Induction of Catalase Activity by Hydrocarbons in Candida tropicalis рK 233

1. The catalase activity of Candida tropicalis pK 233 was induced by hydrocarbons but not by glucose, galactose, ethanol, acetate or lauryl alcohol.

2. The induction of the catalase activity depending upon hydrocarbons was sensitive to cycloheximide but not to chloramphenicol.

3. Glucose repressed strongly the induction of the catalase activity by hydrocarbons but galactose did not affect seriously.

4. When C. tropicalis was incubated with hydrocarbons, the appearance of microbodies was observed electronmicroscopicaliy.

     

Staining of Negri Bodies

The following procedure for staining Negri bodies in sections is based on methods previously described by MacNeal, by Haynes, and by Richter:

Fixation:

1. 1. Zenker's solution 4 hours at 37°C or Dominici's 3 hours.

2. 2. 70% alcohol, 12 to 18 hours at room temperature.

3. 3. 80% alcohol, about 5 to 6 hours.

4. 4. 90% alcohol, about 4 to 6 hours.

5. 5. Absolute alcohol about 16 hours.

6. 6. Ether and absolute alcohol aa, about 8 hours.

7. 7. 16 to 24 hours in the following mixture: celloidin 1 g., methyl salycilate 25 cc., abs. alcohol 25 cc., ether 25 cc.

8. 8. Chloroform and paraffin, 2 to 3 hours.

9. 10. Paraffin, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

10. 11. Embed.

staining:

1. 1. Cut sections 4 to 5 μ.

2. 2. Bring section to water and cover with Lugol's iodine for 10 minutes.

3. 3. Decolorize with a 2% sodium thiosulfate (hypo).

4. 4. Wash thoroly with water.

5. 5. Cover with a mixture of equal parts of 0.5% phloxine and 1% eosin Y (National Aniline brand) and leave for 15 minutes.

6. 6. Wash with water and stain 2 to 5 minutes in 0.1% azure B (National Aniline).

7. 7. Wash with 96% alcohol and decolorize in a mixture of 2 parts absolute alcohol with 1 part clove oil, ordinarily for not more than 1/2 to 1 minute.

8. 8. Dehydrate rapidly, clear, and mount in Yucatan Elemi.

     

The Nutritional Value of the Individual Nonessential Amino Acid as the Nitrogen Source in the Chick Nutrition

The nutritional values of nonessential amino acids as the nitrogen source in the crystalline amino acid diet for the chick growth were examined. The nitrogen of the nonessential amino acids in the basal diet for chick was substituted for a nonessential amino acid to be tested on the nitrogen base. The experimental methods were the same as in the evaluation of the nutritional value of d-amino acids previously reported. Nonessential amino acids were classified into four groups.

1. Very useful nitrogen source: Glutamic acid, Aspartic acid

2. Useful nitrogen source: Alanine, Diammonium citrate

3. Insufficient nitrogen source: Glycine, Proline

4. Harmful for chick growth: Serine

At the end of experiment chicks were killed and the concentration of free amino acids in the serum were measured. The concentration of glycine and serine in the serum increased when glycine was tested, but that of serine in the serum only increased when serine was tested. This result suggested the pathway from glycine to serine was fast and the opposite one was very slow.     

Protective Actions of l-Aspartate from Acid or Proteolytic Inactivation

1. l-Aspartate was found to replace l-asparagine in the protective action from acid inactivation of l-asparaginase (EC 3.5.1.1) produced by Escherichia coli A–1–3 and at the same time to inhibit the proteolytic inactivation by α-chymotrypsin.

2. l-Asparaginase changed in its chromatographic properties in the presence of l-aspartate and became to be absorbed on the CM Sephadex column.

3. The sedimentation patterns of l-asparaginase at pH 3.5 were identical either in the presence or absence of l-aspartate, showing partial dissociation. But the reversibility to the active state was observed only in the enzyme dissolved in the solution containing l-aspartate.

4. l-Aspartate did not prevent the enzyme either from the dissociation into subunits or from decrease in the activity by urea.

5. High concentration of l-aspartate was shown to inhibit the l-asparagine hydrolysis reaction.

6. l-Aspartate was suggested from ORD measurements to cause changes in the higher structure as well as the ionic properties or proteolytic inactivation.

     

Conformation of Some Hexuronic Acids and d-Galactopyranosiduronic Acid Moiety in the Peracetylated and Permethylated Derivatives of Orange Pectic Acid in Solutions

1. The 1C conformation was estimated for α-d-galactopyranosiduronic acid moiety of pectic acid in the permethylated derivative dissolved in 1 n NaOD-D₂O and in the peracetylated derivative dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide-d₆, and the C1 conformation was estimated for some derivatives of d-galactopyranuronic acid in chloroform-d by NMR spectroscopy.

2. Random conformation of the whole macromolecule was estimated for pectic acid in water on the basis of no appearance of any induced Cotton effects in the 200 ~ 700 mμ region in the ORD spectra of pectic acid-anionic dye complexes.

3. The conformation was supported by the fact that the rate of periodate oxidation of pectic acid at 5° was slightly decreased in comparison with that of amylase in 7 m urea solution.

     

Removal of Anti-complementary Material and Australia Antigen from Immunoglobulin

Inmunoglobulin isolated from human sera, be it by the cryo-alcohol, rivanol, multi membrane electrodecantation or polyethylene glycol process, alvays contains denatured material. This may result from the influence either singly or in combination, of acme of the follwing factors:

1. inefficiency of the purification procedure;

2. surface denaturation;

3. imperfect freeze-drying of the final product; and

4. factors yet unknown vhich cause alteration in the immoglobulins or other protein components not ellminated by the purification procedures.

     

Circadian rhythm of active amino acid transport in rat liver

Abstract

The circadian change of the encephalic photosensitivity of quail has been demonstrated. In this study the diurnal variation of the retinal photosensitivity was investigated by the electroretinogram (ERG) to explore the phase relation between the retinal and encephalic systems. The b‐wave, a major component of the ERG, was used as a measure of retinal photosensitivity.

1. In the bird maintained in LD12:12 the b‐wave amplitude of the ERG stayed at a high level for the first 10 h of the light period, and decreased abruptly around the time of light‐off. The decreased level continued until midnight. Thenceforth the b‐wave amplitude recovered progressively to the daytime level before the time of next light on.

2. In the bird maintained in LD16:8, the decrease of the retinal sensitivity in the light phase was initiated prior to the time of expected light‐off, and the onset time of decreasing tendency was advanced by 2 h, with dark adaptation for 30 min given immediately before the ERG measurement. Upon continuous light exposure, the b‐wave amplitude always remained at low level.

3. Periodic changes in retinal sensitivity persisted when the environmental dark phase was temporarily extended for 19 to 30 h.

These observations suggest that the diurnal rhythm of the neural retina in quail might be generated endogenously and appears to control the encephalic photosensitive system.     

Direct determination of diene conjugation and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) oxidative damage can explain the role of DTPA-Fe2+-O2 complex in a linoleic acid-DNA system

SUMMARY

Exposure of linoleic acid to diethylenetriminepentaacetic acid (DTPA)-Fe²⁺ complexes resulted in fast diene conjugation and peroxidized products which could further react with deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) to cause DNA oxidative damage. In this paper, we have detected diene conjugation and DNA oxidative damage in a linoleic acid-DNA model system driven by DTPA-Fe²⁺ and found that:

• 1. in air or oxygen-saturated reaction systems, addition of hydrogen peroxide resulted in a decrease in diene conjugation and double-stranded DNA content, but had no obvious effects on the formation of DNA fluorescent products;

• 2. in anoxic conditions, addition of hydrogen peroxide had no effect on the formation of diene conjugation and fluorescent products, but resulted in a decrease of double-stranded DNA content;

• 3. in the presence of DTPA, Fe³⁺ did not stimulate the formation of diene conjugation;

• 4. the formation of diene conjugation and fluorescent products was not inhibited by superoxide dismutase, catalase, sodium benzoate, sodium azide and mannitol.

However, these ‘scavengers’ increased the percentage of double-strand DNA to different degrees. α-tocopherol, but not reduced glutathione (GSH), inhibited the formation of diene conjugates. α-tocopherol and GSH both could reduce the amounts of fluorescent products and DNA strand breaks. Taken together, these data further indicate that chelator-Fe²⁺-O₂ complex, a perferryl-type oxidant, is probably an important initiator of lipid peroxidation in the linoleic acid-DNA system.     

Solubilization and Characterization of Ovomucin without Chemical Modification

1. The egg white, thick and thin fractions, was solubilized in 1.0% SDS solution by vigorous mixing and subjected to gel filtration on a Sepharose 4B column, eluted with 1.0% SDS. The isolated thick and thin ovomucins were found by analytical disc electrophoresis to be free from contamination with lysozyme.

2. In the velocity sedimentation the two ovomucin fractions behave similarly, both comprising at least two components with sedimentation coefficients 35 S and 30 S.

3. The chemical compositions of the two ovomucin fractions showed only notable difference in that the carbohydrate content of the thick white ovomucin was somewhat higher than that of the thin white ovomucin. The amino acid profiles of the two fractions were similar.

     

Ecological Risk Assessment and Quantitative Consequence Analysis

Ecological risk actually refers to two separate things. First, risk to the environment as a result of human activity. Contaminated sites are an example. Second, risk to the biota—flora, fauna, and people—as a result of environmental hazards. Geophysical risk arising from natural hazards is an example. Risk is a combination of likelihoods and consequences. This article examines methods used to quantify the consequences. At the general level, such methods are linked to the methods used to quantify the likelihoods and thus to quantify the risks. It is possible to use the existing frameworks of risk management, health risk assessment, and ecological risk analysis to develop a risk management framework that is suitable for ecological risk assessment. The framework consists of the following steps:

1. Determine concernsby using risk assessment techniques for various scenarios.

2. Identify the consequences by systematically identifying hazards.

3. Undertake calculations by using relevant models.

4. Evaluate certainties, uncertainties, and probabilities involved in the calculations of the vulnerability and of the exposure.

5. Compare with criteriato assess the need for further action.

6. Determine and act on options to control, mitigate, and adapt to the risk.

7. Communicatethe results to those who need to know.

     

Enzymatic Studies on the Oxidation of Sugar and Sugar Alcohol

During the course of studies on the oxidative metabolism of d-sorbitol by acetic acid bacteria, it was found that d-sorbitol was almost quantitatively converted to 5-keto-d-fructose via l-sorbose by a certain strain of Gluconobacter suboxydans. In addition to 5-keto-d-fructose, three γ-pyrone compounds, kojic acid, 5-oxymaltol, and 3-oxykojic acid, 2-keto-l-gulonate, and several organic acids such as succinic, glycolic, and glyceric acids were confirmed in the culture filtrate of this bacterium.

• The most suitable carbon source for 5-ketofructose fermentation by Gluconobacter suboxydans Strain 1 was confirmed to be d-sorbitol or l-sorbose using growing and resting cells. d-Fructose had little effect on the formation of this dicarbonylhexose.

• The optimal pH for the formation from l-sorbose by intact cells was found to be at 4.2.

• The activity of the pentose phosphate cycle in the resting cells was calculated as 13~17 μatoms/hr/mg of dry cells by the use of the manometric techniques.

• There was no strain tested so far which could accumulate a large amount of 5- keto-d-fructose from d-sorbitol except this bacterium.

• The experimental results shown in this paper makes the prediction that a certain dehydrogenating system of l-sorbose is functional in the organism, and the metabolic pathways of d-sorbitol via l-sorbose and 5-keto-d-fructose is proposed.

     

Effect of Ageing on the Oxidative Browning of Sugar-Amino Acid Model Systems

Sugar-amino acid model systems were aged for 3 months under anaerobic or aerobic conditions. Subsequently, these aged model systems were stored for 2 weeks at 37°C under aerobic conditions to examine “oxidative browning.” The results obtained were as follows:

1. The oxidative browning of the model systems increased with increase of the ageing period. Fe²⁺ increased the effects of the ageing.

2. The model systems aged under anaerobic conditions darkened more than those aged under aerobic conditions during storage for 2 weeks.

3. An Amadori rearrangement product, 1-deoxy-1-glycino-d-fructcse was isolated from the aged glucose-glycine model system and it caused a marked increase in the rate of the oxidative browning. Therefore, Amadori rearrangement products are considered to be important precursors in the oxidative browning reaction.

     

Effects of Acetylation with Acetic Anhydricle

1. L-Asparaginase (EC 3.5.1.1) from Escherichia coli A–l–3 was acetylated using acetic anhydride as a modifying chemical. The fully acetylated L-asparaginase retained 60% of the activity of the unmodified L-asparaginase.

2. The acetylated L-asparaginase hydrolyzed D-asparagine and L-glutamine as well as L-asparagine in the same ratio as the unmodified L-asparaginase did.

3. However, the effects of pH on the activity of the acetylated L-asparaginase showed very interesting differences from that of L-asparaginase. On the other hand, both L-asparaginase and the acetylated L-asparaginase exhibited similar pH activity curves on L-glutamine hydrolysis.

4. The acetylated L-asparaginase was found to become more stable against acid or heat in the presence of L-aspartate than in its absence in the same manner as L-asparaginase was.

     

Analisis de la craneometria diferencial entre la vicuña (Vicugna vicugna) y la alpaca (Lama guanicoë pacos)

Using a total of 43 craneological data obtained from any of 73 vicugna and 25 alpaca skulls, three problems were analyzed:

• Identification of skulls

• Taxonomic situation of the vicugna

• Origin of the alpaca.

For rapid identification of New World cameloid skulls it is recommended to use the condilobasal length, the length to heigth ratio and the presence of the Fissura nasolacrimalis.

Some characteristics of the skulls considered essential for the evaluation of domestication processes exclude the vicugna from the alpaca's ancestors.     

Embriologia Della “Vinca Difformis„ Pourr. (Apocinaceae)

Riassunto

L'A. ha studiato l'embriogia della Vinea difformis Pourr. ed ha potuto stabilire che:

1. l'archisporio è pluricellulare e possono svilupparis talvolta pi[ugrave] cellule madri;

2. normalmente solo una cellula madre arriva a maturità;

3. delle quattro megaspore solo una è fertile e precisamente la pi[ugrave] calazale;

4. lo sviluppo del gametofito è del tipo Normale cioè Monomegasporiale con oangio emisporiale.

Ha inoltre risontrato una anomalia di sviluppo constituita da un gametofito binucleato abnorme per ritardo delle divisioni nucleari cispetto all'acerescimento che è quello di un gametofito ottonucleato.     

On the neotropical acanthocinini (coleoptera,ceramhycidae, lamiinae) some new genera and generic revisions

In Fortführung seiner Untersuchungen über neotropische Acanthocinini veröffentlicht der Verfasser hiermit Beschreibungen von folgenden neuen Gattungen:

• Nyssodrysilla nov. gen. mit N. irrorata (Melzer) aus Brasilien als Generotype, N. viliata (Melzer), comb, nov., aus Brasilien und N. lineata nov. spec, aus Peru.

• Nyssodrysola nov. gen. mit N. stictica nov. spec. aus Peru als Generotype.

• Sciadosurus nov. gen. mit S. albobrunneus nov. spec. aus Peru als Generotype.

• Acarinozineus nov. gen. mit A. striatus nov. spec. aus Peru als Generotype und A. spinicornis nov. spec, aus Mexiko.

• Alcathousites nov. gen. mit A. chaclacayoi nov. spec. aus Peru als Generotype.

• Xylergatina nov. gen. mit X. pulcher (Lane) aus Peru als Generotype.

• Xylergatoides nov. gen. mit X. asper (Bates) aus Brasilien und Argentinien als Generotype.

Ferner werden revidiert die Gattungen:

• Xylergates Bates, Generotype X. lacteus (Bates), mit Beschreibung der beiden neuen Arten X. elaineae aus Peru und X. dorotheae aus Britisch‐Guayana.

• Chaetanes Bates, Generotype C. setiger (Bates), mit Beschreibung der drei neuen Arten C. costulatus aus Peru, C. nigrobasalis aus Brasilien und C. apicalis aus Französisch‐Guayana.

• Wo es erforderlich ist, sind Bestimmungstabellen gebracht und die Arten abgebildet.

     

Optimization of fermented Perilla frutescens seeds for enhancement of gamma-aminobutyric acid and bioactive compounds by Lactobacillus casei TISTR 1500

Abstract

Select LAB, including Lactobacillus fermentum TISTR 950, Lactobacillus plantarum TISTR 2265 and Lactobacillus casei TISTR 1500 were investigated for their ability to enhance GABA, TPC and the antioxidant activity of perilla seed juice. L. casei TISTR 1500 produced higher GABA and TPC contents and presented higher antioxidant activity than other strains. Furthermore, the optimal fermentation condition to perilla seeds inoculated with L. casei TISTR 1500 to improve the GABA, TPC and antioxidant activity was performed using 3³ full factorial design. The final optimal values for perilla fermentation was found at fermentation time of 4.82 days (4 days 19?h 40?min), initial substrate of 5% (w/v) and fermentation temperature of 30.07?°C. Under the optimal fermentation condition, an observed values of GABA, TPC, ABTS, DPPH and FRAP were 71.46 µg/g, 3175.00 µg GAE/g, 1991.40 µg TEAC/g, 9178.29 µg TEAC/g and 7753.34 µg TEAC/g, respectively, which was 3.3, 0.9, 2.9, 10.8 and 10.2 times higher than that of unfermented perilla seeds, and 2.1, 0.8, 0.9, 10 and 9.2 times of fermented perilla seeds before the optimization. These results may provide the foundation to further target in industrial application for the production of plant-based and develop functional perilla seed products containing GABA.

• Highlights

• Improved GABA, TPC and antioxidant contents were found using Lactobacillus casei TISTR 1500

• Full factorial design applied to optimize fermented perilla seeds by lactic acid fermentation

• The optimized conditions dramatically increased GABA and TPC contents

     

Quality of Irrigation Waters of the Alkali Infested Areas in Allahabad,India

The concentration and composition of dissolved constituents in water, determine its quality for irrigation. Quality of water is important consideration in any appraisal of salinity or alkali conditions in an irrigated area. The characteristics of an irrigation water that appear to be most important in determining its quality are:

1. Total concentration of soluble salts.

2. Relative proportion of sodium to other cations.

3. Concentration of boron or other toxic elements.

4. Under certain conditions, the bicarbonate concentration as related to the concentration of calcium plus magnesium.

The total concentration of soluble salts in irrigation waters can be adequately expressed for purposes of diagnosis and classification in terms of electrical conductivity. Irrigation waters that have been used successfully for a considerable time have conductivity values less than 2,250 micro mhos/cm. Waters of higher conductivity are used occasionally, but crop production, except in unusual situations, has not been satisfactory.