A portable,adjustable finger printing stand

A lightweight finger printing stand is described which can be adjusted to the proper printing height. Based upon experience printing over 1,100 subjects, 12 advantages of using the stand are suggested.     

The deflecting wrinkle on the teeth of Icelanders and the Mongoloid dental complex

Three local populations from Northeast Iceland are surveyed for the occurrence of the deflecting wrinkle of the metaconid on second deciduous and first permanent lower molars. The trait occurs more frequently on dm2 than on M1, and no sexual dimorphism is found, as expected. However, the frequencies are clearly within those predicted by the Mongoloid dental complex for Mongoloid populations. It is therefore suggested that the inclusion of the deflecting wrinkle in the Mongoloid dental complex be re-evaluated, and the racial diagnostic value of the trait taken with reservation.     

Purification of soluble guanylate cyclase enzyme from human platelets

Soluble guanylate cyclase enzyme was purified from human platelets. The soluble fraction of the lysed platelets was sequentially chromatographed over DEAE-sepharose, GTP-agarose and HPLC size-exclusion columns. About 0.1 mg of purified enzyme could be obtained from 2000 ml of platelet rich plasma. The purified enzyme had the specific activity of 205 nmoles cGMP/mg/min with Mn2+ as cofactor. The enzyme eluted at the 160,000 daltons position from the size-exclusion column. Electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate under reducing conditions revealed two subunits of 83,000 and 71,000 daltons respectively.     

Surface properties of lactobacilli isolated from the small intestine of pigs

One hundred wild-type strains of the genus Lactobacillus were isolated from the small intestine of newly-slaughtered pigs up to 6 months of age. Cell surface hydrophobicity and capsule formation were studied on a number of strains. Strains showing high surface hydrophobicity as measured by the salt-aggregation test and hydrophobic interaction chromatography on Octyl Sepharose were commonly found to adhere in high numbers to isolated pig intestinal epithelial cells. Heat and protease treatment of bacteria of high surface hydrophobicity, including autoaggregating strains in phosphate-buffered saline, showed a drastic decline in this surface property. Three hydrophilic strains (LBp 1044, 1068 and 1073) also showed binding to intestinal cells but at a lower level (approx. 5 bacteria/cell) as compared with the best binding hydrophobic strain (LBp 1063, approx. 11 bacteria/cell). These findings suggest that different or multiple adhesion mechanisms may be involved in the colonization of the small intestinal mucosa of pigs. Cultures of selected strains grown in liquid media rich in carbohydrates did not affect their hydrophobic cell surface character. Therefore it seems less likely that carbohydrate capsule polymers are the major determinants of intestinal colonization of lactobacilli in pigs.     

Characterization and DNA homology of Lactobacillus strains isolated from pig intestine

Twenty strains of the genus Lactobacillus were isolated from pig intestines and characterized with phenotypic tests. Eleven of these strains, together with selected reference strains, were subjected to DNA homology studies. Three major groups could be distinguished by biochemical/physiological tests and by DNA homology studies: one homofermentative group of the subgenus Thermobacterium and two heterofermentative groups. The DNA homology studies revealed that strains from the homofermentative group were related to Lactobacillus acidophilus strain VPI 1754, but showed a low relationship to the type strain of Lact. acidophilus. One One group of the heterofermentative strains was related to the type strain of Lact. reuteri; the other group, consisting of three strains, showed a low relationship to all reference strains used. These three strains had the unusual property of producing succinic acid in large amounts.     

Lipoprotein-associated paf (LA-paf) was found in washed human platelets and monocyte/macrophage-like U937 cells

Beyond cholesterol, inflammatory ether phospholipids such as platelet-activating factor (paf) may play a role in atherogenesis. (1) We detected a paf-like compound (‘LA-paf’) associated with human serum lipoproteins, mainly in LDL but not with the lipoprotein-poor fraction. (2) LA-paf was also found in washed human platelets, from where it was partially released during platelet aggregation in response to paf (50 nM) or thrombin (1 U). In addition, resident monocyte/macrophage-like U937 cells carried huge amounts of LA-paf (41 ng per 10⁷ cells) and metabolized added [³H]paf to a labelled compound co-eluting with the retention time of LA-paf in standard HPLC. (3) Functionally, LA-paf had a comparable potency to synthetic paf, because LA-paf aggregated washed aspirin-treated platelets in a concentration-dependent manner. The specific paf receptor antagonist WEB2086 inhibited the platelet aggregation induced by three distinct LA-paf preparations as compared with synthetic paf with similar inhibitory concentrations (IC₅₀: 35.6 ± 12.8, 24.0 ± 4.0, 38.0 ± 15.8 nM for LA-paf, and 43.6 ± 6.5 nM for synthetic paf), indicating that LA-paf interacted with paf receptors. (4) However, LA-paf had a distinct retention time using high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) as compared with synthetic paf. LA-paf eluted at 9–15 min and synthetic paf at 21–24 min. In addition, total and non-specific [³H]paf binding to intact washed human platelets was affected differently by the two unlabelled agonists: while LA-paf increased total and non-specific (but not specific) binding in a significant manner (P < 0.002 and P < 0.007) as LDL did (P < 0.006 and P < 0.03), synthetic paf decreased total binding (P < 0.03). Similarly, low-density lipoproteins (LDL) increased significantly the total [³H]paf binding. In contrast, paf did not affect specific [¹²⁵I]LDL binding to human fibroblasts. Our results show the presence of LA-paf in lipoproteins,     

Relationship between nitroglycerin, cyclic GMP and relaxation of vascular smooth muscle.

Nitroglycerin (NG) caused a dose dependent-relaxation of the bovine mesenteric artery with an ED₅₀-value of 2.7 × 10^?8M. The relaxant effect of NG was significantly correlated to an increase in the cGMP content of the artery. There was a significant non-linear component in the data. At moderate cGMP levels relaxation and cGMP changes were correlated. At high levels of cGMP, however, the mechanism responsible for the nitroglycerin-mediated relaxation seemed to be completely activated and a further increase in cGMP did not induce additional relaxation. The cGMP content of the preparation was not significantly changed by nitroglycerin. The cGMP increase induced by nitroglycerin preceded the relaxation. A maximal increase of cGMP was observed after 2 min and the levels subsequently declined. This decline was not accompanied by an increase in the tissue tension. It is suggested from these experiments that cGMP might cause a relaxation of the vascular smooth muscle. Furthermore, if this suggestion is true, there seems to exist a “receptor reserve” for NG with respect to its relaxing action, since an over-capacity for cGMP production is present.     

Purification and amino acid sequence of sakacin A, a bacteriocin from Lactobacillus sake Lb706.

Sakacin A, a bacteriocin produced by Lactobacillus sake Lb706 and which inhibits the growth of Listeria monocytogenes, was purified to homogeneity by ammonium sulphate precipitation and ion-exchange, hydrophobic-interaction and reversed-phase chromatography. The complete amino acid sequence of sakacin A was determined by Edman degradation. The bacteriocin consisted of 41 amino acid residues and had a calculated M(r) of 4308.7, which is in good agreement with the value determined by mass spectrometry. The structural gene encoding sakacin A (sakA) was cloned and sequenced. The gene encoded a primary translation product of 59 amino acid residues which was cleaved between amino acids 18 and 19 to yield the active sakacin A. Sakacin A shared some sequence similarities with other bacteriocins.     

A diaphragm diffusion cell applied to ethanol diffusion in agarose gel: A reproducibility study

Summary The effective diffusion coefficient of ethanol in a 4 %(w/v) agarose gel at 25°C was measured using a diaphragm diffusion cell. The reproducibility was very good; a standard deviation of only 2% was obtained. The mean value (9.5×10⁻⁶ cm²/s) agreed well with available theory and previous investigations.     

Quantum yield and energy dependence for photooxidation of chlorophyllide in greening wheat

Dark grown leaves of wheat were irradiated with red light of different intensities, at a temperature close to 0°C. The rate of photoreduction of the protochlorophyllide 650-form into chlorophyllide 684-form was measured. On continued irradiation the chlorophyllide 684-form was photodecomposed. By comparing the rates of the two processes the quantum yield for photooxidation of the chlorophyllide 684-form was calculated. The quantum yield was 2°10^-5 at an intensity of 2200 W m^-2, and increased with decreasing light intensity to 3.2°10^-5 at an intensity of 170 W m^-2.