The isolation and characterization of the glycopeptides from horseradish peroxidase isoenzyme C

The purity of horseradish peroxidase isoenzyme C was demonstrated using isoelectric focusing, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis at two pH values and cellulose acetate electrophoresis at two pH values. The glycopeptides obtained upon trypsin digestion were isolated using the plant lectin, concanavalin A, and were resolved using paper electrophoresis. The carbohydrate content of the native peroxidase was 86% accounted for by the carbohydrate content of the glycopeptides thus suggesting little loss of carbohydrate during glycopeptide isolation and purification. In each of the seven glycopeptides isolated glucosamine was associated with asparagine, thus suggesting the carbohydrate chains are covalently bound to the peptide chain through N-glycosidic linkages. The purity of each glycopeptide was demonstrated by the sequential release of single amino acid residues by Edman degradation. As six glycopeptides had unique amino acid sequences, it was concluded that the carbohydrate prosthetic group was distributed in at least six units along the protein backbone. Five glycopeptides possessed the amino acid sequence about the point of carbohydrate attachment of Asn-X-(Ser, Thr) where X is any amino acid. The size of the carbohydrate units ranged from 1600 to 3000 daltons. The predominant carbohydrate residues in each glycopeptide were mannose and glucosamine with lesser and varying amounts of fucose, xylose, and arabinose. There was no apparent correlation of the carbohydrate composition with the amino acid sequence.

Approach to the management of feeding problems in infancy

The establishment and maintenance of satisfactory feeding is one of the basic concerns of those involved in caring for the infant. At first the baby's progress is measured in terms of his weight gain and growth, how well he takes his food and how contented he is. A little later, we anticipate his first smile, a growing awareness of his world, reaching and moving to explore and respond to it. Such new experiences as orange juice, cereal from a spoon, getting his first tooth, getting hands into his mouth, sucking his fingers, sitting up, babbling, eating strained foods, chewy foods - all mark milestones in the first year of life. When he is sick he goes "off his food". His well-being and progress are reflected in the feeding situation.

Some reactions to a dry-land training programme for dinghy sailors

A dry-land winter training programme for dinghy-sailors is described. Individual elements include circuit training, specific exercises for muscle strength and endurance, and distance running. Ten international-class sailors followed a progressive regimen of this type for 14 weeks after completion of the 1973 season. Excess weight and skinfold thicknesses were reduced, while muscle strength, endurance and anaerobic capacity increased. Aerobic power remained substantially unchanged, although a smaller oxygen debt was incurred in reaching maximum effort. Team members were enthusiastic about the benefits gained from the training, commenting on their greater tolerance of the hiking position and all proposed to continue or to increase their efforts during subsequent winters. Racing results during 1974 were also an improvement on the 1973 record. However, it was difficult to link physiological gains to improvements in the relative rankings of individual competitors under either light or high wind conditions; the main factor changing relative standings seems to have been the additional year of competitive experiences in younger team members.

Gamma chain variants in Jamaican newborns

15,661 cord bloods from Jamaican infants were examined for abnormal hemoglobins using alkaline cellulose acetate electrophoresis for the initial screening, supplemented by acid agar gel electrophoresis for samples exhibiting abnormal hemoglobin bands. Of the 16 electrophoretic variants which were detected, six were fully characterized and found to be: four Hb F Port Royal (alpha2 Ggamma2 125 Glu replaced by Ala) and two Hb F Victoria Jubilee (alpha2Agamma2 80 Asp replaced by Tyr). The Hb F Port Royal samples each constituted about one eighth of the total Hb F as did seven additional samples presumed to be Hb F Port Royal. The infants with this variant exhibited no special hematological characteristics or other consistent associations. Both Hb F Victoria Jubilee samples occurred in somewhat lower proportions of the total Hb F compared with Hb F Port Royal and exhibited an apparent increase of free alpha chains in the whole hemolysate. The data available on detectable gamma chain variants suggest that a specific point mutation may occur in either a HbGgamma or a HbAgamma locus.

Hypersecretion of glucagon and gastrin in severely burnt patients

Hyperglucagonaemia and hypergastrinaemia were observed in some severely burnt patients during their illness. Hyperglucagonaemia seemed to be related to the severity of illness rather than to the burn itself, and the close correlation of glucagon concentrations with glucose and urea and its inverse correlation with bicarbonate concentrations suggest that glucagon might contribute to the hypercatabolic state. One patient developed high levels of gastrin and massive bleeding from a stress ulcer of the duodenum. Possibly gastrin hypersecretion may have a role in the pathogenesis of Curling's ulcer.

A study of intellectual impairment and recovery rates in heavy drinkers in Ireland

Work in England (Kaldegg, 1956) and America (Wechsler, 1958; and Jones and Parsons, 1972) has suggested that heavy drinking, while in the later stages leading to all-round intellectual deterioration, in the early stages frequently causes deficits in visual/spatial and visual/motor co-ordination and visual memory. Kleinknecht and Goldstein (1972) suggest two general areas of deficit, inability in abstract reasoning and problem solving, and inability in tasks involving speed and perceptual/motor co-ordination. These functions are known to deteriorate with age and so deficits due to alcohol look like premature senescence of intellectual and psychological processes.

Spinal fluid-venous fistula: a mechanism for intravascular pantopaque infusion during myelography. Report of two cases

✓ Two cases of intravascular infusion of Pantopaque occurring during myelography are reported. Cerebrospinal fluid-venous fistula is described as the mechanism of escape of Pantopaque from the subarachnoid space into a venous plexus and as a possible explanation of postspinal intracranial hypotension.