Essential oil composition and antimicrobial activity of wild and cultivated mint timija (Mentha suaveolens subsp. timija (Briq.) Harley), an endemic and threatened medicinal species in Morocco

The hydro-distilled essential oils obtained from aerial parts of the wild (w) and cultivated (c) mint timija (Mentha suaveolens subsp. timija), an endemic medicinal species of Morocco, have been analyzed by GC-MS and screened for antimicrobial activity. In total, 35 compounds representing more than 98% of the oils were identified. Menthone (39.4(w)-10.8(c)%), pulegone (62.3(c)-34.3(w)%) and isomenthone (9.3(c)-7.8(w)%) were found as the main components for the two oils. The volatiles of the wild and cultivated material differed significantly in both the percentage of the main components and antimicrobial effect. Pulegone was more dominant in cultivated mint timija (62.3%) than in wild one (34.3%), while menthone was more abundant in the wild material (39.4%). In the antimicrobial assays, both oils displayed good to excellent activity against all microorganisms tested with the oil of the cultivated form being more active.

Drug-related death following release from prison: a brief review of the literature with recommendations for practice

Mortality from drug-related death is a significant contributor to the loss of life of young people in the UK. Despite attention, the high death rate from this cause continues to persist. One of the most frequently cited factors involved in drug-related death (DRD) is release from prison. This review aims to examine the published literature with a view to quantifying the risk associated with recent prison release and identifying risk factors and prevention strategies. Most deaths following release from prison are caused by overdose, usually from opioid use. The risk of death is greatest within the first week of release but, when compared with the general population, continues to be elevated for several weeks. Relative risk estimates suggest that those released from prison are up to 40 times more likely to die than similar individuals from the general population. Other than gender and an association with poor mental health, there is little in the way of robust risk factors for post-release death that could be identified from the literature. In-prison pharmacological maintenance treatment with methadone and buprenorphine has been shown to reduce the rate of heroin use, in the period immediately following release, in a small number of randomised controlled trials. It is widely recognised that continuity of care, of any form, is critical in avoiding DRDs. For problem drug users, packages of education, including information on the associated risks, treatments, and recognition of DRD after release from prison, are seen as a basic minimum requirement of the prison services. However, special protocols may be required for those drug-using prisoners who have a possibility of being released at short notice.

Screening of some Australian Flacourtiaceae species for in vitro antioxidant, cytotoxic and antimicrobial activity

A total of 27 methanol extracts obtained from different plant parts of 10 species of rain forest trees belonging to four genera of the Flacourtiaceae and originating from Australia were investigated. In vitro cytotoxicity was measured by an ATP Lite-M assay method against the mouse P388 lymphocytic leukemia cell line. The total antioxidant activity has been assessed based on scavenging activity of stable ABTS free radicals. The minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) was determined by the dilution method performed in 96 well plates against four different microbes. The leaf extract of Casearia sp. (RB 3051), mature stem extract of Casearia grayi and stem extract of Scolopia braunii were found to have most antioxidant activity (IC50 = 2.9 microg/ml), cytotoxic activity (LC50 = 0.89 microg/ml) and antimicrobial activity against all four different microbes, respectively. The results obtained suggested that among the four genera studied Casearia is the most promising in respect of finding significant antioxidant, cytotoxic and also antimicrobial activity.

Genetic control of monoterpene composition in the essential oil of Melaleuca alternifolia (Cheel)

Previous studies into the population structure of Melaleuca alternifolia by both isozyme and microsatellite analysis revealed little evidence for genetic structuring within genetic provenances. In contrast, analysis of the oil composition within these same regions showed distinct clustering of chemotypes within the provenances suggesting either that chemotype was not under genetic control, or that there is strong environmental selection for plant chemotypes. To investigate the level of genetic control of monoterpene composition in the essential oil of M. alternifolia, individuals representing the three extreme chemotypes of high terpinen-4-ol, high 1,8-cineole and high terpinolene were crossed with an individual with the commercially desirable high terpinen-4-ol oil profile. The progeny resulting from these crosses displayed oil profiles that were intermediate to that of the parent. Further analysis of the survey of oil chemotypes within the natural population also suggests that these intermediate chemotypes may arise naturally between regions containing high proportions of the extreme chemotypes. These results imply that there is a level of genetic structure for chemotype determination within the genetic provenance that is undetected by isozyme and microsatellite analysis. This information could play a vital role in the selection of appropriate genetic material to be used in future essential oil selection and breeding programs.

Quality management and the Emergency Services Enhancement Program

Since the introduction of the Emergency Services Enhancement Program (ESEP) in Victoria in 1995, improvements have been demonstrated in the indicators relating to Emergency waiting times, ambulance bypass rates and inpatient bed access block. This study focuses on staff perceptions of changes in these indicators, factors perceived to influence performance improvements and the extent to which ESEP is perceived to have contributed to overall patient care. A questionnaire was directed at four focus groups within each of the hospitals participating in ESEP. These were Chief Executive Officers, Emergency Department Directors and Nurse Unit Managers, bed coordinators and personnel from the Emergency Department floor. A total of 101 staff responded. Emergency Department staff were generally accurate in their perceptions of performance changes. The most important factors effecting the changes were perceived to be changes in staff profile, management of patient flow through the department, changes in administrative policies and changes in work practices. Staff perceived that patient care has improved by 10% since 1995 and that ESEP has contributed 8% of this improvement. Staff have perceived improvements in ESEP performance indicators consistent with actual changes. The possible mechanisms by which these changes have occurred are presented and discussed. Factor analysis indicated that changes perceived to be most likely to result in improvements were: changes in staff profile (seniority), managing the flow of patients through emergency departments, changing administrative policies, changes in work practices and changes in staff numbers. Improvements in patient care were considered partly due to ESEP. In addition, ESEP has raised awareness of quality management issues.

Randomized double-blind study of the clinical duration and efficacy of Nesacaine-MPF 2% and 3% in peribulbar anesthesia

PURPOSE

To compare 2 commercially available concentrations of Nesacaine-MPF (2-chloroprocaine) to determine the time to onset of adequate motor blockade, the quality of surgical anesthesia, and the duration of motor blockade in the extraocular muscles after peribulbar anesthesia for cataract surgery.

SETTING

Tampa Eye and Specialty Surgery Center, Tampa, Florida, USA.

METHODS

This double-blind, randomized, single-center study comprised 40 patients scheduled to receive peribulbar anesthesia before cataract surgery. Patients were given 5 mL of Nesacaine-MPF 2% or 3% before surgery. Beginning at the end of the injection, assessments of ocular and eyelid movement were made every 2 minutes until adequate motor blockade was achieved or 25 minutes elapsed. Ocular assessments were made immediately after completion of surgery, 60 minutes after the end of the initial injection, and at 15 minute intervals thereafter until full recovery. Assessments of the quality of anesthesia achieved by the patient during surgery were made by the surgeon.

RESULTS

The 3% solution provided significantly faster onset of surgical anesthesia than the 2% solution (mean 3.9 minutes +/- 2.2 [SD] versus 6.0 +/- 3.6 minutes) (P = .02) but also required more time for recovery from anesthesia (98.9 +/- 18.7 minutes versus 84.8 +/- 20.6 minutes) (P = .02). All patients had adequate surgical anesthesia. Duration of ocular motor function was brief enough so that all patients could be sent home without an eye patch. Both concentrations were safe for use in this procedure.

CONCLUSION

Both Nesacaine-MPF 2% and 3% produced safe and effective peribulbar anesthesia in all patients; however, the 3% solution provided better duration of clinical anesthesia.

Cloning and sequencing of four structural genes for the Na(+)-translocating NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase of Vibrio alginolyticus

Oligonucleotide probes based on the N-terminal amino acid sequences of the NqrA and NqrC subunits were used to clone genes for the Na(+)-dependent NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase complex from Vibrio alginolyticus. Four consecutive ORFs were identified encoding subunit proteins of 48.6, 46.8, 27.7 and 22.6 kDa, respectively (NqrA-D). A further ORF, showing 71% homology to the BolA protein of Escherichia coli, was located upstream. From sequence comparisons, we conclude that the Na(+)-dependent NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase complex of V. alginolyticus is clearly distinct from the corresponding H(+)-dependent enzymes of both prokaryotes and eukaryotes.

Evolutionary change in neural development within the arthropods: axonogenesis in the embryos of two crustaceans

It has been previously suggested that there is a conservative program for neural development amongst the arthropods, on the basis that a stereotyped set of cells involved in establishing the axon tracts in the CNS of insect embryos is also present in crayfish embryos. We have examined the spatiotemporal pattern of axon growth from a set of early differentiating central neurons in the embryo of two crustaceans, the woodlouse Porcellio scaber and the freshwater crayfish Cherax destructor, and drawn comparisons with insect neurons whose somata lie in corresponding positions within the CNS. While many of the woodlouse and crayfish neurons show a similar pattern of axon growth to their insect counterparts, the axon trajectories taken by others differ from those seen in insects. We conclude that this aspect of early neural development has not been rigidly conserved during the evolution of the crustaceans and insects. However, the extent of similarity between the insects and the crustaceans is consistent with the idea that these groups of arthropods share a common evolutionary ‘Bauplan’ for the construction of their nervous systems. While the pattern of early axon growth in the woodlouse and crayfish embryos is sufficiently similar that many neurons could be confidently recognised as homologues, several differences were noted in both the relative order of axon outgrowth and axon morphologies of individual neurons.

Recommended terminology for researchers in locomotion and biomechanics of quadrupedal animals

This paper summarizes recommendations for terminology to be used in the description of quadrupedal locomotion and selected aspects of biomechanics. Directional terms and planes of the body (anatomical position, spatial reference systems), joint angulation, conformation, general locomotion terminology, phases of the stride and limb cycle (e.g. step, cadence) and terminology for the description of jumping are described.

Applications of chemical-shift-selective NMR microscopy to the non-invasive histochemistry of plant materials

Chemical-shift-selective imaging at microscopic resolution has been applied to the study of various plant materials including orange peel, grape berries and both dried and undried fruits of fennel. It is shown that selective imaging of aromatics and carbohydrates as well as water and oil can be performed with in-plane resolution down to 13 microns and slice thicknesses of 1 mm or less, at a field strength of 4.7 Tesla. The noninvasive nature of the method gives it advantages over established methods of plant histochemistry which involve sectioning and staining to reveal different chemical constituents.

Action of a transposable element in coding sequence fusions

The original Casadaban technique for isolating fused cistrons encoding hybrid beta-galactosidase proteins used a Mucts62 prophage to align the upstream coding sequence and lacZ prior to selection. Kinetic analysis of araB-lacZ fusion colony emergence indicated that the required DNA rearrangements were regulated and responsive to conditions on selection plates. This has been cited as an example of "directed mutation." Here we show genetically that the MuA and integration host factor (IHF) transposition functions are involved in the formation of hybrid araB-lacZ cistrons and propose a molecular model for how fusions can form from the initial strand-transfer complex. These results confirm earlier indications of direct Mu involvement in the fusion process. The proposed model explains how rearranged Mu sequences come to be found as interdomain linkers in certain hybrid cistrons and indicates that the fusion process involves a spatially and temporally coordinated sequence of biochemical reactions.

Genome interactions which influence DNA palindrome mediated instability and inviability in Escherichia coli

The interaction of three factors determine the detrimental effect of a palindromic DNA sequence in Escherichia coli cells. The first is the nature of the palindrome (its length, extent of central asymmetry and perhaps its base sequence), the second is the genotype of the host cell and the third is the replicon within which it is located. In this paper we extend the genetic and physical characterization of lambda bacteriophages carrying a palindrome of approximately 560 base pairs. We also show that a palindrome of approximately 110 base pairs which can be cloned in a plasmid cannot be cloned in a phage M13 derivative. These observations are relevant to the choice of vectors used in the cloning of eukaryotic DNA containing palindromic sequences.

Relationships between stride length, stride frequency, velocity, and morphometrics of foals

Velocity-dependent changes in stride length and frequency were studied in 19 male foals, 6 to 8 months of age, and were related to body morphometrics. Eighteen distance and 8 angle measurements were digitized from 16-mm films of standing foals. The total mass and the percentage of total mass acting through the forelimbs were also recorded. Stride length and frequency data were extracted from 16-mm films of 239 strides of the walk, trot, and canter-gallop. Polynomial-regression analysis was used to determine the equation that best described the relationship between data of stride length or frequency vs velocity and stride length vs stride frequency for each foal, for the total population, and for the walk, trot, and canter-gallop data from the total population. Stepwise-regression analysis was done of stride length, or slope of the stride length-velocity line (frequency-1) vs distance, angle, and mass measurements. The stride length for each foal was calculated for a stride frequency of 2 strides/s. The maximum recorded velocity was 11.45 m/s. There was overlap in the velocity ranges at which gaits were used: the walk or trot were used at velocities between 1.7 to 2.0 m/s and a trot or canter were used over a wider velocity range of 3.2 to 5.8 m/s. Stride length did not exceed 4.72 m. The mean stride length at a frequency of 2 strides/s was 2.57 m and was significantly (P less than 0.05) correlated to total mass (r = 0.6335) and length of the metacarpus (r = -0.5115), but not to wither height.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

In vivo loss of supercoiled DNA carrying a palindromic sequence

Interest in the fate of long palindromic DNA sequences in E. coli has been kindled by the observation that their inviability is overcome in recBC sbcB strains and that these hosts permit the construction of DNA libraries containing long palindromic sequences present in the human genome. In this paper we show that a reduction in the level of intracellular supercoiled DNA occurs as the result of the presence of a 530 bp palindrome in bacteriophage lambda. This reduction occurs in Rec+ and recA strains but not in strains lacking exonucleases V and I (recBC sbcB). However, the DNA must be active (not repressed) for this reduction to be observed, since it is not seen in a Rec+ host lysogenic for phage lambda. These results argue against two hypotheses: firstly, that the palindrome causes inviability solely by interfering with packaging, and secondly, that it does so solely by interfering with recombination. Conversely, these results suggest that a feature of active monomeric DNA (probably its replication) is involved in inviability.

The interaction of cos with Chi is separable from DNA packaging in recA-recBC-mediated recombination of bacteriophage lambda

Chi (5'-GCTGGTGG) is a recombinator in RecA-RecBC-mediated recombination in Escherichia coli. In bacteriophage lambda vegetative recombination, Chi is fully active only when it is correctly oriented with respect to cos, the site that defines the ends of the packaged chromosome. Here we demonstrate that packaging from cos is not necessary for this cos-Chi interaction. Our evidence suggests that correctly oriented cos is an activator of Chi. cos, as an activator, is (1) dominant over cos-, (2) active opposite an extensive heterology, (3) able to interact with Chi only when on the same (cis) chromosome, and (4) able to interact with Chi at distances as far as greater than or equal to 20 kb. Thus, cos and Chi form a two-component recombinator system for general recombination. cos may serve as an asymmetric entry site for a recombination enzyme that recognizes Chi in an asymmetric way.

Annular gap junctions of the equine hoof wall

Incidental to studies of keratinization of the equine hoof wall, annular gap junctions were found in the stratum spinosum of the intertubular horn of the stratum medium. Adjacent cells of the stratum spinosum showed extensive gap junctions, and often local invaginations of one cell into another were bound by gap junctions. It is proposed that these invaginations become detached from the cell surface to form the annular gap junctions. Formation of annular gap junctions may be a means of disposing of plasma membrane in response to changes in cell volume or shape occurring in keratinization. Interiorization of gap junctions may also facilitate cell movement, and perhaps may act to reorganize desmosome-tonofibril arrangements by budding off appropriate interdesmosomal areas, thus drawing the desmosomes closer to one another.

Vitamin E retards the lipoperoxidation resulting from anticancer drug administration

The administration of either 5-fluorouracil, methotrexate, cyclophosphamide or vincristine to rats produced an increase in liver and plasma, but not brain, lipoperoxide levels. There was no significant difference between the glutathione peroxidase activity in the liver and the brain tissue of cytotoxic drug-treated and control rats. Glutathione peroxidase activity was significantly lower in the erythrocytes of 5-fluorouracil-and methotrexate-treated rats than in control animals. The erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase levels of vincristine- and cisplatin-treated rats did not differ significantly from the control levels. Rats which received vitamin E supplementation concomitantly with 5-fluorouracil treatment had liver and plasma lipoperoxide levels which were significantly lower than those which had received only the anticancer drug. The tissue lipoperoxide levels in the vitamin E supplemented, 5-fluorouracil-treated rats were comparable with those of arachis oil-treated controls.

The anatomy of the carpal tendon sheath of the horse

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Comparative kinematic analysis of bipedal and quadrupedal locomotion: a cyclographic technique

This paper shows the convention for, and applicability of, a new computer-aided cyclographic technique for kinematic analysis of locomotion in quadrupeds. Comparison is made of the walking, trotting and galloping patterns of a reference quadruped, Canis familiaris. The method is effective where an investigator required an accurate evaluation of limb movement in the cranio-caudal plane.

The isolation and characterisation of a plaque-forming derivative of bacteriophage Mu carrying a fragment of Tn3 conferring ampicillin resistance

We have isolated a plaque-forming derivative of phage Mu which carries a determinant for ApR. The biological properties of this MuAp phage are similar to those of normal Mu. Its genome contains a 1.1 kb substitution where Mu DNA from the right end of the G region has been replaced by a similar length of DNA from the transposon Tn3. This fragment of Tn3 DNA carries the ApR gene, but is no longer capable of independent transposition.

The descriptive and comparative postcranial osteology of marten (Martes americana Turton) and fisher (Martes pennanti Erxleben): the appendicular skeleton

The morphological characteristics of the appendicular skeleton of 26 adult fisher and 55 adult marten were studied to determine those characteristics that could be used to distinguish between species and sexes. Measurements and illustrations were used to supplement the descriptions of most bones. The appendicular skeletons of marten and fisher are similar in structure but it is possible to distinguish between the skeletal elements of these mustelids using morphometric data. Distinction can also be made between certain postcranial skeletal remains of males and females within each species using bone measurements.

The forelimb musculature of marten (Martes americana Turton) and fishes (Martes pennanti Erxleben)

Extrinsic and intrinsic muscles of the forelimbs of 25 adult fisher and 25 adult marten were described and compared and the importance of these muscles in arboreal locomotion was discussed. The forelimb myology of these two mustelids is structurally similar. The muscles of the forelimb synsarcosis and the muscles that flex the shoulder and elbow joints are particularly well developed. The existence of a strongly developed forelimb musculature needed for cursorial locomotion in marten and fisher apparently potentiates a secondary function in arboreal locomotion.

The morphology of the femur in marten and fisher

The morphological characteristics of the femora of 377 fisher and 142 marten were studied to determine those characteristics which could be used to distinguish between species and between sexes. Measurements and illustrations were used to supplement the descriptions of these bones. The femora of marten and fisher are similar in structure but it is possible to distinguish between these bones using morphometric data. Distinction can also be made between femora of male and female marten using bone measurements. The robustness of these femora was also examined. The femora of female marten were more robust than those of male marten, while those of male and female fisher were similar in robustness.

Fusion of the distal femoral epiphysis in male and female marten and fisher

The distal femoral epiphyses of 142 marten (Martes americana) and 391 fisher (Martes pennanti), all trapped from November to February in the Algonquin region of Ontario, were radiographed to determine their state of fusion and the presence or absence of scar lines. These criteria indicated that on the average fusion occurred first in female marten, then in male marten, female fisher, and finally in male fisher. Thus the time of fusion in these mustelids was a function of size and possibly also of sex. Radiography of the femur of winter-trapped marten and fisher is not a good method of aging these species because the degree of fusion does not necessarily differentiate juveniles from adults.