Neuropharmacological profile of a high-affinity ligand of 5-HT1A receptors, 4-phenyl-1-[4-(2-naphtalimido)butyl]-piperazine

The neuropharmacological profile of 4-phenyl-1-[4-(2-naphtalimido)butyl]-piperazine (PNBP), a compound that possesses a high affinity for the serotonin receptors of 1A-type (5-HT_1A) and lacks an anxiolytic action, has been studied. Intracerebral administration of PNBP to rats through implanted cannulae into the hippocampal region resulted in no substantial behavioral changes during “open field” and “conflict situation” tests, as compared with those of control animals. At the same time, the behavioral effects of intraperitoneal administration of 10 mg/kg buspirone were completely abolished if buspirone had been jointly administered with 10 mg/kg PNBP. Moreover, combined application of 0.3 mg/kg PNBP and 0.3 mg/kg 8-OH-DPAT, an agonist of 5-HT_1A receptors, almost completely abolished the components of “serotonin syndrome” (prone position and stamping of the forepaws) in animals under study. These findings allowed us to conclude that PNBP has the properties of a competitive antagonist of buspirone and 8-OH-DPAT.     

New species of Pogonophryne (Pisces, Artedidraconidae) from the Bellingshausen Sea, Antarctica

A new species of notothenioid fish, Pogonophryne bellingshausenensis n. sp., is described from the Bellingshausen Sea, Antarctica. The new species belongs to the dorsally-spotted “mentella” group of the genus and is characterized by having a short (about 13% SL) mental barbel with a short (about 16% of barbel length), narrow (barely wider than the stalk), and relatively inconspicuous terminal expansion composed of short, irregular, fingerlike processes. Compared to most other dorsally-spotted species of Pogonophryne (“barsukovi”, “marmorata”, and “mentella” groups), P. bellingshausenensis has a relatively wide (about 7% SL) interorbital region. An unspotted patch on the median dorsal surface of the head, posterior to the posttemporal ridges and anterior to the first dorsal fin, has not been observed previously in any dorsally-spotted species. The holotype was collected at 1,947 m, one of the deepest records for any species of Pogonophryne. A revised key to the ten species of the “mentella” group of Pogonophryne is also provided.     

New evidence for the use of root foods in pre-agrarian subsistence recovered from the late Mesolithic site at Halsskov, Denmark

Roots and tubers, together with other plant storage organs such as rhizomes, bulbs, corms, etc. are known to be a source of human food. Until very recently, however, remains of root foods were rarely identified from archaeological contexts in temperate Europe. New evidence for the use of root foods has been recently recovered from the early Erteb?lle settlement at Halsskov in Denmark. Remains included charred bulbs of Allium cf. ursinum and tubers of Conopodium majus. They were accompanied by charred remains of parenchymatous tissues derived from underground parts of other plants. All parenchymatous remains were recovered from features that could be interpreted as pit-cooking depressions. A minimum of two periods of root food gathering can be assumed, spring to early summer and autumn. The presence of charred seeds of Nuphar pumilum suggests that either the seeds or rhizomes (or both) were use as food. Received September 4, 2001 / Accepted February 27, 2002     

Proteins of the Rpf (resuscitation promoting factor) family are peptidoglycan hydrolases

The secreted Micrococcus luteus protein, Rpf, is required for successful resuscitation of dormant "non-culturable" M. luteus cells and for growth stimulation in poor media. The biochemical mechanism of Rpf action remained unknown. Theoretical predictions of Rpf domain architecture and organization, together with a recent NMR analysis of the protein structure, indicate that the conserved Rpf domain has a lysozyme-like fold. In the present study, we found that both the secreted native protein and the recombinant protein lyse crude preparations of M. luteus cell walls. They also hydrolyze 4-methylumbelliferyl-beta-D-N,N',N'-triacetylchitotrioside, a synthetic substrate for peptidoglycan muramidases, with optimum activity at pH 6. The Rpf protein also has weak proteolytic activity against N-CBZ-Gly-Gly-Arg-beta-naphthylamide, a substrate for trypsin-like enzymes. Rpf activity towards 4-methylumbelliferyl-beta-D-N,N',N'-triacetylchitotrioside was reduced when the glutamate residue at position 54, invariant for all Rpf family proteins and presumably involved in catalysis, was altered. The same amino acid substitution resulted in impaired resuscitation activity of Rpf. The data indicate that Rpf is a peptidoglycan-hydrolyzing enzyme, and strongly suggest that this specific activity is responsible for its growth promotion and resuscitation activity. A possible mechanism of Rpf-mediated resuscitation is discussed.     

Mesolithic burials in los canes cave (Asturias,Spain)

Los Canes is a small cave situated half way up the abrupt southern slope of Cuera range, near the village of Arangas (Eastern Asturias, Spain). Three funerary structures have been discovered in the entrance of that cave. They consisted of burials (one of them, number II, reused) where the corpses of three individuals had been placed in different positions, with the legs strongly bent. Various grave goods (animal bones, pierced teeth, a perforated antler, etc.) accompanied them. The individuals found in these burials have been directly dated by AMS. Their age ranges between 6930±95 and 6265±75 BP (5930–5680 and 5330–5010 cal. BC). The present paper describes in detail the burials and discusses the questions raised by their datations and characteristics. Fourthermore the authors compare them with other Cantabrian funerary structures, taken into account the different mesoecological factors and living conditions of these last hunter-gatherer populations. Some preliminary anthropological data about Los Canes individual n^oI are also considered.     

Effects of N-uronoyl derivatives of neurotransmitter amino acids on rats under conditions of behavioral tests

Under conditions of a few behavioral tests on rats, we examined the psychotropic activity of novel N-uronoyl derivatives of amino acids: (i) N-(1,2:3,4-di-O-isopropylidene-α-D-galactopyranuronoyl-β-alanine (DAGU-Ala), (ii) DAGU-glycyl-D,L-glutamic acid (DAGU-Gly-Glu), and (iii) DAGU-glycyl-glycine (DAGU-Gly-Gly) injected i.p. in a 50 mg/kg dose. In an open-field test, DAGU-Gly-Glu and DAGU-GLy-Gly showed antistress properties (they decreased the intensity of locomotion, decreased the number of defecation acts, and intensified the research activity), while DAGU-Ala possessed a psychostimulating effect (intensification of locomotor and research activity and an increase in the number of defecations). In the “black-and-white chamber” test, only DAGU-Gly-Gly exerted an anxiolytic effect; it somewhat increased the frequency and duration of emergings of animals from the dark section and duration of visits to the illuminated section of the chamber. DAGU-GLy-Glu manifested antidepressant properties; it increased the time of active swimming of the animal in the Porsolt test and decreased the duration of passive “hanging” of rats in the “suspension by the tail” test. Neirofiziologiya/Neurophysiology, Vol. 39, No. 1, pp. 52–61, January–February, 2007.     

Species composition and distribution of algae on the fringing coral reef of Sesoko Island (Ryukyu Archipelago) before and after the natural catastrophe of 1998

The species composition and distribution of marine plants on the fringing reef of Secoko Island were studied before and after the mass coral mortality in 1998. The study showed that changes in the bottom communities that occurred after bleaching of corals were caused by the presumed development of marine plants substituting reef-building corals on the bottom. The number of algal species grew from 211 to 345. The projective cover (PC) of hard substrate with macroalgae increased: in 1998, it was 1–10% in the subtidal zone and 20–50% in the intertidal zone, while in 2002 through 2005, the PC reached 71% in the subtidal and 40–85% in the intertidal zone. It is assumed that the phase of the “plant reef” on Sesoko Island is a temporary event, and that the coral reef can recover within several decades, unless a natural catastrophe occurs again.     

A Simple Method for Developing Microsatellite Markers using Amplified Fragments of Inter-simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR)

10 A primer IP1 designed from the sequenced region at one end of the microsatellite and for nested PCR another primer IP2 based on the sequence between IP1 and the microsatellite were prepared. These two primers were used to determine the other sequence flanking the microsatellite by a “walking” method. With this approach, we developed several microsatellite markers from Salix reinii, Pinus densiflora and Robinia pseudoacacia, respectively. The absence of enrichment processes and screening procedures makes it easier to develop microsatellite markers, and this approach provides an alternative for the development of microsatellite markers in any organism. Received 23 April 2001/ Accepted in revised form 11 June 2001     

Food-washing among wedge-capped capuchin monkeys (cebus olivaceus)

Four cases of spontaneous food-washing and others novel behaviours are reported forCebus olivaceus. The individuals observed are either wild or captive born members of wedgecapped capuchin monkey groups from two zoological parks in Caracas, Venezuela. Those cases seem to represent the resolution of particular and circumstantial problems, rather than indication of learning, transmission or imitation processes.     

Identifying bipolar knapping in the Mesolithic site of Font del Ros (northeast Iberia)

Despite recent advances in the identification of bipolar knapping, its role in many sites is not well known. We propose to assess the significance of this technique in the context of changes that occur in the Mesolithic. A lithic assemblage was recovered from unit SG at Font del Ros (Catalunya, Spain) in which pitted stones, cores and products arising from bipolar reduction (flakes, fragments and splintered pieces) were identified. This study indicates that the bipolar technique is fundamental in the settlement. These results are key to defining the organization of Holocene hunter-gatherer subsistence in northeast Iberia.     

Devonian Gastropoda from the Dornap “Massenkalk” complex (Bergisches Land,Germany)

Seven Middle Devonian (latest Givetian or earliest Frasnian) gastropod species are described from the quarry of Oetelshofen near Dornap (Bergisches Land, northwestern Rheinisches Schiefergebirge, Germany). New species areMurchisonia dornapica, Araeonema osterholzensis, Plagiothyra isekei andMacrochilina drozdzewski. Additionally, a new subspecies,Euryzone delphinuloides oetelshofensis and aNaticopsis-like species and their typical facial occurrence are discussed. The existence of predation is proved by a bore-hole inMacrochilina drozdzewski; the predator itself is not yet identified with certainty.      

Comparative studies of two types of “spontaneous” malignant alteration of ST/A mouse lung fibroblasts propagated in vitro

Summary Two types of apparently spontaneous malignant alterations of fibroblastlike ST/a mouse lung cells (ST-L cells) grown in vitro are described. One type is characterized by a high tumorigenic potential of the altered cells in nonconditioned syngeneic recipients, a fibro-blastlike morphology with cell surface showing very few microvilli by scanning electron-microscopy (SEM), and a growth pattern typical of nontransformed cells. These cells were described as R⁻ cells. The other type is characterized by a low tumorigenic potential in nonconditioned, immunocompetent syngeneic recipients, rounding up of the cells which by SEM showed numerous microvilli on the surface, and a growth pattern typical of transformed cells. These cells were described as round cells or R⁺ cells. In immunoincompetent mice, R⁺ cells readily produced sarcomas, which grew faster than those produced by R⁻ cells. Both types of ST-L cells expressed murine leukemia virus (MuLV) when tested in a peroxidase anti-p30 plaque test. The concentration of murine leukemia virus envelope glycoprotein (gp70) has previously (5) been shown to be threefold higher in R⁺ cells compared to R⁻ cells. Furthermore, round-cell transformation was accompanied by the development of crossreacting rejection antigens protective against a secondary challenge with Ehrlich ascites tumor and with syngeneic dimethylbenzanthracene induced ST/a mouse leukemia (STABAL). A similar protection was obtained by preimmunization with a cloned embryonic feral mouse cell line (SC-1) infected with ST-L virus as well as with virus-free SC-1 cells, suggesting the presence of rejection antigens both of viral (gp70) and nonviral origin. Sponsored by the Danish Cancer Society. Supported by the Kankerfonds van de Algemene Spaar-en Lijfrentekas. The SC-1 cell line was originally provided by contract E-73-2001-N01 within the Special Virus-Cancer Program NIH, USPHS, through the courtesy of Walter A. Nelson-Rees, Naval Biomedical Research Laboratory, Oakland, California, and Wallace P. Rowe, Laboratory of Viral Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, Maryland. The financial support of the Daell Foundation, the Schepler Foundation, the Jorgen Holm Foundation and the Danish National Research Foundation is gratefully acknowledged.     

Studies on the effect of NAD(H) on nitrogenase activity in Rhodospirillum rubrum

The effect of NAD(P) and analogs of this nucleotide on nitrogenase activity in Rhodospirillum rubrum has been studied. Addition of NAD⁺ to nitrogen fixing Rsp. rubrum leads to inhibition of nitrogenase. NADP⁺ has the same effect but NADH or analogs modified in the nicotinamide portion do not cause inhibition. In contrast to ammonium ions, addition of NAD⁺ leads to inhibition of nitrogenase in cells that have been N-starved under argon. The inhibitory effect of NAD⁺ is more pronounced at lower light intensities. Addition of NAD⁺ also leads to inhibition of glutamine synthetase, a phenomenon also occurring when “switchoff” is produced by the addition of effectors such as ammonium ions or glutamine. It is also shown that NAD⁺ is taken up by Rsp. rubrum cells.     

My Father’s Daughter: Becoming a ‘Real’ Anthropologist among the Ubang of Southeast Nigeria

This article explores some of the complexities of fieldwork for ethnographers conducting research in the ethnographic settings of significant ‘others’. The fieldwork in question took place in the rural, geographically isolated community of Ubang, in Obudu, Nigeria, where I was following in the footsteps of my anthropologist father. Drawing on personal experience, I attempt to candidly examine the challenges inevitably faced in this situation, including acceptance by the community as a bona fide researcher, pressure to fulfill the expectations of others familiar with my father’s work, and the struggle to carve out a professional identity distinct from my father’s. An earlier version of this paper, bearing the same title, first appeared in the Anthropology Matters Journal, 2007, vol 9(1). The paper is dedicated to the memory of my father, HRH Eze (Prof.) V.C. Uchendu, whose untimely death occurred after the final editing of the article, on December 7, 2006.     

Interpersonal violence at Lepenski Vir Mesolithic/Neolithic complex of the Iron Gates Gorge (Serbia-Romania)

The Mesolithic populations of the Danube River's Iron Gates Gorge (Serbia/Romania) spanned over 1,500 years (from before 7000 bc to around 5500 bc) in one of the most favorable foraging environments of Europe. Over most of these 1,500 years, the dominant economy was foraging, but farming was practiced by communities in the region from around 6500 bc. This research examines individuals from four sites on the Danube (Lepenski Vir, Vlasac, Padina, and Hajducka Vodenica) whose traumatic lesions can be most plausibly interpreted as resulting from violent interactions. Given over four hundred individuals buried at these sites (MNI = 418), the episodes of violent interactions were few and without evidence of a specific temporal pattern. They probably represent sporadic episodes of interpersonal conflict that do not support the notion of endemic warfare deemed typical of the Mesolithic, or elevated levels of interpersonal/intertribal conflict at the time of contact with farming communities. The difference in patterns of violence between the Mesolithic sites on the right bank of the Danube and a coeval site of Schela Cladovei on the left bank is explained in terms of differences in archaeological context, geographic location, and possibly specific local histories.     

Allometric Effects of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Agriophyllum squarrosum</Emphasis> in Response to Soil Nutrients,Water, and Population Density in the Horqin Sandy Land of China

We monitored the allometric effects for greenhouse-grown Agriophyllum squarrosum plants in response to variations in population density and the availability of soil nutrients and water. Biomass allocations were size-dependent. The plasticity of roots, stems, leaves, and reproductive effort was “true” in response to changes in nutrient content. At a low level of soil minerals, plants allocated more resources to the development of roots and reproductive organs than to leaves, but data for stem allocations were consistent for tradeoffs between the effects of nutrients and plant size. The plasticities of leaf allocation and reproductive effort were “true” whereas those of root and stem allocations were “apparent” in response to fluctuations in soil water, being a function of plant size. Decreasing soil water content was associated with higher leaf allocation and lower reproductive effort. Except for this “apparent” plasticity of leaf allocation, none was detected with population density on biomass allocation. Architectural traits were determinants of the latter. For roots, the determining trait was the ratio of plant height to total biomass; for stems and reproduction, plant height; and for leaves, the ratio of branch numbers to plant height.     

Bioaccumulation properties of nickel-, cadmium-, and chromium-resistant mutants of pseudomonas aeruginosa NBRI 4014 at alkaline pH

Nickel-, cadmium-, and chromium-resistant mutants of Psedomonas aeruginosa sp. NBRI 4014 are potent growth promontory strains. In the presence of metal(s), they have shown increased cell morphology and could accumulate nickel (2.0874 mM/g), cadmium (2.295 mM/g), and chromium (2.997 mM/g) at pH 9. However, chromium accumulation was maximum, but the toxicity levels of nickel, cadmium, and chromium was ranged from 90 to 504 μM of used metal(s). Bioaccumulation increases up to the fifth day at the highest used metal concentration and then became constant. This suggests their exploitation for detoxification and subsequently loaded biomass treatment for the recovery of accumulated metal(s).     

Ecological twin species and some obscure questions of hominidae evolutions

Ecological twin species are closely related species inhabiting the same ecological niche. Both micro- and macroevolutions proceed faster in a twin system than within a single species. One proposed hypothesis is that the acceleration of hominoid evolution was caused by the existence of ecological twin species. The complementary species for Homo habilis and Homo erectus were Australopithecus species. Both paleontological and cryptozoological data suggest that Homo sapiens has a complementary species as well. A small population of the latter may still exist today. Specific interaction within the system of two species explains the difficulty in detecting ecological twins of the species. The existence of a hypothetical human species provides the basis of popular talk of a “wildman”.     

Desmids in mountain lakes of the subpolar Urals

The species composition of desmids was studied in eight mountain lakes of the Kozhim and Malyi Patok River basins in the “Yugyd Va” National Park (subpolar Urals, Russia). A total of 98 desmid taxa representing 13 genera belonging to 4 families were identified. Geographical and ecological analyses showed that the desmid flora is typical, with a predominance of cosmopolitan species, planktic-benthic forms, acidophilic and pH indifferent species, and halophobic to salinity indifferent species. The investigated lakes can be classified as pristine and in good ecological condition on the basis of their hydrochemical and algal biodiversity characteristics. Presented at the International Symposium Biology and Taxonomy of Green Algae V, Smolenice, June 26–29, 2007, Slovakia.     

Voiceprint identification and its application to sociological studies of wild Japanese monkeys (Macaca fuscata yakui)

Japanese monkeys often exchange the particular vocal sound, “coo,” especially when they feed or move as a group. It was considered that the “coo” sound had no positive social meaning, perhaps because the “coo” sound network and its function were hidden behind other behavioral observations. For identification of the vocalizer only from hearing the “coo” sound, three phonetic values, i.e., the “fundamental,” “duration,” and “formants,” plus other characteristics were used as indices of voiceprints. The results indicated that these were effective for identifying the vocalizer in two-thirds of the adults in the study troop which was composed of 12 adults and 16 immature members. The “coo” sound exchange network among the troop members (adults) was drawn on the basis of the voiceprint identification. The network showed three characteristics as follows: (1) matriarchs of the kin-groups frequently exchanged “coo” sounds with each other; (2) the other females exchanged “coo” sounds mostly within their own kin-groups; and (3) males seldom participated in the “coo” sound exchange. This suggests that “coo” sound exchange plays a central role for the matriarch of kin-groups in binding each kin-group and, ultimately, in binding all members together into an organized troop.