Plant trash in linters and willowed picker: materials used in the cotton garnetting industry

First cut linters and willowed picker, used in cotton garnetting, were examined for content of cotton bract an other plant trash. Bract was found to be a minimal contaminant of the trash of first cut linters. A significant amount of bract (about 9% of the trash) was present in willowed picker. Cotton seed hulls, a valuable oil mill by product, contained an insignificant amount of bract trash.     

Ultrastructure of the spermatozoa and spermiogenesis in New Zealand freshwater eels (Anguillidae)

The spermiogenesis and sperm ultrastructure of Anguilla australis schmidtii and A. dieffenbachii is described. During spermiogenesis the chromatin material condenses into the crescent-shaped head of the mature sperm. By elongation of the sperm head the mitochondrion is displaced to the anterior of the head remote from the posterior centriolar apparatus. A ciliary rootlet becomes segregated during spermiogenesis to form a membrane covered, striated, rod-like appendage. From the proximal centriole arise two sets of filaments, each containing three subfibrils. One group of five filaments extends anteriorly along the inner concave side of the head. A group of four modified filaments pass along the outer, convex, side. The middle subfibril B of each triplet in the group of four filaments is flattened and joins the two subfibrils A and B, forming a binocular shaped structure. The motile flagellum has a 9+0 axonemal pattern.     

Differentiation arrest and stromal cell-independent growth of murine erythroleukemia cells are associated with elevated expression of ets-related genes but not with mutation of p53

The ELM erythroleukemia is novel in that long-term survival of leukemic cells in culture (ELM-D cells) is dependent on contact with a bone marrow-derived stromal feeder cell layer. However, a number of stroma-independent (ELM-I) mutants that vary in their ability to differentiate in vitro in response to erythropoietin and interleukin-3 have been derived. We have attempted to define the genetic changes responsible for these different phenotypes. At the p53 locus in the primary leukemic cells, one copy of the gene has been lost whereas the other contains an 18-bp depletion, implicating its mutation as an early step in the development of the leukemia. Changes in ets gene expression have also been found. The Fli-1 gene region is rearranged in the primary tumor because of the insertion of a retrovirus inserted upstream of one Fli-1 allele, but this does not result in Fli-1 gene activation in any of the ELM-D or ELM-I cell lines except one. It seems significant that this line is the only one to have lost the ability to differentiate in response to erythropoietin. In addition, up-regulation of erg is associated with stromal cell-independent growth, since all ELM-I mutants have moderate levels of erg mRNA, whereas only low or undetectable levels are found in primary leukemic cells in vivo or in ELM-D cells in vitro. This up-regulation of erg mRNA seems to be important for stromal cell-independent growth, since ELM-D cells show elevated expression of the erg gene after separation from stromal cells. This seems to be made permanent in ELM-I mutants, since they do not down-regulate erg mRNA when grown in contact with stromal cells. We therefore propose that ets family members regulate both the survival and differentiation of erythroid cells.     

Grain mineral concentrations and yield of wheat grown under organic and conventional management

On the low‐P soils in southeastern Australia, organic crops differ from conventional ones primarily in the use of relatively insoluble, as opposed to soluble, P fertilisers and in the non‐use of herbicides. As organic management, particularly elimination of soluble fertilisers, is often claimed to enhance grain mineral concentrations, we examined grain from wheat on paired organic and conventional farms in two sets of experiments: (1) four pairs of commercial crops (1991–1993); and (2) fertiliser experiments on one farm pair where nil fertiliser was compared with 40 kg ha^?1 of P as either relatively insoluble reactive phosphate rock or more soluble superphosphate (1991 and 1992). All wheat was grown following a 2–6 year legume‐based pasture phase. Both conventional management and the superphosphate treatment greatly increased yields but reduced colonisation by mycorrhizal fungi. While only minor variations occurred in grain N, K, Mg, Ca, S and Fe concentrations, conventional grain had lower Zn and Cu but higher Mn and P than organic grain. These differences were ascribed to: soluble P fertilisers increasing P uptake but reducing mycorrhizal colonisation and thereby reducing Zn uptake and enhancing Mn uptake; dilution of Cu in heavier crops; and past lime applications on the organic farm decreasing Mn availability. These variations in grain minerals had nutritional implications primarily favouring the organic grain; however, organic management and, specifically, elimination of soluble fertilisers did not induce dramatic increases in grain mineral concentrations. In addition, organic management was coupled with yield reductions of 17–84 per cent due to P limitation and weeds. The impact of large regional variations in the characteristics of organic and conventional systems on the general applicability of the results from this study and other similar studies is discussed. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Acute poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis mimicking Henoch-Sch?nlein purpura

Two children with acute glomerulonephritis, cutaneous vasculitis, and abdominal pain are reported. One child also had transient arthralgia and gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Although the clinical presentation mimicked many of the features of Henoch-Sch?nlein purpura, both patients had unusual variants of poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis.     

Growth of clinical isolates of anaerobic bacteria on agar media: effects of media composition, storage conditions, and reduction under anaerobic conditions

The quantitative growth, the colony size, and the rate of growth of 47 clinical anaerobic isolates were compared on five different media, namely Brucella agar, brain heart infusion agar, Columbia agar, Schaedler agar, and tryptic soy agar. There was no significant difference in the quantitative growth of the anaerobes inoculated onto the five media. Although no single medium was superior for the growth of all isolates, 12 of 22 isolates, inoculated onto media stored for 4 weeks or less, grew best on Schaedler agar. The effects of supplementation of the media with reducing agents and reduction of the media before use were also analyzed and were found to be affected by the composition and length of storage of the media, as well as the bacteria tested.