Studies on biotechnical ovulation synchronization in young cows. 1. Ovulation periods, ovarian findings and fertilization results after use of Metallibur, 750 IE PMS and 250 or 500 IE HCG

The following treatment was applied to 50 mature young sows in two experiments (22 and 28 animals) throughout 20 days: Turisynchron-Pr?mix (Turi.), 5 g/animal, and 750 IU PMS (Prolosan serum) 28 hours after Turi. In the first experiment. 250 IU HCG (Gonabion) were additionally injected to each of twelve animals 100 hours after Turi., while in the second experiment each of ten animals recieved 500 IU HCG 103 hours after Turi. The remaining animals of the two groups were used as controls. Inseminations took place 101 and 104 hours (fourth day) after Turi. in the first experiment and 125, 149, as well as 173 hours (fifth, sixth, and seventh days) after Turi. in the second. Onset of ovulation was brought forward to the sixth day after Turi. in response to 500 IU HCG by laparotomy performed in the mornings and evenings of the fourth through seventh days. Most of the controls and test animals with 250 IU HCG ovulated on the sixth or seventh day after Turi. Ovulation was stimulated by both HCG dosages, in comparison to the controls, which was established by slaughtering the animals between the seventh and twelfth days after Turi. The percentage of ovulations was higher among the test animals and that of ovarian cysts lower. Fertilisation of the second group was clearly better than that in the first where insemination had taken place two days prior to ovulation, that is too early. The latter results were secured by tubal douche and ovocyte tests.     

MAPs, MARKs and microtubule dynamics

Recent phylogenetic analyses reveal that many eukaryotic nuclear genes whose prokaryotic ancestry can be pinned down are of bacterial origin. Among them are genes whose products function exclusively in cytosolic metabolism. The results are surprising: we had come to believe that the eukaryotic nuclear genome shares a most recent common ancestor with archaeal genomes, thus most of its gene should be 'archaeal' (loosely speaking). Some genes of bacterial origin were expected as the result of transfer from mitochondria, of course, but these were thought to be relatively few, and limited to producing proteins reimported into mitochondria. Here, I suggest that the presence of many bacterial genes with many kinds of functions should not be a surprise. The operation of a gene transfer ratchet would inevitably result in the replacement of nuclear genes of early eukaryotes by genes from the bacteria taken by them as food.     

Orientation in operator algebras

A concept of orientation is relevant for the passage from Jordan structure to associative structure in operator algebras. The research reported in this paper bridges the approach of Connes for von Neumann algebras and ourselves for C*-algebras in a general theory of orientation that is of geometric nature and is related to dynamics.     

Intrachromosomal localization of aberration breakpoints induced by neutrons and gamma rays in Chinese hamster ovary cells

BACKGROUND: We recently demonstrated that arachidonic:linoleic acid ratio of erythrocytes of essential hypertension patients is greater than normal. OBJECTIVE: To investigate fatty acid composition, capability for adhesion to biological substrate and expression of beta2 integrins of leucocytes obtained from peripheral blood and skin window exudate of essential hypertension patients. DESIGN: Neutrophil activation state was evaluated by reproducing the various conditions occurring in vivo during the life of the cell (i.e. under the 'resting' condition, such as in peripheral blood, and 'primed' condition, such as after transmigration through the endothelium and after administration of specific chemo-attractants). Because both peripheral blood and skin window leucocytes of the subjects were obtained on the same day, we could be sure that there had been no dietary influences on changes in levels of fatty acid. Thus, the observed changes should reliably reflect the metabolic rate of utilization of fatty acids coupled to the activation and migration of cells. RESULTS: Leucocytes from essential hypertension patients were richer in arachidonic acid than were the corresponding cells from normotensive subjects; this difference was also evident for functionally activated skin window leucocytes, in spite of there having been a greater loss of poly-unsaturated fatty acids and arachidonic acid after migration. Moreover, a greater than normal arachidonic acid:linoleic acid ratio was shown for the first time to apply for leucocytes of essential hypertension patients, so extending our previous findings on the erythrocytes. Leucocytes from essential hypertension patients, collected both from peripheral blood and from skin window exudate, proved far more adhesive than the corresponding cells from age-matched and sex-matched controls, but this was not associated with a quantitative hyperexpression of beta2 integrins. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that an increase in availability of arachidonic acid in leucocytes could be a further expression of the generalized disturbance of fatty acid levels associated with essential hypertension and that a condition of hyperadhesion of neutrophils could occur spontaneously in vivo during the course of hypertension.