The influence of orientation and contrast flicker on contour saliency of outlines of everyday objects.

One of the most important tasks of the visual system is the extraction of edges and object contours, and the integration of discrete elements to form a coherent global percept. A great deal is known about the spatial properties of contour extraction, but less is known about the dynamics and spatio-temporal aspects. We used Gabor-rendered outlines of real-world objects, where we could manipulate low-level properties, such as element orientation and phase, while incorporating higher-level properties, such as object complexity and identity, to study dynamic relationships in object detection.

Biosynthesis of macrolactam BE-14106 involves two distinct PKS systems and amino acid processing enzymes for generation of the aminoacyl starter unit.

BE-14106 is a macrocyclic lactam with an acyl side chain previously identified in a marine-derived Streptomyces sp. The gene cluster for BE-14106 biosynthesis was cloned from a Streptomyces strain newly isolated from marine sediments collected in the Trondheimsfjord (Norway). Bioinformatics and experimental analyses of the genes in the cluster suggested an unusual mechanism for assembly of the molecule.

The influence of orientation jitter and motion on contour saliency and object identification.

One of the ultimate goals of vision research is to understand how some elements are grouped together and differentiated from others to form object representations in a complex visual scene. There exists an extensive literature on this grouping/segmentation problem, but most of the studies have used un-recognizable stimuli that have little to do with object recognition per se. We used Gabor-rendered outlines of real-world objects to study some relationships between bottom-up and top-down processes in both spatial- and motion form perception.

Identification of everyday objects on the basis of kinetic contours.

Using kinetic contours derived from everyday objects, we investigated how motion affects object identification. In order not to be distinguishable when static, kinetic contours were made from random dot displays consisting of two regions, inside and outside the object contour. In Experiment 1, the dots were moving in only one of two regions.

Pregnancy outcome after cervical cone excision: a case-control study.

Background: To investigate the effect of cervical laser conisation (CLC) or loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) on the outcome of subsequent pregnancies. Methods. Multi-centre, retrospective, case-control study, which included a cohort of 742 women, who, after treatment with LEEP or CLC, gave birth or suffered second trimester miscarriage.

Chromosomal location of genes for novel glutenin subunits and gliadins in wild emmer wheat (Triticum turgidum L. var. dicoccoides).

The glutenin and gliadin proteins of wild emmer wheat, Triticum turgidum L. var. dicoccoides, have potential for improvement of durum wheat ( T.

Discordance between the degree of osteopenia and the prevalence of spontaneous vertebral fractures in Crohn's disease.

Background: A high prevalence of osteoporosis has been noted in Crohn's disease, but data about fractures are scarce.

Methods: The relationship between low bone mineral density and the prevalence of vertebral fractures was studied in 271 patients with ileo-caecal Crohn's disease in a large European/Israeli study. One hundred and eighty-one currently steroid-free patients with active Crohn's disease (98 completely steroid-naive) and 90 steroid-dependent patients with inactive or quiescent Crohn's disease were investigated by dual X-ray absorptiometry scan of the lumbar spine, a standardized posterior/anterior and lateral X-ray of the thoracic and lumbar spine, and an assessment of potential risk factors for osteoporosis.

Oral budesonide as maintenance therapy in Crohn's disease--results of a 12-month study. Global Budesonide Study Group.

Background: Budesonide is a corticosteroid with high topical anti-inflammatory activity and low systemic activity due to rapid inactivation. We have assessed the efficacy and safety of an oral controlled ileal release (CIR) preparation of budesonide for maintenance of remission in patients with ileal or ileocaecal Crohn's disease.

Methods: In a double-blind, multicentre trial, 75 patients in clinical remission (Crohn's Disease Activity Index, CDAI, < or = 150) were randomly assigned to receive placebo, budesonide 3 mg or budesonide 6 mg daily for 12 months.

Intestinal site-dependent susceptibility to chronic indomethacin in the rat: a morphological and biochemical study.

Background: The cyclo-oxygenase inhibitor indomethacin induces a pattern of gastrointestinal injury in the rat that is site-dependent. This study compared the extent of injury to different regions of the rat intestine (small intestine, caecum and colon) with the corresponding changes in arachidonic acid metabolism in these areas, following long-term, low-dose indomethachin.

Methods: Rats (eight per group) received either indomethacin (3 mg.

Mycobacterial granulomatous inflammation in the ulcerated caecum of indomethacin-treated rats.

We report mycobacterial granulomatous inflammation in the ulcerated caecum of rats that received indomethacin. Two groups of male rats were treated with dietary indomethacin 3 mg/kg/day or untreated diet for 3 weeks. Six out of 8 indomethacin treated rats showed both ulceration and inflammation of the caecal mucosa.

Stereoselective disposition of hydroxychloroquine and its metabolite in rats.

Racemic hydroxychloroquine-sulfate (HCQ-sulfate) was administered to rats orally. Groups of 9 male and 9 female rats received doses of 0, 8, 16, or 24 mg/kg/day for 6 weeks, followed by a reduction of the higher doses to 8 mg/kg/day for the duration of the study. Whole blood samples were collected at 0, 3, 6, 8, and 10 weeks, and eleven tissues were harvested after the tenth week.

Procoagulant and prothrombotic responses of human endothelium to indomethacin and endotoxin in vitro. Relevance to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug enteropathy.

Background: In view of the association between non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and microvascular injury in the intestine, this study investigated the procoagulant changes in cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) when exposed to indomethacin either alone or in the presence of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS).

Methods: Confluent HUVEC cultures were cultured for 1, 6, 12, and 24 h in the presence of LPS (10 micrograms/ml) with or without indomethacin (1-100 microM). After incubation, supernatants were analysed for 6-keto-prostaglandin (PG) F1 alpha and PGE2 content, whereas cells were freeze-fractured and assayed in a one-stage clotting assay for the expression of procoagulant activity (PCA).

Measles virus induction of human endothelial cell tissue factor procoagulant activity in vitro.

Measles virus infection of microvascular endothelium in vivo and ensuing endothelial cell activation may be important in the pathogenesis of subsequent inflammation in target organs. This study investigated the capacity of measles virus to induce procoagulant activity, in vitro, in endothelial cells isolated from human umbilical cord veins. Endothelial cells were infected with a clinical isolate of measles virus propagated in Vero cells.

Ulceration, fibrosis and diaphragm-like lesions in the caecum of rats treated with indomethacin.

Background: Patients on nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can develop curious intestinal fibrotic diaphragms.

Methods: Groups of rats received indomethacin mixed into a powdered diet at 3 mg.kg/day for 6 and 12 weeks and 6 mg.

Acute indomethacin-induced jejunal injury in the rat: early morphological and biochemical changes.

Background/aims: Gastrointestinal injury induced by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs includes smooth muscle contraction, endothelial cell injury, and neutrophil infiltration. The aim of this study was to correlate early morphological changes with those in the metabolism of arachidonic acid.

Methods: Rats administered a single oral dose of indomethacin (15 mg/kg) or vehicle were killed and their intestines perfusion-fixed at 1, 2, 3, 6, and 48 hours after dosage.

Early histological features of small intestinal injury induced by indomethacin.

The early histological features of indomethacin-induced jejunal injury in the rat are described in tissues preserved by perfusion-fixation with 10% formol-saline. After an oral dose of indomethacin (15 mg/kg, known to cause severe multifocal ulceration of the rat jejunum), groups of rats were anaesthetized with subsequent perfusion-fixation of the gastrointestinal tract at 1, 2, 3, 6 and 48 h after dosing. Using routine light microscopic techniques, we have observed a sequence of four distinct stages, in time, of small intestinal injury.

Viability, prostaglandin E2 production, and protein handling in normal and inflamed human colonic mucosa cultured for up to 48 h in vitro.

Human colonic mucosa obtained from colon cancer resections ('normal') and from colectomies owing to ulcerative colitis (inflamed) were cultured for up to 48 h in vitro. The 3H-leucine incorporation in normal tissue decreased to 52% (p less than 0.001) at 48 h compared with 24 h.

Sequential incorporation of 3H- and 14C-arachidonic acid during 24 h in rabbit colonic explants cultured in vitro.

Arachidonic acid (AA) might be released from a number of different intracellular pools. This aspect was studied by sequential incorporation of 3H- and 14C-AA during 24 h in rabbit colonic biopsies in culture. Mucosal explants were subjected to 3H-AA (0-6 h) and 14C-AA (6-24 h) followed by a 2-h washout.

Steady-state pharmacokinetics of hydroxychloroquine in rheumatoid arthritis patients.

Steady-state pharmacokinetics of hydroxychloroquine (HC) sulfate (Plaquenil) were studied in five volunteers with rheumatoid arthritis who had taken 6 mg/kg/d of the drug for at least six months. Blood samples were drawn at 0, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, and 24 hours following an oral dose. Both whole blood and plasma were assayed by an HPLC method for HC and its metabolites desethylhydroxychloroquine, desethylchloroquine, and didesethylchloroquine.

Effects of protein synthesis inhibition on PGE2 production in rabbit colonic explants cultured in vitro.

Colonic mucosal biopsies cultured for 6 h in the presence of cycloheximide (CH) showed a dose-dependent inhibition of protein synthesis but a biphasic PGE2 production pattern with an increase in both basal and A23187 stimulated PGE2 release at 0.2 microM. At 10 microM CH both protein synthesis as well as basal and PMA induced PGE2 production was inhibited by 90% whereas A23187 stimulated release showed a 50% decrease.

Endogenous activation of prostaglandin synthesis in rabbit colonic explants cultured in vitro.

Rabbit colonic biopsy specimens cultured in vitro showed an optimal release of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) after 6-7 h of incubation. The amplitude but not the PGE2 production profile was dependent on stimuli applied--that is, A23187 greater than phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate greater than control. This study was undertaken to determine the nature of this time-dependent optimum.

Studies of Helicobacter pylori in a gastric mucosa in vitro animal model.

A gastric mucosa in vitro model for studies of experimental Helicobacter pylori infections has been developed. Biopsy specimens were taken from pig gastric mucosa, infected with H. pylori, and cultured for up to 72 h.

Culture of normal and inflamed rabbit colonic explants. Medium-term prostaglandin profile.

Rabbit colonic biopsy specimens cultured under well-standardized conditions showed a linear uptake of leucine, thymidine and arachidonic acid (AA) for at least 48 h. Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production displayed a time-dependent profile. Initial high and fluctuating levels were seen as a result of the preparation trauma.

Isocratic liquid chromatographic method for the determination of amoxapine and its metabolites.

An isocratic reverse-phase liquid chromatographic method for the determination of amoxapine and its major metabolites in human plasma utilizing UV detection is described. Plasma samples were extracted with ethyl acetate after pH adjustment. The reconstituted extracts were injected onto a cyanopropylsilane column and eluted with a mobile phase consisting of 65% acetonitrile and 35% sodium acetate buffer, 0.