Glutathione content of in vivo and in vitro matured canine oocytes collected from different reproductive stages

Glutathione (GSH) concentrations of oocytes are considered as an important marker of the cytoplasmic maturation. The present study was designed to compare GSH concentrations of in vivo and in vitro matured canine oocytes. In vivo matured oocytes were collected 72 hr after ovulation by flushing fallopian tubes after laparotomy. Ovaries were collected from bitches with different reproductive stages, and collected oocytes were divided into 2 groups according to the size viz. < 120 microm and > 120 microm in diameter and cultured for 72 hr in Tissue Culture Medium-199 supplemented with 10% FBS, 2.2 mg/ml sodium bicarbonate, 2.0 microg/ml estrogen, 0.5 microg/ml FSH, 0.03 IU/ml hCG, and 1% penicillin-streptomycin solution in the presence or absence of 50 microM beta-mercaptoethanol. GSH concentrations were determined by the dithionitrobenzoic acid-glutathione disulfide (DTNB-GSSG) reductase recycling assay. GSH concentrations of immature canine oocytes were 2.9 and 3.8, 3.5 and 6.8, and 3.1 and 6.5 pM/oocyte for < 120 microm and > 120 microm in diameter oocyte groups at anestrous, follicular and luteal stage, respectively (P<0.05). In vivo matured oocytes had significantly higher GSH concentrations compared with in vitro matured oocytes. The GSH content was 19.2 pM/oocyte for in vivo matured oocytes, while 4.1 to 8.1 and 5.7 to 13.2 pM/oocyte for in vitro matured oocytes cultured in the absence or presence of beta-mercaptoethanol, respectively (P<0.05). Presence of beta-mercaptoethanol increased GSH synthesis in canine oocytes cultured in vitro, and oocytes collected from follicular and luteal stage was superior to anestrus oocytes.     

Tumour necrosis factor stimulated gene 6 intrinsically regulates PD-L1 expressions in breast cancer cells,leading to modulation of tumour microenvironment

Recent studies have shown that tumour cells express tumour necrosis factor-inducible gene 6 (TSG-6) and its protein, which is known to play a key role in regulating excessive immune responses and proliferation and growth of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). It has not been confirmed whether the inhibition of TSG-6 for tumour cells can suppress tumour cell growth and regulate the activation of immune cells in the tumour microenvironment (TME). TSG-6-specific small interfering RNA was transfected into canine and human breast cancer cells (CIPp, CIPm and BT-20). TSG-6-down-regulated (siTSG-6) cells showed decreased cell proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities. Decreased mRNA expressions of NF-κB, STAT3 and Sox2, confirming that TSG-6 is an upper factor governing tumour growth and metastasis. Notably, siTSG-6 cells showed significantly decreased expression levels of CD44 and PD-L1. Direct and indirect co-culture of canine peripheral blood mononuclear cells (cPBMCs) and the siTSG-6 cells showed significant activation in M1 type macrophages and cytotoxic T cells. They also showed a tendency to decrease in the expression of CTLA-4 and increase in the expression of PD-1. In conclusion, this study suggests that the down-regulation of TSG-6 in breast cancer cells could not only suppress tumour growth and metastasis, and but also regulate TME. Since modulation of immune checkpoint proteins occurs in both tumour cells and immune cells, inhibiting TSG-6 and its protein within the TME could be novel therapeutic target for anticancer treatment.     

Irrigated land retirement

Land retirement is ceasing irrigation withthe goal of reducing load, in general, ofdissolved constituents and, in particular,of trace elements, present in subsurfacedrainage generated from irrigated lands. Retirement is achieved through a process ofgoal setting, strategy development anddetermining effects, developing landselection criteria, implementation, andmonitoring. In this study, effects of landretirement are evaluated using hydrologic,soil and economic models as well as resultsfrom a field demonstration study. From themodeling and field monitoring, a process isdeveloped to meet the goals of a landretirement program in the San JoaquinValley of California.Potential negative effects listed for landretirement included loss of agriculturalproductivity, perhaps permanently, and lossof revenue to surrounding communities. Uncertainties included those associatedwith reuse of retired lands as wildlifehabitat, with retired-land maintenanceincluding dust control, with potentialpreservation of retired lands in reservefor future re-introduction to irrigated ordry-land agriculture, and withinstitutional changes concerning repaymentof federal and state water contracts. Benefits would accrue from economic returnto the landowner from the sale of property,the sale or lease of irrigation watersupply, the reduced cost of handlingdrainage, and allocation of freed-up waterto beneficial uses, and the reduced risk ofselenium exposure to fish and wildlife.A recommended sequential approach to selectand manage retired land is to identifyprimary objectives; formulate and implementarea-specific land retirement scenarios;measure biologic, hydrologic, soils andeconomic consequences in the short term andthe long term and manage and monitorretired lands based on dynamic biologic,hydrologic and soil conditions.     

BY-150型种子包衣机检测控制系统设计

包衣机在批量加工流程中需要针对供种量和进液量等重要参数进行检测,否则无法保证良好的包衣效果。为此,设计了一种包衣机检测控制系统,可实现对供种量和进液量参数信息的检测和控制。同时,需在供种量检测模块的硬件选型和电路设计中采用尽可能多的抗干扰措施保证种子质量的检测精度,在进液量检测模块的设计中通过采用主板信号控制动作启动、传感器检测电路直接控制动作结束的方式保证进液控制的稳定性,并通过液晶触摸屏为用户提供一个简单直观的人机交互方式。整个系统稳定可靠、抗干扰性好,满足预期的精度要求,包衣效果良好。     

联合收割机脱粒装置三维参数化系统设计

以4ZL－3．0型联合收割机脱粒装置为基础，并以Autodesk公司三维造型软件MDT3．0为设计平台，利用AutoLisp及ObjectARX等开发工具，建立了以数据库为中心的脱粒装置三维参数化设计系统。整个系统按照自上而下的并行方式进行设计，并按照装配等级模型对滚筒的零部件进行了装配。此系统保证了整体的协调性和一致性，并可实现脱粒装置及其变形产品零件图及装置图的快速生成。     

Evaluating evaporation from field crops using airborne radiometry and ground-based meteorological data

Summary Airborne measurements of reflected solar and emitted thermal radiation were combined with ground-based measurements of incoming solar radiation, air temperature, windspeed, and vapor pressure to calculate instantaneous evaporation (LE) rates using a form of the Penman equation. Estimates of evaporation over cotton, wheat, and alfalfa fields were obtained on 5 days during a one-year period. A Bowen ratio apparatus, employed simultaneously, provided ground-based measurements of evaporation. Comparison of the airborne and ground techniques showed good agreement, with the greatest difference being about 12% for the instantaneous values. Estimates of daily (24 h) evaporation were made from the instantaneous data. On three of the five days, the difference between the two techniques was less than 8%, with the greatest difference being 25%. The results demonstrate that airborne remote sensing techniques can be used to obtain spatially distributed values of evaporation over agricultural fields.     

基于PCA-GA-SVM的甘蔗收获机运行状态识别

由于甘蔗收获机在收获过程中智能化水平较低,依靠人工操作很容易对甘蔗收获机的运行状态产生误判,从而造成物流通道堵塞、能源浪费、收割效率低。针对这些问题,提出一种基于主成分分析(PCA)、遗传算法(GA)和支持向量机(SVM)状态识别模型。首先,通过实地采集甘蔗收获机刀盘轴、行走轴、切段轴和风机轴扭矩和行驶速度特征信息,然后通过PCA进行数据降维,最后利用GA优化参数C、γ,使用每个特性信息来训练SVM,对甘蔗收获机运行状态进行分类。结果表明:PCA-GA-SVM状态识别模型对甘蔗收获机运行状态的识别准确率为93.75%,建模时间为3.688 s,与SVM(81.25%,9.487 s)、PCA-SVM(87.5%,5.817 s)和GA-SVM(90%,8.969 s)进行对比,该模型具有最高准确识别率和最快建模速度,具有较大的应用价值。     

Rare β-Resorcylic Acid Derivatives from a Halophyte-Associated Fungus Colletotrichum gloeosporioides JS0419 and Their Antifungal Activities

Six new β-resorcylic acid derivatives (1–5 and 7) were isolated from a halophyte-associated fungus, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides JS0419, together with four previously reported β-resorcylic acid lactones (RALs). The relative and absolute stereochemistry of 1 was completely established by a combination of spectroscopic data and chemical reactions. The structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated by analysis of HRMS and NMR data. Notably, compounds 1–3 had a β-resorcylic acid harboring a long unesterified aliphatic side chain, whereas the long aliphatic chains were esterified to form macrolactones in 4–9. Among the isolated compounds, monocillin I and radicicol showed potent antifungal activities against Cryptococcus neoformans, comparable to clinically available antifungal agents and radicicol showed weak antifungal activity against Candida albicans. These findings provide insight into the chemical diversity of fungal RAL-type compounds and their pharmacological potential.