Climate Driven Life Histories: The Case of the Mediterranean Storm Petrel

Seabirds are affected by changes in the marine ecosystem. The influence of climatic factors on marine food webs can be reflected in long-term seabird population changes. We modelled the survival and recruitment of the Mediterranean storm petrel (Hydrobates pelagicus melitensis) using a 21-year mark-recapture dataset involving almost 5000 birds. We demonstrated a strong influence of prebreeding climatic conditions on recruitment age and of rainfall and breeding period conditions on juvenile survival. The results suggest that the juvenile survival rate of the Mediterranean subspecies may not be negatively affected by the predicted features of climate change, i.e., warmer summers and lower rainfall. Based on considerations of winter conditions in different parts of the Mediterranean, we were able to draw inferences about the wintering areas of the species for the first time.     

Effect of auto-oxidized phospholipids on oxidative enzyme assays based on tetrazolium salt reduction

The influence of auto-oxidized phospholipids on the reduction of the tetrazolium salt MTT coupled to the NAD+-dependent lactate dehydrogenase reaction was studied. The following results were obtained: (1) peroxidized phosphatidylcholine interfered in the time-course of the lactate dehydrogenase-mediated MTT reduction; (2) there was a time-dependent decrease in the hydroperoxide content of phosphatidylcholine vesicles during the incubation; (3) the diminution of phosphatidylcholine hydroperoxides required the presence of all the components of the system except MTT; (4) hydroperoxide diminution and MTT reduction were mediated by the superoxide radical O2-, since both processes were inhibited by superoxide dismutase; (5) EDTA inhibited the hydroperoxide decrease and abolished the interference of peroxidized phosphatidylcholine with MTT reduction. It was concluded that hydroperoxides compete with MTT for the electrons coming from substrate oxidation. The superoxide radical O2- and traces of some contaminating metal ion are involved in the process. This is a potential complication in the study of the effect of lipids on enzymatic activities assayed by the tetrazolium salt method.     

Paracentric inversion in a female with multiple miscarriages (7inv)(q2.13;q3.13)

Summary A phenotypically normal woman with a history of multiple miscarriages was found to have a paracentric inversion in the long arm of chromosome, which may be the reason for the miscarriages.     

Salmonella typhimurium infection in high and low antibody responder mice: inverse correlation between antibody responsiveness and resistance to infection

Susceptibility to Salmonella typhimurium infection was compared in H (high Ab responder) and L (low Ab responder) mice obtained by several selective breeding experiments (Selections I, II, III, IV and IV A). H mice were always much more susceptible to infection than their L mice counterparts within a continuous LD 50 variation range. In three of the selections (I, II and IV A) the low responsiveness character is known to result mainly from rapid Ag degradation in L mice macrophages. It was hypothesized that resistance to multiplication of intracellular pathogens could be related to an increased catabolic activity towards Ag. This was actually demonstrated, in F2 segregant hybrids of selection IV A, by the significant inverse correlation between capacity for Ab production and resistance to infection.     

46,XX/46,XX,del(20)(pter-->p12.2) mosaicism limited to fibroblasts associated with MCA/MR and severe growth deficit.

In this report the authors describe an 8-year-old severely mentally retarded girl with facial features resembling the facial dysmorphism seen in patients with Alagille-Watson syndrome, severe growth retardation and a 46,XX/46,XX,del(20)(pter-->p12.2) mosaicism in fibroblasts.     

Rat RI beta isoform of type I regulatory subunit of cyclic adenosine monophosphate-dependent protein kinase: cDNA sequence analysis, mRNA tissue specificity, and rat/mouse difference in expression in testis

A rat complementary DNA (cDNA) for the RI beta isoform of type I cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)-dependent protein kinase regulatory subunit was cloned and sequenced and was found to contain the entire protein coding and 3'-untranslated regions, with a single (ATTAAA) poly-adenylation site. The largest open reading frame was preceded by a short out-of-phase open reading frame, which is not seen in the corresponding mouse RI beta cDNA due to a single base substitution. The rat RI beta cDNA clone was 2,374 bases long and detected a rat mRNA of approximately 2.8 kilobases. Rat RI beta mRNA was abundant in adult rat brain and testis but was undetectable in other rat tissues. The rat RI beta cDNA also detected RI beta mRNA in mouse brain, but not mouse testis, from 10-week-old BALB/c or 10- and 6-week-old Swiss Webster mice. Thus, despite a 96% nucleotide identity in the coding region of RI beta in rat vs. mouse, there are at least two differences in these closely related species. First, there is a short open reading frame, which precedes the coding region in the rat but not the mouse. Second, unlike the mouse testis, the rat testis contains abundant levels of RI beta mRNA.     

Primary culture of normal rat mammary epithelial cells within a basement membrane matrix. II. Functional differentiation under serum-free conditions

Summary A serum-free primary culture system is described which allows normal rat mammary epithelial cells (RMECs) embedded within a reconstituted basement membrane to undergo extensive growth and functional differentiation as detected by synthesis and secretion of the milk products casein and lipid. RMECs isolated from mammary glands of immature virgin rats were seeded within an extracellular matrix preparation derived from the Engelbreth-Holm-Swarm sarcoma and cultured in a serum-free medium consisting of Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium-F12 containing insulin, prolactin, progesterone, hydrocortisone, epidermal growth factor, bovine serum albumin, transferrin, and ascorbic acid. Casein synthesis and secretion were documented at the electron microscopic level as well as by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) assay using a polyclonal antibody against total rat caseins. Numerous secretory vesicles with casein micelles were noted near the apical surface of the RMECs, and secreted casein was observed in the lumen. These ultrastructural data were confirmed by the ELISA assay which showed that microgram amounts of casein per well were synthesized by the RMECs and that the amount of casein increased with time in culture. Using immunoblot analysis it was demonstrated that the full complement of casein proteins was synthesized. In addition to casein protein, β-casein mRNA levels were shown to increase with time. Synthesized lipid was detected at both the light and electron microscopic levels. Phase contrast photomicrographs demonstrated extensive intracellular lipid accumulation within the ductal and lobuloalveolarlike colonies, and at the electron micrograph level, lipid droplets were predominantly localized near the apical surface of the RMECs. The lipid nature of these droplets was verified by oil red O staining. Results from this study demonstrate that RMECs from immature virgin rats proliferate extensively and rapidly develop the capacity to synthesize and secrete casein and lipid when grown within a reconstituted basement membrane under defined serum-free conditions. This unique system should thus serve as an excellent model in which the regulation of mammary development and gene expression can be investigated. This work was supported by grants CA 33240 and CA 35641 and by core grant CA 24538 from the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD.     

The incidence of Listeria spp. in soft cheeses, butter and raw milk in the province of Bologna

Samples of soft cheese, butter and raw milk were examined for Listeria species. Listeria monocytogenes (serotype 1, haemolytic and virulent for mice) and L. innocua (the only other Listeria sp. isolated) were each found in 2/21 (1.6%) of soft cheese samples. Five per cent of butter samples were contaminated with L. innocua . No Listeria spp. were detected in 40 raw milk samples. The results were compared with similar studies in Italy and abroad. and accepted 14 June 1989     

The impact of migration on the marriage structure in Fontanigorda

Until World War II the economic activity of the inhabitants of the commune of Fontanigorda (Genova — Italy) was based on subsistence farming and temporary migration. Migration to France in search of work absorbed the excess active male population: the isonymy study shows that the migrants were recruited from all the families of the commune. After having left for Marseilles or the mine at St. Maime (in the Alps of Upper Provence), these young migrants returned to their home town to marry. This behaviour maintained a high degree of consanguinity, obscured by a false exogamy, at least until the turn of the century. After this period, lifelong migration completely modified the pattern of marriage structure bacause migration to France became definitive.