Hypertensive eye lesions in the rat. Effect of carotid ligation

Résumé 1^o Un syndrome d'hypertension maligne a été reproduit chez le rat par l'administration d'acétate de désoxycorticostérone (DCA). Ce traitement produisit de l'artériolonécrose des vaisseaux de l'iris et du corps ciliaire, des hémorrhagies dans la chambre antérieure de l'il ainsi que de l'dème et des hémorrhagies cérébraux. 2^o Ces lésions, oculaires et cérébrales, furent complètement prévenues par une ligature bilatérale de l'artère carotide primitive, probablement par suite d'une diminution de pression sanguine dans la région de la tête. Après une ligature unilatérale, l'il homolatéral restait normal tandis que les lésions apparaissaient dans l'autre il; de même, l'hémisphère cérébral homolatéral était normal alors que l'hémisphère contralatéral montrait un dème marqué et de nombreuses hémorrhagies. 3^o Le rôle pathogénique de l'hypertensionper se est discuté brièvement.     

Linear constraints and the efficiency of combined forecasts

Studies of combined forecasts have typically constrained the combining weights to sum to one and have not included a constant term in the combination. In a recent paper, Granger and Ramanathan (1984) have argued in favour of an unrestricted linear combination, including a constant term. This paper shows that for the purpose of prediction it may make sense to impose restrictions on the combining model because of potential increases in forecasting efficiency. Empirical results show that small gains in forecasting efficiency can be obtained by restricting the linear combination of GNP forecasts from four econometric models.     

Effect of chromosomal position on amplification of transfected genes in animal cells

A single protein (CAD) contains the first three enzymatic activities of de novo uridine biosynthesis. The chromosomal location of CAD genes introduced into Chinese hamster ovary cells significantly affects the frequency and cytogenetic result of their amplification. The amplification frequency in one transformant is 100-fold that of the others; in another, amplification of donated genes inserted near a centromere results in chromosome instability and rearrangements.     

Quiet debut for the double helix

Past discoveries usually become aggrandized in retrospect, especially at jubilee celebrations, and the double helix is no exception. The historical record reveals a muted response by the scientific community to the proposal of this structure in 1953. Indeed, it was only when the outlines appeared of a mechanism for DNA's involvement in protein synthesis that the biochemical community began to take a serious interest in the structure.     

The long-term carbon cycle, fossil fuels and atmospheric composition

The long-term carbon cycle operates over millions of years and involves the exchange of carbon between rocks and the Earth's surface. There are many complex feedback pathways between carbon burial, nutrient cycling, atmospheric carbon dioxide and oxygen, and climate. New calculations of carbon fluxes during the Phanerozoic eon (the past 550 million years) illustrate how the long-term carbon cycle has affected the burial of organic matter and fossil-fuel formation, as well as the evolution of atmospheric composition.     

Speciation by host switch in brood parasitic indigobirds

A growing body of empirical and theoretical work supports the plausibility of sympatric speciation, but there remain few examples in which all the essential components of the process are well understood. The African indigobirds Vidua spp. are host-specific brood parasites. Indigobird nestlings are reared along with host young, and mimic the mouth markings of their respective hosts. As adults, male indigobirds mimic host song, whereas females use these songs to choose both their mates and the nests they parasitize. These behavioural mechanisms promote the cohesion of indigobird populations associated with a given host species, and provide a mechanism for reproductive isolation after a new host is colonized. Here we show that all indigobird species are similar genetically, but are significantly differentiated in both mitochondrial haplotype and nuclear allele frequencies. These data support a model of recent sympatric speciation. In contrast to the cuckoo Cuculus canorus, in which only female lineages are faithful to specific hosts, host switches have led to speciation in indigobirds because both males and females imprint on their hosts.