Päätoimittaja Arvo Tuominen 11/10 1971

Kirje 11.10.1971

Use of forensic investigations in anti-doping.

The fight against doping is mainly focused on direct detection, using analytical methods for the detection of doping agents in biological samples. However, the World Anti-Doping Code also defines doping as possession, administration or attempted administration of prohibited substances or methods, trafficking or attempted trafficking in any prohibited substance or methods. As these issues correspond to criminal investigation, a forensic approach can help assessing potential violation of these rules. In the context of a rowing competition, genetic analyses were conducted on biological samples collected in infusion apparatus, bags and tubing in order to obtain DNA profiles. As no database of athletes' DNA profiles was available, the use of information from the location detection as well as contextual information were key to determine a population of suspected athletes and to obtain reference DNA profiles for comparison. Analysis of samples from infusion systems provided 8 different DNA profiles. The comparison between these profiles and 8 reference profiles from suspected athletes could not be distinguished. This case-study is one of the first where a forensic approach was applied for anti-doping purposes. Based on this investigation, the International Rowing Federation authorities decided to ban not only the incriminated athletes, but also the coaches and officials for 2 years.

Engineered aprotinin for improved stability of fibrin biomaterials.

Fibrin has been long used clinically for hemostasis and sealing, yet extension of use in other applications has been limited due to its relatively rapid resorption in vivo, even with addition of aprotinin or other protease inhibitors. We report an engineered aprotinin variant that can be immobilized within fibrin and thus provide extended longevity. When recombinantly fused to a transglutaminase substrate domain from α(2)-plasmin inhibitor (α(2)PI(1-8)), the resulting variant, aprotinin-α(2)PI(1-8), was covalently crosslinked into fibrin matrices during normal thrombin/factor XIIIa-mediated polymerization. Challenge with physiological plasmin concentrations revealed that aprotinin-α(2)PI(1-8)-containing matrices retained 78% of their mass after 3 wk, whereas matrices containing wild type (WT) aprotinin degraded completely within 1 wk. Plasmin challenge of commercial sealants Omrixil and Tisseel, supplemented with aprotinin-α(2)PI(1-8) or WT aprotinin, showed extended longevity as well. When seeded with human dermal fibroblasts, aprotinin-α(2)PI(1-8)-supplemented matrices supported cell growth for at least 33% longer than those containing WT aprotinin. Subcutaneously implanted matrices containing aprotinin-α(2)PI(1-8) were detectable in mice for more than twice as long as those containing WT aprotinin. We conclude that our engineered recombinant aprotinin variant can confer extended longevity to fibrin matrices more effectively than WT aprotinin in vitro and in vivo.

Nuevas adiciones a la ictiofauna marina del Perú

El estudio del material indicado dio por resultado la identificación de 286 especie comprendidas en 222 géneros, 116 familias y 41 órdenes. Entre el número de especies señaladas se encontraron 72 especies nuevas para la ictiofauna marina peruana. De éstas, 4 fueron especies nuevas para la ciencia: Ctenosciaena peruviana (Fam. Sciaenidae), Mustelus whitneyi (Fam. Triakidae), Raja velezi (Fam. Rajidae) Schedophilus haedrichi (Fam.Centrolophidae), descritas en publicaciones anteriores; 10 que sólo se mencionan los géneros: Urolophus, Raja, Hydrolagus, Aulopus, Lestidium, Coryphaenoides, Trachyscorpia, Cottunculoides, Medialuna, Nealotus, cuya identificación especifica se encuentra en consulta con los especialistas y posiblemente también especies no descritas; y 58 que representan nuevos registros. Con la adición de estas 72 especies hasta el presente se alcanza un total de 737 para la ictiofauna marina del Perú.