Vitamin K requirement and reproduction in bromadiolone-resistant Norway rats

BACKGROUND: Nucleotide polymorphisms in the VKORC1 gene can be linked to anticoagulant rodenticide resistance in Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus Berkenhout). This provides a fitness advantage to rats exposed to anticoagulant actives, but may also cause fitness costs. The vitamin K requirement and reproductive parameters of bromadiolone‐resistant rats (Westphalian resistant strain; VKOR variant Tyr139Cys) and bromadiolone‐susceptible Norway rats were compared. RESULTS: At vitamin K deficiency, blood clotting times increased in all homozygous resistant males within 8 days and in 80% of homozygous resistant females within 15 days. There was little effect on blood clotting in heterozygous males and no effect in heterozygous females and VKOR wild‐type individuals. Litter size was about 20% higher in sensitive pairs compared with resistant pairs. Testes growth, male gonad weight, sperm motility and testis cell concentration were unaffected by the mutation. CONCLUSIONS: The VKOR variant Tyr139Cys causes considerable physiological cost in Norway rats in terms of vitamin K requirement and reproduction. This may affect the distribution and spread of resistant individuals in the wild. Decreased litter size of resistant parents seems to be due to lowered female reproductive performance, as there was no significant effect of the mutation on any aspects of male reproduction considered, but this requires further study. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Model for Simulation of Particle Flow on a Centrifugal Fertiliser Spreader

An analysis of the motion of a particle on a rotating flat disc is conducted and a basic equation of motion derived for a single particle. The analysis is directly applied to the flow of particles on a centrifugal fertiliser spreader. Equations of motion are derived for flat disc/radial vanes type of spreaders and further generalised for the more common conical disc/pitched vanes type. The derived equations of motion form part of the basis of a simulation model for centrifugal (or spinning disc) fertiliser spreaders with the equations of motion through the air completing the model. In the simulation, the collective flow of particles is treated as a superposition of single-particle trajectories with different initial conditions. The spreader model is applicable for the development of spreader control systems for site-specific fertiliser application as well as for the design and optimisation of spreaders.     

INFLUENCE OF INHALED SMOKE FROM UPPER RESPIRATORY LASER SURGERY

Endoscopic tracheal lavage cytology was evaluated before and 24 hours after standing transendoscopic laser surgery of the upper airway in 18 horses (9 patients undergoing Neodymium:yttrium aluminum garnet [Nd:YAG] surgery and 9 non-patient horses undergoing argon surgery). Paired endoscopic tracheal lavages taken 24 hours apart were evaluated in six control horses to determine if the lavage technique influenced the cytology. After 24 hours, no inflammation was noted in three, mild inflammation was noted in six and suppurative inflammation in four surgically treated horses. Five of the surgically treated horses underwent general anesthesia prior to baseline tracheal lavage and had evidence of inflammation in pre-laser lavage samples; this made it difficult to assess the true incidence of laser-induced inflammation in horses in this report. Five of six control horses had a normal tracheal lavage at 24 hours. Six normal adult horses had baseline tracheal mucous clearance rates determined using scintigraphy followed one week later by tracheal mucous clearance rates two hours after either standing transendoscopic Nd:YAG ventriculectomy or standing transendoscopic argon cauterization of a 2 × 2 cm area of dorsal pharynx. The horses were left in pasture for three weeks, followed by a second baseline and post-laser tracheal mucous clearance rate using the opposite laser technique. There was no significant difference between the first and second baseline measurements. The order of laser treatments had no effect on the results obtained. There was no significant difference between the baseline tracheal mucous clearance rates (mean 1.65 ± 0.65 cm/min) and tracheal mucous clearance rates post-laser surgery (mean 1.62 ± 1.21 cm/min). Neither laser technique altered tracheal mucous clearance rates significantly (argon mean 1.57 ± 0.59 cm/min and Nd:YAG mean 1.67 ± .68 cm/min.     

Beobachtungen über Fett und Aleuron in Erdnuß (Arachis hypogaea) und Walnuß (Juglans regia)

Zusammenfassung Färbung mit Ölrot in 60% Triäthylphosphat und Fluorochromierung mit Nilblausulfat bringt Sphärosomen und Reservefett gleichermaßen zur Darstellung. Letzteres gibt sich nach Färbung oder OsO₄-Dampf-Fixierung in den Kotyledonarzellen vonArachis hypogaea als zusammenhängende Masse zu erkennen, die sich in den Hohlräumen eines plasmatischen Netzes zwischen Stärke- und Aleuronkörnern erstreckt. Diese Aleuronkörner dürften plasmatischen Ursprungs sein und wahrscheinlich durch innere Sekretion des ER (Graham et al. 1962) entstehen. In den Kotyledonen vonJuglans regia ist außerdem eine granuläre oder tröpfchenförmige, stark osmiophile, wahrscheinlich an ungesättigten Fettsäuren reiche, Lipidphase vorhanden.Die Wichtigkeit streng wasserfreier Präparation für die Mikroskopie luft-trockener Gewebe wird hervorgehoben.

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Staining with oilred in 60% triethylphosphate and fluorochroming with Nile blue sulfate exhibits spherosomes and reserve fat in the same way. After staining or OsO₄ vapor fixation the fat in the cotyledonar cells ofArachis hypogaea is to recognise as a coherent mass extending through the cavities of a plasmatic network between starch and aleuron grains. These aleuron grains may be of protoplasmatic origin and probably made by internal secretion of the ER (Graham et al. 1962). In the cotyledons ofJuglans regia there is moreover a granulare or droplike, very osmiophilic lipid phase probably rich in unsaturated fatty acids.The importance of a perfectly water free preparation is emphased for the microscopy of air drough tissues.

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Résumé Coloration par huile-rouge avec 60% triethylphosphate et par le fluorochrome sulfate du Nile-bleu figure également les sphérosomes et les huile grasses. Les dernières représentent par coloration ou fixation avec vaporeux OsO₄ dans les cellules cotyledonaires deArachis hypogaea une matière cohérente qui s'étende à travers les cavités d'un réseau plasmatique parmi les grains d'amidon et d'aleuron. Ces grains d'aleuron sont peut-être d'origine plasmatique et probablements faits par sécrétion interne du ER (Graham et al. 1962). Dans les cotylédons deJuglans regia existe en outre une granulaire ou goutelette, très osmiophilique phase lipide, probablement riche d'acides sébaciques insaturés.L'importance d'une préparation parfaite sans l'eau est mise en évidence pour la microscopie des tissus secs.

     

Socioeconomic and environmental risk factors for urban rodent infestation in Sao Paulo,Brazil

This article provides analyses of data on the premises infestation by commensal rodents collected during the 2006 Urban Rodent Survey, in Sao Paulo city, Brazil. A two-stage cluster sample survey was used to visit 23,512 premises, and logistic regression models were estimated in order to understand the relationships among the risk factors and the infestation probability. The premises infestation rates were 23.1% for all rodents, 12.7% for roof rat, 9.4% for Norway rat and 1.7% for house mouse. Factors found to be related to infestation levels were: socioeconomic conditions (human development index and income), premises features (commercial, strictly residential and vacant lots), and environmental resources (access, harborage and food). The analysis of odds ratios showed that access by the building structure favours roof rat and access by the sewage system favours Norway rat. Harborage in ceiling cracks are determinant for roof rat, harborage in wall cracks and in dense bush for Norway rat, and harborage in waste or in building material for house mouse infestations. Available animal food favour all the three species, fruit trees favour Norway and roof rats, human food is important for house mouse: therefore a natural partition of the environmental resources among the species was observed. The results obtained in this article add some knowledge on the biology and behaviour of commensal rodents.     

Quantitative Bestimmung einiger biogener Amine in Bananen,Datteln und Feigen

Brands of bananas, dates, and figs were examined on the presence of serotonin, dopamine, noradrenaline, and adrenaline. Quantitative determination of the detected biogenic amines was performed by thin-layer chromatographic separation of their dansyl-derivatives followed by ultraviolet spectrophotometric measurement of the eluted substances. In bananas (eatable portion) could be found 77,5 µg/g serotonin, 650,5 µg/g dopamine, and 105,5 µg/g noradrenaline; in dates and figs only serotonin was detectable the amount of which has been 8,5 µg/g and 12,2 µg/g respectively.     

Licht- und elektronenmikroskopische Untersuchungen an Weizen- und Kartoffelstärke

Zusammenfassung Die elektronenmikroskopische Ultradünnschnittechnik lässt sich auf Reservestärken wegen Verquellung der Stärkekorn-Dünnschnitte nicht anwenden, wohl aber nach Lintnerisierung d.i. partielle HCl-Hydrolyse der Stärken bei Zimmertemperatur. Auf diese Weise kann die Schichtung der Stärkekörner elektronenmikroskopisch abgebildet werden (Buttrose 1960); in Übereinstimmung mit Angaben der Literatur wurde an der Peripherie von Weizengrosskörnern eine Schichtbreite bis herab zu 1/10µ und bei Kartoffelstärke eine gleichmässige Schichtung ähnlicher Grössenordnung gefunden. PWS-Nachkontrastierung führt besonders bei Weizenstärke zu einer deutlicheren Darstellung der Schichtung.Die elektronenmikroskopische Darstellung von Radiärstrukturen (Mikrofibrillen) wurde bisher hauptsächlich an Stärkekorn-Bruchstücken versucht. Durchstrahlbare Präparationen ergaben an beiden Stärkearten Andeutungen solcher Radiärstrukturen. Kohleabdrücke von zerriebener lintnerisierter Kartoffelstärke ergaben ähnliche Mikrofibrillen wie sieSterling &Pangborn (1960) abgebildet haben.

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Summary The electronmicroscopic ultrathin-cutting-technique is not successful in case of reserve starch because there is swelling of the thincuttings of starch granules, however, it is possible after Lintnerisation i.e. partial HCl-hydrolysing of the starches at room temperature. In this way the lamellation of starch granules can be demonstrated by the electronmicroscope (Buttrose 1960); in accordance with the literature it was found that in the periphery of the great granules of wheat the periodicity of lamellation was nearly 1/10µ and there was also an equal submicroscopic lamellation in potato starch granules. PWA-poststaining on wheat starch results in more distinct lamellation.Electronmicroscopical studies on radial structure (microfibrils) were carried out till now, especially in fragments of starch granules. Preparations directly used in the EM, reveal such radial structures in both types of starch. Carbon repliques of fragmented lintnerised potato starch yield similar microfibrils as indicated bySterling &Pangborn (1960).

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Résumé La technique des coupes ultrafines électronmicroscopiques n'est pas accessible aux amidons de réserve à cause de gonflement des coupes fines des grains d'amidon, mais c'est possible après Lintnerisation, cela veut dire: HCl-hydrolyse partiale des amidons à température normale. De telle manière la lamellation des grains d'amidon peut être démontrée en électronmicroscope (Buttrose 1960). En accordance avec la littérature, la périodicité de la lamellation dans la périphérie des grands grains de froment était trouvée presque jusqu'à 1/10µ et aussi une lamellation submicroscopique égale dans l'amidon de pomme de terre. PWA-postcoloration rend la représentation de la lamellation, plus distincte spécialement dans l'amidon de froment.La présentation électronmicroscopique des structures radiales (microfibrilles) était essayée jusqu'aujourd'hui principalement aux fragments de grains d'amidon. Préparations irradiées à travers ont rendus telles structures radiales à tous les deux amidons. Appliques de carbon des grains fragmentés lintnerisés d'amidon de pomme de terre indiquaient des microfibrilles similaires commeSterling &Pangborn (1960) les ont présentées.

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mit 9 Tafeln und 1 Fig.