Echocardiographic ratio indices in overtly healthy Boxer dogs screened for heart disease

BACKGROUND: Boxer dogs are routinely screened by echocardiography to exclude congenital and acquired heart disease. Individuals of a given breed may span a large range of body sizes, potentially invalidating linear regression of M-mode measurements against body weight. Echocardiographic ratio indices (ERIs) provide a novel method of characterizing echocardiographic differences between Boxers and other dog breeds. HYPOTHESIS: ERIs obtained from overtly healthy Boxer dogs presented for cardiac screening will be different from ERIs established for normal non-Boxer dogs, and those differences will be unrelated to aortic velocity or systolic blood pressure. ANIMALS: Eighty-one Boxers with no outward clinical signs of heart disease were studied. METHODS: All dogs were examined by 2-dimensional, M-mode, and Doppler echocardiography. M-mode measurements were used to perform ERI calculations, and the indices in Boxers were compared between Boxers with varying severity of arrhythmia and those of normal non-Boxer dogs. RESULTS: Differences in weight-based ERIs, which reflect increased thickness of the left ventricular free wall (LVW) and interventricular septum (IVS) and smaller aortic size, were found in overtly healthy Boxer dogs compared with normal non-Boxer dogs. ERIs of left atrial and LV cavity size in overtly healthy Boxers were not significantly different from those of non-Boxer dogs. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Boxer dogs may have an increased relative thickness of the LVW and IVS that is independent of aortic size, aortic velocity, or arterial blood pressure, and this morphology should be taken into consideration when screening Boxers by echocardiography.     

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。     

Report of the 3rd Havemeyer workshop on allergic diseases of the Horse, Hólar, Iceland, June 2007

Allergic diseases occur in most mammals, although some species such as humans, dogs and horses seem to be more prone to develop allergies than others. In horses, insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH), an allergic dermatitis caused by bites of midges, and recurrent airway obstruction (RAO), a hyperreactivity to stable born dust and allergens, are the two most prevalent allergic diseases. Allergic diseases involve the interaction of three major factors: (i) genetic constitution, (ii) exposure to allergens, and (iii) a dysregulation of the immune response determined by (i) and (ii). However, other environmental factors such as infectious diseases, contact with endotoxin and degree of infestation with endoparasites have been shown to influence the prevalence of allergic diseases in humans. How these factors may impact upon allergic disease in the horse is unknown at this time. The 3rd workshop on Allergic Diseases of the Horse, with major sponsorship from the Havemeyer Foundation, was held in Hólar, Iceland, in June 2007 and focussed on immunological and genetic aspects of IBH and RAO. This particular venue was chosen because of the prevalence of IBH in exported Icelandic horses. The incidence of IBH is significantly different between Icelandic horses born in Europe or North America and those born in Iceland and exported as adults. Although the genetic factors and allergens are the same, exported adult horses show a greater incidence of IBH. This suggests that environmental or epigenetic factors may contribute to this response. This report summarizes the present state of knowledge and summarizes important issues discussed at the workshop.     

不同植物油对奶牛瘤胃液、血浆中脂肪酸及乳脂中共轭亚油酸组成的影响

为改善牛奶脂肪酸构成,提高乳脂中CLA含量,研究瘤胃液、血浆和乳脂中脂肪酸的代谢规律,探寻提高乳品质的合适途径,本试验以3头装有永久性瘤胃瘘管的经产荷斯坦奶牛为试验动物,采用3×3拉丁方设计,研究向日粮中添加不同植物油(即葵花油、亚麻油、菜籽油,3种日粮的粗脂肪含量基本相同)对奶牛瘤胃液、血浆中脂肪酸及乳脂中CLA的影响。结果表明:(1)日粮中添加3种不同植物油,葵花油组、亚麻油组乳脂中的CLA比例均显著高于菜籽油组(P<0.05),且以葵花油组最高;乳脂中PUFA的比例则是亚麻油组显著高于菜籽油组(P<0.05);(2)3组间血浆中C14∶0、C16∶0、C18∶0的比例差异不显著(P>0.05),菜籽油组C18∶1的比例显著高于亚麻油组和葵花油组(P<0.05),而后两组差异不显著(P>0.05),亚麻油组和葵花油组t11-C18∶1的比例与菜籽油组间差异均达到显著水平(P<0.05),亚麻油组和菜籽油组中C18∶2的比例差异显著(P<0.05);(3)采食添加不同植物油日粮后,瘤胃液中各种脂肪酸动态变化的平均值差异不显著(P>0.05)。总的趋势是随着时间的延长,饱和脂肪酸含量逐渐增加,而不饱和脂肪酸含量逐渐减少。瘤胃液中CLA的比例不同时间点均较低。由本研究可知,在优化奶牛乳脂肪酸构成提高CLA含量方面,以葵花油效果最好。     

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.     

Influence of nitrogen,photoperiod, cutting type,and clone on root and shoot development of rooted stem cuttings of sweetgum

This study was designed to test the effects of nitrogen fertilization, photoperiod, cutting type, and clone on root and shoot development of stem cuttings of sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua). Differences in the growth of roots and shoots were observed as a result of weekly applications of varying levels of nitrogen (N) fertilization (0, 25, 50, 100, or 200 mg N/liter). As the concentration of N increased, new-shoot dry weight increased, but root dry weight decreased at rates greater than 50 mg N/liter. The percentage of rooted cuttings surviving also decreased as N concentrations increased past 50 mg N/liter. A night-interruption light treatment did not significantly affect survival percentages or the amount of root and shoot growth. Across all treatments, only 46% of all cuttings produced new-shoot growth within a 15-week period following rooting. Cutting type (terminal or sub-terminal) affected rooted cutting development. A higher percentage of terminal cuttings survived and were deemed plantable. In contrast, sub-terminal cuttings produced more shoot and root growth. Differences among clones were observed for all traits measured.Manipulating N fertilization, in conjunction with using clones that propagate well, has the potential of producing rooted cuttings of a size adequate for plantation establishment. However, higher percentages of cuttings that produce new shoot growth shortly after rooting must be achieved.     

Agonist-induced adherence of equine neutrophils to fibronectin- and serum-coated plastic is CD18 dependent.

Adherence to vascular endothelium and extracellular matrix proteins is a pre-requisite for neutrophil accumulation at sites of inflammation. In this study, equine neutrophil adherence to fibronectin and autologous serum-coated plastic in response to PAF, hrIL-8, hrC5a and PMA has been measured. In addition, the mechanisms involved have been investigated using monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) against the beta2 integrin CD18. PAF and hrC5a caused similar, concentration dependent, increases in adherence to fibronectin- and serum-coated plastic (maximum responses 19 +/- 4% and 19 +/- 3% for PAF and 15 +/- 4% and 16 +/- 2% for hrC5a on fibronectin- and serum-coated plastic, respectively). Adherence in response to PMA, although not reaching a maximum over the time course studied, was of a similar magnitude on the two surfaces (41 +/- 1% and 38 +/- 2% with 10(-7) M PMA on fibronectin- and serum-coated plastic, respectively). In contrast, the maximum adherence caused by hrIL-8 was significantly lower on fibronectin- than on serum-coated plastic (9 +/- 3% vs. 17 +/- 2%; 10(8) x M hrIL-8). Pre-incubation with MoAbs against CD18 (H20A and 6.5E) caused concentration related inhibition of stimulus-induced adherence to both fibronectin- and serum-coated plastic. Equine neutrophil adherence in response to PAF, hrIL-8, hrC5a and PMA therefore appears to be mediated by a CD18 dependent mechanism.     

Heat Shock Protein 70 and Sex Steroid Receptors in the Follicular Structures of Induced Ovarian Cysts

The purpose of this study was to estimate the expression and relative amounts of estrogen (ER) and progesterone receptors (PR) and their isoforms as well as heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) in ovaries of rats with induced cystic ovarian disease (COD). Primary, secondary, tertiary, atretic and cystic follicles were evaluated by immunohistochemistry and total ovarian proteins were analyzed by Western blot. In the granulosa layer, growing and cystic follicles in the treated group have a higher expression of ERα than growing follicles of control individuals. In the theca interna layer, tertiary follicles presented a significantly higher expression of ERα in the treated group. An increase in total ERα protein was detected in the treated group. Granulosa cells of all growing, atretic and cystic follicles show a lower expression of ERβ in animals with COD, and the total protein expression of ERβ was lower in this group. The expression of PR was lower in the granulosa cell layer of tertiary and cystic follicles in treated animals, and theca interna layer had less intense immunostaining in this group. Although there were no differences in the expression of PR-B by Western blotting, the expression of PR-A was higher and the expression of PR-C was smaller in the treated group. An intense HSP70 immunostaining was observed in the cells of cystic follicles. By Western blotting, higher protein expression of HSP70 was detected in the ovarian samples of the control group than those of the treated ones. Ovaries of animals with COD exhibited an altered steroid receptor expression and subtype balance as compared with control animals, and an increase in HSP70 immunoexpression.