Polymorphism in promoter region of growth hormone receptor is associated with potential production capacity of insulin‐like growth factor‐1 in pre‐pubertal Holstein heifers

Insulin‐like growth factor‐1 (IGF‐1) is one of the important factors for growth, milk production and reproductive functions and mainly released from the liver in response to growth hormone (GH) via GH receptor (GHR) in cattle. Recently, some single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified in the bovine GHR gene. Some GHR‐SNPs were shown to be related to plasma IGF‐1 concentration in cattle. Hence, the capacity to IGF‐1 production in the liver might be affected by GHR‐SNP and associated with performance in the future. This study examined whether GHR‐SNP is associated with IGF‐1 production in the liver of pre‐pubertal heifers. In 71 Holstein calves, blood samples for genomic DNA extraction were obtained immediately after birth. To genotype the GHR‐SNPs in the promoter region, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products were digested with restriction enzyme NsiI (cutting sites: AA, AG and GG). All heifers at 4 months of age were intramuscularly injected with 0.4 mg oestradiol benzoate. Blood samples were obtained from the jugular vein just before (0 h) and 24 h after injection. The number of AA, AG and GG at the NsiI site was 0, 17 and 54 respectively. In AG and GG, plasma GH concentrations were higher pre‐injection than 24 h post‐injection (p < 0.01). Moreover, plasma GH concentrations in AG post‐injection were higher than in GG (p < 0.05). In contrast, the GG genotype exhibited higher plasma IGF‐1 concentrations in pre‐injection than post‐injection (p < 0.01), although oestradiol did not change IGF‐1 concentration in the AG genotype. We conclude that the GG polymorphism in the promoter region of GHR is associated with a higher potential capacity of IGF‐1 production in the liver of cattle.     

The efficacy of a single chain recombinant equine luteinizing hormone (reLH) in mares: induction of ovulation, hormone profiles, and inter-ovulatory intervals

The objectives of this study were to determine the efficacy of recombinant equine luteinizing hormone (reLH) in shortening the time to ovulation in cycling mares and to determine the effects of treatment on endogenous hormones and inter-ovulatory intervals. In study 1, mares of light horse breeds (3–20 years) were treated with either a vehicle, various doses of reLH, or human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). Cycling mares were examined by palpation and ultrasound per rectum daily or every 12 h from the time of treatment to ovulation. In studies 2 and 3, jugular blood samples were collected daily or every 12 h from the time of treatment to ovulation for analysis of LH, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), estradiol-17β (E₂), and progesterone (P₄) by radioimmunoassays (RIA). Increasing doses of reLH (0.3, 0.6, 0.75, and 0.9 mg) showed increasing effectiveness at inducing ovulation within 48 h of treatment. Treatments with the 0.75 and 0.9 mg doses of reLH resulted in 90% and 80% ovulation rates, which were similar to hCG treatment (85.7%). Except for the early rise in LH after treatment with 0.5, 0.65, and 1.0 mg of reLH, hormone profiles appeared to be similar between control and treated cycles. Inter-ovulatory intervals were similar between control and treatment cycles. In conclusion, reLH is a reliable and effective ovulatory agent that does not significantly alter endogenous hormone profiles or affect inter-ovulatory intervals.     

Dynamics of Actin Polymerization

The process of actin polymerization and depolymerization have some relation with its function,the activation of such process is compatible to its functions. The polymerization progress is divided into four steps: The first step is the activation of the monomer actin. The nucleation of actin nucleus forms in the second step which limits the polymerization speed. The elongation of the F-actin filaments happens in the following step. In the last step, a steady-state is attained, the length of the filament does not change because the polymerizing rate in the barbed end is the same with the depolymerizing rate in the pointed end. Some factors which affect the polymerizing process, such as nucleotide, actin related proteins are discussed. The aim is to know more about how to assemble the complicated system with biomacromolecule and what to function.     

数字化电机调速系统中神经元控制器的应用

神经网络具有自学习、自适应能力，用于控制时可不依赖控制对象的数学模型。为此，基于单神经元设计出用于交流电机矢量控制的自适应磁链和转速控制器，并应用于由数字信号处理器(DSP)实现的交流电机矢量控制系统中，实验表明：此方法设计的控制器结构简单，易于数字化实现，控制系统动态性能良好。     

不同水肥模式对南方地区单季水稻需水特性影响研究

通过多点田间对比试验,分析了不同灌溉模式、不同施肥方式对南方地区单季水稻需水特性的影响。研究表明,同一区域不同灌溉模式单季水稻需水量变化基本一致;不同区域受外部水文气象条件的影响,其需水高峰期出现的时间存在差异;施肥方式对单季水稻需水量的影响小于灌溉模式,在合理施肥条件下、增加施肥次数会略增加水稻需水量。     

微机交流采样系统的研制

交流电量测量是水电站自动化中的基本环节。文章作者在湖南省嘉禾县调塘水电站实现微机监控系统中研制了基于8098单片机的交流采样,通过初步调试证明:用微机来直接采集交流电量可使系统结构得以简化,采集数据稳定性及精度均较高,便于现场调试,可以充分利用8098芯片的功能,满足中小型电站测量要求,具有实用价值。     

联合收割机障碍物识别系统的设计

在联合收割机作业过程中,田间的树桩、石块等障碍物可能引发机器故障,这不仅影响了作业效率,而且可能会造成人员伤亡.为了适应今后联合收割机智能化的发展要求,以AT89C51单片机和超声波传感器为基础,提出了系统的设计思想,主要介绍了联合收割机的障碍物识别系统的硬件电路设计和软件设计.在联合收割机上采用此系统,可以使其达到所要求的避障目的.     

具二次脉冲效应的单种群动力学模型分析

讨论了一类具脉冲出生与脉冲收获及脉冲投放的单种群动力学模型,利用离散动力系统频闪映射理论,得到了一个生物资源管理控制值的充分条件.     

FLOODING STRESS: The Effects of Planting Pattern and Water Regime on Root Morphology,Physiology and Grain Yield of Rice

Field experiments were conducted over two growing seasons to investigate the effects of variations in water regime and planting pattern on the growth of rice plant roots and shoots and on yield. Four water regimes were evaluated with split plot design: intermittent flooding during the vegetative stage only (IF‐V); intermittent flooding extending into the reproductive stage (IF‐R); not flooded (NF); and continuously flooded (CF), interacting with three different planting patterns: single seedling per hill with wider 30 × 30 cm spacing (P1); single seedling per hill with closer 20 × 20 cm spacing (P2); and three to four seedlings per hill with 20 × 20 cm spacing (P3). The treatment combination CF/P3 corresponds most closely with current conventional practice. The other combinations were evaluated to contribute to a better understanding of the effects of the two parameters studied, respectively and together. IF‐V/P1 was considered as an approximation of System of Rice Intensification (SRI) practice. This study found that the combination of singly transplanted seedlings, both P1 and P2, with the IF‐V water regime improved root length density, root physiological activity, and chlorophyll content of the upper and lower leaves, leading to higher grain yield compared with the other treatment combinations. With continuous flooding (CF), P2 gave 23 % more yield compared with the P3 planting pattern. Combining IF‐V and P2 produced 32 % more grain yield compared with the CF/P3 treatment. These results showed a synergistic effect on grain yield from reduced intra‐hill competition and IF‐V water management. In these trials, there was no significant yield difference between the IF‐V/P1 and CF/P3 treatments. Wider spacing improved the performance of individual hills when grown under IF‐V water regimes, but tiller number per unit area remained a dominant determinant of yield. The yield reduction observed for CF/P1 compared with CF/P3 indicated that in more hypoxic CF soils, denser plant populations can produce more than sparser ones, whereas the latter benefit from more aerobic soil conditions. Intermittent irrigation during the vegetative growth stage and transplanting single seedlings/hill are major elements of SRI methodology. These findings contribute to an understanding of why SRI methods can produce the higher yields reported. A consideration of the effects of interaction between planting pattern and water regime shows the need to establish empirically the optimum values for these treatments according to varietal, soil and climatic characteristics for the greatest yield response.