Estimation of the number of sex alleles and queen matings from diploid male frequencies in a population of Apis mellifera

The distribution of diploid males in a population of Apis mellifera was obtained by direct examination of the sexual phenotypes of the larvae. Using these data, estimates are derived for the number of sex alleles and the number or matings undergone by the queen. The number of sex alleles is estimated to be 18.9. The estimate is larger than previous ones, which have ranged between 10 and 12. However, the increase in the number of sex alleles can be explained by the large effective population number for our data. The best estimator of the number of matings by a queen is a maximum likelihood type that assumes a prior distribution on the number of matings. For the data presented here, this estimate is 17.3. This estimate is compared to others in the literature obtained by different approaches.

The relationship between enzyme activity, cell geometry, and fitness in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The relationship between enzyme activity, cell geometry, and the ploidy levels has been investigated in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Diploid cells have 1.57 times the volume of haploid cells under nonlimiting growth conditions (minimal medium). However, when diploid cells are grown under conditions of carbon limitation, they have the same volume as haploid cells. Thus, by altering the environmental conditions, cell size can be varied independently of the degree of ploidy. The results indicate that the basic biochemical parameters of the cell are primarily determined by cell geometry rather than ploidy level. RNA content, protein content, and ornithine transcarbamylase (carbamoylphosphate: L-ornithine carbamoyltransferase, EC 2.1.3.3), tryptophan synthetase [L-serine hydro-lyase (adding indole), EC 4.2.1.20], and invertase (alpha-D-glucoside glucohydrolase, Ec 3.2.1.20) activity are related to cell volume, whereas acid phosphatase (orthophosphoric-monoester phosphohydrolase, EC 3.1.3.2) activity, a cell surface enzyme, is related to the surface area of the cells. Fitness is determined by the activity of certain cell surface enzymes, such as acid phosphatase, diploids would be expected to have a lower fitness than haploids because of the lower surface area/volume ratio. However, when fitness is determined by the activity of an internal enzyme, diploids would be expected to have the same fitness as haploids. Results from competition experiments between haploids and diploids are consistent with these predictions. The significance of these results to the evolution of diploidy as the predominant phase of the life cycle of higher plants and animals is discussed.

Psychological correlates of the course of Sydenham's chorea. Repeat evaluations of a case

Published reports provide contradictory evidence concerning the cause, nature, and course of Syndeham's chorea: physiological, psychological, and interractional hypotheses have been advanced. Reports supporting any of these views suffer from lack of detail, objective observations, and/or longitudinal behavioral sampling. This case was studied longitudinally with numerous psychological tests. They revealed acute encephalopathy and severe personality disturbance in the acute stage, followed by rapid and lasting clearing of both symptoms. Thus, this case provided evidence consistent with virtually all published reports and with each hypothesis about Sydenham's chorea, suggesting the need for more careful longitudinal studies and a conceptual framework which can more fully embrace all the data.

Cross-modal measurement of test-anxiety

This study involved the measurement of test-anxiety by an indirect method. 40 Ss were asked to match intensities of a 1000-Hz tone to subjective levels of experienced anxiety under two conditions, on a day just prior to taking a routine college course examination and on a day when no course examinations were scheduled. In addition, Ss were asked to complete an Affect Adjective Check List (AACL) which permitted a self-description of the degree of anxiety felt under the two conditions. The results indicate that both the crossmodal matching technique and the AACL differentiated between test and control days. These findings indicate that Ss were indeed capable of matching the relative changes in the level of experienced test-anxiety with changes in the amplitude of an auditory stimulus.

Population studies in microorganisms. I. Evolution of diploidy in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The relative adaptation of isogenic haploid and diploid strains of yeast was investigated in different sets of physiological conditions. When all nutrients were present in excess, no difference in the reproductive rates of isogenic haploid and diploid strains of yeast was detected in both optimal and non-optimal growth conditions. Competition between haploid and diploid strains of yeast was observed when growth was limited by the concentration of a single nutrilite. Under certain conditions when fitness (reproductive rate) is determined by transport of an essential nutrilite that exists in very low concentrations, diploid cells were selected against. These environmental conditions are similar to those found in offshore marine environments where nutrients are often present in extremely low concentrations. The fitness of diploid cells was estimated to be.93 +/-.02 (haploid fitness = 1). The reduced fitness of diploid cells in this environment can be explained by the reduced surface area/volume ratio possessed by diploid cells in comparison to haploid cells. The fitnesses of haploid and diploid cells in these environments are closely correlated with geometric variations in these strains. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that diploid cells are simply double haploids, and diploidy per se does not confer any direct adaptive advantage. The mechanism of the evolution of diploidy as a dominant phase in the life cycle of higher plants and animals remains obscure.

Inhibition of three nucleotide polymerases by rifamycin derivatives

It is possible to design rifamycin derivatives which can distinguish between viral RNA-instructed DNA polymerase and other nucleotide polymerases.

Mechanisms of immune lysis of the red cells in hereditary erythroblastic multinuclearity with a positive acidified serum test and paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria

The red cells of patients with hereditary erythroblastic multinuclearity with a positive acidified serum test (HEMPAS), a form of congenital dyserythropoietic anemia, and the cells of patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) are lysed more readily than normal cells by certain antibodies, notably cold agglutinins (anti-I) and complement. With some but not other examples of anti-I, HEMPAS and PNH cells adsorbed more antibody than normal cells. Equal quantities of adsorbed antibody bound equal quantities of the first component of complement (C1) to normal, PNH, and HEMPAS cells. However, for a given quantity of bound antibody and C1, much more of the fourth component of complement (C4) was bound to HEMPAS cells than to normal cells. This resulted in the binding of proportionately larger quantities of the third component of complement (C3) to these cells. The same amount of bound C3 was found on the membranes of normal and HEMPAS cells for a given degree of lysis. Hence, the marked increase in lysis of HEMPAS cells is due to the increased adsorption of antibody and/or increased binding of C4.PNH cells bound the same amount of C4 per bound C1 as normal cells but bound more C3 than normal cells. However, the mean concentration of C3 on the membrane of PNH cells was one-third to one-fifth that on normal cells for a given degree of lysis. Hence, the increased lysis of PNH cells is due to the increased binding of C3 and increased hemolytic effectiveness of the bound C3.

Admixture studies and the detection of selection

Three methods can be used to search for evidence of natural selection from admixture studies. These include classification of the admixture estimates into two groups; calculation of the rank correlation between estimates from more than one population; and the testing of admixture estimates for homogeneity. The use of these methods is discussed with special reference to black-white admixture in the United States. Using revised estimates of African gene frequencies, derived from a consideration of the geographical origin of the slaves, we calculated admixture estimates and their variances for five U.S. black populations; Claxton (Georgia); Sapelo Island (Georgia); James Island (South Carolina); Charleston (South Carolina); Oakland (California). Two out of the five populations yielded heterogeneous admixture estimates but all other tests were non-significant. The data provide little evidence for the action of selection. The few, inconsistent significant results are more indicative of the action of random drift or biased gene frequency estimates than natural selection, and in general these effects cannot be differentiated. It seems doubtful that admixture studies can ever provide unequivocal evidence for the action of natural selection in human populations. In the search for natural selection, perhaps admixture studies should only be used as a preliminary screening device.

Comparison of task-central and task-peripheral forms of the Canter-BIP in diagnosing brain damage in adults

As a beginning attempt to determine what aspects of the Canter-BIP task account for its sensitivity to cerebral dysfunction, a special form of the technique with background lines peripheral to the drawing area (Task-peripheral) was compared with the usual form (Task-central). The performance of a heterogeneous group of brain-damaged patients was compared with that of a group of non-brain-damaged psychiatric patients, on the two forms. The damaged group made more errors on the Bender-Gestalt and deteriorated more under BIP conditions but not differentially for the two forms. The diagnostic efficacy of the two forms did not differ meaningfully, but results indicated the need to reevaluate diagnostic criteria when applied in new situations.

On reconciling the "multidimensional" and "unitary" concepts of brain damage

One major area of continuing controversy among psychologists attempting to develop useful techniques for diagnosing organicity is that involving the “unitary” and “multidimensional” concepts of brain damage (BD). Some of the sources of this apparent conflict were reviewed in order to clarify the points of contention. A rationale for a conceptual system and a research methodology were developed, in an attempt to reconcile the two notions; these were based on research literature ‘indicating that the specificity of deficits in the performance of BD patients is a function both of the locus, extent, and type of lesion and of the “complexity” of the test task itself. The Canter Background Interference Procedure was suggested as a potentially fruitful instrument with characteristics which hold promise for furthering the reconciliation between the two concepts.

Imagewise deformation and color change of liquid crystals in electric fields

Liquid crystals can be used in deformation imaging. In addition, unique color changes can be produced in suitable cholesteric liquid crystals. This paper describes two processes involving imagewise deformation and color change of liquid crystal films. The first process is due to electrophoretic action in electric fields and the second to uv induced effects. The anomalous optical properties of liquid crystals are discussed in terms of a physical model which also provides a basis for understanding the mechanism responsible for the color change associated with deformations.

Electrophotographic imaging with cholesteric liquid crystals

A new electrophotographic imaging process using mixed cholesteric liquid crystals and a xerographic plate is described. The liquid crystals have a bistable behavior and are switched by the imaging process. For a given angle of illumination and observation, the most strongly reflected wavelength differs by several thousand angstroms in the two states. A shift between these states can be produced by direct mechanical disturbance or by the indirect action of an electric field which causes a migration of material.