Studies on hollownesss regulation and properties of crosslinked hollow phenolic fibers

The hollowness of crosslinked hollow phenolic fibers was regulated successfully from 9 % to 80 % by adjusting the curing temperature of the partially crosslinked fibers. The partially crosslinked fibers was studied in detail by mass gained, tensile strength, solvent dissolution, SEM, IR, and TG analysis, and the prepared hollow phenolic fibers with different degrees of hollowness were characterized with SEM, tensile strength, TG-DSC and TG-MS. The results show that the factor determining the hollowness is the crosslinked extent of the partially crosslinked fibers and the hollow fibers with different degrees of hollowness have similar crosslinkage, mechanical properties and thermal stability.     

Efficiency of methods applied for goat estrous synchronization in subtropical monsoonal climate zone of Southwest China

Two experiments were undertaken to select the efficient method applied for goat estrous synchronization. In experiment 1, a total of 120 does (Capra hircus) were divided into five groups with a randomized block design, and the does of treatment 1 were synchronized by intravaginal sponges impregnated with 30 mg Levonorgestrel inserted for 10 days. Does of treatments 2, 3, and 4 were treated with further injection of 25 IU follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), 0.05 mg prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF_2α), and 25 IU FSH + 0.05 mg PGF_2α at sponge withdrawal, respectively. The does in the control group (n = 40) without estrous synchronization treatment and natural estrous does were observed. In experiment 2, a total of 140 does in five goat farms in breeding and non-breeding seasons were treated with the selective efficient procedure. The results presented that all the employed treatments were capable of inducing and synchronizing estrous goats. According to estrous response and economy, the use of intravaginal sponges impregnated with 30 mg Levonorgestrel and 0.05 mg PGF_2α (treatment 3) is the first choice for estrous synchronization, and 95.0% of synchronized does demonstrated estrus, which was significantly higher than that of treatment 1 (P < 0.05) and control group (P < 0.01). The percentages of ovulating of treatments 3 and 4 were the same (95.0%), which were significantly higher than that of treatment 1 (P < 0.01). The ovulation rates among different groups were not significant (P > 0.05). When the selective procedure was applied to five goat farms, 85.7% (120/140) of does demonstrated estrus, and the kidding percentage, litter size, and prolificacy rate were 53.6%, 0.95, and 177%, respectively.     

Effects of additive iron on growth,tissue distribution,haematology and immunology of gilthead sea bream, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sparus aurata</Emphasis>

The comparative effects of iron-supplemented levels on growth, tissue distribution, haematology and immunology of gilthead sea bream, Sparus aurata (2 g) were investigated, using four organic (50, 100, 200, 300 mg ORG/kg diet) and one inorganic iron source (200 INOR mg/kg diet). Fish were treated for 12 weeks with the experimental diets and maintained at a water temperature of 19–22°C. Growth (final weight and specific growth rate), tissue distribution (spleen, liver and muscle), haematological parameters (red blood cells, haematocrit, haemoglobin and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration) and non-specific immune indexes (respiratory burst activity and antibacterial activity of serum) were analysed. No significant differences were found in growth and iron tissue distribution among the tested groups. Red blood cell counting was statistically higher in fish given 50 ORG, 100 ORG, 200 ORG and 200 INOR feeds. However, haematocrit, haemoglobin and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration were not significantly affected by increasing dietary iron. Fish receiving the 100 ORG diet had the best performance with respect to the respiratory burst activity and significantly higher values for antibacterial activity of serum were obtained in fish fed with the 300 ORG diet. The present findings provided no clear evidence of the optimum iron concentration. However, there was adequate indication that iron supplementation enhanced the performance of gilthead sea bream, mainly from a haematological and immunological point of view.     

Canine renal pathology associated with grape or raisin ingestion: 10 cases.

Ten dogs suffered acute renal failure after ingesting > or = 3 g/kg (dry matter) of grapes or raisins. All dogs had degeneration or necrosis (or both) of proximal renal tubules with basement membranes remaining intact, and epithelial regeneration was observed in 5 out of 10 cases. Mineralized tubular debris or granular to proteinaceous casts (or both) were present in all cases. A golden-brown, globular, intracellular pigment of varying amounts and sizes was observed in 6 out of 10 cases with variable reaction with Prussian blue. Multifocal fibrinous arteritis of the large colon was seen in 2 out of 5 cases with globulin insudation of vessel wall demonstrated by immunohistochemical staining for immunoglobulin (Ig)G and IgM. Mineral analysis on frozen renal tissue from 2 out of 2 cases revealed mildly elevated Ca:P ratio in both. Clinically significant observations were preservation of the integrity of basement membranes after grape-induced tubular injury and presence of early epithelial regeneration. Thus, recovery may be possible if anuria is aggressively managed. With respect to potential pathophysiologic mechanisms, further research into the roles of calcium homeostasis, vascular reactivity, and the significance of the golden-brown pigment is indicated.     

Molecular breeding for virus resistant potato plants

To engineer resistance against potato virus X (PVX), the viral coat protein (CP) gene has been introduced into two potato cultivars. Stable expression of the gene in transgenic clones throughout the growing season has been obtained and resulted in considerably increased virus resistance. With varying frequencies depending on the original cultivar used, true-to-type PVX resistant transgenic clones have been obtained. Since deviant light sprout characteristics were invariably associated with aberrations in plant phenotype, they can be used in procedures to early screen for deviations. Furthermore, it has been possible to unequivocally discriminate between the original untransformed and independent transgenic cultivars. Although no relation has been found between the presence, if any, of the CP of potato virus Y (PVY) or potato leafroll virus (PLRV) in CP gene transgenic potato, appreciable levels of resistance to these viruses has been obtained. This suggests that the mechanism by which a viral CP gene in the potato genome evokes resistance, differs amongst various viruses.     

Shifts in disease resistance induced by growth regulators

Experiments on the effect of various compounds with plant growth regulating activity led to the hypothesis that conditions inhibitory to indoleacetic acid (IAA) action or leading to a decrease in the IAA level in cucumber seedlings would be unfavourable for the development of cucumber scab, caused byCladosporium cucumerinum. Susceptibility decreased as the result of treatment with growth retardants, which cause an increase in IAA-oxidase activity in the plants, whereas application of indoleacetic acid or compounds expected to decrease the rate of oxidative breakdown of IAA in the seedlings resulted in an increase of susceptibility. Growing the plants under various periods of illumination also influenced both the susceptibility of the plants and the IAA-oxidase activity in the hypocotyl tissue.To obtain further information about the relation between the increase in resistance and the increase in the rate of IAA oxidation, the effect of one compound, viz. L-threo-β-phenylserine (abbr. phenylserine) was studied in more detail. The rate of oxidative breakdown of IAA was increased in extracts of hypocotyls and cotyledons of plants treated with phenylserine as compared with extracts of tissue of untreated plants. Extracts of phenylserine-treated plants were found to contain a higher cofactor and/or a lower inhibitor content than those of control plants. The substances involved were not identified, but this result may indicate a shift in the concentrations of various phenols in the tissue.The question must remain open whether a shift in the concentration of phenols some-how effected by phenylserine treatment determines both degree of susceptibility and rate of IAA oxidation independently, or whether the rate of IAA breakdown and the resulting change in IAA content in the plants is directly related to the degree of susceptibility.     

New potyvirus isolated from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cryptotaenia japonica</Emphasis>

 A potyvirus, for which the name Japanese hornwort mosaic virus (JHMV) is proposed, was isolated from Japanese hornwort plants (Cryptotaenia japonica) with mosaic disease symptoms. The virus was used to inoculate mechanically 34 plants belonging to 33 species of 10 families. Of these species seven from two families were infected. Faint chlorotic spots appeared on the inoculated leaves of Chenopodium quinoa and C. amaranticolor, but no systemic infection occurred in these plants. JHMV systemically infected only Umbelliferae plants; they did not infect 26 other species in eight families. JHMV was transmitted in a nonpersistent manner by aphids (Myzus persicae). The virus was a flexuous rod-shaped particle about 750 nm in length. Sequencing the nucleotides in the 3′ terminal region of JHMV revealed that the coat protein contains 280 amino acids with a molecular mass of 32.2 kDa. The nucleotide sequence of the coat protein of JHMV had the highest similarity with that of Zantedeschia mosaic virus (83.3%) compared to those of other potyviruses (57.0%–64.9%). An antiserum against JHMV reacted strongly with JHMV and weakly with Potato virus Y. These results indicate that JHMV is a new potyvirus. Received: September 9, 2002 / Accepted: November 7, 2002 RID="*" ID="*" The nucleotide sequence determined in this work appears in the DDBJ/EMBL/GenBank nucleotide sequence databases with the accession number AB081518     

Suitability of SSCP-PCR analysis for molecular detection of quinolone resistance in Campylobacter jejuni

Foodborne infections with Campylobacter spp. are increasing, especially antibiotic resistant strains are emerging. Quinolone resistant isolates can cause failure of therapy in severe clinical infections. Molecular characterisation is needed for the detection of resistant variants of C. jejuni. Therefore 23 isolates from poultry and human medicine as well as three control strains were tested for their minimal inhibitory concentration, their Single-Strand-Conformation-Polymorphism (SSCP)-PCR pattern (a method for the detection of resistance determining point mutations), and their sequence of the quinolone resistance determining region (QRDR). Six different SSCP types could be identified: two types for quinolone resistant isolates and other types containing so called silent mutations without influence on the resistance. A genotypic monitoring of the quinolone resistance in C. jejuni can be useful for the early detection of new resistance variants. As a screening method for detection of point mutations in the QRDR the SSCP-PCR can be applied. Compared to other genotypic methods the SSCP-PCR is less time and cost consuming and needs only standard technical equipment.     

Evaluation of the perioperative stress response in dogs administered medetomidine or acepromazine as part of the preanesthetic medication

OBJECTIVE: To compare the perioperative stress response in dogs administered medetomidine or acepromazine as part of the preanesthetic medication. ANIMALS: 42 client-owned dogs that underwent elective ovariohysterectomy. PROCEDURE: Each dog was randomly allocated to receive medetomidine and butorphanol tartrate (20 microgram/kg and 0.2 mg/kg, respectively, IM) or acepromazine maleate and butorphanol (0.05 and 0.2 mg/kg, respectively, IM) for preanesthetic medication. Approximately 80 minutes later, anesthesia was induced by administration of propofol and maintained by use of isoflurane in oxygen. Each dog was also given carprofen before surgery and buprenorphine after surgery. Plasma concentrations of epinephrine, norepinephrine, cortisol, and beta-endorphin were measured at various stages during the perioperative period. In addition, cardiovascular and clinical variables were monitored. RESULTS: Concentrations of epinephrine, norepinephrine, and cortisol were significantly lower for dogs administered medetomidine. Concentrations of beta-endorphin did not differ between the 2 groups. Heart rate was significantly lower and mean arterial blood pressure significantly higher in dogs administered medetomidine, compared with values for dogs administered acepromazine. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results indicate that for preanesthetic medications, medetomidine may offer some advantages over acepromazine with respect to the ability to decrease perioperative concentrations of stress-related hormones. In particular, the ability to provide stable plasma catecholamine concentrations may help to attenuate perioperative activation of the sympathetic nervous system.