Phagostimulants for locusts: Studies with edible oils

Six edible oils along with acetone extract of wheat bran were tested for the presence of feeding stimulants for Schistocerca gregaria and Locusta migratoria by filter paper feeding technique. The order of preference and the degree of feeding differed greatly between the two species. The order of preference of S. gregaria towards various oils was: wheat bran extract > wheat germ oil > olive oil > mustard oil > corn oil = cotton seed oil > coconut oil while in Locusta the order was: wheat germ oil > wheat bran extract = olive oil > cotton seed oil > corn oil > mustard-oil = coconut oil.The fractionation of various oils by column chromatography showed that three of the seven fractions tested, namely triglycerides, free sterols and fatty acids, and phospholipids were phagostimulatory. None of the fractions of coconut oil was found to be phagostimulatory for Locusta or Schistocerca.

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Zusammenfassung Sechs eßbare Öle wurden zusammen mit einem Acetonextrakt von Weizenkleie mittels der Filtrierpapier-Fütterungsmethode auf ihren Gehalt an Fraßstimulatoren für Schistocerca gregaria und Locusta migrotoria geprüft. Die Reihenfolge der Annahme und das Ausmaß der Aufnahme waren bei beiden Arten sehr unterschiedlich. Die Präferenzreihenfolgen für die verschiedenen Öle waren bei S. gregaria: Weizenkleie-Extrakt > Weizenkeimlingsöl > Olivenöl > Senföl > Maisöl = Baumwollsamenöl > Kokosnußöl; bei Locusta dagegen: Weizenkeimlingsöl > Weizenkleie-Extrakt = Olivenöl > Baumwollsamenöl > Maisöl > Senföl = Kokosnußöl.Auftrennung der verschiedenen Öle durch Säulenchromatographie zeigte, daß drei von sieben geprüften Fraktionen, nämlich Triglyceride, freie sterole und Fettsäuren sowie Phospholipoide fraßanregend wirkten. Keine der Fraktionen des Kokosnußöls erwies sich für Locusta oder Schistocerca als Phagostimulans.

     

études sur les phénomenes électrocapillaires

Sans résuméI. Analyse électrocapillaire des matières colorantes. Rev. gén. Mat. Col. 1926 Vol. 30 pp 34–45II. Phénomènes électrocapillaires et le problème du cancer. Arch. Med. Exper. 1926 Vol. I p 381III. Phénomènes électrocapillaires et l'antagonismes microbiens. Bol. Istituto Sier. Milano 1927 Vol. VI p 313.     

Decidual cell reaction: relative response to traumatization in uterus of rat, hamster and guinea pig

Relative decidual cell response to traumatization was studied in the uterus of immature rat, hamster and guinea pig. A single dose of progesterone (1.0 mg/animal) caused 285 +/- 41 and 459 +/- 58% uterotrophy in traumatized horn of rat and hamster respectively, while in guinea pig increasing doses of progesterone (1, 2 and 5 mg/animal), several combinations of estrogen and progesterone or alteration in treatment schedule of the two hormones as well as extending the day of traumatization failed to elicit comparable uterotrophic response. Uterus of immature hamster was found to be most responsive to traumatization and that of guinea pig the least.     

Ultrastructural morphology of ectoplacental cone trophoblasts of hamster embryos.

The invasiveness of trophoblast cells is well known, but it is not clear whether they achieve this property by being transformed to other cell types (like malignant ones) or remain benign. Trophoblasts, in culture, were studied ultrastructurally by examining the surface morphology of the cell vis-à-vis their cytoplasmic outgrowth, and the presence and/or absence of ruffling membranes, filopodia, microvilli, pinocytotic pits or bleb-like structures was observed. Results revealed formation of ruffling membranes only on the leading edge, a presence of slender filopodia and pinocytotic pits but an absence of microvilli and bleb-like structures, the characteristic features of a transformed cell. The study indicated that the trophoblast cells, in spite of being invasive, do not convert to any other cell type.     

Analysis of higher-primate phylogeny from transversion differences in nuclear and mitochondrial DNA by Lake's methods of evolutionary parsimony and operator metrics

In the companion paper (Holmquist et al. 1988), we concluded that there is no agreement on either the correct branching order or differential rates of evolution among the higher primates, and we examined in depth why this uncertainty in the evolutionary understanding of our closest living relatives persists. Recently, Lake developed two novel methods, based on group properties of transition and transversion operators, that (a) permit, in principle, objective resolution of problems of the above type and (b) attach a statistical significance level to the conclusions drawn. In the present paper, we develop formulas for using these two methods in tandem and apply them to study transversion differences in (1) nuclear DNA for a 7-kb segment of the psi eta-globin locus and a 3-kb intergenic region between the psi beta- and delta- globin loci and (2) mitochondrial DNA for the 896-bp fragment of Brown et al. Although each of these nucleotide sequence regions has its characteristic tempo and mode of evolution, the nuclear and mitochondrial data together, comprising a total of 10,939 base positions, support a Homo/Pan clade at the 97% confidence level. If we calibrate the divergence point for humans and chimpanzees at 5 Myr, consideration of the transversion branch lengths for the combined nuclear data indicates that the gorilla lineage branched off 600,000- 900,000 years prior to that, although the 2 sigma sampling errors do not preclude either a temporal trifurcation for the three species or a considerably more ancient branch point for the gorilla. To resolve the length of this central branch to a relative accuracy of 25% and 30% will require a factor of 16 and nine times more data, respectively-- i.e., in excess of 100,000 homologous nucleotides for each of the four primates. For the nuclear genes, heterogeneity in evolutionary rates between different parts of the genome is mostly restricted to the human lineage for these two segments. The lineage leading to chimpanzees has evolved 0.4 (3-kb fragment) to 3.5 (7-kb segment) times as rapidly as the lineage leading to humans, and that leading to the gorilla has evolved approximately one-fifth to one-half as rapidly as that leading to chimpanzees. Thus, even local molecular clocks can "tick" badly. As significant is the fact that virtually contiguous parts of the genome tick at markedly different rates.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)      

Water induced dismutation of superoxide anion generates singlet molecular oxygen

Direct spectroscopic measurement of 1268 nm singlet oxygen emission from KO2 suspensions at room temperature in three non-protonic solvents--CCl4, Cl2FCCClF2, and C6F14 by the action of water is reported. The results clearly show that the singlet oxygen generation is due to a water induced reaction, and suggest that one role of the enzyme superoxide dismutase may be the protection of biological structures, for example, lipid membranes, from degradation by singlet oxygen.     

Iron-magnesium antagonism in growth and metabolism of radish

A study was conducted on the interaction effect of Fe–Mg on growth, metabolism and nutrient uptake in radish (Raphanus sativus L. cv. All Season) plants grown in sand culture. Dry matter yields were maximum at normal Fe-normal Mg and excess Fe-excess Mg treatments where the Fe/Mg ratio in the rooting medium was 0.12; below or above this ratio the yields were continuously lowered. On the basis of the effects of various Fe–Mg combinations on growth, visible effects, concentration of chlorophyll, the activities of catalase, peroxidase and ribonuclease and the tissue concentration of Fe, Mg and Mn, it is inferred here in this study that Fe and Mg are mutually antagonistic in the growth and metabolism of radish.