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Results of three-dimensional (3D) numerical simulations of field-reversed configurations (FRCs) are presented. The emphasis of this work is on the nonlinear evolution of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) instabilities in kinetic FRCs and the new FRC formation method by counter-helicity spheromak merging. Kinetic simulations show nonlinear saturation of the n= 1 tilt mode, where nis the toroidal mode number. The n= 2 and n= 3 rotational modes are observed to grow during the nonlinear phase of the tilt instability due to the ion spin-up in the toroidal direction. The ion toroidal spin-up is shown to be related to the resistive decay of the internal flux and the resulting loss of particle confinement. Three-dimensional MHD simulations of counter-helicity spheromak merging and FRC formation show good qualitative agreement with the results from the SSX-FRC experiment. The simulations show the formation of an FRC in about 20-30 Alfvén times for typical experimental parameters. The growth rate of the n= 1 tilt mode is shown to be significantly reduced compared with the MHD growth rate due to the large plasma viscosity and field-line-tying effects.

Objective.Immunocompromised patients, such as female renal transplant recipients, have an increased incidence of neoplasms involving the lower genital tract (i.e., cervix, vagina, vulva). The relationship between lower genital tract neoplasms and human papillomavirus (HPV) infection has been established and high-risk oncogenic subtypes have been identified (HPV 16, 18, 45, and 56). The purpose of this study is to evaluate HPV subtypes present in lower genital tract neoplasms of post renal transplant women and compare HPV subtypes found in these patients with immunocompetent patients having similar neoplasms and normal immunocompetent controls.

The vitamin content in four Australian microalgae, a Nannochloropsis-like sp., Pavlova pinguis, Stichococcus sp. and Tetraselmis sp., were examined. These were grown under a 12:12 h light:dark regimen (100 μmol photon m−2s−1) and harvested during late-logarithmic phase. Typically, the content showed a two- to three fold range between the species. When expressed on a dry weight basis, the content of ascorbate ranged from 1.3 to 3.0 mg g−1, β-carotene from 0.37 to 1.05 mg g−1, α-tocopherol from 0.07 to 0.29 mg g−1, thiamine from 29 to 109 μg g−1, riboflavin from 25 to 50 μg g−1, total folates from 17 to 24 μg g−1, pyridoxine from 3.6 to 17 μg g−1, cobalamin from 1.70 to 1.95 μg g−1and biotin from 1.1 to 1.9 μg g−1. Retinol was detected only in Tetraselmis sp. (2.2 μg g−1); any vitamins D2or D3were below the detection limit (≤0.45 μg g−1). Nannochloropsis sp. was also grown under a 24:0 h light:dark light cycle and harvested at stationary phase. The content of most vitamins in Nannochloropsis sp. cultures differed significantly, and the degree of variation was similar to that observed between the four species grown under 12:12 h light:dark regimen (100 μmol photon m−2s−1) and harvested during late-logarithmic phase. Thiamine content was also examined in six non-Australian strains commonly used in aquaculture, Chaetoceros muelleri, Thalassiosira pseudonana, Nannochloris atomus, Nannochloropsis oculata, Isochrysis sp. (T.ISO) and Pavlova lutheri. Values (average 61 μg g−1; range 40 to 82) were similar to those in the Australian strains (average 61 μg g−1; range 29 to 109) and increased during stationary phase (average 94 μg g−1; 38 to 131). Comparison of the data with the known nutritional requirements for marine fish species and prawns suggests that the microalgae should provide excess or adequate levels of the vitamins for aquaculture food chains. The data may be used to guide the content of vitamins included in micro-diets developed as replacements for live diets.

This review will address contributions of nuclear transcription factors to the embryologic development and definitive function of the anterior pituitary gland. The HESX1, PITX1, PITX2, PROP1 and POU1F1 genes are of particular interest because of their recognized or potential associations with human disease. Mutations of any of the first three genes produce complex disease phenotypes such as septo-optic dysplasia, Treacher Collins Franceschetti syndrome or Rieger syndrome that may include deficiency of one or more pituitary hormones. Mutations in PROP1 or POU1F1, or their mouse homologous, result in severe hypopituitarism as well as morphological abnormalities of the pituitary gland.

Objectives: To summarize the steps that led to the recognition of the Laron syndrome of growth-hormone (GH) insensitivity as a recessive disorder that is caused by mutations in the growth hormone receptor (GHR) gene, to discuss the different types of mutations that have been found in the GHR gene, to examine whether the degree of growth impairment in affected homozygotes depends on the specific type of GHR mutation. Results: A broad spectrum of abnormalities in the GHR gene have been reported. These abnormalities range from deletions of multiple exons, through deletions of a small number of base pairs, nonsense mutations, missense mutations that alter GH-binding affinity or impair receptor processing, to mutations that exert their deleterious effects by altering messenger RNA splicing result in the loss of portions of the GHR. Conclusions: Different abnormalities in the GHR gene have different effects on the concentrations of circulating GH-binding protein that represents the extracellular portion of the GHR. Homozygosity or compound heterozygosity for the different mutations produces a fairly uniform phenotype of severe postnatal growth retardation. The differences in height standard deviation scores between persons appear to depend more on age, sex, nutritional status than on the specific type of GHR mutation. (J Pediatr 1997;131:S45-50)

A new long-acting octapeptide analogue of somatostatin, Des AA1,2,4,5,12,13D Try8somatostatin, has been tested in 8 patients with pancreatic endocrine tumours. The analogue given subcutaneously suppressed the tumour-derived hormones in patients with insulinomas, glucagonomas, and gastrinomas for up to 24 h. The prolonged action appeared to be the result of slow release from the injection site. No side-effects were observed. Studies of long-term administration of this new peptide are now warranted.

We used coleoptile sections of Avena sativa, Sorghum bicolor, and Zea mays seedlings to examine interactions between epidermal growth factor (EGF) and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) that may affect plant growth and development. Our 24-h bioassays employed three controls ranging in dilution from 10−4 to 10−8 g ml−1: (1) 50 mM potassium-phosphate buffer solution (pH=6.0), (2) bovine serum albumin, a nonspecific protein; and (3) IAA; plus two treatments: (1) mouse epidermal growth factor (EGF) ranging from 10−6 to 10−10gml−1, and (2) EGF + IAA. In all three species growth in IAA, EGF, and EGF + IAA treatments showed significant increases over controls; EGF+IAA showed significant increases in growth over IAA alone. As the concentrations of IAA decreased, the EGF and IAA interaction became more pronounced. At the highest IAA concentrations, EGF + IAA increased growth rates ca. 2% to 39%, whereas at lower IAA concentrations EGF + IAA promoted growth as much as 121%, thereby lowering the normal IAA physiological set point up to three or four orders of magnitude. Our data suggest that an interaction between EGF and IAA may allow plants to recognize and respond to animal biochemical messengers, resulting in changes in plant cell elongation that ultimately may alter plant growth patterns.

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