A review of play in the genusMacaca: Social correlates

A review of the literature on macaque play, emphasizing the social correlates of such behavior, is presented and summarized. In general, males are more playful than females, adults are relatively nonplayful, and nurturant behavior is negatively correlated with play. However, the currently inadequate definitions, conceptualizations, and experimental treatments of play make generalizations tentative. Supported in part by faculty research grant D-552, University of California, Davis, and by RR00169 to the California Primate Research Center.     

The composition of intracellular granules from the metal-accumulating cells of the common garden snail (Helix aspersa).

Certain cells in the hepatopancreas of the common garden snail (Helix aspersa) contain intracellular granules that are sites of metal-ion accumulation. These granules have been extracted and investigated by u.v. and i.r. spectroscopy, atomic-absorption spectroscopy, X-ray microanalysis, thermogravimetric analysis, enzymic assay and microanalysis. The deposits contain about 18% (w/w) water, 5% (w/w) organic matter and 76% (w/w) inorganic material of which the main components are Ca2+, Mg2+ and P2O7(4)-. The possible origin of these granules is discussed, as is their role in detoxifying heavy-metal ions.     

Genes for gamma-globin in human adult erythroid DNA.

Purified gamma-globin specific complementary DNA has been used to demonstrate the presence of the gene for gamma-globin in DNA from human adult red blood cells. This finding sheds doubt on any theory involving looping-out excision of genes to explain the switch over from synthesis of gamma-globin to beta-globin at birth.     

Pulmonary granulomas in a patient on MER therapy

A patient with metastatic melanoma developed symmetric miliary infiltrates of the lungs while receiving injections of MER into tumor containing lymph nodes of the groin. Open lung biopsy identified the pulmonary lesions as caseating epithelioid granulomas. After cessation of MER therapy, the pulmonary lesions regressed spontaneously. The possible etiology of this so-far-unreported complication of MER therapy was briefly discussed.     

Interstrain Variation of the Major Internal Structural Component (p30gag) of Two Murine Oncornaviruses: Comparative Immunochemical, Biochemical, and Biophysical Analysis

The major internal structural protein (p30(gag)) of the Moloney leukemia virus and the endogenous Y-1 murine oncornavirus was examined for biochemical and biophysical manifestations of interstrain antigenic variation. Although the two viral proteins share murine group-specific antigenic determinants, the Y-1 virus p30 appeared to have both a lower relative number of such determinants and a decreased affinity at the cross-reactive sites for Moloney virus p30 monospecific antibodies. Further, immunological analysis indicated the presence of unique antigenic sites on the Moloney virus p30 not shared by the analogous Y-1 virus molecule. The two polypeptides copurified and had similar isoelectric points (pH 6.2 to 6.3) and sedimentation coefficients (2.47S). However, equilibrium sedimentation yielded a significant mass difference between the two proteins, 28,300 +/- 600 and 31,000 +/- 300 daltons for the Moloney and Y-1 virus molecules, respectively. Amino acid analysis indicated a concomitant increase in total residues for the Y-1 virus p30, although a number of residues appeared to have been conserved between the two viral proteins. Conformational studies and hydrodynamic calculations demonstrated marked secondary and tertiary structural differences; with the Y-1 virus p30 being an asymmetric prolate ellipsoid containing 27 to 28% alpha-helix and Moloney virus p30 being somewhat more spherical and possessing an alpha-helical content of 50 to 55%. Two-dimensional mapping of (125)I-labeled tryptic peptides of each p30 suggested that considerable sequence heterogeneity is responsible for many of the biophysical, biochemical, and immunochemical differences in these two analogous structural proteins.     

Plasma norepinephrine concentrations: No differences among normal volunteers and low,high or normal renin hypertensive patients

Plasma norepinephrine concentrations were measured by a sensitive radioenzymatic method in 51 patients with essential hypertension and 26 age-matched normal volunteers under conditions of ad libitum sodium intake, after volume expansion by infusion of saline intravenously, and after volume contraction by administration of furosemide orally. The hypertensive patients were classified into low, normal and high renin groups both by renin-sodium indexing and by their renin response to furosemide and saline administration. Plasma norepinephrine concentrations were similar among normal volunteers and patients with low, normal or high renin hypertension while the people were either recumbent or after they stood for 5 min. These and other results do not support the hypothesis that abnormal activity of the sympathetic nervous system accounts for the low or high renin values seen in many hypertensive patients.     

ANTERIOR MEDIASTINAL TERATOMAS IN INFANTS AND CHILDREN

This report reviews the management of five pediatric patients with anterior mediastinal teratomas, and presents a discussion of symptoms, signs, and operative management of these lesions. Surgical resection was accomplished in all cases, with three of the five patients surviving. The two who died had malignant teratomas that were treated with adjunctive chemotherapy and X-ray therapy. Age at onset appears to be a significant factor in the prognosis of the disease.     

Rat cell surface antigens: Nonidentity of the H-4 and Ag-F traits

Animals partially congenic to Lewis have been bred that differ at the locus, linked to C., which controls the Ag-F antigenic trait. Skin grafts from these animals, placed on Lewis recipients, were not rejected. This result demonstrates that Ag-F does not mediate skin incompatibility and, thus, is distinct from H-4, which was defined based on a demonstrable incompatibility and which is also linked to C.