Are prions a relic of an early stage of peptide evolution?

The rather unique properties of prions and their presence in very different kinds of living species suggest that this type of molecule was created at a very early stage of evolution and may even represent a relic from a time where peptide evolution was ongoing and RNA/DNA did not yet exist. A comparison of the most frequently occurring amino acid sequences in known prions with the sequences preferentially formed in the salt-induced peptide formation reaction, the most simple mechanism enabling the formation of peptides under primitive earth conditions, shows a remarkable coincidence that strongly supports this hypothesis.     

What about R.A. Fisher's statement of the "too good" data of J.G. Mendel's Pisum paper?

Mendel was accused by Fisher that his observed data, which corresponded to expectations, were too good to be true, and, further, that Mendel, growing only 10 plants per offspring, disregarded in his genotypical analysis the loss of recessives by assuming a ratio of 1:2 instead of 1.1126:1.8874. In contrast, it is proposed here that all chi-square statistics of genetic segregations fall short because the variance of genetic segregations is smaller and not of a binomial type as assumed. Furthermore, this variance and the corresponding chi-square statistics are not homogeneous in different segregation types. Consequently, it is not possible to summarize the different chi-square statistics as Fisher did. It is only in this way that he was able to obtain his unrealistic result (a probability of "seven times in 100,000 cases"). Regarding Fisher's second accusation, it should be taken into account that Mendel selected his 10 plants from offspring with a finite and not an infinite number of entities. Although this number is different from offspring to offspring, the average number is about 30. This means that the loss of recessives must be calculated by using a hypergeometric and not a binomial model as Fisher did. Consequently, the real deviation from the 1:2 ratio can be disregarded.     

《植物学通报》介绍www.chinbulibotany．com（在线投稿，开放阅览）

《植物学通报》创刊于1983年，核心期刊。被国内外多家著名检索系统收录，包括CAB、AGRIS、CSCD、CSTPCD、CNKI和CAJCED等。主要刊登植物学各学科有创新的原始研究论文、快讯和综述。刊登内容涉及技术与方法、专题介绍、组织培养简讯、实验简报等。     

Le spermogramme et le spermocytogramme virtuels. Apport de la “toile” au Contrôle de Qualité Externe et à la formation en spermiologie. Le site www.spermionet.com

Semen analysis, especially estimation of sperm motility and morphology, is an important part of infertility investigation. The “Biologie Prospective” Nancy-France website (www.spermionet.com) proposes modern tools for clinical pathologists designed to promote common clinical practice and teaching by Internet. The aim of this study is describe these new techniques of on-line visualisation and diffusion for the study of human semen preparations. The virtual slide allows external quality control of sperm cytology. Video data of sperm motility are acquired by phase-contrast and dark field microscopy. The sequences are then compressed and published on line. The data have been evaluated by more than 480 laboratories. These new tools allow multicentre studies and collaboration based on standardization of semen analysis.     

Investigations of the validity of e.a. müller's "leistungspulsindex" (author's transl)]

In order to obtain a critical review of E.A. Müller's "Leistungspulsindex", we worked out a functional representation of that index, using a simple physiologic-mathematic model of the oxygen transport system. We found that the LPI is influenced by the economy of the oxygen transport system and that it is inversely proportional to stroke volume, caloric coefficient, and to the efficiency of muscular work. Based on the theoretic analysis we tried to interpret the results of an investigation carried out with pupils of an coeducative intermediate school (years of birth 1964, 1965, 1966). We obtained statistically significant correlations (p less than 0.1%) between LPI and parameters characterizing performance capacity (PWC170, heart rate at 100 W work load) and between LPI and body weight. The results of both the theoretic and experimental investigation indicate a dependence of the LPI on factors influenced by physical training processes, but no evidence was found, however, on an interrelationship between LPI and congenital factors of physical performance.     

淋巴组织H.E染色"发灰"现象的纠正方法

在常规病理制片技术工作中 ,经常发现淋巴组织 (如淋巴结、鼻咽部组织及扁桃体等 )由于处理不当 ,造成切片染色后组织中间出现发灰现象 ,即镜下核浆染色模糊不清或组织成片不着色。这样将给临床病理诊断带来很大困难。为此 ,我们经大量实验 ,对原组织蜡块再切片后采用下述方法进行处理 ,收到了较好的染色效果。材料和方法1.标本来源 :选取 2 5例 H.E染色切片发灰的淋巴组织原蜡块再进行切片 ,切片厚 5μm。2 .切片的处理方法 :(1)将原蜡块所制切片浸入二甲苯 、 脱蜡各 5 min;(2 )无水酒精 、 浸洗各 2 min;(2 )用无水酒精乙醚等量 (1∶…     

Stability in -species coevolutionary systems

Stability criteria have recently been developed for coevolutionary Lotka–Volterra systems where individual fitness functions are assumed to be linear in the population state. We extend these criteria as part of a general theory of coevolution (that combines effects of ecology and evolution) based on arbitrary (i.e. nonlinear) fitness functions and a finite number of individual phenotypes. The central role of the stationary density surface where species’ densities are at equilibrium is emphasized. In particular, for monomorphic resident systems, it is shown coevolutionary stability is equivalent to ecological stability combined with evolutionary stability on the stationary density surface. Also discussed is how our theory relates to recent treatments of phenotypic coevolution via adaptive dynamics when there is a continuum of individual phenotypes.     

-alkoxyphenol leukotriene B4 receptor antagonists: effect of a chroman carboxylic acid.

Several -alkoxyphenols containing a chroman carboxylic acid sidechain have been prepared as antagonists of leukotriene B₄ receptors. These antagonists were compared to their parent alkoxyphenols containing the tetrazole acid sidechain. These chroman containing antagonists retained their binding potency for human neutrophil receptors; however, showed enhanced potency against guinea pig receptors in both in vitro and in vivo systems.