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Three forms of female-specific plasma protein (FSPP 1-3) were purified from blood plasma of estrogen-treated white perch (Morone americana) by combining several types of ion-exchange chromatography including a novel, fast flow, strong anion exchanger (POROS media), followed by gel filtration. Native FSPP 1, FSPP 2 and FSPP 3 had molecular masses of 532 kDa, 532 kDa and 426 kDa, respectively. The apparent mass of purified FSPP 1 and FSPP 2 after SDS-PAGE under reducing conditions was ∼ 180 kDa, while FSPP 3 appeared as a major ∼ 148 kDa band. All of the FSPPs resembled one another with respect to amino acid composition but each appeared to be immunologically distinct. In double immunodiffusion using anti-total FSPP (antiserum raised against vitellogenic female plasma pre-absorbed by male plasma), each FSPP formed one precipitin line that crossed those produced by both others. A rabbit antiserum was raised against each FSPP and absorbed with combinations of the other two FSPPs to ensure specificity. Using the antisera, each FSPP was detected by immuno-electrophoresis in plasma from vitellogenic females or estrogen-treated male or immature fish, but no FSPP was detected in normal male plasma. Endoprotease (Asp-N) digests of the FSPPs were subjected to HPLC separation for N-terminal sequencing and mapping of isolated peptides to published vitellogenin (Vg) sequences. Results of these analyses indicate that white perch FSPP 1, FSPP 2, and FSPP 3 can be classified into three Vg groups identified in previous studies: VgA, VgB, and VgC-like protein, respectively. This is the first report, of which we are aware, on isolation of more than two Vg proteins from any species of vertebrate except the chicken.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess whether the arterial ketone body ratio (AKBR) can be effectively used to evaluate the severity of illness in children following cardiac surgery. Materials and Methods: AKBR was measured in 157 consecutive pediatric patients following heart surgery on the odd numbers of postoperative days. The relationship between AKBR and patient outcome was analyzed using the data of 141 patients with cardiopulmonary bypass. Results: Initial AKBR was frequently lower than 1.0, and this was associated with the increases in total ketone body counts. Insufficient glucose metabolism appeared to contribute to the low initial AKBR. As a result, the specificity of initial AKBR as a mortality predictor was lower than that of initial blood lactate. In the sequential analysis of AKBR for the 48 patients with PICU stay longer than 5 days, patients showing a sustained lower level <1.0 had significantly higher development of organ dysfunction (liver, heart) and greater mortality (56%). Conclusions: Sustained postoperative decrease in AKBR <1.0 represents lethal outcome. The analysis of AKBR trend in combination with a measurement of blood lactate level in early postoperative period appears to be useful for the assessment of the severity of illness in pediatric patients following heart surgery. Copyright (C) 2001 by W.B. Saunders Company

In Sakhalin taimen Hucho perryitwo choriogenins have been identified in serum, designated high‐ and low‐molecular‐weight vitelline envelope‐related protein (hVERP and lVERP). Two immunoassays were developed using specific antibodies; single radial immunodiffusion (SRID) and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), for measurement of the precursors to vitelline envelope proteins. ELISA measures hVERP and lVERP in serum at concentrations as low as 16 and 47 ng ml−1, respectively. Using these immunoassays, changes in serum levels of VERP were measured after treatment with E2and during oocyte growth. When immature 2‐year‐old taimen were injected with 2 mg E2per kg body weight, both VERPs were induced in serum within 24 h. In the course of the first ovulation, serum VERPs levels increased in September (8 months before ovulation), reached maximum in January, and decreased sharply prior to ovulation in May. These changes generally paralleled that of vitellogenin except for the drastic decrease of VERPs in May.

Summary. The establishment of an in vitrosystem for hepatitis C virus (HCV) propagation is essential to characterize virus replication, virus persistence and viral pathogenicity. The aim was to establish HCV replication in HepG2 cells by gene transfer of infectious HCV cDNA. First, several gene transfer methods were evaluated that employed cationic liposomes (lipofectin, lipofectamine. DOTAP), DEAE‐dextran and replication‐deficient adenovirus for transfection to HepG2 cells using a lacZ reporter gene. Highest transfection efficiency (20%) of cultured HepG2 cells was obtained by the combined use of lipofectamine and adenovirus. This method was used for transfection of HepG2 cells with HCV cDNA in a mammalian expression plasmid (pRC/CMV). The success and efficacy of HCV transfection to HepG2 cells was evaluated by testing for the presence of genomic and replicative (negative) strands of HCV RNA by strand‐specific reverse transcription (RT) followed by nested PCR. Expression of structural and non‐structural proteins of hepatitis C virus was detected using polyclonal antibodies to core, NS3, NS4 and NS5. Positive‐strand HCV RNA was detected by RT‐PCR for over 6 weeks in the HCV cDNA‐transfected HepG2 cells. Presence of HCV replication in these cells was confirmed by detecting HCV negative‐strand RNA by strand‐specific RT‐PCR and was observed to continue for over 4 weeks. HCV proteins (core. NS3, NS4 and NS5) were detected in the cytoplasm of the transfected cells by immunostaining. In summary, these findings suggest that replication and translation of HCV were achieved for a prolonged time in HepG2 cells after transfection with HCV cDNA and may provide an in vitrosystem for HCV studies.

Das Weibchen der neuen Art Uropoda (Phaulodinychus) terrestrisa aus der Splendida - Gruppe der Ganggattung Uropoda wird beschrieben und mit der nahe verwandten Art Uropoda (Phaulodinychus) pulverea Hiramatsu 1976 verglichen.

Abstract Coesite in a granulite host-rock is reported from Weihai City, northeastern Shandong Province, China. Coesite occurs as inclusions in garnet, which is separated from the fine-grained matrix of quartz + clinopyroxene + hornblende by a zoned corona of plagioclase + clinopyroxene + orthopyroxene + hornblende. Petrological evidence shows that the coesite-bearing granulite is retrograded from eclogite. Three stages in the metamorphic history of the granulite have been recognized, (i) Coesite-eclogite stage: The assemblage reconstructed from the inclusions in garnet is Mg-rich garnet + omphacite + coesite + rutile. (ii) During the granulite stage, these minerals reacted to form quartz + clinopyroxene + hornblende (in the matrix), clinopyroxene + albite (omphacite pseudomorphs) and plagioclase + clinopyroxene + orthopyroxene + hornblende (as corona around garnet), (iii) Amphibolite stage: Earlier minerals were replaced by biotite, epidote and hornblende. The P-T conditions estimated with various geothermobarometers show a T-increasing and P-decreasing path from the eclogite stage (T ~ 720°C, P > 28 kbar) to the granulite stage (T ~ 850°C, P ~ 10 kbar). Thus the exhumation of the ultra-high-pressure rocks in Weihai proceeded under increasing temperature, and may not have been as fast as it was thought before

We describe the development of intention myoclonus following severe cardiopulmonary failure in three paediatric patients. Symptoms occurred during the withdrawal of midazolam and fentanyl, which were used for prolonged sedation, and resolved spontaneously. Because the three patients had concomitant brain injury secondary to cardiopulmonary failure-related hypoxia, we propose that the combination of hypoxic brain injury and sedative withdrawal may predispose to intention myoclonus.(Critical Care and Resuscitation 2002; 4: 104-106)

Mesoscopic structural changes of an ovalbumin solution by heating and adding NaCl have been investigated with a small-angle neutron scattering method. In the natural solution, a broad peak at q = 0.057 Å^-1, which disappeared by adding NaCl, indicates the existence of an electrostatic long-range interaction between the ovalbumin globules. Along with the broad peak, a prominent intensity increase in a very small q region was observed on heating except for the initial and final stages, indicating the coexistence of a disordered structure of the denatured ovalbumin and a regular-interspacing structure of the natural ovalbumin globules. Though the macroscopic feature in the final stage, whether the solution forms a gel (10 wt %) or not (5 wt %), strongly depended on the concentration of the ovalbumin, the scattering profiles showed a common characteristic feature:  the appearance of a new peak around q = 0.023 Å^-1, which indicates the emergence of another regular structure.

Evolutions of the complex elastic stiffness and the Raman scattering spectrum were measured during the dehydration process of the polyacrylamide gel. The elastic-stiffness amplitude grew around 103times as large as the initial value and the loss tangent reached a peak around the time when the log of the simultaneously measured weight showed a bend point (tg′). Besides, in the Raman scattering experiment, a pair of broad peaks emerged in the low-frequency region around tg′. The results in the present study indicate that some transition like the glass transition in the non-crystalline polymers takes place around tg′.