APPEARANCE OF THE SACROILIAC JOINT IN VENTRODORSAL RADIOGRAPHS OF THE NORMAL CANINE PELVIS

Radiology of the canine sacroiliac (SI) joint was investigated by obtaining ventrodorsal radiographs of cadaveric pelves and bone specimens (n = 40) marked with solder wire or radiopaque paint to demonstrate the orientation of the sacroiliac joint in various radiographic views. In the following retrospective radiographic study (n = 94 survey sacroiliac joint radiographs), central projections of the sacrum were noted to ease identification of the dorsal, middle and ventral joint components, whereas angled projections of the sacrum had advantages when assessing the cranial joint components. Radiographic assessment was already successful in juvenile dogs older than 5 months. Failure in tracing the outlines of the joint space of the sacroiliac joints is not consistent with alteration of the SI joint. Rather, it was felt that alterations would have assisted in identifying the contours of the SI joints because of an increase in mineralization.     

Construction and characterization of a BAC library for sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.)

A bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) library was constructed using the sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) restorer line RHA325, which carries the restorer gene Rf1 and the Pl2-gene conferring resistance to downy mildew. High molecular weight DNA was prepared from nuclei using leaf material from two-week old seedlings. The library was constructed using the HindIII site of pBeloBAC11. The current BAC library comprises 104,736 clones. The insert size of the clones varied between 20 and 270 kb, with an average insert size of 60 kb. The whole 1.9× sunflower BAC library was spotted in duplicate on four high-density filters, each carrying 55,296 clones. The content of organellar DNA, which was estimated by colony hybridisation against the mitochondrial probe coxI and the chloroplast probe rbcL, proved to be less than 0.03 and 0.1%, respectively. BAC pools, allowing PCR-based screening, were made and used to identify positive BAC clones for the markers OP-K13_454, closely linked to the restorer gene Rf1. The PCR-based screening was verified by the results obtained for this marker by colony hybridisation.     

Kupferaufnahme aus sproßapplizierten Kupferpräparaten durch Weizenpflanzen

Copper uptake from foliar applied copper sources by wheat plants Cu uptake of young wheat plants from foliar applied Cu sources such as Cu sulfate, Cu oxide chloride, Cu EDTA, and Cu lignosulphonate was studied over periods of 48 hours. Compared to Cu oxide chloride, Cu uptake from the remaining Cu compounds was approximately 3 times higher. Additives increased the adhesion of the Cu sources and supported Cu uptake. In pot experiments with Cu deficient soil, foliar applied Cu lignosulphonate with the addition of alkylphenolpolyglycolether, urea and sucrose was the most efficient Cu source. Splitting of the total Cu amount into two doses applied in intervals of 24 hours was the most effective treatment. In this case, grain yield was 90% of that obtained in the same soil with adequate Cu supply.     

Chemical changes of beech litter during passage through the gut of the lumbricid earthworm Eisenia fetida (SAV.)

Casts of the lumbricid earthworm species E. fetida were investigated by means of chemical analyses and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy and compared to the beech litter used as food. The casts are characterized by slightly reduced C-to-N ratios, higher ash contents and lower polysaccharide and lignin concentrations in comparison with the litter material. These differences between casts and litter are very small, ranging from 1 to 7%, and are not supported by any statistical evidence. In addition, NMR and Py-FIMS data complete the picture of E. fetida casts as almost exclusively physically altered (i.e. comminuted) plant residues.     

Die Typen der Ringfasziation und die Röhrenverbänderung beiPrimula

Zusammenfassung Zunächst werden die bisher bekannten Ringfasziationen in drei Gruppen eingeteilt, nämlich den Normal-Typus, auch Kanal- oderOenothera-Typus genannt, zu welchem der überwiegende Teil der Ringfasziationen gehört, der Trichter- oderPisum-Typus und schließlich der Röhren- oderPrimula-Typus. Ringfasziationen werden stets durch Invaginationen gebildet. Es werden Angaben zur Morphologie und vor allem zur Anatomie der röhrigen Fasziation vonPrimula malacoides gemacht. Der innere Leitbündelring hat keine Verbindung zum äußeren Leitbündelring und zum Wurzelsystem; beiPrimula hat das innere System jedoch Verbindung mit der Tracheidenplatte im Boden der Röhren.

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The types of ring-fasciation and tube-fasciation inPrimula

Summary At first the ring fasciation as hitherto known are divided in three groups, namely the normal type, named also the channal- orOenothera-type, to which belong the prevailing parts of such fasciations, the funnal- orPisum-type and finally the tupe- orPrimula-type. Ring fasciations are always formed by invagination. It becomes some statements on morphology and above all on anatomy ofPrimula malacoides. The inner ring of leading elements has no joining to the outer ring of leading elements of the root system; inPrimula the inner ring however has joining with the plate of tracheids in the bottom of the tube.

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Primula

: , Oenothera, ; Pisum , , Primula. . , , Primula malacoides. , , Primula

     

Zum jahreszeitlichen Nitratgehalt und zur Nitratauswaschung von landwirtschaftlich genutzten Böden in Baden-Württemberg

Seasonal nitrate content in, and nitrate leaching from, agricultural soils of Baden-Wuerttemberg The behavior of soil nitrate was investigated at five field locations in the State of Baden-Wuerttemberg between 1984 and 1987. It was found that the amount of nitrate in the upper 90 cm of soil was not a constant, but fluctuated throughout the year with maxima in the spring and in the fall. Additionally, it was found that the amount of nitrate leaching during winter (from November through April) was correlated to, but not identical with the mineral nitrogen content of the previous fall. It further appeared that nitrate leaching in light sandy soils is mainly a mixing process, whereas in heavy soils it seems to be more a miscible displacement phenomenon.     

Aquatic Gastropods as Mercury Indicatorsin the Pantanal of Poconé Region (Mato Grosso, Brasil)

Gold mining is the principal polluting activity in themunicipality of Poconé at the northern limit ofthe Pantanal of Mato Grosso, Brasil and ischaracterized by the inadequate use of mercury in thegold extraction process. A way to contribute to theassessment of the environmental impact of mercuryrelease in the Pantanal is to make use of bioaccumulation. Thus, determinations of total mercuryin 188 Gastropods of three different species were madein seven different sampling sites during the dry andwet periods. Increase of mercury levels in the snailswas restricted to the gold mining area and adjacentsedimentation areas. The largest mercuryconcentrations were found at the Tanque dos Padressite, reaching 2.04 g g^-1 in individuals ofPomacea scalaris. In the other sampling sites,molluscs collected in the Araras/Piuval Bay complex,a mercury retention area, showed the largest mercuryconcentration, reaching up to 1.12 g g^-1.     

Influence of sample pretreatment on the extractability of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) from forest floor horizons

Extraction of PAH from Oh-horizon material after dispersion of air-dried samples in water resulted in a 80% higher yield of 20 PAH species compared to extraction of air-dried, freeze-dried or ground samples. Concurrently, the free surface area (BET method) of the organic matter increased. It was assumed that dispersion resulted in a disaggregation and/or stretching of organic aggregates, which makes interior aggregate regions available to the extractant that were pre-viously not accessible for the extractant due to diffusion barriers.     

Über die Sorptionseigenschaften von Waldböden bezüglich gelöster organischer Substanzen

About the sorption of dissolved organic matter to forest soils This investigation characterizes the major forest soils of the temperate climatic zones (leptosols, vertisols, cambisols, luvisols, podzols, stagnosols, gleysols) as sorbents for dissolved organic matter (DOM). Sorption isotherms were obtained for 135 soil horizons from 36 profiles. When solutions containing no DOC were added, the release of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) was highest for horizons rich in organic C (A and Bh horizons). In subsoil horizons DOC release was much lower. Most of the investigated top soils (A and E horizons) and Bh, Bg, and C horizons showed a weak DOC sorption. This was caused by low contents of sorbents (clay and sesquioxides) and/or high contents of organic C. Organic C seems to reduce the DOC sorption by occupying binding sites. Subsoils rich in clay and sesquioxides like Bs, Bt, and Bw horizons showed a strong retention of DOC. Under the aerobic conditions of the experiments, some of the subsoils of stagnosols and gleysols also showed a strong sorption of DOC. However, in sorption experiments conducted after an anaerobic incubation, the DOC sorption decreased significantly.     

Global human capital: integrating education and population

Almost universally, women with higher levels of education have fewer children. Better education is associated with lower mortality, better health, and different migration patterns. Hence, the global population outlook depends greatly on further progress in education, particularly of young women. By 2050, the highest and lowest education scenarios--assuming identical education-specific fertility rates--result in world population sizes of 8.9 and 10.0 billion, respectively. Better education also matters for human development, including health, economic growth, and democracy. Existing methods of multi-state demography can quantitatively integrate education into standard demographic analysis, thus adding the "quality" dimension.