Ontogeny of Brain Neurotensin in the Rat: A Radioimmunoassay Study

Abstract: Concentrations of neurotensin-like immunoreactivity in several discrete brain areas were measured by radioimmunoassay in rats of different ages (2, 5, 10,20, 30, and 60 days). Neurotensin-like immunoreactivityincreased steadily from 2 to 30 days of age in the hypothalamus and then plateaued, while the preoptic area andamygdala concentrations peaked at 30 days of age. Brain-stem neurotensin-like immunoreactivity concentrationsincreased from 2 to 10 days of age and decreased from20 to 60 days of age. Several other regions showed nosignificant age-associated changes in neurotensin-like im-munoreactivity.     

Problems Related to the Use of Pesticides

Potentiation and additive effects of pesticides are considered major problems in the determination of safe daily intakes of these chemicals. Examples of potentiation between two organophosphates, such as ethyl-p-nitrophenyl benzenethionophosphonate (EPN) and malathion, delnav and malathion, and guthion and dipterex are considered. Although this type of potentiation could give rise to acute accidents, the most important point in evaluation centres on the possible effects of small amounts of potentiating compounds in the daily diet. Likewise, certain drugs of the phenothiazine type potentiate the toxic effects of organophosphates. A review of the data for both types of potentiation indicates that the consumption of raw agricultural products containing pesticides at tolerance levels constitutes a minimal hazard. A two-year rat-feeding investigation using a combination of eight flavouring agents and six pesticides, at use levels and higher, did not cause a significant alteration of toxicity in comparison with the toxicity of the individual substances.     

Improved synthesis of 17β-hydroxy-16α-iodo-wortmannin, 17β-hydroxy-16α-iodoPX866, and the [131I] analogue as useful PET tracers for PI3-kinase

An improved method for the synthesis of 17β-hydroxy-16α-iodo-wortmannin along with the first synthesis of 17β-hydroxy-16α-iodoPX866 and [¹³¹I] radiolabeled 17β-hydroxy-16α-[¹³¹I]iodo-wortmannin, as potential PET tracers for PI3K was also described. The differences between wortmannin and its iodo analogue were compared by covalently docking each structure to L833 in PI3K.     

Evaluating two new methods for capturing large wetland birds

ABSTRACT.   Waterbird research increasingly involves capturing birds to measure attributes of individuals and for attachment of telemetry devices, but there are few established techniques for capturing wading birds away from their nests. We describe the construction and testing of a new trapping technique for wading birds based on a small flip trap. Our trap was developed to capture wading birds in the Florida Everglades in water less than 30 cm deep, but could also be used to capture other waterbirds and upland species. The primary advantages of this new trap design are its ability to be easily concealed, ability to selectively capture birds, low injury rate, ease of resetting the trap after captures, minimal training requirements for operator, capacity to be fired remotely, and moderate cost. We also evaluated the effectiveness of using a net gun to capture wading birds in wetlands. Our results demonstrated that the net gun was the most effective method for capturing large numbers of wading birds, however, the modified flip trap provides a safer alternative that may be appropriate for endangered species.     

Respiration of a puff morphological mutant of Schizophyllum commune

Summary The growth kinetics of wild-type mycelium and a puff morphological mutant of Schizophyllum commune revealed greater acid production and slower growth by this mutant. The compact mycelium growth habit of puff in defined liquid medium facilitated manometric studies of cellular respiration during culture aging. Basal oxygen consumption was highest in young, 2-day cultures as was exogenous glucose stimulation while both responses declined rapidly as the mycelial pellets aged. Respiratory stimulation by certain l-amino acids including histidine, arginine and serine was only demonstrated in aged cultures of puff mycelium. A qualitative shift in terminal respiration was considered unlikely because the metabolic poison sodium azide was a potent inhibitor of mycelial oxygen consumption regardless of either the culture age or the respective exogenous substrates employed.