RBEs of Thermal Neutron Capture Therapy and 10B(n,α)7 Li Reaction on Melanoma-Bearing Hamsters

Using Greene's melanoma transplanted into Syrian (golden) hamsters, we determined the relative biological effectiveness (RBE) of thermal neutron capture therapy (TNCT) using ¹⁰B-paraboronophenylalanine (¹⁰B-BPA) in comparison with a 9-MeV electron beam. We also obtained the RBE of the ¹⁰B(n,α)⁷Li reaction by calculation based on summed dose data from TNCT. Throughout this study, the Kyoto University Research Reactor was used as the source for thermal neutrons; the reactor was specially altered to attain a low contamination level both for gamma-rays and fast neutrons. ¹⁰B-BPA was administered 8 hours before thermal neutron irradiation to the hamsters with melanoma. The tumor was then irradiated at 5 MW for 90 minutes. The absorbed dose from this TNCT was calculated by the method of Fairchild and Goodman (Phys. Med. Biol. 1966; 2:15–30). The RBEs of the TNCT and the ¹⁰B(n,α)⁷Li reaction obtained by the tumor growth delay time (TGDT) method were 2.22 and 2.51, respectively, at 10.5 days of TGDT. These RBE values varied with TGDT and the absorbed dose. The RBE value of TNCT had a peak at 7.0 days of TGDT; that of the ¹⁰B(n,α)⁷Li reaction was higher at a low absorbed dose level and lower at a high absorbed dose level.     

Application of Fluorescent Antibody for Detecting Capsular Substances in Staphylococcus aureus

A fluorescent antibody technique was developed for the determination of the capsular-type of strains of Staphylococcus aureus. It compared favourably with the method using serum-soft agar (Yoshida 1972). With the new technique, many populations of encapsulated and unencapsulated strains were investigated. Of 1421 fresh isolates of Staph. aureus , 54 were encapsulated and among these 54·8% and 48·1% were mono- and polyvalent, respectively. Capsular-type antigens A and B were found in 92·5% and 44·4% of strains respectively; capsular-types C and D were found relatively infrequently. In the other group, of unencapsulated strains, capsular-type antigen production was demonstrated in 125 out of 163 strains examined. Mono- and polyvalent capsular-types (A and B antigen producing strains) comprised 77·6% and 22·4%. respectively. In these capsular-types A and B were found in 54·4% and 62·4%, respectively: capsular-type antigen C and D producing strains were again infrequent. These results indicate that a majority of ordinary Staph . aureus strains produce capsular-type antigens although isolation of the encapsulated strains is infrequent.     

Seminal Root Growth in Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) Under Allelopathic Influences from Residues of Taro (Colocasia esculenta)

The length of the seminal root (SR) axis and the number andlength of lateral roots (LRs) of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor Moench)were markedly inhibited by taro [Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott]residues incorporated into a sand growing medium. The sand profilewas divided equally into zones with and without residues. Productionand elongation of the first-order LRs of the SR axis facingthe zone containing taro residues were severely suppressed.On the side facing the zone that was free of residues, productionand elongation of LRs was not inhibited. SR and LR growth wasdrastically impaired and many plants were killed when taro residueswere incorporated in large amounts into the uppermost 2 cm ofthe growing medium. The activity of the allelopathic substancesin the root zone appeared to be location-specific. Sorghum bicolor, seminal root, lateral root, Colocasia esculenta, taro, taro residues, allelopathic substances, root growth     

Time Lapse Analysis of Root Elongation Rates of Rice and Sorghum During the Day and Night

This paper describes a technique to monitor the root elongationrate (RER) per hour for several days, and variation in RER duringthe day and night. Rice (Oryza sativaL.) and sorghum (SorghumbicolorMoench) were grown in root boxes placed inside a growthchamber set at 25 °C with a 12 h photoperiod. Seminal rootaxes were sandwiched between a transparent acrylic board andfilter paper placed on a loamy sand soil. The roots were photographedunder dim green light using a CCD camera connected to a timelapse video recorder. The environment of the root, includingtemperature, light, nutrient, water and air supply, was controlledprecisely and maintained constant. RER fluctuated hourly insorghum and to a greater extent in rice. Maximum RERs were 1.4to 4.4 times faster than minimum rates. RERs during the dayand night did not differ statistically when temperatures werethe same.Copyright 1998 Annals of Botany Company Oryza sativaL., periodicity, root elongation,Sorghum bicolorMoench, time lapse.     

How does flowering magnitude affect seed survival in Shorea pilosa (Dipterocarpaceae) at the predispersal stage in Malaysia?

General flowering (GF), a supra-annual, irregular fluctuation in flowering and seeding at the community level, is a phenomenon unique to the tropical rainforests of South-East Asia. To test the animal pollination and predator satiation hypotheses, which are the main hypotheses that attempt to explain the ultimate cause of GF, we conducted a bagging experiment after the flowering of Shorea pilosa (Dipterocarpaceae). Seed survival at the predispersal stage was divided into two stages (1–30 days and > 30 days after flowering) and we compared the results between treatments and between GF and non-GF periods using a survival analysis. Survival during the GF period at both stages was significantly higher than during non-GF periods, suggesting that both hypotheses were supported and that synchronous flowering with GF benefits the reproductive success of S. pilosa .     

Phytochemical studies on tobacco alkaloids XIV. The occurrence and properties of putrescine N-methyltransferase in tobacco roots

Putrescine N-methyltransferase, a new enzyme catalyzing theformation of N-methylputrescine from putrescine and S-adenosyl-L-methioninewas found in roots of tobacco plants. The enzyme was purified30-fold from crude extracts of tobacco roots. NMethylputrescinewas identified as the reaction product by comparison with theauthentic compound. The enzyme had a pH optimum between pH 8and 9, and a molecular weight of about 60,000, as determinedby gel filtration. Km values for putrescine and 5-adenosyl-L-methioninewere 4.0 x 10^–4 M and 1.1 x 10^–4 M, respectively.Enzyme activity was inhibited by N-chloromercuribenzoate andAg⁺. No cofactors were required. Of the various substrates tested,only putrescine served as a methyl acceptor. The enzyme waslocalized exclusively in the roots and its activity was greadyenhanced by decapitation. The presence of putrescine N-methyltransferase in tobacco rootsstrongly suggests that N-methylputrescine participates as anintermediate in nicotine biosynthesis. (Received March 2, 1971; )     

STRUCTURED AND UNSTRUCTURED 9-POINT HEDONIC SCALES: A CROSS CULTURAL STUDY WITH AMERICAN, JAPANESE AND KOREAN CONSUMERS

The range of scores elicited by a structured, an unstructured and a 'labels-only'version of the 9-point hedonic scale were compared using consumers from USA, Japan and Korea. It was found that the unstructured scale elicited a wider range of scores for American and Japanese consumers. After correction for hedonic ranges, it was found that Japanese had smaller ranges of scores on all three scales, although the effect was less pronounced for the unstructured scale. The Korean consumers were the exception. Their ranges were less than Americans but their ranges on the unstructured scale did not increase. The results were discussed in terms of the effects of inhibition of use of categories by the scale labels, effects of translation from the English, psychophysical style and order effects.     

A NEW ELASMOSAURID PLESIOSAUR FROM THE UPPER CRETACEOUS OF FUKUSHIMA, JAPAN

Abstract:  A new genus and species of an elasmosaurid plesiosaur, Futabasaurus suzukii , is described based on a partial skeleton from the Inoceramus amakusensis Zone (Lower Santonian, Upper Cretaceous) of the Irimazawa Member of the Tamayama Formation, Futaba Group, in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. The new taxon is characterized by a number of characters such as the wide space between the orbit and external naris, posterior extension of the interclavicle, relatively long humerus and prominent femoral muscle scar. The holotype includes a partial skull and mandible, posterior cervicals to sacrals, ribs, clavicular arch, pelvic girdle and four limbs. The remains are mostly in articulation, and exhibit evidence of predation/scavenging by sharks. The distribution of elasmosaurid species in the circum-Pacific region remains unclear due to the lack of diagnostic materials. The occurrence of F. suzukii is geographically and stratigraphically significant, because it allows species-level comparison; as a diagnosable elasmosaurid specimen, F. suzukii is the first and the oldest from the northern Pacific.     

STUDIES ON PROTEIN METABOLISM IN HIGHER PLANTS. III. CHANGES IN THE SOLUBLE PROTEIN COMPONENTS WITH LEAF GROWTH

Water soluble protein was extracted from tobacco leaves (BrightYellow) and fractionated through chromatographic and immunochemicalprocedures. Six different UV-absorbing components, 7 antigeniccomponents, and 4 enzyme activities (phosphatase, protease,peroxidase and RNase) were detected on the Sephadex chromatogramsof leaf extracts. An UV-absorbing fraction, Fr. I-2, (immunochemicallydesignated as Pr. Imm-I) corresponded to the known "FractionI " of S. G. WILDMAN. The contents of the three antigenic components,Imm-a, Imm-b and Imm-c, having estimated molecular weights of1 to 2 10⁵, showed significant fluctuations during growthof the leaves. Peroxidase and another antigenic component (Imm-f)of smaller molecular weight showed increase with age of theleaves. Properties of the protein components thus detected wereinvestigated. (Received May 11, 1967; )