Chemical composition and microstructure of uroliths and urinary sediment crystals associated with the feeding of high-level cottonseed meal diet to water buffalo calves

The chemical composition and microstructure of seven uroliths and four urinary sediment samples associated with the feeding of high-level cottonseed meal diet to buffalo calves were examined by chemical qualitative analyses, scanning electron microscopy ( ), X-ray diffraction, and X-ray energy dispersive spectrometry ( ). Struvite was a major component of kidney stones and of some bladder stones. The kidney stone sample appeared cracked under low power under , aggregated into tiny balls under high power, and as a bladelike structure under even higher power. The bladder stone samples appeared finely granular or granular with various forms of prismatic crystals. The urinary sediments were prismatic crystals, with granules. The newly found prismatic crystals, which were rich in potassium and similar to struvite in crystal structure, were identified as potassium magnesium phosphate (KMgPO₄ · 6H₂O) in some bladder stones and urinary sediments. However, crystals which contained Mg and P only, which had been used for struvite identification, were not found by examination in urinary sediments from fresh urine samples of buffalo calves fed the high-level cottonseed meal diet.     

Normal bacterial flora from vaginas of Criollo Limonero cows

In order to describe the normal bacterial flora in vaginas of Criollo Limonero cows, 51 healthy multiparous cows, at least 90-day postpartum, were selected. Duplicated swabs (N = 102) were taken from the vaginal fornix of cows to perform aerobic and anaerobic cultures as well as conventional biochemical tests. Out of 102 swabs, bacterial growth was obtained in 55 (53.9%) while the remaining 47 (46.1%) did not exhibited any bacterial growth. Of the 55 bacterial growths, 23 (41.8%) were aerobic whereas 32 (58.1%) were anaerobic. Likewise, 29 (52.72%) of bacterial growths were pure and 26 (47.27%) were mixed. Under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions, Gram positive bacteria were predominant (81.82% and 73.08%, respectively) over Gram negative bacteria (18.18% and 26.92%, respectively). Isolated bacteria were Arcanobacterium pyogenes (22.92%), Staphylococcus aureus (15.63%), Staphylococcus coagulase negative (17.71%), Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae (6.25%), Bacteroides spp. (13.54%), and Peptostreptococcus spp. (7.29%). In conclusion, normal vaginal bacterial flora of Criollo Limonero cows was predominantly Gram positive and included A. pyogenes, S. aureus, coagulase negative Staphylococcus, E. rhusiopathiae, Bacteroides spp., and Peptostreptococcus spp. In Criollo Limonero cattle, adaptive aspects such as development of humoral and physical mechanisms for defense, and bacterial adaptation to host deserve research attention.     

Spatiotemporal heterogeneity of PPARγ expression in porcine uteroplacenta for regulating of placental angiogenesis through VEGF-mediated signalling

Non-infectious prenatal mortality severely affects the porcine industry, with pathological placentation as a likely key reason. Previous studies have demonstrated that peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) deficiency causes defects in the uteroplacental vasculature and induces embryonic losses in mice. However, its role in porcine placental angiogenesis remains unclear. In the present study, PPARγ expression was investigated in porcine uteroplacental tissues at gestational day (GD) 25, GD40 and GD70 via quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), Western blot and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Moreover, the roles of PPARγ in porcine placental angiogenesis were investigated using a cell model of porcine umbilical vein endothelial cells (PUVECs) to conduct proliferation, migration and tube formation assays in vitro and a mouse xenograft model to assess capillary formation in vivo. The results showed that PPARγ was mainly located in the glandular epithelium, trophoblast, amniotic chorion epithelium and vascular endothelium, as indicated by the higher expression levels at GD25 and GD40 than at GD70 in endometrium and by higher expression levels at GD40 and GD70 than at GD25 in placenta. Moreover, PPARγ expression was significantly downregulated in placenta with dead foetus. In PUVECs, knocking out PPARγ significantly inhibited proliferation, migration and tube formation in vitro and inhibited capillary formation in mouse xenografts in vivo by blocking S-phase, promoting apoptosis and downregulating the angiogenic factors of VEGF and its receptors. Overall, the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of PPARγ expression in porcine uteroplacental tissue suggests its vital role in endometrial remodelling and placental angiogenesis, and PPARγ regulates placental angiogenesis through VEGF-mediated signalling.     

牛乳免疫球蛋白和补体含量测定

用琼脂单项免疫扩散法测定牛乳免疫球蛋白和补体含量。结果表明：初乳免疫球蛋白和补体Ｃ３含量极显著高于常乳（Ｐ〈０．０１）;初乳补体Ｃ４含量显著高于常乳（Ｐ〈０．０５）;初乳中免疫球蛋白和补体含量于产后３天达到高峰。     

牦牛瘤胃内饲料蛋白质降解率的研究

用瘤胃尼龙袋技术测定了１１种常见饲料在牦牛瘤胃内的降解率。根据饲养水平,瘤胃食糜的外流速度估计为０．０６７／ｈ。测定结果表明,玉米、豌豆秸粉、菜籽饼、豌豆、鱼粉、曲拉、肉骨粉、青稞、甲醛鱼粉、甲醛菜籽饼和麸皮的粗蛋白（ＣＰ）降解率分别为０．６８、０．５６、０．４４、０．８５、０．４９、０．５５、０．８１、０,８３、０．３８、０,４８和０．７９,干物质（ＤＭ）降解率依次为０．６８、０．３０、０．４９、０．７３、０．５０、０,５４、０,５９、０．８２、０．３２、０．４９和０．７４。     

中国狗牙根染色体数变异研究初报

通过国内30份狗牙根种源当色体数目的观测分析.结果表明,①我国狗牙根种质资源染色体数目呈现非常高的异质性,不同种源具有不同染色体数,同一种源不同根尖存在不同染色体数,同一根尖不同细胞亦具备不同染色本数,不同倍性平均出现的频率依次为:4n(32.26%)>n(18.98%)>3n(10.7%)>6n(2.13%)>2n(0.41%).此外,非整倍体平均比率高达32.1%.②染色体数目与纬度、经度、海拔间均无显著回归关系.该项研究为我国狗牙根种质资源开发利用提供了初步的试验依据.     

食盐助溶剂对解脂假丝酵母神经酰胺含量的影响

用食盐作为助溶剂采用细胞自溶法,对解脂假丝酵母33M candida lipolytica细胞壁进行破碎后提取神经酰胺,用SPE（固相萃取法）将神经酰胺与膜中其它脂类分离,分别应用TLC（薄层色谱）方法和HPLC-ELSD（高效液相色谱-蒸发光散射器）对其进行定性和定量分析,取得了良好效果。     

硫辛酸对海马CA1区锥体细胞凋亡的抑制作用

采用股动脉放血并双侧颈总动脉夹闭制作全脑缺血再灌注模型 ,于术后 1 d处死动物 ,取脑 ,制作石蜡切片 ,通过 HE染色、Tunel检测 ,以观察海马 CA1区锥体细胞的损伤形式 ,并探讨α-硫辛酸 (α-lipoic acid,L A)对实验性脑缺血再灌注的神经保护作用。结果表明 :在短暂性全脑缺血中 ,海马锥体细胞存在着凋亡和坏死两种死亡形式 ;与对照组相比 ,缺血再灌注后1 d,海马 CA1区损伤较重 ,出现了较多的凋亡细胞 ,而 L A可明显抑制锥体细胞的凋亡。实验证明 :在脑缺血再灌注损伤中 ,细胞凋亡是神经元死亡的一种重要形式 ;L A对脑缺血再灌注有明显神经保护作用     

Milk utilisation patterns in the low-input production systems in South Africa

Understanding the utilisation patterns of milk assists in designing appropriate dairy development schemes in rural communities. The objective of the study was to determine milk utilisation patterns in different smallholder farming systems in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Data were collected through the administration of recording sheets to 130 randomly selected households in Alice, Fort Beaufort and Queenstown districts. Amounts of milk produced per household ranged from 9 to 21 l per household per day. Milk consumption/household/day was similar among the three districts. Milk consumption in the early lactation doubled the amount consumed in late lactation (P < 0.05). Milk in the communal areas was largely utilised as fresh or sour milk. Fresh milk was mostly used in tea/coffee or to make porridge for children. Sour milk was consumed with thick boiled maize meal. Fort Beaufort (10.2 ± 1.37 l/day) had the highest sour milk sales whilst Queenstown had the highest fresh milk sales (9.7 ± 5.57 l/day). It was concluded that quantities of milk consumed or sold as fresh or sour were generally low and varied across smallholder farming systems.     

澳大利亚的动物健康维护体系

澳大利亚是畜牧业大国,也是世界上牲畜保健工作做得最好的国家之一,迄今尚未发生疯牛病等牲畜传染病.虽然地理条件有利于澳大利亚免受动物传染病的影响,但更重要的是,澳大利亚有一套完整的动物健康维护体系,这一体系是该国动物健康状况良好的根本保障,也是兽疫防控最根本的机制.……