Nuclear magnetic tomography in the diagnosis of spinal cord cysts]

Magnetic resonance tomography (MRT) was used in examinations of 172 patients with spinal cord abnormalities. Thirty-eight cysts were detected: 25 in syringomyelia, 5 in intramedullary tumors, 4 posttraumatic and 4 postoperational ones. Based on the MRT patterns, two types of syringomyelia were distinguished, the occlusive and idiopathic ones. The size and site of cyst, as shown by the MRT, did not conform to its neurologic symptoms. A characteristic feature of tumorous cysts was a highly intensive signal originating from their contents. Traumatic cysts were detected against the background of diffuse atrophy of the cord. Computer-aided tomography did not give full-value information in such cases and therefore could not be recommended in cases with suspected intramedullary cysts.     

Reduced incidence of retained placenta with induction of parturition in the cow

Two experiments were designed to determine whether pretreatment with Opticortenol (OPT), a long-acting corticosteroid, prior to induction of parturition with 25 mg of dexamethasone (DEX) alone or in combination with 500 mug cloprostenol (CLO) would result in a reduced incidence of retained placenta. In Experiment 1, 70% of the cows pretreated with 25 mg OPT on Day 270 of gestation calved before or within 24 hours of the scheduled induction treatment on Day 277. Cows induced to calve with DEX plus CLO without OPT pretreatment had an increased rate of placental retention (P<0.05), whereas, cows that received OPT were not different from the controls. In Experiment 2, cows received either 1 mg/25 kg OPT (high dosage) or 1 mg/50 kg OPT (low dosage) on Day 270 of gestation and were induced with DEX plus CLO on either Day 274 (4 days) or Day 276 (6 days). Cows claved 29.0 to 31.8 hours after induction treatment with 95% beginning to calve between 0700 and 1900 hours. The interval from calving to placental release and the incidence of retained placenta was not different between the high dosage 6-day group (29.4+/-8.2 hours, 29%) and the non-induced control cows (16.1+/-10.7 hours, 5%). When three cows in the high dosage 6-day group that retained their placentas for 30 to 36 hours were considered as not retained, the incidence of placental retention for that group was reduced still further to 17%. First service conception rates and pregnancy rates were lower in cows with retained placentas. Differences were significant (P<0.01) in Experiment 1 but not in Experiment 2. It was concluded that pretreatment with 1 mg/25 kg OPT 6 days prior to induction of parturition with DEX plus CLO in combination results in a predictable calving time, high calf viability, and a low incidence of placental retention.     

Subgroups of Tcr α chains and correlation with T-cell function

T-cell receptor (Tcr) chains are classified into four subgroups (I, II, III, and miscellaneous) based on the amino acid residues at positions 61 and 62. Subgroup I has Gly Phe at these positions, subgroup II has Arg Phe, subgroup III has Arg Leu, and subgroup miscellaneous has several other combinations. Variability plots for subgroups I, II, and III sequences show higher values around positions 93–103, 105, 108, 111, 113, and 115, suggesting that these positions may interact with the processed antigen molecules. Smaller peaks are present at various other regions which may bind the major histocompatibility complex class I or II molecules. The patterns of variability within one subgroup are similar for all species, for human alone, and for mouse alone. These subgroup patterns appear much less complicated than patterns for sequences in all subgroups taken together, implying that subgroups may be related to Tcr functions. Among 83 mouse chains, 15 are from cytotoxic cells and 40 from helper cells. Of the 15 from cytotoxic cells, 11, 2, 0, and 2 are in subgroups I, II, III, and miscellaneous; and of the 40 from helper cells, 9, 16, 12, ans 3 are in subgroups I, II, III, and miscellaneous, respectively. Thus, a correlation between sequence and function of Tcr chains seems possible. Address correspondence and offprint requests to: M. Schiffer.     

Growth efficiencies of freshwater bacterioplankton

The growth efficiency of freshwater bacteria was examined in continuous cultures. One series of experiments was carried out using generation times from 50 to 200 hours and aged, normal, and enriched media, all of natural origin. Another series of experiments examined the bacterial growth efficiency during the growth season in eutrophic Frederiksborg Slotssø, in relation to changes in the planktonic communities and to factors controlling the bacterial incorporation of ³H-thymidine. Attachment of bacteria to the inner surfaces of the experimental flasks was examined using various types of bottles, adding glass tubes to the bottles, and measuring ³H-thymidine incorporation and direct cell counts of attached and free-living bacteria. Attachment of bacteria varied, and in one example up to 36% of the thymidine incorporation was by attached bacteria after 4 days. It was calculated that 36% of attached bacteria caused an underestimation of the growth efficiency of 11%. The mean growth efficiency tended to decrease with generation time using enriched medium (47 to 19%) and aged medium (35 to 12%), and tended to decrease with medium quality (enriched > normal > aged media) from 37% to 27%. The only significant difference in growth efficiency occurred in relation to generation time, in samples with enriched medium (unpaired t-test, P < 0.05). The overall mean value for all generation times and media was 30% (SEM = 3%, n = 24). From April to October, the growth efficiency was determined 5 times in samples from Frederiksborg Slotssø. The overall mean value was 31% (SEM = 3%, n = 30), and there was no significant change in the growth efficiency during the period measured. In June, three bioassay experiments revealed that carbon limitation controlled bacterial incorporation of ³H-thymidine, whereas additions of phosphate and nitrate did not change the incorporation rates. The narrow range of growth efficiencies obtained in this study (mean 31%, SEM = 2%, n = 54) suggests that changes in substratequality in the media applied and in the eutrophic samples examined causes only subtle changes in the growth efficiency.     

Triglyceride interesterification by lipases. 3. Alcoholysis of pure triglycerides

Lipase-catalyzed alcoholysis of triolein dissolved in ethanol or isopropanol for the formation of ethyl and isopropyl esters was investigated. Of 16 lipases screened, Amano lipase from P. fluorescens was selected for investigation of the effects of basic reaction conditions on alcoholysis yields. Ethanolysis yields were only slightly affected by water additions to immobilized lipase preparations. Isopropyl ester yields decreased with water addition. Good operational stability was observed over 17 days. Changes in initial triolein concentration in the range 5–50 mM had very little effect on ester yields. The ionic strength of the phosphate buffer used in lipase immobilization affected ethanolysis and isopropanolysis yields in opposite ways. The highest ethanolysis yields were obtained with lipases immobilized from 250 mM buffer, while isopropyl ester yields were highest with lipases immobilized from water. In addition, the quantities and isomers of monoglyceride intermediates in ethanolysis were affected by the immobilization buffer strength. Larger quantities of 2-monoglycerides were formed in ethanolysis reactions with lipase preparations immobilized from water.     

Enantioselective hydrolysis of hydrophobic amino acid derivatives by lipases

Microbial lipases preferentially cleave the L-isomers of N-benzyloxycarbonyl (Z)-hydrophobic D,L-amino acid methyl esters which is the same as that of subtilisin. This implies that lipases and proteases may share the same ancestor in the evolutionary point and lipases can be practically applied to resolve racemic hydrophobic amino acid derivatives.     

Distribution and behaviour of Acetes sibogae Hansen (Decapoda, Crustacea) in an estuary in relation to tidal and diel environmental changes

Quantitative samples of Acetes sibogae were collected at 2 hintervals for 48 h at three sites across the axis of a tidalestuary to examine their distribution within the water bodyover tidal and diel cycles, and to assess the role of behaviourin maintaining population distribution in estuarine/coastalwaters in relation to selected environmental factors. Watertemperature, salinity, tidal height and light intensity wereconcurrently measured. Distribution of the shrimp across theestuary was uniform and consistent between daylight or darkperiods, and among flood or ebb tides. Changes of A.sibogaeabundance were related to light and tidal cycles at each sitewith higher catches in dark periods and during flood tides.Acetes sibogae also exhibited both nocturnal and tidal verticalmovements in the water body, with greater numbers being onlyfound near-surface rather than near-bottom during flood tidesand at night. No significant differences in the distributionof size groups were found between any sampled levels of anysite. Acetes sibogae was highly aggregated in the water body.It is suggested that aggregating behaviour and tidal and nocturnalvertical movements act to facilitate population maintenancein estuarine/coastal waters.     

辽宁中侏罗世紫萁根茎化石一新种

本文报道的Millerocaulis liaoningensis sp. nov., 在我国是继M. hebeiensis(Wang)Tid.well之后的又一个有关中侏罗世紫萁科根茎化石。其主要特征是:外韧网管中柱,木质部圆筒12—17个管胞厚,由13—15个木质部束组成,叶迹从木质部圆筒分离时通常仅有一个原生木质部丛,柄基硬化环异质,在远轴边有一个约占环壁1/2的厚壁纤维带,柄基木质部束凹面有一个新月形的厚壁组织块,柄基托叶翼中每侧仅有一个不规则的厚壁组织块,不定根非常发育,在柄基的硬化环内根迹多达10个以上。     

广西隆林祥播中二叠世生物礁的钙藻化石

本文描述了广西隆林祥播中二叠世茅口期生物礁中的钙藻化石17属18种,其中新属5个:Paralithoporella gen. nov., Guangxilamina gen. nov., Favoporella gen. nov., Sinophyllum gen. nov.,和Monostysisyrinx gen. nov.; 新种9个:Solenopora guangxien sis sp. nov., Paralithoporella sincrisis gen. et sp. nov., Guangxilamina incompta gen. et sp. nov., Favoporella hexagona gen. et sp. nov., Ivanovia permica sp. nov., Anchicodium expressum sp. nov., Sinophyllum hexagonum gen. et sp. nov., Sphaeroporella minima gen. et sp. nov., Monostysisyrinx circula ris gen. et sp. nov.。本文还建立一新科——Monostysi sy rinaceae。在当前生物礁中,钙藻是重要的造礁生物,可以起造架、粘结、障积等作用,也可作为居礁生物或造粒生物