The effect of different blood sampling sites and analyses on the relationship~ between exercise intensity and 4.0 mmol ·1? blood lactate concentration

The aim of the study was to examine whether the difference in lactate concentration in different blood fractions is of practical importance when using blood lactate as a test variable of aerobic endurance capacity. Ten male firefighters performed submaximally graded exercise on a cycle ergometer for 20-25 min. Venous and capillary blood samples were taken every 5 min for determination of haematocrit and lactate concentrations in plasma, venous and capillary blood. At the same time, expired air was collected in Douglas bags for determination of the oxygen consumption. A lactate concentration of 4.0 mmol.l-1 was used as the reference value to compare the oxygen consumption and exercise intensity when different types of blood specimen and sampling sites were used for lactate analysis. At this concentration the exercise intensity was 17% lower (P less than 0.01) when plasma lactate was compared to venous blood lactate, and 12% lower (P less than 0.05) when capillary blood lactate was used. Similar discrepancies were seen in oxygen consumption. The results illustrated the importance of standardizing sampling and handling of blood specimens for lactate determination to enable direct comparisons to be made among results obtained in different studies.     

刚竹毒蛾幼虫空间分布型及其在实践中的应用

本应用比较频次分布法,聚集度指标法和相关系数法,测定了刚竹毒蛾(Panatana phyllostachysae Chao)幼虫的空间分布型;同时用刀切法对其种群的平均拥挤度(m^*)进行估计。研究结果表明,其分布型属于负二项分布,其分布的基本成分为个体群,中分析并计算了林间调查的最适抽样数,列出幼虫序贯抽样分析表。     

Responses of Glossina austeni to sticky panels and odours

The responses of male tsetse Glossina austeni Newstead (Diptera: Glossinidae) towards blue and white sticky legged panels, baited with odour attractants, and towards modified panels were studied in the Jozani forest of Unguja Island, Zanzibar. Increasing the height of the body of a standard panel from 30 to 60 or 90 cm, increased the catch two-fold. Increasing the height of the legs (from 15 to 60 or 120 cm) or raising the device more than 5 cm above the ground reduced the catch significantly. The legs of the panels were the preferred landing sites of the flies, irrespective of the height of the body of the panel. Acetone (300 mg/h) combined with cow urine (60-130 mg/h) significantly increased the catches two- to threefold during the rainy season, but not during the dry season. Acetone had no effect during the dry season and its effect during the rainy season was less consistent. There was no effect of octenol (2.5-12.5 mg/h), used alone or in combination with acetone. Likewise, the catch did not increase through the addition of cow sebum, pig urine (60-860 mg/h), pig urine combined with acetone and octenol. The observed seasonal differences in the response of G. austeni towards odours are discussed in relation to host location strategies.     

Foot mucus is a good source for non-destructive genetic sampling in Polyplacophora

A non-destructive method for collecting samples for DNA analysis from the mucus of molluscs was successfully adapted for use with the genus Ischnochiton. DNA was extracted using a Chelex-based method and the COI subunit of the mtDNA was amplified and sequenced. Sequences from the mucus were crosschecked against sequences from the foot tissue of the same animal and were found to be identical. This method provides a non-destructive way of carrying out larger studies of the genetics of rare organisms and may be of general use for genetic-based field studies of molluscs.