Ultrasound-guided vessel catheterization in adult Yorkshire cross-bred pigs

Objective

To describe an ultrasound-guided approach for venous and arterial vascular access and catheterization in anesthetized adult Yorkshire cross-bred pigs.

Correlating the fineness and residual gum content of degummed hemp fibres

It is well known residual gum exists in degummed or retted hemp fibres. Gum removal results in improvement in fibre fineness and the properties of the resultant hemp yarns. However, it is not known what correlation if any exists between the residual gum content in retted hemp fibres and the fibre fineness, described in terms of fibre width in this paper. This study examined the mean width and coefficient of variation (CV) of fibre width of seventeen chemically retted hemp samples with reference to residual gum content. The mean and CV of fibre width were obtained from an Optical fibre diameter analyser (OFDA 100). The linear regression analysis results show that the mean fibre width is directly proportional to the residual gum content. A slightly weaker linear correlation also exists between the coefficient of variation of fibre width and the residual gum content. The strong linear co-relation between the mean of fibre width and the residual gum content is a significant outcome, since testing for fibre width using the OFDA is a much simpler and quicker process than testing the residual gum content. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) reinforces the OFDA findings. SEM micrographs show a flat ribbon like fibre cross-section hence the term “fibre width” is used instead of fibre diameter. Spectral differences in the untreated dry decorticated skin samples and chemically treated and subsequently carded samples indicate delignification. The peaks at 1370 cm⁻¹, 1325 cm⁻¹, 1733 cm⁻¹, and 1600 cm⁻¹ attributed to lignin in the untreated samples are missing from the spectra of the treated samples. The spectra of the treated samples are more amine-dominated with some of the OH character lost.     

Aging studies on conducting polypyrrole

Change of tensile properties, electrical conductivity and microwave shielding of electrochemically synthesized polypyrrole films with time are presented. Highly doped films had good electrical stability, retaining high microwave reflectivity throughout the aging period. Lightly doped films were less stable and partially reflective and absorptive of microwaves. FT-IR spectral observations revealed a progressive increase in intensity of an unsaturated conjugated carbonyl peak, which was not observed in the highly doped films, suggesting that the concentration of the dopant had an influence on the mechanism of degradation of conductivity.     

A study on possibility of Rosa canina seed use as feed ?ngredient in diets of Morkaraman male lambs

This experiment was carried out to evaluate the ground Rosa canina seed at various levels (0%, 5%, and 15%) in barley-soybean-based concentrates offered to Morkaraman male lambs at approximately 8?months of age, on fattening performance, carcass, and meat quality characteristics. The lambs were divided into three treatment groups including R1 (concentrate without R. canina seed; n?=?12), R2 (concentrate with 5% R. canina seed; n?=?12), and R3 (concentrate with 15% R. canina seed; n?=?12) at the beginning of fattening period. The soybean meal was used as main protein source in treatment groups. All of the groups were fed a diet consisting of concentrate offered ad libitum and 300?g of grass hay per lamb per day during 60-day fattening period. The effect of diet on daily weight gain was found statistically significant. The control group had higher daily weight gain than R3 groups with 15% of ground R. canina seed. The hot carcass and cold carcass weights and dressing percentage values were affected by diets, and R3 group fed concentrate with 15% R. canina seed had higher carcass weights and dressing percentages than R1 and R2 groups. Differences among the groups in terms of leg, rib, and hindshank weights were found highly significant. While R1 and R2 groups were not significantly different, R3 group was significantly higher to R1 and R2 groups in leg, rib, and hindshank weights. In addition, meat color parameters and pH values were not affected by diets in present study.     

Nitrogenase complexes: multiple docking sites for a nucleotide switch protein

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) hydrolysis in the nitrogenase complex controls the cycle of association and dissociation between the electron donor adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) (Fe-protein) and its target catalytic protein (MoFe-protein), driving the reduction of dinitrogen into ammonia. Crystal structures in different nucleotide states have been determined that identify conformational changes in the nitrogenase complex during ATP turnover. These structures reveal distinct and mutually exclusive interaction sites on the MoFe-protein surface that are selectively populated, depending on the Fe-protein nucleotide state. A consequence of these different docking geometries is that the distance between redox cofactors, a critical determinant of the intermolecular electron transfer rate, is coupled to the nucleotide state. More generally, stabilization of distinct docking geometries by different nucleotide states, as seen for nitrogenase, could enable nucleotide hydrolysis to drive the relative motion of protein partners in molecular motors and other systems.     

Preliminary survey of the pinewood nematode in Turkey

A survey was conducted in the northern conifer forests of Turkey in 2003 and 2004 for the pinewood nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus . Wood samples were collected from declining pine trees, located in the following target areas: Düzce, Ankara, Bolu, and Artvin. Nematodes were extracted from over 310 samples and were observed and identified. B. xylophilus was not detected in any samples. Bursaphelenchus species were only found in 6% of the samples. From the B. xylophilus -group, only the species B. mucronatus was reported. Species identification was performed from morphological characters, particularly male spicules, and by molecular analysis with ITS-RFLP.     

Population dynamics of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Monochamus galloprovincialis</Emphasis> Olivier (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) in two pine species under laboratory conditions

The study of the life history dynamics of the pine sawyer beetle Monochamus galloprovincialis (Olivier) is important because the beetles vector the pinewood nematode. The objectives of this study were to investigate differences in beetle life history parameters between the two common host tree species in Turkey, Pinus sylvestris and Pinus nigra. Relationships between the number of oviposition sites, holding time (time between log cut and oviposition), log moisture content, log volume and area, and adult survivorship were evaluated. No significant differences were found between the two tree species except adult density per m². The holding time did not influence the number of oviposition sites, larval entry holes or adults for P. sylvestris. There was a negative correlation between the holding time and the number of oviposition sites for P. nigra. The number of adults emerged per log was correlated with the number of larval entry holes only for P. sylvestris. Only 12 and 15% of the initial cohort completed development and emerged as adults for P. sylvestris and P. nigra, respectively. Both tree species are equally suitable hosts for M. galloprovincialis development. We conclude that the high within-log mortality of beetles is a combination of resource quality and quantity factors and intraspecific competition and cannibalism during larval development.