Showing papers by "University of Turku published in 1974"

HL-A 27 in reactive arthritis. A study of Yersinia arthritis and Reiter's disease.

Abstract: The histocompatibility antigen HL-A 27 was identified in 43 of 49 patients with yersinia arthritis and in 36 of 40 patients with Reiter's disease, compared with 3 of 20 patients with yersinia infection without arthritis and 14% of the normal Finnish population. HL-A 2 occurred in patients with reactive arthritis in the same high frequency as did HL-A 27, but this antigen is present in 55% of Finns. HL-A 27 negative patients usually had a mild or somewhat atypical disease.

Comparison of Antibodies Against Different Viruses in Cerebrospinal Fluid and Serum Samples from Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

Abstract: The occurrence of a local production in the central nervous system (CNS) of antibodies against different selected viruses was analyzed by comparison of titers in serum and cerebrospinal fluid samples from groups of 50 patients with multiple sclerosis from Finland, Norway, and Sweden. Measles antibodies were determined in hemagglutination inhibition, hemolysis inhibition, and nucleocapsid complement fixation tests; mumps, parainfluenza virus type 1, and rubella virus antibodies were determined in hemagglutination inhibition tests; and herpes simplex virus type 1 antibodies were determined in passive hemagglutination tests. For reference purposes tests were also made for adenovirus antibodies in penton hemagglutination enhancement tests and poliovirus antibodies in neutralization enhancement tests. Among the 150 multiple sclerosis patients, a local production of antibodies against measles virus was found in the CNS in 57%, against rubella virus in 19%, mumps virus in 15%, herpes simplex virus type 1 in 11%, and parainfluenza virus type 1 (Sendai) in 3%. A local production in the CNS of antibodies against any of the viruses studied was found in 71% of multiple sclerosis patients. These included 48, 16, and 7% that produced antibodies to one, two, and three or more viruses, respectively.

Temperature acclimation and the nervous system.

Abstract: Summary 1. The conduction velocity of the compound action potential of peripheral nerves shows compensatory acclimation to temperature in a fish, a snail, a crab, and probably also in the frog. The heat and cold tolerances of peripheral conduction are probably both increased by cold acclimation in the frog. 2. The properties of compound action potentials are not suitable for temperature acclimation studies, since different neuronal populations in the same nerve have been found to exhibit different temperature characteristics. 3. Single but septate giant nerve fibres of earthworms show compensatory temperature acclimation of the conduction properties, the form of the action potential and of the axonal cable properties, especially below 13–19 °C. 4. The fatty acids and the plasmalogen aldehydes of the phospholipids of the goldfish brain are more unsaturated at lower acclimation temperatures. 5. The Na+-K+ ATPase activity of the earthworm nerve cord shows compensatory acclimation at low temperatures. 6. The spontaneous activity of the central nervous system of insects is altered in a compensatory manner by temperature acclimation. In fish, the cold tolerance of simple and complex reflexes and of conditioning is adaptively altered by temperature acclimation. The role of the central nervous system, especially of the thermoregulatory centre, in the temperature acclimation of homeotherms is established. 7. There are adaptive isoenzymes of acetylcholinesterase in the brain of the rainbow trout. These isoenzymes differ from each other in respect of the temperature dependence of their enzyme-substrate affinity. The synthesis of acetylcholine receptor molecules may also be affected by temperature acclimation. 8. The metabolism of putative synaptic neurotransmitters (5-hydroxytryptamine, adrenaline, noradrenaline) is altered in the frog and mouse brains during the early phases of temperature acclimation. These changes may initiate the physiological processes connected with temperature acclimation. 9. The neuromuscular transmission in the frog shows after acclimation to cold, increased resistance to it and some indications of temperature compensation. 10. Changes in neurosecretion seem to be involved in temperature acclimation both in poikilotherms and homeotherms. The fast axonal transport of proteins shows compensatory acclimation to cold in the frog.

The temperature characteristics of synaptic membrane ATPases from immature and adult rat brain.

Abstract: SYNAPTIC membranes isolated from adult brain homogenates are known to be rich in Na+-K+-ATPase (EC 3.6.1.3) following the work of ALBERS et al. (1965), H o s l ~ (1965), KUROKAWA et al. (1965), WHITTAKER (1965) and BRADFORD et al. (1966). More recent workers report highly purified preparations of synaptosomal membranes with a higher specific activity for the Na+-K+-ATPase (LEVITAN et al., 1972; MORGAN et al., 1971). SAMSON et al. (1964) and SAMSON & QUINN (1967) have shown the Na+-K'-ATPase activity rises dramatically in the I s 2 0 day postnatal period in rat brain. It has been reported that this occurs in the synaptosomal as well as microsomal Na+-K+-ATPase activity (ABDEL-LATIF & ABOOD, 1964; ABDEL-LATIF et al., 1967, 1970) and furthermore parallels the appearance of electrical activity and the known changes in synaptic morphology (HUTTENLOCHER & RAWSON, 1968). During this early postnatal period young rats are not easily able to regulate body temperature and so they experience and tolerate lower body temperatures than do adults (ADOLPH, 1957). Several workers have shown that the Nai-Kt-ATPase present in microsomal fractions obtained from mammalian brain (CHARNOCK et al., 1971; BOWLER & DUNCAN, 1968, 1969), kidney cortex (WILLIS & LI, 1969) and also red cell cation transport (WIETH, 1970) are dramatically reduced at temperatures below 15"Cand virtually absent below 5°C. The purpose of this present study is to determine whether synaptic membrane ATPases are qualitatively different in preparations from immature and adult rat brains, with respect to their temperature sensitivity.

One-sided and two-sided context in formal grammars

Abstract: A proof for the equivalence of context-sensitive and one-sided contextsensitive languages is given. This yields as a corollary the normal form A → BC, AB → AC, A → a for context-sensitive grammars.

The Involvement of the Temporomandibular Joint in Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis

Abstract: A roentgenological and clinical examination of the temporomandibular joint was carried out in 249 children, under 15 years of age, afflicted with rheumatoid arthritis. A total of 2244 presumed healthy school children served as controls. Roentgenological observed morphological deviations of the mandibular condyles from presumably non-affected ones were divided into three types: minor lesions, flattening of the condyle, and grave lesions. The changes were predominantly found in the younger patients but the relative incidence was not concentrated in any particular age group. The majority lesion was a flattening of the condyle; in the remaining cases grave lesions were more frequent than minor ones. The condyles were affected three times as often in girls as in boys. About 40% of the lesions were asymmetrical. Fewer than 40% of the patients with affected mandibular condyles displayed clinical symptoms', these were, on the other hand, manifest also in patients with no detectable condylar lesions. One of the 22...

The inheritance of shovel shape in maxillary central incisors.

Abstract: The aim of this study is to investigate the inheritance of the shovel shape of maxillary permanent central incisors. The material collected on Hailuoto Island, off the western coast of Finland, consists of 319 dental casts. The genealogical data are from the parish register. The genetic method is based on the incidence of the trait in the sibships as compared to that in the whole population sample. The results suggest that the trait is hereditary, and transmitted by a single intermediate autosomal gene, although more complex models of inheritance are also acceptable.

Turku sugar studies. I. An intermediate report on the effect of sucrose, fructose and xylitol diets on the caries incidence in man.

Abstract: The present report covers the results after the first year of a 2-year trial, carried out in order to evaluate eventual differences in the caries incidence as influenced by sucrose (S), fructose (F) and xylitol (X) consumption. The initial material comprised 125 persons, mean age 27.5 yrs., divided according to individual preference and randomly into three groups. The S-group included 35, the F-group 38, and the X-group 52 persons, the latter group rendered oversize due to fear of loss of material. Initially no significant differences were found between the groups with regard to age, sex, number of primary and secondary carious surfaces with and without defect, number of filled surfaces and extracted teeth, and the DMFS-index. During the first 12 months of diet only 1 participant in the X-group discontinued due to diarrhoea. In addition, 2 were excluded due to lack of cooperation. Caries activity was expressed in quantitative, qualitative and combined terms through clinical and radiographic assessment. Ir...

Classification of art into style periods; a factor‐analytical approach

Abstract: .— An attempt was made to determine, primarily, along what dimensions a classification takes place, and secondarily whether the same dimensions appear in different style periods: renaissance, baroque, and rococo, when paintings and pieces of music were judged by the “semantic differential” technique. The factor-analysis produced six factors, which were interpreted as follows: I Aesthetic-qualitative evaluation, II Emotional tone, III Symbolism, IV Dynamics, V Clarity, and VI Stillness. Factors I, II, and III occurred in all style periods, both in painting and in music.

Ultrastructure of gonadal ridge in male and female pig embryos.

Abstract: Pig embryos aged 21-22 days (d) obtained from artificially inseminated sows for an ultrastructural study of the development and sex differentiation of the gonadal ridge. The chromosomal sex of the embryos was identified by a chromosome analysis. At the age of 21 d the gonadal ridge consisted of three different tissues: the surface epithelium, the primitive cords, and the mesenchyme. The surface epithelial cells contained elongate mitochondria with lamellar cristae, granular endoplasmic reticulum (GER), the Golgi complex, free polysomes, coated vesicles and fine filaments. The epithelium was continuous with the primitive cords, which were composed of ultrastructurally similar cells. The epithelial basal lamina followed the cord surface, but covered it incompletely. Primordial germ cells (PGC) were located under the surface epithelium in the mesenchyme and in the cords. The nucleus with a prominent nucleolus, and the large mitochondria were round. The cytoplasm contained a pair of centrioles, the Golgi complex, solitary lamellae of the GER, free polysomes, lipid droplets and some coated vesicles. The PGC entered the gonadal cords before these were surrounded by the continuous basal lamina. A day later (22 d) the number and length of the cords were increased. The PGC were more frequent and seen also in deeper layers. All the structures studied at the age of 21-22 d showed that the gonadal ridge also at the ultrastructural level is at the sexually indifferent stage.

Antihypertensive effects of practolol and sotalol

Abstract: Practolol and sotalol were found to differ qualitatively in their effects on blood pressure (BP). The reductions in both systolic and diastolic BP and in heart rate were largely unrelated to differences in dosage and serum concentrations of practolol in 22 patients with mild‐to‐moderate hypertension. On the other hand, when due to sotalol, these effects were dose related in 12 patients. From 200 to 800 mg of both drugs were given daily in two doses. The differences from the posttreatment of placebo systolic/diastolic BP were at a maximum at 400 mg of practolol: 22/6, 18/9, and 18/6 mm Hg in a standing, sitting, and supine position. In 8 patients who tolerated 600 mg of sotalol, the differences were, respectively, 29/14, 22/18, and 27/18 mm Hg. Side effects with sotalol were numerous when the heart rate fell below the critical level of about 48. The highest tolerated serum concentration of sotalol was about 5.1 mg/1. A 600 mg dose of sotalol was tolerated as well and as often as 800 mg of practolol. The serum concentrations of both drugs were closely related to the dose per kilogram of body weight.

Structural changes of dinoflagellate chromosomes by pronase and ribonuclease.

Abstract: When cells of the dinoflagellates Prorocentrum micans and Gyrodinium cohnii are exposed to the proteolytic enzyme pronase or alternatively to ribonuclease, the structure of chromosomes is markedly altered. These changes have been observed electron microscopically in thin sections and spreads. Treatment of cells with pronase removed the bulk of nonfibrillar chromosome material completely unmasking fine chromosomal DNA fibres. Pronase had similar effect also on the dense material which is in contact with chromosomes; fibrillar loops protruding from chromosomes were exposed. However, pronase had no effect on the structural integrity of chromosomes. On the contrary, treatment of cells with ribonuclease loosened the package of chromosomal fibres. Thin sections showed that the tight package of longitudinal periodic structures seen in untreated chromosome was relaxed; chromosome extended longitudinally and formed a linear array of balls. When ribonuclease-treated chromosomes were spread, they were substantially more stretched than untreated chromosomes because of uncoiling of two oppositehanded spiral chromatid bundles. The effect of ribonuclease treatment suggests that unknown RNA species have an important role in the maintenance of permanent condensation of dinoflagellate chromosomes. On the other hand, proteins removable by pronase are also present. Most probably they are not linked to the chromosome structure but represent the matrix of nuclear activity.

Degeneration of mouse pancreatic acinar cells during fasting

Abstract: Ultrastructural changes in mouse pancreas were studied after 1, 2, and 3 days of fasting. The number of zymogen granules markedly decreased after 1 day of fasting. Numerous small secretory granules, approximately 0.2–0.3 μ in diameter, appeared in the apical cytoplasm. There was increased autophagic activity but signs of intracellular degradation of zymogen granules were not found. After a 3 day fast, focal cytoplasmic degeneration was marked and many acinar cells were necrotic. Pancreatic amylase levels were also significantly reduced by this time. These extensive degenerative changes occurring after modest periods of fasting, emphasize the need for careful interpretation of results of experimental studies where fasting is used to establish a baseline for studies on the exocrine pancreas.

On derivation languages corresponding to context-free grammars

Abstract: A derivation language associated with a context-free grammar is the set of all terminating derivations. Hierarchy and closure properties of these languages are considered. In addition to the formerly known solvability of the emptiness and finiteness problems the equivalence problem is shown to be solvable for derivation languages.

Turku sugar studies. III. An intermediate report on the effect of sucrose, fructose and xylitol diets on the numbers of salivary lactobacilli, candida and streptococci.

Abstract: The possible alteration of the ecological balance of the microbial flora when replacing dietary sucrose with xylitol or fructose was analyzed. A serial dilution of saliva samples was made and plate...

Serum levels and renal excretion of digoxin during maintenance therapy in children.

Abstract: . Iisalo, E. and Dahl, M. (Departments of Pharmacology and Paediatrics, University of Turku, Turku, Finland). Serum Levels and Renal Excretion of Digoxin during Maintenance Therapy in Children. Acta Paediatr Scand,63:699, 1974.—To exclude an increased excretion of digoxin as a possible reason for higher dose requirement in children a radioimmunoassay of digoxin in the serum and the 24 hr urine was carried out in 26 children, mainly infants, with congenital heart disease. This procedure was repeated on two consecutive days, in total 64 times during digoxin maintenance therapy. The daily digoxin dose per kilogram of body weight in these small children was twice as high as that used in adults. The steady state level of serum digoxin corresponded approximately to that of adults. A few fairly high digoxin levels were, however, measured in infants without any signs of digitalis toxicity. The daily excretion of digoxin in the urine during maintenance therapy was approximately the same in all age groups and on an average 47 per cent of the daily dose. This percentage is somewhat lower than that found in adults. The low renal excretion of digoxin in one newborn caused high serum digoxin levels. The higher dosage requirement of digoxin per kilogram of body weight in children as compared to adults cannot be explained with differences in the renal excretion of digoxin.

Comparison of Two Rating Scales in the Estimation of Perceived Exertion in a Pulse-Conducted Exercise Test

Abstract: With the aid of a feed-back system linear accelerations of heart rate of 4, 5 or 8 beats/min2 were obtained in 90 bicycle-ergometer tests on 30 healthy policemen, and the linearity of two rating scales for the perception of exertion was studied. The new scale described by Borg and the modification described by us were both found to give highly linear, repeatable and mutually comparable results. The first scale gave the best performance in many respects and is the more preferable. At the same time the reproducibility of the pulse-conducted test results was studied and was found to be very high for work load and exercise blood pressure readings, and also with the new acceleration of 8 beats/min2 which was studied for the first time. The virtues of linear acceleration of heart rate in ergometric testing and of the pulse-conducted test method are discussed briefly.