The relation between initial root length and subsequent growth in zea mays seedlings

Summary and conclusion Measurements were made of the length growth ofZea mays seedlings in Shive culture solution and the results classified according to initial length.It was found that in general less growth occured the less the initial length.This is apparently not due to less cell proliferation stimulus, but to lesser production of available nutrients for cell size growth.     

The effect of radium on growth and development in eggs of Crepidula and Pagurus

Summary Radiant energy from radium in weak and non-destructive amounts slows down the size growth ofCrepidula eggs and markedly retards their course of differentiation and that ofPagurus embryos. Since this can be traced to destruction of sulfhydryl, again evidence is adduced of the relationship between this chemical group, cell multiplication, and differential development.Research Fellows of The Ladies Aid Society of The Lankenau Hospital.This study was made at the Marine Experimental Station of The Research Institute of The Lankenau Hospital, North Truro, Massachusetts, under grants from Mr.August Bein of Philadelphia, and the Capt. L. D.Baker Estate of Boston and Wellfleet.     

The effect of radium on glutathione and its biological significance

Summary It has been demonstrated that radium radiation causes a decrease in concentration of -SH and -S.S- of glutathione in aqueous solution. From this and the results of experiments with living organisms it is concluded that the cell proliferation retarding action of radium in weak non-destructive amounts, is largely due to the throwing out of commission of sulfhydryl, the naturally occurring chemical stimulus to growth by increase in cell number. It is further probable that this is enhanced by the production, through the action of radium on the -S. S- linkage, of sub-oxidized sulfur derivatives, which have been shown to be retardative of cell multiplication.     

Spatial and temporal expression of surfactant proteins in hyperoxia-induced neonatal rat lung injury

Background

Although personal cigarette smoking is the most important cause and modulator of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure could influence the course of the disease. Despite the importance of this question, the impact of SHS exposure on COPD health outcomes remains unknown.

Methods

We used data from two waves of a population-based multiwave U.S. cohort study of adults with COPD. 77 non-smoking respondents with a diagnosis of COPD completed direct SHS monitoring based on urine cotinine and a personal badge that measures nicotine. We evaluated the longitudinal impact of SHS exposure on validated measures of COPD severity, physical health status, quality of life (QOL), and dyspnea measured at one year follow-up.

Results

The highest level of SHS exposure, as measured by urine cotinine, was cross-sectionally associated with poorer COPD severity (mean score increment 4.7 pts; 95% CI 0.6 to 8.9) and dyspnea (1.0 pts; 95% CI 0.4 to 1.7) after controlling for covariates. In longitudinal analysis, the highest level of baseline cotinine was associated with worse COPD severity (4.7 points; 95% CI -0.1 to 9.4; p = 0.054), disease-specific QOL (2.9 pts; -0.16 to 5.9; p = 0.063), and dyspnea (0.9 pts; 95% CI 0.2 to 1.6 pts; p < 0.05), although the confidence intervals did not always exclude the no effect level.

Conclusion

Directly measured SHS exposure appears to adversely influence health outcomes in COPD, independent of personal smoking. Because SHS is a modifiable risk factor, clinicians should assess SHS exposure in their patients and counsel its avoidance. In public health terms, the effects of SHS exposure on this vulnerable subpopulation provide a further rationale for laws prohibiting public smoking.     

Automatic layout and visualization of biclusters

Background  

Biclustering has emerged as a powerful algorithmic tool for analyzing measurements of gene expression. A number of different methods have emerged for computing biclusters in gene expression data. Many of these algorithms may output a very large number of biclusters with varying degrees of overlap. There are no systematic methods that create a two-dimensional layout of the computed biclusters and display overlaps between them.     

The karyotype of Clivia mirabilis analyzed by differential banding and fluorescence in-situ hybridization

The karyotype of the recently described species Clivia mirabilis was analyzed by differential chromosome staining with Giemsa, chromomycin, and DAPI and by fluorescence in-situ hybridization with 5S and 45S rDNA probes. Like the other five Clivia species it was shown to have a unique karyotype, although its karyotype was similar in several respects to that of C. gardenii, differing in having only one pair of chromosomes with CMA bands compared with two pairs in C. gardenii and lacking any DAPI-positive bands. The evolutionary relationships of the species and their karyotypes are discussed.