Suppression of phaseolin and lectin in seeds of common bean, Phaseolus vulgaris L.: increased accumulation of 54 kDa polypeptides is not associated with higher seed methionine concentrations

Suppression of phaseolin and lectin accumulation in common bean resulted in higher concentrations of bean seed polypeptides with apparent molecular weights of 54 kDa and from 70 to 84 kDa on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Polypeptides of 54 and 56 kDa segregated as products of different alleles. Genes for the 54/56 kDa bands and phaseolin were estimated to be 26.2±3.7 map units apart. The 54 kDa band phenotype manifested by SDS-PAGE consisted of from one to three polypeptides of 54 kDa MW on 2D gels, and the 56 kDa phenotype consisted of one polypeptide of 56 kDa plus two minor polypeptides of 54-54.5 kDa molecular weight. The pK_I of these polypeptides was approximately 5.25. The methionine content of the 54 kDa polypeptides of the cultivar Great Northern Star was 1.6±0.1 g/100 g protein, which was not statistically different from the value (1.5±0.1%) obtained for phaseolin isolated by the same procedure. F₂ seeds deficient for phaseolin and lectin contained as much total N per g as wild-type seeds and were not shrunken, but contained 50% more free amino acids. F₂ seeds from two of the three populations contained from 8 to 13% less methionine per mg total N.     

Wave-separation in complex systems. Application to brain-signals

A departure from single-system dynamics, that may arise in characterizing self-organized dynamics of complex systems, is dealt with by using the Karhunen-Loève expansion of the trajectory matrix to decompose an experimental signal in a sum of spectral features. For an electroencephalographic -signal, a separation of waves and extraction of additive sub-signals are achieved, each sub-signal covering a well-bounded and physiologically meaningful frequency range. From the subsignals, an attractor that vanishes on phase-randomizing the data is characterized, under conditions where none was found for the recorded signal.     

The interaction of the vanadyl(IV) cation with phytic acid

The interactions of VO²⁺ with phytate to form both soluble and insoluble complexes, have been studied by electronic absorption spectroscopy. A soluble 1∶1 VO²⁺: phytate complex is formed at pH <1. At higher pH-values insoluble complexes are produced. Two different solid complexes, obtained respectively at pH=2 and 4, were isolated and characterized. The maximal bonding ratio of VO²⁺: phytate was found to be 4, on the basis of a pH binding profile.     

Demography and social structure of one group of muriquis (Brachyteles arachnoides)

We monitored one group of muriquis, or woolly spider monkeys (Brachyteles arachnoides), over a 9-year period at Fazenda Montes Claros, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The group grew from 22 to 42 individuals due to the births of 21 surviving infants. Eight immigrations involving immature females were offset by emigrations and disappearances. The home range of the group expanded as the group size increased. The group traveled as a cohesive unit during the first 6 years of the study, but recently it has begun to show greater tendencies to fission temporarily into smaller subgroups. Six adult males from the other muriqui group at this site have simultaneously increased their associations with the main study group. These observations indicate that the group is in a state of transition which may lead, ultimately, either to its division into two smaller units or to a more fluid social structure.     

The natural history of de Brazza's monkey in Kenya

Polygynous groups of de Brazzas monkeys (Cercopithecus neglectus) were observed in the Kisere Forest Reserve between December 1987 and March 1989. Total number of contact hours was 528. Three troops numbered 11, 13, and 16 monkeys. Three solitary adult males were seen. All troops had a single adult male, at least three adult females, and juveniles. Five births occurred in the course of the study. Home range varied from 4.1 to 6 ha, and flooded areas of the forest were heavily used. This species was only found near rivers and spent more than 50% of the time below 5 m. Daily path length ranged from 330 to 1001 m. The de Brazza's monkeys were mainly frugivorous, but leave and invertebrates also formed a substantial part of the diet. Other guenons avoided de Brazza's, which did not join polyspecific interactions.     

Black and White Females' Perceptions of Ideal Body Size and Social Norms

Different cultural norms and standards for appropriate female body size might contribute to the disparity in obesity rates between black and white adult females (46.0% and 24.6% respectively). The purpose of this study was to measure adolescents' perceptions of ideal size and social norms regarding female body size as well as adolescents' perceptions of significant others' evaluation and expectations of the adolescents' body size. Subjects included 437 adolescent girls (247 white and 190 black) aged 13 to 19 (x=44.9, SD=.979) from six randomly selected public schools. The subjects, heights and weights were measured. Responses to a body image questionnaire and a series of nine female body drawings (arranged ordinally, 1 to 9, from thinnest to heaviest) were analyzed using the General Linear Model and Logistic Regression. The female body size considered ideal by black females was significantly larger than the size selected as ideal by white females (x= 3.47 and x= 3.13 respectively, p< 0.001). Black females were two times more likely than white females to describe themselves as thinner than other girls their age (O.R. = 2.01, 95% C.I.1.34, 3.01) and seven times as likely to say that they were not overweight (O.R. = 7.08, 95% C.I. 3.72, 13.45). White females wanted to be a smaller size than they currently were and felt encouraged by significant others to lose weight or reduce their size. Black females did not indicate as great a desire as whites to be smaller and they tended to feel that their size was considered satisfactory by significant others. Only subjects from the low SES group perceived that significant others wanted them to gain weight. The differences between black and white subjects' beliefs and perceptions about body size norms may explain, in part, why heavier body weights persist in some cultural groups.     

新生儿接种小剂量乙肝疫苗后3-5年随访观察

本文对９３８例初生婴儿接种小剂量（１０ｕｇ×３）乙肝疫苗后３－５年的预防效果进行了随访观察,并以２５３例初生儿未接种疫苗者作为对照,结果表明,接种组３－５年后抗－ＨＢｓ阳性率显著高于对照组,ＨＢｓＡｇ阳性率则较对照组显著为低。感染保护率８６．７％。结果还表明,接种乙肝疫苗３年后加强１次,比不加强者Ｐ／Ｎ均值显著增高。文章认为初生儿接种小剂量乙肝疫苗有长期免疫效果;接种后３年加强接种１次,可保持较高免疫力。     

The Value of a hoard: not just energy

We present a stochastic dynamic programming model of the contributionof stored food to winter survival. Using the acorn woodpecker(Melanerpes formtcivorus) as a model organism, we demonstratethat a hoard of small energetic value can impart considerableimprovement in the probability of surviving the winter and soimprove fitness. With this model we hope to resolve Koenig andMumme's paradox, that acorn woodpeckers expend much time andeffort to create and maintain hoards of acorns which provideno more that 16% of their energetic needs over the period inwhich they are used. We further demonstrate that the contributionof hoarded acorns to survival depends on the variability inforaging outcome, independently of the energetic value of thehoard in absolute terms. We point out that the results applyin principle to all hoarding animals and suggest a number offurther elaborations of the model.     

Storage-protein variation in wild emmer (Triticum turgidum ssp.dicoccoides) from Jordan and Turkey.

Genetic diversity in the seed storage-proteins encoded at theGlu-A1,Glu-B1 andGli-B1/Glu-B3 loci was studied electrophoretically in 315 individuals belonging to nine populations ofT. dicoccoides from Jordan and three from Turkey. The inter- and intra-population distribution of seed storage-protein alleles at the considered loci and its link with geographical factors were investigated. Population differentiation in seed storage-proteins was in some cases very high with very weak correlations with geographic distance. Greater gene differentiation was found within and between populations which were geographically very close in Jordan than between those from Jordan and Turkey. However the distribution of alleles appeared to be non random. Samples collected from populations at locations over 900 m above sea level were less polymorphic than those collected at lower altitudes (500–700 m), whereas the relative genetic differentiation between populations was greater between those collected at higher altitudes. Seed storage-protein differentiation was significantly correlated with the altitude of the collecting sites. Although it is difficult to point out the selective pressure of altitude per se, altitude can reflect an integration of several environmental parameters. The possible adaptive value of seed storage-proteins is discussed.     

The ant Lasius niger shows no relationship between task efficiency and body size variation among workers

In ants, workers of different sizes may perform various tasks, even in so-called monomorphic species with relatively low body size variation. However, it is unclear if the body size diversity of monomorphic workers correlates with task efficiency, especially in stressful contingencies. Here we tested if the body size variation of workers corresponds with its efficiency in transferring pupae. Transferring brood is a pre-set behavioral response to stress, e.g. suboptimal temperature. Here we applied a laboratory experiment simulating nest damage. The study was performed on the common garden ant (Lasius niger (Linnaeus, 1758)) – a species with no distinct worker subcastes. The efficiency of workers was measured as the latency of transferring pupae from a lit part of the experimental colony to a darkened part, while the body size diversity was expressed as the within-colony coefficient of variation in head width. We did not find any significant correlation between efficiency and body size variation. Summarizing the existing studies and the present results, we propose the hypothesis that the body size diversity of L. niger may have implications for workers’ division of labor but not for their task efficiency in a stressful contingency.