The abortion struggle in America

The U.S. Supreme Court's July 1989 decision in Webster v. Reproductive Health Services, while not overturning Roe v. Wade, extended the power of state and local governments to regulate abortion. Warren situates the Webster decision in a larger context of 19th and 20th century American anti-abortion legislation, the Court's 1973 Roe decision and its predecessors, and the anti-abortion campaign that followed Roe. She then discusses Webster and its legal, practical, and political implications, concluding that the future of legal abortion in the United States is radically uncertain.     

Swainsonine-induced oligosaccharide excretion in sheep. Time-dependent changes in the oligosaccharide profile.

Urinary oligosaccharides isolated from locoweed-intoxicated sheep were separated and quantified by reversed-phase high pressure liquid chromatography of the perbenzoylated alditols. Mannose-containing oligosaccharides were elevated as early as day 3 of feeding, but maximum levels (approx. 1 mumol/ml) were not attained until after 6 weeks of feeding. The relative abundance of individual oligosaccharides changed over the course of the feeding period. Man3GlcNAc2 reached a peak on day 3 and then rapidly declined. Two isomers were shown to be present in this fraction and the relative proportions altered with the duration of locoweed treatment. The major isomer present at early time points (less than 8 days) co-eluted with synthetic Man(alpha 1-3)[Man(alpha 1-6)]Man(beta 1-4)GlcNAc(beta 1-4)GlcNAc, was digested by endo-beta-N-acetyl-glucosaminidase D, and is probably derived from the trimannosyl core of complex glycoproteins synthesized prior to locoweed treatment. Man3GlcNAc2 isolated from day 53 urine was resistant to endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase D digestion but was cleaved by endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase H. This isomer has the probable structure Man(alpha 1-3)Man(alpha 1-6)Man(beta 1-4)GlcNAc(beta 1-4)GlcNAc, indicative of its origin from hybrid or high-mannose glycoproteins. Man5GlcNAc2 reached a peak on day 13 and then slowly declined, whereas Man4GlcNAc2 increased concomitantly. The rapid increase in Man5GlcNAc2 can probably be attributed to the breakdown of hybrid glycans produced as a result of swainsonine inhibition of Golgi alpha-D-mannosidase II. The onset of observable clinical signs on day 38 closely correlated with the time point at which the level of Man4GlcNAc2 exceeded Man5GlcNAc2. After locoweed feeding was discontinued, the amount of urinary oligosaccharides declined rapidly and reached baseline levels within 12 days.     

Mouse myeloma cells that make short immunoglobulin heavy chains: pleiotropic effects on glycosylation and chain assembly

Two variants in immunoglobulin heavy chain production, derived from the MPC 11 mouse myeloma cell line, make short heavy (H) chains with identical precise deletions of the CH3 domain. The CH3 domain is expressed in the H chain mRNA from both variants. Although in vitro translation of this mRNA produces one H chain species, deleted heavy chains are secreted as heavy-light (HL) and H2L2 moieties in contrast to MPC 11, which secretes only H2L2 . The heavy chains of HL apparently contain more carbohydrate (CHO+) than do the H chains of H2L2 , and inhibition of N-linked glycosylation results in the secretion of relatively more H2L2 . Here we present evidence suggesting that (a) the absence of the CH3 domain has led to conformational changes in these molecules, (b) these changes permit posttranslational glycosylation, and (c) unrestrained glycosylation can frequently yield unusual CHO+ structures that make complete assembly unlikely.     

Effect of six weekly transfusions on canine marrow grafts: tests for sensitization and abrogation of sensitization by procarbazine and antithymocyte serum.

We have previously shown that blood transfusions can immunize a dog and lead to rejection of a subsequent marrow graft despite lethal total body irradiation (TBI). Sensitization to histocompatibility antigens induced by two prior transfusions of whole blood could be overcome by a regimen of procarbazine and anti-thymocyte serum (ATS) preceding TBI. The current study investigated a) whether this regimen could abrogate sensitization induced by six weekly transfusions given from days --50 to --15 preceding a marrow graft, and b) whether platelet survival studies and two in vitro tests of immunity could predict marrow graft rejection. All donor-recipient pairs were histoincompatible, unrelated, and of different breed. Twenty-two recipients received platelet concentrate transfusions and eight received whole blood transfusions. Recipients were given 1200 R TBI and a graft of marrow and peripheral blood leukocytes from the transfusion donor on day 0. Three of 15 recipients (20%) given procarbazine, 12.5 mg/kg i.v. on days --8, --6, and --4, and ATS, 0.6 ml/kg subcutaneously on days --7, --5 and --3, Rejected their grafts, whereas 11 of 15 dogs (73%) not given procarbazine and ATS rejected their grafts (p less than 0.01). Serum lymphocytotoxic antibodies, peripheral leukocyte migration inhibition, and in vivo donor platelet recovery and survival were studied in those recipients receiving six weekly transfusions and in 18 other recipients receiving a single donor transfusion 3 months before marrow grafting. No significant correlation was found among these in vitro and in vivo tests of sensitization. Sensitization to marrow grafts was not reliably detected by the presence of cytotoxic antibodies or leukocyte migration inhibition. Platelet survival, however, was positively correlated with the results of marrow grafting in 12 of 15 (80%) evaluable recipients (p approximately 0.15).     

Comparative proteomics of leaf,stem, and root tissues of synthetic Brassica napus

Comparative proteomics was applied to three vegetative organs of Brassica napus, the leaf, stem, and root using 2‐DE. Among the >1600 analyzed spots, 43% were found to be common to all three organs, suggesting the existence of a “basal” or ubiquitous proteome composed of housekeeping proteins. The green organs, leaf, and stem, were closely related (～80% common spots) while the root displayed more organ‐specific polypeptides (～10%). Reference maps were established using MS, allowing the identification of 93, 385, and 266 proteins in leaf, stem, and root proteomes, respectively. Bioinformatic analyses were also performed; in silico functional categorization and cellular localization allow obtaining a precise picture of the cell molecular network within vegetative organs. These proteome maps can be explored using the PROTICdb software at the following address: http://bioinformatique.moulon.inra.fr/proticdb/web_view/.     

Oligaemia,Renal Failure,and Jaundice Associated with Acute Pustular Psoriasis

An episode of acute pustular psoriasis in a middle-aged man was associated with cholestatic jaundice and followed by acute tubular necrosis. It is suggested that renal failure was due to oligaemia after the loss of albumin into and from the skin. Fluid balance, central venous pressure, and arterial blood pressure should be monitored in patients with acute pustular psoriasis.     

Phylogeny of six oligohymenophoreans (Protozoa, Ciliophora) inferred from small subunit rRNA gene sequences

The small subunit rRNA (SSrRNA) genes of six marine oligohymenophoreans, namely Uronemella filificum , Schizocalyptra sp.-WYG07060701, Schizocalyptra aeschtae , Pleuronema sinica , P. czapikae and Paratetrahymena sp., were sequenced. Phylogenetic trees were constructed with four different methods to assess the inter- and intrageneric relationships among the scuticociliates and the phylogenetic assignment of the order Loxocephalida. The SSrRNA phylogeny indicates that: (i) Paratetrahymena is most closely related to Cardiostomatella ; (ii) the order Loxocephalida and the family Uronematidae both appear to be polyphyletic; (iii) the order Philasterida is a well-defined taxon; (iv) Cyclidium porcatum falls outside the order Pleuronematida in all analyses; (v) the validity of the genus Uronemella is confirmed; (vi) Schizocalyptra is a member of the family Pleuronematidae. Furthermore, the predicted secondary structures of the variable region 4 of the SSrRNA gene sequences show that the size of the terminal bulge in Helix E23–7 is probably different for the orders Philasterida and Pleuronematida. Also, compared to Uronema and Homalogastra , Uronemella has distinct patterns in Helices E23–1, E23–7, E23–8 and E23–9.