New Intercommunity Infanticides by the Chimpanzees of Ngogo,Kibale National Park,Uganda

Hostile intercommunity relations, including attacking and killing extra-community infants of both sexes have occurred at most wild chimpanzee sites. We describe three recent cases of intercommunity attacks on infants committed by members of the Ngogo chimpanzee community in Kibale National Park, Uganda. Two of the attacks resulted in confirmed infanticides while a third attack probably resulted in the infant's death. In common with previous accounts of chimpanzee infanticides, the attacks described here occurred during boundary patrols outside the Ngogo community's usual range, adult and adolescent males were the main participants, one infant was cannibalized after being killed, and the victims’ mothers did not accompany the attacking party back to the Ngogo range. However, the patrol parties during each infanticide were larger than before and included females from the Ngogo community. Our observations indirectly support both the range expansion and imbalance of power hypotheses, which address why and under which conditions chimpanzee intercommunity encounters lead to aggression. These cases of intercommunity infanticide add to the growing database of the phenomenon in wild chimpanzees.     

A putative GDP–GTP exchange factor is required for development of the excretory cell in Caenorhabditis elegans

The Caenorhabditis elegans excretory cell extends tubular processes, called canals, along the basolateral surface of the epidermis. Mutations in the exc-5 gene cause tubulocystic defects in this canal. Ultrastructural analysis suggests that exc-5 is required for the proper placement of cytoskeletal elements at the apical epithelial surface. exc-5 encodes a protein homologous to guanine nucleotide exchange factors and contains motif architecture similar to that of FGD1, which is responsible for faciogenital dysplasia. exc-5 interacts genetically with mig-2, which encodes Rho GTPase. These results suggest that EXC-5 controls the structural organization of the excretory canal by regulating Rho family GTPase activities.     

Interferon inhibits DNA Synthesis induced in Mouse Lymphocyte Suspensions by Phytohaemagglutinin or by Allogeneic Cells

IN addition to its well known antiviral activity, interferon has recently been shown to inhibit the multiplication of tumour and mammalian cells in cell culture^1–6. We report here the inhibition by interferon of DNA synthesis induced in mouse spleen lymphocytes by the non-viral stimuli phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) and allogeneic lymphocytes. These findings are in accord with our contention that interferon affects cell function and, furthermore, they suggest that by acting on lymphocytes, interferon plays a role in the immunological response of the host.     

Two Amino-acid Carriers in Pea Chloroplasts

CHLOROPLASTS are more permeable to amino-acids^1,2 than are cell membranes³ and also discriminate between their optical isomers². This has led to the suggestion that the passage of amino-acids through the limiting membranes of chloroplasts is facilitated by carriers². Using the additional criteria of saturation and competition, we support this suggestion and show that at least two carriers are probably involved.     

A predictive model for freshwater bioassessment (Mondego River,Portugal)

We sampled macroinvertebrates at 75 locations in the Mondego river catchment, Central Portugal, and developed a predictive model for water quality assessment of this basin, based on the Reference Condition Approach. Sampling was done from June to September 2001. Fifty-five sites were identified as “Reference sites” and 20 sites were used as “Test sites” to test the model. At each site we also measured 40 habitat variables to characterize water physics and chemistry, habitat type, land use, stream hydrology and geographic location. Macroinvertebrates were generally identified to species or genus level; a total of 207 taxa were found. By Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic mean (UPGMA) clustering and analysis of species contribution to similarities percentage (SIMPER), two groups of reference sites were established. Using Discriminant Analysis (stepwise forward), four variables correctly predicted 78% of the reference sites to the appropriate group: stream order, pool quality, substrate quality and current velocity. Test sites’ environmental quality was established from their relative distance to reference sites, in MDS ordination space, using a series of bands (BEAST methodology). The model performed well at upstream sites, but at downstream sites it was compromised by the lack of reference sites. As with the English RIVPACS predictive model, the Mondego model should be continually improved with the addition of new reference sites. The adaptation of the Mondego model methodology to the Water Framework Directive is possible and would consist mainly of the integration of the WFD typology and increasing the number of ellipses that define quality bands. Handling editor: K. Martens     

Quantitative detection of bisphenol A and bisphenol A diglycidyl ether metabolites in human plasma by liquid chromatography–electrospray mass spectrometry

Due to the ubiquity of epoxy resin compounds and their potential role in increasing the risk for reproductive dysfunction and cancer, the need for an assessment of human exposure is urgent. Therefore, we developed a method for measuring bisphenol A (BPA) and bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (BADGE) metabolites in human blood samples using high-performance liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC–MS). Human blood samples were processed using enzymatic deconjugation of the glucuronides followed by a novel sample preparation procedure using a solid-phase-cartridge column. This selective analytical method permits rapid detection of the metabolites, free BPA and a hydrolysis product of BADGE (BADGE-4OH) with detection limits in the low nanogram per milliliter range (0.1 ng ml⁻¹ of BPA and 0.5 ng ml⁻¹ of BADGE-4OH). The sample extraction was achieved by Oasis HLB column on gradient elution. The recoveries of BPA and BADGE-4OH added to human plasma samples were above 70.0% with a standard deviation of less than 5.0%. This selective, sensitive and accurate method will assist in elucidating potential associations between human exposure to epoxy-based compounds and adverse health effects.