Arbuscular mycorrhiza infection enhances the growth response of Lolium perenne to elevated atmospheric pCO(2).

Elevated atmospheric pCO(2) increases the C-availability for plants and thus leads to a comparable increase in plant biomass production and nutrient demand. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are considered to play an important role in the nutrient uptake of plants as well as to be a significant C-sink. Therefore, an increased colonization of plant roots by AMF is expected under elevated atmospheric pCO(2). To test these hypotheses, Lolium perenne L. plants were grown from seeds in a growth chamber in pots containing a silica sand/soil mixture for 9 weeks with and without inoculation with Glomus intraradices (Schenck and Smith). The growth response of plants at two different levels of N fertilization (1.5 or 4.5 mM) combined with ambient (35 Pa) and elevated atmospheric pCO(2) (60 Pa) was compared. The inoculation with G. intraradices, the elevated atmospheric pCO(2) and the high N fertilization treatment all led to an increased plant biomass production of 16%, 20% and 49%, respectively. AMF colonization and high N fertilization increased the plant growth response to elevated atmospheric pCO(2); the plant growth response to high N fertilization was also increased by AMF colonization. The root/shoot ratio was reduced by high N fertilization or elevated atmospheric pCO(2), but was not affected by AMF colonization. The unchanged specific leaf area indicated that if AMF colonization represented an increased C-sink, this was fully covered by the plant. Elevated atmospheric pCO(2) strongly increased AMF colonization (60%) while the high N fertilization had a slightly negative effect. AMF colonization neither improved the N nor P nutrition status, but led to an improved total P uptake. The results underline the importance of AMF for the response of grassland ecosystems to elevated atmospheric pCO(2).

A new keyed vaporizer filler.

A new design of keyed filler with a dead space of 1.1 ml was used with 50 bottles of isoflurane to fill vaporizers. The volume of isoflurane remaining in the 'empty' bottle, the residual volume, was measured. The trial was repeated using the old style filler which has a dead space of 3.3 ml. The new filler reduced the mean residual volume by 73% but still did not completely empty the bottle.

Total hip replacement surgery without blood transfusion in Jehovah's Witnesses.

Uncemented total hip replacement surgery without blood transfusion is described in 12 Jehovah's Witnesses and morbidity is compared with a group who each received 3 units of blood. There were no deaths and all the patients except two, one from each group, left hospital within 3 weeks.

Venous thromboembolic disease in uncemented total hip replacement surgery--a one-year follow-up of 490 patients.

A retrospective study of the morbidity and mortality from deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolus (PE) in 490 consecutive patients undergoing uncemented total hip replacement was carried out in a district general hospital. Special diagnostic tests for DVT and PE were not available. Patients were followed up for one year. There were three deaths in hospital and eight further deaths during the first year, all unrelated to DVT and PE. The clinical incidence of venous thromboembolism was 2.04%. While clinical diagnosis of venous thromboembolic disease probably underestimates its incidence, the figures for mortality are accurate. With every patient accounted for one year after operation, there were no deaths attributable to PE in this series.

[Cellular specificity of lectin binding in the kidney of the quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica)]. / Zelluläre Spezifität der Lektinbindung in der Niere der Wachtel (Coturnix coturnix japonica).

The goal of this study was to demonstrate the distribution of glycoproteins in the various segments of the Japanese quail nephron, using lectins labeled with HRP or FITC. Each one of the six labeled lectins had a characteristic distribution pattern along the nephron. The study shows that lectins are useful markers for certain nephron segments or for cell types in certain segments of the renal tubules. PNA marks the thin portion of the medullary loop, DBA marks the thick portion; it is thus possible to differentiate the nephron segments in the medullary cone of the kidney. Con A binds selectively with the epithelioid, granular cells of the tunica media of the vasa efferentia. The histochemical technic using labeled lectins makes it possible to identify certain renal structures that could not, or only with difficulty, be differentiated using conventional histology. Therefore, lectins as specific markers are gaining in importance for further studies of the morphology and physiology of the kidney.

Geographical prevalence of two types of Epstein-Barr virus.

The Jijoye EBV strain is characterized by a substitution of 1.8 kb in the C-terminal part of the EBNA 2 gene compared to B95-8 or M-ABA virus. This made it possible to construct hybridization probes specific for M-ABA (type A) and Jijoye viruses (type B), which have been used to type the EBV genomes in 38 spontaneously established cell lines. Type A is more prevalent being found in 31 of 38 cases; type B virus was found in five cell lines (Jijoye, LY 67, QIMR-GOR, BL 16, and BL 29); and two cell lines, Daudi and EB-3, contained neither the M-ABA- nor the Jijoye-specific sequences. EBV type B appears to be less ubiquitous, since all type B isolates, including AG 876 virus, originated from Central Africa, La Réunion, and New Guinea. All the other cell lines, carrying EBV type A, were established from patients from Central Africa (4), North Africa (7), New Guinea (1), and Asia (6) and from white individuals (13). The restricted geographical localization of EBV type B in parts of the southern hemisphere and its similarity to herpesvirus papio (T. Dambaugh, K. Hennessy, L. Chamnankit, and E. Kieff (1984) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 81, 7632-7636) could suggest that such viruses may have evolved by recombination of EBV with a related Old World monkey virus, alternatively, evolution of virus variants within the human species also being conceivable.

Epstein-barr virus induction by a serum factor: IV. Ubiquitous occurrence of the factor within vertebrates and its interaction with defined lymphoid cell lines.

We have recently reported the existence of a serum factor that induces Epstein-Barr virus antigens in Raji cells (Bauer et al., 1982b, c). Here we demonstrate the ubiquitous presence of this factor in sera of vertebrates of all five classes. Furthermore, we tested 48 EBV-genome-positive lymphoid cell lines of different origins for responsiveness to the serum factor. Only cells from lines of two groups, i.e. Burkitt's lymphoma and EBV-transformed marmoset lines, responded to the factor, whereas human lymphoblastoid cell lines were not induced by the serum factor.

[Lactic acidosis in diabetics on biguanides (author's transl)]. / Lactacidosen bei Diabetikern unter Biguanidbehandlung

A systematic search for cases of lactic acidosis among diabetics on biguanides revealed ten during an eight-month period, while in the preceding ten years not a single case had been definitely diagnosed. This represents a prevelance of 1 in 2000 patients admitted to hospital. All ten were over 60 years old and had previously been treated for heart failure. Most of them had suffered from renal insufficiency for some time. There was no case of biguanide overdosage. Criteria for the diagnosis of lactic acidosis are lactic concentration in blood averaging 18.4 mmol/l and a low pH, averaging 6.9. Serum-biguanide concentration (measured by radioimmuno-assay) was markedly increased. Most of the patients were in circulatory shock on admission or soon after and all of them had a history of gastro-intestinal complaints. Despite intensive treatment with insulin and glucose and careful correction of the acidosis with bicarbonate four of the ten patients died.