Down's syndrome: changes in protein fractions of blood plasma

Summary A statistically significant decrease of prealbumin and statistically significant increases of alpha₂-macroglobulin and IgA were found in blood plasma of patients with Down's syndrome using quantitative crossed immunoelectrophoresis.We are indebted to Prof. T.C. Bøg-Hansen, University of Copenhagen, for the helpful discussion of our results.     

The Information Content of Equity Block Trades on the Warsaw Stock Exchange: Conventional and Bootstrap Approaches

This paper focuses on the Polish stock market by analysing the information content of 95 equity block trade transactions executed on shares of companies constituting the WIG20 index. A normalized conventional approach and a bootstrap approach are used to draw inferences. These approaches make use of a multivariate regression model with two explanatory variables: a market return and a dummy variable for the event. Resampling allows construction of an empirical distribution of the normalized test statistic. The outcomes obtained from the application of a normalized conventional approach as well as a bootstrap approach are in line and confirm that equity block trade transactions carry an important signal to investors. Significant abnormal positive (negative) returns are associated with the execution of the equity block trades, the prices of which are higher (lower) than the closing prices 2 days before the execution of the equity block trade transactions. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A gravitationally lensed quasar with quadruple images separated by 14.62 arcseconds

Gravitational lensing is a powerful tool for the study of the distribution of dark matter in the Universe. The cold-dark-matter model of the formation of large-scale structures (that is, clusters of galaxies and even larger assemblies) predicts the existence of quasars gravitationally lensed by concentrations of dark matter so massive that the quasar images would be split by over 7 arcsec. Numerous searches for large-separation lensed quasars have, however, been unsuccessful. All of the roughly 70 lensed quasars known, including the first lensed quasar discovered, have smaller separations that can be explained in terms of galaxy-scale concentrations of baryonic matter. Although gravitationally lensed galaxies with large separations are known, quasars are more useful cosmological probes because of the simplicity of the resulting lens systems. Here we report the discovery of a lensed quasar, SDSS J1004 + 4112, which has a maximum separation between the components of 14.62 arcsec. Such a large separation means that the lensing object must be dominated by dark matter. Our results are fully consistent with theoretical expectations based on the cold-dark-matter model.     

Red blood cell glutathione peroxidase in simple trisomy 21 and translocation 21/22

Summary Red blood cell glutathione peroxidase activity was increased by bbout 50% in all Down's syndrome patients studied. It was slightly lower in translocation as compared with simple trisomy 21 but much higher with respect to controls. We are indebted to Prof. M. Ferguson-Smith from the Department of Medical Genetics, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Glasgow, Scotland, for helpful discussions regarding our results.     

Superoxide dismutase activity decreases during erythrocyte aging

Summary Superoxide dismutase activity was determined by the adrenalin method in bovine erythrocytes separated according to age. Progressive loss of the enzyme activity was found, down to ca 65% of that of the youngest cells.     

Down syndrome — transferrin parallels plasma iron changes

Summary The transferrin level was studied in patients with simple trisomy 21 and with Robertsonian unbalanced translocations 21/22 and 21/14. In all these groups of patients, known to have significantly lowered plasma iron levels, the transferrin levels were found to be decreased with respect to the control group.     

Down's syndrome: permeability of the erythrocyte membrane for spin-labeled non-electrolytes

Summary A decreased rate of membrane transport of a hydrophobic non-electrolyte TEMPO was found. There were no significant changes in that of a hydrophilic non-electrolyte TEMPOL in erythrocytes of patients with trisomy 21. Changes of the same direction in erythrocyte membrane permeability were found to occur during the intravascular erythrocyte aging.We are indebted to Dr K. Gwodziski for the gift of spin labels synthesized by him and methodical advice.     

Aging of the erythrocyte. II. Activities of peroxide-detoxifying enzymes

Summary The activity of glutathione peroxidase decreases and that of catalase does not change during erythrocyte aging, as judged from a comparison of bovine red cell fractions separated by density.We are indebted to Prof. W. Leyko for many stimulating discussions.     

Is superoxide dismutase a physiological radioprotector

Summary Prolonged treatment with relatively low doses of ionizing radiation did not induce synthesis of superoxide dismutase, either inDrosophila melanogaster or in mice liver.Acknowledgment. This work was supported by the project No. R. III. 13.2.4.