogen styrylphosphonates (HA (SP)), 2-ethylhexyl hydrogen 2-ethylhexylphosphonate and di-2-ethylhexyl hydrogen phosphate and their complexes with metals were recorded. The tested HA (SP) included n-octyl, 2-ethylhexyl, 1-methylheptyl and sec-alkyl (C11-13) hydrogen styrylphos- phonates. The metals studied were Fe ( III ), Cr ( III ), In ( III ), Nd ( III ), Cu ( II ), Co ( II ), Ni ( II ), Ca( II ) and Mg( II ). In the spectra of these organophosphorus compounds adsorption at approximately 1450cm(-1) is present only in HA (SP). The Spectra of HA (SP) show the broad absorption of hydrogen bonded OH at approximately 2200 and 2600cm(-1) ( vOH ). For each of the organophosphorus monoacids upon complexation with the metals excepting Ca and Mg, the vOH disappears and the v(P=O) shifts to a lower frequency , wthereas in the cases of Ca and Mg the OH, P=O and P--O-- absorption bands all become broader.

English Abstract↗

PubMed1997

[Primary and secondary structure of 3'--end of the large subunit ribosomal RNA of silkworm Attacus ricini and evolution implications as inferred from the gene sequence].

The DNA sequence of the 3'-end of LSu-rRNA coding region of silkworm Attacus ricini was determined. By comparisons with the corresponding sequence of H. sapiens, X. leavis, H. momus, A. albopictus, D. melanogaster, C. elegants, S. pombe, M. musculus and M. racemosus, we found that the coding sequence we obtained is very conserved. Phylogenetic tree inferred by Neighbor-joining Method showed that the rate of evolution of insects was much faster than vertebrate. In addition, the secondary structure has also worked out it is highly conserved.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

Astigmatism and visual recovery after 'large incision' extracapsular cataract surgery and 'small' incisions for phakoemulsification.

PURPOSE: This study compares the change over time of the astigmatism caused by "large" incision extracapsular cataract extraction (ECCE) and three smaller incisions for phakoemulsification. Based on this data, a mathematical model that predicts the course of astigmatism after a superior incision of length 3 to 12 mm has been developed. The relationship of axial length and preoperative astigmatism to induced post-operative astigmatism, the recovery of visual acuity, and the rate of YAG laser capsulotomy after each procedure also are documented. METHODS: Induced astigmatic change was calculated using a simple method of vector analysis. The change in induced astigmatism was calculated for 8 years after ECCE (n = 144), for 3 years after 6 mm superior incisions (6SUP) (n = 93), for 2 years after 3 mm superior incisions (3SUP) (n = 120), and for 18 months after 3 mm temporal incisions (3Temp) (n = 65). Plotted semi-logarithmically, the astigmatic change in each group may be represented mathematically. RESULTS: Two weeks after ECCE the mean induced cylinder was +3.47 D, which decayed to about -1.25 D after 6 months. Induced cylinder increased gradually to about -1.6 D after 8 years, although this further change was not significantly different than that at 6 months after surgery. For the phako groups, the net induced cylinder on the first post-operative day was: +1.23 D (6SUP), +0.49 D (3Sup), and -0.19 D (3Temp). After 6Sup the wound was astigmatically stable after approximately 3 months, and 3 years after surgery net induced cylinder was -0.66 D. After 3Sup the wound was astigmatically stable after about 6 weeks, and after 18 months net induced cylinder was -0.35 D. No significant change in astigmatism was detected at any time after 3Temp. Maximum visual acuity was reached after a mean of approximately 6 weeks after ECCE, 2 weeks after 6Sup, and between 1 day and 1 week after 3Sup and 3Temp. The rate of YAG laser capsulotomy was higher after ECCE than after any of the phakoemulsification procedures. No relationship of axial length or preoperative astigmatism to astigmatic change was detected. CONCLUSIONS: Incision size and location affect post-operative astigmatism. Induced astigmatism decreases with wound size, and only the 3 mm temporal incision is astigmatically neutral. The time for visual recovery increases with wound size. There appears to be less need for laser capsulotomy after phakoemulsification with capsulorrhexis than after ECCE. Axial length does not affect induced astigmatism after any of the 4 incisions, and preoperative astigmatism does not affect astigmatic change after ECCE and 6Sup.

Aged↗

PubMed1997

Screening and identification of down-regulated genes in colorectal carcinoma by subtractive hybridization: a method to identify putative tumor suppressor genes.

OBJECTIVE: To search for new putative tumor suppressor genes in colorectal carcinoma. METHODS: Subtractive hybridization technologies were applied to screen and select genes, the expression of which was down-regulated in colorectal carcinoma. mRNAs uniquely expressed in normal cells but not in colorectal carcinoma were recovered as cDNA (sub-cDNA) after two rounds of subtractive hybridization with mRNA prepared from colorectal carcinoma. The sub-cDNAs were then used as probes to screen a normal human colon cDNA library constructed in lambda-Zap II phage. The DNAs of positive clones were in vivo excised, and partial DNA sequences were analyzed and compared with DNA sequence database Genbank. RESULTS: A total of 46 different clones with an average of about 1 kilobases in transcript size was recovered. Among these 46 down-regulated genes in colorectal carcinoma were genes encoding immunoglobulin (n = 32), 40-kDa keratin intermediate filamentous protein or IFP (n = 1), major histocompatibility complex-related protein (n = 1), unrelated structural proteins (n = 10) and gene products yet to be identified (n = 2). RNA dotblot hybridizations confirmed that all 46 clones contained genes that were down-regulated and have not been reported before in colorectal carcinoma. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggested that the 46 clones were down-regulated in colorectal carcinoma, they should be further studied as new putative tumor suppressor genes and could be used as new tumor markers of colorectal carcinoma.

Colorectal Neoplasms↗