Detection of Hydroxyl free Radicals in the Reperfused Primate Heart

Early reperfusion of an ischemic region can result in significant salvage of the area at risk. We show the presence of hydroxyl free radicals at the time of post ischemia reperfusion using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy in a macaque model. These free radicals may be formed as a result of reperfusion or may be an un-involved bystander. It is possible that they may be involved in reperfusion injury.     

A test of the accuracy of operative temperature thermometers for studies of small ectotherms

1. 1. Various devices have been used to estimate the equilibrium body temperature of ectotherms occupying natural environments. We tested the accuracy of such devices under a range of conditions.

2. 2. We measured body temperatures of lizards (Sceloporus magister) exposed to short-wave radiation under varying convective conditions and compared these to temperatures of hollow metal casts duplicating the animal's shape and reflectivity, as well as to the temperatures of cylinders similar to those used by other workers.

3. 3. Casts equilibrated within 2–3°C of live animals, yielding errors of 14–37% of the radiation-produced elevation of body temperature.

4. 4. Various cylinders differed from animal body temperature more than lizard casts did, producing errors equally 33–53% of the radiation-produced elevation.

5. 5. It is imperative that workers using operative-temperature thermometers experimentally confirm the adequacy of the devices they use for the range of conditions encountered within a specific analysis.

     

Identification and field evaluation of (E)‐11,13‐tetradecadienal as sex pheromone of the strawberry tortrix (Acleris comariana)

The strawberry tortrix (Acleris comariana Lienig and Zeller) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), is a major pest of strawberry in Denmark and southern Sweden. Chemical and electrophysiological analyses revealed a single compound, (E)‐11,13‐tetradecadienal (E11,13‐14:Ald), in gland extracts of females eliciting a strong antennal response in conspecific males. Also (Z)‐11,13‐tetradecadienal (Z11,13‐14:Ald) was found to be antennally active, but not detected in gland extracts. The corresponding alcohol and acetate of E11,13‐14:Ald, which are biologically active in other Acleris species, were not produced by females and did not trigger electrophysiological response in males. Trapping experiments at a commercial strawberry farm in southern Sweden showed that E11,13‐14:Ald and Z11,13‐14:Ald, alone or in combination, attracted large numbers of males. Trap catches increased with increasing dose of E11,13‐14:Ald, with traps baited with 100 µg and 1,000 µg being most attractive. Our results confirm the widespread use of E11,13‐14:Ald as a key sex pheromone component in the genus Acleris. The identification of a highly attractive sex pheromone is a first step in developing pheromone‐based methods for monitoring and control of A. comariana in European strawberry production.