An approach to chemotaxonomy of the Asarum subgenus

A survey of chemical composition of 23 species of Asarum subgenus Heterotropa showed that the five groups could be distinguished on the basis of the presence or absence of asatone, phenol ethers and terpenes.     

Preliminary X-ray study of p-cresol methylhydroxylase (flavocytochrome c) from Pseudomonas putida N.C.I.B. 9869

Single crystals of p-cresol methylhydroxylase, a flavocytochrome c from Pseudomonas putida, have been prepared. The crystals are orthorhombic, space group P212121 with unit cell parameters; a = 140.3 A, b = 130.6 A and c = 74.1 A. They contain a single non-symmetric dimer per asymmetric unit and diffract to at least 2.5 A resolution.     

Nonspecific and antigen-specific adhesiveness of circulating lymphocytes in dysentery patients undergoing combined therapy using thymalin and indomethacin

Nonspecific adhesiveness of lymphocytes to polyacrylonitrile fiber and the antigen-specific adhesiveness of T-lymphocytes to Shigella flexneri pellicular immunosorbent have been studied in dysentery patients. Short courses of treatment with indomethacin, but not with thymalin (the preparation of thymic hormones), used for immunomodulation, have accelerated the normalization of nonspecific lymphocyte adhesiveness during regression of the disease, while indomethacin, in contrast to thymalin, inhibits antigen-specific T-lymphocyte adhesiveness which increases with the development of immune response.     

Saturation-transfer electron spin resonance studies on the mobility of spin-labeled sodium and potassium ion activated adenosinetriphosphatase in membranes from Squalus acanthias

The sodium and potassium ion activated adenosinetriphosphatase [(Na+,K+)-ATPase] in membranous preparations from Squalus acanthias has been spin-labeled on sulfhydryl groups after prelabeling with N-ethylmaleimide. Saturation-transfer electron spin resonance spectroscopy has been used to study the rotational motions of the labeled protein on the microsecond time scale. Effective rotational correlation times deduced from the diagnostic line-height ratios in the second-harmonic, 90 degrees out-of-phase (V2') spectra are much larger than those deduced from the spectral integrals, indicating the presence of large-scale segmental motions, in addition to rotation of the protein as a whole. Experiments involving controlled cross-linking of the protein by glutaraldehyde, as well as measurements of the line broadening of the conventional electron spin resonance spectra, support this interpretation. Both the spectral integrals and diagnostic line-height ratios are found to increase irreversibly with time on incubation at temperatures greater than 20 degrees C, corresponding to a decrease in the segmental motion of the protein and probably also in the overall protein rotation. The native enzyme displays a marked nonlinearity in the Arrhenius temperature dependence of the activity at temperatures above 20 degrees C, and the activity decreases with a half-life of ca. 70 min on incubation at 37 degrees C (but not on incubation at low temperature), paralleling the time- and temperature-dependent changes in the saturation-transfer spectra of the labeled protein. Both of these observations suggest that the changes observed in the molecular dynamics could correspond to functional properties of the protein.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Ultrastructural studies of endocrine-like cells in the fundic gastric mucosa of the bullfrog,Rana catesbeiana

Summary This study is concerned with electron-microscopic observations on endocrine or paracrine cells in the fundic gastric mucosa of the bullfrog. Also, an attempt was made to identify the histamine-releasing cells involved in the secretagogue response. At least three distinct endocrine-like cell types were found. The classification is based on the appearance of secretory granules and other organelles, and the relationship of endocrine-like cells with other cells in the tissue. The amphibian endocrine-like cells resemble the ECL, D and EC cells of mammals. Type-I (ECL) cells showed degranulation after repeated stimulation with tetragastrin (TG), acetylcholine (ACh) and K⁺ depolarizing solution, all of which release histamine.     

Disparity in Physician Perception of Patients' Adherence to Medications by Obesity Status

Physician perception of medication adherence may alter prescribing patterns. Perception of patients has been linked to readily observable factors, such as race and age. Obesity shares a similar stigma to these factors in society. We hypothesized that physicians would perceive patients with a higher BMI as nonadherent to medication. Data were collected from the baseline visit of a randomized clinical trial of patient–physician communication (240 patients and 40 physicians). Physician perception of patient medication adherence was measured on a Likert scale and dichotomized as fully adherent or not fully adherent. BMI was the predictor of interest. We performed Poisson regression analyses with robust variance estimates, adjusting for clustering of patients within physicians, to examine the association between BMI and physician perception of medication adherence. The mean (s.d.) BMI was 32.6 (7.7) kg/m². Forty‐five percent of patients were perceived as nonadherent to medications by their physicians. Higher BMI was significantly and negatively associated with being perceived as adherent to medication (prevalence ratio (PrR) 0.76, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.64–0.90; P = 0.002; per 10 kg/m² increase in BMI). BMI remained significantly and negatively associated with physician perception of medication adherence after adjustment for patient and physician characteristics (PrR 0.80, 95% CI: 0.66–0.96; P = 0.020). In this study, patients with higher BMI were less likely to be perceived as adherent to medications by their providers. Physician perception of medication adherence has been shown to affect prescribing patterns in other studies. More work is needed to understand how this perception may affect the care of patients with obesity.     

Factors influencing the efficiency of T-DNA transfer during co-cultivation of Antirrhinum majus with Agrobacterium tumefaciens

Summary The effects of varying the pH of the cocultivation medium, additons of vir-inducing phenolic compounds and the strains of wild-type agrobacteria on transformation rates of a number of different varieties of Antirrhinum majus were studied. In general, optimal transformation was found with strains C58 or A281 and was favoured by low pH and the inclusion of acetosyringone in the co-cultivation medium. However, maximal transformation of the least susceptible variety was achieved at high pH and in the presence of syringaldehyde. This demonstrates the need for the optimization of a wide range of culture conditions when working with new genotypes and offers a rational approach towards the development of Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of new species or varieties.Abbreviations BAP 6-benzylaminopurine - MS Murashige and Skoog medium (Murashige and Skoog, 1962) - NOA naphthoxyacetic acid     

Seasonal reproductive cycles in three commercially exploited fishes from the slope waters off New Zealand

Reproductive cycles were investigated in orange roughy, Hoplostethus atlanticus , smooth oreo, Pseudocyttus maculatus , and black oreo dory, Allocyttus sp., from mid-slope waters (600–1300 m) around New Zealand from 1982 to 1985. Orange roughly displayed a mid-winter spawning period in July and August, whereas both dory species spawned in November and December. In all three species, the timing of spawning was consistent from year to year. Ovarian development in orange roughy and black oreo dory was found to be synchronous, with a single clutch of oocytes being matured for each spawning season. In males, testes of a given macroscopic stage were dominated by a single gamete stage, supporting the existence of a brief rather than prolonged spawning period. The possible relationship of spawning period to seasonal changes in the productivity of the surface water is discussed.     

R-factor from the natural strain of Salmonella derby carrying a DNA-polymerase gene

A R-factor which determines multiple stability to antibiotics (Cm, Pn, Sm) was found in a Salmonella derby strain isolated from the clinical material. The plasmid was eliminated by treatment with ethidium bromide; the DNA-polymerase activity in the antibiotic-sensitive derivatives measured under conditions optimal for DNA-polymerase I from E. coli was found to be decreased 10-50-fold. Plasmid DNA of S. derby K89 was fractionated by electrophoresis in agarose gel; individual zones I-IV were obtained, using a preparative technique. Upon transformation of S. derby K82 pol- cells, only plasmid DNA in zone II (designed as pSD Cm pol) gave Cm-resistant transformants, in which the DNA-polymerase activity decreased to the normal level. The experimental results pont to the binding of the DNA-polymerase gene to the S. derby plasmid.