Changes in vulvar and vestibular tissue of the bovine during the estrous cycle as determined by the use of near-infrared interactance

Near-infrared interactance spectra of the vulva and vestibule of cows were analyzed throughout the estrous cycle to determine if they could be used to detect tissue changes that are associated with estrus. The spectra were collected daily from 16 cyclic Holstein cows beginning at 40 days post partum and continuing for 3 estrous cycles, or until pregnancy was verified. Spectra collected on the day when estrus was exhibited were compared with spectra collected on the nonestrous days. There were spectral differences at 1695 to 1705, at 1790 to 1800 and at 1880 to 1900 nm (P<0.05), regions that are associated with changes in carbohydrate, protein, and water content of the tissues, respectively. Discriminant analysis of interactance measurements at the significant wavelengths was used to develop an equation to predict the day of estrus. The error rate associated with the equation was 26%. Results indicate that near-infrared analysis can detect changes in vestibular and vulvar tissue during the estrous cycle. However, accurate estrus detection using near-infrared interactance techniques will require additional study to reduce variation in the results.     

Problem of patient's consent to surgical treatment in life-threatening situations

A case of a self-injury in a 19-year man is presented. The patient stabbed his thorax with a needle (a wire 9 cm long) which penetrated the right lung near the heart. The patient did not agree to the operation. Left cardiac auricle laceration with hemothorax and pericardial tamponade developed within 13 days. The authors suggest immediate surgery despite patient's disagreeing or even rebel in all situations threatening the lives of the prisoners or convicts. Two ++sub-periods might be distinguished in the above mentioned situation: (a) potential, and (b) real life-threat. Surgery should have been performed in the potentially life-threatening ++sub-period in this particular patient.     

Intrinsic Protein Fluorescence Interferes with Detection of Tear Glycoproteins in SDS-Polyacrylamide Gels Using Extrinsic Fluorescent Dyes

Intrinsic protein fluorescence may interfere with the visualization of proteins after SDS-polyacrylamide electrophoresis. In an attempt to analyze tear glycoproteins in gels, we ran tear samples and stained the proteins with a glycoprotein-specific fluorescent dye. The fluorescence detected was not limited to glycoproteins. There was strong intrinsic fluorescence of proteins normally found in tears after soaking the gels in 40% methanol plus 1-10% acetic acid and, to a lesser extent, in methanol or acetic acid alone. Nanograms of proteins gave visible native fluorescence and interfere with extrinsic fluorescent dye detection. Poly-L-lysine, which does not contain intrinsically fluorescent amino acids, did not fluoresce.     

Natural variation in decision-making behavior in Drosophila melanogaster

There has been considerable recent interest in using Drosophila melanogaster to investigate the molecular basis of decision-making behavior. Deciding where to place eggs is likely one of the most important decisions for a female fly, as eggs are vulnerable and larvae have limited motility. Here, we show that many natural genotypes of D. melanogaster prefer to lay eggs near nutritious substrate, rather than in nutritious substrate. These preferences are highly polymorphic in both degree and direction, with considerable heritability (0.488) and evolvability.Relative preferences are modulated by the distance between options and the overall concentration of ethanol, suggesting Drosophila integrate many environmental factors when making oviposition decisions. As oviposition-related decisions can be efficiently assessed by simply counting eggs, oviposition behavior is an excellent model for understanding information processing in insects. Associating natural genetic polymorphisms with decision-making variation will shed light on the molecular basis of host choice behavior, the evolutionary maintenance of genetic variation, and the mechanistic nature of preference variation in general.     

An essential saccharide binding domain for the mAb 2C7 established for Neisseria gonorrhoeae LOS by ES-MS and MSn

A study of bacterial surface oligosaccharides were investigated among different strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae to correlate structural features essential for binding to the MAb 2C7. This epitope is widely expressed and conserved in gonococcal isolates, characteristics essential to an effective candidate vaccine antigen. Sample lipooligosaccharides (LOS), was prepared by a modification of the hot phenol-water method from which de-O-acetylated LOS and oligosaccharide (OS) components were analyzed by ES-MS-CID-MS and ES-MSnin a triple quadrupole and an ion trap mass spectrometer, respectively. Previously documented natural heterogeneity was apparent from both LOS and OS preparations which was admixed with fragments induced by hydrazine and mild acid treatment. Natural heterogeneity was limited to phosphorylation and antenni extensions to the alpha-chain. Mild acid hydrolysis to release OS also hydrolyzed the beta(1-->6) glycosidic linkage of lipid A. OS structures were determined by collisional and resonance excitation combined with MS and multistep MSn which provided sequence information from both neutral loss, and nonreducing terminal fragments. A comparison of OS structures, with earlier knowledge of MAb binding, enzyme treatment, and partial acid hydrolysis indicates a generic overlapping domain for 2C7 binding. Reoccurring structural features include a Hepalpha(1-->3)Hepbeta(1-->5)KDO trisaccharide core branched on the nonreducing terminus (Hep-2) with an alpha(1-->2) linked GlcNAc (gamma-chain), and an alpha-linked lactose (beta-chain) residue. From the central heptose (Hep-1), a beta(1-->4) linked lactose (alpha-chain), moiety is required although extensions to this residue appear unnecessary.      

Intragenic duplication and divergence in the spectrin superfamily of proteins

Many structural, signaling, and adhesion molecules contain tandemly repeated amino acid motifs. The alpha-actinin/spectrin/dystrophin superfamily of F-actin-crosslinking proteins contains an array of triple alpha-helical motifs (spectrin repeats). We present here the complete sequence of the novel beta-spectrin isoform beta(Heavy)- spectrin (beta H). The sequence of beta H supports the origin of alpha- and beta-spectrins from a common ancestor, and we present a novel model for the origin of the spectrins from a homodimeric actin-crosslinking precursor. The pattern of similarity between the spectrin repeat units indicates that they have evolved by a series of nested, nonuniform duplications. Furthermore, the spectrins and dystrophins clearly have common ancestry, yet the repeat unit is of a different length in each family. Together, these observations suggest a dynamic period of increase in repeat number accompanied by homogenization within each array by concerted evolution. However, today, there is greater similarity of homologous repeats between species than there is across repeats within species, suggesting that concerted evolution ceased some time before the arthropod/vertebrate split. We propose a two-phase model for the evolution of the spectrin repeat arrays in which an initial phase of concerted evolution is subsequently retarded as each new protein becomes constrained to a specific length and the repeats diverge at the DNA level. This evolutionary model has general applicability to the origins of the many other proteins that have tandemly repeated motifs.