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Two experiments were conducted in January to study the influence of various types of sexual activity on serum levels of LH and testosterone (T) in the ram. Serum LH and T were determined by radioimmunoassay, LH values being expressed in terms of ng NIH-LH-S14/ml. In the first experiment, seven Finnish Landrace rams, 11 mo to 3 yr of age, were allowed individually to mate once (day 1) and continuously mount without intromission for 2 min (day 2) an estrual ewe. Jugular blood (6 ml) was collected by venipuncture at 20-min intervals for at least 2 h prior to and following each type of sexual activity. Two hours following mounting activity on day 2, estrual ewes were walked in front of the rams for 5 min. Blood was collected from each ram at 10 and 30 min following this observation period. Several serum peaks (4–8) of LH occurred in all rams over the two sampling periods (9 h). Although a rise in LH followed one or more of the types of sexual stimulation in four of the seven rams, no consistent relationship was noted between sexual stimulation and LH peaks. In a second experiment, serum samples were obtained every 20 min for two separate 24-h periods, 1 wk apart, from two 3-yr-old Finnish Landrace rams. During the first 24-h period, the rams were penned individually; during the second period each was penned with an estrual ewe. Numerous matings (44 and 24) were recorded for the rams during the latter period, 74% of which took place during the first 12 h. The serum profiles of LH and T during the first 24-h period were characterized by periodic peaks of LH associated with similar changes in T. These profiles appeared to be influenced markedly by sexual activity during the second 24-h period. Higher baseline and mean serum levels of both hormones and a greater number of serum peaks of LH and T were observed during the first 12 h. The serum levels of both hormones then decreased sharply at 13–14 h and remained low for 8–10 h, even though mating occurred periodically during this time. Subsequently, a further serum peak of LH and T was observed before the end of the sampling period.

Raw and irradiated diets containing kidney beans as the sole source of protein and providing 10% crude protein (N × 6.25) produced severe weight loss, followed in some cases by death, in conventional hooded rats. The mean weight loss of the surviving rats exceeded the mean weight loss of control animals fed a non-protein diet. When fed to gnotobiotic rats the irradiated bean diet produced a slight gain in the mean weight of the animals over the 10 day experimental period and a net protein utilisation (n.p.u.) of 16. This figure fell far short of the value of 52 estimated from the chemical score. Diets containing beans + casein, each providing 5% crude protein gave n.p.u. value of 53 in gnotobiotic rats, a figure which approached that anticipated from the chemical score of the diet (=61). In conventional rats the same diet gave n.p.u. values of 14 (non-irradiated) and 16 (irradiated).

Thirteen species of aphids are listed for the Subantarctic Islands of New Zealand. Macrosiphum (Sitobion) fragariae (Walker) is reported for the first time in the New Zealand area. Six other species are newly recorded.

Faba beans (Vicia faba L.) of four cultivars, one of which was harvested in batches during the 2 months prior to normal harvesting time, and for comparison, a sample of kidney beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) had similar amino acid compositions with sulphur amino acids limiting in all samples. Chemical scores ranged from 45–52 and all the faba beans, when fed to rats, gave biological values in close agreement with the chemical score. Diets containing two of the cultivars were supplemented with 0.1% methionine and in both instances an increase in biological value of 22 units was obtained. Kidney beans fed to rats at the same level of crude protein resulted in the death of animals in 7–9 days. The haemaggfulinin content of the faba bean samples was 8–16 times lower than in kidney beans. Early harvesting did not affect the nutritive value of the faba beans and no differences were observed between the different cultivars, none of which showed any evidence of toxicity.

The general conditions are investigated under which an assembly of point charges will produce a zero electric-field gradient (ZEFG) at a reference point s0(0,0,0). It is shown that for equal charges it is necessary that they form a configuration of cubic or icosahedral symmetry about s0. Unequal charges must be located at the vertices of a centrosymmetric polyhedron of symmetry m3m, m3 or 53m in such a way that the sum of the charge values in a pair of charges related by the centre of symmetry of the polyhedron be the same for all the pairs. Configurations of this kind are self-dual (SD) with respect to interchange of vertices by inversion in the centre of symmetry of the polyhedron. Self-dual configurations containing two kinds of charges (SD2C) are listed for polyhedra of up to 20 vertices and enumerated for all the centrosymmetric cubic and icosahedral Archimedean polyhedra and their duals. The method of enumeration without construction is described. The conditions under which such discrete ZEFG configurations can be embedded in three-dimensional crystal structures to give ZEFG structures are also investigated and a number of examples of such embeddings are given. The potential usefulness of such structures as Mossbauer null matrices is briefly discussed.

Jugular vein blood was collected daily from four mature ewes throughout anoestrus and the first oestrous cycle of the breeding season until 4 days after the second oestrus. The levels of oestrogen, progesterone and LH were determined by radioimmunoassay. There were fluctuations in the LH level throughout most of the observed anoestrous period with a mean plus or minus S.E. value of 2-3 plus or minus 0-9 ng/ml. High LH values of 20-0, 41-2 and 137-5 ng/ml were observed in three ewes on Day - 24 of anoestrus. A brief minor rise in progesterone level was also observed around this period. Progesterone levels were consistently low (0.11 plus or minus 0-01 ng/ml) before Day - 25 of anoestrus. A major rise occurred on Day - 12 of anoestrous and this was followed by patterns similar to those that have been previously reported for the oestrous cycle of the ewe. Random fluctuations of oestrogens deviating from a mean level of 4-40 plus or minus 0-1 pg/ml were observed during anoestrus and the mean level during the period from the first to the second oestrus was 5-2 plus or minus 0-3 pg/ml. A well-defined peak of 13-3 plus or minus 0-7 pg/ml was seen in all ewes on the day of the second oestrus. Results of the present study suggest that episodic releases of LH occur during anoestrus and periods of low luteal activity. The fluctuations in LH levels, as observed during the period of low luteal activity, i.e. before Day - 25 of anoestrus, were less pronounced during the periods of high luteal activity. The view that luteal activity precedes the first behavioural oestrus of the breeding season is supported.

In a recent contribution to the Jounal, Harle (1974) introduces a model of the farm firm based on the achievement of what he calls economic technical eficiency. The approach Is an attempt to reconcile recent interpretations of the farm planning problem with the author's own practical experience in farm management. The nature of the planning problem and the definition of economic technical efficiency are of central importance to the validity and usefulness of the model, and both demand further comment.

SUMMARY A radioimmunoassay method for the measurement of arginine-vasopressin (AVP) in human plasma has been developed which requires 5 ml of plasma and has a lower limit of detection of 1·8 pg/ml plasma. Arginine-vasopressin was found to be stable in whole blood for up to 1 h at room temperature and for at least 4 h at 4 °C, while in plasma stored at − 20 °C no loss was seen over 10 days. Dehydration and rehydration in normal subjects produced appropriate changes in AVP concentration but there was considerable variability in the levels attained by individual subjects and no obvious correlation with plasma osmolality. No consistent increase in plasma AVP concentration was seen on change of posture from the recumbent to the upright position. Vigorous exercise produced a marked rise in plasma AVP concentrations in most subjects which could not be attributed simply to an increase in plasma osmolality. Infusion studies with Pitressin in normal subjects showed a mean halflife of 6·4 min with an overall plasma clearance rate of 8·5 ml/min/kg body weight and a mean volume of distribution of 5·33 1. In patients with a biochemical picture suggestive of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion, markedly raised plasma AVP concentrations were found only in patients with bronchial carcinoma.

Comprehensive fractionation studies on the contents of the seeds of two varieties of kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) were carried out. The extent of toxicity of the fractions obtained was assessed from the depression of the growth of rats fed on a mixed diet containing 5% casein protein and 5% unfractionated bean proteins or proportional amounts of fractionated materials. The low molecular weight diffusible materials and the structural water-insoluble carbohydrate-protein complexes (10 and 73% of the seeds, respectively) were found to have had little deleterious effects on rat growth performance. However, both protein fractions, the albumins (6.3% of the seeds) and the globulins (11% of the seeds), were found to be toxic. Further fractionation with continuous high-voltage electrophoresis indicated that most of the toxicity of the albumin fraction might be related to the presence of a range of isolectins. A similar, but not identical, isolectin might also be implicated in the toxicity of the globulin fraction. In addition, these results also demonstrated that the three major storage proteins, glycoprotein I and II and the trypsin inhibitors, which altogether made up about three quarters of the total protein content, could have made a small contribution only to the toxicity of kidney beans.

Ovariectomized ewes were injected with either 10 or 30 mg of progesterone, administered either intramuscularly (im) or subcutaneously (sc) at 24, 8, 4 h before, or at the same time, as im injections of 1, 2 or 4 mg of estradiol-17β. Determinations of serum luteinizing hormone (LH), estrogen, and progesterone by radioimmunoassay (RIA) were conducted to study the effects of the treatments on LH release, and the time course of estrogen and progesterone serum concentrations following injection. In the first experiment, progesterone failed to block the estrogen-induced LH release in four of six ewes, and in all three ewes of the second experiment. Intramuscular injection of progesterone resulted in higher circulating progesterone concentrations than sc injection and reached peak levels at 2–4 h postinjection. Estrogen reached peak values at 30 min–2 h postinjection. The results showed that progesterone injected at either 4, 8 and 24 h before, or simultaneously with, a pharmacological dosage of estrogen did not consistently block the LH release in ovariectomized ewes.

A method for the preparation of sub-mitochondrial particles from Jerusalem artichoke tubers by sonication is described. The particles carried out a rapid oxidation of NADH, succinate, and ascorbate saturated with N',N',N, A-tetramethylphenylenediamine (TMPD). The difference spectrum (dithionite reduced minus oxidized) of sub-mitochondrial particles was similar to that of whole mitochondria. In the autumn phosphorylation accompanied electron transport only when supernatant from the preparation procedure was added to the sub mitochondrial particles in the presence of magnesium. In the winter and spring there was a decrease in the effect of supernatant on phosphorylation, and the sub-mitochondrial particles alone synthesized ATP during substrate oxidation. It is suggested that the reconstitution of phosphorylation in Jerusalem artichoke sub-mitochondrial particles is essentially similar to that observed in beef heart electron transport particles, but that phosphorylation in the former is subject to seasonal variations.

A method of obtaining sterile pea stem sections has been developed and the effect of auxin on RNA metabolism has been investigated using aseptic techniques. Auxin rapidly stimulated 32P-incorporation into ethanol precipitated nucleic acid preparations. Subsequent experi ments showed that the bulk of the 32P in these preparations was present in a non-nucleic acid component which could be separated from the nucleic acids by combined CM cellulose Sephadex chromatography. This method of separation was used to show that auxin treatment does not appear to stimulate RNA synthesis before stimulating extension growth.

Phenotype structures in genetic systems are carefully defined in an abstract setting so that a considerable amount of enumerative theory can be brought to bear on the problem of enumerating them. Recent results can be used to simplify the computations, and a natural correspondence is suggested which changes the problem of finding the number of phenotype structures to the problem of determining the numbers of certain graphs with colored points.

A key is provided to the six species of Chirothrips from the Australian region. These species are all introduced: ah Girault (=hoodi Jacot-Guillarmod syn.n.) and atricorpus Girault from Africa; frontalis Williams, mexicanus Crawford and spiniceps Hood from America; manicatus Haliday from Europe. Two of these are potential pests of grassland, mexicanus in the north and manicatus in the south. Notes are given on native grassland thrips.

The higher dimensional concepts corresponding to trees are developed and studied. In order to enumerate these 2-dimensional structures called 2-trees, a dissimilarity characteristic theory is investigated. By an appropriate application of certain combinatorial techniques, generating functions are obtained for the number of 2-trees. These are specialized to count those 2-trees embeddable in the plane, thus providing a new approach to the old problem of determining the number of triangulations of a polygon.

A seismic recording system has been developed in which seismic sections, printed photographically in variable‐density form, simulate geologic cross‐sections. The seismic signals recorded from geophone stations arranged for continuous reflection center‐point control are presented in a sequence of vertical tracks. The tracks are adjusted for known corrections and reproduced at a selected horizontal scale. Prints of the variable‐density section exhibit all events and their interrelationships for ready recognition and appraisal. The printer mechanism reduces seismic information to a uniform time basis, with weathering and elevation corrections to datum, and with stepout corrections in which account is taken of changing wave‐front velocity with vertical travel‐path time. The original field records comprise variable‐density tracks on strips of 70‐mm film. In the printer, individual record tracks are successively scanned and transferred to a continuous sheet of film by contact printing. Punched cards supply correction data to mechanisms which displace each record track according to the desired corrections. Normal and special printing functions are automatically performed.

DESIGN considerations and evaluations are described for a high-temperature pulse preamplifier which can amplify low-level fission-chamber pulses near the source. The preamplifier can withstand the combined environmental conditions of

Describes a method for preparing personal names already in machine readable form for processing by any standard computer sort program, determining filing order insofar as possible from normally available information rather than from special formating. Prefix recognition is emphasized; multiword forename entries are a problem area. Provision is made for an edit list of problems requiring human decision. Possible extension of the method to titles is discussed.

1. Insulin shock therapy was found to be effective in the treatment of 182 cases of schizophrenia in the following terms : discharged from the hospital, 34.1% ; remained discharged after a period o...

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freed of all chemicals may be controversial, it is agreed that water should not contain microorganisms. Diseaseproducing forms must be eliminated, as well as those causing turbidity, unsightliness, tastes and odors. Other microorganisms, if present in water, cause trouble when the product is used in such enterprises as paper manufacture and the dairy industry. These organisms can also cause trouble in the water works by clogging filters and water lines or by multiplying in storage basins, even after the water has been purified and is otherwise ready for use.

Summary One aspect of axoplasmic flow, the saltatory movement of spherical particles and mitochondria within severed peripheral nerves, can be observed directly by Nomarski differential interference microscopy. The movements occur at both ‘rapid’ and ‘slow’ rates. They are predominantly proximodistal but retrograde motion also occurs. The phenomenon requires oxygen and warmth. Metabolic inhibitors affect the visible movements and the migration of radioactively labeled protein similarly.

RENAL homograft recipients have been reported to have a high incidence of livu disease in the post-transplantation period.2f• 29. 31. 56. 65, 70 It was assumed that the immunosuppressive agents were responsible, either by their hepatotoxicity or because the consequent weakening of the host immune system permitted the frequent development of virus hepatitis. An accurate distinction between these two general possibilities was not feasible until recently. Then, with the description of tests which permitted identification of the hepatitis associated or Australia (Au) antigen, 7 , 9, 58 it became possible to deciSively study at least one variety of virus hepatitis in transplant recipients. In this communication, a series of observations related to the problem of hepatic damage with or without hepatitis in a large transplantation program will be presented. These observations will include: (1) The

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