A portable suction sampler for rock epibiota

Summary 1. A fully portable suction sampler which can be operated by one diver is described.2. Rock epibiota is removed by a scraper tube which leads, through a collecting chamber, to an air-lift suction chamber and tube. The sample is held in a net bag before reaching the suction chamber. Air is supplied by a cylinder incorporated into the unit.3. The sampler removes all epilithic biota except for the parts of encrusting species cemented to the rock.4. The sampler can also be used for sand fauna.

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Ein tragbarer Saugsammler für epibiotisch auf Felsen lebende Organismen

Kurzfassung Eine Saugpumpe für bestandskundliche Untersuchungen, die von einem Taucher getragen und bedient werden kann, wird beschrieben. Sie besteht aus einer Sammelkammer, in die zwischen dem Schabrohr und der Luftsaugkammer ein Sammelnetz eingefügt wird. Die Saugkammer ist durch ein Reduktionsventil mit einem Preßluftzylinder verbunden. Mit Hilfe dieses Sammelgeräts lassen sich fast alle Organismen von Felsoberflächen entfernen. Es kann überdies auch zur quantitativen Erfassung der Fauna auf Sandböden eingesetzt werden. Vor- und Nachteile dieses Gerätes werden diskutiert.

     

A novel xylene substitute for histotechnology and histochemistry

Abstract

Propylene glycol methyl ether (PGME) exhibits excellent solvent and coupling properties. A toxicity database provided evidence suggesting that PGME might be a useful substitute for xylene in histotechnology and histochemistry applications. Tissue specimens were fixed, cleared in either PGME or xylene, embedded in paraffin wax, then dewaxed in either PGME or xylene. Sections were treated with the following stains: hematoxylin & eosin (H & E), three special stains of the Gordon/Sweet silver staining method, PAS, and Masson's trichrome, and immunostains including actin, CD3, CD34, CK, CK7/CK9, Ki-67, and ER/PR. The sections were mounted in a resinous medium consisting of PGME and pinene copolymer, then examined under a microscope. Variables such as water tolerance, dimension change, organic solvency, and anti-fading efficacy also were assessed. Depending on the application, PGME performance was equal to or exceeded that of xylene. PGME provided better optical clarity and nuclear detail, did not harden the tissue samples, conserved tissue antigenicity, and was amenable to resinous mounting. Tissues not dehydrated with absolute ethanol also were processed properly. Tissues treated with PGME did not warp or contract compared to those treated with xylene (p < 0.0001). PGME, however, exhibited less organic solvency than xylene. There was no discernible change in the colors of stains in sections processed with PGME even after storage for two years. These results suggest that PGME is a novel xylene substitute for applications in histotechnology and histochemistry.     

A serum substitute for fed-batch culturing of hybridoma cells

We developed a substitute for serum to produce fed-batch cultures of hybridoma cells in serum-free medium and confirmed that the cells could be successfully cultivated this way. Our substitute consisted of 12 components. The specific production rates of lactate and ammonia, which are harmful byproducts from the cells, were significantly reduced compared with a conventional serum-containing batch culture. This reduction led to a higher cell concentration and a longer production lifetime. As a result, the final concentration of monoclonal antibody was 400 mg/L, or five times greater than that in the conventional serum-containing batch culture. The developed substitute is expected to enable fed-batch cultivation in a serum-free condition.     

A new silicate medium,a useful substitute for agar-agar

Summary Two silicate media are described which in comparison with agar-agar media have only slight disadvantages. They are very cheap.     

Computerized suction lipectomy aspirator monitor for improved results in suction lipectomy

A new computerized suction aspirator monitor is described. This device offers the benefits of instantaneous and concurrent scientifically accurate readout of aspirate contents in five separate bodily areas. Thus knowledge of amounts of blood versus fat can be immediately known without resorting to guess, estimate, or cumbersome lipocrit determination by centrifuging. Advantages of such a device include better accuracy in determination of fat removal from each area, with improvement of symmetrical fat removal. More exact determination of blood loss with improved hemodynamic replacement is also more easily and safely accomplished. In an area of mystique, experience, artistry, and aesthetic appreciation which has cloaked the initial enthusiasm for suction lipectomy, a new generation of scientific accuracy is now possible. Thus accurate determination of aspirate content vis-a-vis fat and blood can now transform this procedure into a more sophisticated and scientifically accurate operation which traditionally is desired by most practitioners of suction lipectomy.     

A genic substitute for isolation in hybrid corn seed production

Complete isolation of production fields for hybrid corn seed is difficult to attain in our Middle West. When the seed being produced is field corn seed and it is fertilized by other field corns, contamination is difficult to detect and not very serious. But when the seed being grown is of a specialized type, such as popcorn or waxy corn, outcrossing is most detrimental. A practical solution to this isolation problem lies in a unique type of cross-sterility discovered in some of our popcorns.     

一种适合美洲斑潜蝇实验研究的新型纱虫笼及吸虫器

介绍一种适合美洲斑潜蝇Liriomyza sativae Blanchard实验的纱虫笼和吸虫器。纱虫笼利用细铁丝、纱网、铁夹等材料制作而成,高为10cm,长为6cm、宽为6cm。吸虫器利用吸耳球、尖嘴玻璃管、海绵等材料制成,长为22cm,重约为30g。纱虫笼一面特制的放虫孔,便于接入和移出美洲斑潜蝇成虫。该纱虫笼通透性好,可保证其内外环境一致。吸虫器的尖嘴玻璃管内的海绵及脱脂棉可防止移虫时对美洲斑潜蝇成虫造成损伤。该套实验装置可用于斑潜蝇及其寄生蜂的基本生物学特性、交配产卵行为及繁殖等实验研究。     

A new inexpensive suction apparatus for sampling arthropods in grassland

Abstract.

• 1 We describe a new technique for sampling arthropods from grassland and other vegetation, using a modified petrol-driven suction apparatus called a‘Blow & Vac’.
• 2 The new apparatus was tested by comparing its efficiency in extracting arthropods from vegetation with that of a conventional Dietrick, or‘D-Vac’, suction sampler.
• 3 Unimpeded air velocity inside the suction tube was approximately 4 times that of the D-Vac.
• 4 In field trials on semi-natural grasslands, the Blow & Vac caught more individuals of most spider and certain beetle species compared to the D-Vac and approximately equal numbers of Auchenorrhyncha.
• 5 We conclude that the‘Blow & Vac’has considerable potential for sampling arthropod populations. Its low cost and weight make it a suitable alternative to the conventional D-Vac apparatus.

     

水螅的替代食物筛选

在水螅的培养中,常出现食物缺乏。为了获得替代食物,比较水螅对一些常见肉类的捕食行为。结果表明,水螅对蚯蚓肉、虾肉、鱼肉、鸡肉、牛肉和猪肉均能捕捉,对各食物的捕捉比例无显著差异;但水螅对食物的摄食比例在食物类型间存在显著差异,对虾肉较为偏好。可选择虾肉作为培养时的替代食物。