Analysis of fat-soluble vitamins. XVI. Antirachitic activity of 5,6-trans-vitamin D3 alone and in the presence of 5,6-cis-vitamin D3 resin, using chick bioassays.

Two biological assays were conducted in which the antirachitic activity in chicks of 5,6-trans-vitamin D3 added to feed is compared with that of 5,6-cis-vitamin D3. On the basis of the results obtained it is concluded that the relative potency of the trans isomer is, at the most, 5% and that the antirachitic activity of the trans isomer is not markedly enhanced (an increase to a relative potency of 16%, at the most) if the cis isomer is also included in the diet. The results are not conclusive on the inhibition or lack of inhibition of the antirachitic activity of 5,6-cis-vitamin D3 by the presence of 5,6-trans-vitamin D3 in the feed.     

Factors influencing the loss of organic carbon from wheat roots

Wheat plants were grown in an atmosphere containing ¹⁴CO₂ at temperatures of 10°C or 18°C for periods from 3–8 weeks. The plant roots were maintained under sterile or non-sterile conditions in soil contained in sealed pots which were flushed to displace respired ¹⁴CO₂. The ¹⁴C content of the shoots, roots and soil was measured at harvest. The loss of ¹⁴C from the roots, expressed either in terms of total ¹⁴C recovered from the pots or ¹⁴C translocated to the roots, ranged from 14.3–22.6%, mean 17.3% or 29.2–44.4%, mean 39.2%, respectively. The presence of soil microorganisms significantly increased ¹⁴CO₂ release from the rhizosphere but had no effect on the ¹⁴C content of the soil. Fractionation of 6 m HC1 hydrolysates from sterile and non-sterile soils showed the presence in all soils of material behaving as neutral sugars and amino acids, in quantities representing 5.9–9.2% and 13.4–17.2% of the soil ¹⁴C content for the sugar and amino acid fractions respectively. It is proposed that a major loss of root carbon resulted from autolysis of the root cortex. Root lysis was increased by soil microorganisms, apparently without penetration of the plant cell walls.     

Zur pedochemie des berylliums — untersuchungen einer bodengesellschaft im gebiet des bärhaldegranits (südschwarzwald)

The profile distribution of Be is given for a toposequence of podzols, brown earths, stagnogley, forest bog and “Ockererde” (slope gley with infiltrated Al, Mn and Fe). Analysed were the parent rock, fine earth, four fractions of mineral soil (fine skeleton, sand, silt, clay) and the needles of spruce trees.Beryllium is involved in selective weathering processes of elements. Accordingly, the Be-content increases from the fine skeleton to sand, rock, silt and clay, progressively. Through pedogenetic enrichment, Be accumulates in the mica-rich silt fraction.Uptake of Be by spruce is very low even from these acid soils. The accumulation in the needles becomes greater with increasing age.The pedochemical behaviour of Be is very similar to that of Al.Be is incorporated very little in the organic matter cycle, and is therefore not enriched in the soil humus.The brown earth has lost Be, especially in the A_h-horizon.In the A_e-horizon of the podzol, loss of Be is even greater; the loss is partly offset by Be-enrichment in the B-horizon.In the profiles of depressions, the Be-content is high and is ascribed to lateral flow from the slopes. Be-enrichment is especially high in horizons with a pH of about 5.The Be-balance of the watershed indicates an export of about 10% of the original amount.     

Identification of some analogs of the hallucinogen phencyclidine.

The drugs 1-[1-(2-thienyl)cyclohexyl]piperidine, 1-[1-2-thienyl)cyclohexyl]pyrrolidine, 1-(-phenylcyclohexyl) morpholine, and 1-(1-phenyleyclohexyl) pyrrolidine are identified by spectroscopic techniques. The ultraviolet and proton magnetic resonance spectra of analogs are similar, but mass and infrared spectra are distinctly different, and reference spectra are provided. Gas-liquid ant thin layer chromatographic systems for the analysis are discussed.     

Comparisons of soil organic matter and its fractions by pyrolysis mass-spectrometry

Pyrolysis mass-spectra from a sample of the A₁-horizon of a soil from southern Spain showed predominant peaks related to furan derivatives similar to those observed from complex polysaccharides in which not only hexoses but also pentoses and deoxyhexoses were constituent units. Smaller peaks, typical for protein materials and phenolic units, were also observed. On the other hand, typical peaks for the methoxyphenols of lignins were very small and indicated only limited amounts of undecomposed lignin residues in this soil sample. Peaks related to benzene or toluene were also very small.Humic acid samples from this soil showed much more prominent signals related to protein materials, benzene and phenolic derivatives and weaker polysaccharide-related signals than did the entire sample. Typical lignin related peaks were small or insignificant. Spectra from the grey or brown humidic acid fractions were much like those of the parent humic acid. Brown humic acid, however, showed stronger signals for nitrogen and sulphur compounds, indicating a higher content of protein-like materials in this fraction. Preparations of humic acid hydrolyzed by 6 N HCl showed in their pyrolysis products a marked increase in phenols and methoxyphenols.In its pyrogram, humin resembled humic acid, but signals for complex polysaccharides were more evident. Lignin-like materials seem not to be higher in this fraction. Hymatomelanic acid showed prominent signals related to polysaccharides and lignin. Pyrograms from the soil polysaccharides showed the characteristic pattern of a complex polysaccharide with the presence of fragments from polymers of amino acids or amino sugars. Fulvic acid spectra showed obvious dissimilarities to those from humic acid in that signals for protein, as well as those related to phenols, were low. Depending upon the isolation method, the fulvic acid preparations showed differing signals related to polysaccharide or phenolic materials.     

Distribution and partial characterisation of acid hydrolysable organic nitrogen in six New Zealand soils

Six New Zealand topsoils of widely different origins and properties were subjected to 6m HC1 hydrolysis and the distribution of N fractions and amino acids were determined qualitatively and quantitatively.Of the total-N in the soils studied 83–91%, was hydrolysable with 6m HCl. The largest proportion of the hydrolysable N was α-amino acid N (38– 42%). followed by hydrolysable-unknown N (HUN) (14–24%), and NH₄⁺-N (14–22%). A significant proportion (25–50%) of the HUN fraction was accounted for by the non α-amino acid-N. Oxidative (3% H₂O₂) hydrolysis released N-phenoxy amino acid-N and possibly N-compounds which were complexed with phenols and sugars. All soils had a similar amino-acid composition with a predominance of acidic amino-acids.