Peripheral plasma progesterone and utero-ovarian prostaglandin F concentrations in the cow around parturition.

The concentration of prostaglandin F in utero-ovarian venous plasma and proseterone in jugular venous plasma were determined by radioimmunoassay in 3 cows over the last 2-3 weeks of gestation. Utero-ovarian prostaglandin F concentrations did not show and consistent pattern in two hours of three cows until 48-72 h before term when the levels rose sharply from 1 ng/ml to maximum 4-9 ng/ml during labour. The concentration of prosterone in jugular venous plasma tended to fall gradually over the last 20 days of gestation with a further fall occurring 48-36 h before delivery.     

Radioimmunoassay of 13, 14-dihydro-15-keto prostaglandin F in bovine peripheral plasma.

A radioimmunoassay has been developed for 13, 14-dihydro-15-keto-prostaglandin F in bovine peripheral plasma. Acidified plasma samples were extracted with diethyl ether and the dried extract assayed for 13, 14-dihydro-15-keto-prostaglandin F using antiserum raised against a 13, 14-dihydro-15-keto-prostaglandin F2alpha-albumin complex. The tracer used for the assay was prepared enzymatically from tritiated prostaglandin F1alpha. Polyethylene glycol was employed to separate free and bound 13, 14-dihydro-15-keto-prostaglandin F. The inter-assay coefficient of variation based on 9 determinations of control plasma was 13.8%. The detection limit of the assay was 25 pg 13, 14-dihydro-15-keto-prostaglandin F/ml plasma. In 3 cows around estrus there was a complex sseries of peaks of 13, 14-dihydro-15-keto-prostaglandin F concentrations coincident with luteolysis and declining progesterone concentrations. Changes in peripheral plasma concentrations of 13, 14-dihydro-15-keto-prostaglandin F in the pregnant cow near term showed a close correlation with prostaglandin F levels in utero-ovarian venous plasma. The concentration of 13, 14-dihydro-15-keto-prostaglandin F in 12 men was 114 +/- 20 pg/ml plasma. It is concluded that the measurement of peripheral 13, 14-dihydro-15-keto-prostaglandin F concentrations may offer a simple and convenient method for monitoring uterine prostaglandin F production in the cow.     

Intellectual functioning and multi-dimensional attentional processes in long-term survivors of a central nervous system related pediatric malignancy

Aims

Central nervous system (CNS) malignancies and/or their treatment in pediatric cancer survivors are known to be associated with deficits in neuropsychological functions. We report findings from a nation-wide study of childhood cancer survivors to investigate intelligence and attention/concentration from a multi-dimensional perspective in a diverse sample from this population.

Main methods

Four hundred forty-four pediatric cancer survivors between 6 and 17 years of age, who had suffered CNS involvement associated with their malignancy, were evaluated. All patients completed a measure of general intelligence. Attention was measured by a continuous performance test (CPT) and by parental report using a standardized psychological inventory.

Key findings

Social economic status (SES) was a significant predictor of intellectual functioning and scores on independent measures of attention. After controlling for SES, cranial radiation therapy (CRT) was strongly predictive of impairments in intellectual functioning. Patients who had completed a transplant procedure did not have significant impairments in intellectual functioning when compared to other participants. CPT performance was most clearly influenced by a younger age at diagnosis and the presence of a supratentorial brain tumor. Reaction time was lower in patients who had received CRT. Gender did not correlate with CPT performance, but caregiver reports of deficits in attentional functioning were more prevalent in girls compared to boys.

Significance

These findings are important given the large, representative sample and multi-dimensional assessment of attentional functioning. The presence of a very strong SES effect on all dependent variables must be addressed in studies of this nature.     

The secreted integrin ligand nephronectin is necessary for forelimb formation in Xenopus tropicalis

While limb regeneration has been extensively studied in amphibians, little is known about the initial events in limb formation in metamorphosing anurans. The small secreted integrin ligand nephronectin (npnt) is necessary for development of the metanephros in mouse. Although expressed in many tissues, its role in other developmental processes is not well-studied. Here we show that a transgene insertion that disrupts this gene ablates forelimb formation in Xenopus tropicalis. Our results suggest a novel role for integrin signalling in limb development, and represent the first insertional phenotype to be cloned in amphibians.     

Effects of salinity on the growth and nutrient retention in silver perch, Bidyanus bidyanus (Mitchell 1838) (Teraponidae)

The silver perch, Bidyanus bidyanus, is a native Australian freshwater fish of the highest aquaculture potential. The species is known to tolerate a certain extent of salinity. Silver perch juveniles were fed a commercial diet (45% protein) and reared at salinities 0, 4, 8 and 12 in order to assess weight gain, specific growth rate (SGR), food conversion ratio (FCR) and nutrient retention at these four salinities. Fish reared at salinity 4 (P < 0.05) showed the best weight gain, SGR, FCR and a significantly better performance. Nitrogen and phosphorus retention were also significantly better in fish reared at salinity 4 (P < 0.05).     

Similarities between Line Fishing and Baited Stereo-Video Estimations of Length-Frequency: Novel Application of Kernel Density Estimates

Age structure data is essential for single species stock assessments but length-frequency data can provide complementary information. In south-western Australia, the majority of these data for exploited species are derived from line caught fish. However, baited remote underwater stereo-video systems (stereo-BRUVS) surveys have also been found to provide accurate length measurements. Given that line fishing tends to be biased towards larger fish, we predicted that, stereo-BRUVS would yield length-frequency data with a smaller mean length and skewed towards smaller fish than that collected by fisheries-independent line fishing. To assess the biases and selectivity of stereo-BRUVS and line fishing we compared the length-frequencies obtained for three commonly fished species, using a novel application of the Kernel Density Estimate (KDE) method and the established Kolmogorov–Smirnov (KS) test. The shape of the length-frequency distribution obtained for the labrid Choerodon rubescens by stereo-BRUVS and line fishing did not differ significantly, but, as predicted, the mean length estimated from stereo-BRUVS was 17% smaller. Contrary to our predictions, the mean length and shape of the length-frequency distribution for the epinephelid Epinephelides armatus did not differ significantly between line fishing and stereo-BRUVS. For the sparid Pagrus auratus, the length frequency distribution derived from the stereo-BRUVS method was bi-modal, while that from line fishing was uni-modal. However, the location of the first modal length class for P. auratus observed by each sampling method was similar. No differences were found between the results of the KS and KDE tests, however, KDE provided a data-driven method for approximating length-frequency data to a probability function and a useful way of describing and testing any differences between length-frequency samples. This study found the overall size selectivity of line fishing and stereo-BRUVS were unexpectedly similar.