The prognostic value of early aEEG in asphyxiated infants undergoing systemic hypothermia treatment.

BACKGROUND: Induced moderate hypothermia (HT) for 72 h has been shown to reduce the combined outcome of death or severe neurodevelopmental disabilities in asphyxiated full-term infants. A pathological amplitude integrated EEG background as early as 3-6 h after birth, has been shown to correlate to poor prognosis. AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between amplitude integrated EEG during HT treatment and short-term outcome in asphyxiated full-term infants with moderate/severe hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy. METHODS: Between December 2006 and December 2007, 24 infants were treated with moderate HT (33.5 degrees C for 72 h) using a cooling mattress. Motor functions were assessed at 4 and 12 months of age. RESULTS: Of the total birth cohort of 28,837 infants, 26 infants fulfilled the criteria for HT treatment (0.9/1000) of whom 23 was treated with HT and all of these infants had available amplitude integrated EEG data. Normal 1-year outcome was found in 10/15 infants with severely abnormal burst-suppression pattern or worse at 6 h of age. Severe abnormalities were found to be significantly predictive for abnormal outcome after 36 h. CONCLUSION: Among asphyxiated infants treated with HT, only those who had aEEG abnormalities persisting at and beyond 24 h after birth showed poor neurological outcome at 1 year.

Detection of autoantibodies to tumour-associated antigens in sera of patients with systemic autoimmunity using a novel protein microblot array.

It is well known that sera of patients with systemic autoimmunity contain autoantibodies to nuclear antigens. It is also known that patients with systemic autoimmunity have an increased risk for the development of tumours. Interestingly, tumour patients frequently develop autoantibodies and there is a growing list of potential tumour-associated antigens. It is, however, not known whether or not patients with systemic autoimmunity also develop antibodies to tumour-associated antigens. Here we describe the development of a novel multiprotein array allowing us to screen for autoantibodies to 30 different tumour-associated antigens in parallel. Using this novel assay, we found that the frequency of autoantibodies to the selected tumour-associated antigens is increased between 2- and 14-fold in patients with systemic autoimmunity compared with an age-matched control group.

An Outbreak of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus in Switzerland Following Import of Boar Semen.

An outbreak of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) occurred in November 2012 in Switzerland (CH), traditionally PRRSV-free. It was detected after a German boar stud informed a semen importer about the detection of PRRSV during routine monitoring. Tracing of semen deliveries revealed 26 Swiss sow herds that had used semen from this stud after its last negative routine monitoring and 62 further contact herds. All herds were put under movement restrictions and examined serologically and virologically. As a first measure, 59 sows from five herds that had previously been inseminated with suspicious semen were slaughtered and tested immediately. Investigations in the stud resulted in 8 positive boars with recent semen deliveries to CH (Seven with antibodies and virus, one with antibodies only). In one boar out of six tested, virus was detected in semen. Of the 59 slaughtered sows, five from three herds were virus-positive. In one herd, the virus had spread, and all pigs were slaughtered or non-marketable animals euthanized. In the remaining herds, no further infections were detected. After confirmatory testings in all herds 3 weeks after the first examination gave negative results, restrictions were lifted in January 2013, and Switzerland regained its PRRSV-free status. The events demonstrate that import of semen from non-PRRS-free countries--even from negative studs--poses a risk, because monitoring protocols in boar studs are often insufficient to timely detect an infection, and infections of sows/herds occur even with low numbers of semen doses. The outbreak was eradicated successfully mainly due to the high disease awareness of the importer and because immediate actions were taken before clinical or laboratory diagnosis of a single case in the country was made. To minimize the risk of an introduction of PRRSV in the future, stricter import guidelines for boar semen have been implemented.

Lipid metabolism in the liver studied in vivo with two isomers of labeled fatty acid analogs.

UNLABELLED: The two radioiodinated fatty acid analogs 15-(para-131 I-phenylpentadecanoic acid (pPPA) and 15-(ortho-131I-phenyl)-pentadecanoic acid (oPPA) are isomers with individually different routes in lipid metabolism but with near equal transport kinetics into tissue. METHODS: Normal adult male Wistar rats (n = 79) and those with liver cell damage from adriamycin treatment (n = 84) received 1.48- 1.85 MBq 131I-pPPA or 131I-oPPA (specific activity, 33.3-46.3 GBq/microM) into the jugular vein. At 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 10 and 20 min, livers of up to five animals per group were examined for total tracer uptake and tracer incorporation into various lipid fractions. RESULTS: Uptake of both isomers into the total liver plateaued at about 2 min; the ratio oPPA/pPPA in normal liver averaged 2.63 and was significantly higher than the average ratio of 1.50 after adriamycin treatment. This fall in ratio was mainly due to an increase of pPPA uptake. Significant differences of the respective ratios were found in the plateau for the phospholipids (9.7 versus 3.0), cholesterol (2.4 versus 0.7) and triglycerides (2.0 versus 0.4). CONCLUSION: The dual-tracer technique with pPPA and oPPA promises to be clinically useful for the diagnosis of liver disease by imaging the ratios of tracer uptake in the total liver and by in vitro analysis of the uptake ratio in serum triglycerides.

Tracer kinetics of 15-(ortho-123/131I-phenyl)-pentadecanoic acid (oPPA) and 15-(para-123/131I-phenyl)-pentadecanoic acid (pPPA) in animals and man.

The human myocardium retains oPPA as opposed to pPPA. Therefore turnover of oPPA was compared with that of pPPA in rat hearts and in man, the latter by using substrates double-labeled with 123/131I and 14C. Moreover, substrate binding to coenzyme-A was tested in vitro. In rats, oPPA remained mainly in the pool of free fatty acids, as opposed to pPPA, which was metabolized by mitochondrial beta-oxidation. Binding to coenzyme-A at maximum was 62% for oPPA, 81% for pPPA and 90% for palmitic acid. In man, after i.v. and intracoronary injection of double-labeled oPPA, the two radionuclides reappeared together in venous blood and in coronary sinus respectively, in an unchanged ratio but at a significantly lower rate than with pPPA. It can be concluded that oPPA is bound to coenzyme-A and is retained in the cytosolic lipid pool, while pPPA is metabolized by mitochondrial beta-oxidation. A dual-tracer application of oPPA and pPPA has the potential of being a specific probe for the function of the carnitine shuttle.

Rapid cloning of metK encoding methionine adenosyltransferase from Corynebacterium glutamicum by screening a genomic library on a high density colony-array.

The genes SAM1 and SAM2 encoding the two different methionine adenosyltransferases (EC 2.5.1.6) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae were used as templates to generate specific DNA-probes. This heterologous mixture of DNA-probes was hybridized under low stringency hybridization conditions to a Corynebacterium glutamicum colony-array representing the complete genome. Subsequently, one genomic fragment was isolated which contained the C. glutamicum methionine adenosyltransferase gene metK (1.224 kb). When overproduced in Escherichia coli, MetK (44.2 kDa) of C. glutamicum had methionine adenosyltransferase activity. In addition, overexpression of metK in C. glutamicum led to an increased intracellular S-adenosylmethionine concentration. The metK transcript was detected by reverse transcription PCR in C. glutamicum cells in the exponential growth phase but not in the stationary phase.

Cisplatin DNA cross-links do not inhibit S-phase and cause only a G2/M arrest in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Cisplatin (CDDP) has been used as a DNA cross-linking agent to evaluate whether there is a specific cell cycle checkpoint response to such damage in Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S. cerevisiae). Fluorescent-activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis showed only a G2/M checkpoint, normal exit from G1 and progression through S-phase following alpha-factor arrest and CDDP treatment. Of the checkpoint mutants tested, rad9, rad17 and rad24, did not show increased sensitivity to CDDP compared to isogenic wild-type cells. However, other checkpoint mutants tested (mec1, mec3 and rad53) showed increased sensitivity to CDDP, as did controls with a defect in excision repair (rad1 and rad14) or a defect in recombination (rad51 and rad52). Thus, by survival and cell cycle kinetics, it appears that DNA cross-links do not inhibit entry into S-phase or slow DNA replication and that replication continues after cisplatin treatment in yeast.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae lacking Snm1, Rev3 or Rad51 have a normal S-phase but arrest permanently in G2 after cisplatin treatment.

The role of Snm1, Rev3 and Rad51 in S-phase after cisplatin (CDDP) DNA treatment has been examined. When isogenic deletion mutants snm1 delta, rev3 delta and rad51 delta were arrested in G1 and treated with doses of CDDP causing significant lethality (<20% survival in the mutant strains), they progressed through S-phase with normal kinetics. The mutants arrested in G2 like wild-type cells, however they did not exit the arrest and reenter the cell cycle. This finding demonstrates that these genes are not required to allow DNA replication in the presence of damage. Therefore, Snm1, Rev3 and Rad51 may act after S to allow repair. At high levels of damage (<40% survival in wild-type cells) S-phase was slowed in a MEC1-dependent fashion. The cross-link incision kinetics of snm1 delta and rev3 delta mutants were also examined; both showed no deficiencies in incision of cross-linked DNA.

S. cerevisiae has three pathways for DNA interstrand crosslink repair.

Yeast mutants, snm1 (pso2-1), rev3 (pso1-1), and rad51, which display significant sensitivity to interstrand crosslinks (ICLs) have low relative sensitivity to other DNA damaging agents. SNM1, REV3, and RAD51 were disrupted in the same haploid strain, singly and in combination. The double mutants, snm1 Delta rev3 Delta, snm1 Delta rad51 Delta and rev3 Delta rad51 Delta were all more sensitive to ICLs than any of the single mutants, indicating that they are in separate epistasis groups for survival. A triple mutant displayed greater sensitivity to ICLs than any of the double mutants, with one ICL per genome being lethal. Therefore, Saccharomyces cerevisiae appears to have three separate ICL repair pathways, but no more. S-phase delay was not observed after ICL damage introduced by cisplatin (CDDP) or 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP) during the G1-phase, in any of the above mutants, or in an isogenic rad14 Delta mutant deficient in nucleotide excision repair. However, the psoralen analog angelicin (monoadduct damage) induced a significant S-phase delay in the rad14 Delta mutant. Thus, normal S-phase in the presence of ICLs does not seem to be due to rapid excision repair. The results also indicate that monoadduct formation by CDDP or 8-MOP at the doses used is not sufficient to delay S-phase in the rad14 Delta mutant. While the sensitivity of a rev3 Delta mutant indicates Pol zeta is needed for optimal ICL repair, isogenic cells deficient in Pol eta (rad30 Delta cells) were not significantly more sensitive to ICL agents than wild-type cells, and have no S-phase delay.

[Results of percutaneous transluminal dilatation of cerebral vascular stenoses]. / Ergebnisse der perkutanen transluminalen Dilatation (PTD) von Hirngefässstenosen.

The present paper is a review of 37 successful catheter dilatations of supra-aortic vascular stenoses. There were sixteen patients with a total of 21 stenoses of the internal carotid, vertebral artery or common carotid artery and sixteen patients with subclavian stenoses. Amongst the patients with stenoses of the cerebral vessels, there were ten with multiple lesions and six with a single stenosis. Three patients had successful dilatations of bilateral stenoses. The indications, technique, and complications of catheter dilatation of lesions of the cerebral vessels are described and discussed.

[Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) of branches of the aortic arch (author's transl)]. / Die perkutane transluminale Angioplastik (PTA) von Aortenbogenästen.

The authors give a report on their first results of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty of aortic arch branches in 4 patients. In 3 cases, stenosis of left subclavian arteries were treated by PTA with good result. One patient had a stenosis of both carotid arteries which were dilated with moderate effect. In all patients symptoms were removed. There were no complications.

Influence of the growth retardant tetcyclacis on cell division and cell elongation in plants and cell cultures of sunflower, soybean, and maize.

Taking tetcyclacis, a norbornenodiazentine derivative, as an example, the influence of a growth retardant on the shoot growth of sunflower, soybean, and maize seedlings grown and treated in hydroculture was investigated. In detail, the reduction in the length of various shoot sections {epicotyl, 1st internode, leaf blade) caused by the retardant was studied. At low concentrations of the retardant (\lt10(-6) M) the shortening effects are substantially attributable to an influence on cell elongation, whereas cell division is inhibited as the concentration increases (τ10(-6) M). A comparison of the effects of tetcyclacis in cell suspension cultures of appropriate plant species showed that also in this system concentrations τ 10(-6) M inhibited cell division growth, i. e. there is comparability of plant/ cell culture regarding the retardant effect on cell division. In contrast to the intact plants, however, cell elongation appears to be of only subordinate importance for the growth of cell cultures, as it has been shown using parsley cell suspension cultures. It is discussed to what extent influencing the gibberellin or sterol biosynthesis by means of tetcyclacis provides an explanation for the concentration-dependent effect on the cell division and cell elongation processes.

Semi-quantitative analysis of SPECT with the iodinated fatty acid 15-(ortho-123I-phenyl)-pentadecanoic acid.

15-(ortho-123I-phenyl)-pentadecanoic acid (oPPA) in contrast to the para-isomer pPPA has a prolonged retention in the normal human myocardium. Following qualitative evaluation, a semi-quantitative analysis of oPPA-SPECT is presented in 52 patients (41 with coronary artery disease (CAD) and 11 normals). Data were compared to the results of coronary angiography (CAD patients). Up to 220 MBq 123I-labelled oPPA were injected intravenously after overnight fasting and bicycle exercise. Four minutes later SPECT acquisition (180 degrees technique) was started. In 15 patients a second dose of oPPA was injected 2.5 h later and the study was repeated under rest conditions. Compared to our qualitative analysis the semi-quantitative approach revealed a lower sensitivity of 76% for the detection of CAD (global, stenoses greater than 50%) (specificity was not analysed because the normal patients served as the control group for the calculation of normal values). Because the sensitivity does not exceed that of 201Tl-SPECT or MIBI-SPECT, oPPA is not recommended for the detection of CAD, but it may serve for the evaluation of myocardial viability in ischaemic regions.

Continuous, fixed-ratio, and fixed-interval reinforcement in honey bees.

Bees learned to enter a Plexiglas tube and to suck small portions of sugar solution; every entry or every fifth entry was reinforced. During an extinction phase, the bees on the fixed-ratio schedule emitted twice as many responses as did those given continuous reinforcement. Bees on a fixed-interval schedule of reinforcement emitted lower response rates than did those given fixed-ratio reinforcement. By extending the conditioning procedure for several days, it was possible to maintain responding with fixed-ratio schedules requiring 30 responses per reinforcement and with fixed-interval values up to 90 sec. Under fixed-interval schedules, response rates did not increase toward the end of the reinforcement intervals.

Triaziflam and Diaminotriazine derivatives affect enantioselectively multiple herbicide target sites.

Enantiomers of triaziflam and structurally related diaminotriazines were synthesized and their herbicidal mode of action was investigated. The compounds caused light and dark-dependent effects in multiple test systems including heterotrophic cleaver and photoautotrophic algal cell suspensions, the Hill reaction of isolated thylakoids and germinating cress seeds. Dose-response experiments revealed that the (S)-enantiomers of the compounds preferentially inhibited photosystem II electron transport (PET) and algae growth with efficacies similar to that of the herbicide atrazine. In contrast, the (R)-enantiomers of the diaminotriazines were up to 100 times more potent inhibitors of growth in cleaver cell suspensions and cress seedlings in the dark than the (S)-enantiomers. The most active compound, the (R)-enantiomer of triaziflam, inhibited shoot and root elongation of cress and maize seedlings at concentrations below 1 microM. The meristematic root tips swelled into a club shape which is typical for the action of mitotic disrupter herbicides and cellulose biosynthesis inhibitors. Microscopic examination using histochemical techniques revealed that triaziflam (R)-enantiomer blocks cell division in maize root tips 4 h after treatment. The chromosomes proceeded to a condensed state of prometaphase but were unable to progress further in the mitotic cycle. Disruption of mitosis was accompanied by a loss of spindle and phragmoplast micotubule arrays. Concomitantly, cortical microtubules decreased which could lead to isodiametric cell growth and consequently to root swelling. In addition, a decline in cellulose deposition in cell walls was found 24 h after treatment. Compared to the (R)-form, triaziflam (S)-enantiomer was clearly less active. The results suggest that triaziflam and related diaminotriazines affect enantioselectively multiple sites of action which include PET inhibitory activity, mitotic disruption by inhibiting microtubule formation and inhibition of cellulose synthesis.

[Various mechanisms of disorders of carbohydrate metabolism in myocardial infarct]. / Nekotorye mekhanizmy narushenií uglevodnogo obmena u bol'nykh infarktom miokarda.

A group of 112 patients with acute myocardial infarction was studied. Methods for determining the content of immunoreactive insulin, uric acid, triglycerides, and sugar in blood on a fasting stomach and under conditions of carbohydrate load in dynamics were used. The data obtained show that patients, mainly those with uncomplicated myocardial infarction, are marked by relative insulin insufficiency as well as by a high level of triglycerides and uric acid in the acute period of the disease. The causal relationship between hyperuricemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and carbohydrate metabolism disorders is discussed.

[Differences in linguistic representation of 10- to 12-year-old boys of divorced and not divorced parents]. / Unterschiede in der sprachlichen Repräsentation von 10- bis 14jährigen Jungen geschiedener und nicht geschiedener Eltern.

Twenty-eight 10- to 14 years old boys from divorced families (separation of the parents was two years before the investigation) were compared with 26 10- to 14 years old boys from two-parent families on the basis of interviews about attachment related themes and daily situations, and by means of the California Child Q-Sort (CCQ). The interviews were analyzed with regard to coherence of language, emotional problems, reflectivity, supportive representation of their parents, verbal and nonverbal emotional openness and social network, as well as for personality variables. The boys of the divorced group did barely talk about relations, had problems in coping with emotional stress, and were less reflective about themselves and others. They felt insufficiently supported by their parents and did not show their emotions openly. They talked about themselves as dependent from their social environment and as less adaptive to new situations. These indications suggest an insecure attachment representation predominantly as a result of the parents' behavior leading to divorce (Table 1). The results show that separations and family disruptions, as a group effect, strongly affect pre-adolescent boys' state of mind. A minority of boys from the parental divorce group, however, show secure mental representations, comparable to a majority in the control group. Tables 2-5 show, independent of parental divorce, the major differences between boys with secure and boys with insecure mental representations.

[Differences in the assessment of 9-14-year-old sons of divorced and not divorced parents]. / Unterschiede in der Beurteilung 9- bis 14jähriger Söhne geschiedener und nicht geschiedener Eltern.

Twenty-eight 9- to 14 years old boys from divorced families were compared with twenty-six 9- to 14 years old boys from two-parent families. Californian Child Q-Sort assessments (Block and Block 1980) were obtained from themselves, as well as from mother, father, a friend, and from the trained interviewer. Boys with divorced parents indicated more stress without showing it to others. They longed for appreciation from the others, showed lower self-esteem and more helplessness, but not more dissocial behavior. Supportive representation of their mother correlated positively with ego-resiliency and self-esteem, and negatively with helplessness, while others did not seem to notice the boys' helplessness. They indicated less dissocial and more social behavior, they were more sensitive and had better relations with other children. Supportive representation of fathers was beneficial only for the control group. The data correspond to differences in quality of narrative language published previously. They are discussed from an attachment theory perspective.