Effect of Selected Herbicides on Bacterial Growth Rates

Specific growth rate constants were used to evaluate the effects of selected herbicides on Erwinia carotovora, Pseudomonas fluorescens, and Bacillus sp. Comparison of growth rate constants permitted the identification of either stimulatory or inhibitory effects of these substances. E. carotovora was inhibited by 6,7-dihydrodipyrido(1,2-a:2'-c)pyrazinediium (diquat) and 4-hydroxy-3,5-diiodobenzonitrile (ioxynil) at 25 mug/ml; 1,1'-dimethyl-4,4'-bipyridinium (paraquat) at 50 mug/ml; and pentachlorophenol (PCP) at 10 mug/ml. P. fluorescens was inhibited by paraquat and PCP at 25 mug/ml and by 4-amino-3,5,6-trichloropicolinic acid (picloram) at 50 mug/ml. Stimulation of P. fluorescens was observed with 4-(methylsulfonyl)-2,6-dinitro-N,N-dipropylaniline (nitralin) at 25 mug/ml. The Bacillus species was inhibited by diquat (25 mug/ml), ioxynil (10 mug/ml), and paraquat and PCP (5 mug/ml). No significant effect of 2-chloro-4-(ethylamino)-6-(isopropylamino)-s-triazine (atrazine), 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea (diuron), alpha,alpha,alpha-trifluoro-2,6-dinitro-N,N-dipropyl-p-toluidine (trifluralin), or 1,1-dimethyl-3-(alpha,alpha,alpha-trifluoro-m-tolyl)urea (fluometuron) on growth rates of the bacteria was observed at 25 and 50 mug/ml.     

Effect of T-activin on the production of immune interferon

A study was made of the effect of T-activin on the biosynthesis of immune gamma-interferon. It was shown that in 27% of patients with chronic nonspecific pulmonary diseases, production of gamma-interferon by lymphocytes was substantially reduced during exacerbation of inflammatory process in the lungs. It was discovered that T-activin was not an interferon inductor but enhanced its synthesis in patients with a low capacity of producing immune interferon even at small doses of interferon inductor. The preparation does not produce any effect on this process in normal subjects and in patients showing the normal level of gamma-interferon. Thus T-activin can be used for stimulation of interferonogenesis.     

Binding of aromatic compounds to cornstarch polysaccharides

Sorption of aromatic compounds from aqueous solutions by cryotextures and suspensions of native cornstarches was studied by capillary gas chromatography. Acetophenone and benzyl alcohol were not sorbed by cryotropic-cornstarch gel and native-cornstarch suspension. A linear concentration dependence was found for aldehydes. Phenylethyl alcohol was characterized by a nonlinear concentration dependence. The presence of a benzene ring contributed to decreased binding (relative to the level characteristic of aliphatic compounds). The degree of binding depended considerably on the type of functional group in the aromatic compounds. Cryotextures were more potent than granules of native cornstarch in binding aromatic compounds.     

Sucrose and application of Rhizobium on seed

Summary Studies on the effect of different levels of sucrose in the slurry of peat-based Rhizobium inoculant on germination, seedling growth, and rhizosphere fungi of peanut and soybean revealed that the limits of tolerance for good germination were 2.5 and 5 per cent of the sugar, respectively. Fusaria and aspergilli were invariably present at all levels of sucrose whereas species of Penicillium, Myrothecium, Cunninghamella and Curvularia were isolated only from the rhizosphere at higher levels of the sugar