Inhibitors from Carob (Ceratonia siliqua L.) I. Nature of the Interaction With Gibberellic Acid on Shoot Growth

Concentrated whole extracts of the immature fruit of carob and 3 fractions derived from this extract have been shown to inhibit the gibberellic acid induced growth of pea seedlings. The inhibition can be completely reversed by increasing the amount of gibberellic acid. The inhibitors do not reduce the endogenous growth of seedlings but only that induced by gibberellic acid. One of the fractions is a newly separated one not previously reported.     

Genetics of dietary obesity in AKR/JxSWR/J mice: segregation of the trait and identification of a linked locus on Chromosome 4

We describe a new multiple gene mouse model of differential sensitivity to dietary obesity that provides a tool for dissecting the genetic basis for body composition and obesity. AKR/J and SWR/J male mice, as well as male progeny of intercrosses between these strains, were fed a high-fat diet for 12 weeks beginning at 5 weeks of age. Body weight and energy intake were assessed weekly. At the conclusion of the dietary manipulation, an adiposity index was calculated by dividing the weight of seven dissected adipose depots by the carcass weight. AKR/J mice had approximately sixfold greater adiposity than SWR/J mice. Examination of the segregation of the adiposity trait in the progeny of crosses between these strains indicates that the trait is determined by a minimum of one to four genetic loci and that there is significant dominance of the AKR/J genotype. A preliminary analysis with markers linked to the known mouse obesity genes ob, db, tub, and fat showed no linkage with these loci. However, a quantitative trait locus was found that maps distal to the db gene on Chromosome (Chr) 4. This locus has been designated dietary obese 1 or Do1.     

Use of nuclear morphometry characteristics to distinguish between normal and abnormal cervical glandular histologies.

This is a methodological study exploring the use of quantitative histopathology applied to the cervix to discriminate between normal and cancerous (consisting of adenocarcinoma and adenocarcinoma in situ) tissue samples. The goal is classifying tissue samples, which are populations of cells, from measurements on the cells. Our method uses one particular feature, the IODs-Index, to create a tissue level feature. The specific goal of this study is to find a threshold for the IODs-Index that is used to create the tissue level feature. The main statistical tool is Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. When applied to the data, our method achieved promising results with good estimated sensitivity and specificity for our data set. The optimal threshold for the IODs-Index was found to be 2.12.     

棘豆属刺垫棘豆亚属(豆科)的订正

1971年,N.Ulzijkhutag根据采自阿拉善戈壁(=Bordzon-Go-bi)的标本(1970-07-29,V.I.Grubov,N.Ulzijkhutag et G.Tserendalzhid,无号)发表新种Oxytrops grubovii,并以此建立新组Oxytropis subgen.Traganthoxytropis sect.Monan-thos;1987年,G.P.Yakovlev将O.grubovii归入海绵豆属Spongiocarpella;1988年,张振万同意N.Ulzijkhutag的意见,并根据刺垫棘豆之龙骨瓣无喙等特征将Ulzijkhutag的刺     

Influence of prostaglandins on electrolyte metabolism of human trabecular bone in vitro

A procedure was developed to investigate the electrolyte metabolism of human trabecular bone and its regulation in vitro, in particular the influence of prostaglandins. Trabecular bone was prepared from femoral heads of patients who had undergone hip replacement surgery for coxarthrosis. 500 mg samples were incubated in modified EAGLE's minimal essential medium. Net electrolyte movements between bone and incubation medium were measured. During 6 hours of incubation PGE2 caused an increase in the release of calcium and magnesium from bone into incubation medium as compared to controls. The effect of PGE2 was dose-dependent and comparable to that of human parathyroid hormone 1-34 (hPTH 1-34) whereas hPTH 3-34 had no effect. Human calcitonin (hCT) caused a decrease in the release of calcium and magnesium. PGE2 was found to be the most potent prostaglandin. PGE1 and PGF2 alpha had about 50% and PGF1 alpha about 40% of the potency of PGE2. PGA1 and PGA2 had no effect. The effect of PGE2 could be completely inhibited by hCT and was not further enhanced by hPTH 1-34. Magnesium movement was affected in the same way as calcium movement, while phosphate movement and release of alkaline phosphatase and hydroxyproline from bone into incubation medium were not affected by prostaglandins.     

Comparative reproductive patterns in culture of differentGigartina subgenusMastocarpus andPetrocelis populations from northern Japan

Samples of theGigartina pacifica-ochotensis complex were collected at 21 localities around Hokkaido and northern Honshu. The carpospore and blade tip cultures showed 3 reproductive patterns. (1) 237 (86.8%) of the 273 cultured isolates derived from single plants have a direct type of life history. (2) 29 (10.6%) isolates exhibited a heteromorphic type with the alternation of foliose gametophytes and crustose tetrasporophytes. (3) 7 (2.6%) isolates showed a mixed pattern in which carposporelings developed intoPetrocelis-like crusts, basal discs with uprightGigartina blades, or chimera-like discs with compositePetrocelis-Gigartina anatomy. CulturedGigartina blades derived from bothG. pacifica andG. ochotensis were similar in morphology. In 18 cultures from 5 localitiesPetrocelis tetraspores developed into dioeciousGigartina gametophytes. A single tetrasporeling grew into aGigartina plant that reproduced directly. In hybridization experiments with 8 male and 14 female isolates from 4 localities on Hokkaido 85 (78.0%) of 109 were positive. On the basis of these and earlier studies it is concluded that a single species is present in northern Japan:G. pacifica Kjellm. has priority overG. ochotensis (Rupr.) Rupr. ex Yendo.     

Muscarinic cholinergic and preganglionic physiological stimulation increase cyclic GMP levels in guinea-pig superior cervical ganglia.

Abstract— Incubation of guinea-pig superior cervical ganglia in 500μ4mUm -carbachol for 2min increased cyclic GMP levels 530% over control values. The increase was blocked by prior incubation in 300μm atropine. No increase in cyclic GMP levels after incubation in 100 μm -l -norepinephrine was observed. Preganglionic physiological stimulation for 8 min at 10 Hz increased cyclic GMP levels 180% over control values. We conclude that both muscarinic cholinergic and preganglionic physiological stimulation increase cyclic GMP levels in guinea pig superior cervical ganglia, while norepinephrine has no effect.