Different types of photophore in the oceanic squids Octopoteuthis and Taningia (Cephalopoda: Octopoteuthidae)

The oceanic squid Octopoteuthis danue Joubin has one type of photophore on the head, body and arms, but another type on the eight arm tips. The first type has acomplexcapillary network, with elastic walls and a thick reflector. The arm tip organs have no such capillary core but a dense matrix containing paracrystalline assemblies.
Taningia danae Joubin (the only other genus in the family Octopoteuthidae) has only two large arm tip photophores. These are similar in their general organization to the arm tip photophores of Octopoteuthis , but their detailed structure is quite different.
There has evidently been independent evolution of photophores in this family of squids.     

Electron microscopic immunocytochemical localization of proline-rich proteins in normal mouse parotid salivary glands

Summary Rabbit polyclonal antibodies against isoproterenol-induced mouse proline-rich proteins (PRPs) were used to localize PRPs in the parotid salivary glands of normal adult BALB/c mice. The antibodies recognized both acidic-type and basic-type PRPs. Immunoblotting experiments revealed that the glands contained an acidic-type and a basic-type PRP. Parotid gland tissue was fixed with Karnosky's fixative and embedded in Lowicryl resin at low temperature. PRPs were localized at the electron microscope level using an indirect post-embedding staining technique with protein A-gold. The secretion granules of the acinar cells were strongly labelled. Pre-absorption of the antibody with purified acidic-type and basic-type PRPs indicated that the basic-type PRP is mainly located at the periphery of the granules but that the acidic-type PRP is more evenly distributed within the granules. Pre-absorption of the antibody with -amylase did not affect the staining pattern, suggesting minimal cross-reactivity. PRPs were also detected within the rough endoplasmic reticulum and the Golgi apparatus of acinar cells, within the granules of the proacinar cells and in the lumena of the ducts, but not within the intercalated or striated duct cell granules.     

A gene cluster involved in the utilization of both free heme and heme:hemopexin by Haemophilus influenzae type b.

The utilization of heme bound to the serum glycoprotein hemopexin by Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) strain DL42 requires the presence of the 100-kDa heme:hemopexin-binding protein encoded by the hxuA gene (M. S. Hanson, S. E. Pelzel, J. Latimer, U. Muller-Eberhard, and E. J. Hansen, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89:1973-1977, 1992). Nucleotide sequence analysis of a 5-kb region immediately upstream from the hxuA gene revealed the presence of two genes, designated hxuC and hxuB, which encoded outer membrane proteins. The 78-kDa HxuC protein had similarity to TonB-dependent outer membrane proteins of other organisms, whereas the 60-kDa HxuB molecule most closely resembled the ShlB protein of Serratia marcescens. A set of three isogenic Hib mutants with cat cartridges inserted individually into their hxuA, hxuB, and hxuC genes was constructed. None of these mutants could utilize heme:hemopexin. The hxuC mutant was also unable to utilize low levels of free heme, whereas both the hxuA and hxuB mutants could utilize free heme. When the wild-type hxuC gene was present in trans, the hxuC mutant regained its ability to utilize low levels of free heme but still could not utilize heme:hemopexin. The hxuA mutant could utilize heme:hemopexin when a functional hxuA gene from a nontypeable H. influenzae strain was present in trans. Complementation analysis using this cloned nontypeable H. influenzae hxuA gene also indicated that the HxuB protein likely functions in the release of soluble HxuA from the Hib cell. These studies indicate that at least two and possible three gene products are required for utilization of heme bound to hemopexin by Hib strain DL42.     

Kinetics of light emission by photosynthetic systems: Second order light decay kinetics means elovich kinetics in a solid state reaction; 1.5 order light decay kinetics means second order reaction kinetics

Kinetics of biological light emission processes do not mean what they seem to mean, because measured light intensity is not proportional to reactant concentration but to reaction rate. Therefore, the differential equation for light decay is usually different from that of concentration decay, so that mass action interpretations cannot be applied directly to light intensity decay. An observed second order light decay for Chlorella at 6.5°C, implies Elovich solid state reaction kinetics, which agrees with other evidence for solid state processes in photosynthesis. An observed 1.5 order light decay for Cholorella at 28°C implies second order liquid or solid state reaction kinetics. First ordere light decay implies first order reaction kinetics.     

A method for calculation of human systolic and diastolic blood pressures using an elastic reservoir theory of the systemic arterial system,and some clinical and physiological applications

Two equations have been developed that describe the interrelationship of the clinically measurable variables of the human systemic arterial system. An approximation method is given for their simultaneous solution for systolic and diastolic pressures in terms of heart rate, cardiac output, total peripheral resistance, and aortic distensibility. In this way, blood pressures were calculated for various clinically important and didactically useful situations. The effects on systolic and diastolic pressures due to changing either cardiac output or peripheral resistance or heart rate or aortic distensibility alone are shown. The effects on pulse pressure of varying cardiac output and peripheral resistance while holding mean arterial pressure constant are demonstrated. Compensatory mechanisms in hypertension and exercise are explored. Opinions and conclusions contained in this report are those of the author. They are not to be construed as necessarily reflecting the views or the endorsement of the Navy Department.