An isolated cryptococcal urinary tract infection in a cat

A male domestic shorthaired cat was presented for evaluation of stranguria and pollakiuria. A cryptococcal urinary tract infection (UTI) was diagnosed cytologically and via fungal culture. No evidence of systemic involvement was found. Chronic renal failure was a concurrent disease in this cat. Treatment consisted of oral fluconazole. Clinical signs resolved after 2 weeks of therapy, and fluconazole was discontinued after 6 months when negative urine culture results indicated resolution of the infection. This case demonstrates that correct identification of cryptococcal UTI allows for administration of therapy that can be associated with resolution of clinical signs.     

新疆褐牛细管冻精改良当地蒙古牛效果分析

用新疆褐牛细管冻精为父本,以新疆博尔塔拉州本地蒙古牛为母本进行杂交,即采用人工授精的方法获得杂交F1。褐蒙F1,初生重公犊比蒙古牛提高28．26％,母犊提高27．23％,断奶重公犊提高92．04％,母犊提高92．16％。同龄褐蒙F1屠宰率、净肉率比本地蒙古牛提高6．6％和8％。平均每头褐蒙F1牛可增肉70．3kg,按每千克牛肉25元计算,增效1758元。细管冻精配种可降低成本130元。     

Magnetoelectronics

An approach to electronics is emerging that is based on the up or down spin of the carriers rather than on electrons or holes as in traditional semiconductor electronics. The physical basis for the observed effects is presented, and the initial successful applications of this technology for information storage are reviewed. Additional opportunities for the exploitation of this technology, which are currently under study, are described.     

The contribution of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) breeding to whole pasture productivity under dairy cattle grazing in New Zealand. 1. Variation in yield,nutritive value and persistence-related traits

Perennial ryegrass (PRG, Lolium perenne L.) breeding effort in New Zealand (NZ) has increased since c. 1990, resulting in greater functional trait diversity (e.g. heading date, ploidy, and associated Epichloë endophyte strain) in commercial products. This study quantified the variation, associations and interactions in dry matter (DM) yield, nutritive value and persistence-related traits among commercial cultivar-endophyte combinations released between 1973 and 2012, as a basis for assessing gains in value being delivered to the pasture-based livestock industries. Twenty-four or 28 combinations were compared over 3 years in two trials in each of two regions: Waikato in northern NZ (dryland), and Canterbury in central eastern South Island (irrigated). Cultivar-endophyte combinations were sown in mixtures with white clover, and pastures were intensively grazed 8–11 times per year by dairy cows. Principal Component Analysis identified 4 distinct clusters for the DM yield variables and for metabolisable energy (ME) content in each of the four trials. A broadly-adapted group of three late-season flowering, AR37-infected diploids with NZ and Spanish breeding backgrounds dominated the highest-yielding clusters. Tetraploids dominated the high ME content clusters. Interactions with region were observed throughout the data set: the strongest of these was driven by endophyte strain effects in Waikato. High-yielding cultivar-endophyte combinations in these trials were also generally high-yielding in the standard cultivar merit testing system operated in New Zealand, as interpreted via the DairyNZ Forage Value Index. However, alignment was poorer for medium- and lower-yielding cultivar-endophyte combinations. Several implications for forage evaluation methods and end-user industries are identified.     

In Vitro Bile‐Acid‐Binding of Whole vs. Pearled Wheat Grain

Health benefits of consuming whole grains are reduced risk of heart disease, stroke, and cancer. The U.S. Health and Human Services and USDA dietary guidelines recommend consumption of 6–10 oz of grain products daily and one‐half of that amount should contain whole grains. Whole grains contain vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytonutrients. Bile‐acid‐binding capacity has been related to cholesterol lowering potential of food fractions. Lowered recirculating bile acids results in utilization of cholesterol to synthesize bile acid and reduced fat absorption. Secondary bile acids have been associated with increased risk of cancer. Bile‐acid‐binding potential has been related to lowering the risk of heart disease and that of cancer. It has been reported that bile‐acid‐binding of wheat bran is not related to its total dietary fiber (TDF) content. Whole (W) grain as well as pearled (P) hard red winter wheat (Hrw), hard white winter wheat (Hww), and durum wheat (DU) cooked grains were evaluated for in vitro, bile‐acid‐binding relative to cholestryramine (a cholesterol lowering bile‐acid‐binding drug). On dry matter basis (db) relative bile‐acid‐binding values were 7.7% WHrw; 7.5% WHww; 6.3% PHww; 6.0% PHrw; 5.5% WDU; and 5.4% PDU. On a TDF basis, binding values were 42–57% of that for cholestyramine for the whole and pearled wheat grains tested. Bile‐acid‐binding values (db) for WHrw and WHww were similar and significantly higher than those of PHww, PHrw, WDU and PDU. Similar bile‐acid‐binding of WHww to that of WHrw suggest that the red color commonly associated with whole grain may not necessarily indicate more healthful potential. Data suggest that cooked WHrw and WHww wheat have significantly higher health‐promoting potential than pearled grains. WDU or PDU wheat health‐promoting potential was similar to that of PHww or PHrw. Consumption of products containing WHrw and WHww are recommended.     

Distribution of phosphorus in soil aggregate fractions and its significance with regard to phosphorus transport in agricultural runoff

Surface runoff is the major way of P transport from agricultural land to surface waters. To assess the potential of P loss in runoff in relation to soil P status, the chemical nature and distribution of soil P in different size classes of water-stable aggregates were quantified for two distinctive soil types. For both soils unfertilized areas under pasture and well-fertilized arable soils were sampled. The content of total P, organic P and microbial biomass P (P_mic) decreased in the aggregate size order <0.1, 1–2, and 0.1–1.0 mm respectively. In contrast available P (extracted by Bray I reagent) was lowest in the <0.1 mm aggregate size. Cultivation decreased the percentage of 1–2 mm aggregates but increased that of the <0.1 mm aggregates. Fertilization increased markedly both total P and organic P in the <0.1 mm fraction of arable soils compared to the corresponding samples from unfertilized grassland soils. During aggregate separation, most of P loss was in the form of particulate P and less than 1% in solution. More organic P and P_mic were lost from the grassland soils than from the arable soils.     

Optimizing nitrogen use efficiency in wheat and potatoes: interactions between genotypes and agronomic practices

One approach to decrease the environmental impact of crop production and reduce costs is to optimize agronomic practices and genotypes so that nutrients are used more efficiently. In this study the effects of agronomic practices (rotations, crop protection, fertilization) on yields, nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and associated parameters were studied in an experiment using two winter wheat genotypes (Cordiale and Scaro) in one season and two potato genotypes (Sarpo Mira and Sante) in two seasons. The wheat showed no varietal differences in yield and NUE; instead the fertilization regime was the main factor affecting yield and NUE with higher values observed when conventional fertilization was used. The exception was for wheat grown after three years grass/clover ley when there was no added yield benefit from conventional fertilization of the organically bred variety (Scaro). This demonstrates the potential for N fixing crops to provide sufficient N to high yielding cereals if grown for long enough prior to planting. The greatest gains in NUE were achieved by combining an N efficient genotype with conventional crop management in an organic rotation. Fertilization and genotypic variation were the main factors affecting potato tuber yield and NUE, with the late maturing Sarpo Mira displaying elevated yields and NUE compared with the early maturing Sante. The use of organic fertility sources resulted in lower NUE, but N release from organic sources may increase NUE of future crops. This highlights the need for long-term nutrient balance and modelling studies to assess NUE at the crop rotation scale.     

Quantifying the aging response and nutrient composition for muscles of the beef round

The objective of this study was to determine the optimal postmortem aging period and nutrient composition for Beef Value Cuts of the round. Forty USDA Select and 40 Premium USDA Choice beef carcasses were selected from a commercial beef packing plant in Colorado over a 12-wk period. The bottom and inside rounds were collected from both sides of each carcass for further fabrication into the following muscles: adductor, gastrocnemius, gracilis, pectineus, and superficial digital flexor. Each pair of muscles was cut into 7 steaks and randomly assigned to 1 of the following aging periods: 2, 4, 6, 10, 14, 21, and 28 d, and placed in refrigerated storage (2°C, never frozen). Upon completion of the designated aging period, steaks were removed from storage, cooked to a peak internal temperature of 72°C, and evaluated using Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF). A 2-way interaction was detected (P < 0.05) between individual muscle and postmortem aging period. The WBSF of all muscles except the superficial digital flexor decreased with increased time of postmortem aging. Quality grade did not affect (P > 0.05) WBSF values for the adductor, gastrocnemius, pectineus, and superficial digital flexor muscles. Exponential decay models were used to predict the change in WBSF from 2 to 28 d postmortem (aging response). The adductor, gastrocnemius, Select gracilis, Premium Choice gracilis, and pectineus required 21, 14, 23, 23, and 25 d, respectively, to complete the majority of the aging response. To determine the nutrient composition of the adductor, gastrocnemius, gracilis, pectineus, semimembranosus, and superficial digital flexor, bottom and inside rounds were collected from 10 USDA Select and 10 Premium USDA Choice carcasses and fabricated into the respective muscles, cut into 2.54-cm cubes, frozen (-20°C), and then homogenized. The adductor, gracilis, pectineus, semimembranosus, and superficial digital flexor were analyzed for DM, moisture, CP, and ash percentages. All muscles were evaluated for total lipid, fatty acid, and cholesterol composition. When quality grades were combined, all muscles fell into the extra lean or lean categories specified by USDA guidelines. Results of this study illustrate the potential for Beef Value Cuts of the round to be sold in food service operations and retail stores with marketing emphasis being placed on the exceptional leanness and acceptable tenderness of these cuts.     

Necessity for afferent activity to maintain eye-specific segregation in ferret lateral geniculate nucleus

In the adult mammal, retinal ganglion cell axon arbors are restricted to eye-specific layers in the lateral geniculate nucleus. Blocking neuronal activity early in development prevents this segregation from occurring. To test whether activity is also required to maintain eye-specific segregation, ganglion cell activity was blocked after segregation was established. This caused desegregation, so that both eyes' axons became concentrated in lamina A, normally occupied only by contralateral afferents. These results show that an activity-dependent process is necessary for maintaining eye-specific segregation and suggest that activity-independent cues may favor lamina A as the target for arborization of afferents from both eyes.     

欧拉羊在甘南半农半牧区与山谷型藏羊的适应性对比

从甘南州玛曲县河曲马场引进欧拉羊种公羊30只,投放到卓尼县的半农办牧区进行放牧,观察欧拉羊的行为表现、生长发育、生理生化指标、繁殖性能、发病与死亡情况,结果各项指标正常,适应性良好,充分发挥了种公羊的生产性能,且具有杂交改良山谷型藏羊的优势,引种获得成功。