Testosterone and androstenedione profiles in the blood of domestic tom-cats

Testosterone and androstenedione were measured in the blood of four mature, intact tom-cats. Samples were collected from an indwelling jugular catheter once an hour for 24 h, and at more frequent intervals after a number of experimental procedures. Testosterone and androstenedione concentrations have a pattern of episodic release over a 24-h period but no diurnal rhythm was evident. The range of testosterone concentration was 0-23.5 ng/ml and androstenedione concentration 0-35.7 ng/ml. There was evidence of some seasonal influence on testosterone concentration, it being low in the period of reduced sexual activity (Jan-March) and high in the period of peak sexual activity (Aug). Sexual stimulation did not cause a rise in testosterone concentration as it was already high, but androstenedione concentration was significantly increased. Castration produced an immediate decrease in testosterone to baseline concentrations of 0-0.5 ng/ml but the concentration of androstenedione was variable and it is probable that a substantial amount of androstenedione is contributed from another source (possibly from the adrenals)

Efficacy of a training programme designed to teach cervical smear screeners to identify ocular surface squamous neoplasia using conjunctival impression cytology

Ocular surface squamous neoplasia (OSSN) is a recently proposed term introduced to encompass both intraepithelial neoplasia and invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the conjunctiva and cornea. A teaching programme incorporating at manual, slide sets, and an evaluation test was developed. The aim was to teach experienced cervical smear screeners to evaluate ocular surface specimens collected by conjunctival impression cytology, with a minimum of individual tuition. The use of the manual was well accepted and half of the original six candidates were able to master the new skill adequately within 8 h. It was considered that the differences between the cytology of OSSN and the equivalent lesions of the uterine cervix are sufficient to prevent some experienced screeners acquiring these skills rapidly

57 Fe NCR of Fe phases in “magnetic cassiterites”

A pyralspite garnet from an anomalously magnetic concentrate of a pegmatitic cassiterite ore has been investigated using 57 Fe nuclear gamma-ray resonance spectroscopy. The quadrupole splitting and isomer shift values of 3.6 mm/s and 1.4 mm/s, respectively, are among the largest observed for Fe 2+ ions and indicate a very low covalency of the dodecahedral Fe 2+ — O 2 -bonds. These data support the more recent and lower value (10.2–10.1 kcal/ mole) of White and Moore (1972) for the CFSE of the dodecahedral Fe 2+ ion and suggest that the CFSE should be a useful approximation to the site preference energy of Fe 2+ for this site.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/47320/1/410_2004_Article_BF00372603.pd