Automated quantitation of cold-inducible human brown adipose tissue with FDG PET/CT with application to fibromyalgia.

Increasing recognition of the importance of brown adipose tissue (BAT) motivates the development of reproducible and quantitative methods for measuring it. Positron emission tomography (PET)/computerized tomography (CT) with F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) has become the principal method to non-invasively detect brown adipose tissue (BAT) in humans. Improvements in quantitation and standardization will drive further clinical application.

Production of heteropolymeric polyhydroxyalkanoate in Escherichia coli from a single carbon source.

Poly[beta-hydroxybutyrate-co-beta-hydroxyvalerate] co-polymer, PHBV, is a polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) that has greater utility as a biodegradable thermoplastic polyester than poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate, PHB. In order to produce PHBV, a system of pathways is required to produce both hydroxybutyrate (HB) and hydroxyvalerate (HV) monomers from the sources of carbon. A working model for conversion of glucose to PHBV via acetyl- and propionyl-coenzyme A was constructed by expressing the PHA biosynthesis genes from Alcaligenes eutrophus in Escherichia coli strain K-12 under novel growth conditions.

Modulation of ovarian cytochrome P450 17 alpha-hydroxylase and cytochrome aromatase messenger ribonucleic acid by prolactin in the domestic turkey.

The effect of exogenous ovine prolactin (oPRL) on preovulatory follicle P450 17 alpha-hydroxylase (C17) and aromatase (ARO) mRNA abundance was investigated in turkeys. Ovine PRL (124 IU/hen per day) was injected i.m.

Role of vasoactive intestinal peptide in the control of prolactin-induced turkey incubation behavior. I. Acute infusion of vasoactive intestinal peptide.

Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) stimulates prolactin (PRL) secretion. Ovine PRL induces incubation behavior in avian species. This study was designed to determine whether VIP can elevate plasma PRL for up to 3 h.

Ileal symbiont intracellularis, an obligate intracellular bacterium of porcine intestines showing a relationship to Desulfovibrio species.

A new genus and species of obligate intracellular-bacteria found in porcine intestines are described. Growth on any bacteriological medium deprived of living cells has not been demonstrated. The organism has been grown intracellularly in cell culture.

[Estimation of the sampling variance of co-heritability].

Formulae for the sampling variances of co-heritability and co-environment are developed from the one-fold and two-fold nested genetic analyses of variance and covariance with balanced and unbalanced data. Some potential roles of the co-heritability in breeding programs and the relationship with genetic correlation have also been investigated. The co-heritability has dual characteristics of both heritability and genetic correlation.

Epitope mapping of polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies against two alpha-bungarotoxin-binding alpha subunits from neuronal nicotinic receptors.

Recently, cDNAs for alpha subunits of two different neuronal alpha-bungarotoxin-binding proteins (alpha BgtBP) were isolated from chick brain, designated alpha BgtBP alpha 1 and alpha BgtBP alpha 2. These are now also referred to as subunits alpha 7 and alpha 8, respectively. Expression studies in Xenopus oocytes have indicated that alpha 7 subunits are able to form cation channels that are sensitive to nicotinic ligands, and therefore represent bona fide nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunits.

Species- and subtype-specific recognition by antibody WF6 of a sequence segment forming an alpha-bungarotoxin binding site on the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor alpha subunit.

The monoclonal antibody WF6 competes with acetylcholine and alpha-bungarotoxin (alpha-BGT) for binding to the Torpedo nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) alpha 1 subunit. Using synthetic peptides corresponding to the complete Torpedo nAChR alpha 1 subunit, we previously mapped a continuous epitope recognized by WF6, and the prototope for alpha-BGT, to the sequence segment alpha 1(181-200). Single amino acid substitution analogs have been used as an initial approach to determine the critical amino acids for WF6 and alpha-BGT binding.

Scanning tunnelling microscopy in biotechnology.

The scanning tunnelling microscope (STM) is capable of atomic resolution of highly conductive materials. Whether biological molecules can be visualized to the same extent remains an open question, but remarkable progress in the past year confirms the possibility of seeing the fine structure of nucleic acids, proteins, membranes and viruses, and provides evidence that their dynamic interactions can be monitored under conditions approximating to those of the native environment.

Evaluation of white lupines and triticale in calf starter diets.

One hundred fifty-two Holstein calves were used to evaluate white lupines (Lupinus albus cv. Ultra) and triticale in starter diets. The basal diet contained corn, oats, minerals, and vitamins.