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Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L) is an important source of protein in several developing countries. Two commonly grown chickpea cultivars, HPG-17 and C-235, were evaluated for their physicochemical characteristics such as 100-seed weight and density. Both chickpea varieties were subjected to various processing treatments and then analysed for their ascorbic acid content. The ascorbic acid content was generally found to be higher in the C-235 variety, but it was higher in the HPG-17 variety after germination. Significant results were obtained for both varieties after various treatments such as pressure cooking, germination, parching and solar cooking. It was found that the ascorbic acid content in both varieties decreased after all treatments except germination.
© 2001 Society of Chemical Industry

Rats gonadectomized 1–2 months previously were anaesthetized with sodium pentobarbitone and 50 ng/100 g body weight of a synthetic decapeptide gonadotrophin releasing factor (LH-RF) injected intravenously. Plasma concentrations of LH and FSH were determined by radioimmunoassay in samples taken before and at intervals up to 60 min after the injection of LH-RF. The pituitary response was evaluated by determining the maximal increment in plasma gonadotrophin concentrations and by estimating the area under the plasma gonadotrophin concentration curves.In both males and females the pituitary response was increased in animals given 20 μg oestradiol benzoate 3 days earlier. Progesterone (2·5 mg) had no effect on the response measured 4 h later in oil-treated rats, male or female. In oestrogen-primed rats progesterone administration produced a significantly increased response in females that was not seen if sodium pentobarbitone was given at the time of progesterone injection. In oestrogen-primed males progesterone produced some increase in sensitivity but less than was seen in females. Both in males and in females that had received androgen on day 4 of postnatal life sodium, pentobarbitone had no effect on the responses of oestrogen plus progesterone-treated rats to LH-RF. When two injections of LH-RF were given 60 min apart, the second response was greater than the first in animals, both male and female, that had been primed with oestrogen. The second response was no greater than the first in oil-treated females.The results suggest that oestrogen can increase pituitary sensitivity to LH-RF in both male and female rats and that LH-RF itself can increase pituitary sensitivity to a second injection of LH-RF in both male and female rats if they have received oestrogen. It is suggested that the differences between the pituitary responses of females and males after oestrogen plus progesterone treatment and the major differences in gonadotrophin secretion reported previously (Brown-Grant, 1974) may be accounted for on the basis of there being a relatively slight increase in endogenous LH-RF secretion with a consequent marked rise in pituitary responsiveness in female but not in male rats.

The review summarizes and evaluates recent information about the effects of anthelmintics onHaemonchuscontortus. The topic is discussed under the headings effects of drugs on the absorptive surfaces, effects of drugs on metabolism, effects of drugs on the neuromuscular system, effects of drugs on developmental stages, anthelmintic efficacy, and resistant strains. Possible future lines of work are suggested in the conclusions.

Department of Human Anatomy, South Parks Road, Oxford(Received 13th July 1974)Those areas of the hypothalamus that control LH release in the rat, a spontaneously ovulating species, have been well mapped out (Cross, 1973). The general consensus of opinion is that the ventromedial/arcuate nuclear complex is supposed to release LH in a tonic fashion, and the preoptic or suprachiasmatic area is thought of as a cyclic centre responsible for the rhythmic ovulatory surge of LH.The position with regard to mammals that ovulate in response to copulation, e.g. the vole, Microtus agrestis(Breed, 1967), is less clear. Breed & Charlton (1971) identified the anterior hypothalamus and median eminence as sites that elicited ovulation or luteinization of ovarian follicles when electrically stimulated with a current in the form of a 50-cycle sine wave by means of a unipolar platinum electrode.In the present series of experiments, the hypothalamus has been

Department of Human Anatomy, South Parks Road, Oxford(Received 13th July 1974)Members of the microtine species are probably reflex ovulators. The prairie vole, Microtus ochrogaster(Richmond & Conway, 1969), the meadow vole, M. pennsylvanicus(Clulow & Mallory, 1970), the levant vole, M. guentheri(Bodenheimer & Sulman, 1946), the Californian vole, M. californicus(Greenwald, 1956), and the montane vole, Microtus montanus(Gray, Davis, Zerylnick & Dewsbury, 1974) have all been regarded as coming into this category and Breed (1967) has demonstrated that members of M. agrestisare also reflex ovulators.As ovulation is normally preceded by a surge of LH in the blood, post-coital levels of serum LH were measured by radioimmunoassay in female and male voles (M. agrestis) after mating. The method used was that described by Niswender, Midgley, Monroe & Reichert (1968) for rat LH, as modified by Naftolin & Corker (1971).The voles in these experiments were

Inferior vena cava (IVC) aneurysms are extremely rare, with only 18 reported cases in the world literature. These aneurysms are categorized as acquired, congenital, or associated with arteriovenous fistulae. Thrombosis of an IVC aneurysm can lead to IVC syndrome characterized by massive lower extremity edema, pulmonary embolism, or even death. Therapeutic alternatives range from watchful waiting to operative resection. This report presents a case of an IVC aneurysm noted incidentally at the time of diagnostic computed tomography for the evaluation of blunt chest trauma following a motor vehicle collision. In addition, the classification, embryology, diagnosis, and management of this unusual clinical entity are reviewed.