Occurrence of Cryptosporidium in agricultural surface waters during an annual farming cycle in lowland UK.

A 17-month survey based on weekly testing for Cryptosporidium oocysts in surface waters draining a livestock farm on a Warwickshire (UK) estate has shown that the parasite is present throughout the year, with the highest frequency of occurrence and maximum concentrations during the autumn and winter. The 190 ha farm is managed as an exemplar for a teaching institution. There were up to 800 livestock present at peak times of year in the catchment of the stream draining the estate. Oocysts were concentrated from grab samples by a flocculation procedure, stained with monoclonal antibody and detected by fluorescence microscopy. Overall, 274/418 (66%) of samples were positive for Cryptosporidium. Where the stream passed from the estate, the occurrence was 79%, with mean and median oocysts/l of 0.48 and 0.2, respectively. Highest oocyst levels coincided with calving and increased wild animal numbers following breeding. There was no correlation of oocyst levels with rainfall or slurry spreading. Cryptosporidium was also frequently found in a pond on arable land (no livestock) indicating that wild animals alone contributed oocysts to surface waters. These results from a well managed livestock farm may represent a typical natural baseline for levels of occurrence and concentration of Cryptosporidium oocysts in surface waters of the lowland agricultural environment of the UK.

The intercalation of 6-chloro-substituted-9-[[3-(dimethylamino)propyl]amino]acridines with DNA.

A series of 6-chloro-2-substituted-9-[[3-(dimethylamino)propyl]amino]acridines has been prepared. The binding affinities and the unwinding angles for the acridine derivatives, relative to ethidium, were determined from viscometric titrations with ccs-DNA. The binding affinities were the same, within experimental error, ca. 2.0 X 10(-5). Similarly, with the exception of 11, the unwinding angles were close to 17 degrees. For 11 the unwinding angle (12 degrees) was smaller than the other derivatives. The general insensitivity of the apparent binding constants to substituent effects is attributable to a masking effect of the formal charge on the ring. The smaller unwinding angle for 11 is believed to arise from its relative dissymmetry, resulting in a "wedge" effect upon intercalation.