Activity of Antheridiogen from the Fern Anemia phyllitidis in Three Flowering Plant Bioassays

Pure samples of the antheridiogen of Anemia phyllitidis (A_An) were tested for their ability to affect the growth of dwarf corn (d₅) and lettuce seedlings, and to influence α-amylase production by barley half-seeds. Stimulation of dwarf corn growth and barley amylase production was, on a molar basis, from 1/2 to 1/250 that given by GA_3. In lettuce, A_An had a synergistic effect with low levels of GA₃; alone, A_An was inhibitory or ineffective. Therefore, in addition to having a close chemical resemblance to gibberellin, A_An induces similar, but not identical physiological responses in flowering plants as well as ferns.     

Conserved intron positions in ancient protein modules

Background  

The timing of the origin of introns is of crucial importance for an understanding of early genome architecture. The Exon theory of genes proposed a role for introns in the formation of multi-exon proteins by exon shuffling and predicts the presence of conserved splice sites in ancient genes. In this study, large-scale analysis of potential conserved splice sites was performed using an intron-exon database (ExInt) derived from GenBank.     

The effect of treating seed potato tubers with benzimidazole, imidazole and phenylpyrrole fungicides on the control of rot and skin blemish diseases

Over 6 yr the effectiveness of imazalil, prochloraz and fenpiclonil, applied either alone or in a mixture, in controlling gangrene, dry rot, skin spot and silver scurf on potato tubers in store was compared with that of 2-aminobutane and thiabendazole. An assessment was also made of their efficiency in controlling the development of these diseases on the daughter tubers of seed tubers treated at harvest or before planting. Overall, 2-aminobutane was more effective in controlling gangrene (Phoma foveata) in store than the spray-applied fungicides. Deposits of imazalil, thiabendazole and fenpiclonil were greater when sprays were applied with an electrostatic sprayer than with a hydraulic sprayer. The opposite was found with the mixture of prochloraz Mn and tolclofos-methyl. More effective gangrene control was associated with the highest deposits. Fenpiclonil and the mixture of thiabendazole and imazalil were more effective in controlling dry rot (Fusarium solani var. coeruleum) than imazalil alone. The development of dry rot was, however, increased by 2-aminobutane treatment on eight out of 14 stocks. 2-aminobutane gave the greatest reduction (83%) in the severity of skin spot during storage whereas thiabendazole alone, and the mixture of thiabendazole and imazalil, gave mean reductions of 70% and 65% respectively. This mixture and fenpiclonil gave the greatest reduction in the severity of silver scurf although, in general, reductions in silver scurf with fungicide treatment were less than with skin spot. The type of sprayer used to apply a fungicide did not affect the effectiveness of the fungicides in controlling either skin spot or silver scurf on tubers in store, or on the daughter tubers. The incidence of gangrene and dry rot on daughter tubers was not reduced consistently by fungicide treatment of seed tubers of the six stocks tested. However, the severity of skin spot and silver scurf was reduced by fungicide treatments of all eight stocks but the reduction in disease was greater for skin spot than for silver scurf. All fungicides gave reductions in the severity of skin spot, and fenpiclonil and the mixture of thiabendazole and imazalil were the most effective for silver scurf. The effectiveness of the fungicides in controlling these diseases was similar for seed treated at harvest and that treated before planting.     

The Road to Clarity: Seventh-Day Adventism in Madagascar

The Road to Clarity: Seventh-Day Adventism in Madagascar . Eva Keller. New York: Palgrave MacMillan, 2005. 286 pp.     

Sepsis progression and outcome: a dynamical model

Background  

Sepsis (bloodstream infection) is the leading cause of death in non-surgical intensive care units. It is diagnosed in 750,000 US patients per annum, and has high mortality. Current understanding of sepsis is predominately observational and correlational, with only a partial and incomplete understanding of the physiological dynamics underlying the syndrome. There exists a need for dynamical models of sepsis progression, based upon basic physiologic principles, which could eventually guide hourly treatment decisions.