Anatomic correction of transposition of the great vessels

We present a new approach for anatomic correction of transposition of the great arteries. The two coronary arteries, with a piece of the aortic wall attached, are transposed to the posterior artery. The two aortic openings are closed with a patch. The aorta and pulmonary artery are transected, contraposed, ant then anastomosed. The interventricular septal defect is closed with a patch, through a right ventriculotomy approach, because the right ventricle is no longer part of the systemic circulation. Two patients, aged 3 months and 40 days weighing 4,200 and 3,700 grams, respectively, were operated upon with deep hypothermia and total circulatory arrest. There was good recovery from the operation, with normal cardiocirculatory conditions. Renal failure developed in the first patient, and she died on the third postoperative day. During this time the cardiocirculatory conditions were good. The second patient made an uneventful recovery. Hemodynamic studies 20 days after the operation showed complete correction of the malformation. Five and one-half months after the operation, he weighs 7,500 grams, and his development is very good. We believe that this operation will be reproducible by most cardiovascular septal defect and pulmonary hypertension.     

Purification and characterization of two forms of urokinase

Affinity chromatography on agmatine-Sepharose was used for the separation of two active forms of urokinase (EC 3.4.99.26) from partially purified human urinary urokinase. The approximate molecular weight of the heavier form was 47 000 and of the lighter 33 400. Both forms were homogeneous by sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis and by 3H-labeled diisopropylphosphorofluoridate and 14C-labeled p-nitrophenyl-p'-guanidinobenzoate incorporation studies. The 33 400 mol. wt. form had a single chain, and the 47 000 mol. wt. form had two chains (33 100 and 18 600 mol. wt.) linked by disulfide bonds. The specific activity of the heavier form was 104 000 CTA units/mg protein, compared with 226 000 units/mg for the lighter form but the activities per mmol of active site (molar activities) of the two forms were almost identical (9.6-10(9) and 10.2-10(9) CTA units/mmol). Isoelectric focusing on gels showed that the 47 000 material contained one major subform with a pI of 8.60 and a minor subform with a pI of 8.90, while the 33 400 material had three major subforms with pI values of 8.35, 8.60 and 8.70, respectively, and a minor subform with a pI of 8.05. 3H-labeled diisopropylphosphorofluoridate incorporation studies revealed an active-site serine residue in the heavy chain.     

In vitro studies of poly(methyl methacrylate) adjuvants

Poly(methyl methacrylate) adjuvants, prepared by polymerizing monomeric methyl methacrylate in the presence of influenza virions or by addition of the virions to previously polymerized poly(methyl methacrylate) particles, were studied by means of the hemagglutination test, antibody binding, and electron microscopy. The results indicated that the virions were coated partly when the polymerization was carried out in the presence of the virus, whereas the virions were probably adsorbed when added to polymerized particles.     

Effect of Gaseous Ozone on Papaya Anthracnose

Anthracnose caused by the fungus Colletotrichum gloeosporioides is considered as one of the most devastating postharvest disease of papaya. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of gaseous ozone as a potential antifungal preservation technique to overcome anthracnose disease of papaya during cold storage. Different concentrations of ozone (0 (control), 0.04, 1.6, and 4 ppm) were applied for various exposure durations (48, 96, and 144 h). Radial mycelia growth and conidial germination were evaluated in vitro after fungal exposure to the different levels and durations of ozone. Significant inhibition in radial mycelia growth of C. gloeosporioides was observed (p?<?0.05) in all ozone treatments as compared to the control during 8 days of incubation at room temperature (25?±?3 °C). Ozone treatment of papaya fruit with 1.6-ppm ozone for 96 h delayed and simultaneously decreased the disease incidence to 40 % whereas disease severity was rated at 1.7, following 28 days of storage at 12?±?1 °C and 80 % relative humidity. The scanning electron microscopy showed that 4-ppm ozone caused disintegration of spore structure and did not affect the cuticular surface of fruit. Thus, ozone fumigation can reduce postharvest losses of papaya caused by anthracnose.     

Silver Nanoparticles Inhibit Sodium Uptake in Juvenile Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

The silver ion (Ag(+)) is well documented to be a potent inhibitor of sodium (Na(+)) transport in fish. However, it has not been determined whether silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) elicit this same effect and, if so, if the NP itself and/or the dissociation of ionic Ag(+) causes this effect. Citrate-capped Ag NPs were dialyzed in water to determine the dissolution rate of ionic Ag(+) from the NPs and the maximum concentration of free Ag(+) released from the NPs was used as a paired Ag(+) control to distinguish NP effects from ionic metal effects. The maximum concentration of ionic Ag(+) released from these NPs over 48 h was 0.02 μg l(-1). Juvenile rainbow trout were exposed to 1.0 mg l(-1) citrate-capped Ag NPs and dialyzed citrate-capped Ag NPs or 10 μg l(-1) and 0.02 μg l(-1) ionic Ag(+) (as AgNO(3)) as controls. Both nondialyzed and dialyzed Ag NPs and 10 μg l(-1) ionic Ag(+) significantly inhibited unidirectional Na(+) influx by over 50% but had no effect on unidirectional Na(+) efflux. Na(+),K(+)-ATPase was significantly inhibited by the Ag NPs with no discernible effect on carbonic anhydrase activity. This study is the first to show that sodium regulation is disrupted by the presence of citrate-capped Ag NPs, and the results suggest that there are nanospecific effects.     

Polyphenolic composition and in vitro antioxidant activities of native‐ and tannase‐treated green tea extracts

The antioxidant activities of native‐ and tannase‐treated green tea extracts along with their major polyphenol components were investigated. The polyphenolic content and composition of the tea before and after tannase treatment were determined by liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (LC‐MS). Approximately 99% of the (?)‐epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and (?)‐epicatechin gallate (ECG) in green tea extract were converted by tannase to (?)‐epigallocatechin (EGC) and (?)‐epicatechin (EC), respectively, after 30 min. Biotransformed green tea exhibited a significantly higher DPPH˙ radical scavenging activities than native green tea (EC₅₀ value of 0.024 ± 0.001 and 0.044 ± 0.001 mg mL^?1, respectively). Kinetic parameters such as scavenging rate and stoichiometry were calculated. The rate of DPPH˙ radical scavenging activities for tannase‐treated green tea extract was shown to be higher than native green tea extract.     

Antioxidant activity and profiles of common fruits in Singapore

Thirty-eight types of fruits commonly consumed in Singapore were systematically analysed for their hydrophilic oxygen radical absorbance capacity (H-ORAC), total phenolic content (TPC), ascorbic acid (AA) and various lipophilic antioxidants. Antioxidant composition and concentration varied widely across different fruits. Many of the tropical fruits tested were high in antioxidants. Amongst all fruits tested, sapodilla (Manilkara zapota) had the highest H-ORAC and TPC whilst guava had the highest AA per gram fresh weight. Papaya, red watermelon and cantaloupe had the highest β-cryptoxanthin, lycopene and β-carotene per gram fresh weight, respectively. On the other hand, durian and mangosteen were high in tocopherols and tocotrienols, respectively. Based on consumption data, Chinese Singaporeans appear to have a higher intake of carotenoids and tocopherols rich fruits compared to the US population. As fruits are a rich source of diverse antioxidants, efforts to promote consumption of a variety of fruits should be continued for public health benefits.