[Consumption and ruminating behavior in sheep. 3. Experiments on infertile female sheep of different breeds with reference to feed type and feeding duration]

Ewes of the breeds merino fattening sheep, Stavropol merino and fertility hybrid were studied as to their consumption and ruminating behaviour after receiving a pelleted straw-concentrate mixture, maize silage and wilted silaged grass. During the feeding periods of 2 X 45 min or 2 X 180 min/d unlimited rations were available to the animals. With 86 min/d the sheep used the short feeding period nearly completely for feed intake. In the longer feeding period the sheep consumed 18% more feed in 161 min/d, ate more slowly, however, and ruminated somewhat less. In comparison with the straw-concentrate mixture, the silage rations were ruminated for shorter periods and less effectively, the number of ruminating movements per day and cycle was reduced, the breaks between bites became longer. The wilted grass silage stimulated ruminating even less than chopped maize silage. There were significant differences between the breeds in the ruminating frequency, which affected the number of ruminating movements per day and cycle.

[The effect of reduced drinking water supply on feed absorption, apparent digestibility of crude nutrients and rumen fermentation of sheep]

Based on the fact that the insufficient supply of agricultural domestic animals with drinking water in tropical and subtropical regions is often the factor limiting their performance, the effect of different drinking water supply of sheep (ad libitum, 54% of ad libitum and 27% of ad libitum) on various parameters was studied. A water supply reduced to 54 and 27% resp. diminished dry matter intake to 84% and 45% resp. A water supply reduced to 54% improved the digestibility of organic matter, crude fibre, crude cellulose and N-free extractives, it was, however, not significant. A reduction to 27% of the ad libitum water supply improved the digestibility of all crude nutrients, significantly, however, only that of organic matter, crude fibre, crude cellulose and N-free extractives. In comparison with a supply of water reduced to 54%, a water supply reduced to 27% also resulted in an improvement of the digestibility of all crude nutrients. Both the reduction of the ad libitum water supply and the increasing time interval for the sampling of rumen fluid resulted in an increased concentration of volatile fatty acids in the rumen fluid, which was sampled 15 min, 1 hour and 2 hours after feeding.

[Eating and ruminating behavior of sheep. 2. Experiments in pregnant and lactating ewes fed with a straw-concentrate mixture]

Fertility oriented ewes in the late stage of gestation and during the lactation period received 19 feeding regimes on the basis of straw-concentrate mixtures, which essentially differed in the feedstuff structure. The ewes fed ad libitum on average used between 5 and 6 hours per day feed intake in the 86 measuring periods. The average daily ruminating time ranged from 398 to 502 minutes. An increasing straw content resulted in significantly longer ruminating periods and a higher number of masticatory movements, additional quotas of long straw had non effect. But even the most unfavourable feeding variants (straw-concentrate mixtures with 40% straw meal treated with NaOH) elicited 21 100 ruminating masticatory movements in 5 hours of ruminating. There were no significant differences between the absolute consumption and ruminating activities in the late stage of gestation and the lactation period; with reference to feed and crude fibre intake the ruminating expenditure in the late stage of gestation was always significantly higher. Rations with a low structural effect resulted in a more unbalanced distribution of consumption and ruminating activities in the course of the day than well structured rations.

[Urea utilization by growing lambs. 5. N-balance with half synthetic rations]

In experiment with 14-week-old lambs a combination of semisynthetic rations containing 1.2% or 0.7% resp. native crude protein an intraruminal infusion of urea clearly influenced the biologic processes in the rumen. The molar quotas of butyric and valeric acid in comparison with acetic were high. The lambs could cope with infused amounts of 0.67 g urea/kg body weight if they received the daily amount of 1.35 g/kg body weight in two parts. When more than 1.9 g/kg body weight were applied, feed intake decreased even though the daily amount was distributed over 4 doses. In 10 out of 16 lambs N retention was, in dependence on the urea amounts infused, higher than the N amount retained from native crude protein. The result indicates that urea is utilized by 14-week-old lambs. Growing energy and N intake had a positive influence on the N balance.

[Urea utilization in growing lambs. 4. N balances with unprocessed rations]

N balance experiments were carried out with lambs of the ages of 8, 12 and 15 weeks fed with wheat rations with and without 2% urea supplement (N 1 and N 2) as well as with 3% urea and 20% straw (N 3) or with a soya bean meal supplement (N 4). There were no significant differences in the digestibility of the crude nutrients and in per cent of N retention between the individual ages. The straw supplement decreased the digestibility of organic matter, crude protein, crude fibre and NfE. The supplements of soya bean meal or urea increased the crude protein content in comparison to the wheat ration without supplements by 6% in the dry matter and resulted in N intakes 55 ... 60% higher and in 23 ... 38% higher N retention, which was, however, lower in relation to N intake. There were no significant differences with regard to N retention between N 2, N 3 and N 4. Consequently urea supplement to the feed mixture with 14% native crude protein resulted in increased N retention, which was not lower than with a soya bean meal supplement.

Regulation of the in vitro monoclonal immunoglobulin production in cultures of peripheral blood mononuclear cells and bone marrow cells from myeloma patients mediated by T cell dependent mitogens

In vitro monoclonal immunoglobulin (mIg) production of cultured tumour cells--prepared from the bone marrow (BM) or from the peripheral blood (PB) of 40 multiple myeloma (MM) patients, 16 patients with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance and two patients with M. Waldenström--was measured with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using anti-idiotype and anti-class specific antisera. After in vitro stimulation with pokeweed mitogen (PWM) or OKT3 antibody, mIg production was regularly suppressed in BM cell cultures, whereas enhanced, unaltered or suppressed production was observed in PB cell cultures. These observations show that the expanded clone in MM can still be regulated in vitro. Separation experiments demonstrated the involvement of T cells in this in vitro system. The results could be explained by the hypothesis that activated T cells can suppress mature cells of B cell differentiation, as found in BM of the patients, but stimulate earlier B cells from the peripheral blood towards differentiation into Ig secreting cells.

[Urea utilization in growing lambs. 3. Effect of urea and straw on carcass composition]

Subsequent to a growth experiment with intensively fattened lambs the value of the carcasses of 4 animals each from 7 groups was determined. The control groups with mixed fattening feed for lambs and the groups with wheat and barley mixtures containing urea showed higher carcass yields, net gains, fat percentage and padding, dry matter and fat content of the carcass and lower quotas of important cuts as well as a lower crude protein content in the carcass than groups with grain without urea and groups with straw. This is due to the higher weight gains of the first-mentioned groups. There were no significant differences in the carcass characteristics between the animals of the control group and the grain-urea groups. The carcass quality of the male lambs was better than that of the female ones.

[Urea utilization of growing lambs. 2. Growth experiments]

In two growth experiments with 30 lambs per group the influence of urea (1-2% of the ration) and straw (20-30% of the ration) on the performance was studied under conditions of intensive fattening. The content of native crude protein in the rations varied between 10.1 and 18.4% of the DM. In experiment 1 the lambs of the two groups which received mixed feed for fattening lambs without urea on average consumed with 1.02 and 1.11 kg DM resp., 696 and 757 EFUcattle resp. and 173 and 189 g crude protein resp. per animal and day. The groups with wheat or barley and urea consumed 1.06 and 0.96 kg DM resp., 714 and 627 EFUcattle resp. and 209 and 155 g crude protein resp. Their weight gain of 247 g/animal and day was 24% and that of 230 g resp. 26% higher than that in the control groups without urea. The lowest dry matter intake (0.91 and 0.82 kg resp.) was shown by the animals of the groups which received wheat or barley without urea. In the second experiment the control group achieved an average daily weight gain of 327 g at an expenditure of 2.24 kEFUcattle/kg weight gain. Despite a partly higher dry matter intake, the daily EFUcattle intake was between 12.2 and 24.5% lower in the straw groups and energy expenditure increased between 12.0 and 27.8%. Urea supplements of between 1 and 2% improved dry matter, EFUcattle and crude protein intake and thus weight gain.

Safety and efficacy of alinidine in symptom-free asthmatics

Alinidine is a new bradycardic agent which has been shown to be beneficial in the treatment of coronary heart disease. Patients with both coronary heart disease and obstructive lung disease are difficult to treat, because the use of beta-blockers in them is greatly limited by their potential to provoke bronchospasm. Alinidine has no beta-blocking, muscarinic or quinidine-like properties. In a randomized double-blind cross-over study the heart rate reducing effect and safety of alinidine 40 mg p.o. has been examined in 12 symptom-free asthmatics. Alinidine significantly reduced mean heart rate from 81 +/- 10.5 beats/min to 65 +/- 9.7 beats/min two hours after administration. Forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), vital capacity (CV), airway resistance (Raw), functional residual capacity (FRC), and specific airway conductance (SGaw) were not affected. It is concluded that alinidine did not influence respiratory function in patients with bronchial hypersensitivity.

Fluorometric determination of the total DNA content of different yeast species using 4′, 6-diamidino-2-phenyl-indol-dihydrochloride

A highly sensitive method has been developed to measure quantitatively the DNA content of yeast cells. The reaction between the fluorescent dye 4′, 6-diamidino-2-phenyl-indol-dihydrochloride and DNA in a crude lysate from protoplasts can be measured without prior extraction of the DNA. Interferences by the high protein and RNA content of yeast cells, which often limit the accuracy of common methods employed in the determination of DNA content, were eliminated by suitable enzymatic pretreatment of the cell lysate.

[Determination of the average duration of food in the digestive tract of sheep]

The average time the test feed remains in sheep was determined with ewes during three stages of the reproduction cycle. The feed was labelled with 51Cr2O3. Experiment conditions are described under which the experiments can be carried out within the permissible limits.

[Studies on rumen fermentation with special reference to the volatile fatty acid production rate in ewes during reproduction. 2. Production rate of volatile fatty acids and rumen volume]

Methods and results of the measuring of the rumen volume and the passage rate as well as the dependence of the production of volatile fatty acids on the parameters mentioned are described. The correlative relations between rumen volume on the one hand and feed passage on the other hand to the production quotas are investigated. Passage rates and rumen volumes were determined with the help of the isotope dilution method. In the course of reproduction rumen volumes of 7.81, 6.41, 8.91, 7.11 in experiment 1 and 5.41, 5.81, 9.51 and 4.71 in experiment 2 were measured in the sequence early stage of gestation, late stage of gestation, lactation and the period between pregnancies. The average total production of volatile fatty acids within 12 hours amounted to 475 mmol, 265 mmol, 313 mmol and 351 mmol in experiment 1 and 155 mmol, 175 mmol, 271 mmol and 144 mmol in experiment 2 in the same sequence. The average passage duration of the feed through the digestive tract of the ewes was 32.4 h in experiment 1 and 33.6 h in experiment 2. The relatively high feed intake of the ewes resulted in a short passage duration and could be a cause of the low production quotas of the volatile fatty acids.

Activated human B cells display a functional IL 2 receptor

These studies deal with the expression of a functional IL 2 receptor on activated primary human B cells. Antibody against the receptor (alpha-TAC) reacted with 25 to 65% activated B cells, inhibited B cell proliferation by 50% and inhibited B cell secretion of Ig by greater than 90%. These effects were shown to be independent of contaminating T lymphocytes. Anti-TAC immunoprecipitated a molecule of identical size (65,000 daltons) from T and B lymphocytes; B cells were also shown to actively synthesize the IL 2 receptor. The chymotryptic peptide chromatograms of TAC antigen from T and B cells show these molecules to be indistinguishable.

Stercorarian trypanosomes from deer (Cervidae) in Germany

Twenty of 35 roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), eight of 12 red deer (Cervus elaphus), and nine of 21 fallow deer (Cervus dama) but none of four moose (Alces alces) examined from April to November 1983 were infected with trypanosomes. Morphometric data of the bloodstream trypomastigotes from the three deer species differed significantly. This appears to be the first report of stercorarian trypanosomes from Cervidae in the Old World and the first description of representatives of the subgenus Megatrypanum in the three deer species.

[Feed intake of ewes in the perinatal period]

8 individual feeding experiments served the ascertainment of the consumption performance of ewes in the perinatal phase. In 6 experiments with a total of 176 fertility oriented ewes the daily intake of pelleted straw-concentrate mixtures between the 4th week ante partum and the 6th week post partum was determined. On average the ewes consumed 1701 g dry matter in the last phase of gestation and 2271 g DM during lactation per animal and day. Intense grinding and NaOH-treatment increased feed intake; high straw content, limited duration of feeding and NH3-treatment decreased it. A higher number of lambs had, in the last phase of gestation, a decreasing and during lactation an increasing effect on consumption. Maize silage in the last phase of gestation resulted in very low feed intake. In contra to this, rations of alfalfa hay and maize silage were consumed well during lactation. There were no significant differences due to species or age with regard to consumption performance.

[Rumen fermentation with special reference to volatile fatty acid production during reproduction. 1. Methods and results of volatile fatty acid levels and production rates in vitro]

The target of the investigations was to register part of the synthesis performance in the rumen of ewes during the complete reproduction cycle. With the help of in-vitro experiments with artificial rumen the concentration and production rates of volatile fatty acids in the rumen fluid were measured. From the experiments the measured data of fertility-accentuated crossbreeding (experiment 1) and crossbreeding (experiment 2) ewes were contrasted. The average concentrations of volatile fatty acids in ewes are 95.4 m mol/l in experiment 1 and 109.2 m mol/l in experiment 2 during the early stage gestation, 121.4 m mol/l in experiment 1 and 99.8 m mol/l in experiment 2 in the last stage stage of gestation, 129.6 m mol/l in experiment 1 and 112.8 m mol/l in experiment 2 during lactation and 106.6 m mol/l in experiment 1 and 112.9 m mol/l in experiment 2 during the dry period. The production rates of volatile fatty acids calculated form their concentration amount to 4.8 m mol/l X h in experiment 1 and 2.6 m mol/l X h in experiment 2 in the early stage of gestation, 3.5 m mol/l X h in experiment 1 and 3.1 m mol/l X h in experiment 2 in the last stage of gestation, 3.2 m mol/l X h in experiment 1 and 2.7 m mol/l X h in experiment 2 during lactation and 3.7 m mol/l X h in experiment 1 and 2.9 m mol/l X h in experiment 2 in the dry period. The correlation between the concentration and the production rate of volatile fatty acids is not significantly negative in either of the ewe experiments. The scattering of the individual values is wide so that the individual influence of the test animals as well as the influence of the in-vitro method used permit the conclusion that a significant statement on the influence of the genotype and the stage of reproduction on the production rates cannot be made.

Trypanosomes in Cervidae in Germany

Trypanosoma cervi Kingston et Morton, 1975 was demonstrated in 2 fallow deer (Dama dama) in 1976, and in 10 roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and one red deer (Cervus elaphus) in spring 1983. The infected deer originated from the vicinity of Hannover, Germany.

[Lumbar intervertebral disk prolapses in adolescents]

Six adolescent patients aged 13 to 17 years with lumbar disc prolapse all had a positive Lasègue's test. Clinical symptoms were varied, vertebral symptoms were more pronounced. In all cases myelographic findings corresponded with those at operation. The neurological deficits mostly disappeared after operation. In contrast to adults disc herniation in adolescents was recognized only after some time since lumbar intervertebral disc protrusion is rare and often shows atypical symptoms in teen-aged patients.

[Nutrient and energy retention in growing lambs. 1. Results of growth experiments]

The results of a growth experiment are explained which was carried out as basis for the control slaughtering method and for N-balance experiments with hybrid fattening lambs of both sexes and of three different genetic constructions in comparison with male merino mutton lambs. The animals were kept individually on perforated floor and received pelleted fattening feed for lambs ad libitum. In the live weight range between 15 and 30 kg the male hybrid lambs reached significantly higher live weight gains than the merino mutton sheep, the former tending towards higher feed intake and lower energy expenditure. The male hybrid lambs showed a significantly higher live weight gain and a significantly lower energy expenditure than the female animals of equal live weight whereas there were no differences between the sexes in feed intake.

The effect of aortic valve replacement on survival

We retrospectively studied 252 operated and 47 unoperated patients with isolated aortic valve disease. Aortic valve replacement (AVR) was recommended to all patients based on clinical and hemodynamic data. Preoperative hemodynamic and angiographic data were similar in operated and unoperated cohorts. Seventy-one percent of patients received a Björk-Shiley prosthesis. Operative mortality was 7% for the entire surgical series. For patients with predominant aortic stenosis (AS), survival at 3 years was 87% in operated and 21% in unoperated patients (p less than 0.001). For patients with predominant aortic insufficiency (AI), the 5-year survival rate was 86% in operated and 87% in unoperated patients (NS). AVR improved long-term survival in patients with AS who had normal or impaired left ventricular (LV) function. In patients with AI and normal LV function, survival was not improved after AVR, but those with LV dysfunction who were operated on tended to survive longer (NS). Long-term survival of unoperated patients with AI was better than that in unoperated patients with AS. We conclude that AVR improves long-term survival in patients with AS who were normal or abnormal LV function, and that AVR does not change long-term survival in patients with AI, although those with LV dysfunction tended to survive longer.

[Topical treatment of acne vulgaris with erythromycin and benzoylperoxide (author's transl)]

16 healthy persons were treated for 7 weeks with a 1% erythromycin containing ointment. Another 25 persons (among them 10 acne patients) were treated during the same period of time with a combination therapy consisting of erythromycin (1% in an unspecific ointment base) and benzoylperoxide (5% in a gel base). The combined therapy reduces the micrococcaceae in the pilosebaceous ducts significantly. On the other side the therapy consisting only of erythromycin causes only initially a decrease and then an increase in the number of micrococcaceae. Induction of resistance to erythromycin is in both cases considerable. In both cases a reduction of propionibacteria which are most important for the pathogenesis of acne must be assumed. Because of the probable pathogenetic role of staphylococci in acne vulgaris an additional improvement of the therapeutical results can be expected in the case of combination therapy. In vitro experiments demonstrate further that an erythromycin treatment leads to considerable resistance induction in S. aureus, regardless of whether it is applied alone or in combination with benzoyl peroxide.

Assessment of psychological reactions in disaster victims

Through the joint efforts of the area community mental health center and an emergency relief organization, psychological reactions of flood victims were measured. A random sample of 124 adults and 54 children were interviewed, using scales reflecting measures of depression and stress. Results showed that adults perceived themselves to be significantly more depressed and stressed in areas such as adaptation and physical complaints. Children's results were mixed, depending on age, although problems existed with regressive and aggressive behaviors, fears, and in miscellaneous areas such as sleep difficulty. Recommendations are made for further community mental health involvement, as well as emphasizing the need for further empirical work in the assessment of postdisaster emotional sequelae.

[Glossitis rhombica mediana. A study of 4422 dermatologic patients]

Though known for a long time and by no means rare, median rhomboid glossitis (MRG) still gives rise to questions concerning its dignity and etiology. MRG was found in 54 out of 4,422 stomatologically investigated dermatological patients. The patient's ages ranged from 10 to 69 years, the sex ratio was 3:1 male to female. Candida albicans was found in 18 out of 22 MRG lesions examined mycologically. These findings, the constant location and the stationary course were interpreted as a secondary Candida albicans colonization on a dysembryogenetically determined locus minoris resistentiae. Dysembryogenetic, anatomic and microbial factors contribute to the etiology and pathogenesis of MRG.

[Effects of animal age and feeding regime on the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of intensively fattened lambs. 2. Rumen volume and structure of rumen mucosa]

Lambs of the species Merino mutton sheep kept on a perforated floor received, from their 38th day of life, either fattening feed for lambs ad libitum or fattening feed for lambs ad libitum plus chopped dried green fodder ad libitum (quota 17% of the intake of dry matter). At intervals of three weeks 4 lambs of each group were slaughtered from their 40th to their 166th day of life. The determination of the physical rumen volume of one half of the animals did not show significant differences between the two feeding regimes. The rumen volume showed an approximately linear increase (B = 0,84) with the increasing age of the animals. Hyper- and parakeratotic changes of the epithelialis of the rumen were caused by both feeding regimes. They were distinctly stronger and earlier developed in animals which only received fattening feed for lambs. The measuring of the rumen villi showed significantly smaller villi in all age groups of those animals which had taken in dried lucerne green fodder as a supplement.

[Pancreatic lipase activity in growing sheep]

The development of the activity of pancreas lipase was observed at lambs reared with and without ewes from their birth to an age of four weeks and in a second series between five and 18 weeks. A statistically significant influence of the age on the level of activity of pancreas lipase could be observed. It was also influenced by the feeding regime, that is, the lambs reared without ewes which were fed restrictively with milk replacer showed a significantly higher activity of pancreas lipase on comparison with lambs reared with milk replacer ad libitum or those reared by ewes. 8-week-old lambs after a suckling period of four weeks and the subsequent sole feeding with pelleted mixed feed reached approximately the same activity of pancreas lipase as adult wethers.

[Activity of disaccharidases in growing sheep. 3. Fattening lambs 5 to 18 weeks of age]

Lambs at an age between 4 and 18 weeks were kept on perforated floor and received pelleted fattening feed for lambs as sole feed ad libitum. After the maltase activity in the duodenal mucosa resp. the contents of the duodenum at an age of 5 weeks was low, it amounted to 6.98 resp. 5.31 units per 0.1 g fresh weight at the end of the eighth week and in the duodenal mucosa it remained on this level to the age of 18 weeks. In the contents of the duodenum it decreased to 3.25 units in this period. The lactase activity in the duodenal mucosa resp. the contents of the duodenum decreased continuously from 30.5 resp. 25.7 to 13.6 resp. 14.8 units in the period investigated. The maltase activity in the pancreas remained constant in the period investigated (4 units per 0.1 g fresh weight). Saccharase activity could not be detected in both duodenal mucosa and contents of the duodenum.

A new surface antigen (PC.2) expressed exclusively on plasma cells

Somatic cell hybridization of NS.1 nonsecretor myeloma cells with spleen cells of (DBA/2 X C57BL/6)F1 mice immunized against the myeloma MOPC 70A of BALB/c mice led to the establishment of five hybridoma clones which continuously secrete anti-MOPC 70A cytotoxic antibodies. The respective antigen detected by each of the five monoclonal antibodies is expressed both on plasmacytomas and on antibody-secreting cells as the only normal cell type. The tissue distribution of this new antigen is different from that reported for the alloantigen PC.1, and we have therefore designated it as PC.2. On the basis of immune elimination of direct and indirect plaque-forming cells, all mouse strains tested express PC.2 determinants, identifying PC.2 essentially as an autoantigen. Conventional anti-PC.1 alloantiserum contains antibodies to the PC.2 determinant, and these antibodies are distinguishable from the anti-PC.1 antibodies proper by the fact that only the latter are absorbed by liver cells. Monoclonal anti-PC.2 antibodies are not directed against MuLV-(murine leukemia virus)--associated antigens as over 20 ecotropic, several MCF (mink colony forming recombinant, and xenotropic viruses failed to react in immunofluorescence assays.

[Studies of the activity of disaccharides in growing sheep. 2. The influence of the feeding regime on the activity of disaccharidases in lambs up to the age of 4 weeks under various rearing conditions]

In two groups of 16 animals each lambs were fed restrictively resp. ad libitum withour ewes with a milk replacer up to the age of four weeks. Maltase activity in the contents of the duodenum and the pancreas homogenate increased with the increasing age of the lambs. The maltase activity of the restrictively fed lambs was higher. The maltase activity in the duodenal mucosa was not influenced by the age. Lactase activity in the duodenal mucosa showed a decreasing tendency up to the end of the four week of life; an increase of lactase activity in the contents of the duodenum could be ascertained up to the fourth week. In comparison with the suckling lambs reared by ewes (cf. 1.) the maltase activity in the duodenal mucosa of the lambs reared without ewes was lower and that in the contents of the duodenum was higher. Concerning lactase activity, there were not significant differences between the rearing and feeding regimens up to the age of three weeks. At the end of their fourth week of life the lactase activity in the suckling lambs was significantly lower than that in the lambs reared without ewes. The total maltase activity (= sum of the activities in the duodenal mucosa, the contents of the duodenum and in the pancreas) showed the highest values for the lambs reared without ewes and fed restrictively in the first three weeks of life. Saccharase activities in the duodenal mucosa or the contents of the duodenum could not be detected in any case.

[Investigations of the activity of disaccharidases in growing sheep. 1. Suckling lambs from birth to an age of 4 weeks]

Investigations of the course disaccharidases take in duodenum and pancreas were made with 20 suckling lambs (straw litter, supplementary feed from 3rd week onwards) at an age between 1 and 30 days. In the first week of the Lambs' lives the activity of lactase in the duodenal mucosa was highest. In the following weeks there was a slightly falling tendency. During the first four weeks of the lambs' lives there were no statistically significant differences concerning the maltase activities in the duodenal mucosa. At the beginning of the first and at the end of the fourth week of the lambs' lives the activity of lactase in the content of the duodenum was significantly lower than at the end of the first and up to the third week. The maltase in the contents of the duodenum showed a significantly higher activity at the end of the fourth week of life. Enzyme activities in the contents of the duodenum were significantly lower then those in the mucosa. After maltase activity in the pancreas had shown high values in the first two days of life, it decreased distinctly toward the end of the first week and than increased again up to the fourth week of life. In the period investigated, saccharase activity in the duodenal mucosa and in the contents of the duodenum could not be detected in any lamb.

[The nitrogen retention of early weaned lambs]

At 30-to-60-day-old lambs reared without mothers 23 different feed mixtures were tested in N-balance experiments. The following results were achieved: The concentration of digestible crude protein and energy as well as the relation between them (PEQ) have no significant influence on the lambs' nitrogen retention. The energy intake and the intake of digestible crude protein have an intensive, significant influence on nitrogen retention. Rising energy and N-intake within the limits on which the investigation is based increased nitrogen retention. Of the protein feedstuffs tested, a 6 ... 7% higher nitrogen retention was realised from soybean oil meal as the sole source of proteins with 35% retained nitrogen related to the nitrogen intake in comparison to the combinations soybean oil meal/dried skim milk resp. fish meal. Increasing dried yeast portions (greater than 5%--20%) in the feed mixture diminished nitrogen retention. On the basis of the existing results the following recommendations for the use of the tested protein feedstuffs in rearing feed for lambs can be formulated: Soybean oil meal can be used as the sole source of protein in rearing lambs. The use of up to 5% dried yeast in the rearing feed as protein source and for vitaminisation is possible; 20% however diminish nitrogen retention. Because of the positive effect on feed intake it appears suitable to use fishmeal in the rearing feed for lambs.

[Possibilities of prediction the digestibility of crude nutrients by fullgrown and growing sheep from the crude nutrient content of the rations. 2. Rations with a higher content of crude fibers (mixtures of straw and concentrated feed as sole feed]

Eight variants of recipes for mixtures of straw and concentrated feed with 10 to 60 per cent straw more or less finely ground (86 to 314 g crude fibre per kg dry matter) and fattening feed for lambs (50 g crude fibre per kg dry matter) were checked concerning the digestibility of crude nutrients for fullgrown wethers and 60 to 80-, 80 to 100-and 100 to 120-day-old lambs which had been ablactated at an age of 60 days. The digestibility for wethers was significantly higher than for lambs, between the age groups of which there were no significant differences concerning the digestibility. In accordance with the results with rations on the basis of concentrated feed as checked and described in the first piece of information, the content of crude fibres in the rations had a negative influence on the digestibility of organic matter, NFE and energy whereas there was a positive relation with the digestibility of crude fibres. The regression functions established for mixtures of straw and concentrated feed concerning the dependence of the digestibility on the content of crude fibres showed a relatively good coincidence in the range of a low content of crude fibres with the corresponding regression functions which were described in the first piece of information for rations of concentrated feed. The equations for the digestibility of crude fibres were an exception. In contrast to this, the quantitative relations between crude fibres and the digestibility as established in the first piece of information for rations with a low content of crude fibres cannot be transferred to rations with a higher content of crude fibres.

[Determination of urea in the ruminal fluid of sheep]

Low values for urea were found in samples of ruminal fluid of sheep fed concentrate rations if urea determination was carried out by the urease method. The present paper describes a both simple and sensitive colorimetric method of analysis using diacetyldioxime. The method is suitable for determining urea in coloured solutions such as ruminal fluid or silage extracts.

Arrhythmia during mitral commissurotomy

The authors studied in detail arrhythmias recorded during 110 operations of mitral commissurotomy. In all cases supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias developed and their type, as well as frequency, depended on the stage of operation. Life-endangering ventricular arrhythmias (ventricular flutter or fibrillation) were never observed and ventricular tachycardia occurring when the orifice was being dilated always regressed spontaneously when a Dubost dilator was removed. Rapid differential diagnosis of arrhythmias is facilitated greatly by additional ECG recording from oesophageal lead. Indications for pharmacological treatment are discussed. This treatment was used, however, in several cases only.

Isolation and characterization of the carboxypeptidase Y inhibitor from yeast

Rapid acetone fractionation of crude yeast extract at low temperature separates carboxypeptidase Y inhibitor from the carboxypeptidase Y-inhibitor complex. On a protein basis the inhibitor has been purified 890-fold, resulting in homogeneity as determined by disc electrophoresis and filtration on Sephadex G-75. The molecular weight was calculated to be about 25,000. The inhibitor is heat-labile in crude extracts, whereas in the purified form it loses only 11% of its activity when it is heated at 100 degrees for 5 min. The inhibitor is inactivated by the yeast proteinases A (EC 3.4.23.8) and B (EC 3.4.22.9), respectively, but not by carboxypeptidase Y (EC 3.4.12.8). The inhibitor inhibits carboxypeptidase Y at a 1.5:1.0 protein-based weight ratio by 80%. At the same concentration ratios, proteinases A and B from yeast, as well as bovine pancreas carboxypeptidases A and B, are not inhibited.

Interaction of actin and myosin in the abscence and presence of ATP

The binding between F-actin and myosin has been studied by analyzing the amount of radio-actively labelled (by means of 14C-NEM) F-actin and myosin in the formed unsoluble actomyosin pellet after centrifugation of the reaction mixture. In the absence of ATP, the amount of actin bound to myosin varies, depending on the amounts of actin and myosin present, between 0.18 mg actin/mg myosin (2 actin units per 1 myosin molecule) and about 2 mg actin/mg myosin (each actin fibril only uncompletely saturated with myosin). In 0.03 ᴍ KCl ATP decreases, if at all, the affinity of actin towards myosin only slightly; but less actin is bound to myosin in the presence of MgATP and in low ionic strength, indicating that myosin is now more densily distributed over fewer actin fibrils leaving the rest of fibrils free. For precipitation of the total amount of myosin (myosin alone is soluble in MgATP) incomplete saturation of myosin with actin suffices; obviously actin promotes filament formation of myosin. The activation of myosin ATPase by actin depends in a similar manner as actin binding does on actin concentration, hence the enzymatic interaction between actin and myosin is accompanied by true actin-myosin binding. An actin-tropomyosin-troponin preparation, whose reduced viscosity is lower than that of F-actin and which consists of about 30% actin, activates myosin ATPase to the same extent as F-actin does. It competes with F-actin for the same binding sites on myosin and can in the presence of MgATP be displaced from myosin by those preparations of F-actin which have a strong tendency to become fully saturated with myosin. The activation of myosin ATPase by actin-tropomyosin-troponin is reduced after tryptic digestion of actin-tropomyosin-troponin, which affects, according to SDS gel electro­ phoresis, mainly two components of troponin with molecular weights of about 32 000 and 25 000, respectively.

Regulation of the immune response. 3. Kinetic differences between thymus- and bone marrow- derived lymphocytes in the proliferative response to heterologous erythrocytes

The kinetics of the in vivo response to SRBC was studied in mouse spleen at both the B cell and T cell levels. The B cell response was assayed by following the appearance of antibody-secreting cells in the spleen using the hemolytic plaque assay. The T cell response was monitored by following the increase in or "priming" of helper activity in the spleen using a quantitative in vitro assay. The role of cellular proliferation in both responses was established with the inhibitor of mitosis, vinblastine. The results show that, although the development of T cell activity precedes that of anti-SRBC PFC by as much as 1 day, T cells lag at least 1 day behind B cells in the onset of cellular proliferation. The evidence suggests either that the helper T cell which proliferates in response to SRBC does so after helping in the initiation of the primary B cell response or that the proliferative T cell response and the initiation of the primary B cell response involve two different subpopulations of T cells.

Regulation of the immune response. II. Qualitative and quantitative differences between thymus- and bone marrow-derived lymphocytes in the recognition of antigen

The specificity of antigen recognition by thymus-derived helper cells (T cells) and antibody was examined in mice, heterologous erythrocyte antigens from sheep (SRBC), goat (GRBC), burro (BRBC), chicken (CRBC), and toad (TRBC) being used. Antibody specificity was tested by a number of functional assays: hemagglutination, hemolysis, and immune suppression. The specificity of T cells was determined by titrating their ability to help the in vitro antitrinitrophenol (TNP) responses of mouse spleen cultures immunized with the hapten coupled to the various test erythrocytes as carrier. Anti-SRBC antibody cross-reacted with GRBC, but not with BRBC, CRBC, or TRBC. In contrast, SRBC-primed helper T cells cross-reacted with both GRBC and BRBC, but not with CRBC or TRBC, indicating a difference in the specificity of antigen recognition between the cellular and the humoral immune responses.

Long-Range Order of Supramolecular Structures in Amorphous Butadiene-Styrene Block Copolymers

The various methods for determining quantitatively the dimensions of morphological structures from electron micrographs as well as evaluation of small-angle electron and x-ray diffraction are reviewed briefly. In continuation of previous work, the types of long-range order of supramolecular structures observed in two-block butadiene-styrene (BS) copolymers of very uniform molecular structure are discussed. By phase separation, aggregates of the one type of block with uniform shapes and sizes are formed which are arranged strictly periodically in the matrix consisting of the other type of block. Apart from “lattice imperfections”, special regard is given to the formation of boundaries between regions with long-range order of domains. The macroscopic lattices observed in BS block copolymers are compared with the latticelike arrays of colloidal particles found in other systems of a completely different chemical nature.