Parotid gland saliva was collected from three groups of Chilean human subjects: Down syndrome, non-Down mentally retarded, and normal individuals. Their salivary flows, pH and electrolyte concentrations were determined. Variables were subjected to ANOVA statistical tests that showed no differences between Down and control groups in salivary flow, pH, chloride, sodium and bicarbonate concentrations. The potassium concentration in the saliva from Down syndrome patients was significantly lower than that of control individuals. Student's t-tests showed significant differences between Down syndrome individuals and controls for potassium and sodium. These last differences may be indicative of a characteristic trait of the trisomic state or of the syndrome itself.
This paper describes the isolation, purification and full characterization of the protamine from Sardinops sagax. The protein was purified by both gel filtration and ion exchange chromatography and its amino acid composition, electrophoretic behaviour and sequence were determined. We postulate that the protamine exhibits microheterogeneity with a major and a minor component. The molecular weight for the major component is 4377, as calculated from the sequence. The N-terminal amino acid is proline and the C-terminal is arginine. The amino acid composition is: Thr-Ser-Glx-(Pro)2-Gly-(Ala)3-(Val)2-(Lys)2-(Arg)20 The secondary structure for the protamines was also predicted and a revision of our previously published results in this area is discussed. We have called this protamine Sagaxine and an overall comparison with the hitherto described fish protamines is also made.
We use analysis of co-citation and relative citation rates to assess the scientific strength of Chile as compared with other developing countries and to evaluate the potential for increased international collaboration between Chile and the United States in science and engineering. Co-citation is the citation of two scientific papers by a third paper. By examining frequency and patterns of co-citation, the intellectual structure and evolution of scientific disciplines and research specialties can be traced. Chile is especially "strong", as defined by the co-citation model we employ, in biomedicine and clinical medicine, and in astronomy. A relative citation rate is the ratio of the number of citations a paper receives to the average number of citations for all papers published in the same journal over time. Analysis of relative citation rates of papers published by authors with Chilean addresses show that Chilean physics, including earth and space sciences, is of unusually high quality, considerably higher than any other developing country and comparable to several industrialized countries. We conclude that Chile's scientific capacity is advanced enough to absorb and benefit significantly from strategic additions to the country's resources and capabilities for research. These would include increases in: exchanges of researchers in specific fields with U.S. and other Latin American academic, industrial, and government scientists and engineers; training at outstanding U.S. and Latin American institutions; laboratory equipment, computer time, communications links, and library materials; and funding from U.S. and international organizations. It is also apparent that Chile is strong enough in certain fields to cooperate with the U.S. in mutually beneficial international efforts.
The level of blood lipids in children with Down's syndrome was determined with the purpose of establishing possible differences in total cholesterol, triglyceride and HDL-cholesterol levels with those of healthy children. LDL-cholesterol fraction was calculated. Blood samples were obtained from 66 healthy children (controls) and 72 patients who suffered from clinically diagnosed Down's syndrome. All the children were grouped according to age. The variables of body weight, height, and blood lipids gave a distribution of values that allows one to distinguish the group of children with Down's syndrome from the normal group. The values obtained for triglycerides, total cholesterol, and LDL-cholesterol ranged higher, with a constant deficit of HDL-cholesterol in all age groups. The lipid pattern encountered in the Down's syndrome patient suggests the existence of unknown, possibly genetically determined mechanisms, that provoke a disorder in lipid metabolism.
The chemolithotrophic acidophilic bacteria, Thiobacillus ferrooxidans is considered as the most important microorganism in relation to copper and uranium bioleaching ability. Since T. ferrooxidans is a strict chemolithotrophic microorganism, its genetic manipulation is a very hard task. Until now, all efforts have been unsuccessful. Therefore, we decided to approach the problem in steps, trying initially to manipulate some T. ferrooxidans related strains. We chose Thiobacillus acidophilus that shares its habitat with T. ferrooxidans and Thiobacillus intermedius, for its heterotrophic nature that makes them easier to grow and suitable for heterologous conjugation.The main objective of this work was directed towards the isolation and characterization of transcription promoters from T. acidophilus and T. ferrooxidans genomic DNA. Four different promoters from T. acidophilus and four from T. ferrooxidans were isolated and sequenced.In order to test their functional capacity in bacterial systems different from E. coli, they were subcloned and transferred to other bacteria. One of these recombinant plasmids was successfully transferred to T. intermedius and from it to Ps. putida. The subcloned promoter was able to confer streptomycin resistance to Ps. putida.
Fed-batch production of cellulases through fermentation of leached sugar beet pulp (LSBP) with Trichoderma aurioviride II, a wild type strain from the south of Chile, is investigated. Cultures run for nine days showing a sustained increase in filter paper, endoglucanase, exoglucanase, and cellobiase activities with maximum values of 0.1, 2.2, 0.35 and 0.74 units/ml, respectively. Fed-batch cultures allow to achieve longer process times as compared to typical batch fermentation (AU)
Similar changes in the m R N A population are also obvious when mRNAs obtained from coldtreated and control seedlings are translated in vitro in a cell-free system and then the trans lation products are compared. Several mRNAs are apparently more abundant at 0 ° C than at 18°C while others are less abundant or have completely disappeared. Differences were noticed in the response of the winter and spring varieties at the low temperatures. L-phenylalanine ammonia-lyase is induced specifically in the cold-tolerant cultivar, suggesting that it might be a useful biochemical marker in predicting the cold sensitivity of new variety or in improving a sensitive cultivar.
The fertilization of a human egg, often thought of as initiating the life of a person, is in reality but the beginning of a beginning for one or more individuals. While pronuclear fusion establishes a diploid genome, this is at first a structural entity without function. No significant RNA synthesis occurs between germinal vesicle breakdown and early cleavage, and in fact embryonic genes do not begin to find expression until about the 4- to 8- cell stage. Gene expression then progressively spreads throughout the genome, during prenatal development and beyond. The progressive nature is well shown in the early mouse embryo by the widening range of energy sources utilizable, by the rising levels of glycogen storage and by the increasing uptake of nucleic acids and protein precursors. While HCG-B RNA is transcribed in human embryos about 2 days after fertilization, it is not expressed until 16-cell stage is not linked to physical or functional integration, each cell being inherently capable of giving rise to an entire person (together with a complex of placental structures); alternatively, cells from separate embryos on being brought together can jointly lead to the establishment of a chimeric individual. Multiplicity can also originate later, the primitive streak stage being the normal time for monozygotic twinning. Only when that stage has passed does true individuality exist, for (excluding anomalies) just one person can now eventuate. The gene-transfer function of fertilization can be replaced or augmented by intranuclear or intra-blastocyst gene injection, or by the use of teratocarcinoma or embryo-stem cells.
