Reelin controls position of autonomic neurons in the spinal cord.

Mutation of the reeler gene (Reln) disrupts neuronal migration in several brain regions and gives rise to functional deficits such as ataxic gait and trembling in the reeler mutant mouse. Thus, the Reln product, reelin, is thought to control cell-cell interactions critical for cell positioning in the brain. Although an abundance of reelin transcript is found in the embryonic spinal cord [Ikeda, Y.

Menopausal symptoms and symptom clustering in Chinese women.

Objectives: this paper aims to report the prevalence of symptoms in the Hong Kong Chinese perimenopausal women; to construct reported symptoms into symptom groupings; and to clarify whether the symptom groups are associated with menopausal status.

Methods: a random telephone survey of perimenopausal women aged 44-55 years was conducted in 1996. Eligible subjects were identified through telephone dialing of a random sample of the numbers listed in the residents' telephone directory.

Epitope discovery using monoclonal antibodies and phage peptide libraries.

Phage display is a biological system which facilitates the cloning and rapid selection of peptides from large combinatorial libraries. In comparison to the chemical combinatorial approach, the advantages of phage display lie in its simplicity and replicability. While phage display has many diverse applications, this review will focus on the use of phage peptide libraries to discover epitopes recognised by monoclonal antibodies.

Biodistribution of filamentous phage-Fab in nude mice.

In vivo panning of peptide libraries in mice has allowed the isolation of peptides which target the vasculature of specific organs. The application of this approach to phage displaying Fab fragments (phage-Fab) could lead to the isolation of antibodies which recognize novel tumor antigens. In this study, we have evaluated the biodistribution of phage-Fab in nude mice.

Segmental specificity of chick sympathetic preganglionic projections is influenced by preganglionic neurons from neighboring spinal cord segments.

Sympathetic preganglionic neurons of the chick are located between the brachial and lumbosacral enlargements of the spinal cord. Their axons exit the spinal cord via their adjacent ventral roots and project rostrally or caudally along the sympathetic trunk to innervate sympathetic ganglia. The projections of sympathetic preganglionic neurons are segmentally specific.

Value of abdominal sonography in the assessment of children with abdominal pain.

Purpose: We retrospectively evaluated the usefulness of sonography in the diagnostic assessment of children with abdominal pain.

Methods: From July 1988 to October 1996, 676 children who had abdominal pain and were referred for sonography underwent abdominal and pelvic sonographic examination. Of these, 644 children had recurrent abdominal pain (RAP) and 32 children had acute or subacute abdominal pain (ASAP).

Chronically HIV-1-infected monocytic cells induce apoptosis in cocultured T cells.

We have previously developed a human macrophage hybridoma model system to study the effect of HIV-1 infection on monocytic function. Upon coculture of one chronically (35 days postinfection) HIV-1-infected human macrophage hybridoma cell line, 43HIV, there was a dose-dependent decrease in the viability of cocultured Ag-stimulated T cells associated with an increase in DNA strand breaks. Enhanced apoptosis was determined by labeling with biotinylated dUTP and propidium iodide, increased staining with annexin V, increased side light scatter and expression of CD95, and decreased forward light scatter and expression of Bcl-2.

Specific projections of sympathetic preganglionic neurons are not intrinsically determined by segmental origins of their cell bodies.

Sympathetic preganglionic projections of the chick are segmentally specific. Neurons from the 16th cervical (C16) and the first thoracic (T1) spinal cord segments project almost exclusively in the rostral direction, while those from the fifth thoracic (T5) to the first lumbar (L1) spinal segments project almost exclusively in the caudal direction. Neurons from the intervening spinal cord segments (T2-4) project in rostral and caudal directions.

Evaluation of different lymphoid tissue sources for the construction of human immunoglobulin gene libraries.

Background: Phage display technology allows the isolation of novel human monoclonal antibodies. The technology relies on the construction of a recombinant antibody library and its display on phage particles. The quality of an antibody library is affected by several factors including the size, diversity and source of immunoglobulin genes.

De novo formation of adhesions in endometriosis: the role of iron and free radical reactions.

Objective: To show that raised iron levels in the peritoneal fluid (PF) of patients with endometriosis catalyze free radical reactions that results in the tissue destruction and fibrosis seen in these patients.

Design: A case-controlled study of the iron levels (microgram/mL) in the pelvic PF of 12 patients with moderate-to-severe disease, 15 patients with minimal-to-mild disease and in 17 women with normal pelvises were compared. As an index of free radical reactions through lipid peroxidation, the levels of malondialdehyde levels (ng/mL) were assessed simultaneously in the same specimens.

Effects of MR exposure on axonal outgrowth in the sympathetic nervous system of the chick.

The effects of MR exposure on the rate and specificity of sympathetic preganglionic axonal outgrowth were examined in the chick embryo. Embryos were exposed to a static magnetic field of 1.5 T for 6 hours, 64 MHz RF field pulses, and a switched magnetic field gradient of amplitude 0.

The expression, origin and function of tenascin during peripheral nerve formation in the chick.

During development of the peripheral nervous system, the extracellular matrix molecule tenascin has been found to be closely associated with growing axons. However, its origin and function in peripheral nerve formation are far from clear. In this study, we examined the expression of tenascin during outgrowth of sensory, motor and sympathetic preganglionic axons, and assessed its origin and function in peripheral nerve formation.

Risk factors for birth defects in Singapore: a case control study.

To explore possible risk factors for birth defects, a matched case-control study was carried out at Kandang Kerbau Hospital in Singapore from January 1986 to December 1988. Cases and controls were selected from livebirths born in that hospital during that period. Cases were babies who were clinically detected as having defects at birth and the diagnosis reconfirmed at 6 weeks post partum.

Effects of MR exposure on cell proliferation and migration of chick motoneurons.

The effect of magnetic resonance (MR) exposure on the proliferation and migration of motoneurons was examined in chick embryos. Embryos were exposed in ovo to a static magnetic field of 1.5 T for 6 hours and to 64-MHz radio-frequency field pulses and a switched magnetic field gradient with an amplitude of 0.

Effects of MR exposure at 1.5 T on early embryonic development of the chick.

The potential teratogenicity of magnetic resonance (MR) field exposure on the early development of the chick embryo was examined. Eggs at four developmental stages within the first 42 hours of incubation were exposed to a static magnetic field of 1.5 T for 6 hours and to 64-MHz radio-frequency field pulses and a switched magnetic field gradient with an amplitude of 0.

Axonin 1 is expressed primarily in subclasses of avian sensory neurons during outgrowth.

A 120 kDa protein, which is expressed mainly on the surface of chick sensory neurons during outgrowth, was identified by monoclonal antibody 1A12. Crossreactivity studies showed that this protein was identical to axonin 1, a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily which promotes neurite outgrowth. Using the 1A12 antibody, we show that in the peripheral nervous system of the chick, axonin 1 is present on the cell bodies and processes of cutaneous and visceral neurons, but not on muscle afferents.

The association between medications and falls in Australian nursing-home residents.

Objective: To determine whether commonly used medications increase the risk of falling in elderly Australians living in nursing homes.

Design: Case-control study.

Setting: A 104-bed nursing home in western Sydney during 1990-1991.

Descriptive profile of birth defects among livebirths in Singapore.

A case-control study of birth defects was carried out in Kandang Kerbau Hospital in Singapore for a three-year period from January 1986 until December 1988. This paper presents the descriptive profile of birth defects among livebirths seen in that hospital. Out of 44,842 livebirths, 678 babies were found to have birth defects, giving a prevalence of 15.

Laminin--developmental expression and role in axonal outgrowth in the peripheral nervous system of the chick.

The possible role of laminin on axon outgrowth and guidance in vivo was examined by: (1) determining its developmental expression, and relationship to outgrowth of sensory, motor and sympathetic axons in the chick embryo; and (2) evaluating the changes in the pattern of sympathetic preganglionic projections subsequent to injections of laminin, antilaminin and other laminin function blockers (JG22, INO) into their pathways during axon outgrowth. Double immunofluorescent staining for laminin and neurofilaments in peripheral nerves prior to and during initial outgrowth showed no obvious relationship between laminin and potential nerve pathways. Even though weak laminin immunostaining is apparent throughout the mesenchyme through which axons grow, the most prominent laminin immunostaining is on basement membranes of the neural tube, notochord and dermamyotome.

Absence of neutralizing antibodies to interferon in condyloma acuminata and cancer patients treated with natural human leukocyte interferon.

Human leukocyte-derived interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha n3) was used to treat condyloma acuminata patients in a double-blind placebo-controlled clinical study. The incidence of antibody formation to IFN-alpha was evaluated in matched patient sera from the control placebo and the IFN-alpha n3 treatment groups. Sera from IFN-alpha n3-treated phase I cancer patients and untreated healthy donors were also evaluated.

Phototherapy and the brain-stem auditory evoked response in neonatal hyperbilirubinemia.

The latencies of peak V and interpeaks I-V and III-V in the brain-stem auditory evoked response of infants with hyperbilirubinemia before phototherapy were significantly greater than those in a control group of infants. These values of the brain stem auditory-evoked response improved significantly during phototherapy and correlated significantly with the declining bilirubin levels. Improvement continued after phototherapy, despite a rebound of serum bilirubin concentrations.

5 year statistics of animal and insect bites in Hong Kong.

Statistics of bites of patients in a rural district hospital in Hong Kong were accumulated over a 5 year period from 1984-1989. Analysis revealed a predominance of dog bites. Seasonal variations were noted for snake and insect bites, but not for dog bites.

A model system and technique to study the effects of ultrasound irradiation on embryonic development.

To study the effects of ultrasound on development it is important to have a system which provides reliable results. We have designed a system which allows for reproducible irradiations of chick embryos in ovo. The irradiation system includes a heated sonation tank with ultrasound absorbers and a PC/AT computer-based data acquisition system for on-line monitoring of irradiations.

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia in very low birthweight infants.

The incidence, clinical presentation and severity of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in 110 consecutive very low birthweight (VLBW) infants admitted to the National University Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit between October 1985 and January 1989 is reviewed. Thirty-two infants died, giving an overall survival rate of 70.9%.

Effect of ultrasound on axonal outgrowth in the sympathetic nervous system of the chick.

The effects of ultrasound exposure on the rate and specificity of sympathetic preganglionic axonal outgrowth were examined in the chick embryo. Using a technique which allows for exact quantitation of exposure for exact quantiation of exposure conditions, embryos were irradiated in ovo for 5 min daily on 3 consecutive days at an intensity of 1 W/cm2 Spatial Average, Temporal Average (SATA), with a frequency of 1.1 MHz pulsed at 1 kHz and a pulse width of 75 microsecond(s).