Epithelial cells from freshly isolated mammary glands of mature virgin mice make minute amounts of casein and exhibit low levels of lactose synthetase A-protein (a UDPgalactosyltransferase) activity. They have barely detectable lactose synthetase B-protein (oc-lactalbumin) activity. When cultured in the presence of insulin, hydrocortisone, and prolactin, mammary explants from mature virgin mice...

BACKGROUND Leiomyomas are the most common benign tumours of the uterus. The diagnosis, evaluation and treatment of prolapsed pedunculated submucous myoma may need vaginal access compromising sometimes the hymenal integrity. Laparoscopic management of a pedunculated submucous myoma in a Middle Eastern virgin patient is described as a safe alternative. CASE A 20-year-old, nulliparous virgin wom...

When removed from the nest and placed in a cool environment, Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus) pups emit ultrasonic vocalizations that can elicit maternal search behavior. The authors examined the behavior of pregnant dams, mothers, and virgin females during exposure to a pup that was either warm and silent or cool and vocalizing. Results indicate potentiated maternal reactions to a vocalizing pup...

The detection of adulteration in edible oils is a concern in the food industry, especially for the higher priced virgin olive oils. This article presents a low field unilateral nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) method for the detection of the adulteration of virgin olive oil that can be performed through sealed bottles providing a non-destructive screening technique. Adulterations of an extra vi...

Intravenous administration of a single dose (20 micrograms) of recombinant interleukin-1-beta to virgin, lactating and litter-removed rats rapidly decreased intestinal lipid absorption in all groups. In vivo, oxidation of [14C]triolein to 14CO2 was also significantly decreased by interleukin-1. In addition, the cytokine decreased [14C]lipid accumulation in the mammary gland of lactating rats an...

The European project FAIR-CT96-5053 concerned the application of the FT-Raman and infrared spectroscopy in food chemistry and quality control. Our research mainly concerned the study of the potential of Raman spectroscopy and the comparison with the results achieved in infrared spectroscopy. The discrimination of virgin olive oil from other edible oils, and the detection and quantification of v...

The adulteration of extra virgin olive oil with cheaper oils is a major problem in the olive oil market. In the present work, experimental determinations of low cost vegetable oils content in extra virgin olive oils (EVOO) were performed by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectrometry and Raman spectrometry. To this purpose, a set of pure oils and mixtures of extra-virgin oils and different v...

In a controlled, randomized trial in 45 cataract operations a new synthetic absorbable suture (8-0 monofilament Vicryl, made by Ethicon), was compared with monofilament nylon or virgin silk normally used. There was a higher incidence of early complications-hyphaema, shallow anterior chamber, and choroidal detachment (15-4 per cent v. 0 per cent)-with the absorbable suture. But these differences...

We present evidence for two behaviors influenced by intact, vegetative plant odor - upwind flight and abdomen curling - in female Manduca sexta and demonstrate the influence of the age and mating status of the moths on these behaviors. We compared the behavioral responses of laboratory-reared M. sexta. of discrete ages and physiological states (2,3, and 4 day old for virgin; 2 and 3 day old for...

Does the mating status or body size of a female parasitoid wasp affect her host size choice or propensity to burrow? In Spalangia endius, using smaller hosts appears to reduce a female’s cost of parasitization but not her son’s fitness. However, virgin females, which produce only sons, did not preferentially parasitize smaller hosts. Mated females also showed no host size preference. Mated fema...