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Satellite cells in skeletal muscle have been implicated in muscle growth processes and regeneration. However, very little is known about the regulation of their proliferation and differentiation. The effect of fibroblast growth factor (FGF) on the proliferation of myogenic cells from adult rat skeletal muscle, presumably satellite cells, has been examined, and FGF has been found to be a potent mitogen for these cells. The mitogenic properties of serum were also documented and studied in conjunction with FGF. Even under conditions of maximal stimulation by serum, the addition of FGF caused a substantial increase in proliferation of satellite cells. The additive nature of the FGF and serum-stimulatory activity suggests that FGF-like molecules are not the active agents in serum and that more than one pathway may be involved in stimulating satellite cell proliferation.

Twenty-four patients receiving ECT were systematically studied to compare the effects of two dosages of atropine and two dosages of glycopyrrolate as preanesthetic agents. Glycopyrrolate resulted in more cardiac arrhythmias, nausea and vomiting, and episodes of bradycardia than atropine (p = .4). More patients receiving atropine showed post-ECT confusion, but the clinical impact of this was minimal. Atropine appears to be preferable to glycopyrrolate for use in ECT preanesthesia.

Stripping voltammetry with collection at a rotating ring-disk electrode having a platinum ring and a glassy-carbon disk was used for the determination of Hg(II) in 1.0M H(2)SO(4) medium in the range 0.10-4.00 ppM. Satisfactory results were obtained only after a thin film of Au (two monolayer equivalents) was electroplated on the disk electrode. The average relative deviation of the results for determination at the 0.10-ppM level was 7.5 %. The limit of detection for the technique is approximately 0.01 ppM.

A new electroanalytical technique is described, called "stripping voltammetry with collection." The technique involves the use of a rotating ring-disk electrode and is an improvement over traditional voltammetric stripping at a single electrode in that it is characterized by a lower limit of detection and that the period of deposition before stripping can be shorter. The use of the technique is illustrated by the determination of 10(-10)M Ag(+) in 0.1 M H(2)SO(4) by use of a ring-disk electrode having a disk electrode constructed of glassy carbon and a ring electrode constructed of platinum.