Über eine vonHeinrich Cotta begründete gehörnsammlung

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Gonadotroph-specific expression of metallothionein fusion genes in pituitaries of transgenic mice

Transgenic mice expressing a metallothionein-somatostatin fusion gene contain high concentrations of somatostatin in the anterior pituitary gland, a tissue that does not normally produce somatostatin. Immunoreactive somatostatin within the anterior pituitaries was found exclusively within gonadotrophs. Similarly, a metallothionein-human growth-hormone fusion gene was also expressed selectively in gonadotrophs. It is proposed that sequences common to the two fusion genes are responsible for the gonadotroph-specific expression.     

Initial experience with the intravenous administration of colloidal carbon to cattle in relation to the incidence of mastitis

The influence was studied of intravenous application of colloid carbon to ten dairy cows of Bohemian Spotted breed in the seventh to eighth months of gravidity, as exerted on the health condition of mammary glands and on milk yield in the subsequent lactation. The cure consisted of three i. v. installations in 72-hour intervals; one dose contained 150 mg carbon in 20 ml of 20% glucose. No adverse by-effects were observed in the course of application and after it. During the subsequent lactation period (nine months) the test cows exhibited a better health condition of mammary glands if compared with the control group (ten dairy cows). In the test group no case was recorded of the clinical form of mastitis while in the control group one case of acute mastitis and two cases of chronic mastitis occurred. S. agalactiae was not isolated at all in the test group while in the control group it was isolated in two cows. S. aureus was also isolated more times (in 32 cases) in the control cows than in the test ones (in 27 cases). A higher average counts of cells in udder-quarter milk samples were found in the test group only at the onset of lactation (from the third month after calving), the average counts of cells over the whole period under study were however lower in the test group (1 380 000 per ml) than in the control group (1 234 000 per ml). The average daily milk yield per cow in the test group exceeded the average milk production in the control group in the period of study. An increase by 1.630 1 as compared with the untreated cow was observed in the average milk yield. It has been demonstrated by the results that by the intravenous instillation of colloid carbon nonspecific natural defensive mechanisms of dairy cows, mainly leucocytes, are stimulated, which enhanced the cell readiness to react to infectious process (mastitis) and overall injury of the organism (sepsis).     

Eco-geographical distribution of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lactuca aculeata</Emphasis> natural populations in northeastern Israel

The wild lettuce, Lactuca aculeata Boiss. et Ky., is closely related and fully interfertile with cultivated lettuce, Lactuca sativa L. Altogether, 155 accessions of this wild species, which is rare conserved within the world’s germplasm collections, were collected from 12 localities throughout northeastern Israel. Ten of these localities represent different sites across the Golan Heights, while two, high-density populations were suprisingly found at the Hula Plain (first report of this species in this region). Lactuca aculeata was recorded at various elevations (222–968 m a.s.l.) and habitats. The taxonomic status of 30 L. aculeata accessions was morphologically validated during ex situ seed regeneration of 31 random accessions representing all 12 localities. Characterization of 12 traits showed that the Israeli populations of L. aculeata do not exhibit broad morphological variability, but more great levels of variation were obtained for developmental traits. Relatively little variability was observed in the morphology of cauline leaves or in the distribution of anthocyanin pigmentation in bracteae. In two cases, L. aculeata plants lacked trichomes in the inflorescence, a typical feature in the majority of plants. These unique collections of wild lettuce may carry novel sources of genetic variation for a wide range of traits and, thus, should be of interest for careful evaluation and exploitation in lettuce breeding.     

Ground-active arthropod response to distance from the Mediterranean seashore in coastal sand areas of western Israel

Information on the effects of distance from the seashore on soil biotic communities is limited and restricted to soil arthropods and microarthropods. The aim of this study, conducted in a sand-dune area, was to distinguish the changes of a ground-active arthropod community along a 4-km-transect from the seashore going inland. Pitfall traps were set up in open spaces at four locations (L1, through L2, L3, and L4 going inland) through the year. The abiotic gradient from the seashore going inland was found to be mostly dependent on seasonality. Group richness was found to be remarkably greater at the L2, L3, and L4 locations compared with the L1 location in winter, and at the L2 and L3 locations compared with the L1 location in spring. The Fisher α index was 0.32?±?0.21, 3.51?±?0.87, 5.04?±?0.70, and 4.86?±?0.54 in winter and 3.29?±?0.55, 13.79?±?1.49, 10.12?±?1.24, and 5.06?±?0.62 in spring at the L1, L2, L3, and L4 locations, respectively. Regarding abundance and group richness, the trophic relationships between predators, phytophages, omnivores, and saprophages were remarkably affected by both location and seasonality. The dominant groups and dominant index distribution of ground-active arthropod communities were found to follow a similar pattern. Soil organic carbon content was found to be the key factor driving the ground-active arthropod community structure along a coastal gradient going inland in winter and spring. We conclude that the distribution, trophic composition, and diversity index are affected by both location and seasonality, while total abundance is consistently affected by location across all three seasons.     

Role of seed infection by the Ascochyta blight pathogen of dried pea (Mycosphaerella pinodes) in seedling emergence, early disease development and transmission of the disease to aerial plant parts

The role of infected seed in the epidemiology of Ascochyta blight of pea, caused by Mycosphaerella pinodes, was studied both under growth chamber and field conditions, using healthy seeds, naturally infected seeds and artificially infected seeds. Results suggest that infected seeds caused serious losses, as a result of poor germination and high transmission of the disease, to parts of the plants under soil level. Foot rot symptoms often caused the death of young seedlings. Losses were increased by low temperatures during the early stage of crop development. M. pinodes progressed from seeds to aerial parts of the plants, but no Ascochyta blight symptoms occurred, the disease remaining near to the basal parts of the plants as a foot rot symptom. This suggests that seeds cannot be regarded as a source of contamination in the epidemiology of the disease.     

Electrical or photocontrol of the rotary motion of a metallacarborane

Rotary motion around a molecular axis has been controlled by simple electron transfer processes and by photoexcitation. The basis of the motion is intramolecular rotation of a carborane cage ligand (7,8-dicarbollide) around a nickel axle. The Ni(III) metallacarborane structure is a transoid sandwich with two pairs of carbon vertices reflected through a center of symmetry, but that of the Ni(IV) species is cisoid. The interconversion of the two provides the basis for controlled, rotational, oscillatory motion. The energies of the Ni(III) and Ni(IV) species are calculated as a function of the rotation angle.     

Plus and minus single-stranded DNA separately encapsidated in adeno-associated satellite virions

Based on physical and chemical determinations, the mnolecular weight of the type 4 adeno-satellite virus is 5.4 X 10(6) daltons, and the virion contains 1.4 X 10(6) daltons of DNA. Denaturation and renaturation studies indicate that the viral genome is a single-stranded DNA molecule and that each virion contains either a minus or a plus strand. Upon extraction, the minus and plus strands unite to form double-stranded DNA molecules with no obvious excess of unpaired strands.