The fine structure of cephalopod blood vessels II. The vessels of the nervous system

Summary Blood vessels of the perioesophageal nerve ganglia (brain) of Octopus vulgaris and the stellate ganglia of Sepia officinalis are described. The vessels have an incomplete endothelium, a complete basement membrane and a complete investment of pericytes. The pericytes are joined by specialised membrane junctions but these are not tight junctions. The main type of neuron/vessel arrangement is one where there is a collagen-filled space between the pericytes and the surrounding glial cells. Axons or neurons are sometimes applied directly to the vessel pericytes and in the neuropil, pericytes contact glial cells that ensheath bundles of axons. Blood spaces between neurons are also present.We would like thank Professor J. Z. Young and Dr. E. G. Gray for encouragement and advice, Mrs. Jane Astafiev for drawing Fig. 11, Mr. S. Waterman for photographic assistance and Miss Cheryl Martin for secretarial and other assistance.     

Evaluation of the Urea Washout Pyelogram and Urography in the Assessment of Renovascular Hypertension

The urea washout (UWT) modification of the intravenous pyelogram was used to study 146 hypertensive patients in order to detect the presence of significant renovascular abnormalities. A positive result was obtained in 55 patients and direct confirmation of main renal artery stenoses by selective renal arteriography was obtained in 26. Bilateral abnormalities were confirmed in seven of the 26 patients. No false-negative results were encountered. The usefulness of this test as a comprehensive screening test is outlined. It demonstrated a high degree of accuracy in the diagnosis of significant unilateral or bilateral main renal artery stenosis in addition to the detection of diffuse intrarenal arteriolar disease. It was of value in the postoperative assessment of operative repair of main renal artery defects. The urea washout test embodies both an anatomical and a physiological approach in the roentgen diagnosis of curable renovascular hypertension. The altered physiology resulting from significant main renal artery stenosis makes possible the use of the urea washout intravenous pyelogram. The value of other forms of intravenous pyelography is described.     

Nurses and Doctors

Several families segregating for hydrotic ectodermal dysplasia are described, including the later generations of a family originally reported by Clouston (1929). No deviations from an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance were found.     

Improved Control of Organism Concentration in Continuous Cultures of Filamentous Micro-organisms

S ummary . Mycelium concentration and culture volume measurements in continuous cultures are affected by accretions of filamentous organisms at the overflow weir. A pinch valve is described which periodically closed the air and culture effluent tube. When released the outrush of air cleared the overflow system. With the device the standard deviations of the steady state mycelium dry weights were reduced to one third of their former value and progressive concentration of the organism was eliminated. Measurement of culture volume was corrected for gas retained in the mycelial mass.     

Oxidative activity of poikilotherm mitochondria as a function of temperature

In Newell & Northcroft (1967) evidence was presented which showed that the metabolism of certain intertidal invertebrates at rest does not vary greatly with temperature change. The following work was undertaken to determine whether temperature-independent metabolism could be demonstrated in suspensions of mitochondria extracted from poikilotherm tissue and whether it could be inferred that there was any difference in the ability of poikilotherms from different habitats to adjust toshort-term temperature change.
It was found that the rate of reaction/temperature curve of mitochondria isolated from the skate Raia had a flattened region below 10°C but above this the rate of oxidation of succinate and pyruvate increased regularly with temperature. The curve for intertidal forms had a gradual slope extending as high as 20°C in the mussel Mytilus edulis while in the terrestrial snail Helix aspersa the gradual slope reached 27.5°C after which the rate of oxidation of substrate increased sharply before declining towards higher temperatures. Finally, the curve for mitochondria isolated from the desert locust Schistocerca gregaria showed a gradual slope up to 35°C after which a sharp increase in the rate of oxidation of substrate occurred. Thus the extent of the gradual slope corresponds with the normal environmental temperature range to which the tissues of the poikilotherms are subjected and the general form of the R-T curve is such that rapid fluctuations within the normal environmental temperature range have relatively little effect on the rate of mitochondrial activity.     

Pigmented Bacteriostatic Substances and Amino Acids Produced by Phlebopus sulphureus and Phlebopus lignicola

The pigmented bacteriostatic substances and ninhydrin-reactive compounds produced in culture by sporophores, stipes, and residual medium of Phlebopus sulphureus and P. lignicola were studied chromatographically. Acetone extracts of both species demonstrated bacteriostatic activity against Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli, the maximal inhibition zone being 13 mm. The chloroform extract was inactive. Six compounds, mainly yellow, extracted in ethyl alcohol and separated by chromatography, were common to the sporophore of P. sulphureus and the stipes of P. lignicola. Eight amino acids, mainly sulfur-containing, were identified chiefly from the mature sporophore of P. sulphureus.     

A study of the hatching process in aquatic invertebrates. XVI. Events of eclosion in Calopsectra neoflavellus Malloch (Diptera,Tendipedidae). XVII. Hatching in Argulus megalops Smith (Crustacea,Branchiura)

Summary Hatching in the tendipedid, Calopsectra neoflavellus involves first a slow uptake of water by the embryo during development, whereby it increases in size and comes to fill entirely the space within the chorion. After completion of embryonic development, the prolarva increases still more in size by swallowing and absorbing water. Internal pressure thus generated results in the bursting of the chorion. The larva then frees itself by active movements.In the branchiuran, Argulus megalops, hatching is similar to that previously described for Copepoda, in that an inner egg membrane swells osmotically and splits the outer chorion. Subsequent bursting of the inner membrane throws the larva nearly out of the egg, but final emergence is by active struggle of the larva.

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Zusammenfassung Das Ausschlüpfen von Calopsectra neoflavellus enthält erstens eine langsame Wasseraufnahme durch den Embryo, wodurch der Embryo wächst und das Wasser den ganzen Raum zwischen Embryo und Chorion füllt. Nach Vollendung der Entwicklung quillt der Embryo noch mehr auf durch den Schluckakt und Aufnahme des Wassers. Dann zerreisst das Chorion durch den intraovularen Druck. Endlich befreit sich die Larve durch Sträuben.In Argulus megalops (Branchiura) gleicht das Ausschlüpfen dem vorher dargestellten für den Copepoden. Eine innere Membran schwillt osmotisch und zerreisst; das Chorion dann zerreist auch die innere Membran selbst and wirft die Larve nahezu aus dem Ei hinaus, aber die schliessiiche Befreiung geschieht durch Sträuben.

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Supported by National Science Foundation grant GB-219, entitled A study of hatching and of the ecology of egg masses of aquatic invertebrates.