Unilateral degeneration of retina and optic nerve in Fischer-344 rats

Unilateral degeneration of the retina and optic nerve was observed among Fischer-344 (F-344) rats fed a semi-purified synthetic feed. Further studies were conducted using standard cereal-based and synthetic diets. Beginning at 4 weeks of age, all experimental rats (169 F-344 rats) were fed various diets and were examined for morphologic and functional changes in the retina and optic nerve. No ocular lesions were observed in any F-344 rats prior to 21 weeks of age, whether fed a synthetic diet or a standard diet; however, approximately 16% (13/86) of the F-344 rats examined between 57 and 64 weeks of age developed unilateral degeneration of the retina and optic nerve. On the other hand, the F-344 rats fed the synthetic diet developed the degenerative lesions by 30 weeks of age, while the F-344 rats fed the standard diet did not develop lesions over this shorter time period. Degenerative changes of the affected retinas and optic nerves were closely related with functional abnormalities evaluated by electroretinogram and visual evoked potentials. In contrast with the F-344 rats, Long-Evans rats that were fed either the synthetic or standard diet up to the age of 68 weeks (77 rats) did not develop the ocular lesions. There was no apparent relationship of the development of the lesions with dietary modification, toxicity or trauma; thus, these observations appear to indicate that spontaneous unilateral degeneration of the retina and optic nerve occurs in F-344 rats and that these ocular lesions may be accelerated by the feeding of certain semi-purified synthetic diets.     

An aetiopathological study of chronic bronchopneumonia in lambs in Ireland

Chronic bronchopneumonia in lambs, also known as 'atypical' or 'chronic, non-progressive' pneumonia is a common, frequently sub-clinical disease affecting animals under 12-months-old in intensive production systems. Infection with both Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae and Mannheimia haemolytica have been implicated in the aetiology of this condition and a variety of pulmonary lesions can result. In this study, detailed laboratory examination of 30 abattoir-derived lungs with the characteristic gross features of atypical pneumonia (AP) was carried out with a view to refining and correlating the histopathological and microbiological criteria required for the diagnosis of this disease. For the first time a broad range of laboratory detection techniques including bacterial and virus isolation, fluorescent antibody tests and immunohistochemistry were used in parallel to identify potential causative pathogens such as M. ovipneumoniae, M. haemolytica, parainfluenza type-3 (PI3) virus and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in AP lesions. The most consistent finding was the association of gross AP lesions with M. ovipneumoniae, identified by either culture or immunohistochemistry in 27 (90%) of the 30 cases. However the presence M. ovipneumoniae organisms or antigen did not consistently correlate with particular histopathological changes. Furthermore, peri-airway lymphoid hyperplasia, intra-alveolar exudation and nodular 'hyaline scars', which are all previously reported microscopic lesions of AP, were not identified in 12 (40%) of the cases and isolation of M. haemolytica was over-represented in lungs exhibiting suppurative lesions. These findings illustrate the complex aetiopathogenesis of this disease and highlight the requirement to use a combination of diagnostic criteria in its laboratory diagnosis.     

Influence of pH on hygral expansion,relaxation shrinkage and extensibility of wool fabric

The standard tests for relaxation shrinkage and hygral expansion of wool fabric take no account of pH. It is shown in this work that the pH of the solution in which wool fabric is relaxed as part of the procedure for measuring dimensional properties has a significant influence on the results. At around pH 4.8, which is close to the isoelectric point of wool, the hygral expansion reaches its greatest value and drops at both lower and higher pHs. A similar relationship between pH and extensibility of wool fabric was observed. Values of relaxation shrinkage were found to be dependant on pH. The reasons for the pH dependence of dimensional properties are discussed and these include changes in wool fiber swelling, yarn crimp and polymer relaxation phenomena with changes in pH.     

Wood net primary production resilience in an unmanaged forest transitioning from early to middle succession

The mixed deciduous forests of the upper Midwest, USA are approaching an ecological threshold in which early successional canopy trees are reaching maturity and beginning to senesce, giving way to a more diverse canopy of middle and late successional species. The net primary production (NPP) of these forests is generally considered past peak and in decline, but recent studies show a striking resilience in the NPP trajectories of some middle and late successional forests; yet, the mechanisms controlling such temporal changes in NPP are largely unknown. At the University of Michigan Biological Station in northern Michigan, we used a ≥9-year continuous record of wood net primary production (NPP), leaf area index (LAI), canopy composition, and stem mortality in 30 forested plots to identify the constraints on wood NPP as a mixed forest transitions from early to middle succession. Although wood NPP decreased over time in most stands, the rate of decline was attenuated when the canopy comprised a more diverse assemblage of early and middle/late successional species. The mechanism for sustained NPP in stands with more species diverse canopies was the proliferation of LAI by intact later successional tree species, even as stem mortality rates of early successional trees increased. We conclude that projections of carbon sequestration for the aging mixed forests of the upper Midwest should account for species composition shifts that affect the resilience wood NPP.     

Fast response photochromic textiles from hybrid silica surface coating

In this study, a hybrid silica sol-gel embedded with a photochromic dye has been applied to wool fabric to form a photochromic coating. The treated wool fabrics showed very quick photochromic response. Five different silanes have been used as the silica precursor, and the resultant coating showed slight differences in photochromic performance, fabric washing fastness, and surface hydrophilicity. However, the silica type had a considerable influence on fabric handle property. The silica matrix from the silane containing a long alkyl chain had a very little influence on the fabric handle and better photochromic performance than those from other different silane precursors.     

达氏鳇谷氨酸脱氢酶基因的克隆及双低菜粕添加对其表达的影响

谷氨酸脱氢酶(glutamate dehydrogenase,GDH)可通过逆催化谷氨酸脱氨参与氨基酸代谢,也可生产合成氨,参与氮代谢。实验克隆得到达氏鳇(Huso dauricus)谷氨酸脱氢酶基因(gdh)的开放阅读框序列。该序列全长为1 635 bp,编码544个氨基酸。氨基酸序列多重比对结果显示达氏鳇GDH与其它脊椎动物的序列一致性较高。进一步的系统进化树分析发现,达氏鳇GDH与两栖类、爬行类及哺乳类聚为一支。组织表达分析结果表明,达氏鳇gdh的mRNA在各组织中都有分布,并且在肠中转录水平最高。随后,采用荧光定量PCR分析了饲料中添加双低菜粕对达氏鳇蛋白质代谢相关基因(gdh、氨肽酶N apN、小肽转运载体pepT1)及应激反应相关的热休克蛋白(hsp 90)基因表达的影响。在肝脏中,不同饲料投喂组gdh和hsp90的转录水平没有显著差异。在肠中,菜粕组gdh及apN基因的转录水平显著高于基础饲料组;菜粕组pepT1基因的转录水平也高于基础饲料组,但是没有显著性差异。以上结果表明,植物蛋白原料菜粕添加可引起达氏鳇肠道中蛋白质代谢水平上升,而不引起鱼体的应激反应。     

Drug Resistance in Equine Parasites: An Emerging Global Problem

Effective parasite control is essential for the maintenance of optimal health and performance in the horse. The worldwide escalation of parasite resistance is a major cause of concern for the horse industry. Parasite resistance to every main class of equine anthelmintic has been documented. Furthermore, dual and cross resistance also have been widely reported, despite different climatic and management practices seen throughout the world. Studies documenting parasite resistance to major classes of equine anthelmintics are discussed. Disagreement among researchers exists regarding how to effectively control equine internal parasites. Current theories of factors leading to resistance and control programs are discussed. It is clear that parasite resistance and control in the horse is an area requiring continued intensive study.     

Effect of ophthalmic Nd:YAG laser energy on intraocular lenses after posterior capsulotomy in normal dog eyes

OBJECTIVE: To determine Nd:YAG laser energy requirements for posterior capsulotomy and intraocular lens (IOL) damage threshold for foldable acrylic IOLs as compared to traditional polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA). MATERIALS AND PROCEDURES: Four groups of five-six fresh canine cadaver eyes were used in this study. The groups included (1) unaltered eyes (2) aphakic eyes (3) eyes implanted with PMMA IOLs, and (4) eyes implanted with acrylic IOLs. Laser energy was delivered to the posterior capsule in grid fashion for 10 sites each of five levels of laser energy ranging from 0.5 mJ to 9 mJ. Number of successful capsulotomy sites was recorded based on slit-lamp observation. Sites of IOL damage were evaluated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Statistical analysis of number of capsulotomies and IOL defects per laser energy level was conducted among and between groups using anova with Tukey's HSD test. RESULTS: When comparing groups (a) including all energy levels (n = 25) and (b) by specific energy levels (n = 5), there was no significant difference (P < 0.05) in number of successful capsulotomy sites between IOL types. The 50% incidence threshold for successful capsulotomy was 2.74 mJ for acrylic IOLs and 2.64 mJ for PMMA IOLs. Energy-dependent damage to both types of IOL was detected for medium, high-medium, and high laser energy. Calculated 50% damage threshold was 4.9 mJ for acrylic IOL and 5.7 mJ for PMMA IOL. Damage to the IOL varied subjectively between IOL type, but there was no significant difference in number of defects caused, with the exception of high-medium energy. CONCLUSIONS: Both posterior lens capsules and IOLs were disrupted in an energy-dependent manner with minimal difference in number of capsulotomy sites or damage to the IOL between acrylic and PMMA IOLs. A therapeutic margin between capsulotomy threshold (2.6-2.7 mJ) and IOL damage threshold (4.9-5.7 mJ) was determined to reliably achieve capsulotomies with minimal IOL damage for both acrylic and PMMA IOLs in normal canine cadaver eyes.     

Genetic diversity of 38 spinach (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Spinacia oleracea</Emphasis> L.) germplasm accessions and 10 commercial hybrids assessed by TRAP markers

Target region amplification polymorphism (TRAP) markers were used to assess genetic variability among 38 germplasm accessions and 10 commercial hybrids of spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.), an economically important leafy vegetable crop in many countries. Germplasm accessions with different geographic origins and 10 commercial hybrids were examined. For assessing genetic diversity within accessions, DNA was extracted from 12 individual seedlings from six germplasm accessions and two hybrids. A relatively high level of polymorphism was found within accessions based on 59 polymorphic TRAP markers generated from one fixed primer derived from the Arabidopsis-like telomere repeat sequence and two arbitrary primers. For evaluating interaccession variability, DNA was extracted from a bulk of six to 13 seedlings of each accession. Of the 492 fragments amplified by 12 primer combinations, 96 (19.5%) were polymorphic and discriminated the 48 accessions from each other. The average pair-wise genetic similarity coefficient (Dice) was 57.5% with a range from 23.2 to 85.3%. A dendrogram indicated that the genetic relationships among the accessions were not highly associated with the geographic locations in which the germplasms were collected. The seven commercial hybrids were grouped in three separate clusters, suggesting that the phenotype-based breeding activities tended to reduce the genetic variability. This preliminary study demonstrated that TRAP markers are effective for fingerprinting and evaluating genetic variability among spinach germplasms. Mention of trade names or commercial products in this article is solely for the purpose of providing specific information and does not imply recommendation or endorsement by the US Department of Agriculture. The U.S. Government's right to retain a non-exclusive, royalty-free license in and to any copyright is acknowledged.