Diagnostic parameters for selecting against novel spruce (Picea abies) decline: IV. Response of photosynthesis and transpiration to SO2+NO2 exposures

The dose- and time-response effects of 3 days of 6 h day-time sequential exposures to NO₂, SO₂ and SO₂+NO₂ of 0.45–1.81 μl l⁻¹ (ppm) SO₂ and 1.50–7.65 μl l⁻¹ NO₂ on photosynthesis, transpiration and dark respiration were examined for nine Carpatho-Ukrainian half-sib families and a population from the GFR ('Westerhof') of Norway spruce [ Piecea abies (L.) Karst.], all in their 5th growing season.
SO₂+NO₂ inhibited photosynthesis and transpiration and stimulated dark respiration more than SO₂ alone. SO₂ and SO₂+NO₂ at the lowest concentrations inhibited night transpiration, but increased it at the highest concentration, the strongest effects being obtained with combined exposures. Photosynthesis of the different half-sib families was affected significantly differently by SO₂+NO₂ exposures. NO₂ alone had no effects.
Sensitivity to transpiration decline correlated negatively with branch density. Height of trees correlated postitively with decline sensitivity in the seed orchard. The distribution of photosynthesis and transpiration sensitivities over all tested half-sib families correlated negatively with the distribution of decline sensitivity of their parents in a rural Danish seed orchard. The relative photosynthesis and transpiration sensitivities may thus serve as diagnostic parameters for selecting against novel spruce decline.     

Diagnosis of a peripheral neuroectodermal tumour by fine needle aspiration

One case of malignant peripheral neuroectodermal tumour successfully diagnosed by cytology is presented. Although a Papanicolaou stained smear could not lead to a diagnosis more specific than a malignant small cell tumour, ancillary analytic methods performed on the cytologic material including immunocytochemistry and electron microscopy yielded the correct diagnosis of peripheral neuroectodermal tumour. This case demonstrates that a precise categorization of small round cell tumours may be achieved by cytology as long as some material is kept for immunocytochemical and ultrastructural studies.     

Evaluation of fine needle aspiration of the male breast for the diagnosis of gynaecomastia

Fine needle aspiration of the male breast can present problems of diagnosis because the cytological presentation of gynaecomastia can be confused with that of adenocarcinoma. We reviewed breast aspirates from 24 male patients in order to determine the accuracy of cytology as a method of diagnosing gynaecomastia. Discrepancies were observed between the original cytology reports on one hand and the review cytology and biopsies on the other. Of the 24 aspirates from the male breast, the cytology was reported as negative in 16 cases, suspicious in three cases and malignant in five. In four cases of the negative group, a specific diagnosis of gynaecomastia was made. In two of the negative cases the subsequent biopsies revealed adenocarcinoma. Of the five cases reported on the original cytology as adenocarcinoma, two on review showed the features of florid gynaecomastia and this was confirmed on biopsy and three confirmed the initial diagnosis of adenocarcinoma. The cytological features of gynaecomastia which distinguish it from adenocarcinoma are discussed.     

Allozyme and morphological variability,outcrossing rate and core collection formation in lentil germplasm

Summary A survey of qualitative genetic variation at 3 morphological trait loci, 17 isozyme loci and a putative isozyme locus (amylase) was made for 105 lentil (Lens culinaris Medikus) germplasm accessions from Chile, Greece and Turkey. New alleles were found for Lap-1, Me-2, Pgm-c, Pgm-p and 6-Pgd-c. The average proportion of polymorphic loci per population was 0.19, with a range of 0 to 0.42 over populations. Germplasm from Chile was equally variable to that from Greece and Turkey on the basis of individual loci and in a multilocus sense, despite its post-Columbus introduction to the New World. Evidence was found from associations between allelic states at different loci of a complex multilocus structure of lentil populations. A single multilocus genotype represented 10.2% of all plants sampled. The rate of outcrossing varied from 2.2% and 2.9% in Turkish and Greek landraces to 6.6% among Chilean populations. Using the survey data, a random sampling strategy for core collection formation was compared with two stratified sampling methods. The advantage of stratified sampling over random sampling was only significant at P=0.28.     

Effects of prolonged exercise at a similar percentage of maximal oxygen consumption in trained and untrained subjects

Six trained male cyclists and six untrained but physically active men participated in this study to test the hypothesis that the use of percentage maximal oxygen consumption (%VO2max) as a normalising independent variable is valid despite significant differences in the absolute VO2max of trained and untrained subjects. The subjects underwent an exercise test to exhaustion on a cycle ergometer to determine VO2max and lactate threshold. The subjects were grouped as trained (T) if their VO2max exceeded 60 ml.kg-1.min-1, and untrained (UT) if their VO2max was less than 50 ml.kg-1.min-1. The subjects were required to exercise on the ergometer for up to 40 min at power outputs that corresponded to approximately 50% and 70% VO2max. The allocation of each exercise session (50% or 70% VO2max) was random and each session was separated by at least 5 days. During these tests venous blood was taken 10 min before exercise (- 10 min), just prior to the commencement of exercise (0 min), after 20 min of exercise (20 min), at the end of exercise and 10 min postexercise (+ 10 min) and analysed for concentrations of cortisol, [Na+], [K+], [Cl-], glucose, free fatty acid, lactate [la-], [NH3], haemoglobin [Hb] and for packed cell volume. The oxygen consumption (VO2) and related variables were measured at two time intervals (14-15 and 34-35 min) during the prolonged exercise tests. Rectal temperature was measured throughout both exercise sessions. There was a significant interaction effect between the level of training and exercise time at 50% VO2max for heart rate (fc) and venous [la-].(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

辽宁海城小孤山遗址发掘简报

从小孤山晚更新世洞穴遗址出土了38种哺乳动物化石、上万件石制品以及一批制作精美的骨角制品和装饰品。石器工业在技术与类型上和华北旧石器关系密切。大致相同的骨针和穿孔兽牙于三十年代曾在周口店山顶洞遗址发现过,但是与欧洲马格德林鱼叉相似的角制鱼叉在中国旧石器文化中是头一次发现。     

Conserved organization of an avian histone gene cluster with inverted duplications of H3 and H4 genes

Summary The organization of histone gene clusters of the duckCairina moschata was studied in the DNA inserts of two recombinant phage that overlap and feature identical histone gene arrangements but differ in sequence details and in the extent of repetition of an AT-rich motif in one of the nontranscribed spacer regions. These few but substantial differences between otherwise nearly identical histone gene groups suggest that we have independently isolated alleles of the same site of the duck genome or that this gene arrangement occurs (with slight variations) more than once per haploid genome. Within the histone gene cluster described, H3 and H4 genes are duplicated (with inverted orientation), whereas one H1 gene is flanked by single H2A and H2B genes. The arrangement of duck histone genes described here is identical to a subsection of the chicken genome but differs from any other published histone gene cluster.     

Genetic structure of Glycine canescens,a perennial relative of soybean

Summary Allozyme variation as detected by starch gel electrophoresis was used to assess the extent and spatial organization of genetic variation across the entire range of Glycine canescens sensu lato. Eleven enzyme systems were assayed in 116 accessions of this taxon and 102 alleles were detected at a total of 31 loci. Eighty-one percent of loci were polymorphic. Most of this variation occurred between and very little within accessions. Three major groupings were detected. These groupings (groups 1, 2, and 3) also differed with respect to mean seed size and their geographic distribution. A further ten accessions stood out from these distinct groups. These accessions were most closely related to group 3 but were variable among themselves. In general, they were collected from highly dissected terrain, often in the remote interior of the continent. A final group of 18 problematic accessions (group X), originally tentatively identified as G. canescens on morphological grounds, was shown to be isozymically distinct from this species and was reclassified as one form of the polytypic species G. clandestina.