Determination of serum cholinesterase activity and dibucaine numbers by an amperometric choline sensor.

Serum cholinesterase activity and the dibucaine numbers have been determined by using a hydrogen peroxide electrode and the enzyme choline oxidase immobilized on a nylon net. The analysis procedure is extremely simple and very fast allowing 30 cholinesterase determinations per hour. Both cholinesterase activity and dibucaine number measurements could be performed in 5 min and by using serum samples of only 10 microliters.

Candida colonization and systemic infection in neutropenic patients. A retrospective study.

The results of surveillance cultures in 424 neutropenic patients with hematologic malignancies were analyzed to evaluate the relationship between colonization and infection by Candida species. Eighteen (32%) of 56 patients with multiple noncontiguous colonized sites developed proven (13 cases) or probable (five cases) systemic candidiasis, versus two patients with proven candidiasis (1.2%) of 170 with one colonized site (P less than 0.

Single fibre motor evoked potentials to brain, spinal roots and nerve stimulation. Comparisons of the 'central' and 'peripheral' response jitter to magnetic and electric stimuli.

Single fibre motor evoked potentials to magnetic and electric non-invasive stimulation of brain, spinal cord and peripheral nerve were recorded in 8 healthy volunteers. The 'central motor jitter' and the 'peripheral motor jitter' were respectively calculated and a comparison between the magnetic and electric modalities was made. The highest degree of latency variability was observed for both magnetic and electric central motor jitter, whilst the peripheral motor jitter to nerve stimulation was as low as the neuromuscular one (range 16-60 microsecond).

Changes in lipoprotein binding and uptake by hepatocytes during rat liver regeneration.

The binding and uptake of cholesterol enriched lipoproteins by isolated hepatocytes was decreased at 16 hours after partial hepatectomy, with a tendency to return to control values as the regeneration proceeds. The number of lipoprotein binding sites of total cellular membranes remained similar to control at 16 and 24 hours. The plasma lipoprotein pattern, determined by electrophoretic analysis, showed a lower per cent of very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) and a higher per cent of low density lipoproteins (LDL) at 16 and 24 hours post-partial hepatectomy.

Severity of early separation and later abusive mothering in monkeys: what is the pathogenic threshold?

This study reports on a nonexperimentally induced case of infant abuse by a macaque mother living in a stable social group. The case is of particular interest because of the early experience of the abusive mother: she had been abandoned right after birth by her biological mother, adopted and reared by an adoptive mother who provided adequate maternal care. The abusive mother alternated violent abuse and attentive maternal care and was shown to have a very possessive relationship with her infant.

Autoimmunity and central nervous system regeneration in urodele amphibians.

Spinal cord lesion in newt is followed by complete cell and fibre regeneration. Previous observations showed that the presence of a granuloma due to a foreign substance (talcum) in the vicinity of the cut spinal cord slows down and/or prevents regeneration. The present experiments, while confirming previous evidence, show that, in animals with a paraspinal granuloma or a subcutaneous granuloma containing an autoplastic and homoplastic spinal cord implant, immunocomplexes appear on the cut ends as has been observed by the same authors in animals in which spinal cord regeneration does not occur (Mammals).

Indirect mitotic nondisjunction in Vicia faba and Chinese hamster cells.

The hypothesis of indirect mitotic nondisjunction was tested in plant and mammalian cells. This hypothesis states that micronuclei derived from lagging chromosomes or chromatids are able to perform DNA synthesis and undergo mitotic condensation synchronously with main nuclei. Hence, as chromosomes, they can be moved to spindle poles together with the chromosomes of the main nuclei during mitosis.

Central axonal regeneration and autoimmunity in adult birds.

After traumatic lesion adult cock spinal cord displays lively axonal regenerative activity. After 22 days, morphological regeneration regresses; functional regeneration is never observed. Before and after spinal lesion in the cocks, IgG decoration of myelin sheaths is never observed.

Platelet lipid peroxidation in haemodialysis patients: effects of vitamin E supplementation.

In haemodialysis patients, increased concentrations of malonyldialdehyde and decreased vitamin E content indicate lipid peroxidation in the platelets from oxidative damage. The same process has been described in red blood cells and in mononuclear cells in peripheral blood. However, platelet aggregation is within normal limits and does not change after treatment with vitamin E.

Potassium ions play a role in the glycine-induced inhibition of rat substantia nigra zona compacta neurones.

Glycine directly inhibits the firing, it hyperpolarizes and/or depolarizes the dopaminergic neurones and increases the membrane conductance. In voltage clamp experiments (near resting potential) either outward and/or inward currents were produced. These actions were present in tetrodotoxin and in 0-calcium-cobalt-treated slices and were antagonized by strychnine.

Low-magnesium epilepsy in rat hippocampal slices: inhibitory postsynaptic potentials in the CA1 subfield.

Spontaneous, synchronous epileptiform discharges were recorded in both CA3 and CA1 subfields of rat hippocampal slices perfused with Mg2+-free medium. Surgical separation of the two areas abolished the spontaneous discharges only in the CA1 subfield. However, epileptiform responses in the isolated CA1 subfield could still be evoked by orthodromic stimulation.

Morphine induces a spontaneous and evoked bursting activity in rat cortical neurons by adding a postsynaptic active mechanism to the synaptic input: an intracellular study in vivo.

The action of morphine on spontaneous and stimulus-evoked postsynaptic potentials was investigated in rat cortical neurons recorded intracellularly in vivo. Iontophoretically applied, morphine increased supra-threshold evoked depolarizing postsynaptic potentials inducing bursts of spikes, but only slightly increased weak (subthreshold) potentials. Spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic potentials were affected in a similar way, but their frequency did not change.

[Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents. V. Synthesis of 1-aryl-5-(1-pyrryl)-pyrazolyl-4-acetic acids with potential anti-inflammatory action].

The synthesis of 1-aryl-5-(1-pyrryl)pyrazoles bearing at position 4 an acetic or alpha-propionic chain is described. The new compounds can be structurally related to lonazolac and its analogues with analgesic-antiinflammatory activities. When tested pharmacologically in comparison with tolmetin and indomethacin none of the above derivatives showed any appreciable activity.

A new assay for choline-containing phospholipids in amniotic fluid by an enzyme sensor.

A new rapid and direct method for the determination of choline-containing phospholipids in the amniotic fluid is proposed. The determination is performed by an amperometric-enzymatic method. The correlation with an enzymatic-spectrophotometric method, already published, is also considered.

Controlled studies of childhood asthma self-management in Italy using the "open airways" and "living with asthma" programs: a preliminary report.

The concept of self-management for childhood asthma was introduced to Italy through a scientific exchange agreement with the United States. Two self-management programs, Living with Asthma (LWA) and Open Airways (OA), are being evaluated in three studies, two of which (Pilot and Atri-Viterbo) were conducted by the Respiratory Service of the Pediatric Department of the University "La Sapienza" in Rome and one by 14 Italian university pediatric respiratory centers (Project Italia). In October 1985, 20 children and their 40 parents were enrolled in the Pilot Study.

Corneal and blink reflexes in Parkinson's disease with "on-off" fluctuations.

In 13 patients with Parkinson's disease and "on-off" fluctuations and in a control group, the electrically evoked blink (R1 and R2 component) and corneal reflexes (CR), the habituation of the glabellar reflex, and the blink rate were studied. Latency, amplitude, and recovery cycle of R1 was normal. CR latency, but not R2 latency, was significantly shorter in patients than in normal subjects.