Relation of precipitation and temperature with yield of herbaceous plants in eastern Oregon

Eighteen years of herbage yields of range grasses and concomitant precipitation and temperature fluctuations were examined with correlation and regression techniques. Antecedent precipitation was the dominant factor influencing yield of perennial herbaceous species, while both temperature and precipitation were important for prediction of yield of downy bromegrass, a winter annual. Total yield of the herbaceous community was closely correlated with precipitation received during the September to June period (r = 0.92); however, September to March precipitation was also highly correlated (r = 0.89). These correlations provide timely and useful estimates of native range production on eastern Oregon ranges. Sixty to 92% of yield variation was accounted for by the regression models for 9 of the 12 species or species groups examined.     

DIAGNOSIS OF RHEUMATIC FEVER AND LIKE CONDITIONS—Evaluation of Certain of the Acute Phase Reactants in a Single Specimen of Blood

Certain of the acute phase reactant tests were performed on the same specimen of blood from persons with the following states: Normal, acute respiratory disease, streptococcosis, acute rheumatic fever, acute glomerulonephritis, acute rheumatoid arthritis, inactive rheumatic fever, lupus erythematosus, malignant disease, obesity, asthma, and allergic rhinitis. Of the tests performed, the mucoprotein-tyrosine and the antistreptolysin-0 titer when done together appeared to be the most discriminating. It is suggested that the performance of such tests on the same sample of blood might aid in differentiating mild acute rheumatic fever and acute rheumatoid arthritis from each other and also from other disease states.     

The metabolism of synthetic leukotriene B4 in synovial fluid and whole human blood

The metabolism in vitro of synthetic leukotriene B4 (LTB4) in synovial fluid from rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis patients and in whole blood from these same patient groups and from normal volunteers has been studied. A linear relationship existed between a plot of the time of incubation of samples with LTB4 and the percentage of the initial concentration of LTB4 at each time point. The slope of this line, the rate constant for metabolism, has been used to compare different samples. LTB4 was metabolised more rapidly in the synovial fluid of rheumatoid arthritis patients than osteoarthritis patients. Furthermore, LTB4 was metabolised more rapidly in the blood of rheumatoid arthritis patients than either osteoarthritis patients or normal volunteers. These differences in metabolism correlate with the polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) and albumin content of samples. It is suggested that binding of LTB4 to albumin in vivo will in part determine the available concentration of LTB4 in inflammatory lesions.     

Auxin-stimulated ethylene production in fern gametophytes and sporophytes

The auxins indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) stimulated ethylene production from gametophytes of the fern Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn. var. latiusculum (Desv) underw. ex Heller and sporophytes of the ferns Matteuccia struthiopteris (L.)Todaro and Polystichum munitum (Kaulf.) Presl. Treatment with Co²⁺ or l -α -(2-aminoethoxyvinyl)-glycine (AVG) eleminated or significantly reduced the stimulatory effects of IAA. Treatment with 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) resulted in significantly greater rates of ethylene production from all tissues tested. Based on their response to auxin, ACC, AVG and Co²⁺, the ethylene biosynthetic pathway in these three lower vascular plants appears similar to that existing in angiosperms.     

Isolation of a conserved sequence deleted in Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients.

We have isolated a DNA sequence (HIP25) by subtraction- hybridisation which is deleted in a number of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) patients. HIP25 is conserved in evolution and hybridises to human fetal and adult muscle mRNA. HIP25 is absent in human fetal fibroblast mRNA. Physical mapping data localise this sequence within Xp21 between the breakpoints of X;autosome translocations found in two females suffering from the disease. HIP25 is a candidate exon sequence for the basic defect in DMD boys deleted at this locus.     

Effects in rats of iron on lead deprivation

In two fully crossed, two-factor experiments, F1 generation male rats were fed a basal diet supplemented with lead (lead acetate) at 0 or 2 micrograms/g and iron (ferric sulfate) at 50 or 250 micrograms/g (Experiment 1). Supplements in Experiment 2 were lead at 0 or 1 micrograms/g and iron at 50, 250, or 1000 micrograms/g. After 28 or 50 d in Experiment 1, and 35 d in Experiment 2, a relationship between lead and iron was found. Body weight was lower in low-lead than lead-supplemented 28-d-old rats regardless of dietary iron, whereas hematocrit and hemoglobin were lower in low-lead than lead-supplemented rats fed 50 micrograms iron/g diet. A similar finding was obtained with hematocrit and hemoglobin in 35-d-old rats. Dietary lead did not affect rats fed 250 or 1000 micrograms iron/g diet. Also, feeding low dietary lead did not affect 50-d-old rats regardless of dietary iron. Liver and bone concentrations of lead were markedly affected by dietary lead and iron. The concentration of lead in liver and bone was lower in low-lead than lead-supplemented rats. Compared to rats fed 50 micrograms iron/g diet, rats fed 250 micrograms iron/g diet exhibited a decreased lead concentration in liver and bone. This decrease was accentuated by lead supplementation. The findings suggest that lead acted pharmacologically to affect iron metabolism in rats.