An Estimation Procedure for the Joint Distribution of Spatial Direction and Thickness of Flat Bodies Using Vertical Sections. Part II: An application in soil micromorphology

In soil micromorphology fissures are considered in vertical sections. To get information about the properties of the soil the joint distribution of spatial direction and width of these fissures is of interest. The fissures are mathematically generalized to flat bodies which are defined as stationary weighted surface processes with the weight “thickness”. In a typical point of the surface process suitable, joint parametric distributions of direction and thickness are assumed. The parameters have to be estimated from measurements on vertical sections which are taken from the soil. On these sections only a visible thickness and a visible angle can be observed. The joint distribution of these variables can be expressed by the joint distribution of spatial direction and thickness with the same parameters and in this indirect way the parameters can be estimated. The paper describes how to randomize the vertical section and how to measure the visible variables on the sections. The Chi-Square method is proposed for the parameter estimation. Further it is discussed how to derive good starting values for the numerical procedure. All this is demonstrated in a simulation study using the Bingham-Mardia distribution for the direction and the lognormal distribution for the thickness including a way to correlate the mean thickness and the direction. Finally an application in soil micromorphology is demonstrated for one soil horizon.     

Estimation of Individual Growth Curves by Empirically Weighted Least Squares

The simultaneous estimation of individual growth curves and a mean growth curve is accomplished by weighted least squares. A polynomial curve is fitted for each individual and the polynomial parameters are linear functions of parameters corresponding to covariates. A simple, computationally efficient variance-covariance estimator is derived. The resultant estimate is used in the weighted least squares estimation. The results are compared to empirical Bayes estimation.     

δ and κ Opiate receptors in primary astroglial cultures from rat cerebral cortex

The effects of , , and receptor-agonists on forskolin stimulated cyclic adenosine-3, 5-monophosphate (cAMP) formation were examined in astroglial enriched primary cultures from the cerebral cortex of newborn rats. Intracellular cAMP accumulation was quantified by radioimmunoassay. Morphine was used as a -receptor agonist, D-Ala-D-Leu-Enkephalin (DADLE) as a -receptor agonist and dynorphine 1–13 (Dyn) as a -receptor agonist. Basal cAMP levels were unaffected by either the opiate agonists or the antagonists used. In the presence of the cAMP stimulator forskolin, morphine had no significant effect on the cytoplasmic cAMP levels. DADLE caused a dose related inhibition of the forskolin stimulated cAMP accumulation. The effects of this receptor stimulation was blocked with the selective antagonist ICI 174.864. In the presence of Dyn, the forskolin stimulated cAMP accumulation was inhibited in a dose related manner. This receptor stimulation was blocked with the selective antagonist MR 2266. Co-administration of DADLE and Dyn resulted in a non additive inhibition of the forskolin stimulated accumulation of cAMP. These findings indicate that astroglial enriched cultures from the cerebral cortex of rats express and -receptors co-localized ont he same population of cells, and that these receptors are inhibitory coupled to adenylate cyclase.     

Correlation of physical maps and some genetic functions in the genomes of the kappa-theta phage family of Bacillus licheniformis

Summary Natural recombinant genomes between several, phenotypically distinct forms of phages and were isolated and characterized by DNA restriction fragment mapping and electron microscopic heteroduplex analysis. The phenotypes of the recombinants were correlated with the physical maps of the genomes, and several genetic functions were therfore defined and mapped. All genes necessary for the assembly of infectious virus particles map in a contiguous tract of DNA comprising about 20 kb, or nearly one third of the genome length. No DNA homology occurs within these domains of the two genomes, so that homologous recombination does not take place here and phenotypic mixing of the phages is eo ipso excluded. Other regions of heterology contain regulatory genes responsible for the lytic or temperate character of the phages, and for exclusion of phage by .     

Ecological optima and tolerances of Thelypteris limbosperma,Athyrium distentifolium,and Matteuccia struthiopteris along environmental gradients in Western Norway

The distribution and abundance of Thelypteris limbosperma, Athyrium distentifolium, and Matteuccia struthiopteris are modelled statistically in relation to 14 environmental variables along the major climatic, topographic, and edaphic gradients in western Norway. The data are from 624 stands from which measurements or estimates of mean January and mean July temperatures, humidity, altitude, aspect, and slope are available. From 182 of these stands eight soil variables have also been measured. The species responses are quantified by two numerical methods: Gaussian logit regression and weighted averaging (WA) regression. The estimated WA optima suggest that A. distentifolium has an ecological preference for low July and January temperatures, high altitudes, and soils of low-medium pH and base content. The species shows statistically significant Gaussian responses with summer temperature, humidity (= Martonnes humidity index), altitude, slope, aspect, pH, cation exchange capacity, and base saturation with optima of 8.7 °C, 188.9, 1220 m, 28°, 29°, 4.8, 13.77 mEq 100 g dry soil^-1, and 13.4%, respectively. These suggest that the occurrence and relative abundance of A. distentifolium are well predicted by summer temperature, topography, and soil pH and base status. T. limbosperma has WA optima that suggest that it favours moderately high winter and summer temperatures, high humidity, medium altitude, and soils of low pH and base content. It has significant Gaussian responses to summer temperature (optimum =12.6 °C), winter temperature (-1.8 °C), humidity (179.2), altitude (459.5 m), slope (22.5°), and Na (0.7 mg 100 g dry soil^-1). These suggest that climatic factors, altitude, and slope are significant predictors for its occurrence and abundance. M. struthiopteris has high WA optima for summer temperature, pH, Ca, Mg, K, Na, cation exchange capacity (CEC), and base saturation, and a low optima for humidity and winter temperature. Of these, summer temperature (16.0 °C), Ca (63.1 mg 100 g dry soil^-1), Mg (41.0 mg 100 g dry soil^-1), K (23.6 mg 100 g dry soil^-1), Na (5.0 mg 100 g dry soil^-1), CEC (60.7 mEq 100 g dry soil^-1), and base saturation (56.3%) have significant Gaussian logit responses, as do aspect (150.2°) and loss-on-ignition (9.4%). These results suggest that the occurrence and relative abundance of M. struthiopteris are well predicted by high soil base cations, a generally southern aspect, low organic content in the soil, and high July temperatures.     

MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES AS MOLECULAR MARKERS FOR THE INTRACELLULAR AND CELL WALL DISTRIBUTION OF CARRAGEENAN EPITOPES IN KAPPAPHYCUS (RHODOPHYTA) DURING TISSUE DEVELOPMENT1

Carrageenan, the major cell wall carbohydrate of certain red algae, is variable in structure and gelling properties. Sequence types include gelling (kappa and iota) and nongelling (lambda) types in addition to precursors, often in hybrid molecules containing more than one precursor and/or sequence type. Molecular markers to subunits were needed to study carrageenan synthesis, cell wall organization, and the relationship between structure and function. Monoclonal antibodies were produced to carrageenan, and their specificities were determined by competitive enzyme immunoassay. Antibodies were identified with specificities related to kappa, iota, and lambda carrageenan. The patterns of immunofluorescence localization on Kappaphycus alvarezii = Eucheuma alvarezii var. tambalang (Doty) sections were distinctive for each antibody. The antibody to a kappa-related epitope labeled mature tissue strongly; antibodies to an iota-related epitope and a lambda-related epitope labeled weakly, consistent with the kappa-enriched carrageenan produced by this alga. Kappa-related epitopes were distributed throughout the wall and matrix, whereas iota-related epitopes were concentrated in the middle lamella. Lambda-related epitopes were localized primarily at the plant cuticle where kappa and iota antigens were lacking. An antibody appeared to be specific for a precursor of the gelling subunits because it showed maximal wall and intracellular labeling at the youngest developmental stage. All antibodies labeled intracellular inclusions in the transition zone between the epidermis and medulla during the development of medullary cells from the peripheral meristem in young branches. The results demonstrate the intracellular synthesis of epitopes related to all major carrageenan subunits and their differential extracellular distribution.     

Molecular phylogeny based on the κ-casein and cytochrome b sequences in the mammalian suborder Ruminantia

Nucleotide sequences for the -casein precursor proteins have been determined from the genomic DNAs or hair roots of the Ruminantia. The coding regions, exons 2, 3, and 4, were amplified separately via the three kinds of PCRs and then directly sequenced. The primers were designed from the sequence of bovine -casein gene; they were applicable for the amplification of the -casein genes from the 13 species in the Ruminantia except exon 2 of the lesser mouse deer. These results permitted an easy phylogenetic analysis based on the sequences of an autosomal gene. A phylogenetic tree was constructed from the mature K-casein sequences and compared with the tree of the cytochrome b genes which were sequenced from the same individuals. The Cervidae (sika deer, Cervus nippon) were separated from the branch of the Bovidae on the tree of -casein genes with a relatively high confidence level of the bootstrap analysis, but included in the branch of the Bovidae on the tree of cytochrome b genes. The -casein tree indicated a monophyly of the subfamily Caprinae, although the internal branches were uncertain in the Caprinae. The tree based on the nucleotide sequences of cytochrome b genes clearly showed the relationships of the closely related species in the genus Capricornis consisting of serow (C. smatorensis), Japanese serow (C. crispus), and Formosan serow (C. swinhoei). These results would be explained by the difference of resolving power between the -casein and the cytochrome b sequences. Correspondence to: K. Chikuni     

Characterization ofκ-casein and keratin domains in fibrinogen

Summary Following the observation of a close sequence homology between the N-terminal moiety of the -chain of fibrinogen with large parts of-casein, the occurrence of a keratin domain in the middle section of the Achain is suggested.