Zaaizaadontsmetting

Ohne Zusammenfassung Phytopatholoog bij den Plantenziektenkundigen Dienst Voordracht gehouden op den phytopathologendag van de 7de Landbouwweek, 29 Sept. 1936. Tevens verschenen als Mededeeling no. 84 van den Plantenziektenkundigen Dienst.     

Comparison between Cloprostenol-induced and Spontaneous Oestrus Fertility in Dairy Cows

A short calving to conception interval is of main importance to achieve high economic efficiency in dairy cow industry. In order to reduce this interval, several hormonal treatments have been put on the market, in which cloprostenol, a synthetic analogue of prostaglandin F2alpha (PGF2alpha). The aim of this study was to compare fertility of cloprostenol-induced oestrus to that of spontaneous oestrus in dairy cows. In a group of 525 cows, 280 (treated group) were administered 0.5 mg cloprostenol i.m. after transrectal corpus luteum (CL) detection, and inseminated at detected oestrus during the following week. The other 245 cows (control group) were inseminated during spontaneous oestrus. Whey progesterone concentrations were checked at treatment and at insemination in order to remove from the study cows whose P4 levels indicate a non-functional CL, or a lack of luteolysis respectively. Moreover, cows that were not inseminated due to genital problems were also excluded from this study. Conception (59% vs 54.5%) and calving rates (93.7% vs 93%) were not significantly different between the two groups.     

Changes in Bull Sperm Kinematics after Single Layer Centrifugation

The objective of this study was to evaluate bull sperm kinematics after centrifugation through a single layer of a colloid [Single Layer Centrifugation (SLC)]. Ejaculates from 20 bulls were extended and stored at 4–6°C for 24 h during transport to the laboratory for SLC through Androcoll‐B, followed by measurement of sperm kinematics in all samples. Total motility (86% and 88% for uncentrifuged and SLC samples, respectively) and progressive motility (84% for both the groups) were similar (p > 0.05). In contrast, straightness (STR) (0.65 vs 0.69), linearity (LIN) (0.32 vs 0.35) and beat cross frequency (BCF) (22.3 vs 23.6 Hz) were significantly higher in the SLC‐selected samples than in the uncentrifuged samples, whereas velocity of the average path (VAP) (95 vs 90 μm/s), curvilinear velocity (VCL) (192 vs 180 μm/s), amplitude of lateral head deviation (ALH) (7 μm vs 6.5 μm) and hypermotility (49% vs 38%) were significantly decreased. The kinematics of the samples with the poorest motility was improved most by SLC. In conclusion, even though SLC had no direct effect on total and progressive motility, it appeared to have a positive influence on several other kinematic parameters that may be important for fertilization after artificial insemination.     

Detection and Characterization of the Cumulene Carbenes H2C5 and H2C6

Two cumulene carbenes, H2C5 and H2C6, were detected in a supersonic molecular beam by Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy. Their rotational and leading centrifugal distortion constants were determined with high accuracy, such that the entire radio spectrum can now be calculated. Like the known carbenes H2C3 and H2C4, both molecules have singlet electronic ground states and linear carbon-chain backbones. They can be produced in sufficiently high concentrations in the laboratory that their electronic spectra, expected to lie in the visible, should be readily detectable by laser spectroscopy. The microwave spectra of other, more exotic isomers may be detectable as well.     

Laser Rapid Prototyping of Photonic Band-Gap Microstructures

Three-dimensional periodic microstructures of aluminum oxide, which are important for creating photonic band-gap structures (PBGs), were fabricated by laser rapid prototyping by means of laser-induced direct-write deposition from the gas phase. The structures consisted of layers of parallel rods forming a face-centered tetragonal lattice with lattice constants of 66 and 133 micrometers. These structures showed transmission minima centered around 4 terahertz (75 micrometers) and 2 terahertz (150 micrometers), respectively. PBGs will allow precise control of the optical properties of materials, including lasers without threshold.