Influence of body size on oxygen consumption during bicycling

Energy in bicycling is primarily expended to overcome air resistance, which is proportional to a cyclist's surface area (SA). Thus we hypothesized that large cyclists should have a lower O2 consumption normalized to body weight (VO2/BW) than small cyclists because of the former's lower SA/BW. We measured the VO2/BW of small (BW = 59.4 +/- 4.1 kg) and large (BW = 84.4 +/- 3.2 kg) cyclists while they bicycled on a flat road at 10, 15, and 20 mph. The large cyclists had a 22% lower VO2/BW than the small cyclists at all speeds. However, the SA/BW ratio of the large cyclists was only 11% lower than that of the small cyclists. We then photographically determined the frontal area (FA) of the cyclists in a racing posture, and found that the large cyclists had a 16% lower FA/BW ratio than the small cyclists. We conclude that large cyclists are at a distinct advantage, in terms of VO2/BW, while bicycling on level roads, and this advantage is principally due to their lower FA/BW ratio.     

Structural metabolic processes in the skeletal muscle tissue of chick embryos administered actinomycin D

The development of the skeletal muscle tissue has been studied cytophotometrically, electron microscopically and radioautographically at administration of actinomycin-D (0.2 mcg/g) to the 11- and 15-day-old chick embryos). Different character of restorative processes under the conditions when RNA synthesis is disturbed by actinomycin-D administration is noted: before morphologically distinguished myosatellites appear (before the 13th-14th day of embryogenesis) and after myosatellites appearance (from the 14th-15th day of development). Evidently, the myosatellites are the muscle cells resistive to certain external factors, they ensure an effective adaptation of the skeletal muscle tissue to unfavourable effects. When the satellite cells appear, the skeletal muscle tissue acquires a new quality as a dynamically stable cambial system.     

Bentazon influence on selected metabolic processes of isolated bean leaf cells

Time- and concentration-course studies were conducted to determine the effect of bentazon [3-isopropyl-1H-2,l,3,-benzothiadiazin-4(3H)-one 2,2-dioxide] on photosynthesis, RNA synthesis, protein synthesis, and lipid synthesis using enzymatically isolated leaf cells of red kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). Photosynthesis and RNA synthesis were inhibited about 75% at 1 M bentazon at the 30 min treatment period. This was the lowest concentration and shortest time that significantly inhibited any of these four processes. The degree of inhibition of photosynthesis was greater than the degree of inhibition of RNA synthesis at higher concentrations and/or longer time periods. At 10 M bentazon, protein synthesis and lipid synthesis were also inhibited. Lipid synthesis was stimulated at 0.1 and 1 M at 120 min.