Identity of a cytosolic neutral cholesterol esterase in rat liver with the bile salt stimulated cholesterol esterase in pancreas

A neutral cholesterol esterase has been purified to homogeneity from the cytosolic fraction of rat liver. The 105,000 x g supernatant fraction of rat liver was applied to a DEAE-cellulose column to isolate a partially purified fraction of hepatic cholesterol esterase. Immunoblot analysis of the partially purified liver fraction with the anti-porcine pancreatic cholesterol esterase IgG demonstrated a single band with a molecular weight of 67,000. The hepatic protein was then isolated by immunoaffinity chromatography technique using a column constructed with antibodies prepared against the pancreatic cholesterol esterase. Characterization of the hepatic cholesterol esterase revealed that the hepatic enzyme shared antigenic epitopes with the pancreatic cholesterol esterase and was similarly activated by addition of bile salt such as taurocholate. Moreover, amino-terminal sequencing analysis of the hepatic cholesterol esterase showed an identical sequence with the pancreatic enzyme. Taken together, these results showed that the cholesterol esterases in the liver and the pancreas are very similar and possibly identical proteins.     

A New Rank Test Against Ordered Alternatives in K-Sample Problems

The distribution-free test against ordered alternatives proposed by Jonckheere (1954) is based on the Kendall's rank correlation coefficient τ. A new rank test is proposed and illustrated with a numerical example. The proposed test is based on Spearman's σ and has similar functional structure as the Kruskal-Wallis test. A useful by-product is a test for departure from a trend.     

How Can the Eco‐efficiency of a Region be Measured and Monitored?

The concept of eco-efficiency is commonly referred to as a business link to sustainable development. In this article, ecoefficiency is examined at a regional level as an approach to promoting the competitiveness of economic activities in the Finnish Kymenlaakso region and mitigating their harmful impacts on the environment. The aim is to develop appropriate indicators for monitoring changes in the eco-efficiency of the region. A starting point is to produce indicators for the environmental and economic dimensions of regional development and use them for measuring regional eco-efficiency. The environmental impact indicators are based on a life-cycle assessment method, producing different types of environmental impact indicators: pressure indicators (e.g., emissions of CO₂), impact category indicators (e.g., CO₂ equivalents in the case of climate change), and a total impact indicator (aggregating different impact category indicator results into a single value). Environmental impact indicators based on direct material input, total material input, and total material requirement of the Kymenlaakso region are also assessed. The economic indicators used are the gross domestic product, the value added, and the output of the main economic sectors of Kymenlaakso. In the eco-efficiency assessment, the economic and environmental impact indicators are monitored in the same graph. In a few cases eco-efficiency ratios can also be calculated (the economic indicators are divided by the environmental indicators). Output (= value added + intermediate consumption) is used as an economic indicator related to the environmental impact indicators, which also cover the upstream processes of the region's activities. In the article, we also discuss the strengths and weaknesses of using the different environmental impact indicators.     

Alkaloids of Dyera costulata

Six bisindole alkaloids have been isolated from the leaves of Dyera costulata (Apocynaceae). One is the known ochrolifuanine A and the others are the novel ochrolifuanines E and F, and the 18-dehydroochrolifuanines A, E and F.     

Sequence of an operon containing a novel δ-endotoxin gene from Bacillus thuringiensis

An insect larval toxin designated CryII is produced by several subspecies of Bacillus thuringiensis and differs from the other major delta-endotoxins in these bacteria in its size, toxicity profile and presence as part of an operon with three open reading frames (ORF). Such an operon from a novel B. thuringiensis isolate has been cloned and differs from one previously characterized in the following ways: (a) the size and number of amino acid repeats in one of the ORFs; (b) the smaller size of the CryII protoxin and the presence of a unique 110-kDa CryII-related antigen; and (c) high larvicidal activity for a particular Lepidopteran but low activity for a Dipteran. Various subclones of this operon were introduced into a plasmid-free B. thuringiensis strain and only the cryII gene was found to be necessary for protoxin accumulation.     

How costly is clutch formation in the Audouin's Gull Larus audouinii?

During the Audouin's Gull's breeding season at the Ebro Delta in 1993, 24 fresh eggs from eight three-egg clutches (modal clutch-size) were collected at the peak of the laying period. Eggs were processed to obtain formalin-fixed yolks, which were halved and stained using the potassium dichromate method. Digitized images of the yolks were examined to assess the daily rates of yolk deposition. We used these data in combination with egg compositional analysis to build a model of energy demands during the formation of an average clutch in Audouin's Gull. To show how the different parameters of clutch formation affect the daily energy investment peak, we performed a simulation analysis in which the rapid yolk development (RYD) period, the follicle triggering interval (FTI), the laying interval (LI) and the albumen synthesis period (ASP) were allowed to vary simultaneously. In our sample, the mean RYD period was seven days with a range from six to eight days. There were no significant differences in yolk volume among eggs in a clutch, but albumen volume was significantly smaller in third eggs. According to our model the albumen synthesis of the a-egg coincides with the energy demand peak for clutch formation. This peak represents an increase by ca. 42% in female energy requirements. Values obtained from the simulation analysis showed that only the ASP of the a-egg and the RYD durations of the second and third follicles produced noticeable reductions in peak energy investment. We predict that in gulls, whose laying intervals seem to be kept constant, significant increases of the durations of the RYD periods of second and third eggs, or even significant reductions of yolk size of these eggs, may operate simultaneously to match the energy demands during clutch formation to the prevailing food conditions.     

Multiple Bacteriocin Production by Leuconostoc mesenteroidesTA33a and Other Leuconostoc/Weissella Strains

Leuconostoc (Lc.) mesenteroides TA33a produced three bacteriocins with different inhibitory activity spectra. Bacteriocins were purified by adsorption/desorption from producer cells and reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Leucocin C-TA33a, a novel bacteriocin with a predicted molecular mass of 4598 Da, inhibited Listeria and other lactic acid bacteria (LAB). Leucocin B-TA33a has a predicted molecular mass of 3466 Da, with activity against Leuconostoc/Weissella (W.) strains, and appears similar to mesenterocin 52B and dextranicin 24, while leucocin A-TA33a, which also inhibited Listeria and other LAB strains, is identical to leucocin A-UAL 187. A survey of other known bacteriocin-producing Leuconostoc/Weissella strains for the presence of the three different bacteriocins revealed that production of leucocin A-, B- and C-type bacteriocins was widespread. Lc. carnosum LA54a, W. paramesenteroides LA7a, and Lc. gelidum UAL 187-22 produced all three bacteriocins, whereas W. paramesenteroides OX and Lc. carnosum TA11a produced only leucocin A- and B-type bacteriocins. Received: 11 April 1997 / Accepted: 10 June 1997