The r(14) syndrome. 3 new observations

Three observations of r(14) are reported. Constant features of r(14) syndrome are the following: moderate but typical craniofacial dysmorphism, seizures and other neurological abnormalities, abnormal retinal pigmentation, and recurrent respiratory infections. The value of gene dosage evaluation for genes mapped to the distal segment of 14q, particularly the Ig heavy chain genes, is emphasized.     

Developmental toxicity of temafloxacin hydrochloride in the long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis)

The potential developmental toxicity of temafloxacin hydrochloride was studied in the long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis). Ten animals in each of the three drug-treated groups (25, 50, and 100 mg/kg) were administered temafloxacin via nasogastric intubation during gestational days (GD) 20-50. A control group of ten animals received vehicle only. The dams were monitored daily for adverse physical signs and maternal blood samples were collected for analyses of serum progesterone (P), 17 beta-estradiol (E2), and chorionic gonadotropin (CG). In addition, the conceptus was monitored periodically by ultrasound during gestation to confirm growth and viability. Increased maternal toxicity (weight loss, anorexia, emesis) and embryolethality were observed at 100 mg/kg, and a no-observable-adverse-effect-level (NOAEL) of 50 mg/kg was established. The incidence of prenatal mortality was as follows: Control = 1/10 (10%); 25 mg/kg = 1/10 (10%); 50 mg/kg = 2/10 (20%); and 100 mg/kg = 5/10 (50%). Analysis of P, E2, and CG indicated no significant effect of treatment. In addition, no significant differences were observed in embryonic/fetal growth and development when compared to historical controls. No gross structural changes were observed in fetuses exposed to 50 or 100 mg/kg, although one fetus exposed to 25 mg/kg exhibited microphthalmia. This anomaly was considered spontaneous and, therefore, unrelated to treatment.     

黑肾卷裙夜蛾形态及生物学特性初步观察

黑肾卷裙夜蛾Plecoptera oculata Moore是我国南方珍贵树种降香黄檀Dalbergia odorifera种植区的一种食叶性害虫。【目的】初步研究黑肾卷裙夜蛾的形态特征、生物学特性以及生活史等问题。【方法】通过室内观察和野外调查,数据精确测量与统计,总结与分析了黑肾卷裙夜蛾的形态、生物学特性等问题。【结果】黑肾卷裙夜蛾幼虫6龄,黑肾卷裙夜蛾一个世代发育需要(41.64±1.59)d,越冬代约为120 d,室内饲养存活率为61.37%±0.80%,其中卵发育历期(7.53±0.40)d,孵化率为(86.67%±1.43)%,幼虫发育历期为(18.42±0.41)d,存活率为61.30%±1.21%,蛹期为(8.67±0.58)d,羽化率为75.55%±1.14%,成虫寿命为(7.02±0.78)d,存活率为74.44%±1.12%,该虫在广东地区一年发生可以发生7~8代,且具有世代重叠现象。【结论】通过了解该虫的生物学特性,为切实可行的防控黑肾卷裙夜蛾提供理论依据。     

Preliminary observations on Gibbula umbilicalis (da Costa, 1778) on the Portuguese coast

Physiological indicators of nitrogen and phosphorus deficiency were used to determine the role of these nutrients in the development and proliferation of Cladophora in the Manawatu River, New Zealand. Nitrogen indicator tests showed that surplus nitrogen was available at all times. During a sustained low flow period when the dissolved reactive phosphorus was between 4–5 mg m^–3, phosphorus indicator tests revealed that the Cladophora proliferations were phosphorus deficient. A downstream trend of reduced nitrogen and phosphorus availability was also observed during this period. Sudden high river flows were frequent and had a major influence on the Cladophora biomass.     

Preliminary observations on the induction of maturity and spawning in the female Penaeus kerathurus (Leach)

The removal of two eyestalks from Penaeus kerathurus (Leach) in the middle of the intermoult period was followed by very poor survival. Unilateral ablation was found to be sufficient for the induction of full maturation of the ovaries.     

Preliminary observations on the benthic marine algae of the Gorringe seabank (northeast Atlantic Ocean)

Examination of marine samples collected in 2006 from the Gettysburg and Ormonde seamounts on the Gorringe seabank southwest of Portugal has revealed 29 benthic Chlorophyta, Phaeophyceae (Ochrophyta), and Rhodophyta that were identified provisionally to genus and to species. Combining lists for the present and a previous expedition brings the total of algae thus far recorded to 48. The brown alga Zonaria tournefourtii and the red alga Cryptopleura ramosa were the most abundant species in the present collections. The kelp Laminaria ochroleuca was present only in the Gettysburg samples while Saccorhiza polyschides was observed only on the Ormonde seamount. Comparisons with the benthic marine algae recorded on seamounts in the mid-Atlantic Azores archipelago show features in common, notably kelp forests of L. ochroleuca at depths below 30 m and Z. tournefortii dominance in shallower waters.     

Preliminary observations on the spawning conditions of the European amphioxus (Branchiostoma lanceolatum) in captivity

Members of the subphylum Cephalochordata, which include the genus Branchiostoma (i.e. amphioxus), represent the closest living invertebrate relatives of the vertebrates. To date, developmental studies have been carried out on three amphioxus species (the European Branchiostoma lanceolatum, the East Asian B. belcheri, and Floridian-Caribbean B. floridae). In most instances, adult animals have been collected from the field during their ripe season and allowed (or stimulated) to spawn in the laboratory. In any given year, dates of laboratory pawning have been limited by two factors. First, natural populations of these three most studied species of amphioxus are ripe, at most, for only a couple of months each year and, second, even when apparently ripe, animals spawn only at unpredictable intervals of every several days. This limited supply of living material hinders the development of amphioxus as a model system because this limitation makes it more difficult to work out protocols for new laboratory techniques. Therefore we are developing laboratory methods for increasing the number of amphioxus spawning dates per year. The present study found that a Mediterranean population of B. lanceolatum living near the Franco-Spanish border spawned naturally at the end of May and again at the end of June in 2003. Re-feeding experiments in the laboratory demonstrated that the gonads emptied at the end of May refilled with gametes by the end of June. We also found that animals with large gonads (both, obtained from the field and kept and fed at the laboratory during several weeks) could be induced to spawn in the laboratory out of phase with the field population if they were temperature shocked (spawning occurred 36 hours after a sustained increase in water temperature from 19 degrees C to 25 degrees C).     

Preliminary observations on the morphology of the inner ear of the fetal narwhal (Monodon monoceros)

The inner ear of the narwhal (Monodon monoceros) was investigated on the basis of a complete series of microslides of an early fetus. In this well‐preserved specimen, the cochlea is about twice as large as the vestibular apparatus. The latter exhibits a high degree of specialization. Whereas the utriculus and sacculus are of normal size in comparison with those of other mammals, the semicircular canals are miniaturized but not obliterated, as in the case of some adult toothed whales. In comparison with other mammals, there is relatively little perilymphatic space around the vestibular organ, but the inner radius of the lymphatic ducts comes close to that of the adult human. Although there are some hints that the sensitivity of the vestibular system may be high in this species, detailed analysis of the adult narwhal ear is needed to confirm this inference.     

Preliminary observations on squirrel monkey (Saimiri oerstedi) vocalizations in Costa Rica

This study was an initial attempt to analyze quantitatively vocalizations from the Central American squirrel monkey, Saimiri oerstedi. Vocalizations were recorded in the wild at P. N. Corcovado (S. o. oerstedi). and at P. N. Manuel Antonio (S. o. citrinellus). Additional recordings were made from captive individuals of both subspecies. The acoustic structure of analyzed vocalizations resembled most closely the vocal repertoire of South American Saimiri with the “gothic arch” phenotype, in agreement with the prominent gothic arch facial pattern of S. oerstedi. New structural subtypes of the twitter (“dog-tooth twitter”) and the chuck (“bent-mast chuck”) not previously found in an extensive library of South American Saimiri sound spectrograms were documented. Calls used by older infants when socially separated and when approaching an adult male were essentially identical (sharing typical “isolation peep” structural features) but had significantly different duration and peak frequency. Analysis of recordings from an escaped captive female calling outside her compound over a 3-day period indicated the presence of numerous structural intermediates between typical chuck, twitter, and peep calls.     

Effect of high dose alpha-tocopherol and alpha-tocopherol acetate pretreatment on adriamycin (doxorubicin) induced toxicity and tissue distribution

When two doses (15 mg/kg) of adriamycin (ADM) were administered to ICR mice pretreated with 500 mg/kg/day of alpha-tocopherol (VE) and alpha-tocopherol acetate (VE-AC) respectively, both the VE and the VE-AC pretreatment groups showed a significant shortening of survival time compared to control group. The concentration of ADM and of total aglycone (AD-NE) was determined in the tissue of mice given a single dose of 15 mg/kg of ADM after pretreatment with 500 mg/kg of VE and VE-AC, respectively, high values were found in liver, kidney and heart tissue compared to the control group. And, particularly the heart tissue of the group pretreated with VE showed significantly higher values of ADM and AD-NE. High AD-NE levels were noted in mouse liver mitochondria (Mt), after pretreatment with both VE and VE-AC, with a significantly higher concentration in the VE-pretreated group. A comparison of the uptake of ADM and AD-NE into mouse Mt pretreated with VE or VE-AC in vitro, showed no difference in the ADM value from that of the control group, but both the VE- and the VE-AC-pretreated groups had significantly higher in AD-NE concentrations compared to the control group.     

The influence of mineral salts on fecundity of the water flea (Daphnia magna) and the implications on toxicity testing of industrial wastewater

The effects of mineral salts constituting water hardness on fecundity ofDaphnia magna were assessed. Of the salts tested, increased concentrations of NaHCO₃ and MgSO₄ had no effect on fecundity, CaSO₄ significantly increased fecundity, and KCl significantly reduced fecundity. The number of offspring produced per daphnid was correlative to the CaSO₄ concentration at CaSO₄ concentrations between 91 and 2100 mg/ℓ. The effects of CaSO₄ on daphnid fecundity could influence the interpretive outcome of industrial wastewater toxicity tests using this species when the waste and dilution waters contain different concentrations of CaSO₄. It is recommended that when performing these tests, dilution water be sampled at the intake site of the industry's water source, thus assuring initial comparability of the waste and dilution waters. The CaSO₄ content of the water prior to and after industrial use should be determined to identify any alterations of CaSO₄ concentration during use. Identification of CaSO₄ concentration differences can aid in the interpretation of effects associated with the wastewater.