Taxonomy of the genusGlycine,domestication and uses of soybeans

The genusGlycine has had a stormy taxonomic history. Recent studies of herbarium specimens and cytological and morphological analyses of living collections, coupled with chemotaxonomic investigations, have made it necessary to revise the genus. In the first part of this paper the current taxonomic status of the genusGlycine is reviewed. The soybean was domesticated in China. It is unfortunate that the literature concerned with the antiquity and historical development of the soybean is obscured by legends and myths. In the second section of the paper, the archeological, historical, agricultural and botanical literature is summarized in order to present all the known evidence as to when, where and by whom the soybean was domesticated. The soybean is the world’s premier source of dietary vegetable oil and is nutritionally an excellent and inexpensive source of protein for use either as human food or animal feed. In addition, the soybean has numerous industrial uses. In the last section of this paper the traditional uses of fermented and nonfermented soybeans in the East as well as the high-technology-developed uses of soybeans in the West are summarized.     

The lack of mitogenic response of neuraminidase-treated and untreated human blood lymphocytes to divalent, hexavalent, or insoluble Helix pomatia a hemagglutinin

The mitogenic effects on human blood lymphocytes of Helix pomatia A hemagglutinin (HP) were measured by assaying incorporation of [¹⁴C]thymidine into cellular DNA. This highly purified lectin binds to human lymphocytes, treated with neuraminidase, but not to untreated lymphocytes. HP, which is hexavalent in its native form, totally failed to induce DNA synthesis in neuraminidase-treated as well as in untreated cells. Divalent HP, prepared by partial reduction and alkylation, and HP insolubilized by coupling to nylon sheets, also lacked mitogenicity. Control experiments indicated that neuraminidase-treated lymphocytes responded well to mitogenic lectins such as PHA. The lack of mitogenicity of HP was in contrast to the effects of soy bean agglutinin (SBA), which resembled HP in regard to carbohydrate specificity and ability to bind to neuraminidase-treated lymphocytes only. SBA was strongly mitogenic for neuraminidase-treated lymphocytes. The mitogenic effects of SBA were not inhibited by including varying doses of HP in the incubation mixtures. The results indicate that binding of lectin to carbohydrate receptors on the lymphocyte surface is not by itself sufficient to trigger DNA-synthesis.     

Structural determination of C-glycosylflavones by mass spectrometry of their permethyl ethers

Permethylated C-glycosylflavones give well defined MS, including in all cases an important molecular peak. The observed fragmentations are characteristic for the nature and position of the sugar. The 6-C and 8-C glycosylated derivatives are clearly differentiated. In dissymmetrical 6,8-di-C-glycosylflavones, the natures of the sugar in both the 6- and 8- positions can be determined. The structures of several natural compounds are discussed.     

Calcium induces cyclic GMP formation in Dictyostelium

Cyclic GMP is rapidly formed a few seconds after binding of chemotactic signalling molecules to specific receptors on the cell surface of Dictyostelium amoebae. This phenomenon could be mimicked by addition of a pulse of Ca2+ to permeabilised amoebae. The concentration of Ca2+ for half-maximal response was 60 microM. Other ions (K+, Na+, Mg+ or Mn+) had no effect. A pulse of 5 microM IP3 produced a cyclic GMP response of similar magnitude but IP2 elicited no response. The data provide strong support for the hypothesis that cell surface receptor binding induces cyclic GMP formation by liberating Ca2+ from internal stores.     

The hydrology of Lake Victoria

Summary Evidence is presented to show that Lake Victoria is triply stratified the whole year round. The conclusions of FISH (1957) that a uninodal internal seiche operates in the lake is shown to be invalid, and the oscillations of isotherms at E.A.F.R.O. Open Lake Station observed over some years are explained by the day to day wind changes.It is calculated that an internal seiche could operate between the middle and bottom layers, but not between the middle and surface layers, since any such seiche would break down the stratification. Surface waves of the type which normally induce internal seiches are commonly observed on the lake, so it is concluded that the extreme shallowness and great length of Lake Victoria cause a rapid frictional damping of any incipient seiche.Lake Victoria has an annual heat budget of about 9,000 gram/cals/cm². This amount of heat is lost between March and August and regained between August and March. The loss of heat is occasioned mainly by the increase in evaporation from the lake in the period May to October, and partly by an increase in conduction and backradiation. The increase in evaporation rate between May and October assists in disposing of the surplus water derived from the rains in April.The lowest layer in the lake is believed to derive from the inflow of rivers. This layer mixes with the middle layer at the south end of the lake. An apparent area of mixing is suggested north of the Sesse Islands, also.Current measurements indicate a general northward flow of surface water in response to the wind. This is accompanied by a compensating flow of the two lower layers southwards. This latter movement is mainly phasic but probably has a small residual component.Lake level readings from gauges round the lake indicate that the west, north and north-east portions of the lake rise more rapidly in level than the south portion, from April to July.

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Résumé Cette étude montre une stratification permanente du Lac Victoria en trois couches. Elle tend à montrer que la conclusion à l'existence d'une seiche interne uninodale (Fish, 1957) n'est pas valable, et que les oscillations des isotherms observés sont dues au changement du régime des vents d'un jour à l'autre.Le calcul prouve qu'il est possible qu'une seiche interne agisse entre la couche profonde et la couche moyenne, mais certainement pas entre la couche moyenne et la surface, puis-qu' alors elle detruivrait la stratification.Des vagues du type qui normallement provoque les seiches sont couramment observées sur le Lac Victoria. L'Auteur en conclut que la tres faible profondeur et la forme allongée de ce lac causerait un rapide amortissement par friction d'une éventuelle seiche.Le Lac Victoria a un bilan calorifique annuel de 9,000 g/cal/cm². Cette quantité de chaleur est perdue entre mars et août. La perte de chaleur est essentiellement due à l'augmentation d'évaporation de mai à octobre et partiellement à une augmentation de conduction et de radiation. L'accroissement du taux d'évaporation de mai à octobre contribue à eliminer le surplus d eau provenant des précipitations d'avril.Les causes les plus profondes proviendraient de l'apport des rivières. Les couches profondes et moyennes se mêlent a l'extrémité Sud du lac. Il semble aussi que le mélange se fasse au Nord des îles Sesse.Le vent provoque en surface un courant dirigé vers le Nord, compensé par un deplacement vers le Sud des deux couches inférieurs. Ce deplacement est surtout periodique mais à aussi une l égère composante résiduelle.Des relevés de niveau tout autour du lac montrent que d'avril à juillet celui-ci s'élève plus rapidement à l'Ouest, au Nord et au Nord-Est qu'au Sud.