Opportunistic observations of interactions between sperm whales and deep‐water trawlers based on sightings from fisheries observers in the northwest Atlantic

• 1. Cetacean observations were made by fisheries observers on trawlers targeting Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides) in the area around the Flemish Cap, northwest Atlantic.
• 2. Data from four observers amounted to a total of 291 observer days at sea aboard fishing vessels. This effort was mainly concentrated in the periods July to September 1996 and February to April 1997.
• 3. Sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) were the most frequently sighted cetacean, with 82 encounters on 64 different days. Pilot whales were encountered on nine occasions.
• 4. Sighting rates of sperm whales during net hauling were significantly (approximately 30 times) greater than during shooting or steaming. Sperm whales were observed in aggregations of up to six animals close to the vessel and net during hauling. It is suggested that the sperm whales were attracted by the potential food source within the net, and possibly were feeding on fish escaping from the net. This represents rarely reported behaviour for this species.

Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Protein analysis by 31p NMR spectroscopy in ionic liquid: quantitative determination of enzymatically created cross-links

Cross-linking of β-casein by Trichoderma reesei tyrosinase (TrTyr) and Streptoverticillium mobaraense transglutaminase (Tgase) was analyzed by (31)P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy in ionic liquid (IL). According to (31)P NMR, 91% of the tyrosine side chains were cross-linked by TrTyr at high dosages. When Tgase was used, no changes were observed because a different cross-linking mechanism was operational. However, this verified the success of the phosphitylation of phenolics within the protein matrix in the IL. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) in solid state showed that disk-shaped nanoparticles were formed in the reactions with average diameters of 80 and 20 nm for TrTyr and Tgase, respectively. These data further advance the current understanding of the action of tyrosinases on proteins on molecular and chemical bond levels. Quantitative (31)P NMR in IL was shown to be a simple and efficient method for the study of protein modification.     

Reduction of the abortion rate due to Toxoplasma in 3 goat herds following administration of sulfadimidine

The efficacy of sulfadimidine (4 doses of 33 mg/kg body weight, IM, q48h) against Toxoplasma abortion was assessed in 3 dairy goat herds suffering from Toxoplasma abortions during the 4th month of gestation. This protocol was very effective for the control of Toxoplasma abortions (P < 0.01).