Level of functioning of siblings and parents of probands of varying degrees of retardation

A further analysis of already published data supports the position that retardates of low ability level less frequently have retarded siblings, retarded parents, and parents low in occupational level than do retardates higher in ability level. The analysis supports the position that there are two types of retarded individuals, persons retarded as a result of gene or chromosomal anomalies, brain injury, etc., who more frequently occur in the lower-level retardate group, and persons whose retardation represents polygenic segregation, who more frequently occur in the higher-level group.     

Recovery of responsiveness of cells of lateral geniculate nucleus of rat

1. Recovery of responsiveness of single cells in lateral geniculate nucleus of rat has been determined in both P and I cells. There are three types of recovery curve among P cells; (a) early recovery, (b) early partial recovery followed by depression and then complete recovery, (c) prolonged depression followed by cyclic recovery. Type (c) is by far the commonest recovery curve. In contrast to the spike in a P cell, the synaptic potential recovers to its full amplitude in about 20 msec. All I cells exhibit similar rapid recovery curves after a prolonged depression.2. Conditioning stimuli applied to visual cortex also produce a prolonged depression in most P cells but I cells can be re-excited at short intervals from cortex. Decortication does not prevent the prolonged depression of the multineuronal response produced by optic nerve stimulation.3. A neuronal model is proposed to explain these observations. It is supposed that I cells (interneurones) are innervated by axon collaterals of the P cells (principal cells, projecting to visual cortex) and that the I cells exert an inhibitory influence on the P cells.     

Modes of Inheritance of Errors of Refraction

Eighteen families in which both parents had refractions within the range of +4·0 D to −4·0 D and axial lengths seen in emmetropia (22·3-26·0 mm) showed coefficients of correlation of the order 0·5 indicative of polygenic inheritance. Such coefficients were seen for axial length (0·407) and for the cornea (0·487), but not for the lens (which is known to be yoked to the axial length). No such coefficients were seen in 19 families in which one of the parents had axial length outside the emmetropic range (nine families with long axes and 10 with short axes).

The pattern of polygenic inheritance for emmetropia (completely correlated optical components) and errors of refraction up to 4·0 D (inadequately correlated components: correlation ametropia) follows that seen in stature and other measurable characters. In contrast the high refractive errors with their abnormal axial lengths (component ametropia) are—like the extremes in stature—pathological anomalies with monofactorial inheritance.

     

Evaluation of antibacterial activity of extracts of five species of wood-colonizing fungi

Screening new organisms for antibacterial activity and searching for new antibacterial drugs is important due to the constant generation of new antibiotic-resistant strains of pathogenic bacteria. An E. coli broth microdilution test was used to evaluate the results of the Vibrio fischeri bioluminescence test in five of the most antibacterially active species of wood-colonizing fungi. Serpula lacrymans was found to be a potential source of thermostable antibiotic(s) and the Vibrio fischeri bioluminescence test was confirmed to be a useful method for screening for antibacterial activity.