Beiträge zur Menschenaffenhaltung im Zoo Berlin nach 1945. 3. Mitteilung: Gorillas (Gorilla gorilla)

Since 1956 were Western Lowland Gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) kept in Berlin Zoo, counted in the period after 1945. The first offspring was born in 1964. Up to now 9 Gorillas were born in Berlin Zoo, of which 8 were raised, some of them artificial. The oldest Gorilla is “Fatou”, she is now in an age of 53.     

Berliner Nasenaffen - Nachlese

The keeping of Proboscis monkeys in Berlin Zoo starts 1967, the first breeding took place 1971. The highest longevity of a Proboscis monkey born in Berlin Zoo was 17 years and 3 months, the longest time in keeping of an imported animal was nearly 16 years.     

The kestrel (Falco tinnunculus L.) in Berlin: investigation of breeding biology and feeding ecology

Approximately 200–250 pairs of kestrels (Falco tinnunculus) breed in Berlin, preferentially in nest boxes. From 2002 to 2004, ten monitoring sites (breeding sites) characterised by different housing structure, land utilisation, vegetation cover and degree of building density were studied in Berlin: four in the city centre, three in a mixed zone and three in the outskirts. All pairs bred in nest boxes, so the reproductive success could easily be determined. Pellets, and feathers of bird prey species, were collected during the breeding seasons, and the food spectrum was determined based on these remains. There was no significant difference in the reproductive success of the kestrels between the three zones. Data on the number of fledged young indicated a sufficient food supply. In total, 9 species of mice and shrews, 23 bird species and 31 beetle species were identified as prey of kestrels. Urban kestrels specialise in hunting birds if mice and shrews are not readily available, with the house sparrow (Passer domesticus) as the favoured prey bird. Of note are anthropogenic food items, such as cutlet bones, that were found only in the city centre. This shows that the kestrel can adapt itself to humans with regard to its diet. There was no urban gradient with regard to reproductive success, but there was with the composition of food, such as the domination of bird prey in the city centre. The number of individual items of bird prey decreased from the centre to the outskirts. In conclusion, the results show that the kestrel is an opportunistic species which survives well anywhere in the city of Berlin.

国际第四纪研究联合会第14届大会在柏林举行

国际第四纪研究联合会第１４届大会在柏林举行国际第四纪研究联合会第１４届大会于１９９５年８月３日一１０日在柏林举行,参加大会的各国代表１０００多人,中国代表团总共５０多人,中国第四纪研究的成果引起与会者的普遍关注,本届大会选举Ｐｒｏｆ．Ｓ．Ｃ．Ｐｏｒｔ...     

High Risk for Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Truck Drivers Estimated by the Berlin Questionnaire: Prevalence and Associated Factors

The health issues that attract our attention when analyzing the truck driver population are the high prevalence of sedentary habits, inadequate diet, obesity, and proportion of hypertensive. All these are either considered risk factors for or a consequence of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). The objective of this study was to investigate the risk for OSA among 10,101 truck drivers and to correlate it with potentially related factors, such as serum glucose and cholesterol levels, smoking habits, alcohol and drug consumption, and self-reported physical activity. The drivers were invited to participate in the campaign “Saúde na Boléia” (Health Behind the Wheel) promoted by a Brazilian company responsible for the maintenance of approximately 360 km of roads in the country. Drivers who spontaneously stopped at the campaign booths placed along the roads were invited to answer a questionnaire covering sociodemographic data such as age, alcohol, and drug consumption. All participants completed a Berlin Questionnaire and were classified as low- or high-risk subjects for OSA based on questions about snoring, tiredness during the day, and the presence of hypertension or obesity. Blood collection was accomplished at the same site by nurses and/or nursing students collaborating with the campaign for subsequent laboratory studies. Approximately 26% of the truck drivers were found to be at high-risk group for OSA. An adjusted multiple logistic model found the independent risk factors of smoking (OR = 1.16; p = 0.014) and drug use (OR = 1.32; p < 0.0001) were associated with high risk for OSA. The presence of self-reported occasional (OR = 0.62; p < 0.0001) and regular (OR = 0.53; p < 0.0001) physical activity was found to be an independent factor protective of OSA. Educational programs, including ones aimed at improving one's health habits, such as engagement in physical exercise, should be considered in the development of initiatives to reduce the risk for OSA among the truck driver population.     

Selective gray matter staining of human brain slices: optimized use of cadaver materials

We report a novel staining technique for human brain slices that distinguishes clearly gray from white matter. Previously described techniques using either Prussian blue (Berlin blue) or phthalocyanine dyes usually have included a hot phenol pretreatment to prevent white matter staining. The technique we describe here does not require hot phenol pretreatment and allows the use of brains stored for postmortem periods of one to two years prior to staining. Our technique involves staining with copper(II) phthalocyanine-tetrasulfonic acid tetrasodium salt 1% in water for 2 h followed by acetic acid treatment; this produces excellent blue staining of gray matter with little white matter staining. The stained brain slices are excellent for teaching human brain anatomy and/or pathology, or for research purposes.     

Development of a synaptosomal model to determine drug-induced in vivo changes in GABA-levels of nerve endings in 11 brain regions of the rat

An experimental procedure was developed which allowed the simultaneous measurement of GABA in synaptosomes from 11 regions of one rat brain. Synaptosomal fractions were prepared by conventional subcellular fractionation procedures and characterized by electron microscopy. Post-mortem increases of GABA during removal and dissection of brain tissue, homogenization and fractionation procedures could be sufficiently minimized by rapid processing of the tissue at low temperatures and inclusion of 3-mercaptopropionic acid (1 mM) in the homogenizing medium. Experiments with addition of aminooxyacetic acid (AOOA, 1 mM) to the homogenizing medium indicated that GABA was not being degraded during synaptosome preparation. The presence of exogenous GABA (1 mM) did not alter the GABA levels in the organelles, indicating that no significant redistribution of GABA occurred during subcellular fractionation. On the basis of these findings, it was suggested that synaptosomal fractions could be used as a model to monitor indirectly the drug-induced changes in GABA levels of nerve endings in discrete brain areas of the intact animal. In vivo experiments with AOAA (30 mg/kg i.p.) and valproic acid (VPA, 200 mg/kg i.p.) showed that both drugs caused differential effects on synaptosmal GABA levels in different brain regions. Although AOAA was more potent than VPA in increasing GABA in whole tissue of most brain regions, significant increases of synaptosomal GABA levels after AOAA were only determined in olfactory bulbs and frontal cerebral cortex. In contrast, VPA induced significant synaptosomal GABA increases in olfactory bulbs, hypothalamus, superior and inferior colliculus, substantia nigra, and cerebellum. The data indicate that the synaptosomal model can provide useful information on the in vivo effects of drugs on GABA levels in nerve terminals and their ability to exert this effect in specific brain areas.     

Assessment of Risk Literacy Among German Medical Students: A Cross-Sectional Study Evaluating Numeracy Skills

For successful communication of risk-related disease and treatment modalities, sufficient competence in risk literacy is important. Medical students who will soon be in the responsible role of physicians need to comprehend numeric estimates of probability in order to explain them understandably to patients. Therefore, we have examined the risk literacy among German medical students in a cross-sectional study with 600 participants from the first to the sixth year. Four hundred thirty-four complete datasets (72.35%) could be retrieved. The measuring instrument was the Berlin Numeracy Test, in which a maximum of 4 points could be obtained. Participants achieved an average score of 2.03 points, which is significantly higher than the score defined by the Berlin Numeracy Test (1.6 points). A slight increase from the first (2.00 points) to the sixth academic year (2.38) was detected, which was not significant. In addition, participants who made notes achieved significantly higher test results (2.45) than students who did mental arithmetic (1.77). Male participants showed a significantly higher performance (2.36) than their female colleagues (1.72). Medical students possess a good basis in their risk literacy skills; however, more exercise in dealing with practical case studies is needed.     

Chronoethologische Untersuchung zur Jungtierentwicklung beim Weißlippenhirsch (Cervus albirostris) im Tierpark Berlin

A group of eight (2.6) White-lipped deer (Cervus albirostris) and four (1.3) fawns, born in 2010, kept in Tierpark Berlin were observed with focal point at circadian behavioural pattern, mother-child-interaction and the ontogeny of behaviour.The circadian rhythm of the animals proved to be bimodal and in its activity periods clearly synchronized with daily routine in the zoo. The animals showed different types of behaviours concerning metabolism (47%), comfort and resting (25%), movement (11%) and other behaviour (17%). The parallels between the distribution of behaviour and spatial use during the day point to an obvious relevance of different shaped enclosure areas to the behaviour. Calves of White-lipped deer are considered to be typical hiders („Ablieger“). Initially the fawns entered the enclosure trough the fence four to five times a day, exclusively for suckling. Until the fourth week of life their distribution of behaviour and their daily rhythm were well-adjusted to that of the adults. Despite of an age difference up to 17 days, the hiding period of all four fawns ended more or less at the same point of time; in case of the oldest fawn after 6, in case of the youngest fawn already after 3½ weeks of life. This indicates a synchronisation of the ontogeny of behaviour between older fawns and younger ones living with each other. In the process of dietary change from milk to solid food this synchronization was also to be seen. During the first two weeks the fawns were almost exclusively in contact with their mothers, but with time the bonding between the four fawns got stronger. The young affect each other in their development of behaviour. Above-mentioned traits of weaning in mammals point to the onset of weaning in the observed animals at three to four weeks of live.All in all the behavioural development of White-lipped deer obviously depends on physiological needs and abilities as well as social environment.