Evidence for Widespread 26Al in the Solar Nebula and Constraints for Nebula Time Scales

A search was made for 26Mg (26Mg*) from the decay of 26Al (half-life = 0.73 million years) in Al-rich objects from unequilibrated ordinary chondrites. Two Ca-Al-rich inclusions (CAIs) and two Al-rich chondrules (not CAIs) were found that contained 26Al when they formed. Internal isochrons for the CAIs yielded an initial 26Al/27Al ratio [(26Al/27Al)0] of 5 x 10(-5), indistinguishable from most CAIs in carbonaceous chondrites. This result shows that CAIs with this level of 26Al are present throughout the classes of chondrites and strengthens the notion that 26Al was widespread in the early solar system. The two Al-rich chondrules have lower 26Mg*, corresponding to a (26Al/27Al)0 ratio of approximately 9 x 10(-6). Five other Al-rich chondrules contain no resolvable 26Mg*. If chondrules and CAIs formed from an isotopically homogeneous reservoir, then the chondrules with 26Al must have formed or been last altered approximately2 million years after CAIs formed; the 26Mg*-free chondrules formed >1 to 3 million years later still. Because 26Mg*-containing and 26Mg*-free chondrules are both found in Chainpur, which was not heated to more than approximately400°C, it follows that parent body metamorphism cannot explain the absence of 26Mg* in some of these chondrules. Rather, its absence indicates that the lifetime of the solar nebula over which CAIs and chondrules formed extended over approximately5 million years.     

Growth Hormone Receptors in the Porcine Testis During Prepuberty

Supplementation of exogenous growth hormone (GH) during prepuberty advances onset of spermatogenesis in boars, but the mechanism of action is unknown. The present study is an investigation of the presence and characteristics of testicular growth hormone receptors (GHR). A total of 36 boars were castrated, three boars every 10 days, between the ages of 10 and 120 days. Testicular membrane preparations of 10, 20, 30, 50, 70, 100 and 120‐day‐old boars were used to determine ¹²⁵I‐bGH binding and Scatchard analysis. Liver from a 60‐kg barrow was used for comparison. Specific ¹²⁵I‐bGH binding to testicular membrane preparations occurred in all age groups with the exception of 20‐day‐old boars at levels of 30–40% of liver binding. At 30 days of age the unlabelled bGH at 1.1 ng/tube achieved half maximal inhibition (ID₅₀). Results of Scatchard analysis indicated a single class of binding sites. Binding affinity was 2.89 × 10⁹m with a binding capacity of 12 fmole/mg membrane protein. The results from this study suggest that GH may act directly on the cells of the prepubertal boar testis.     

Dynamics of water, temperature, and salts in typical aridic soils after artificial rainstorms

In order to learn more about soil genesis, and ecology in the extremely dry desert of southwestern Egypt, we carried out irrigation experiments at four sites representing four typical (Solonchak and Yermosol) types of soil occurrence in this region. The irrigations simulated the rare episodic rainstorms. We measured water content, temperature, and salt content at various depths in the soil profiles for several weeks, at first hourly, then daily; we also observed changes in soil morphology. Thus, we obtained the rates of evaporation, water penetration, and salt migration at these sites. We speculate on the meaning of these data regarding soil genesis, and ecology in hyperarid deserts.     

DIE AUFNAHME VON ADSORBIERTEM MONOLINURON IM BODEN DURCH SENFPFLANZEN

Zusammenfassung. Um den Einfluß verschiedener Bodenmischungen auf die Aufnahme von adsorbiertem [¹⁴C]-markíertem Monolinuron zu verfolgen, wurden jeweils 30, 45, 60, 73 und 90 g Monolinuron-behandelter Boden (0,42-0,53 μg Monolinuron/g Boden) mit unbehandeltem auf 100 g aufgefüllt und damit 15.4–67.1 μg adsorbiertes Monolinuron eingesetzt. Die Aufnahme durch Senipflanzen wurde in Neubauerversuchen während 24 Tagen verfolgt. In 3 Anbauperioden wurden 1.17–9.74 μg aufgenommen. Der überwiegende Teil blieb jedoch an den Boden adsorbiert. Bei einer Bilanzerstellung konnten 99% der zu Versuchsbeginn eingesetzten Monolinuronmenge wieder gefunden werden, Durch den Sorptionsprozeß wurde Monolinuron chemisch nicht vcerändert. Ebenso kann das Ausgangsmolekül in der Pflanze nachgewiesen werden. Die nachweisbare Monolinuronmenge in der Pflanzensubstariz wird umso geringer, je weiter die Aufnahmeintensität zurürkgeht. Über eine Isotopen-Austauschreaktion wurde versucht, das pflanzenverfügbare Monolinuron zu messen.
The uptake of adsorbed monolinuron in the soil by mustard plants     

Response of rice to basic slag,lime, and leaching in two saline-acid sulfate soils in pot experiments

Pot experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of basic slag (6 to 18 t/ha), lime (CaCO₃: 3 to 9 t/ha), lime (3 t/ha) plus MnO₂ (100 mg/kg), and leaching (1.8 L/kg soils) on the growth, yield, and nutrition of rice plants grown on two saline-acid sulfate soils. The Sulfic Fluvaquent (Chakaria series) and Typic Sulfaquent (Badarkhali series) respectively showed low pH (4, 4.3); high electrical conductivity (16.2, 14.2 mS/cm), sodium adsorption ratio (13.6, 12.8), and water soluble SO₄2^? (4.6, 4.9 cmol/kg). The growth and yield response of rice to the treatments were found better in Chakaria than in Badarkhali soil. The leaching treatment was found to be the best to produce the maximum straw, and grain yield (869% increase over the control) and the highest dose of basic slag (18 t/ha) was ranked second (728%) in Badarkhali soil. But in Chakaria soil, the best response (928%) was determined with the highest dose of lime (6 t/ha) followed by the leaching (900%) treatment. The additional application of Mn0₂ (100 mg/kg) with lime (3 t/ha) significantly increased the straw and grain yields of rice by 42–47% compared with the lime 3 t/ha in both the soils. Similar effects were observed for N, P, and K concentrations in plant straw at maturity. Leaching, basic slag, and lime treatments exerted significant decrease of the Fe, Mn, Zn, and S concentrations in plants, increase of soil solution pH and optimization of some element concentrations in the plants and soil solutions.     

Cytokines, Growth Factors and Prostaglandin Synthesis in the Uterus of Pregnant and Non-pregnant Bitches: The Features of Placental Sites

Uterine tissue from pregnant bitches was investigated by qualitative RT-PCR for the gene expression of local factors potentially important for the implantation of canine embryos. For this purpose, 10 bitches identified as being at the time of implantation or early placentation by means of ultrasonography before ovariohysterectomy (days 20–35, n = 10) provided tissues for comparison to tissue collected in a previous study and identified as early pregnant (n = 10) or non-pregnant (n = 4) by embryo flushing after ovariohysterectomy (days 10–12 after mating; Schäfer-Somi et al. 2008 ). Uterine tissue was excised from the middle of the left horn from early pregnant and non-pregnant animals, including from interplacental and placentation sites. The following genes were investigated: CD-4, -8; cyclooxygenase (COX)-1, -2; granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF); hepatocyte growth factor (HGF); insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1, -2; transforming growth factor (TGF) and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α; interferon (IFN)-γ; interleukin (IL)-1β, -2, -4, -6, -8, -10, -12; leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and leptin. Gene expression for CD-8, COX-1, TGF-β, HGF, IGF-1, IL-2, -4,-10, IFN-γ and LIF were detected in the pre-implantation uterus, and all except IL-2 and -10 were still detectable during the implantation and placentation stage. During implantation, mRNA for IGF-2 and GM-CSF were additionally detected. The dioestrous uterus differed from the pregnant uterus because of the absence of CD-8, IL-4 and IFN-γ and the expression of CD-4, TNF-α and IL-6. The results suggest that IL-4, IFN-γ, CD-8, GM-CSF and IGF-2 are regulated in a pregnancy-specific manner and that GM-CSF and IGF-2 probably have growth supporting and immune modulating functions during implantation of the canine embryo.     

Osseous lesions resembling vaccine-site sar comas in two cats

Extract

Lytic lesions with microscopic features similar to those of vaccine-site sarcomas were diagnosed in the distal femur of two young neutered male cats, one a 20-month-old Birman and the other an 18-month-old domestic short-hair (DSH). Radiographically, there was extensive destruction of trabecular and cortical bone in the metaphysis and/or epiphysis of the distal femur. The DSH cat also had angular deformity of the distal femur due to asymmetrical involvement of the physis. Histologically, the lesions in both cats consisted of dense, interwoven bundles of fibrous connective tissue, amongst which there were variable numbers of plump malignant mesenchymal cells, often with very large, hyperchromatic nuclei and irregularly shaped nucleoli. Several focal aggregates of small lymphocytes were present in both tumours. Although neither cat had apparently been vaccinated in the hindlimb it is possible that the tumours had been triggered by injection of some other irritant material.     

Bodengesellschaft auf und neben einer Mülldeponie

Soil association upon and near to a waste disposal site Soils of a waste disposal site and a moraine slope in the neighbourhood were mapped and analyzed, to see whether they are related soils and that means soil associations after Schlichting. Erosion/sedimentation-processes as well as translocated gases and waste fluids influenced the different soils of the landscape so that these soils are related with each other by soil forming processes.     

Molecular Typing and Anti‐microbial Susceptibility of Clinical Isolates of Streptococcus equi ssp. zooepidemicus from Equine Bacterial Endometritis

The anti‐microbial susceptibility and genetic diversity of 65 strains of Streptococcus equi ssp. zooepidemicus (Sez) isolated from mares presenting clinical signs of endometritis was determined by disk agar diffusion and pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) methods, respectively. Overall, Sez isolates were susceptible to β‐lactams, enrofloxacin, trimethoprim‐sulfamethoxazole and gentamicin. These anti‐microbials could be recommended as empiric anti‐microbial therapy in cases of endometritis caused by Sez. Pulsed field gel electrophoresis typing revealed a great genetic diversity (56 different PFGE macrorestriction profiles) and a low level of genetic relatedness amongst the isolates.