Cadmium concentrations in kidneys of sheep and cattle in Western Australia. 1. Regional distribution

1994 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 851 ◽  
Author(s):  
PW Morcombe ◽  
DS Petterson ◽  
HG Masters ◽  
PJ Ross ◽  
JR Edwards

A sample of 4973 kidneys from sheep stratified by age and shire of origin within the Agricultural Region of Western Australia, was analysed for cadmium (Cd) content during the period August 1989 to April 1991. The geometric mean Cd concentration in the kidney of hogget ewes was 0.9 mg/kg, in 4-tooth ewes 1.47 mg/kg and in adult ewes 3.34 mg/kg on a wet weight basis. The mean Cd concentrations of either ewe or hogget flocks from different Divisions of the Agricultural Region did not differ from each other. The annual increase in Cd concentration of kidney from hogget sheep was estimated to be 0-65 mg/kg. The rate of accumulation of Cd in kidney from cattle and sheep grazing the same properties was similar. Kidneys from a sample of 354 adult cattle from the Kimberley Region and 483 aged sheep from the Pastoral Region, both areas of unimproved rangelands, had geometric mean Cd concentrations of 0.15 mg/kg and 0-31 mg/kg respectively. A higher Cd concentration in flocks from the divisions adjacent to the Agricultural Region may have resulted from the establishment of some volunteer species of winter annual pastures in the rangeland.

2001 ◽  
Vol 40 (04) ◽  
pp. 107-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Roßmüller ◽  
S. Alalp ◽  
S. Fischer ◽  
S. Dresel ◽  
K. Hahn ◽  
...  

SummaryFor assessment of differential renal function (PF) by means of static renal scintigraphy with Tc-99m-dimer-captosuccinic acid (DMSA) the calculation of the geometric mean of counts from the anterior and posterior view is recommended. Aim of this retrospective study was to find out, if the anterior view is necessary to receive an accurate differential renal function by calculating the geometric mean compared to calculating PF using the counts of the posterior view only. Methods: 164 DMSA-scans of 151 children (86 f, 65 m) aged 16 d to 16 a (4.7 ± 3.9 a) were reviewed. The scans were performed using a dual head gamma camera (Picker Prism 2000 XP, low energy ultra high resolution collimator, matrix 256 x 256,300 kcts/view, Zoom: 1.6-2.0). Background corrected values from both kidneys anterior and posterior were obtained. Using region of interest technique PF was calculated using the counts of the dorsal view and compared with the calculated geometric mean [SQR(Ctsdors x Ctsventr]. Results: The differential function of the right kidney was significantly less when compared to the calculation of the geometric mean (p<0.01). The mean difference between the PFgeom and the PFdors was 1.5 ± 1.4%. A difference > 5% (5.0-9.5%) was obtained in only 6/164 scans (3.7%). Three of 6 patients presented with an underestimated PFdors due to dystopic kidneys on the left side in 2 patients and on the right side in one patient. The other 3 patients with a difference >5% did not show any renal abnormality. Conclusion: The calculation of the PF from the posterior view only will give an underestimated value of the right kidney compared to the calculation of the geometric mean. This effect is not relevant for the calculation of the differntial renal function in orthotopic kidneys, so that in these cases the anterior view is not necesssary. However, geometric mean calculation to obtain reliable values for differential renal function should be applied in cases with an obvious anatomical abnormality.


Reproduction ◽  
2000 ◽  
pp. 331-336 ◽  
Author(s):  
L Holm ◽  
H Ekwall ◽  
GJ Wishart ◽  
Y Ridderstrale

Sperm storage tubules from the utero-vaginal junction of chickens, quails and turkeys were analysed for calcium and zinc using X-ray microanalysis of ultra-rapidly frozen tissue in a scanning electron microscope. This technique enabled the tubular fluid surrounding the stored spermatozoa and the intracellular content of the cells of the sperm storage tubules to be analysed separately and, by using standards with known concentrations, their elemental concentrations were estimated. The mean (+/- SEM) concentration of calcium in the tubular fluid from chickens, quails and turkeys was 17 +/- 3, 19 +/- 3 and 17 +/- 4 mmol kg(-1) wet weight, respectively. The intracellular calcium concentration of the cells of the tubules did not differ significantly from these values and was also similar in the mucosal epithelial cells of the utero-vaginal junction. Zinc was localized in the cells of turkey sperm storage tubules and tubular fluid, but at low concentrations. No zinc could be detected in corresponding structures from chickens and quails. The concentration of calcium in the tubular fluid is within the range known to inhibit the motility of spermatozoa, supporting this function for calcium during storage. Zinc is known to depress turkey sperm metabolism and it may also be involved in inducing quiescence of spermatozoa during storage in this species.


1982 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 114-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. W. Mainwood ◽  
M. Alward ◽  
B. Eiselt

Rats were fed on a diet containing 1% β-guanidinopropionate (Gp) to deplete their muscles of creatine. The apparent energy reserves (creatine phosphate (CrP) + ATP) of rested state diaphragm muscle strips were found to be 79% depleted by this treatment. To determine if the effective energy reserves for contraction were depleted to a similar extent, the response to direct electrical stimulation (0.2-s tetani) was measured in the presence of inhibitors of respiration (NaCN) and glycolysis (iodoacetate). Only 4 ± 1 contractions could be elicited from strips from Gp-fed animals. Normal strips gave 15 ± 2 contractions under the same conditions. For both sets of diaphragms the energetic cost of contraction in terms of ~P was approximately 1 μmol/g wet weight. The mean level of Pi generated following stimulation to exhaustion was 10.1 μmol/g more in normal than in depleted strips. It is concluded that no significant additional energy stores such as phosphorylated Gp are readily available for contraction in muscles depleted of creatine by Gp treatment.


1988 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 117-121 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. E. Robinson ◽  
A. M. Verrinder Gibbins ◽  
M. H. Hardy

Vitamin A levels in tissues of 20 normal adult hamsters on a standard diet were measured colorimetrically. No significant difference between male and female animals was found for any of the tissues sampled. The mean vitamin A value for blood plasma in 20 animals was 53·4 μg/dl. Mean values for liver, kidneys, flank skin and cheek pouch were 813, 1·29, 1·84 and 1·31 mg/g wet weight, respectively. The vitamin assay was less suitable for small organs such as trachea.


Author(s):  
Marcus Lejon ◽  
Niklas Andersson ◽  
Lars Ellbrant ◽  
Hans Mårtensson

In this paper, the impact of manufacturing variations on performance of an axial compressor rotor are evaluated at design rotational speed. The geometric variations from the design intent were obtained from an optical coordinate measuring machine and used to evaluate the impact of manufacturing variations on performance and the flow field in the rotor. The complete blisk is simulated using 3D CFD calculations, allowing for a detailed analysis of the impact of geometric variations on the flow. It is shown that the mean shift of the geometry from the design intent is responsible for the majority of the change in performance in terms of mass flow and total pressure ratio for this specific blisk. In terms of polytropic efficiency, the measured geometric scatter is shown to have a higher influence than the geometric mean deviation. The geometric scatter around the mean is shown to impact the pressure distribution along the leading edge and the shock position. Furthermore, a blisk is analyzed with one blade deviating substantially from the design intent, denoted as blade 0. It is shown that the impact of blade 0 on the flow is largely limited to the blade passages that it is directly a part of. The results presented in this paper also show that the impact of this blade on the flow field can be represented by a simulation including 3 blade passages. In terms of loss, using 5 blade passages is shown to give a close estimate for the relative change in loss for blade 0 and neighboring blades.


Nutrients ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 916 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Hemmingway ◽  
Karen O’Callaghan ◽  
Áine Hennessy ◽  
George Hull ◽  
Kevin Cashman ◽  
...  

Adverse effects of low vitamin D status and calcium intakes in pregnancy may be mediated through functional effects on the calcium metabolic system. Little explored in pregnancy, we aimed to examine the relative importance of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and calcium intake on parathyroid hormone (PTH) concentrations in healthy white-skinned pregnant women. This cross-sectional analysis included 142 participants (14 ± 2 weeks’ gestation) at baseline of a vitamin D intervention trial at 51.9 °N. Serum 25(OH)D, PTH, and albumin-corrected calcium were quantified biochemically. Total vitamin D and calcium intakes (diet and supplements) were estimated using a validated food frequency questionnaire. The mean ± SD vitamin D intake was 10.7 ± 5.2 μg/day. With a mean ± SD serum 25(OH)D of 54.9 ± 22.6 nmol/L, 44% of women were <50 nmol/L and 13% <30 nmol/L. Calcium intakes (mean ± SD) were 1182 ± 488 mg/day and 23% of participants consumed <800 mg/day. The mean ± SD serum albumin-adjusted calcium was 2.2 ± 0.1 mmol/L and geometric mean (95% CI) PTH was 9.2 (8.4, 10.2) pg/mL. PTH was inversely correlated with serum 25(OH)D (r = −0.311, p < 0.001), but not with calcium intake or serum calcium (r = −0.087 and 0.057, respectively, both p > 0.05). Analysis of variance showed that while serum 25(OH)D (dichotomised at 50 nmol/L) had a significant effect on PTH (p = 0.025), calcium intake (<800, 800–1000, ≥1000 mg/day) had no effect (p = 0.822). There was no 25(OH)D-calcium intake interaction effect on PTH (p = 0.941). In this group of white-skinned women with largely sufficient calcium intakes, serum 25(OH)D was important for maintaining normal PTH concentration.


1957 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 195-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. A. A. Vonk ◽  
L. W. McElroy ◽  
R. T. Berg

Four treatments, involving differences in method of feeding and interval between last feed and slaughter, were employed in a study of the effect of dietary chlortetracycline on protease, amylase, and cellulase activity in the intestinal and cecal contents of 16 pairs of weanling pigs. Most consistent results were obtained with six pairs which were limited pair-fed except for the final feeding during which feed was available ad libitum for a 4-hour period ending 18 hours before slaughter. The mean total activities of all three hydrolases in the contents of the small intestines and of the ceca of the antibiotic-fed animals of these six pairs were significantly greater than in those of the control animals. Expressed as activity per gram dry matter of intestinal contents, significantly higher values for protease and amylase, but not for cellulase, were observed in the pigs that had received chlortetracycline. When the combined results obtained from all 16 pairs of the experimental animals were analyzed, the results showed that on a basis of activity per gram dry matter of intestinal contents, ingested chlortetracycline was associated with significant increases in amylase and cellulase but not in protease activity. Protease, amylase, and cellulase activities per gram dry matter of cecal contents were higher for pigs fed the antibiotic than for their controls. The mean wet weight of the empty small intestine and the mean dry weight of the mucosa scraped from the anterior 3-meter section of the small intestine were lower for the chlortetracycline-fed animals, but the differences were not statistically significant.


2012 ◽  
Vol 95 (4) ◽  
pp. 1059-1063 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen F Tomasino ◽  
Rebecca M Pines ◽  
Gordon Hamilton

Abstract The AOAC Use-Dilution Methods, 955.15 (Staphylococcus aureus) and 964.02 (Pseudomonas aeruginosa), were revised in 2009 to include a standardized procedure to measure the log density of the test microbe and to establish a minimum mean log density value of 6.0 (geometric mean of 1.0 × 106 CFU/carrier) to qualify the test results. This report proposes setting a maximum mean log density value of 7.0 (geometric mean of 1.0 × 107 CFU/carrier) to further standardize the procedure. The minimum value was based on carrier count data collected by four laboratories over an 8-year period (1999–2006). The data have been updated to include an additional 4 years' worth of data (2006–2010) collected by the same laboratories. A total of 512 tests were conducted on products bearing claims against P. aeruginosa and S. aureus with and without an organic soil load (OSL) added to the inoculum (as specified on the product label claim). Six carriers were assayed in each test, for a total of 3072 carriers. Mean log densities for each of the 512 tests were at least 6.0. With the exception of two tests, one for P. aeruginosa without OSL and one for S. aureus with OSL, the mean log densities did not exceed 7.5 (geometric mean of 3.2 × 107 CFU/carrier). Across microbes and OSL treatments, the mean log density (±SEM) was 6.80 (±0.07) per carrier (a geometric mean of 6.32 × 106 CFU/carrier) and acceptable repeatability (0.28) and reproducibility (0.31) SDs were exhibited. A maximum mean log density per carrier of 7.0 is being proposed here as a validity requirement for S. aureus and P. aeruginosa. A modification to the method to allow for dilution of the final test cultures to achieve carrier counts within 6.0–7.0 logs is also being proposed. Establishing a range of 6.0–7.0 logs will help improve the reliability of the method and should allow for more consistent results within and among laboratories.


1993 ◽  
Vol 50 (8) ◽  
pp. 1768-1778 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. D. Bowen ◽  
J. W. Lawson ◽  
B. Beck

The grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) population on the Scotian Shelf has grown significantly over the past 20 yr, thus increasing the potential for competitive interactions between grey seals and fisheries. The relative contribution (percent wet weight) and size of prey eaten were estimated from otoliths and squid beaks recovered from 143 stomachs that contained food of the 528 collected from 1988 to 1990. Although 22 taxa were found, only four species (Atlantic herring, silver hake, Atlantic cod, and squid) accounted for 80% of the estimated weight of food eaten. The mean length of prey eaten ranged from 19 to 35 cm for six species. Only 17% of the cod and none of the pollock and squid eaten were of the length taken in commercial fisheries. However, about 80% of the silver hake and herring eaten were of commercial size. Offshore at Sable Island, northern sand lance, silver hake, and squid (in order of importance) accounted for 86.1% of the wet weight ingested by seals during summer; sand lance and cod accounted for 96.1% of prey eaten in winter. At inshore locations, herring, cod, and pollock made up 90% of the diet in summer; Atlantic mackerel, cod, squid, and herring made up 83% of the diet in winter.


2013 ◽  
Vol 96 (3) ◽  
pp. 567-572 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca M Pines ◽  
Stephen F Tomasino ◽  
Michele P Cottrill ◽  
Gordon C Hamilton ◽  
Albert E Parker

Abstract The AOAC Germicidal Spray Products as Disinfectants test method (AOAC Official Method 961.02) is used to measure the efficacy of spray products on hard inanimate surfaces; however, the method does not provide procedures to determine the population of the test microbe on inoculated glass slide carriers (e.g., carrier counts reported as CFU/carrier). Without a method to measure and monitor carrier counts, the associated efficacy data may not be reliable and repeatable. This report provides a standardized procedure to address this issue and, based on carrier count data collected by four laboratories from 2000 to 2010, proposes a specific range for the mean log density per carrier as a requirement. Laboratory-based carrier count data were collected concurrently with 116 Method 961.02 efficacy tests conducted on spray products bearing claims against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. For many of the tests a soil load (SL) was added to the inoculum (as specified on the product label claim). Six carriers were assayed per test for a total of 696 carriers. All but two of the 116 mean log densities were at least 5.0 (a geometric mean of 1.0 × 105 CFU/carrier). Across the four combinations of microbes and SL treatments, the mean TestLD (mean log density across all enumerated carriers in a test) ranged from approximately 6.0 (a geometric mean of 0.9 × 106 CFU/carrier) to 6.3 (a geometric mean of 2.0 × 106 CFU/carrier). Across all microbes and SL treatments, the mean log density (±SEM) was 6.2 (±0.07) per carrier (a geometric mean of 1.5 × 106 CFU/carrier). The mean log density for six carriers per test showed good repeatability (0.32) and reproducibility (0.34). The proposed requirement for S. aureus tests and P. aeruginosa tests is a mean log density (across six carriers) between 5.0 and 6.5. A separate 2009 study at three laboratories was conducted to evaluate the persistence of P. aeruginosa, S. aureus, and Salmonella enterica on glass carriers. Based on the persistence data, a 2 h use period is proposed for using the inoculated carriers post drying. The persistence data set was also used to assess the carrier counts for S. enterica. The carrier counts were approximately one log lower for S. enterica compared to S. aureus and P. aeruginosa; a range of 4.0 to 5.5 logs is proposed as a requirement for S. enterica tests.


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