Fertile male tortoiseshell cat with true chimerism 38,XY/38,XY.

The tortoiseshell coat colour is characteristic to female cats, and its occurrence in tomcats is very rare and associated with chromosome abnormalities (additional copy of X chromosome). The aim of this study was identification of the genetic basis of a case of tortoiseshell colour in a fertile Maine coon tomcat. Cytogenetic and molecular genetic studies were carried out with painting molecular probes (WCPP) specific to the X and Y sex chromosomes as well as a DNA microsatellite panel for the parentage verification of cats. Cytogenetic analysis revealed only a single set of sex chromosomes typical for male - 38,XY. The results of the microsatellite polymorphism obtained from DNA showed three alleles in locus FCA201 and four alleles in loci FCA149 and FCA441 in different tissues (blood, hair roots and testicles). Based on these results, the case was diagnosed as a true chimerism 38,XY/38,XY. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of a 38,XY/38,XY chimera diagnosed in cats, confirmed by genetic analysis.

Cephenemyia stimulator (Diptera) infection in roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) from Kraków area, southern Poland.

UNLABELLED: The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of botfly (Diptera: Oestridae) larvae infection in roe deer populations (Capreolus capreolus) in the Kraków area on the basis of necropsy and questionnaire surveys. Hunters were surveyed about the age and sex of hunted animals, and the origin of their habitat. All parasite specimens were identified to species in the laboratory. The parasites were found in the nasal cavities, esophagus, and larynx of male roe deer aged 3-8 years, living in forest habitats. The level of infection was relatively low (13%), with the intensity ranging from 1 to 10 larvae per host. Although no fly larvae were found during the dissection of roe deer carcasses, the parasites received from the hunters were identified as Cephenemyia stimulator botflies. These findings are supported by the evidence drawn from the questionnaires completed by the hunters. KEY WORDS: parasites, Cephenemyia stimulator, Capreolus capreolus, necropsy, questionnaire study, Poland.

Reversible hydrogenation and bandgap opening of graphene and graphite surfaces probed by scanning tunneling spectroscopy.

The effects of hydrogenation on the topography and electronic properties of graphene and graphite surfaces are studied by scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy. The surfaces are chemically modified using an Ar/H(2) plasma. By analyzing thousands of scanning tunneling spectroscopy measurements it is determined that the hydrogen chemisorption on the surface of graphite/graphene opens on average an energy bandgap of 0.4 eV around the Fermi level. Although the plasma treatment modifies the surface topography in an irreversible way, the change in the electronic properties can be reversed by moderate thermal annealing and the samples can be hydrogenated again to yield a similar, but slightly reduced, semiconducting behavior after the second hydrogenation.

Atomically thin mica flakes and their application as ultrathin insulating substrates for graphene.

By mechanical exfoliation, it is possible to deposit atomically thin mica flakes down to single-monolayer thickness on SiO2/Si wafers. The optical contrast of these mica flakes on top of a SiO2/Si substrate depends on their thickness, the illumination wavelength, and the SiO2 substrate thickness, and can be quantitatively accounted for by a Fresnel-law-based model. The preparation of atomically thin insulating crystalline sheets will enable the fabrication of ultrathin, defect-free insulating substrates, dielectric barriers, or planar electron-tunneling junctions. Additionally, it is shown that few-layer graphene flakes can be deposited on top of a previously transferred mica flake. Our transfer method relies on viscoelastic stamps, as used for soft lithography. A Raman spectroscopy study shows that such an all-dry deposition technique yields cleaner and higher-quality flakes than conventional wet-transfer procedures based on lithographic resists.