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Measurement of insect immune effector system function aimed at identifying costs has largely been stimulated by the ideas of Hamilton & Zuk (1982), who proposed that choosy females may derive some genetic benefit from selecting parasite-resistant males. Field studies of such systems assume that most variation in measured immune traits is affected strongly by genes and pay little attention subsequently to the role of nutritional status in determining the magnitude of assayed immune effector systems. In this paper the effects of nutrient deprivation on immune function are measured in the mealworm beetle (Tenebrio molitor L.) reared in otherwise ideal conditions. The results suggest that immune effector system function is down-regulated during short-term nutritional deprivation, but is rapidly up-regulated to pre-deprivation levels after animals are allowed access to food. This rapid modulation of immune function in the context of nutritional status has important implications for measuring immune function in the field, as well as the interpretation of those measures.

Objective Animal work suggests that maternal oxytocin secretion is influenced by the secretion of endogenous opioids in pregnancy. Spontaneous labour and pre-labour uterine activity follow a 24-hour rhythm the origin of which has not been explained but may be related to diurnal changes in oxytocin secretion. This study was performed to document the changes over a 24-hour period in maternal oxytocin and beta-endorphin secretion. Design A 4-hourly blood profile was undertaken for a 24-hour period. Patients Sixteen women with singleton pregnancies of more than 36 weeks gestation and 10 women with pregnancies in the mid trimester were studied. Measurements Blood was sampled 4-hourly for 24 hours beginning at 1200 h. Oxytocin was measured in all patients and beta-endorphin-like immunoreactivity was measured in 15 patients. Results A simple index was defined for comparing night-time levels to daytime levels for both oxytocin and beta-endorphin. In all cases more than 36 weeks gestation the index was positive for oxytocin (night-time levels were higher) and in all cases the index was negative for beta-endorphin (night-time levels were lower). In the mid trimester women all values of the index for oxytocin were positive but in the beta-endorphin group equal numbers demonstrated a positive or a negative index. Conclusions Reciprocal 24-hour rhythms were demonstrated between oxytocin and beta-endorphin; however, it is not clear whether this relationship is causal.

Amy D'Andrea and Jessica Sjogren 464 pages, paperback, £41.99. Wiley-Blackwell. 2013. ISBN 978 0 8138 1621 0 ![Graphic][1] THIS is a comprehensive reference guide aimed at the more experienced reader. The authors have spent some 15 years compiling the data and presenting it in an easy-to-reference format. In over 400 pages, the authors cover a wide range of subjects from preventive health care, nutrition, reproduction and anatomy to emergency and critical care; there's even a small chapter on holistic medicine. There is very little narrative text, with most of the … [1]: /embed/inline-graphic-1.gif

1 The effects of two doses of delta 9THC (2.5 and 10 mg), delivered by paced smoking of herbal cigarettes, on CNV magnitude, subjective mood ratings and heart rate were studied in 20 subjects. 2 There were highly significant interactions between drug dosage and Extraversion and Neuroticism scores, so that the direction and degree of response to the different doses of delta 9THC depended on the personality characteristics of the subjects. 3 The effects of 9 mg delta 9THC and placebo, delivered in herbal cigarettes smoked naturally, on smoking behaviour, subjective mood ratings, measures of autonomic activity and auditory and visual cortical evoked responses were compared in 12 subjects. 4 Smoking behaviour, subjective 'high' rating and elevation of heart rates were the most significant discriminators between drug and placebo. The latency of some of the components of the visual evoked responses was also increased by delta 9THC. 5 There was a significant correlation between the effects of delta 9THC on skin conductance reactivity and the basal (pre-drug) level, reactivity increasing after drug in subjects with low basal reactivity and decreasing in those with high basal levels. 6 Both experiments provided clear evidence of dose-dependent biphasic stimulant and depressant actions of delta 9THC on both subjective and objective measures, and these effects were influenced by the personality and the starting state of the subjects.

1 Some central and peripheral effects of orally administered propranolol (60 mg), diazepam (5 mg) and placebo were compared in normal subjects. 2 The central effects measured were changes in magnitude of the contingent negative variation (CNV) and subjective anxiety ratings; the peripheral effects were changes in heart rate, blood pressure, galvanic skin response and hand steadiness. 3 After diazepam there was a decrease in CNV magnitude and in the level of subjective anxiety; there was a slight fall in blood pressure but little change in heart rate. 4 After propranolol, on the other hand, there was no significant change in CNV magnitude or anxiety rating, but a significant fall in heart rate and systolic blood pressure. 5 It is concluded that, at the dosage used, propranolol, unlike diazepam, does not affect the central mechanisms determining CNV magnitude or subjective anxiety. The relationship of this finding to the use of β-adrenergic receptor blockers in clinical anxiety states is discussed.

A direct method was developed for the determination of seafood amines. The method utilizes the principle of ion-moderated partition high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).The method involves the extraction of muscle tissue in perchloric acid (PCA) and the subsequent chromatography of the neutralized PCA extract using dilute pH 11.0 sodium hydroxide as elution solvent, the entire procedure requiring approximately 30 min to complete. The biogenic amines (histamine, putrescine and cadaverine) were separated and the method compared with an existing HPLC procedure. Trimethylamine and dimethylamine were also determined. by this method. Results compared favorably with data obtained by existing calorimetric procedures used for the determination of these compounds.

The spoilage pattern of thawed yellowfin tuna carcasses was examined. After five days storage at 10° and 18°C, bacterial counts were low (< 103) although visible softening of the flesh was apparent. Direct measurement of ethanol as an indicator of pre-process spoilage also failed to reflect differences among carcasses which were aged for up to five days. Analysis of nucleotides by high performance liquid chro-matography suggested that the ratio of inosine monophosphate (IMP) to other nucleotides may be a valuable indication of spoilage time where the IMP ratio decreased linearly with time after thawing. Average recoveries of adenosine monophosphate, inosine monophosphate, inosine and hypoxanthine were 50%, 75%, 64% and 92%, respectively, from spiked tuna which had been cooked at 122°C for 67 min.

The recent trend toward increased use of polyunsaturated vegetable oils in the human diet has emphasized the need for better antioxidant systems than those currently available. This need led to a research program in which a variety of experimental antioxidants were evaluated. Their selection was influenced by general requirements for food additives and by the results of prior antioxidant studies in various fields. Emphasis was placed on hydroxybenzene types, particularly substituted hydroquinones. Oxidative stability tests employing the standard AOM procedure and 110F shelf storage were used to screen the antioxidants in polyunsaturated oils. The type and number of substituent groups on hydroquinone had considerable effect on antioxidant potency. Some of the experimental compounds, such as 4,4′-methylenebis(5-acenaphthenol) and monoalkylhydroquinones, were several times as effective in the test oils as food-approved antioxidants currently available.

The infrared spectra of gaseous and solid 1, 1‐dibromoethane and 1, 1‐dibromoethane‐d4 have been recorded from 140 to 3500 cm−1. The corresponding Raman spectra of the liquid and solids have also been recorded and depolarization values have been measured. All spectra have been interpreted in detail and the 18 normal vibrations have been characterized on the basis of band contours, isotopic shifts, depolarization values, and normal coordinate calculations. The internal torsional mode was observed at 253 cm−1 in the far infrared spectrum of gaseous CH3CHBr2 and the assignment was confirmed by the shift with deuteration. The threefold barrier to rotation was calculated to be 4.3 kcal/mole. This determination allows a comparison of the barriers for a series of bromoethanes.

The Raman spectra of B2F4 have been recorded from 25 to 1500 cm−1 with the sample in both the gaseous and crystalline states. An assignment of the normal vibrations of the molecule in the planar form is presented. No evidence could be found for the conversion from the D2h form in the solid to a nonplanar D2d form in the gas as had been previously reported. It appears that the rule of mutual exclusion is retained in the spectra for the vapor and liquid states and that the molecule has D2h symmetry in all physical states. The optically active translations and librations have been observed in the low frequency infrared and Raman spectra of the solid, respectively. Intermolecular force constants have been calculated.