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Biomedical subjects

B Ward

Publications and source records attributed to B Ward.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

Incidence of the luteinized unruptured follicle phenomenon in cycling women.

A prospective study is presented in order to determine the frequency of the luteinized unruptured follicle (LUF) in a population of 66 regularly cycling women. They were monitored by daily ultrasound for a total of 183 cycles, and the LUF was detected in 9 cycles, giving an incidence of 4.9%. The results of daily changes of luteinizing hormone, estradiol, and progesterone provide support for the thesis that the LUF behaves steroidogenically as a corpus luteum and that the luteal phase duration is normal. Continued monitoring in 35 cycles revealed a recurrence in only one case during a fourth subsequent cycle. Thus, the findings indicate that the LUF is a sporadic and infrequent phenomenon. It is therefore an uncommon cause of infertile cycles in potentially fertile women and represents a biologic variable rather than a syndrome. Based on ultrasonic and endocrine observations, a mechanism is proposed for the resolution of the LUF.

Adult↗

Two cases of prenatal diagnosis of a satellited Yq chromosome.

Accurate interpretation of chromosomal variants is essential in prenatal diagnosis in order to distinguish polymorphisms from potential pathology in the fetus. This paper reports intra-uterine diagnosis of a satellited Yq in two unrelated families. The 29-year-old consultant in Case A sought prenatal diagnosis because of a maternal family history of Down syndrome. Case B was studied because of maternal age of 37. GTG banded chromosome analysis of cultured amniotic fluid cells from both cases revealed a 46,XY chromosome constitution with extra material present on the Yqter. This was interpreted to be satellite material. QFQ, CBG and AgNOR staining were performed. The material in question proved to be AgNOR positive, indicating that it was transcriptionally active for ribosomal RNA production during the last cell cycle. In addition, frequent satellite association between the Yqter and other acrocentric chromosomes was noted. These findings confirmed the initial interpretation. Other family members were studied and an AgNOR positive Yqs chromosome was confirmed in normal males in three generations of both families. The Yqs chromosome observed in the fetal cells was therefore considered a normal variant. The outcome of pregnancy in Case A was a phenotypically normal male. Case B had not delivered at the time of this writing. The origin of this satellite material on the Y chromosome is considered.

Adult↗

Effect of hydrogen ion buffers on photosynthetic oxygen evolution in the blue-green alga, Agmenellum quadruplicatum.

The photosynthetic oxygen evolution capacity of Agmenelium quadruplication suspended in four hydrogen ion buffers (pH 7.4, 0.05 M) and its synthetic marine growth medium was measured with an oxygen electrode. High rates of oxygen evolution were obtained in the growth medium and N-tris(hydroxymethyl)-methylglycine (Tricine) buffer. Compared to oxygen evolution in the growth medium, rates in phosphate buffer and N-tris(hydroxymethyl)-2-aminoethanesulphonic acid (TES) buffer were sometimes reduced by up to 30% and rates in tris (hydroxymethyl) amino-methane (Tris) were consistently reduced by 50%. An incubation-rinsing procedure caused inhibition of oxygen evolution in TES, phosphate, and Tris by 50 to 100%. Oxygen evolution could be restored to cells rinsed in TES or phosphate by resuspension in growth medium or in buffer plus magnesium and calcium ions. Bezoquinone-supported oxygen evolution was not affected by rinsing with any buffer tested except Tris. Ferricyanide was photoreduced at a low rate by cells rinsed in Tes but at a high rate in TES plus magnesium and calcium ions. We interpreted our results to mean that, in Agmenellum quadruplicatum, inhibition of photosynthetic oxygen evolution by Tris occurs at the level of photosystem 2 while the effects of TES and phosphate are on electron-transport occurring after the rate-limiting reaction.

Buffers↗

The non-light-dependent reduction of 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol by cells of the blue-green alga Anacystis nidulans.

Whole cells of the blue-green alga Anacystis nidulans reduced, in the dark, the oxidation-reduction dye, 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol at rates severalfold higher than those of the other algae tested. Under anaerobiosis, the endogenous reductant was depleted after up to 80 nmol of dye were reduced per microliter of cells. Cells held in darkness for several hours exhibited lowered dark reduction rates relative to cells held in light. Treatment with lysozyme and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid yielded cells that would photoreduce the dye, whereas untreated cells would not. Comparisons of photoreduction and dark reduction revealed that the dark reduction proceeded independently of the photoreduction. It was concluded that the dark reduction represents a pool of endogenous reductant of sufficiently low oxidation-reduction potenital to reduce completely 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol. Additionally, untreated cells were shown to be permeable to the dye although they did not photoreduce it; thus lysozyme/ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid treatment was considered to make the oxidant accessible to the photosynthetic machinery.

Anaerobiosis↗

Photosynthetic properties of permaplasts of anacystis.

A treatment procedure using lysozyme and ethylenediaminetetracetic acid gave intact but permeable cells (permeaplasts) of Anacystis nidulans. Rates of electron transport from water to carbon dioxide, ferricyanide, 2,6-dichlorophenol indophenol, benzoquinone, and methyl viologen, and from reduced indophenol to methyl viologen were measured as a function of treatment time. Rates of oxygen evolution in complete photosynthesis and electron flow from water to methyl viologen showed rapid and parallel decline with treatment time. Electron flow from water to ferricyanide and from reduced indophenol to methyl viologen increased during the first half hour of treatment (phase 1) to 60 to 80% of the original photosynthetic rate. Longer treatment (phase 2) resulted in decreased rate of ferricyanide reduction but not in rate of methyl viologen reduction from indophenol. Electron flow from water to quinone was two to three times higher than for complete photosynthesis in intact cells. It remained high during phase 1 and declined during phase 2. Phase 1 permeaplasts apparently retain high activity for photosystems 1 and 2 photoreactions.

Journal Article↗

The chemistry of vitamin B 12. The co-ordination of biologically important molecules.

The following equilibrium constants (given as logK in units of m(-1)) were determined for the substitution of co-ordinated H(2)O in aquocobalamin by glycine (bound through N) 5.8, cysteine (bound through S) 6.0 or 8.3, depending on the value chosen for the pK of the thiol group, and phenolate 2.9. The spectrum of the phenolate cobalamin shows an additional intense absorption band at 468nm with a molar extinction coefficient of 1.1x10(4), which is assigned to a charge transfer from the phenolate to the cobalt ion. Equilibrium constants have also been determined for the equilibria between adenylcobamide cyanide and CN(-), HO(-) and H(+), which show that the adenine is more easily displaced by CN(-) and HO(-) than is 5,6-dimethylbenziminazole in vitamin B(12), but can be protonated by acid while still remaining co-ordinated to the cobalt. It is shown that in the binding of corrinoids to proteins and polypeptides the formation of hydrogen bonds is far more important than co-ordination by the metal.

Adenine↗