Starch determination in horticultural plant material by an enzymic-colorimetric procedure

The starch content of horticultural plant material (including leaves and woody tissues such as roots, stems, twigs, trunks and bark) was determined by an enzymic procedure. A heat-stable α-amylase and amyloglucosidase were used to hydrolyse the starch in the finely ground plant material to glucose. The glucose produced was measured colorimetrically using a coupled glucose oxidase/peroxidase reaction. Conditions necessary for maximum glucose recovery were established. Plant material analysed included samples from macadamia (Macadamia integrifolia Maiden and Betche, trunk and bark), mango (Mangifera indica L; stems and roots), lychee (Litchi chinensis Sonn; leaves, stems, twigs and roots), pineapple (Ananas comosus (L) Merrill; leaves, stems and roots) and nectarine (Prunus persica (L) Batsch var nucipersica (Suckow) C K Schneid; twigs, shoots, branches, limbs, roots and trunk). Starch values ranged from less than 14% to greater than 30%. The method allows assessment of variations in the starch content of perennial plants and may be used in crop management.     

Partial replacement of chicken semen by turkey semen in artificial insemination of chickens

Chicken semen undiluted, diluted with a diluent containing fructose and/or mixed with turkey semen was used to inseminate Leghorn hens. In two of three experiments there was an improvement in fertility from insemination by mixed semen as compared to semen diluted to the same extent with the diluent.     

An improved technique for prolonged arterial catheterization in infants and children

Arterial catheterization for blood gas analysis and direct monitoring of blood pressure in infants and children can be attended by a variety of complications, which limit its use to short periods of time. An improved technique, consisting of elimination of stopcocks, the use of a continuous flushing system adapted for infants and children, and meticulous care of the system, was used in 57 children whose ages ranged from the neonatal period to 16 years. The mean duration of cannulation was 5.5 days (range, 1-31 days). All but one of the catheters were functional at the time of discontinuation. There were no thromboembolic phenomena, local or systemic infections or accidental bleeding. We feel that our approach to prolonged arterial cannulation can be an extremely valuable aid in the management of critically ill children.     

The effect of caffeine on the serum insulin level during intravenous glucose tolerance test in patients with chemical diabetes

A small but significant number of tritiated thymidine labelled cells were found, by autoradiography, in the glomeruli of rats with Masugi nephritis or chronic serum sickness nephritis. There were no labelled glomerular cells in sections of untreated animals. The findings favour the contention that in proliferative glomerulonephritis, glomerular hypercellularity is due to infiltration of monocytic cells into the tufts where they divide.     

Serial measurements of left ventricular ejection fraction by radionuclide angiography early and late after myocardial infarction

1-Acyl-2-succinyl glycero-3-phosphorylcholine (GPC) was synthesized and its properties described. Although 1-acyl-2-succinyl GPC is a good substrate for succinate dehydrogenase, experiments on the incorporation of [2,3-14C] succinate into mitochondrial lipids gave no evidence to indicate that it is an intermediate in the enzymic oxidation of succinate to fumerate, as has been suggested earlier.     

Regulation of nitrogen catabolic enzymes in chick liver -- effects of amino acids

It is well-known that in the chick, dietary protein increases the levels of several hepatic enzymes that are involved in nitrogen metabolism and excretion. However, the biochemical mechanism of this response is essentially unknown. The experiments presented in this paper show that the chick is responding to alpha-amino nitrogen and not to any specific amino acid. Furthermore, it is shown that this system responds to endogenous sources of nitrogen as well as dietary protein and that the xanthine dehydrogenase response involves regulation of enzyme synthesis without changing the rate of degradation.     

Mental symptoms in Parkinson''s disease during chronic treatment with levodopa

The influence of epidural block with bupivacaine (Marcaine-adrenalin) on fetal heart rate, uterine activity, and the frequency and intensity of contractions was studied in twenty-five nulliparae at term. Uterine activity was found to decrease during the first 30 minutes following epidural block. In the time interval 30 to 40 minutes after epidural block uterine activity increased again and attained the same level as during the last 10 minutes before analgesia. The frequency of uterine contractions did not decrease after the block. The lower levels of uterine contractility were due only to a lower amplitude of the contractions. The regularizing effect of epidural analgesia on incoordinate uterine action was noted. The recording of fetal heart rate in the time interval studied revealed no pathological findings. Mode of delivery, mean labour duration and Apgar scores after epidural block were comparable with earlier studies of a larger patient population. This study suggest that epidural analgesia does not induce any important changes in fetal heart rate but temporarily decreases uterine activity.     

Incidence, technique of isolation, and treatment of group B streptococci in obstetric patients

A prospective study was performed to determine the incidence of group B streptococci cultured from the cervix in a series of obstetric clinic patients at St. Margaret's Hospital. Cultures were taken during each trimester and planted to both a blood agar plate and a selective broth medium. Of a total of 812 cultures, 18 were positive, an over-all incidence of 2.2 per cent. During the first, second, and third trimesters, 2.2 per cent, 2.5 per cent, and 1.9 per cent of cultures were positive, respectively. Women with positive cultures were treated with a 10 day course of oral penicillin or a suitable alternative; four of 16 had persistent positive cultures at the end of the first treatment period, three of these four responded to a second course of antibiotics, and the remaining patient responded after a third treatment course. The total number of positive cultures by selective broth was 24, compared to nine in blood agar, indicating a 2.7-fold increase in pickup by the selective broth.     

The effect of paraben preservatives on albumin binding of bilirubin

The effect of sodium taurocholate in stepwise increasing infusion rates, 0.3 to 9.6 mumoles per min per kg, on the biliary excretion rate of iodipamide was investigated in 6 dogs (10 experiments) with complete bile diversion under general anesthesia. Iodipamide was administered intravenously with an initial priming dose of 33 mumoles per kg followed by a constant infusion of 1.3 mumoles per min per kg. Although the bile flow continuously increased with an increasing taurocholate dose, the iodipamide excretion rate reached a plateau with a 0.6 mumoles per min per kg of taurcholate infusion, which was 20% higher than with the lowest taurocholate dose. With a taurocholate dose over 2.4 mumoles per min per kg, a significant decrease in the iodipamide rate was found, amounting to 22% of its maximum value with the largest taurocholate dose. The bile iodipamide concentration was already at its maximum with the lowest taurocholate dose, and it decreased with an increasing taurocholate dose. Since the bile iodipamide concentration is probably the most important determinant in clinical cholangiography, low bile salt plasma levels should result in the best radiographic visualization of the biliary tree.