Kinetics and postmucosal effects on urinary recovery of 5 intravenously administered sugars in healthy cats

The objective of this study was to describe the kinetics of urinary recovery and to evaluate the effects of postmucosal factors on urinary recovery of 5 intravenously administered saccharides. Ten cats received an isotonic sugar solution containing lactulose, rhamnose, xylose, methylglucose, and sucrose intravenously. These sugars were selected because of their prior use for intestinal permeability and mucosal function testing in humans and dogs. Urethral catheterization with a closed collection system was used for collection of cumulative urine samples prior to and 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 24 h after administration of the sugar solution. High-pressure anion exchange liquid chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection was used to measure the concentrations of each sugar in the urine and calculate urinary recovery. Twenty-four hour cumulative urinary recovery for each sugar from the cats, was lower than expected compared to dogs and humans. All 5 sugars had the highest percentage of urinary recovery during the first 2 h after administration. Mean sugar elimination rate constants and half-lives ranged from 0.268/h for methylglucose to 0.415/h for lactulose and 1.67 h for lactulose to 2.59 h for methylglucose, respectively. Metabolism and incomplete urine collection are possible reasons for lower cumulative urinary recoveries of these 5 sugars in cats compared with dogs. Although these 5 sugars are not ideal marker molecules, they may still be useful for intestinal permeability and mucosal function testing in cats.     

RADIATION PNEUMONITIS IN THREE DOGS

Radiation pneumonitis developed within the radiation treatment field in three dogs with soft tissue sarcomas located on or adjacent to the thoracic wall. Radiographic signs compatible with a diagnosis of radiation pneumonitis developed from one (n = 2 dogs) to two (n = 1 dog) months after completion of therapy. The initial radiographic sign was an alveolar infiltrate in all three dogs. At subsequent examinations at variable time periods after treatment, radiographic findings included: bronchiectasis (n = 3 dogs), alveolar infiltrate (n = 2 dogs), decreased lung volume (n = 2 dogs), and unstructured interstitial opacification (n = 1 dog). Necropsy examination of one dog at fourteen months after the completion of radiotherapy showed evidence of pulmonary fibrosis within the irradiated lung. Necropsy examination of the second dog did not show any evidence of radiation induced changes. It is possible that histopathologic examination did not include irradiated lung. No clinical signs that could be attributed to the radiation pneumonitis were observed in any dog. It appears that approximately 25% of the lung can be safely irradiated to high doses, if indicated, in order to deliver an adequate dose of radiation to a primary tumor site.     

The Potted-Plant Microcosm Substantially Reduces Indoor Air VOC Pollution: I. Office Field-Study

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are major contaminants of indoor air, with concentrations often several times higher than outdoors. They are recognized as causative agents of “building-related illness” or “sick-building syndrome”. Our previous laboratory test-chamber studies have shown that the potted-plant/root-zone microorganism microcosm can eliminate high concentrations of air-borne VOCs within 24 hours, once the removal response has been induced by an initial dose. However, the effectiveness of the potted-plant microcosm in ‘real-world’ indoor spaces has never previously been tested experimentally. This paper reports the results of a field-study on the effects of potted-plant presence on total VOC (TVOC) levels, measured in 60 offices (12 per treatment), over two 5–9 week periods, using three planting regimes, with two ‘international indoor-plant’ species. Fourteen VOCs were identified in the office air. When TVOC loads in reference offices rose above 100 ppb, large reductions, of from 50 to 75% (to <100 ppb), were found in planted offices, under all planting regimes The results indicate that air-borne TVOC levels above a threshold of about 100 ppb stimulate the graded induction of an efficient metabolic VOC-removal mechanism in the microcosm. Follow-up laboratory dose-response experiments, reported in the following paper, confirm the graded induction response, over a wide range of VOC concentrations. The findings together demonstrate that potted-plants can provide an efficient, self-regulating, low-cost, sustainable, bioremediation system for indoor air pollution, which can effectively complement engineering measures to reduce indoor air pollution, and hence improve human wellbeing and productivity.     

Metal Enrichment in Zlatna, a Romanian Copper Smelting Town

A preliminary survey of metal concentrations in soil and vegetable samples was undertaken in the town of Zlatna, in western Romania that is dominated by a large copper smelter. One data set (town survey) consisted of soil samples taken from sites both in the centre of the town (near smelter and school grounds) and the outskirts and included those from roadside verges and wooded areas. The second data set consisted of soil samples taken from vegetable garden plots together with an associated sample of spring onion (Allium fistulosum). The aim of this study was to measure levels of the elements Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd and As in soil samples from Zlatna in general, and to assess their uptake into home grown vegetables and thus into the food chain. Concentrations of the elements of interest in soils and vegetables peaked southwest of the smelter and also in soils near the school in the town centre. Concentrations of elements in soils from the town, including those near the school, had the following ranges: Cu, 41–12,000, geometric mean 863 μg/g; Zn, 89–15,600, geometric mean 920 μg/g; Pb, 32–7860, geometric mean 740 μg/g; Cd, BDL–329.5, geometric mean 3.35 μg/g; As, 15–1440 geometric mean 223 μg/g; Thus, the residents of Zlatna are potentially exposed to levels of these elements that are higher than the recommended guideline values. Mean concentrations of the toxic elements in spring onions were: Cu, 10.2; Zn, 95; Pb, 11; Cd, 0.8; As 2.6 μg/g dry weight.     

Quantitative monitoring of airborne lead pollution by a foliose lichen

The potential use of lichens as quantitative monitors of airborne heavy metal pollution has been demonstrated by measurements of Po²¹⁰, Pb, Cd, Zn, and V levels in sequential growth of the foliose lichen Pseudoparmelia baltimorensis from three localities in the greater Washington, D.C. area. Samples were dated using the growth rate measured by Lawrey and Hale (1977). Po²¹⁰, Pb, and V increase with age in a given colony. Higher levels of Pb, V, Cd, and Zn are present in samples from the two more polluted sites. The retention of heavy metals is consistent with trapping by an ion exchange mechanism. Since Po²¹⁰ is the daughter product of in situ decay of Pb²¹⁰, accumulated from atmospheric fallout of known rate, its levels can be used to calculate trapping efficiencies of Pb and retrospective fallout rates. These rates are similar to published data from rural and urban areas.     

Prey switching in red-necked phalaropes Phalaropus lobatus: Feeding limitations, the functional response and water management at Mono Lake, California, USA

The ability of red-necked phalaropes Phalaropus lobatus to switch prey under conditions of changing prey abundance at Mono Lake, California, was tested in order to predict the potential effects of continued water diversions there on migratory waterbird populations. Red-necked phaloropes cannot switch prey because they are incapable of surviving on a diet of just the hardier of two invertebrates threatened by salinity increases at Mono Lake. Individuals experimentally limited to brine shrimp Artemia monica as a primary prey source lost mass rapidly until death ensued, or until they were offered other prey. These data show that a marked preference for one prey may indicate important physiological limitations in a predator. Such limitations may partly explain Murdoch's empirically supported prediction (Ecol. Mongr. (196), 39, 335-54) that prey switching will not occur where strong prey preferences exist. These results also indicate that strong prey preferences of migratory birds can, and probably should, help determine water management policy at wetlands of importance to shorebirds, especially in cases where initial prey diversity is low.     

The reproductive biology and genetic diversity of Potamophila parviflora R. Br.

Potamophila parviflora, a wild relative ofdomestic rice, is endemic to the north-eastern river systemsof New South Wales, Australia. It is the only member of the genus,and is habitat specific. Several new sites were found, mostly in theUpper Clarence catchment. Florets of P.parviflora were found to be 86%female-only, while 14% contained mature malereproductive parts, which occurred more often in the middle sectionof the panicle. Pollen was found to be necessary for the developmentof mature fruits. RAPD data showed that there is very little geneticvariation between individual plants, or between differentpopulations. An embryological study showed several irregularities inmegasporogenesis and megagametogenesis. No tetrads were observed inmegasporogenesis and the ovule is vacuolate at the megaspore mothercell stage. Megagametogenesis proceeded rapidly, nuclei within theovule were sometimes not spherical and varied in size, and sometimesthe antipodal cells doubled in number with a corresponding halving insize of the nuclei. Chromosome number varied between 2n = 24and 2n = 25, between and within populations. These resultsindicate that P. parvifloracould be a diplosporous apomict of the Antennaria type, althoughfurther works are required to provide conclusive proof.     

Protein displacement by DExH/D "RNA helicases" without duplex unwinding

Members of the DExH/D superfamily of nucleic acid-activated nucleotide triphosphatases are essential for virtually all aspects of RNA metabolism, including pre-messenger RNA splicing, RNA interference, translation, and nucleocytoplasmic trafficking. Physiological substrates for these enzymes are thought to be regions of double-stranded RNA, because several DExH/D proteins catalyze strand separation in vitro. These "RNA helicases" can also disrupt RNA-protein interactions, but it is unclear whether this activity is coupled to duplex unwinding. Here we demonstrate that two unrelated DExH/D proteins catalyze protein displacement independently of duplex unwinding. Therefore, the essential functions of DExH/D proteins are not confined to RNA duplexes but can be exerted on a wide range of ribonucleoprotein substrates.