Origin of asteroid rotation rates in catastrophic impacts

The rotation rates of asteroids, which are deduced from periodic fluctuations in their brightnesses, are controlled by mutual collisions. The link between asteroid spin and collision history is usually made with reference to impact experiments on centimetre-scale targets, where material strength governs the impact response. Recent work, however, indicates that for objects of the size of most observed asteroids (> or = 1 km in diameter), gravity rather than intrinsic strength controls the dynamic response to collisions. Here we explore this idea by modelling the effect of impacts on large gravitating bodies. We find that the fraction of a projectile's angular momentum that is retained by a target asteroid is both lower and more variable than expected from laboratory experiments, with spin evolution being dominated by 'catastrophic' collisions that eject approximately 50 per cent of the target's mass. The remnant of an initially non-rotating silicate asteroid that suffers such a collision rotates at a rate of approximately 2.9 per day, which is close to the observed mean asteroid rotation rate of approximately 2.5 d-1. Moreover, our calculations suggest that the observed trend in the mean spin frequency for different classes of asteroids (2.2 d-1 for C-type asteroids, 2.5 d-1 for S-type, and 4.0 d-1 for M-type) is due to increasing mean density, rather than increasing material strength.     

A 6,000-year sedimentary molecular record of chemocline excursions in the Black Sea

The Black Sea is the world's largest anoxic basin; it is also a contemporary analogue of the environment in which carbonaceous shales and petroleum source beds formed. Recently, Repeta et al. reported that anoxygenic photosynthesis may be an important component of carbon cycling in the present Black Sea, owing to a shoaling of the chemocline and consequent penetration of the photic zone by anaerobic waters in the past few decades. It has been suggested that this was due to an anthropogenic decrease in freshwater input to the Black Sea, although natural causes were not ruled out. Here we report the distributions of sequestered photosynthetic pigments in eight core samples of sediments from the Black Sea ranging in age from zero to 6,200 years before the present. Our results show that photosynthetic green sulphur bacteria (Chlorobiaceae [correction of Clorobiaceae]) have been active in the Black Sea for substantial periods of time in the past. This finding indicates that the penetration of the photic zone by anaerobic waters is not a recent phenomenon, and suggests that natural causes for shoaling of the chemocline are more likely than anthropogenic ones.     

Mitochondrial DNA evidence for the 19th century introduction of African honey bees into the United States

Since the introduction of an African subspecies into Brazil in the mid-1950's¹, descendent Africanized honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) have spread throughout the Neotropics and into temperate North America. Restriction enzyme analysis of 422 feral honey bee colonies collected from non-Africanized areas in the southern United States revealed that over 21% of them had mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) derived from a European race established in North America by the 17th century, 77% of them had mtDNA common in honey bees maintained by beekeepers and about 1% exhibited African mtDNA. Further analysis revealed that the African mtDNA was derived from a north African subspecies imported to the US in the 19th century.     

Nicotianamine,the ‘normalizing factor’ for the auxotroph tomato mutantChloronerva; a representative of a new class of plant effectors

Summary The article surveys our knowledge of the normalizing factor, gained from its discovery a quarter of a century ago up to the present time, under the following headings: Discovery; Physiological properties; Isolation and characterization; Structure determination (Identity of the normalizing factor with nicotianamine); Chemical properties; Analysis; Synthesis; Occurrence and physiological role; Related compounds; Prospects.     

Physiological state of submitochondrial particles and their susceptibility to Triton X-100

Summary The solubilizing effect of Triton X-100 on beef heart submitochondrial particles (ETP_H) has been studied under various physiological conditions. Coupled, uncoupled and azide-inhibited ETP_H particles have been studied. Quantitative and qualitative differences are found in the proteins solubilized by the detergent from ETP_H particles under the various conditions tested.Acknowledgments: This work was supported in part by a grant from a Spanish Comisión Asesora para la Investigación Cientifica y Técnica. M.C. Barbero was recipient of a scholarship from the Basque Government.     

High-affinity binding ofβ-alanine to cerebral synaptosomes might involve glycine-receptors

Summary High-affinity, Na⁺-independent binding of -alanine to a synaptosomal fraction of rat brain was potently inhibited by glycine and by some other -amino acids, but not by taurine or GABA. This binding mechanism, which was also sensitive to both bicuculline and strychnine, might involve synaptic receptors for both -alanine and glycine.This study was supported in part by Centro Ramón y Cajal and Fundacion Juan March.     

Influence of the thymus on the incidence of secondary and parabiotic disease

Summary The secondary disease in PF₁ strain combination depends upon the immune status of both partners. It is most clearly expressed if both donors and recipients are immunologically crippled by thymectomy and irradiation. Conspicuous reduction in the immune potential of parental parabionts induced by thymectomy and irradiation displayed their marked incidence of parabiotic death.     

Genetic basis of susceptibility for development of neoplasms following treatment with N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU) or X-rays in the platyfish/swordtail system

Summary Specific genotypes of the xiphophorine fish develop neoplasms following treatment with N-methyl-N-nitrosourea or X-rays. Several of these neoplasms can be related to the presence of specific chromosomes. The implications of these findings are discussed.Supported by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft through Sonderforschungsbereich 103 Zellenergetik und Zelldifferenzierung, Marburg (projects C 9 and C 10), and by Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen. We are indebted to Prof. K. Frese, Veterinär-Pathologisches Institut, Giessen and Dr H. D. Mennel, Pathologisches Institut, Freiburg, for their help in the classification of neoplasms. We furthermore thank K. Klinke for breeding the fish. Dedicated to Prof. C. Kosswig on the occasion of his 75^th birthday.The paper contains parts of the dissertations of S. Abdo, J. Haas and G. Kollinger.supported by the Egypt ministry of education.