Über «therapeutische» und «toxische» Digitoxigeninwirkungen auf elektrophysiologische Messgrössen des Meerschweinchenvorhofs

Summary Therapeutic concentrations of digitoxigenin (10^–7–3× 10^–7 g/ml), producing positive inotropic effects, did not alter resting and action potentials of electrically driven guinea-pig auricles. However, toxic concentrations of digitoxigenin (5 × 10^–7–10^–8 g/ml), producing arrhythmias and contracture of the myocardium, had a marked influence upon resting and action potentials and conduction velocity.     

Serologische Versuche zum Nachweis von «Taraxein»

Summary In the serum of acute schizophrenic patients, Taraxein could not be detected by means of immuno-electrophoresis, tanned cell hemagglutination and the latex-particle agglutination test.     

La dualité des « Prolans » urinaires

Conclusions La préhypophyse sécrète deux hormones, l'auxogène et la crinogène. On peut, en détruisant ou éliminant le crinogène, obtenir des extraits à effet auxogène pur. L'urine de femme castrée ne contient que le principe auxogène: la lutéinisation, observée dans certains cas, est un effet secondaire dû à l'intervention de l'hypophyse de l'animal traité.L'urine de femme enceinte contient deux prolans: un principe crinogène identique à celui de l'hypophyse et agissant, comme ce dernier, directement sur l'ovaire; un principe hypophysotrope, stimulant l'hypophyse de l'animal — dans la mesure où elle est présente ou capable de réponse — et se traduisant dans l'ovaire par un effet auxogène de type physiologique.Les deux principes de l'UFE peuvent être séparés ou l'un peut être détruit avec conservation partielle de l'autre. Les taux des deux prolans varient d'une urine à l'autre, pour une même urine au cours de la gestation ou au cours du chauffage.L'existence de ces deux principes est importante à considérer lorsqu'on utilise, dans la pratique médicale, des extraits d'UFE qui sont, en réalité, des mélanges variables de deux hormones, dont les effets physiologiques et, par suite, les indications thérapentiques ne sont certainement pas les mémes.     

Sur le dédoublement par entraînement. La notion de sursaturation «rémanente»

Zusammenfassung Durch abwechselnde Übersättigungen und darauffolgende Kristallisationen bei variierender Temperatur konnten gewisse Razemate in ihre optischen Antipoden gespalten werden. Im Falle des Chloramphenicols ist das gesetzmässige Gelingen der genannten Prozeduren sehr bemerkenswert. Diese sogenannte «méthode de dédoublement par entraînement» wird begründet durch den Begriff derremanenten Übersättigung. Da diese im umgekehrten Verhältnis zur Menge jedes eingesetzten Enantiomeren variiert, kristallisiert das überschüssige Enantiomere, wogegen das andere, selbst bei Anwesenheit der eigenen Impfkristalle, in der Übersättigung bleibt. Die beschriebenen Erscheinungen sind durch Löslichkeitskurven darstellbar.     

Les bases cytologiques de l'hérédité «relativement» liée au sexe chez les mammifères

Summary The author shows that the conception of an incomplete sex-linkage in mammals must be discarded on cytological grounds. There is either (general case) pre-reduction of theX andY chromosomes at the first metaphase, or post-reduction (Apodemus) but never facultative post-or pre-reduction.During the growth period, from the Zygoteny to the Diacinesis, the occurrence ofc -o is made highly improbable, owing to the heteropycnotic state of the sexchromosomes, and has never been observed with accuracy. The revision of the literature shows that such an hypothesis is not tenable.The obligatory post-reduction byApodemus can be interpreted in the concept of anticipation centromérique.In a very few cases, formations like chiasmas occur as linking theX andY chromosomes at the first metaphase. It is possible that these exceptional configurations might be explained by a translocation of the sex-chromosomes on a pair of autosomes.From a more general standpoint, it would be desirable that geneticians should have more confidence in the results of pure cytologists rather than in the work of cytogeneticians who wish to find an explanation for every genetical hypothesis.

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Institut de Zoologie et d'Anatomie comparée.     

Relations du « métabolisme respiratoire » des bactéries et du type de bactériophage avec l'activité de substances antiphages

Summary Quantitative determination of bacteriolysis with different T_1–7-phages confirms earlier observations that with substances inhibiting the action of T₁-phage the normal respiratory metabolism of the protected bacteria is quantitatively restored in every detail.With T₂-phage, showing a different respiratory course of bacteriolysis, no effect is obtained with the same substance, either on the respiration of the bacteria or on the typical course of respiration during bacteriolysis. The action of the phage inhibiting substance against T₁-phage is therefore an effect of definite specificity.     

Elektronenoptische Untersuchungen über die Entstehun g «stachliger» Streptomyces-Sporen

Summary It is demonstrated, by electron-optical photography in a Streptomyces strain of the morphological section spira, that the spines of the spores arise from the membrane of the aerial mycelium hyphae and can be decomposed by lysozyme.     

Zur Entstehung der Magensalzsäure über einen « Precursor »

Summary Bradford andDavies did not succeed in demonstrating with their indicator-experiments that free hydrochloric acid is formed without a precursor in the oxyntic cells of the gastric mucosa. The free hydrochloric acid, as shown by them, is formed as an artefact owing to the action of the indicator.     

Influenza del Mg++ sulla «eptoformazione non ossidativa» nel muscolo scheletrico

Summary Mg⁺⁺ influence on ‘non-oxydative heptoformation’ from hexose-phosphate has been studied in enzymatic preparations of rat skeletal muscle. The results give further evidence that F-1, 6-P, added to F-6-P, increases the rate of heptoformation inasmuch as it gives, by aldolase action, triosephosphate.      

Der Hyaluronsäuregehalt und die «Hyaluronidase»-Aktivität der Leukozyten

Summary The hyaluronic acid content of leucocytes from the peritoneum of rats shows a significant concentration when measured either turbidimetrically or oxydimetrically, the average value calculated for wet weight being 0.7–0.8%. The hyaluronic acid break down capacity of the leucocytes is not a specific enzyme action but can be attributed to their high ascorbic acid content. The phenomenon has no well defined pH or temperature optimum and can be inhibited by oxine and by semicarbazide.     

Zur Kenntnis der «Keller-Reaktion» und ihre Anwendung zur spektrophotometrischen Bestimmung von Indolen

Summary A spectrophotometric method suitable for quantitative estimation of indole compounds is described. The correlation is discussed between this colour test, derived from the ?Keller-reaction?, and the ?Hopkins-Cole-reaction?.      

Der Einfluss der «Lorentz-Kontraktion» der Erde auf den Gang der Quarzuhren. II

Summary In addition to his paper², which contains the yearly curves 1948, 1949, 1950 of relative corrections of Quarzclocks on northern and southern stations, the author gives here the four new curves for 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954 with the results of the observations in Greenwich, Potsdam and Buenos Aires (geod. and naval.). The theoretical statement that the curves at southern stations must agree with the reflexes of those on northern stations has now still better foundations than before and thus the existence of the «Lorentz-contraction» is still more clearly proved.     

Über die «absoluten» Bewegungen der Milchstrasse und der nächsten Spiralnebel

Summary (1) The milky way is moving absolutely (relative to the light-ether) with a velocity of at least 600 km/s in the direction of the absolute movement of the earth (A=78°,D=+40°).(2) The point of symmetry of the absolute velocities of the spirals is situated about 1,120,000 parsec from the milky way in the direction of the antapex of his absolute movement, and it has taken 1·83 milliards of years for the milky way to cross this distance.(3) Probably the next spirals are forming with the milky way as a center a group with a common parallel movement like that one of the milky way.     

Injection à des souris nouveau-nées de cellules hématopoiétïques homologues de donneurs adultes ou embryonnaires. Fréquence de la greffe érythroblastique et de la «Runt Disease»

Summary The endoveinous injection to newborn mice of homologous hemafopoietic cells either adult or embryonnic, may result in a lasting and functional graft.The former statement can be demonstrated by use of starch gel electrophoresis which shows the specific hemoglobin of the donors.In both uses this graft can induce a runt disease.     

Über die durch Licht bedingte «Missweisung» bei den Tänzen im Bienenstock

Summary Bees are able to indicate direction to their hive comrades by means of a waggling dance of 2 kinds: in the horizontal plane with regard to the sun they point directly towards the goal by a waggling walk using the same angle to the sun as they took in their flight. Inside the dark hive in the vertical honey-comb, they transpose the angle between goal and sun to the field of gravity, whereby the sun's direction is shown by a waggling walk upwards, and the angle to the right or left of the sun's position is given by a dance-direction in the corresponding angle to the right or left of the zenith.If a piece of blue sky is made visible in an observation hive to the bees which are dancing in orientation by gravity, they recognise the position of the sun by this polarisation sample, and the effort to orientate themselves directly by the sun (as in the horizontal plane) comes into conflict with the orientation by gravity. The result is a dance direction which corresponds remarkably well with the halving of the angle between what the dance direction should have been by gravity and what it should have been by light orientation (Figure 1). This is also true when the bee is orientating itself by polarised sky light over its back, while the sun is at the other side of the honey-comb under its front (Figure 2), a situation which does not occur during flight but which is important for its dance in the swarm. The bees receiving the information compensate the deviation of the angle determined by light, and fly to the right goal.As the sun itself, as well as the piece of blue sky, was made visible to the dancers, its influence dominated and they orientated themselves by its light (Figure 3).     

Versuche zur biologischen Bestimmung der Sedimentationskonstanten kleiner neurotroper Viren in der präparativen Ultrazentrifuge «ZF 3»

Summary An attempt is made to determine the sedimentation constant by means of biological assay in animal viruses. A new type of electromagnetic high speed centrifuge (Type ZF 3) was used for this purpose. An essential feature of this model is that the entire volume for assay is included in one single cell positioned at an angle of 90° to the axis of rotation. The murine EMC virus was used to show that the centrifuge is suitable for the biological determination ofS-values, in spite of the fact that the gravitational field in the cell is inhomogeneous and that the cell walls are not adapted to the radial migrational direction of the centrifuged particles.     

L'absorption du facteur «L.E.» par des noyaux cellulaires isolés

Summary The serum containing the L.E. factor loses its activity after having been put in contact with isolated cell nuclei. The electrophoretic examination shows a clear diminution of the gamma globulin and a slight diminution of the globulin alpha 2. That the factor responsible for the L.E. phenomenon can be absorbed by isolated cell nuclei is an argument in favor of the hypothesis that this factor is a substance having the character of an antinuclear anti-body, without one being able to exclude with certitude the possibility that this factor is an enzyme.     

«Bindung» eines synthetischen Polypeptides (Hypertensin) an Heparin und Freisetzung des Peptides durch Compound 48/80in vitro

Summary It is shown that a synthetic octapeptide, hypertensin, can be bound to heparinin vitro in a fashion similar to that of histamine. Hypertensin can be liberated from this complex by Compound 48/80.     

Der qualitative und quantitative Nachweis der «fixen Luft» (1756), ein Wendepunkt in der Geschichte der Chemie und Biologie

Summary Reference is made to a treatise published in 1756 byJoseph Black (1728–1799), which was the first work to contain conclusive evidence of a gas bound to solid bodies; and in this connection the historical significance of the earliest studies on carbon dioxide is emphasised. Attention is drawn in particular to a subject about which little has hitherto been known,i.e., the use whichBlack and his contemporaries (notablyDavid Macbride) made of this discovery by applying it to animal and human physiology.

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Eine ausführlichere Würdigung dieses geschichtlichen Sachverhalts erscheint in Gesnerus (Schweiz)1956, Heft 3/4.     

Dégénérescence rétinienne expérimentale provoquée par le fluorure de sodium

Zusammenfassung Die Einspritzung von NaFl beim Kaninchen verursacht Netzhautveränderungen, welche derRetinitis pigmentosa ähnlich (Fundus, ERG, Histologie), aber auf einen Bezirk beschränkt sind.