The temporal region and the supramastoid ridge in mesolithic skulls from Padina in the Iron Gate Gorge of the Danube

Studies of the morphological features of the temporal region of mesolithic skulls from Padina in the Iron Gate Gorge of the Danube revealed a very prominent and large supramastoid ridge which is the most striking feature in skulls of both sexes. Mastoid processes were larger in male skulls, but in 25% of the cases there was an overlap between the size of the processes in male and female specimens. The mastoid ridge was prominent in both sexes. The digastric fossa was always well defined in both sexes and in the two thirds of the skull specimens it was deep. The posterior root of the zygoma was prominent in all the skulls, but it was better developed in the male specimens. The parietotemporal suture in both sexes rises above the level of the pterion. There were no morphological or anthropometrical differences between the left and the right side of individual skulls outside the limits of natural asymmetry. All these morphological characteristics of the temporal region may help in racial and sexual diagnosis of the Mesolithic skulls from the Iron Gate Gorge.     

High Ammonia Levels in Brain Induce Tubulin in Cerebrum but Not in Cerebellum

Ingestion of large amounts of ammonium increases markedly the content of tubulin in brain. The effect on tubulin induction of ammonium ingestion for up to 100 days was investigated. Brain tubulin content showed a rapid initial increase (28%) at 2 days and reached 50% after 100 days on the diet. To discern if ammonia, the increase in urea synthesis, or both was responsible for tubulin induction, rats were maintained at several levels of uremia (by administering diets containing 0 to 80% protein) or in hyperammonemia (by urease treatment). Only ammonium administration in the diet and urease injection induced tubulin in brain. Tubulin was quantified in three different brain regions. There was a regional selectivity of tubulin induction by ammonia in rat brain. Whereas the cerebellum remained unaltered, the paleencephalon showed the highest increase, and the cerebral cortex exhibited only a modest increase.     

Effect of cyclophosphamide on the candidacidal activity of rabbit peritoneal macrophages

Single and repeated intravenous administration of cyclophosphamide significantly decreased the candidacidal activity of rabbit peritoneal macrophages. Using higher doses of the drug, a more pronounced decrease, persisting up to 10 d, was observed. The phagocytic index has not changed significantly 10 d after cyclophosphamide injection as compared with controls. No changes in the phagocytic activity were recorded. The decreased candidacidal activity may be one of the causes of serious microbial infections in cyclophosphamide-treated patients.     

Bemerkungen zur Taxonomie vonVicia sepium L.

In der ArtVicia sepium L. kann man in Mitteleuropa und in südlichen Teilen von Nordeuropa drei Varietäten unterscheiden: 1. var.sepium mit breiten Blättchen und einem kahlen bis angedrückt behaarten Kelch, 2. var.montana Koch mit schmalen Blättchen und einem kahlen oder zerstreut angedrückt behaarten Kelch, und 3. var.eriocalyx ?elak. mit breiten bis mittelbreiten Blättchen und einem abstehend langbehaarten Kelch, noch mit einer niedrigen und einer hohen Wuchsform. Bei allen Proben wurde die Chromosomezahl 2n=14 festgestellt.     

Bemerkungen zur Taxonomie und Nomenklatur vonLotus krylovii Schischk. etSerg. undL. corniculatus L. subsp.frondosus Freyn

Lotus krylovii Schischk. etSerg. undL. corniculatus L. subsp.frondosus Freyn sind zwei unterschiedliche Taxa, gekennzeichnet durch einige morphologische Merkmale.L. krylovii ist am nächsten mitL. tenuis Waldst. etKit. verwandt;L. corniculatus subsp.frondosus gehört in den Umkreis der Unterart vonL. corniculatus L., die im östlichen Teil des Areals der Art verbreitet ist. Nach ihrer Haupt-Verbreitung gehören die beiden Taxa zu den westasiatischen Arten.     

Some chromosome numbers of the CzechoslovakLeguminosae

Chromosome numbers of the Czechoslovak species of the genusLotus, from various localities have been determined. The paper includes the speciesLotus uliginosus Schkuhr,L.tenuis Waldst. etKit. andL. borbásii Ujhelyi.     

Assembly and disassembly of brain tubulin is affected by high ammonia levels

Rats were fed a diet containing ammonium for up to 6 months. High ammonia levels were attained in brain. The amount of polymerized tubulin in microtubules increased, while the amount of free tubulin remained unchanged. Polymerization of tubulin from brain of ammonium fed rats (30 min, 37°C) was approximately 60% of control. Depolymerization of the microtubules was also affected and took approximately 3 times longer than in controls. These results indicate that both assembly and disassembly of tubulin in brain are impaired by high ammonia levels. Interestingly, the amount of microtubule-associated proteins was not affected.     

A protein-free diet changes synaptosomal membrane fluidity and tyrosine and glutamate transport

Synaptosomes were isolated from cerebrums of rats fed standard (20% protein) or protein-free diets for 30 days. Arrhenius plots of their (Na⁺/K⁺)ATPase activities revealed a transition temperature of 25.5°C for control rats and 23.4°C for rats on protein-free diet, indicating that the latter increases synaptosomal membrane fluidity. The only change observed in the composition of the synaptosomal membranes was a 26% decrease of sialic acid. In synaptosomes from rats on protein-free diet the uptake of tyrosine was slightly reduced while that of glutamate was not affected. However, the exit of glutamate was reduced.