Vessel length distribution in the stems of three New Zealand species of Nothofagus

Summary A modification of the Zimmermann and Jeje (1981) latex paint infusion technique was utilized to determine vessel length distributions in N. fusca (Hook.f.) Oerst., N. menziesii (Hook.f.) Oerst. and N. solandri var. cliffortioides (Hock.f.) Poole. In all thirty trees examined, the majority of vessels were less than 2 cm long; with 97% of the vessels shorter than 6 cm in N. menziesii and N. solandri, with the same percentage being shorter than 8 cm in N. fusca. The longest individual vessels recorded were 24 cm for N. menziesii, 22 cm for N. solandri and 33 cm for N. fusca. The longest vessels in all three species occurred in the earlywood and also exhibited the largest diameters.     

Heparin affinity: purification of a tumor-derived capillary endothelial cell growth factor

A tumor-derived growth factor that stimulates the proliferation of capillary endothelial cells has a very strong affinity for heparin. This heparin affinity makes it possible to purify the growth factor to a single-band preparation in a rapid two-step procedure. The purified growth factor is a cationic polypeptide, has a molecular weight of about 18,000, and stimulates capillary endothelial cell proliferation at a concentration of about 1 nanogram per milliliter.     

30,000 years of hydrothermal activity at the lost city vent field

Strontium, carbon, and oxygen isotope data and radiocarbon ages document at least 30,000 years of hydrothermal activity driven by serpentinization reactions at Lost City. Serpentinization beneath this off-axis field is estimated to occur at a minimum rate of 1.2 x 10(-4) cubic kilometers per year. The access of seawater to relatively cool, fresh peridotite, coupled with faulting, volumetric expansion, and mass wasting processes, are crucial to sustain such systems. The amount of heat produced by serpentinization of peridotite massifs, typical of slow and ultraslow spreading environments, has the potential to drive Lost City-type systems for hundreds of thousands, possibly millions, of years.     

Detection and differentiation of strains of Newcastle Disease Virus by complement fixation.

A complement-fixation test to detect Newcastle disease virus with antiserum produced in guinea pigs is described. Methodology is given for serum production and for standardization of the test. The test was used to differentiate 13 strains of Newcastle disease virus. Velogenic strains, including isolants form 1970-71 disease outbreaks in California, Florida, and Texas, were poor complement-fixing antigens, whereas lentogenic strains, including LaSota, Hitchner, and England F, were strong complement-fixing antigens. Mesogenic strains ranged from weak to strong in complement-fixing capabilities. This test can be used to differentiate velogenic field isolants from vaccine strains such as LaSota, Hitchner, and Roakin.     

Electrophoretic comparison of the genomes of North American bluetongue viruses, one Australian bluetongue virus, and three other related orbiviruses

The genomes of U.S. bluetongue viruses, an Australian bluetongue virus, and three other related orbiviruses were analyzed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The genomes were comprised of ten segments of double-stranded (ds) RNA. Estimates of the molecular weights of the dsRNA segments revealed that the U.S. bluetongue serotypes were remarkably similar. Although the dsRNA profiles of the viruses exhibited common segments, each virus had a distinct dsRNA profile. The usefulness of the genome analysis as a diagnostic tool for identification and for epidemiologic studies is discussed.     

Exogenous DNA Uptake of Boar Spermatozoa by a Magnetic Nanoparticle Vector System

The sperm‐mediated gene transfer method is applicable to transgenesis in many species that use spermatozoa for reproduction recently, which has been shown various results. In the current study, we show that transgenic porcine embryos can be efficiently produced by employing a simple transfection method that uses magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs). The complexes formed between plasmid DNA and MNPs were bounded on ejaculated boar spermatozoa at a higher efficiency compared to methods using DNA alone or lipofection. Using confocal microscopy, rhodamine fluorophore‐labelled MNPs were detected on external surfaces of the spermatozoa membrane, which were bounded on zona pellucida of in vitro maturated oocyte during in vitro fertilization. Electron microscopy revealed that clusters of MNPs were detected in inside of plasma membrane and nucleus of the spermatozoa head. Additionally, we found that magnetofected boar spermatozoa could be fertilized with oocytes in vitro and that the resulting gene of green fluorescent protein was detected in fertilized eggs by genomic PCR analysis. Taken together, these results suggest that MNPs can be used to efficiently introduce a transgene into embryo via spermatozoa.