Control of oestrus in ewe lambs and yearling ewes with medroxyprogesterone acetate and fluorogestone acetate

Two experiments were conducted in a large flock of Berrichon purebred and Romanov × Berrichon F₁ crossbred ewes. In experiment 1, 157 ewe lambs were placed in six groups according to season of mating and maternal breed. Within each group equal numbers of females were treated with either medroxyprogesterone acetate (MAP) or fluorogestone acetate (FGA)-impregnated sponges for 14 days; dosage of PMSG at the time of sponge removal was 500 and 300 I.U. respectively for pure and crossbred. In experiment 2, 111 dry yearling ewes of the Berrichon breed were involved, of which 35, 51 and 25 had either a short lambing to treatment interval (approximately 3 months), a long lambing to treatment interval (approximately 6 months), or were primiparous or nulliparous. They were also treated either with MAP or FGA.The conception rates were extremely high (overall near 86%) in ewe lambs and not significantly affected by seasons or breeds or treatments. Prolificacy and number of lambs per ewe mated were higher in the F₁ crossbred group than in pure Berrichon females (respectively 1.91 vs. 1.34 lambs/mated ewe). No significant difference between the two progestagens could be observed for any of the productivity criteria. Fertility was equally satisfactory in yearlings (overall near 85%) irrespective of the interval between lambing and mating. However, the fertility of the nulliparous ewes (those that failed to conceive as ewe lambs) was significantly lower (72%). The number of lambs per ewe mated was 1.78 in yearlings with a 6-month interval from lambing to mating but was not significantly different from the numbers recorded in the other two groups (1.37 and 1.36). As in experiment 1, there was no difference in the results obtained after either of the two progestagen treatments.In conclusion, progestagen treatment has been shown in both ewe lambs and yearlings to be a very effective means of increasing lamb production in large flocks. This was achieved in ewe lambs regardless of the season and, in dry yearling ewes, regardless of the interval from lambing to mating in the anoestrous season.     

Untersuchungen über die weiblichen Geschlechtsorgane von Apanteles,mit besonderer Berücksichtigung der accessorischen Kerne

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Threo-β-hydroxyornithine: A natural constituent of the peptidoglycan of Corynebacterium species Co 112

Peptidoglycan of Corynebacterium species Co 112 (DSM 20606) exhibits an unknown amino acid. The amino acid was isolated from cell wall hydrolysates and identified as threo-beta-hydroxyornithine. This amino acid is found in the interpeptide bridge of the peptidoglycan of Corynebacterium sp. Co 112. The primary structure of this peptidoglycan is rather similar to that of Microbacterium liquefaciens. The only difference is the replacement of ornithine by threo-beta-hydroxyornithine. The mode of linkage of threo-beta-hydroxyornithine indicates that it is present as D-isomer.     

A classification of European skulls from three time periods

We analyze the taxonomic structure of European populations at three time periods, the Early Middle Ages, the Late Middle Ages and the Recent Period. The data consist of sample means for 10 cranial variables based on 137, 108, and 183 samples for the three periods. Clustering by standard numerical taxonomic procedures reveals that the data are represented only poorly as hierarchic classifications. The clusters form significant and moderately strong associations with an arrangement of the samples by regions (geography) and by language family. Whereas during the early period, language family showed a stronger association with clusters based on cranial morphology, in the recent populations these clusters correspond better with geography than with language. Ordinations of these populations by means of nonmetric multidimensional scaling shows the continuity of the taxonomic structure at all three periods. Only a few populations are outliers. The relations between phenetic distances (cranial morphology), geography, and language are examined by means of multiple Mantel tests. At all three periods geography is correlated somewhat more strongly with phenetics than is language affiliation, but the correlation with the latter increases with time. When the data are pooled over the three periods, the populations tend to group by language affiliation more than they do by period. Ordination of the pooled data reveals language patterns rather than patterns due to period, showing strong shifts in cranial measurements through time. These analyses show that while there is no clear-cut taxonomic structure in European populations that would justify the traditional classifications based on the crania, there are significant and important associations with both language affiliation, geography, and time period, in this order. These patterns are likely to have become established through the migration and subsequent expansion of populations into their areas of occupation during the time interval studied rather than by geographic differentiation in situ.     

A new freshwater halacarid mite, genus Peregrinacarus (Halacaridae, Acari) from the Falklands

Peregrinacarus falklandensis n. sp., a halacarid mite from an East Falkland creek, is described and illustrated. This is the second Peregrinacarus species to date. The other species, P. reticulatus Bartsch, is recorded from Marion Island, Indian Ocean. The two species differ in chaetotaxy of the legs. The presence of halacarids in freshwater of southern polar and adjacent regions is discussed.     

Comparison between total and ultrafiltrable serum zinc as test to diagnose zinc deficiency in infants and children

Total Serum Zinc (TSZn) and albumin were determined, and low molecular weight serum Zn measured by radiochemical Ultra-Filtration (UFSZn) in healthy Dutch infants and children, and in samples obtained from those with diseases that are expected to alter TSZn. Our control TSZn values, 10.2±3.5 μmol/L, were low compared to those reported in the literature. Variation in serum albumin could not explain this: No correlation of TSZn with serum albumin was found (p>0.5). Likely explanations are the nonfasting state and the stress owing to hospital surroundings at the time of sampling. A range of other influences not registered may be active and are discussed. No significant age-dependence was found (p<0.8). Boys over 9 yr of age showed higher TSZn compared with girls of the same age (p<0.08). In a separate experiment a 17% decrease in TSZn was demonstrated by food intake (eggs). These results support the opinion that TSZn is of little value to measure Zn status. There was no discrimination in TSZn between healthy subjects and patients. Our UFSZn values, 0.28±0.13 μmol/L in the controls as well as in the patients, were correlated with TSZn and therefore not a suitable alternative for the measurement of TSZn as parameter to determine the Zn status. The UFSZn was not correlated with serum albumin (p>0.7). UFSZn values were higher in infants (p<0.01), no sex dependence was found. We conclude that TSZn as well as UFSZn are of limited clinical relevance.