CYTO-TAXONOMIC NOTES ON BUDDLEIA

Moore R. J. (Can. Dept. Agric, Plant Res. Inst., Ottawa, Ont.) Cyto-taxonomic notes on Buddleia. Amer. Jour. Bot. 47(6): 511–517. 1960.—Chromosome numbers of 29 taxa of Buddleia are reported; those of the following species are reported for the first time: B. crispa 2n=38, B. delavayi 2n=ca. 114, B. grandiflora 2n=38, B. nivea var. yunnanensis 2n=ca. 228, B. paniculata 2n=38, B. pterocaulis, 2n=ca. 228, and the artificial hybrids B. globosa × B. davidii 2n=76, B. caryopteridifolia × B. alternifolia 2n=38, Nicodemia madagascariensis × B. asiatica 2n=38. Notes on the taxonomy and nomenclature of the species are included. The evolution of the Buddleia inflorescence is briefly discussed and some natural species groups within the Asiatic species are suggested.     

X-ray absorption spectroscopy of selenium-containing amino acids

Received: 2 April 1999 / Accepted: 17 September 1999     

Owning Genetic Information and Gene Enhancement Techniques: Why Privacy and Property Rights May Undermine Social Control of the Human Genome

In this article I argue that the proper subjects of intangible property claims include medical records, genetic profiles, and gene enhancement techniques. Coupled with a right to privacy these intangible property rights allow individuals a zone of control that will, in most cases, justifiably exclude governmental or societal invasions into private domains. I argue that the threshold for overriding privacy rights and intangible property rights is higher, in relation to genetic enhancement techniques and sensitive personal information, than is commonly suggested. Once the bar is raised, so-to-speak, the burden of overriding it is formidable. Thus many policy decisions that have been recently proposed or enacted – citywide audio and video surveillance, law enforcement DNA sweeps, genetic profiling, national bans on genetic testing and enhancement of humans, to name a few – will have to be backed by very strong arguments.     

Cellular Thiol Production and Oxidation of Low-Density Lipoprotein

Compelling evidence suggests that low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is oxidized by cells within the arterial intima and that, once oxidized, it is profoundly atherogenic. The precise mechanism(s) by which cells promote the oxidation of LDL in vivo are not known; in vitro, however, oxidation of LDL can be enhanced by a number of differing mechanisms, including reaction with free and protein-bound metal ions, thiols, reactive oxygen species, lipoxygenase, myeloperoxidase and peroxynitrite. This review is concerned with the mechanisms by which cells enhance the oxidation of LDL in the presence of transition metals; in particular, the regulation, pro- and anti-oxidant consequences, and mechanism of action of cellular thiol production are examined, and contrasted with thiol-independent oxidation of LDL in the presence of transition metals.     

Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus: a new human tumor virus, but how?

Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus, or human herpesvirus 8, the most recently discovered human tumor virus, is involved in the pathogenesis of Kaposi's sarcoma, primary effusion lymphoma and some cases of multicentric Castleman's disease. It is non-pathogenic in the majority of otherwise healthy individuals but highly oncogenic in the context of HIV-1 infection and iatrogenic immune suppression, and other cofactors might exist. Several viral genes can interfere with normal cell growth and differentiation, but their precise role in oncogenesis is still under investigation.