北京东郊作物土壤系统中重金属的迁移、分布、积累

 本文研究了北京东郊污灌区重金属在作物—土壤中的迁移、分布、积累规律,证实本区蔬菜中汞含量比粮食作物约大3—15倍,比水果约大6—200倍。麦粒、糙米中的Cu、Hg、Cd、Pb、Ni的含量与土壤含量相关性不显著。架豆中重金属含量与土壤中重金属含量的相关性,只有Zn,Pb达显著水平。白菜土有机质含量与重金属含量相关性达显著水平,而白菜的重金属含量与土壤的重金属含量相关性却不显著。说明除了土壤中重金属的总量外,有效态含量的多少,是影响本区作物吸收积累重金属的主要因素。 本区施污泥的土壤和生长的作物Cd／Zn大部小于1%、盆栽试验证明：施用本区污泥污水对水稻生长发育的影响比施污泥灌清水的影响大些,因此,施用含重金属污泥时,最好不要超过5000斤／亩。大田和室内模拟试验证明：重金属从土壤中迁移到植物,由植物带走输出的量极少,其中以带走输出的Hg、Cd,As相对较多,带走输出的Pb、Cr相对的少些。     

Yeast species utilizing uric acid,adenine,n-alkylamines or diamines as sole source of carbon and energy

Yeast strains utilizing uric acid, adenine, monoamines or diamines as sole source of carbon and energy were isolated from several soil samples by the enrichment culture method. The most common species wasTrichosporon cutaneum. Strains ofCandida catenulata, C. famata, C. parapsilosis, C. rugosa, Cryptococcus laurentii, Stephanoascus ciferrii andTr. adeninovorans were also isolated. All strains utilizing uric acid as sole carbon source utilized some primaryn-alkyl-l-amines hydroxyamines or diamines as well. The ascomycetous yeast strains showing these characteristics all belonged to species known to assimilate hydrocarbons. Type strains of hydrocarbon-positive yeast species which were not found in the enrichment cultures generally assimilated putrescine, some type strains also butylamine or pentylamine, but none assimilated uric acid. Methanol-positive species were not isolated. Type strains of methanol-positive and of hydrocarbon-negative species did not assimilate uric acid, butylamine or putrescine. Assimilation of putrescine as sole source of carbon and energy may be a valuable diagnostic criterion in yeast taxonomy.     

Microhabitat utilization by two leptodactylid frogs in the Andes of central Chile

Summary Some basic parameters of the life history of Alsodes montanus and Alsodes tumultuosus (Anura-Leptodactylidae), were studied from 1977 to 1980 by periodic field observations at Farellones and La Parva (33–34° south lat.; 2,700–3,000 m above sea level). Special attention was paid to strategies of resource partitioning in relation to gross features of the environment. The latter was unstable with a relative short period favorable for activity of the animals. Physical environmental differences between the first and second season of this study, resulted in a decrease in total number of active adults, a reduction in the duration of larval activity and a shift in microhabitat preferences of larvae.During the favorable season, October to May, adults of both species showed spatial and temporal segregation, related to different physical features of the environment; larvae did not show temporal segregation. Larvae of both species were found in seven different microhabitats; only in one of these did they show significant difference in microhabitat preference, A. tumultuosus was found more often in crevices. Microhabitat dimensions were more important than time and food resources in the separation of the niches of the two species. The segregation of niche dimensions, microhabitat, diel and annual activity and food were not complementary.Coexistence was therefore observed with the species tending to use different resources. When the same resource was used, it was not limiting.     

Isolation and cryopreservation of O-methylthreonine-resistant Rosa cell lines altered in the feedback sensitivity of l-threonine deaminase

O-Methylthreonine (OMT) inhibits the growth of plated Rosa cells (ID₅₀6·10^-6M). Isoleucine is able to reverse efficiently and specifically this OMT toxicity. From OMT-resistant colonies occurring at a frequency of 1.58·10^-7 variants per cell plated at 10^-4M OMT, the variant strains OMT^R-1 and OMT^R-2 were isolated, cloned via protoplasts and characterized. Both variants were ten times more resistant to OMT than the wildtype and were cross-resistant to another isoleucine analog, dl-4-thiaisoleucine. The resistant variants retained their resistance after storage for three years in liquid nitrogen. Both resistant strains were stable for several months when subcultured in the absence of OMT although it was shown in a reconstitution experiment that wildtype cells overgrow OMT^R-2 variant cells if co-cultivated for many passages in drug-free medium. One case of instability was observed upon long-term subculturing in drug-free medium: the strain OMT^R-1D^* partially lost phenotypic properties. Resistance to OMT was followed qualitatively by a new method based on inhibition-zone formation in cell suspensions plated in agar medium. The OMT-resistant variants showed a reduction in sensitivity of the enzyme l-threonine deaminase to feedback inhibition by isoleucine, a decreased stability of l-threonine deaminase when stored at-18°C or incubated at +55°C and a two- to threefold increase of the free isoleucine pool within the cells. The genetical events and the biochemical mechanisms which might lead to the observed stable and biochemically defined character are discussed with particular reference to the high ploidy level of the Rosa cell line.Abbreviations OMT l-O-methylthreonine - TD l-threonine deaminase     

Genome type analysis of adenovirus type 4 isolates, recently obtained from clinically different syndromes in some areas in Japan

DNA cleavage analyses with EcoRI, HindIII and BamHI were carried out to investigate genome types of recent Ad 4 isolates obtained from acute respiratory disease (8 strains), and ocular disease (11 strains) in Japan. DNA cleavage patterns of all 19 isolates studied were identical regardless of whether they were recovered from respiratory tract or conjunctiva, but were distinct from that of the prototype strain.     

Characterization of the biosynthesis in vivo of α-aminoadipyl-cysteinyl-valine inPenicillium chrysogenum

Summary The parameters affecting the formation in vivo of -aminoadipyl-cysteinyl-valine (ACV), an intermediate in penicillin biosynthesis, have been established in low- and high-penicillin producing strains ofPenicillium chrysogenum. ACV was found both in cell extracts and in the culture broth filtrates. (¹⁴C)valine, -(¹⁴C)aminoadipic acid and (¹⁴C)cysteine were efficiently incorporated into ACV. Formation of ACV was stimulated by phenylacetic acid when added during the growth of the culture. ACV biosynthesis was enhanced when protein synthesis was blocked with cycloheximide or anisomicin. The ACV-synthesising activity of the culture increased between 24 and 48 h of the culture preceeding penicillin biosynthesis, and remained constant thereafter. A decay of ACV-forming activity was observed when de novo protein synthesis was inhibited with cycloheximide. The apparent half-life of the ACV-synthesising enzyme system was 2.5 h.     

Dynorphin-A-(1–13) antagonizes morphine analgesia in the brain and potentiates morphine analgesia in the spinal cord

Intrathecal injection of subanalgesic doses of morphine (7.5 nmol) and dynorphin-A-(1–13) (1.25 nmol) in combination resulted in a marked analgesic effect as assessed by tail flick latency in the rat. The analgesic effect of the composite dynorphin/morphine was dose-dependent in serial dilutions so that a composition of 1/8 of the analgesic dose of dynorphin and 1/3 that of morphine produced an analgesic effect equipotent to full dose of either drug applied separately. The analgesic effect induced by dynorphin/morphine mixture was not accompanied by motor dysfunction and was easily reversed by a small dose (0.5 mg/kg) of naloxone. Contrary to the augmentatory effect of dynorphin on morphine analgesia in the spinal cord, intracerevroventricular (ICV) injection of 20 nmol of dynorphin-A-(1–13) exhibited a marked antagonistic effect on the analgesia produced by morphine (120 nmol, ICV). The theoretical considerations and practical implications of the differential interactions between dynorphin-A-(1–13) and morphine in the brain versus spinal cord are discussed.     

Biofeedback control of migraine headaches: A comparison of two approaches

In order to assess the relative effectiveness of finger warming and temporal blood volume pulse reduction biofeedback in the treatment of migraine, 22 female migraine patients were assigned to one of three experimental conditions: temporal artery constriction feedback, finger temperature feedback, or waiting list. Biofeedback training consisted of 12 sessions over a 6-week period. All patients completed 5 weeks of daily self-monitoring of headache activity (frequency, duration, and intensity) and medication before and after treatment. Treatment credibility was assessed at the end of Sessions 1, 6, and 12. Results showed that temporal constriction and finger temperature biofeedback were equally effective in controlling migraine headaches and produced greater benefits than the waiting list condition. Power analyses indicated that very large sample sizes would have been required to detect any significant differences between the two treatment groups. No significant relationships were found between levels of therapeutic gains and levels of thermal or blood volume pulse self-regulation skills. Likewise, treatment outcome was not found to be related to treatment credibility. Further analyses revealed that changes in headache activity and medication were associated with changes in vasomotor variability. Because blood volume pulse variability was not significantly affected by biofeedback training, questions about its role in the therapeutic mechanism are raised.This research was supported in part by grants from the Quebec Ministry of Education and the Quebec Ministery of Social Affairs to the first author, and an award from the Medical Research Council of Canada to the second author. The authors are indebted to Drs. Frank Andrasik, Howard Barbaree, Edward Blanchard, Martin Ford, and Patrick McGrath, as well as to two anonymous reviewers, for their helpful comments on an earlier draft of this paper.