Human hand impedance characteristics during maintained posture

Received: 23 June 1993 / Accepted in revised form: 15 September 1994     

Purification and characterization of macrolide 2''-phosphotransferase type II from a strain of Escherichia coli highly resistant to macrolide antibiotics

Hyperimmune and high-titered polyclonal pneumococcal antisera, specific for cross-reactive types within groups, were produced in adult rabbits. Purified capsular polysaccharide was injected intravenously into adult rabbits. One week later, these rabbits were given multiple intravenous injections of formalin-inactivated pneumococci of the cross-reactive type by an established method. Each of the resultant antisera were specific for the cross-reactive type indicating that the previous injection of the polysaccharide had induced epitope-specific tolerance. This method was successful for production of antisera against pneumococcal types 6A, 6B, 9N, 9V, 19F and 19A. Polyclonal rabbit pneumococcal antisera have some advantages over murine monoclonal antibodies for serologic studies and this method should be applicable for producing type-specific antibodies to cross-reactive polysaccharides of clinical interest. Further, this method is simpler and generally produces higher titered monovalent (factor) reagents than absorbed antisera.     

Modelling and analyzing density-dependent population processes: Comparison between wild and laboratory strains of the bean weevil,Callosobruchus chinensis (L.)

Three models were constructed for analyzing the population characteristics ofC. chinensis on stored beans; model A describing the whole reproductive process with a single equation, model B describing the three age-specific processes (oviposition, egg survival and larval survival) with separate equations, and model C which describes all these processes not for the whole habitat but for the individual beans comprizing it. The logit equation was employed here as a common basis to describe the density-response relationship involved. All three models showed very good fit to the experimental data obtained for both laboratory and wild strains of the weevil. The parameter values characterizing the population dynamics were, however, widely different between the two strains; the laboratory one which had been reared for some 500 generations showed significantly higher reproductive capacity, less sensitive and gentler response to crowding in both adult and egg stages, and more uniform egg distribution among individual beans, as compared with the wild strain newly introduced. Sensitivity analyses using these models suggested that these changes in population characteristics have been attained by the process of domestication or adaptation to stable laboratory conditions through a long period of time. This process seemed in effect to have optimized the population's performances in the laboratory environment. Evolutionary significance of such optimization was discussed with reference to the selection pressure which may have acted upon individuals.     

Chromosome evolution in Himalayan Impatiens (Balsaminaceae)

AKIYAMA, S., WAKABAYASHI, M. & OHBA, H., 1992. Chromosome evolution in Himalayan Impatiens (Balsaminaceae). Chromosome numbers and karyotypes have been investigated in species of Himalayan Impatiens . In addition to confirming previous chromosome counts, the presence of a tetraploid taxon ( I. exilis) is revealed. In central and east Nepal species with x = 9 are more common than those with other basic numbers and this number is shown to be one of the most frequent numbers in the genus. Most species with x = 9 have a bimodal karyotype. The species relationships are discussed.     

Screening of marine cyanobacteria for high palmitoleic acid production

Abstract Screening of fatty acid composition in 150 strains of marine microalgae, cyanobacteria and green algae was carried out, and 20 strains showed relatively high contents of palmitoleic acid. Among them, two cyanobacteria, Phormidium sp. NKBG 041105 and Oscillatoria sp. NKBG 091600, showed an unusually high cis -palmitoleic acid content (54.5% and 54.4% of total fatty acid, respectively). Phormidium sp. NKBG 041105 had the highest cis -palmitoleic acid content per biomass (46.3 mg (g dry cell weight)⁻¹), and cis -palrnitoleic acid composition was found to be constant with varying temperature. These results indicate that this cyanobacterium could be considered as a new source for palmitoleic acid.     

Identification of proteins encoded in Escherichia coli hydA, hydB and analysis of the hydA locus

The hydB gene of Escherichia coli, which is related with the expression of hydrogenase activity, was cloned into the plasmid (pES1). Using the maxicell protein-labeling method, the molecular weight of hydB gene product was estimated. Comparing between the gene products from the mutant strains and that of the hydB genes cloned strains, the molecular weight of the gene product was 35,000 Mr. Similarly, the molecular weight of the gene product of hydA, which had been previously cloned, was determined by maxicell analysis. The molecular weight of hydA gene product was estimated to be 80,000 Mr. Using deletion analysis and Tn1000 insertional inactivation of hydA's function, the hydA coding region was estimated between 2.2 kb and 2.8 kb in a 3.1 kb EcoRI-MluI fragment on the recombinant plasmid pEH3.