Permeability of cellophane membranes to parotid proteins during dialysis

Summary Pooled parotid saliva was dialyzed in cellophane membranes against water for periods of up to 1 week and loss of proteins was monitored by acrylamide gel-electrophoresis. A gradual loss of cationic proteins was observed whereas anionic proteins were not appreciably affected. Loss of the cationic proteins could be greatly reduced by performing dialyses against dilute electrolyte solutions rather than water. These effects were attributed primarily to electrostatic charges associated with the dialysis membranes.The assistance of Mr E. Pederson and Dr G. Clark is gratefully acknowledged. Supported by Naval Medical Research and Development Command Project MR005.19 6048, Bethesda, Maryland. The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and are not be construed as reflecting the views of the Navy Department or the Naval Service at large. The use of commercially available products does not imply endorsement of these products or preference to other similar products on the market.Deceased.     

On the solvent-extraction of acetylcholine receptor

Summary Chloroform/methanol rechromatography on Sephadex LH-20 of fractions isolated from organic solvent extracts ofE. electricus electric organs exhibited alterations in elution point compared to the original chromatography. Additionally,³H decamethonium bromide did not coelute with any of the observed fractions. It is concluded that as presently described the organic solvent isolation procedure for the cholinergic receptor exhibits undesirable characteristics.Acknowledgments. The authors thank Dan Burrough and Rick O'Brien for their competent technical assistance. Naval Medical Research Development and Command, Research Work Unit No. MRO41.06.01.0021. The opinions and assertions contained herein are the private ones of the writers and are not to be construed as official or reflecting the views of the Navy Department or the naval service at large.     

Time dependent formation of acetylcholinesterase isozymes

Summary 4 electrophoretically and chromatographically distinguishable forms of 11S acetylcholinesterase were generated during storage of an 11S preparation of the enzyme.Acknowledgments. R. M. Kothari was a Postdoctoral Research Associate of the National Research Council and National Academy of Sciences. Naval Medical Research and Development Command, Research Task No. MF51.524.014.9025. The opinions and assertions contained herein are the private ones of the writers and not to be construed as official or reflecting the views of the Navy Department or the Naval Service at large.     

Ophthalmoscopy of pigeons using transillumination

Résumé Une nouvelle méthode d'examen visuel facile du fundus des oiseaux est décrite ici. Elle utilise la transillumination de la tête. Cette méthode rend possible la photographie avec des appareils conventionnels. Elle n'exige pas une dextérité speciale, et grâce à elle, certaines caractéristiques peuvent être mises en evidence d'une facon plus nette qu'avec d'autres techniques.

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The opinions or assertions expressed herein are the private ones of the authors and are not to be construed as official or reflecting the views of the Navy Department or the Naval Service at large.     

In vitro metabolism of the trichothecene 4-monoacetoxyscirpenol by fungus- and non-fungus-feeding insects

Summary The metabolism of the trichothecene 4-monoacetoxyscirpenol by intact gut tissue was determined in the fungus-feeding Nitidulid,Carpophilus hemipterus (L.) and the non-fungus-feeding caterpillars, the fall armyworm,Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) and the corn earworm,Heliothis zea (Boddie). The primary metabolite was the hydrolysis product scirpentriol. The amount of metabolism by theC. hemipterus larvae was ca 10 times that of the caterpillars on a per mg protein basis, suggesting metabolic adaptation for feeding on fungi that may contain mycotoxins.Acknowledgment. The authors wish to thank S. Taylor for technical assistance.The mention of firm names or trade products does not imply that they are endorsed or recommended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture over other firms or similar products not mentioned.     

Cerebrospinal fluid production during temperature stress and feeding in the conscious monkey

Zusammenfassung Das Flüssigkeitsvolumen des Ventrikelliquors wurde in Affen (im 3. Ventrikel kanuliert) gemessen. Die Produktion von Ventrikelliquor verringerte sich stark während 40–50 min, und zwar bei Nahrungsaufnahme, bei Erwärmung oder Abkühlung. Hernach Rückkehr des normalen Liquorvolumens.

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Supported in part by U.S. Office of Naval Research Contract No. NO 00014-67-A-0003 and Grant No. GB 7906 from the National Science Foundation. The authors are indebted to P.Curzon for valuable technical assistance.     

Evoked release of 5-HT and NEFA from the hypothalamus of the conscious monkey during thermorégulation

Zusammenfassung Unterkühlungsexperimente mit Affen zeigen einen Anstieg des 5-HT-Gehaltes in der Durchströmungsflüssigkeit des vorderen Hypothalamus. Erwärmung der Tiere ergab 2–4fachen Anstieg eines NEFA-ähnlichen Stoffes.

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Supported in part by U.S. Office of Naval Research Contract No. N00014-67-A-0226-0003, Grant No. GB 7906 from the National Science Foundation and a grant from the Wallace Laboratories. The authors are indebted to P.Cuezon, J. E.Evans and R. B.Holman for their valuable assistance.     

Sterility and lethality in crosses involving two translocation heterozygotes of the German cockroach,Blattella germanica (L.)

Summary Productivity in crosses involving two independent reciprocal translocations inBlattella germanica are reported. Lethal effects alone could not account for the reductions in hatch since completely unproductive crosses occurred frequently. The latter are attributed to the inability of reduced numbers of viable embryos to force open the egg case. The implications for genetic control of the joint dominant effects from embryonic trapping and translocation semisterility are discussed.Acknowledgment. This research was supported in part by Naval Facilities Engineering Command Contract No. N00025-74-C-0014 and a grant from Johnson's Wax Fund, Inc. The data on the translocation heterozygote and the wild-type matings were obtained byNancy L. Ross, and their use is gratefully acknowledged.     

Methyl cellosolve-induced sensitization of mice to bacterial endotoxin

Summary Treatment of mice with a sublethal dose of methyl cellosolve renders the animals 64-fold more sensitive to the toxic effects of bacterial endotoxin.Acknowledgments. I would like to thank Mr Larry Davis for his excellent technical assistance in these studies.This work was supported by the Naval Medical Research and Development Command, Research Work Unit No. MF585240013.1026. The opinions and assertions contained herein are the private ones of the writer and are not to be construed as official or reflecting the views of the Navy Department or the naval service at large. The experiments conducted herein were conducted according to the principles set forth in the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, Institute of Laboratory Resources, National Research Council.     

Suppressed collagenolytic activity in polymorphonuclear leucocytes from diabetic humans

Summary Extracts of polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMNL) from diabetic human exhibited less collagenolytic activity than extracts from normoglycemic control subjects. Partially purified control extracts produced ^A and ^B collagen breakdown products of the type generated by mammalian collagenase; the diabetic preparation produced decreased amounts of the same products. The diabetic PMNLs may synthesize abnormally low levels of collagenase or contain inactive forms of this enzyme.Supported by a grant (No. DE-03987) from the National Institute of Dental Research (N.I.H.), USA. This study forms part of the Ph.D. thesis of G.A. Nicoll.Acknowledgments. The authors wish to thank Ms Salema Karim and Mr F.R. Singh for excellent technical assistance.     

The influence of pH on the sex-related differences in renal organic ion transport

Summary The stimulating effects of elevated medium pH and androgen on in vitro transport of p-aminohippurate and N-methylnicotinamide (NMN) were additive, although the androgenic effect was pH-dependent only in the case of NMN. The similarity of response of the 2 systems supports the idea of a common passive efflux pathway for organic anions and cations.Naval Medical Research and Development Command, Research Task No. MS04101.0160. The opinions and assertions contained herein are the private ones of the authors and are not to be construed as official or reflecting the views of the Navy Department or the naval service at large. The experiments reported herein were conducted according to the principles set forth in the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, Institute of Laboratory Animal Resources, National Research Council, DHEW Pub. No. (NIH) 74-23.     

Lead potentiation of endotoxin lethality in rats: Lack of effect of kininase inhibition

Summary Although lead and SQ₂₀₈₈₁ are potent in vitro inhibitors of kininase II activity, SQ₂₀₈₈₁ does not alter the sensitivity of rats to endotoxin. These results indicate that marked changes in plasma kininase activity do not contribute to endotoxin morbility and that kininase inhibition is not the mechanism whereby lead ions sensitize rats to endotoxin.This investigation was supported by the Naval Medical Research and Development Command, NNMC, Department of the Navy, Research Task No. MR041.20.01.0435. The opinions and assertions contained herein are the private ones of the author, and are not to be construed as official or reflecting the views of the Navy Department or the naval service at large.The experiments reported herein were conducted according to the principles set forth in the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, Institute of Laboratory Animal Resources, National Research Council, DHEW Pub. No. (NIH) 74-23.     

Sleep disturbance due to transportation noise: ear plugs vs oral drugs

Conclusion Sleep is not only the output of an EEG machine but a global phenomenon with unique physiological, environmental and psychological features occurring in a given individual. There is no question that statistical evaluation of noise-induced sleep disturbances in non homogeneous groups of subjects has resulted in the construction of a magnificent neurophysiological edifice by assembling a few individual bricks. In this respect, whether subjectively disturbed or not, we now know that when we sleep in noisy areas our delta sleep is reduced, our heart rate fails to habituate to individual noises, and we are more likely to develop psychic disturbances than residents in quiet areas. Data from these studies are however interspersed with results from a number of experiments during which the subject has been looked upon as nothing but a sleeper, i.e., experiments in which day-time stresses and noises were considered as irrelevant for the night-time study. It seems important therefore that future studies should gather more longitudinal data based on a limited number of subjects selected according to their day-time habits and psychological (e.g., extroverts/introverts) and physiological (e.g., short or long sleepers) characteristics. The knowledge about these situational factors and personality traits might provide new insights into individual biological strategies developed to cope with noise stress. The difficulties in assessing the effect of noise on sleep are particularly obvious if we consider another finding: deaf subjects spend significantly less time in delta sleep than do control subjects⁴⁷ and they present sleep pattern alterations remarkably similar to those which are most consistently described in noisy conditions.Research by the authors has been supported by grants from the Ministère de la Qualité de la Vie et de l'Environnement (France) and Commission of European Communities.     

Effects of weak electromagnetic fields onPhysarum polycephalum: Mitotic delay in heterokaryons and decreased respiration

Summary Continuous exposure ofPhysarum polycephalum to a 75 Hz, 2.0 G, and 0.7 V/m electromagnetic field results in a depressed respiration rate and a lengthening of the mitotic cell cycle. If unexposedPhysarum are mixed with exposedPhysarum the onset of synchronous mitosis in the mixed culture is delayed, occurring at a time between those of the 2 parent cultures.Acknowledgment. This work was supported by the Naval Electronics Systems Command through an Office of Naval Research Contract and a grant from Parkside's Center for the Application of Computers.     

Scientific authorship in the age of collaborative research

I examine two challenges that collaborative research raises for science. First, collaborative research threatens the motivation of scientists. As a result, I argue, collaborative research may have adverse effects on what sorts of things scientists can effectively investigate. Second, collaborative research makes it more difficult to hold scientists accountable. I argue that the authors of multi-authored articles are aptly described as plural subjects, corporate bodies that are more than the sum of the individuals involved. Though journal editors do not currently conceive of the authors of multi-authored articles this way, this conception provides us with the conceptual resources to make sense of how collaborating scientists behave.     

Implications of toxins in the ecology and evolution of plant pathogenic microorganisms: Bacteria

This review attempts to rationalise what is known about bacterial phytotoxins and associate it with the ecology and possible evolution of the producing organisms. Study of non-toxin producing variants gives insight into the ecological role of the toxin. Elucidation of chemical structures of phytotoxins has shown that many exist as families of analogous compounds. Studies on the variation of chemical structures and how they are distributed across species and genera can lead to development of hypotheses on evolutionary relationships. Knowledge on biosynthetic pathways to tosins allows recognition of specific enzymatic steps involved in developing the characteristic features of the structures. Phytotoxins often have a potent biochemical activity, and in some cases the producing organism has associated mechanisms to prevent action of the toxin upon itself; in such cases toxigenesis is clearly not a chance event. The various aspects of bacterial toxigenesis indicate that bacterial phytotoxins are special secondary metabolic products that play beneficial roles to the producing organisms in their various ecological niches.     

Comparison of native and microwave irradiated DNA

Summary Chemical changes induced in the testicular DNA of irradiated Swiss male mice are described. Parameters quantified were hyperchromocity and melting temperature. The data supports the possibility that microwave causes strand separation.This work was supported by grant No. N00014-A-0346-0002, from the Department of the Navy, Office of Naval Research, Arlington, VA.     

Indole metabolites ofPenicillium cyclopium NRRL 6093

Summary The indoles penitrem A and B and roquefortine were isolated from fungal cultures ofPenicillium cyclopium grown on Czapek-Dox medium at 25°C for 2 weeks.Acknowledgment. We thank Ms. C.E. Johnson for microanalyses. The mention of firm names or trade products does not imply that they are endorsed or recommended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture over other firms or similar products not mentioned.     

食物分类与血压的关系研究

目的通过对人群不同食物分类的摄入天数的调查,分析食物分类与血压之间的关系。方法随机从某单位选取101名职工为调查对象,年龄在31～57岁,男性34人,女性67人。所有调查对象均进行膳食问卷调查和血压的测量,通过logistics回归分析食物分类与血压之间的关系。结果血压偏高组人群平均每周摄入各类食物的比例均较血压正常少,其中蛋类及其制品、豆类及豆制品、谷类（大米,面食,杂粮）、牛奶及奶制品、肉类（猪,牛,羊,家禽）、新鲜蔬菜和水果的天数明显少于血压正常纽（P〈0．05）;通过logistics回归分析发现,谷类、牛奶及奶制品摄入的天数的增多对血压有一定的保护作用（P〈0．05）,其logistics回归分析OR值分别为0．61、0．41。结论食用谷类及奶制品对于预防高血压发生有重要的意义。     

Molecular adaptations to cold in psychrophilic enzymes

Psychrophiles or cold-loving organisms successfully colonize cold environments of the Earth's biosphere. To cope with the reduction of chemical reaction rates induced by low temperatures, these organisms synthesize enzymes characterized by a high catalytic activity at low temperatures associated, however, with low thermal stability. Thanks to recent advances provided by X-ray crystallography, protein engineering and biophysical studies, we are beginning to understand the molecular adaptations responsible for these properties which appear to be relatively diverse. The emerging picture suggests that psychrophilic enzymes utilize an improved flexibility of the structures involved in the catalytic cycle, whereas other protein regions if not implicated in catalysis may or may not be subjected to genetic drift.