Populations of intracellular symbiotes declined significantly in brachypterous females of the brown planthopper,Nilaparvata lugens (Stål), which were stressed during nymphal development by caging them on IR20 rice plants treated with 3% neem oil, 5% neem seed kernel aqueous extract, or 10% neem cake aqueous extract. In addition, nymphs grew poorly and symbiote populations in prospective females declined, when reared on rice plants grown in soil treated with neem cake; this indicates systemic action of bioac-tive neem constituents. Addition of custard-apple oil to neem oil did not enhance the inhibitory effects. The effects of neem derivatives on the symbiotes may be either host-mediated — possibly through disturbed neuroendocrine homeostasis, or direct — leading to perturbations of host-symbiote equilibrium. 相似文献
Although often seen as a scale-independent measure, we show that the fractal dimension of the forest cover of the Cazaville Region changes with spatial scale. Sources of variability in the estimation of fractal dimensions are multiple. First, the measured phenomenon does not always show the properties of a pure fractal for all scales, but rather exhibits local self-similarity within certain scale ranges. Moreover, some sampling components such as area of sampling unit, the use of a transect in the estimation of the variability of a plane, the location, and the orientation of a transect all affect, to different degrees, the estimation of the fractal dimension. This paper assesses the relative importance of these components in the estimation of the fractal dimension of the spatial distribution of woodlots in a fragmented landscape. Results show that different sources of variability should be considered when comparing fractal dimensions from different studies or regions. 相似文献
In order to characterise and classify an unknown maize-infecting potyvirus isolated from fields in northeast Spain, the entire coat protein gene and the C-terminal twothirds of the large nuclear inclusion protein (NIb) gene were cloned and sequenced. Protein sequencing enabled the cleavage site between the two proteins to be deduced and also revealed that on storage the viral coat protein undergoes a specific degradation in which the N-terminal 39 amino acids are removed. Comparison of the nucleotide sequence of the 3 non-coding region of the viral RNA and the predicted amino acid sequence of the coat protein with the equivalent regions of other members of the potyvirus group revealed that the Spanish virus is closely related to maize dwarf mosaic virus strain A. 相似文献
1. Brown egg laying pullets were transferred from an 8‐h photoperiod to an 8‐, 10‐, 13‐ or 16‐h photoperiod at 6, 9, 12, 15, 18 or 20–3 weeks of age. Plasma luteinising hormone (LH) concentrations were measured at transfer and 7 and 14 d afterwards.
2. Significant increases in plasma LH occurred following light stimulations at 6, 9 and 12 weeks of age.
3. Changes in LH concentration 7 d after a light increase from 8 h to 8, 10, 13, 16 h were highly correlated with photoperiod length at 9 and 12 weeks of age.
4. Changes in LH were generally poorly correlated with age at sexual maturity, although the reduced influence on age at first egg of a light increase given close to sexual maturity was reflected in minimal LH responses at 18 and 20.3 weeks. 相似文献
The effects of electrode configuration and click polarity on brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEP) in dogs were investigated to clarify the inconsistent nomenclature for each peak. Four positive peaks (waves 1, 2, 3 and 4) before a deep negative trough and a fifth positive peak (wave 5) following the trough were the basic components of BAEP in dogs, which were easily identified regardless of recording conditions such as electrode configuration and click polarity. Additional peaks tended to be present when a noncephalic reference electrode and/or single-polarity (rarefaction or condensation) click stimuli were used. The Roman nomenclature for the individual positive peaks of BAEP in dogs is confused owing to variations in the observed waveforms among researchers, but click polarity and/or reference electrode position can explain all the previously reported variations in BAEP waveforms in dogs. When the criteria concerning wave V in the guidelines of BAEP in human beings are applied to avoid further confusion of Roman nomenclature in dogs, it is recommended that the basic five positive peaks (waves 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 as identified easily with Ai-Vertex configuration and alternating clicks) are designated as waves I, II, III, V and VI, respectively. Wave IV (wave 3b) occurs occasionally before wave V in dogs.Abbreviations BAEP
brainstem auditory evoked potentials
- dBHL
dB hearing level
- IPL
interpeak latency
- Ai
the caudodorsal end of the zygomatic arch ipsilateral to the stimulated ear
- Nape
the neck over the spinous process of the fourth cervical vertebra 相似文献
Protein kinase C (PKC) activity was evaluated and the phosphorylation of its endogenous substrates was explored in fatty liver induced by administration of ethionine (an analogue of methionine) to cows in order to assess the relevance of PKC-dependent phosphorylation in the development of fatty liver. PKC activity was decreased in both the cytosolic and the total particulate fractions from fatty livers, compared to the corresponding fractions from control liver. The mode of activation by the PKC cofactors (1-oleoyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycerol, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate, phosphatidylserine and Ca2+) was similar in both control and fatty livers, suggesting a quantitative but not a qualitative change in PKC in fatty liver. At least three substrate proteins (34 kDa, 26 kDa and 19 kDa) were found in the cytosolic fraction and their phosphorylation was reduced in fatty liver. These results suggest that impairment of the signal transduction pathway mediated by PKC is involved in the pathogenesis of fatty liver in cows.Abbreviations ATP
adenosine triphosphate
- EGTA
ethylene glycol bis(-aminoethylether)-N,N,N,N-tetraacetic acid
- NEFA
non-esterified fatty acid
- OAG
1-oleoyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycerol
- PKC
protein kinase C
- PS
phosphatidylserine
- SDS-PAGE
sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis
- TG
triglyceride
- TPA
12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate 相似文献
Goats infected with caprine arthritis-encephalitis virus (CAEV) show chronic arthritis and cachexia, which are progressive in nature. The immunopathogenic mechanisms responsible for these progressive clinical symptoms have not been fully elucidated. Various haematological and immunological parameters were evaluated in experimentally-infected goats showing typical signs of CAEV-induced disease. Infected goats showed recurrent lymphocytosis that may be due to constant presentation of antigen by infected cells of a monocyte/macrophage lineage. The serum alkaline phosphatase and -glutamyl transferase concentrations were elevated in infected goats, a characteristic of hepatic and bone disorders. All other serum chemistry parameters were similar between infected and control goats. Importantly, the serum tumour necrosis factor- (TNF-) levels were higher in infected goats. The cachexia seen in infected goats may be at least partly due to altered metabolism as a result of prolonged elevation of serum TNF- levels. Depressed natural killer cell activity was observed in infected goats and may contribute towards the establishment of a persistent infection with CAEV.Abbreviations AIDS
acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
- CAEV
caprine arthritis-encephalitis virus
- GGT
-glutamyl transferase
- HBSS
Hanks' balanced salt solution
- HIV
human immunodeficiency virus
- NK
natural killer
- PBMC
peripheral blood mononuclear cells
- PCR
polymerase chain reaction
- SAP
serum alkaline phosphatase
- TNF
tumour necrosis factor 相似文献
1. The amino acid requirements of laying type pullets during the growing period can be estimated by measuring the growth of different components of the body and making use of nutritional constants that define the amount of each amino acid that is required for the production of the tissues being formed.
2. In this experiment, carcase analyses of each of three breeds of pullets were conducted at weekly intervals throughout the growth of the pullets, to 18 weeks of age. Measurements were made of body weight, gut‐fill and feather weight, and chemical analyses consisted of water, protein, lipid and ash measurements of both the body and the feathers. Each age group comprised 10 birds of each breed.
3. Gompertz functions accurately estimated the growth of both body protein and feather protein, to 18 weeks of age, from which the rate of growth of these two components of the body could be estimated. The mature weight of pullets was overestimated by the Gompertz growth curve, which may indicate that a pullet ceases to increase in body protein content once sexual maturity has been reached.
4. Using allometric relationships between the chemical components of the body and of feathers, all the components of growth could be estimated from the growth of body protein and feather protein. These components were then added together to determine the growth rate of the body as a whole.
5. The daily amino acid requirements for 4 functions were calculated, namely, those for the maintenance of body protein and feather protein, and for the gain in body protein and feather protein. These requirements were then summed to determine the requirement of pullets on each day of the growing period.
6. Using the ‘effective energy’ system, the amount of energy required by these pullets was calculated for each day of the growing period, from which the desired daily food intake of the pullets could be predicted. By dividing the amino acid requirement by this daily food intake it was possible to determine the concentration of amino acids that would be needed in the diet in order to meet the requirements of a pullet.
7. The results indicate that the ratio between the requirement for lysine and for methionine and cysteine changes dramatically during the growing period, negating the concept of a fixed ratio between all the amino acids during growth.
8. The above process is the first step in determining the optimal feeding programme for a population of pullets of a given genotype. The constraining effects, of the diet being offered and of the environment in which the pullets are housed, on the food intake and growth rate of each pullet have to be estimated, and such a theory can then be expanded to include all the individuals in the population. Only by the use: of simulation models can all these constraining effects be considered simultaneously. 相似文献
Azostix-reagent-tests(R) strips (Ames, Miles, Inc., Diagnostic Division, Elkhart, IN) were used to measure blood urea nitrogen values in blood samples from 125 dogs and cats at the North Carolina State University, College of Veterinary Medicine. Results of the tests were compared with standard serum urea nitrogen results. Sensitivity, specificity, and negative predictive values were high (86.4, 90.3, and 96.5%, respectively). Positive predictive value was low, 65.5% of the dogs and cats with elevated blood urea nitrogen values were correctly classified as abnormal The test performs well when the prevalence of abnormal values is near 50%. 相似文献