A nuclear mutant of Chlamydomonas that exhibits increased sensitivity to UV irradiation, reduced recombination of nuclear genes, and altered transmission of chloroplast genes

Meiotic progeny of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii normally receive chloroplast genomes only from the mt+ parent. However, exceptional zygotes, which transmit the chloroplast genomes of both parents or, more rarely, only those of the mt- parent, arise at a low frequency. Mutations at the mt(+)-linked mat-3 locus were found previously to elevate the transmission of chloroplast genomes from the mt- parent, resulting in a much higher than normal frequency of exceptional zygotes. In this paper we demonstrate that an ultraviolet-sensitive nuclear mutation mapping at the uvsE1 locus, which is unlinked to mating type, also promotes chloroplast genome transmission from the mt- parent. This mutant, which was previously shown to reduce recombination of nuclear genes in meiosis, acts synergistically with the mat-3-3 mutation to produce an extremely high frequency of exceptional zygotes. Through the use of restriction fragment length polymorphisms existing in the chloroplast genomes of C. reinhardtii and the interfertile strain C. smithii, we show that chloroplast DNA fragments from the mt- parent normally begin to disappear shortly after zygote formation. However, this process appears to be blocked totally in the absence of wild-type uvsE1 and mat-3 gene products. Our findings are consistent with the hypothesis that both gene products contribute to the mechanism responsible for uniparental inheritance of the chloroplast genome from the mt+ parent.     

Ultrastructural Pathology of Murine Cytomegalovirus Infection in Cultured Mouse Nervous System Tissue

Mouse spinal cord-ganglia cultures were innoculated with murine cytomegalo-virus 14 days after explantation. Intranuclear virus was first observed 4 days after infection. The viruses, which occurred in four forms, were observed in increasing numbers during the ensuing 4 days. Differences were noted in the relative prevalence of certain of these forms in older as compared to younger cultures. This suggests that variations in virus form are related to virus maturation. Cytoplasmic viruses were occasionally observed, but their site of origin is not certain. A variety of cytoplasmic inclusions were seen, particularly in the older cultures. It seems likely that they represent specific cell responses to the presence of the virus. They were not observed in the control cultures, even though some of the latter did show severe degenerative changes.     

Chaetogaster limnaei (Annelida: Oligochaeta) as a parasite of the zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha,and the quagga mussel Dreissena bugensis (Mollusca: Bivalvia)

Dreissenid mussels, Dreissena polymorpha and D. bugensis, were found to be infected by the naidid oligochaete Chaetogaster limnaei at four sites in the St. Lawrence River. This is the first report of this species infecting dreissenids anywhere in the world. Most worms inhabited the mantle cavity, where they caused erosion of the mantle and gill epithelia as determined by histopathological examination. Others penetrated various tissues; one had invaded the ovary and was feeding on oocytes and ovarian tissues. Of 606 mussels examined, 166 (27.4%) harbored at least 1 C. limnaei. The prevalence varied between 1% and 80%, depending on the collection site and date. The worms were slightly but significantly more prevalent in D. bugensis than in D. polymorpha. The intensity ranged from 1 to 18 worms per infected host. Variations in prevalence and intensity were not related to the size or sex of the host, but the data did suggest some seasonality.     

Relationship between premenstrual symptoms and general well-being

Data on the general well-being and premenstrual symptoms of military wives were collected on two occasions one year apart. The women's general well-being and premenstrual symptoms were highly correlated on both occasions, but an even higher correlation was found between the presence of premenstrual symptoms at time 1 and the presence of premenstrual symptoms at time 2. Further analyses revealed that women with higher scores on general well-being and premenstrual symptoms were older and reported fewer cognitive depressive symptoms than women with lower scores on general well-being and premenstrual symptoms. At the one-year follow-up, the women with lower scores on general well-being who complained of premenstrual symptoms were more depressed than those who did not.     

Safety and efficacy of a monomeric, functionally intact intravenous IgG preparation in patients with primary immunodeficiency syndromes

Results of an open, phase II clinical trial on therapy with an iv IgG preparation in patients with primary antibody-deficiency syndromes are reported. Three hundred infusions of the product, an intact monomeric IgG preparation, were given to 16 patients for an average of 14 (+/- 0.7) months, the dose being 220 (+/- 26.9) mg/kg/month. Only two minor adverse reactions occurred. This preparation did not produce transient leukopenia on infusion. Preinfusion serum IgG levels increased continuously in the course of treatment (average values: 325 +/- 51 at the beginning of therapy, 438 +/- 59 at 6 months, 568 +/- 75 at 12 months, 631 +/- 52 at the end of treatment). The infusions were well accepted and well tolerated by the patients, and the clinical efficacy was highly superior to intramuscular immunoglobulin.     

Diffuse optical tomography of breast cancer during neoadjuvant chemotherapy: a case study with comparison to MRI

We employ diffuse optical tomography (DOT) to track treatment progress in a female subject presenting with locally advanced invasive carcinoma of the breast during neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Three-dimensional images of total hemoglobin concentration and scattering identified the tumor. Our measurements reveal tumor shrinkage during the course of chemotherapy, in reasonable agreement with magnetic resonance images of the same subject. A decrease in total hemoglobin concentration contrast between tumor and normal tissue was also observed over time. The results demonstrate the potential of DOT for measuring physiological parameters of breast lesions during chemotherapy.     

Systemic activity of ivermectin on the human body louse (Anoplura: Pediculidae)

Eighty-one to 100% of nymphs and females of the human body louse (Pediculus humanus humanus) that fed artificially on blood containing 2.5-10 ng ivermectin/ml died. The mortality of nymphs and female lice fed on rabbits treated with 200 micrograms/kg ivermectin was very high during the first two to three days, then declined sharply, reaching the level of the controls on day six. Nymphs were more sensitive than females. The average number of eggs laid by surviving females and the percentage that hatched from those eggs were lower than in controls.