Document 71bQZd0Qqj7Mmx9a5qanxmyBR

I SCIENCE/ I EDUCATION CONCENTRATES Extratarraatrfa/ protwin Evidence that proteinlike material miy uM outiMi tfw conffmi of the nrffi fiat dun obtained by Nny A. Bounders and Dr. Duane L. RohMng of the Univarsity of South Carolina, Columbia. Whon they mixed and heated amino acida Identical to those reported In moon and motaorlta samples, proteinlike polymers formed, Mrs. Saundara aald at tho ACS Southaaatam Reglonal Mooting In Nashville, Tann., Hit wee*. Tha scientists uaad tho exact proportion! of amino acida reported aa possible constituents In the extraterrestrial bodies. Striictura of mattar Interatomic distances and the num ber of atoms and widths of co ordination shells can be deter mined about each element in crystals, amorphous solids, liquids, or gases, using a method devised by University of Washington physi cists Dale E. Sayers and Edward A. Stern and Boeing physicist Parrel W. Lytle [Phya. Rev. Lett., 27, 1204 (1971)]. They use their point scattering theory of x-ray absorp tion fine structure to invert experi mental data to obtain a radial struc ture function that contains the de sired information. OribntBtion with anxymaa The concept that reaction velocity in enzymic reactions may be sen sitive to smell change# in the orientation cl the reading attune hee bean further aubatanttatad. Dr. Daniel B. KoaMand of the University of Cafffomla, lerfceleir, told the 18th conference of tho Robert A. Welch Foundation In Houston lest week. Dr. Keahttmd finds that by placing angular methyl groups to alter the orlentethn of carboxyl groups on hydroayoorhornenes, for example, rata changes of TO4 can ha observed In lactonl zation rates. Snraaf potato toxin A second toxic compound, 4-ipomaanol, has been isolated from mold-damaged sweet potatoes by M. R. Boyd. Dr. B. J. Wilson, and Dr. T. M. Harris of Vanderbilt Uni versity, Nashville, Tenn. The com pound Is thought to be the agent responsible for the fatal lung edema of cattle that are sometimes ted the moldy tubers, Mr. Boyd told the ACS regional mooting. Another compound from black-rotted sweet potatoes, ipomeamarone, is toxic to the liver of animals. Elm baat/a rapai/anf Beetles that carry Dutch elm dis ease may be repelled from elm trees by Infecting the trees with various quinones, says Dr. Dale Norris el the University of Wiscon sin. A similar process occurs naturally In hickory trees, where 8-hydroxy-l,4-naphthoqulnone In the bark repels Hie insects. Many qulnones are effective, he says, but the crucial problem not yet solved la finding a way to distribute the chemicals within the tree. Dr. Norris says he has also Isolated two unidentified chemicals that attract beetles to ofm troos. Tranbpori In narvaa The nervous system apparently haa a mechanism for catt-to-cell transfer of Mormathn-beertng macromoteculea. Dr. Bernice Qrafstein and Dr. Robert Laureno of Cornell University, Dr. Bruce Mciwen and David Forman of Rockefeller University, and Dr. Marlon Murray of University of Chicago find that trlthim-tabeled amino acida and sugars are trans ported from the retina to the brain's visual cortex within 10 hours. Sweetenar from rotin A new sweet compound whose sweetness is dramatically depend ent on structure haa been dis covered by Dr. Akira Tahara, Dr. Tadashl Nakata, and Dr. Yasuo Ohtauka of Japan's Institute of Physical and Chemical Research. They find that one of four stereo isomers of the diterpene 4/3,10o-dlmethyf-1,2,3,4,5,10-hexahydrofluorene-4a,6-dicarboxylic acid--synthesized from pine tree rosin--hes 1300 to 1800 tfmes the sweetness of sucrose [Nature, 233, 610 (1071)]. The other three stereo isomers have no taste. HONS 069638 New Iranqulllzara A new class of tranquilizers, triezolobenzodiazepinoa, was deacribad last waak by Dr. Allan 0. Rudzik of Upjohn Co. at an International symposium on benzodiazepines at Milan, Italy. Laboratory taata show that the compounds are central nervous system depressants. They are up to 30 times more potent than diazepam, but no more toxic. Dr. Rudzik says the new chemicals could lead to development ot spe cific acting psychotherapeutic agents with fewer side effects, a Blphanyla in ocaan Polychlorinated biphenyl^PCBfJ hove been found in precttceHyelT plant end animal specimens In the first open ocean search tor PCD and DDT. Woods Hole Oceano graphic Institution scientists alae found DDT In moat specimens. DOT and PCB levels In specimens from the Atlantic Ocean generally ranged from 1 to 100 p.pJ)., Or. George R. Harvey soya, hut up to 1800 p.p.b. PCB was detected in zooplankton. Contrary to expecta tions, however, this high level wee not found In fish that toed on zooplankton, m nov a, tart cacn h