Background Data on Developmental Parameters During the Gestation Period in Rats

Abstract: Background data during the gestation period were obtained from 128 Wistar Hannover GALAS rats and 26 Crl:CD(SD) pregnant rats in the control groups of our previous toxicity studies. The body weights of dams in the Wistar Hannover GALAS rats were significantly lower throughout the gestation period than those in the Crl:CD(SD) rats. In contrast, the time-dependent change in the body weight gain (%) of dams showed very similar trends in both strains. The mean number of live embryos/fetuses in the Wistar Hannover GALAS rats was 12.0, and was lower than that (14.5) in the Crl:CD(SD) rats. The placental weights gradually increased with pregnancy progression and reached a plateau on gestation day (GD) 19, although the embryo/fetal weights rapidly increased from GD 17 to GD 21. The embryo/fetal weights in the Wistar Hannover GALAS rats were significantly lower on only GD 21 than those in the Crl:CD(SD) rats. It is considered that this fetal weight difference between the strains develops during the fetal period, but not during the organogenesis period. In contrast, there were no differences in the placental weights between the two strains. Microscopically, the thickness of the labyrinth zone in the Wistar Hannover GALAS rats was thicker throughout the gestation period than that in the Crl:CD(SD) rats.     

Hull split and damaged almond volatiles attract male and female navel orangeworm moths

A blend of volatiles derived from the emissions of almonds at hull split and mechanically damaged almonds was compared to almond meal, the current monitoring standard for the insect pest navel orangeworm (NOW). Field trapping studies were performed to determine the blend's ability to attract adult NOW. The blend comprised racemic 1-octen-3-ol, ethyl benzoate, methyl salicylate, acetophenone, and racemic (E)-conophthorin. Ethyl acetate was used as a solvent with a blend component concentration of 100 mg/mL. The blend attracted both sexes of NOW when tested in five 2-week intervals spanning the first three flights of NOW in commercial almond orchards in the southern Central Valley of California. The blend demonstrated consistently higher capture rates for female NOW throughout the evaluation period, but unlike almond meal it significantly attracted males. Reported is a survey of the major and minor volatiles emitted from almonds at hull split, the key period of vulnerability to NOW infestation. Also reported is the attractancy of a formulated test blend based on the host plant volatile emissions, electroantennographic screening experiments, and field trapping studies. The results of this test blend highlight progress toward a host-plant-based attractant for NOW, a major insect pest of California tree nuts that presently lacks an adequate monitoring tool.     

Resonant amplification of magnetic domain-wall motion by a train of current pulses

The current-induced motion of magnetic domain walls confined to nanostructures is of interest for applications in magnetoelectronic devices in which the domain wall serves as the logic gate or memory element. The injection of spin-polarized current below a threshold value through a domain wall confined to a pinning potential results in its precessional motion within the potential well. We show that by using a short train of current pulses, whose length and spacing are tuned to this precession frequency, the domain wall's oscillations can be resonantly amplified. This makes possible the motion of domain walls with much reduced currents, more than five times smaller than in the absence of resonant amplification.     

Driving AMPA receptors into synapses by LTP and CaMKII: requirement for GluR1 and PDZ domain interaction

To elucidate mechanisms that control and execute activity-dependent synaptic plasticity, alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionate receptors (AMPA-Rs) with an electrophysiological tag were expressed in rat hippocampal neurons. Long-term potentiation (LTP) or increased activity of the calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) induced delivery of tagged AMPA-Rs into synapses. This effect was not diminished by mutating the CaMKII phosphorylation site on the GluR1 AMPA-R subunit, but was blocked by mutating a predicted PDZ domain interaction site. These results show that LTP and CaMKII activity drive AMPA-Rs to synapses by a mechanism that requires the association between GluR1 and a PDZ domain protein.     

Allomorphic forms of bacteriophage phiX-174 replicative DNA

The bacteriophage ?X-174 replicative form of DNA exists in two configurations, as judged by electron microscopy and sucrose density gradient sedimentation, and on methylated albumin-coated kieselguhr column chromatography.The predominant 21S form of the DNA is a tightly twisted circle. Treatment with deoxyribonuclease causes a single scission in one of the two strands, resulting in an open circle which sediments at 16S.     

Method for estimating buoyancy of midwater float required to standardize hook depth in pelagic longline

ABSTRACT:   A midwater float is a small float attached to the mainline of pelagic longlines to standardize the hook depth. In this study theoretical equations are presented for estimating the buoyancy of the midwater float required to lift the joints of the midwater float line on the mainline to the target depth. Sea trials using full scale tuna longline gear with midwater floats were carried out in the Indian Ocean in December 2004 and 2005, in order to examine the validity of the theoretical equations. In the sea trials, two types of midwater float settings, single midwater float setting and double midwater float setting, were tested and compared with the conventional setting. As a result, the joints of the midwater float line on the mainline were successfully lifted to the target depth as expected, demonstrating the validity of the theoretical equation. The range of hook depths in the midwater float setting was less spread over depths than in the conventional setting, and therefore, use of long float lines (100 m) with the midwater float setting allows all hooks to avoid entering the sea turtle habitat of shallower than 100 m depth. Factors affecting shoaling of the longline with the midwater float are also discussed.