Radio Telemetry of the Electrocardiogram,Fitness Tests,and Oxygen Uptake of Water-Polo Players

During competitive water polo, heart rate in six subjects was monitored by cupped plastic and silver electrodes glued to the skin. Minimum rates during the game averaged 156 beats/min.; maximum rates averaged 186 beats/min. Mean maximum rate with bicycle exercise was 188 beats/min. Maximum oxygen (VO₂ max.) with bicycle exercise of 14 water-polo players was 53.3 ml./kg. Physical working capacity (PWC 170) was 1310 kilopond metres per square metre (k.p.m./sq.m.). PWC 170 correlated well with VO₂ max. in this small group (r = 0.77).Oxygen uptake was measured at three speeds of swimming and four levels of work on a bicycle ergometer. VO₂ max. of swimming was 88% of that obtained on bicycle exercise. The slope of the oxygen uptake vs. pulse rate curves was less for the swimming than for cycling, so that for a given oxygen uptake below the maximal, pulse rate was less in the swimmers. At near-maximal swimming, respiratory quotient was 0.95 compared with 1.27 for cycling, suggesting that the swimmers were underbreathing.     

Mechanism of Polykaryocytosis Associated with Noncytopathic Infection by Measles Virus.

Atherton, John G. (University of Southern California, Los Angeles), Sotiros G. Chaparas, Martha Cremer, and Irving Gordon. Mechanism of polykaryocytosis associated with noncytopathic infection by measles virus. J. Bacteriol. 90:213-219. 1965.-Infection with a measles virus variant resulted not only in formation of polykaryocytes (PK) but also in formation of multicellular immunofluorescent foci (IFF) in which no cytopathic effect could be detected. The ratio of IFF to PK changed from 27 to 4 during the first passage and remained 4 after a second passage. PK were plaques. Plaque assay was linear in the presence of IFF. To investigate the mechanism of PK formation, radioautography was done on cells pulse-labeled with tritiated thymidine before virus multiplication began. The results showed that PK were formed by fusion; there were no PK whose nuclei contained no label, and the proportion of labeled nuclei (32%) and distribution of grain counts was the same in PK as in uninvolved cells, ruling out nuclear replication without concomitant cytoplasmic membrane formation as the mechanism of formation of these PK. Early in PK development, neutral red uptake was markedly increased ("red" plaques). As PK matured, hyperchromicity disappeared ("white" plaques). This sequence provided an index of rate of evolution of PK. Rate of PK maturation was more rapid at 37 than at 32 C.     

Durhamycin, a Pentaene Antifungal Antibiotic from Streptomyces durhamensis sp. n

Durhamycin, derived from a previously undescribed soil isolate, is an apparently new antibiotic active against many of the fungi pathogenic for man and animals. Cultural and morphological characteristics and biochemical reactions of Streptomyces durhamensis are detailed. Methods of extraction of the antibiotic, physicochemical properties, antimicrobial spectrum, and results of mouse toxicity and protection tests are given.     

Motor unit territories supplied by primary branches of the phrenic nerve

Recent studies have demonstrated that, under certain circumstances, the diaphragm does not contract as a homogeneous unit. These observations suggest that motor units may not be randomly distributed throughout the muscle but confined to localized subvolumes. In the present study, electromyographic (EMG) and glycogen depletion methods were combined to investigate the organization of motor units supplied by the primary branches of the phrenic nerve in the cat. Four primary branches are generally present, one branch to the crus and three branches to the sternocostal region. The gross motor-unit territory of each of the four phrenic primary branches was determined by stimulating each nerve separately, while recording from nine EMG electrodes distributed over the hemidiaphragm. Stimulation of the crural branch evoked activity in the ipsilateral crus, whereas stimulation of each of the remaining branches evoked activity in discrete but overlapping areas of the sternocostal diaphragm. A more precise analysis of the distribution and borders of the motor territories was obtained by mapping regions depleted of muscle glycogen due to stimulation of each primary branch for 90 min. Glycogen depletion results closely matched the EMG findings of a localized distribution of motor units served by single primary branches. Stimulation of the crural branch typically caused depletion of the ipsilateral crus, whereas the sternocostal branches each served a striplike compartment. In the majority of cases, the borders of the sternocostal compartments were relatively abrupt and consisted of a 1- to 2-mm transition zone of depleted and nondepleted fibers. These studies demonstrate that motor unit territories of the primary branches of the phrenic nerve are highly delineated. This compartmentalization provides the central nervous system with the potential for a more precise regional motor control of costal and crural diaphragm than previously suspected.     

Validation of age readings from otoliths of juvenile roundnose grenadier, Coryphaenoides rupestris, a deep-water macrourid fish

Validation of the ageing of deep-water fish is difficult and there are only a few instances where the rings on the otoliths have been shown to be laid down annually. Roundnose grenadier have been fished commercially in the North Atlantic since the 1960s and the adult fish have frequently been aged by counting the rings in otoliths or scales. All the ageing was done on the assumption that the rings in the otoliths or scales were annual. Between 1975 and 1992, the Scottish Association for Marine Science carried out seasonal trawling surveys in the Rockall Trough using a fine-meshed trawl, and collected otoliths from a wide size range of roundnose grenadier. An examination of the growing edge of otoliths from juvenile fish from these collections suggests that the rings in the otoliths are laid down annually. The broader, opaque zones which represent the growth phase were dominant between September and March. The thinner, hyaline zones were dominant between April and July. The apparent delay in the growth phase compared with most shallow-water species is discussed in relation to the availability of mesopelagic prey.     

Macrophage colony-stimulating factor induces thrombospondin I production by cultured human macrophages

The role of colony-stimulating factors (CSFs) in regulating the synthesis of thrombospondin 1 (TSP1) by cultured human macrophages is investigated. Macrophage (M)-CSF is shown rapidly and transiently to induce two predominant species of TSP1 mRNA. One of these species was 3.2 kb in size and appeared to be specific to M-CSF-stimulated macrophages. Adherent M-CSF-treated macrophages are also shown to express abundant surface cell-associated TSP rapidly when examined by indirect immunofluorescence staining. Granulocyte-macrophage (GM)-CSF induced TSP1 mRNA at a later time point, and this was attributable to the effects of endogenous M-CSF induced by the GM-CSF; the GM-CSF-treated cells did not display surface-associated TSP after 3 hr of treatment. Analysis of the TSP1 protein synthesised by the M-CSF-treated macrophages revealed the expected trimeric form of the molecule. In addition, an unidentified 95-kDa protein was found to be covalently associated with immunoreactive TSP1, and this appeared to be specific to the macrophages as it was not found in TSP1 precipitated from other cell types. It is suggested that the induction of TSP1 by M-CSF may play an important role in the major physiological functions of macrophages. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Inversions with Deletions and Duplications

Complex mutational events, including de novo inversion with deletion and duplication of sequence, have been observed but are difficult to model. We propose that nascent leading-strand misalignment upon the lagging-strand template during DNA replication can result in the inversion of sequence. The positioning of this misalignment and of the realignment of the leading strand back onto the leading-strand template will determine if the inversion is accompanied by deletion and duplication of sequence. We suggest that such strand misalignment-realignment events may occur at the replication fork during concurrent DNA replication.