Effects of different levels of dietary zinc on the gilthead,Sparus aurata during the growing season

Gilthead were fed three diets. Diet A was the control diet, whereas diets B and C were supplemented with 300 and 900 mg Zn/kg, respectively. Fish fed with diet C, at the end of the experiment, showed the lowest weight. Zinc concentrations presented the higher values in gills, liver, and kidney. Muscle and brain had the lower mean values and showed a tight control of zinc levels. These results reinforce the hypothesis that zinc in the CNS should be strictly controlled in order to maintain the functional role of the metal. Significant differences in tissue zinc concentrations were obtained between fish fed different amounts of zinc, the metal concentrations being higher in tissues of fish fed diet C. The tissue decrease of zinc, found at the end of the experiment, may depend on a lower feed consumption or on different zinc requirements during the cold season. These changes, even if not univocal among the three diets, may be associated with the life cycle of fish. Furthermore, copper concentrations were little affected by the different concentrations of zinc in the three diets; liver and kidney presented the highest concentrations; liver showed a significant decrease in copper content at the end of the experiment. We conclude that: zinc concentrations of the diet may affect the gilthead weights and the tissual metal content; and zinc concentrations in the diets, depending on the growth rate, may be varied depending on the season.     

Efficacy of transfer factor in treating patients with recurrent ocular herpes infections

Recurrent ocular herpes is an insoluble problem for the clinician. As cellular immunity plays an important role in controlling herpes relapses, and other studies have shown the efficacy of HSV-specific transfer factor (TF) for the treatment of herpes patients, an open clinical trial was undertaken in 134 patients (71 keratitis, 29 kerato-uveitis, 34 uveitis) suffering from recurrent ocular herpetic infections. The mean duration of the treatment was 358 days, and the entire follow-up period 189121 before, and 64062 days after TF treatment. The cell-mediated immune response to the viral antigens, evaluated by the lymphocyte stimulation test (LST) and the leucocyte migration test (LMT) (P<0.001), was significantly increased by the TF treatment. The total number of relapses was decreased significantly during/after TF treatment, dropping from 832 before, to 89 after treatment, whereas the cumulative relapse index (RI) dropped, during the same period, from 13.2 to 4.17 (P<0.0001). No side effects were observed. It is concluded that patients with relapsing ocular herpes can benefit from treatment with HSV-specific TF.     

Deforestation and land use in the Brazilian Amazon

Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon was less than 1% before 1975. Between 1975 and 1987 the rate increased exponentially. By 1985, world opinion and attention to the destruction of the richest biome on earth led to elimination of some of the major incentives that had fueled deforestation. Favorable credit policies for cattle ranchers, rather than population growth, explains the process of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. The paper suggests other actions that may be taken to reduce deforestation, and examines the rapid growth rates of secondary successional species in a colonization area.     

Chromosomal localization of four human zinc finger cDNAs

cDNA clones encoding zinc finger motifs were isolated by screening human placenta and T-cell (Peer) cDNA libraries with zinc finger (ZNF) consensus sequences. Unique cDNA clones were mapped in the human genome by rodent-human somatic cell hybrid analysis and in some cases in situ chromosomal hybridization. ZNF 80 mapped to 3p12-3qter, ZNF 7 was previously mapped to 8q24 and is here shown by in situ hybridization and use of appropriate hybrids to map telomeric to the MYC locus. ZNF 79 mapped to 9q34 centromeric to the ABL gene and between a constitutional chromosomal translocation on the centromeric side and the CML specific ABL translocation on the telomeric side. ZNF77 mapped to 19p while ZNF 78L1 (pT3) mapped to 19q. Chromosome 19 carries many ZNF loci and other genes with zinc finger encoding motifs; the pT3 clone additionally detected a locus designated ZNF 78L2, which mapped to chromosome region 1p, most likely in the region 1p32 where the MYCL and JUN loci map.     

Soils in warmer and less developed countries have less micronutrients globally

Soil micronutrients are capital for the delivery of ecosystem functioning and food provision worldwide. Yet, despite their importance, the global biogeography and ecological drivers of soil micronutrients remain virtually unknown, limiting our capacity to anticipate abrupt unexpected changes in soil micronutrients in the face of climate change. Here, we analyzed >1300 topsoil samples to examine the global distribution of six metallic micronutrients (Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn, Co and Ni) across all continents, climates and vegetation types. We found that warmer arid and tropical ecosystems, present in the least developed countries, sustain the lowest contents of multiple soil micronutrients. We further provide evidence that temperature increases may potentially result in abrupt and simultaneous reductions in the content of multiple soil micronutrients when a temperature threshold of 12–14°C is crossed, which may be occurring on 3% of the planet over the next century. Altogether, our findings provide fundamental understanding of the global distribution of soil micronutrients, with direct implications for the maintenance of ecosystem functioning, rangeland management and food production in the warmest and poorest regions of the planet.