Postpartum copulation and induction of pregnancy in roof rats (Rattus rattus)

Two groups of 10 female roof rats were mated either in cycling or postpartum estrus to provide a quantitative comparison of copulatory behavior and to compare the stimulus requirements for the initiation of pregnancy. Animals in both estrous conditions were mated to one ejaculation, three ejaculations and to sexual satiety in repeated tests. The results indicate there were no differences between estrous conditions in the qualitative patterns of copulation but that males achieved more intromissions in the first series of postpartum tests than in cycling estrous tests. The stimulus requirements for pregnancy initiation were not found to vary as a function of estrous condition, however it was found that postpartum matings resulted in more pups per litter than did cycling estrous matings. The results were discussed with regard to the functional significance of species differences in copulatory behavior and in stimulus requirements for pregnancy.     

广州地区围产儿脏器重量及大小测量的研究

目的　探讨广州地区围产儿脏器重量及大小的发育规律 .方法　选择 6 2 5例胎龄准确的单胎 ,除外明显浸软、IUGR、水肿儿、巨大胎、有胸腹水者 ,新生儿除外先天性心脏病及有明显疾病的脏器 .根据胎龄分为 6组 ,分别测量围产儿体重、身长和各脏器重量、长度 .进行统计分析 .结果　胰腺、肺发育最早 ,肾脏与肺发育最快 ,出生后脑增长最少而胰腺增长最快 ,肠变异最大等规律 .结论　围产儿脏器资料用于围产儿病理研究有一定意义     

Cytogenetic analysis of the Asian Plethodontid salamander, Karsenia koreana: Evidence for karyotypic conservation, chromosome repatterning, and genome size evolution

A cytogenetic analysis, including the karyotype, C-bands, silver-stained nucleolus organizer regions and genome size, was performed on the recently discovered species, Karsenia koreana, the first plethodontid salamander from Asia. The karyotype consists of 14 pairs of bi-armed chromosomes, with no evidence of heteromorphic sex chromosomes. C-banding reveals a concentration of heterochromatin at the centromeres as well as at interstitial locations. The smallest chromosome (pair number 14) has symmetrical interstitial C-bands in each arm, resembling chromosome no. 14 of North American species of its sister group taxon, supergenus Hydromantes. Acomparative analysis of C-band heterochromatin and silver-stained nucleolus organizer regions of Karsenia and other plethodontid genera reveals that chromosomal evolution may have featured chromosome 'repatterning' within the context of conserved chromosome number and shape in this clade. Genome size is correlated with geographic distribution in plethodontids and appears to have important phenotypic correlates as well. The genome size of Karsenia is relatively large, and resembles that of the geographically closest plethodontids from western North America, especially species of the genus Hydromantes. The biological significance of these cytogenetic characteristics of plethodontid salamanders is discussed within an evolutionary context.     

渗透压、细胞容积与鼻咽癌细胞增殖

目的:研究渗透压、细胞容积与鼻咽癌细胞增殖的关系。方法:用MTT法检测在不同渗透压培养条件下低分化鼻咽癌细胞(CNE－2Z)的增殖能力,流式细胞仪测定细胞周期分布,活细胞图像分析测量细胞容积,台盼蓝拒染法检测细胞存活率。结果:高渗(370、440mOsmol/L)培养增大细胞容积和促进细胞增殖,细胞容积分别增大8.7%、27.8%,增殖率分别提高22.2%和33.9%;而低渗(160、230mOsmol/L)培养减小细胞容积和抑制增殖,细胞容积分别减小12.8%和4.1%,增殖率分别降低34.0%和15.6%;细胞容积与细胞增殖率呈正相关。非等渗长期培养条件下,细胞周期各时相分布没有显著差异。低渗培养降低细胞生存率。结论:胞外渗透压、细胞容积与鼻咽癌细胞增殖密切相关,低渗培养可能通过减小细胞容积、促进细胞死亡而抑制细胞增殖。     

样本量对等位基因检出数量的影响

以中国37个不同民族9个常染色体STR基因座的群体遗传研究数据资料为例，探讨群体遗传学研究中常染色体STR基因座等位基因检出数量与样本量之间的关系，即样本量对等住基因检出数量的影响。结果显示在一定范围之内，样本量的大小与所观测到的不同基因座等位基因检出数量之间存在正相关关系。当超过一定范围时，样本量的继续增加不再明显影响等位基因的检出数量。杂合度较低的位点随样本量的变化波动较大，杂合度较高的位点随样本量的变化波动较小。     

Rare-male mating advantage: An artifact caused by differential storage conditions?

Virgin males (or females) of some species ofDrosophila, when stored singly, are known to be superior in mating to males (or females) stored in groups. This may create a spurious rare-male effect on some occasions. When no account is taken of this storage effect in an experimental setup designed to show rare-male mating advantage, bias in favor of a raremale effect may result. It is shown that merely by storing the rare males singly and the common males in groups, with males not differing in any other respect, a very strong spurious rare-male effect can be produced. Similarly, it is shown that a spurious rare-female effect is possible too. It is proposed that the very strong rare-male effect for pepperment scent as found by Dal Molin [(1979).Am. Nat. 113:951–954] is merely a result of such a bias. The relevance for natural populations of the mating advantage associated with the single housing condition is discussed. In the experiments designed to show a spurious rare-male effect, mating chambers of two different sizes were used. It is shown that sexual selection is more severe in the small chambers, for both males and females.     

Ventral specification and perturbed boundary formation in the mouse midbrain in the absence of Hedgehog signaling.

Although Hedgehog (HH) signaling plays a critical role in patterning the ventral midbrain, its role in early midbrain specification is not known. We examined the midbrains of sonic hedgehog (Shh) and smoothened (Smo) mutant mice where HH signaling is respectively attenuated and eliminated. We show that some ventral (Evx1+) cell fates are specified in the Shh-/- mouse in a Ptc1- and Gli1-independent manner. HH-independent ventral midbrain induction was further confirmed by the presence of a Pax7-negative ventral midbrain territory in both Shh-/- and Smo-/- mice at and before embryonic day (E) 8.5. Midbrain signaling centers are severely disrupted in the Shh-/- mutant. Interestingly, dorsal markers are up-regulated (Wnt1, Gdf7, Pax7), down-regulated (Lfng), or otherwise altered (Zic1) in the Shh-/- midbrain. Together with the increased cell death seen specifically in Shh-/- dorsal midbrains (E8.5-E9), our results suggest specific regulation of dorsal patterning by SHH, rather than a simple deregulation due to its absence.     

Neurobehavioral phenotype in carriers of the fragile X premutation

There have been contradictory findings in the fragile X (fraX) literature about possible neurocognitive and psychological symptoms due to the fraX premutation (pM). The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationship between CGG repeat length and neurobehavioral functioning in carriers of the fraX pM. Eighty‐five female carriers of the pM with allele sizes ranging from 59–166 were administered a comprehensive IQ test (WAIS‐III) and completed a questionnaire designed to measure psychopathology (Symptom Checklist (SCL)‐90‐R). No relationship between allele size and cognition was identified. A significant negative relationship between allele size and age was found, as well as a positive relationship between allele size and depression. Follow‐up analyses separating small and large allele sizes (below and above 100 CGG repeats) indicated that individuals with larger allele sizes scored significantly higher on the Interpersonal Sensitivity and Depression subscales of the SCL‐90‐R. Despite the limitation of few individuals with high CGG repeat lengths, our findings suggest that females with larger premutated alleles (≥ 100 repeats) display some clinical manifestations of fraX syndrome. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Histomorphometry of bone marrow biopsies in primary osteomyelofibrosis/-sclerosis (agnogenic myeloid metaplasia) - correlations between clinical and morphological features

Summary Histomorphometry was performed on representative trephine biopsies of the bone marrow on admission of 50 patients (21 male, 29 female-age 67 years) with so-called primary osteomyelofibrosis/-sclerosis (OMF) not preceded by any other subtype of chronic myeloproliferative disorders. This study was firstly aimed at testing correlations between histological features (amount of haematopoiesis, cytological aspects of mega-karyocytes, density of reticulin and collagen fibres and degree of osteosclerosis) and laboratory data, as well as spleen size and duration of relevant prediagnostic symptoms. Secondly, we concentrated on a discrimination of OMF patients into two sub-groups according to bone marrow morphology and clinical variables. Statistical evaluation of histomorphometric variables and haematological findings disclosed that there was a progressive fibro-osteosclerotic process in the evolution of disease features. Increase in medullary fibrosis was significantly paralleled by an abnormal or pleomorphic megakaryopoiesis in the bone marrow: there was an increase in irregularity of perimeters for megakaryocytes and naked nuclei combined with smaller sizes of these elements including the nuclei. Additionally, there was a greater number of pycnotic bare nuclei. A number of morphometric features (density of fibres, degree of osteosclerosis, amount of haematopoiesis) were associated with corresponding clinical data (spleen size, length of preclinical history). By consideration of a set of basic histomorphometric variables our co-hort of 50 patients could be divided into an early hyperplastic subtype with no or minimal medullary reticulin and another group with conspicuous fibrotic and osteosclerotic alterations of the bone marrow. It was noticeable that we found no significant correlation between amount of haematopoiesis or marrow cellularity with splenomegaly. This result suggests that splenic haematopoiesis (myeloid metaplasia) may represent an autonomous or neoplastic process and not only compensation for a failing fibro-osteosclerotic bone marrow.Supported by a grant from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG-Th 390/1-1)     

Diagnosis of squamous-cell carcinoma of the lung by sputum cytology: with special reference to correlation of diagnostic accuracy with size and proximal extent of resected tumor

Sputum cytology was performed in 179 cases of squamous-cell carcinoma of the lung; 134 cases were diagnosed as positive. There were no significant differences in diagnostic accuracy of sputum cytology between tumors sizes. In cases with tumors extending proximally into the main, lobar, or segmental bronchi, the diagnostic accuracy of sputum cytology was significantly higher than in cases where the proximal invasion of tumor was limited to the peripheral bronchi. In cases with tumors 3 cm or less in diameter, when tumors extended proximally into main, lobar, or segmental bronchi, the diagnostic accuracy of sputum cytology was significantly higher than in cases with tumors extending proximally into subsegmental or subsubsegmental bronchi. In peripherally located squamous-cell carcinoma, in cases in which the tumor arose in subsegmental or subsubsegmental bronchi, carcinoma could be detected by sputum cytology even when it was roentgenographically occult.