Sex-related dimorphism of the morphofunctional characteristics of the epiphysis in newborn children subjected to hypoxic impairment and asphyxia

In 72 newborn children (37 boys and 35 girls) who suffered from prenatal hypoxia and were born in an asphyxic state, we measured the level of melatonin in the umbilicial blood and observed clinical manifestations of the adaptation/stress syndrome. These data were compared with the results of morphological examination of the epiphyses from 27 stillborns (15 boys and 12 girls) who perished because of heavy prenatal hypoxia. The level of melatonin in the blood of ill newborn girls was much higher than that in boys, and both these indices were about two times higher than those in respective groups of healthy newborn children. At the same time, the pathomorphological examination showed that active epiphyseal cell units in the male fetuses were much more numerous. The results show that the epiphysis plays a significant role in determination of the sex-related dimorphism of the adaptation/stress syndrome in newborn children suffering from hypoxia- and asphyxia-evoked heavy CNS damage. The reasons and consequences of more intensive morphofunctional loading of the epiphyseal system in the male fetuses are discussed.     

Monitoring an invasive perennial at the landscape scale with remote sensing

Summary   Worldwide, invasive weeds threaten agricultural, natural and urban ecosystems. In Australia's agricultural and grazing regions, invasive species often establish across extensive areas where weed management is hampered by an inability to detect the location and timing of an outbreak. In these vast landscapes, an effective detection and monitoring system is required to delineate the extent of the invasion and identify spatial and temporal factors associated with weed establishment and thickening. In this study, we utilize a time series of remote sensing imagery to detect the spatial and temporal patterns of Prickly Acacia ( Acacia nilotica ) invasion in the Mitchell grass plains of North Queensland. We develop a spectral index from Landsat images which is applied to images from 1989 to 2004, in combination with a classification mask, to identify locations and monitor changes in Prickly Acacia density across 29 000 km² of Mitchell grass plains. The approach identified spectral and temporal signatures consistent with Prickly Acacia infestation on 1.9% of this landscape. Field checking of results confirmed presence of the weed in previously unrecorded locations. The approach may be used to evaluate future spread, or outcomes of management strategies for Prickly Acacia in this landscape and could be employed to detect and monitor invasions in other extensive landscapes.     

A recessive mutation leading to vertebral ankylosis in zebrafish is associated with amino acid alterations in the homologue of the human membrane-associated guanylate kinase DLG3.

We describe the characterization of the zebrafish homologue of the human gene DLG3. The zebrafish dlg3 gene encodes a membrane-associated guanylate kinase containing a single PDZ domain. This gene was cloned using a gene-trap construct inserted in the gene's first intron. The insertion co-segregates with a viable mutation called humpback (hmp), which leads to formation of ankylotic vertebrae in adult fishes. Insertion and mutation have both been mapped to chromosome 12, in a segment which is syntenic with region p12 to q12 of human chromosome 17. The hmp mutant phenotype, however, appears to be due to two point mutations in the guanylate kinase domain rather than to the transgene insertion itself. The results of this study are discussed in the light of the possible function of the guanylate kinase domain.     

Actin participates in the structure of liver intermediate filaments

A dominating protein fraction (p45) having molecular weight of 45000 and pI 5.45 was found in the intermediate filaments pellet obtained from rat liver besides the present cytokeratins. Peptide mapping and radioimmunological assays with antibodies against this protein and muscle actin proved that the p45 protein belongs to the actin group. Immunoelectron microscopy revealed that this protein is located on the liver intermediate filaments. By melting of the cytokeratin complexes in urea it was established that p45 protein is complexed with the low molecular weight cytokeratin.     

Proteinases of small intestine enterocytes of swine. Purification and properties of aspartyl proteinase similar to cathepsin D

A new aspartic proteinase was isolated from porcine intestine mucosa by affinity chromatography on pepstatin-Sepharose 4B and gel filtration on Sephadex G-100. The enzyme was purified 1600-fold and appeared homogeneous upon polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The proteinase has a Mr 60 000 +/- 4000 Da. During sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis the enzyme produced a single protein band (Mr 30 000 +/- 3000 Da). Isoelectric focusing revealed that the enzyme has several multiple forms (pI 6.9, 7.5, 8,0). The enzyme is a glycoprotein containing 5.9% of carbohydrates; the mannose to galactose ratio is 1:3. The amino acid composition of the enzyme was studied. The proteinase splits an oxidized insulin B-chain and synthetic substrates. The pH optimum is 3.2. The enzyme is immunologically identical to porcine spleen cathepsin D.     

Selection of HLA compatible donors for patients with HLA antibodies

A strain of 1,507 typised donors enables 15.97 average donors to be selected for a thrombocyte transfusion in one of 75 patients selected at random with HLA antibodies being previously determined (1 to 66 donors per patient). HLA compatible donors were found for 72 patients (97.33 per cent). More than 5 HLA compatible donors could be found for 58 patients. The high number of compatible donors is based on the fact that among 1,507 donors there were 156 HLA homozygotes and 556 donors with 3 HLA-A or B-antigens respectively. Compatibility in the ABO-system was not taken into account.     

PHYLOGENETIC ANALYSIS OF THE MALE ONTOGENETIC PROGRAM IN AQUATIC AND TERRESTRIAL MONOCOTYLEDONS

The male program of ontogeny in flowering plants encompasses the events from meiosis of microsporocytes to fertilization. Three main sequences are discussed; the deposition of cell walls, changes in cytoplasmic organelles, and the program of nuclear divisions leading to the formation of two sperm cells and a vegetative cell in each pollen grain. Variations in these ontogenetic sequences are particularly apparent in the monocotyledons, which exhibit diversity in pollen morphology, wall structure, and mode of pollination. The male program of development has been compared in selected terrestrial monocotyledons belonging to the Liliaceae and Gramineae and aquatic members of the Cymodoceaceae, Najadaceae, and Zannichelliaceae. A total of 26 characters from the male program are discussed and then used to construct a cladogram derived only from developmental data for the five species. The polarity of only a few of the character transformations has been determined directly by observation of developmental sequences; most have been interpreted by outgroup analysis.