Observations on the early actions of prolactin on RNA and casein synthesis in mouse mammary gland explants

The action of prolactin on RNA synthesis in cultured mouse mammary gland explants becomes manifest when the tissues are exposed only briefly (1 h or less) to prolactin. In contrast, the action of prolactin on casein synthesis only becomes apparent when the tissues are cultured for 6 h or more with prolactin. Once the actions of prolactin on RNA and casein synthesis are initiated, however, these effects persist for hours or days, even when the tissues are subsequently cultured in the absence of prolactin.     

Are there knobs on energy transducing membranes in situ?

It is argued here that the projections which are frequently seen on the matrix side of the mitochondrial inner membranes and which are characterized as globules or spherical projections or as knob-on-stalks are an artifact of the preparation and/or of the staining of the submitochondrial particles or mitochondria. In sectioned or freeze-fractured preparations of intact cells or mitochondria, the externalized spheres are rarely seen on the membranes. They are, however, almost always seen on fragmented preparations, especially if they have been negatively stained with phosphotungstate.     

Preface

Data on the toxicity and selectivity of synthetic pyrethroids (SPs) to arthropod natural enemies and their host or prey are reviewed with emphasis on cotton, apple, alfalfa, cereal and vegetable inhabiting species. Generally, SPs are variably toxic and selective (in relation to their hosts or prey) to species within most families of natural enemies. Exceptions are low to moderate toxicity and favorable selectivity to most hemipteran predators, and high toxicity and unfavorable selectivity to virtually all phytoseiid mites in comparison to their prey. In North America, SPs are more favorably selective to cotton natural enemies over their prey or host than to apple inhabiting species. These differences may be due to intrinsic levels of susceptibility (preselection levels) between the types of natural enemies exploited on both crops in IPM programs (i.e. hemipteran species on cotton versus phytoseiid mites on apple) and/or to tolerances or resistances differences due to previous patterns of chemical use on these crops. Possible means of increasing selective use of SPs in future IPM systems based on ecological and physiological selectivity including the development of SP-resistant predators are discussed.     

Habitat monitoring in Europe: a description of current practices

Monitoring of biodiversity at the level of habitats is becoming increasingly common. Here we describe current practices in habitat monitoring based on 150 schemes in Europe. Most schemes were initiated after 1990 in response to EU nature directives or habitat management/restoration actions, with funding mostly from European or national sources. Schemes usually monitor both the spatial distribution and the quality of the habitats, and they frequently collect data on environmental parameters and potential causes of changes. Many schemes are local or regional rather than national or international in scope, and sampling effort varies greatly across spatial and temporal scales. Experimental design is used in half of the schemes, however, data are rarely analysed by advanced statistics. Most schemes require two months or less per year in manpower and are typically run by professionals rather than by volunteers. Estimated salaries plus equipment costs average 650,000 Euro per year per scheme, and add up to 80 million Euros annually. Costs are particularly high for schemes based on European or international law and for schemes funded by European or national sources. Costs are also high in schemes in which sampling sites are selected subjectively rather than based on sampling theory, and in schemes that do not use field mapping or remote sensing to document spatial variation in habitats. Our survey demonstrates promising developments in European habitat monitoring but also underlines the need for better spatial coverage, documentation of spatial variaton, improved sampling design and advanced data analysis. Such improvements are essential if we are to judge progress towards the 2010 biodiversity targets.     

The visual perception of the ant Myrmica ruginodis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Myrmica ruginodis workers are able to distinguish black or white circles from black or white squares, black or white ellipses from black or white rectangles as well as hollow circles or ellipses from hollow squares or rectangles. They can also distinguish differently oriented elements as well as objects containing a various number of elements. These workers are also able to perceive and discriminate transparent cues on a black background and even small luminous spots on a black ceiling. Such visual abilities are in agreement with the species?? eye morphology and system of navigation: the eyes are rather large with a well-developed posterio-dorsal part, and the foragers rely exclusively on cues located above them, neglecting odorous elements as long as visual perception is possible. Probably, they might use cues located in the canopy and the sky to travel in certain circumstances.     

Effects of cold and heat on behavior and cerebellar function in goldfish

Summary A similar sequence of behavioral effects was observed for either cooling or heating; most effects occurred on changing temperature of entire fish or of only the cerebellum. On moderate heating or cooling, fish are hyperexcitable, spontaneously hyperactive; on further heating or cooling swimming is uncoordinated; when the subcerebellar structures are heated or cooled, equilibrium is disturbed; on further heating or cooling coma and respiratory failure ensue. Critical temperatures are modifiable by acclimation. The behavioral effects of cerebellectomy are additive with temperature effects on motor centers.Electrical activity of Purkinje neurons changes in the same thermal ranges as behavior. Inhibition via cerebellar interneurons is most sensitive and can be modified by acclimation. Ongoing activity increases with warming up to a blocking temperature; interspike interval histograms show pattern changes during warming. Activation via mossy fibers-granule cells is more sensitive than that via climbing fibers, and antidromic impulses are most resistant.A neuronal model based on inhibitory actions of Purkinje neurons on motor centers and parallel feedback excitatory pathways can explain both behavioral and electrical observations.     

中国红豆属植物的叶表皮形态学

用光学显微镜和扫描电子显微镜观察了红豆属(Ormosia)35种的叶表皮形态,这些植物的叶上下表皮细胞为不规则形或多边形,垂周壁有平直、弓形、浅波状或深波状,表皮细胞形状和垂周壁在种间有一些差异。气孔仅存在于下表皮,形状为椭圆形或卵形,以平列型为主;此外还有其他类型的气孔,如长脐红豆、海南红豆等的气孔为不规则形、不等型;少数种类如亮毛红豆、茸荚红豆等的气孔不明显。气孔外拱盖光滑,呈浅波状、波状或不明显,气孔内拱盖光滑、近光滑、浅波状或不明显;蜡被近光滑、颗粒状、鳞片状、条纹状或结网状;多数种具毛被。叶表皮与气孔器特征可作为区分种、变种或亚种的依据。叶表皮微观形态特征支持红豆属成为一个自然类群。     

中国苏铁属花粉形态研究

对中国苏铁属花粉进行了光镜和扫描电镜观察。花粉中等大,极轴长２６．５－３５．７μｍ,赤道轴长２０．６－２６．４μｍ;极面观椭圆形至近圆形,赤道面观船形或肾形,具远极单沟,达两端,其开闭和形状随花粉干燥或潮湿而变化,内部具多种不规则突起,两端具皱纹;远极面外壁光滑或稀具微突起,近极面具穿孔,孔穴或蜂窝状纹饰。     

Global rigid body modeling of macromolecular complexes against small-angle scattering data

New methods to automatically build models of macromolecular complexes from high-resolution structures or homology models of their subunits or domains against x-ray or neutron small-angle scattering data are presented. Depending on the complexity of the object, different approaches are employed for the global search of the optimum configuration of subunits fitting the experimental data. An exhaustive grid search is used for hetero- and homodimeric particles and for symmetric oligomers formed by identical subunits. For the assemblies or multidomain proteins containing more then one subunit/domain per asymmetric unit, heuristic algorithms based on simulated annealing are used. Fast computational algorithms based on spherical harmonics representation of scattering amplitudes are employed. The methods allow one to construct interconnected models without steric clashes, to account for the particle symmetry and to incorporate information from other methods, on distances between specific residues or nucleotides. For multidomain proteins, addition of missing linkers between the domains is possible. Simultaneous fitting of multiple scattering patterns from subcomplexes or deletion mutants is incorporated. The efficiency of the methods is illustrated by their application to complexes of different types in several simulated and practical examples. Limitations and possible ambiguity of rigid body modeling are discussed and simplified docking criteria are provided to rank multiple models. The methods described are implemented in publicly available computer programs running on major hardware platforms.     

拟寄生蜂的寄主标记研究进展

拟寄生蜂常借助寄主标记信息素 (host marking pheromone, HMP) 来辨别已寄生寄主和健康寄主,避免过寄生和多寄生,减少后代的种内和种间竞争。寄主标记有外部标记、内部标记和“容器”及区域标记3种方式。HMP来源于拟寄生蜂的杜氏腺、毒腺、输卵管、卵巢、卵或咽侧体,由触角或产卵器感受。目前已鉴定出几种拟寄生蜂的HMP,多数为饱和与不饱和烃类的混合物,但卡氏盾痣细蜂Dendrocerus carpenteri的HMP是保幼激素。拟寄生蜂对寄主标记的反应受HMP持效期,拟寄生蜂内部状况如载卵量、年龄、经验和学习,及外部条件如拟寄生蜂和健康寄主种群密度以及寄主种类的影响。本文还讨论了HMP研究的理论和实际意义。     

Immunochemical approaches to gene probe assays

Antibodies specific for helical nucleic acids can be applied to assays for hybridized DNA and/or RNA. The assays can use either radioactive or nonradioactive detection systems. Antibodies specific for RNA-DNA hybrids are applicable to assays for measuring hybrid helices that are immobilized on plastic or nitrocellulose, whether the helices are preformed in solution or are formed on the solid-phase support. Alternatively, anti-RNA-DNA hybrid antibodies can be immobilized and used to capture hybrids formed in solution, resulting in an assay with a high signal-to-noise ratio. It has been applied to a test for the presence of ribosomal RNA of Campylobacter jejuni in biological samples.     

Recommendations for naming plant pathogenesis-related proteins

Pathogenesis-related proteins (abbreviated PRs) are defined as plant proteins that are induced in pathological or related situations. We propose a unifying nomenclature for PRs based on their grouping into families sharing amino acid sequences, serological relationship, and/or enzymatic or biological activity. The nomenclature classifies novel proteins identified by electrophoresis or chromatography along with those established by other workers. The previously proposed system of the five well-established families from tobacco is extended to accommodate a further six families. Families are indicated by arabic numerals and individual members are named by lower case letters in the order in which they are described. Additional rules are proposed to deal with forms containing more than a single polypeptide and as yet unclassified PRs. PR genes whose sequences are conserved but whose designations are not based on function are to be designated Ypr in accordance with the recommendations of the Commission on Plant Gene Nomenclature.     

中国黄耆属糙叶组叶表皮毛状体微形态学特征

采用体视显微镜和扫描电子显微镜,对中国产黄耆属糙叶组34种植物的叶表皮毛状体的形态特征及其分布进行了观察,以探讨中国黄耆属糙叶组物种表皮毛微观形态的变异式样及其分类学意义,为糙叶组物种的分类鉴定提供依据。结果表明：除乳白花黄耆（A. galactites）仅在叶下表面被毛外,其余种类上下表皮均有毛,且毛的分布、形态、长度和臂比在不同种类间存在差异。叶表皮毛为伏贴或开展的中空管状毛,伏贴毛着生部位基部膨大,整体形态从中部向两端由粗逐渐变细,开展的毛大部分为细长的丝状或线状,光滑或具条纹状纹饰,上面分布有乳突。研究认为,叶表皮表面伏贴、短而平直、其上光滑具密集乳突、臂比值小、整体宽扁的毛是祖先特征;而叶表皮表面向上开展、长而密集、外形呈丝状或线形、其上具条纹状纹饰、乳突稀疏、臂比值大的毛是进化特征。     

Antigens and Antigenic Variability of the African Trypanosomes*†

SYNOPSIS. The recent literature on the physical, chemical and biological characterization of antigens from the African trypanosomes is reviewed. The antigens are divided into three major groups: a) variant-specific antigens, b) common antigens, and c) host-like antigens. The variant-specific antigen(s) are relatively small molecular weight proteins located on the surface of the trypanosome, and are involved in protection and agglutination. It is suggested that there is more than a single variant-specific antigen on the cell surface. In contrast, the common antigens are internal or somatic antigens which are believed to have structural or enzymatic functions but are not involved in either protection or agglutination. In addition, evidence is also presented which suggests that there are host-like antigens within the surface coat and/or membranes of the trypanosomes. The importance of these three groups of antigens, and the mechanis(s) of antigenic variation are discussed in relationship to the immune response of the host to the African trypanosomes. Several possible approaches for future investigations are described.     

Pollen morphology and ultrastructure of selected species from Annonaceae

The morphology and ultrastructure of fresh pollen from nine species, one including two varieties representing seven genera of Annonaceae are described based on observations with scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The pollen grains are elliptic with a single furrow, or disulculate. Some are globose with no visible aperture or any indication of a pole. Ornamentation is smooth, rugulate, echinate or verrucate. The tectum is usually continuous and of the same thickness over the whole grain except for the aperture zone, where the exine elements are very often imperceptible. The infratectum may be granular, or columellae and granules are mixed together. The foot layer consists of continuous or irregularly contorted foliations. The endexine is distinct and thin, and varies slightly in thickness in some species, but is vaguely distinguishable in others. The intine is two-layered and consists of an entexine with many vesicular-fibrillar components with tubular extensions, and a more homogeneous endintine. The controversy around the presence of an endexine in Annonaceae is discussed, but whether its presence is ancestral cannot be determined. Data on fresh pollen are compared with those from similar studies on dried pollen.     

Role and regulation of the ortho and meta pathways of catechol metabolism in pseudomonads metabolizing naphthalene and salicylate.

The enzymes of naphthalene metabolism are induced in Pseudomonas putida ATCC 17484, PpG7, NCIB 9816, and PG and in Pseudomonas sp. ATCC 17483 during growth on naphthalene or salicylate; 2-aminobenzoate is a gratuitous inducer of these enzymes. The meta-pathway enzymes of catechol metabolism are induced in ATCC 17483 and PPG7 during growth on naphthalene or salicylate or during growth in the presence of 2-aminobenzoate, but in ATCC 17484 and NCIB 9816 the ortho-pathway enzymes of catechol metabolism are induced during growth on naphthalene or salicylate. 2-Aminobenzoate does not induce any enzymes of catechol metabolism in the latter two organisms. In Pseudomonas PG the meta-pathway enzymes are present at high levels under all conditions of growth, but this organism and PpG7 can induce ortho-pathway enzymes during naphthalene or salicylate metabolism. Salicylate appears to be the inducer of the enzymes of naphthalene metabolism in all of the organisms studied and, where they are inducible, of the meta-pathway enzymes, but the properties of Pseudomonas PG suggest that separate, regulatory systems may exist.     

Physicians in health care management: 2. Managing performance: who,what, how and when?

Physicians are becoming more involved in performance management as hospitals restructure to increase effectiveness. Although physicians are not hospital employees, they are subject to performance appraisals because the hospitals are accountable to patients and the community for the quality of hospital services. The performance of a health care professional may be appraised by the appropriate departmental manager, by other professionals in a team or program or by peers, based on prior agreement on expectations. Appraisal approaches vary. They include behavioural approaches such as rating scales, peer rating, ranking or nomination and outcome approaches such as management by objectives and goal setting. Professionals should give and receive timely feedback on a flexible schedule. Feedback can be provided one-on-one, by a group assessing quality of care or through an anonymous survey.     

Compartmentation of Salicylate-induced proteins

A key factor of immunity, salicylic acid (exogenous or accumulating under the action of biotrophic or semibiotrophic pathogens on plants), causes the formation of not only protective antipathogenic proteins but also many proteins, which enhance the resistance of host plant cells. Salicylate-induced proteins, which are encoded by nuclear genes and formed with cytoplasmic ribosomes, function in the cytosol or are transported into nuclei, vacuoles, plastids, mitochondria, and outside the plasmalemma. This review is focused on salicylate-induced proteins, which are not only delivered into different compartments but are also involved in their transmembrane transport.     

Sensory and glandular equipment of the trunk limbs of the Chydoridae and Macrothricidae (Crustacea: Anomopoda)

Each of the five pairs of trunk limbs of theChydoridae and Macrothricidae contains one or severalcuticular pores, some of which connect to glands whichsecrete to the filter chamber. They are situated in afixed or a variable position, usually on the endite ofthe limb.Limbs 2 to 5 are also equipped with small sensoryorgans which may be apically perforated or not.Relatively large, perforated sensilla, often with aspecies- or genus-specific morphology occur on theendites of P3, P4 and sometimes on P5; unperforatedpapilliform and batilliform sensilla occur in variouspositions on P2, P3, and P4. In the Macrothrixlaticornis-group, three of the six setae of theposterior row of the endite of P3, which arefiltratory in other species groups, are modified intorod-like structures resembling the esthetascs of thefirst antenna.We conclude that the filter chamber in the familiesstudied here combines a sensory and a glandularfunction with the filtratory one. These functions,typical of a mouth, are localised behind themasticatory apparatus in vertebrates. In theseCladocera, however, they are physically situated infront of the mandibles.