CO2-stunning of swine for slaughter from the anesthesiological viewpoint

For investigations of CO2-stunning of feeder- and slaughter-pigs parameters of behaviour, blood-gas-analyses and electroencephalograms were chosen. The following results were obtained: 1. Blood-gas-analyses proved that the CO2-stunning does not produce unconsciousness due to a lack of oxygen. 2. The criterias of general anaesthesia: unconsciousness, muscle-relaxation and analgesia with total reversibility could be confirmed. 3. The violent convulsive symptoms were evaluated as reactions identical with the stage II of GUEDEL's scheme of anaesthesia. 4. Muscular agitation, which sometimes appeared a few seconds before the stage of excitation, was judged to belong either to the start of the excitation phase or to the end of Guedel's stage of analgesia, during which the sensitivity is decreased. Neither study of behavior nor objective measurements showed, during the first 10 to 20 seconds of exposure to the CO2, any sign of pain or suffering related to the Act for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and accordingly such suffering should not be ascribed to the CO2 stunning method.     

A database of PCR primers for the chloroplast genomes of higher plants

Background  

Chloroplast genomes evolve slowly and many primers for PCR amplification and analysis of chloroplast sequences can be used across a wide array of genera. In some cases 'universal' primers have been designed for the purpose of working across species boundaries. However, the essential information on these primer sequences is scattered throughout the literature.     

Vepsuche zur Ermittlung der Inkubationszeit der Tödlichen Vergilbung der Kokospalme (Lethal Yellowing Disease of coconut palm) in der Wirtspflanze

Zusammenfassung Das Aussetzen von 24 Serien von Palmen in Kübeln in einem Krankheitsgebiet für eine beschränkte Zeit, 7 Sätze von 15–20 Palmen für einen Monat, 3 Sätze für zwei Monate und 14 Sätze für drei Monate, diente zur Ermittlung der Inkubationszeit für die Tödliche Vergilbung der Kokospalme. In den meisten Fällen, die zur Ansteckung im Krankheitsgebiet führten, lag die geschätzte Inkubationszeit zwischen 3 und 6 Monaten; nach dem aufgestellten Histogramm betrug die durchschnittliche Inkubationszeit 150–160 Tage. Die lange Expositionszeit bei der größeren Zahl der Sätze erlaubt keine genaue Festlegung der Zeitspanne. Nach Entfernen von Käfigen in einem zweiten Versuch, die als Schutz gegen Infektionen dienten, traten erstmals Symptome an Palmen nach 6 (1 Palme) und 7 (2 Palmen) Monaten auf. Unter Berücksichtigung, daß der Ausbruch einer Krankheit Schwankungen unterworfen ist und auß erdem wesentlich vom Infektionszeitpunkt abhängt, fügen sich diese Daten gut in die für die Inkubationszeit angenommene Zeitspanne ein.Bodenorganismen (Nematoden) scheiden als Überträger der Tödlichen Vergilbung aus, da die Palmen in Kübeln keinen Bodenkontakt hatten. Die Palmen in den Käfigen dagegen konnten, soweit sie in den Boden gepflanzt waren, mit ihren Wurzeln unter den Käfigrand vordringen und wären dadurch der Infektion zugänglich gewesen.Da nur in den Sätzen, die den Infektionsbedingungen eines Krankheitsgebietes zwischen den Monaten Februar und August ausgesetzt waren, einzelne Palmen in den Gruppen erkrankten, dürfte in dieser Zeitspanne der Ü berträger besonders aktiv oder in der übrigen Zeit des Jahres relativ selten sein, anders wäre die Häufung der Infektionen in diesen Monaten nicht zu erklären.

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Summary A transfer experiment using 17 sets of coconut palms, planted in drums and transferred bimonthly or three-monthly from a healthy into a diseased area (2 or 3 months exposure time) and 7 sets exposed for only a month, provided us with good information about the incubation period of Lethal Yellowing in a palm. The most probable incubation period ranges between 3 and 6 months; according to the dates on the histogram the mean incubation period appeared to be 150–160 days. The long exposure time used for most of the sets does not allow a more accurate assessment of this time interval.In a second experiment, groups of coconut palms which had been protected by cages for at least a year against infections were exposed to the natural infection conditions by removal of the cages. The first case of disease was recognized 6 months after cage removal, 2 additional cases a month later. Taking into consideration that the development of symptoms varies within a time interval depending upon the date of infection, growing conditions etc, this observation agress with the inferred incubation period gained in the transfer experiment.Soil organisms (nematodes o. a.) can be excluded as transmitters of the Lethal Yellowing pathogen. The palms used in the transfer experiment which later on showed symptoms were planted in drums; the roots having no connection with the soil in the field. The soil for filling the drums was collected in a healthy area. The roots of caged palms which were planted directly into the soil could penetrate under the cage border into the unprotected part of the plot which contained a lot of naturally diseased palms scattered across the field.Only sets of palms which were partly or fully exposed to the infection conditions of a diseased area during February to August developed a number of cases of Lethal Yellowing. The occurrence of infection during this period indicates this to be a time of particular vector activity.

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F.A.O.- Expert in Kingston, Jamaica; jetzt: Biologiche Bundesanstalt für Land- und Forwirschaft, Berlin-Dahlem.

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F.A.O.- Associate-Expert in Kingston (Coconut Industry Board.

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Biologische Bundesanstalt für Land- und Forstwirstchaft, 1 Berlin 33 Dahlem, Königin-Luise-Straße 19.     

Real-space imaging of two-dimensional antiferromagnetism on the atomic scale

A two-dimensional antiferromagnetic structure within a pseudomorphic monolayer film of chemically identical manganese atoms on tungsten(110) was observed with atomic resolution by spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy at 16 kelvin. A magnetic superstructure changes the translational symmetry of the surface lattice with respect to the chemical unit cell. It is shown, with the aid of first-principles calculations, that as a result of this, spin-polarized tunneling electrons give rise to an image corresponding to the magnetic superstructure and not to the chemical unit cell. These investigations demonstrate a powerful technique for the understanding of complicated magnetic configurations of nanomagnets and thin films engineered from ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic materials used for magnetoelectronics.     

Liquid chromatography analysis of erythromycin A in salmon tissue by electrochemical detection with confirmation by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

A rapid and sensitive method is described for the quantitation of erythromycin A (EA) in edible salmon tissue by liquid chromatography (LC) analysis using either electrochemical detection (ED) or electrospray ionization mass spectrometric (ESI/MS) detection. The salmon tissue is extracted with 10 mM ammonium formate. The extract is then purified by solid phase extraction using a hydrophilic-lipophilic balanced (HLB) polymeric-based C18 packing, followed by partitioning of EA into methylene chloride at alkaline pH, evaporation, and final dilution. The mean recoveries of EA at 50, 100, 200, and 400 ppb levels in fortified salmon tissue were 63.8 +/- 6.0 and 75.5 +/- 5.4% by LC-ED and LC-ESI/MS, respectively. There was no evidence of formation of the anhydro-EA (m/z 716) decomposition product of EA (m/z 734) that was reported to occur by other published methods.