Involvement of a midbrain vocal nucleus in the production of both the acoustic and postural components of crowing behavior in Japanese quail

Many bird species produce vocalizations which are accompanied by distinctive postural displays, but the neural mechanisms that allow such integrated production of vocal and postural motor patterns are not understood. In the crowing behavior of Japanese quail, a characteristic vocal pattern is accompanied by and coordinated with a postural display that consists of a sequence of rapid, patterned head movements. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the role of a midbrain vocal nucleus, the nucleus intercollicularis, in the production of the acoustic and postural components of crowing in quail. Brief electrical stimuli were applied to the nucleus intercollicularis during spontaneously emitted crows in quail with chronically implanted electrodes, to determine if perturbing neural activity in the nucleus intercollicularis resulted in a disruption of ongoing crowing behavior. The most common effect of such stimuli was a concurrent, premature termination of both the acoustic and head movement components of the crow. These results imply that the nucleus intercollicularis plays a role in the production of both the acoustic and postural components of crowing in quail.     

Endophytic fungi in wild and cultivated grasses in Finland

We examined the occurrence of vertically via host seeds transmitted endophyte infections of 14 grass species in natural populations in Finland and totally 97 agricultural cultivars of 13 grass species. Although endophyte infections were widespread in native grass species, overall endophyte occurrence and frequencies were lower than published reports have suggested. In natural populations, 10 out of 14 grass species examined harbor fungal endophytes in their seeds. The highest species-specific mean incidences of endophyte infected plants in infected populations were found in Agrostis capillaris. Festuca arundinacea. F. ovina. F. Pratensis. F. rubra and Phleum pratense (67%, 98%, 29%., 42%. 32% and 33%, respectively). Mean incidences were < 20% in Dactylis glomerata. Deschampsia flexuosa. D. cespitosa and Elymus repens. and no infections were detected in Calamagrostis lapponica. C. epigejos. Alopecurus pratensis and Phalaris arundinacea. However, we detected a very high variation in infection incidences among natural populations and a large proportion of populations was, indeed, endophyte-free. This supports the ideas that 1) endophytic fungi provide selective advantage of infected grasses to their uninfected eonspecifics in some habitats, and/or 2) fungi are occasionally transmitted horizontally by spores. In grass cultivars, endophyte infected seeds were detected only in F. Pratensis and Lolium perenne. and endophyte frequencies were either very high or very low. Cultivars of 11 other grass species were endophyte-free.     

Syrticola mediterraneus n. sp., a harpacticoid copepod from the Bay of Calvi,Corsica

Syrticola mediterraneus n. sp. belonging to the family Cylindropsyllidae Sars (sensu Lang, 1948) is described from the Bay of Calvi (Corsica). The species is closely related to (?) Notopontia galapagoensis Mielke, 1982 and Syrticola flandricus Willems & Claeys, 1982. The former species is now transferred to the genus Syrticola as Syrticola galapagoensis n. comb.     

Clinical significance of platelet alloantibodies detected in immunofluorescence test (neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia and post-transfusion purpura)

Three cases of neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia and one patient with post-transfusion purpura could be diagnosed only by introducing the platelet immunofluorescence test. Thrombocytopenia was caused by anti-PlA1 platelet alloantibodies detected neither in the agglutination nor by the complement fixation test.     

Carcinogenic-mutagenic chemicals induced chromosomal aberrations in the kidney cells of three cyprinids

In vivo kidney cells of three cyprinids (common carp, tench and grass carp) were used to study chromosomal aberrations (CA) after i.p. administration and direct effects of five well known carcinogenic-mutagenic chemicals (aflatoxin B1, Aroclor 1254, benzidine, benzo[a]pyrene and 20-methyl-cholanthrene). Injections with distilled water and corn oil served as the two control groups. The induction rate of CA in the cells of the fish species exposed to the chemicals tested for 48 hr clearly shows not only an increase in the CA frequency in a dose-response manner above the control, but also a species response dependency. The results show that the in vivo CA method in the fish system proved to be an excellent means to detect or investigate water-borne or internally administered carcinogenic-mutagenic agents.     

Further evidence for heterogeneity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency in Papua New Guinea

Summary Four new G6PD variants have been characterized in individuals from Papua New Guinea. This study demonstrates that the previously reported Markham variant and the newly characterized Salata variant may be widely distributed in Papua New Guinea. The data presented here together with those of previously published studies demonstrate a degree of heterogeneity of G6PD deficiency that is much higher than that in other regions of the world where G6PD deficiency is common.     

Purification and properties of human placental acid lipase

Two peaks of lysosomal acid lipase activity were purified from normal human placenta. Acid lipase I, with an estimated molecular weight of 102 500, was purified 1016-fold while acid lipase II, with an estimated molecular weight of 30 600, was purified 3031-fold. The final yields of enzyme activity for acid lipase I and II were 0.9% and 2.2% respectively. The purity of the final preparations was documented by demonstration of a single protein band on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. Both preparations of the purified enzyme demonstrated activity towards triolein, cholesteryl oleate and the artificial substrate 4-methylumbelliferyl oleate. Examination of Km values, thermal stability, pH optima, and electrophoretic mobility revealed similar properties for the two enzyme peaks. The response of the two enzyme preparations to inhibitors was similar with both being significantly inhibited by 0.2 M NaCl, 0.2 M KCl, 5 mM HgCl2 and 5 mM p-chloromercuribenzoate. The activity of the two preparations as assayed with either triolein or cholesterol oleate was not significantly affected by the addition of bovine serum albumin. In contrast, the 4-methylumbelliferyl oleate activity of both preparations was significantly inhibitred by albumin. These findings support the hypothesis that the same enzyme or enzymes are responsible for the intralysosomal hydrolysis of triacylglycerols and cholesterol esters in human tissues.