TECHNIQUES FOR MEASURING VESSEL LENGTHS AND DIAMETERS IN STEMS OF WOODY PLANTS

Results were compared between the latex paint and compressed air methods for determining total vessel lengths, and between the sectioning and maceration methods for determining vessel diameters. The minimum, mean, median, and maximum vessel diameters were less with the sectioning method than with the maceration technique. Vessel diameter distributions were always nonnormal and had roughly similar patterns with the two techniques, but were statistically different from one another. In all six species where the paint and air methods for determining vessel length were compared, both methods showed a similar skewed vessel length distribution, with many short vessels and few long ones. Although there was no consistent pattern to the difference in results with these two methods, the vessel length frequency distributions were statistically different from one another. With the paint method, many vessels, especially many of the narrowest ones, were not paint-filled at the paint infusion port. The air method utilized the paint method, in part, and, in addition, is based upon the incorrect assumption that all vessels in the stem are the same diameter. Both techniques tended to exclude vessel lengths of the narrowest vessels. However, the narrow vessels, although numerous, contributed an insignificant amount to the total theoretical hydraulic conductance in stems.     

MECHANICAL PROPERTIES WITHIN THE GROWTH ZONE OF CORN ROOTS INVESTIGATED BY BENDING EXPERIMENTS II. DISTRIBUTIONS OF MODULUS AND COMPLIANCE IN BENDING

A bending technique was used to infer the spatial distributions of rheological properties within the growth zone of the root of corn, Zea mays. “Bending modulus” (ratio of stress to strain, calculated from engineering theory of bending) falls from 20 MPa near the root tip (3 mm from the tip) to 6 MPa at the location 6 mm from the tip and then remains uniform through the basal region of the growth zone. Where growth stops, at 11–12 mm, there is a sharp rise in bending modulus. The profile of bending moduli is not changed by root incubation temperature during the growth period prior to bending, but it is shifted to the left in roots growing more slowly than the average at either of two temperatures (19 and 29 C). The spatial distribution of “compliance” (reciprocal of bending modulus and a measure of tissue extensibility) resembles the distribution of swelling in response to osmotic perturbation. The distribution of compliance does not parallel that of growth rate. Attempts to explain the discrepancy between compliance and growth rate lead us to examine the theoretical basis for the calculations and to suggest that the dependence of compliance on rate of stretching is physiologically important.     

Plague Meningitis—A Retrospective Analysis of Cases Reported in the United States, 1970-1979

Meningitis caused by Yersinia pestis developed in 6 (6%) of a total of 105 patients with plague reported to the Centers for Disease Control from 1970 to 1979. Five of the six cases occurred in children aged 10 to 15 years. All six patients received antibiotic therapy before meningitis developed, which appeared between the 9th and 14th days after the onset of acute illness in five of the six patients. There were no neurologic sequelae. The antigenic and biochemical profiles of the Y pestis strains isolated from cerebrospinal fluid in the meningitis cases did not differ from those of the Y pestis strains obtained from blood and bubo aspirates in the other 99 patients, and neither did in vitro studies suggest antibiotic resistance. While plague meningitis is an uncommon complication of acute plague infection, physicians in the western United States should be aware that it may develop as much as 14 days after antibiotic therapy for the acute plague infection has been initiated.     

Immunochemistry of the HLA class II molecules isolated from a mouse cell transfected with DQ alpha and beta genes from a DR4 haplotype

Cells from a mouse B lymphoma were transfected by DQ alpha and DQ beta genes derived from a DR4 haplotype. Quantitatively, the resulting expression of human class II molecules was similar to that of human B lymphoblastoid cell lines. Qualitatively, the transformant class II molecules differed from normal class II molecules in their carbohydrate moiety. As for their antigenic specificity, they were shown to carry two determinants previously identified on DQ molecules controlled by DR4 haplotypes, i. e., DQw3 and DCHON. The transformant molecules did not carry a third DR4-associated specificity, DC5 (equivalent to TA10), and must possess a structure allelic to DC5. However, no corresponding alloantigenic specificity was detected by a screening of relevant alloantisera.     

Transformation of sensory organs by mutations of the cut locus of D. melanogaster

The identities of two types of sensory organs in the body wall of Drosophila, namely the external sensory organs and the chordotonal organs, are under genetic control. Embryonic lethal mutations in the cut gene complex transform the external sensory organs into chordotonal organs. The neurons, as well as the support cells forming the external sensory structures, change their morphological and antigenic characteristics to those of chordotonal organs, providing genetic evidence that these two types of sensory organs are homologous. Similar transformations of external sensory organs are observed in adult mosaic flies. Analysis of mosaic larvae and flies suggests that the cut gene function is required either in or near external sensory organs in order for them to acquire their correct identity.     

Purification of the parasporal crystals ofBacillus thuringiensis subsp.israelensis and development of a novel bioassay technique

Summary A spore-free parasporal crystal suspension was prepared fromBacillus thuringiensis subsp.israelensis by an aqueous biphasic separation technique and the waste fractions quantified with regard to spore numbers and insecticidal potencies. The technique proved efficient in selectively removing spores from the spore-crystal mixture. The final crystal suspension was used to develop a novel bioassay system which allowed rapid determination of crystal effectiveness in 1/8 to 1/6 of the time required in the conventional mortality versus concentration bioassay.     

The macro-invertebrate communities of temporary pools in an intermittent stream in tropical Queensland

Nine pools were studied in an intermittent stream. They were close to each other but differed in size, substratum, amount of shade and duration of water presence. Initial conditions were set by wet season flooding, following which each pool developed its own character. Cluster analysis showed that communities changed substantially with time in both species composition and abundance, and that some initially similar communities diverged while some initially dissimilar ones converged.Principal Components Analysis showed that these community changes were due largely to the drying of the pools, and to seasonal effects. Specialised drying communities developed in the pools of longer duration (up to 8 months), but not in the short-lived pools (3–4 months). Apparently similar numerical responses in different pools were often caused by different suites of predominant species.The diversity of the fauna (total of 78 species) was high in comparison with similar habitats in non-tropical regions.The pattern of development of the pools' communities was much as expected from island biogeography theory, except that there was no relationship between species richness and duration and size of pools. The species complements were largely opportunistic, being governed by extreme environmental disturbance.