Technical advancements in target archery have been extended to widespread use of "scopes" which magnify the target. In fact, these optical devices are simple converging lenses used at an arm's length from the eye. They produce a magnified image, but it is an image that suffers from significant dioptric blur, diminished somewhat by use of a peep sight in the bowstring which functions as an aperture stop. Visual acuities were taken with these scopes and, as might be expected, it was found that subjects saw no better with them. With the highest power scopes, acuity actually decreased. Experienced archers did slightly better with these aids than those with no archery experience.

Female↗

PubMed1989

Infrared spectroscopy of chemically modified heparins.

Analysis by i.r. spectroscopy of natural and chemically modified heparins suggests that the N-sulphonate group of these polymers may vibrationally absorb radiation at two distinctly different frequencies. This property may reflect the existence of different conformational states important in the biological activities of the polymers. Examination of carboxylate- and N-acetyl-group absorbances of these polymers accords with the possibility that one of these polymer conformational states involves interaction between juxtaposed N-sulphonate and carboxylate groups. In heparin bearing large quantities of artificially introduced N-acetyl groups, an interaction between carboxylate and N-acetyl groups may also occur.

Heparin↗

PubMed1989

Inhibition by glycosaminoglycans of CaCO3 (calcite) crystallization.

Of a range of glycosaminoglycans, heparin and heparan sulphate were the most effective inhibitors in vitro of CaCO3 (calcite) crystallization as assayed by conductimetric measurements. The possible role of such glycosaminoglycans in modulating calcium-salt crystallizations in vivo is discussed.

Calcium Carbonate↗

PubMed1989

A comparison of the antioxidant requirements of proteins with those of synthetic polymers suggests an antioxidant function for clusters of aromatic and bivalent sulphur-containing amino acid residues.

Many proteins which function in extracellular environments potentially rich in oxygen-derived free radicals contain clustered tyrosine and cysteine residues which, by analogy with the chemistry of antioxidants used with synthetic polymers, may provide an appreciable antioxidant and redox stabilization activity. Such proteins may function as antioxidants, and as ligand binding sites for free radicals and other active molecules employed in normal biochemical processes.

Antioxidants↗

PubMed1989

Instrument accommodation compensation of single lens reflex camera viewfinders.

An instrument accommodation compensation is built into the viewfinders of single lens reflex cameras. The extra accommodation required when using these cameras can cause difficulty for some patients. This paper presents a simple method for measuring the instrument accommodation compensation of reflex cameras and presents the results of such measurements for several cameras.

Accommodation, Ocular↗

PubMed1988

Effect of the mast cell activator compound 48/80 and heparin on angiogenesis in the chick chorioallantoic membrane.

The mast cell activator, compound 48/80, produced increased vascularity and tortuosity of blood vessels in the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) of ten day old embryonic chicks. Application of 400 micrograms/ml resulted in rapid mast cell granule release, observed after 1 min at both light and electron microscopy level, and resulted in the greatest increase (69%) in CAM mesenchymal vessels. The half-maximal dose was 38.6 micrograms/ml, computer-derived from the dose-response data. It is apparent that a single episode of mast cell degranulation is sufficient to induce vessel growth over several days, but the fact that a sublethal dose is required for maximum stimulation casts doubt on its biological significance. This pattern of response resembles that previously found by us with histamine and has not been found so far with commercial heparins and chemically modified derivatives. In contrast, a sublethal dose of porcine intestinal sodium heparin results in an antiangiogenic effect on the ectodermal capillary plexus.

Allantois↗

PubMed1987

Flavobacterium heparinum sulphamidase for D-glucosamine sulphamate. Purification and characterisation.

A novel assay has been developed for 2-deoxy-2-sulphamido-D-glucose (GlcNS) sulphamidase from Flavobacterium heparinum. This has enabled the 1930-fold purification of the enzyme from a soluble fraction of bacterial homogenate. From SDS/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis the enzyme was shown to have a relative molecular mass of 81,500. Ca2+ was essential for enzyme activity. Inorganic phosphate and sulphate inhibited activity by 28% and 29% respectively at 5 mmol dm-3. The purified sulphamidase had a pH optimum of 7.0 and a Km of 8.32 mumol dm-3 for GlcNS. The degradation of 2-deoxy-2-sulphamido-6-O-sulpho-D-glucose (GlcNS-6S) was also re-investigated. The two sulphate groups were hydrolysed sequentially in a single non-bifurcate manner, in contrast to previous reports [Dietrich, C.P., Silva, M.E. and Michelacci, Y.M. (1973) J. Biol. Chem. 248, 6408-6415].

Anions↗

PubMed1987

Infrared spectroscopy of heparin-cation complexes.

Hydrated and partially hydrated films and aqueous solutions of heparin, heparans and N-desulphated preparations of these polymers were studied by near- and fundamental-region-i.r. spectroscopy in the presence of a range of countercations. The results suggest that ion binding is not explicable solely in terms of simple electrostatic theory, and that specific cation effects, and the hydration pattern of the polymer-cation complex need to be taken into account.

Cations↗