Ice flow direction change in interior West Antarctica

Upstream of Byrd Station (West Antarctica), ice-penetrating radar data reveal a distinctive fold structure within the ice, in which isochronous layers are unusually deep. The fold has an axis more than 50 kilometers long, which is aligned up to 45 degrees to the ice flow direction. Although explanations for the fold's formation under the present flow are problematic, it can be explained if flow was parallel to the fold axis approximately 1500 years ago. This flow change may be associated with ice stream alterations nearer the margin. If this is true, central West Antarctica may respond to future alterations more than previously thought.     

Assessment of a point‐of‐care cardiac troponin I test to differentiate cardiac from noncardiac causes of respiratory distress in dogs

Objectives – To (1) determine a reference interval for cardiac troponin I (cTnI) using a point‐of‐care device in normal dogs and compare the results with those published by the manufacturer and (2) determine if cTnI differs among dogs with cardiogenic and noncardiogenic respiratory distress. Design – Prospective observational study. Setting – Emergency and referral veterinary hospital. Animals – Twenty‐six clinically normal dogs and 67 dogs in respiratory distress. Interventions – All dogs underwent whole blood sampling for cTnI concentrations. Measurements and Results – Normal dogs had a median cTnI concentration of 0.03 ng/mL (range 0–0.11 ng/mL). Thirty‐six dogs were diagnosed with noncardiogenic respiratory distress with a median cTnI concentration of 0.14 ng/mL (range 0.01–4.31 ng/mL). Thirty‐one dogs were diagnosed with cardiogenic respiratory distress with a median cTnI concentration of 1.74 ng/mL (range 0.05–17.1 ng/mL). A significant difference between cTnI concentrations in normal dogs and dogs with noncardiogenic respiratory distress was not detected. Significant differences in cTnI concentrations were found between normals versus cardiogenic and cardiogenic versus noncardiogenic respiratory distress groups. Significant differences in cTnI concentrations were identified in >10 when compared with the <5 and the 5–10 years of age groups. Receiver operating curve analysis identified cTnI concentrations >1.5 ng/mL as the optimal “cut‐off point” having a sensitivity of 78% and specificity of 51.5%. The area under the receiver operating curve was 0.72. Overall test accuracy was 65%. Conclusions – cTnI concentrations were significantly increased in dogs with cardiogenic respiratory distress versus dogs with noncardiogenic respiratory distress and normal dogs. A significant difference between normal dogs and dogs with noncardiogenic causes of respiratory distress was detected. Although highly sensitive when cTnI concentrations exceed 1.5 ng/mL, the test has low specificity. Assessment of cTnI by the methodology used cannot be recommended as the sole diagnostic modality for evaluating the cause of respiratory distress in dogs.     

Enzymatic grafting of peptides from casein hydrolysate to chitosan. Potential for value-added byproducts from food-processing wastes

Tyrosinase was used to initiate the grafting of peptides onto the amine-containing polysaccharide chitosan. Chemical evidence for covalent grafting was obtained from electrospray mass spectrometry for products formed from reactions with glucosamine (the monomeric unit of chitosan) and the model dipeptide Tyr-Ala. When this model dipeptide was incubated with tyrosinase and chitosan, there was a marked increase in the viscosity of the solution. This viscosity increase provides physical evidence that tyrosinase can initiate peptide grafting onto the chitosan backbone. A peptide-modified chitosan derivative was generated by reacting chitosan (0.32 w/v%) with acid-hydrolyzed casein (0.5 w/v %) using tyrosinase. After reaction, the peptide-modified chitosan was partially purified and dissolved in an aqueous acetic acid solution. Low concentrations of this peptide-modified chitosan were observed to confer viscoelastic properties to the solutions. Specifically they conferred high viscosities and shear thinning properties to the solutions, and solutions containing only 1 w/w % of the peptide-modified chitosan behaved as weak gels. Thus, tyrosinase provides a simple and safe way to convert food-processing byproducts into environmentally friendly products that offer useful functional properties. The selectivity of tyrosinase and the relatively high reactivity of chitosan's amines allow grafting to be performed with uncharacterized peptide mixtures present in crude hydrolysates.     

无精蛋鸭蛋制作咸蛋工艺研究

以无精蛋、鲜蛋为原料加工成咸鸭蛋,研究在15℃下不同盐浓度腌制液和不同腌制用水的最佳腌制天数,确定最佳盐浓度和腌制用水。结果表明,15%、17%和19%盐浓度生水腌制液腌制无精蛋均需25 d;21%和23%盐浓度生水腌制液腌制无精蛋需23 d;25%盐浓度生水腌制液腌制无精蛋仅需21 d,与相同浓度生水腌制液腌制鲜蛋的出缸时间相同,而25%盐浓度的凉开水和桶装水腌制液腌制鲜蛋则需23 d;说明生水腌制液腌制无精蛋和鲜蛋可以缩短腌制周期,且用无精蛋与鲜蛋制作的咸鸭蛋的特性相差不大,可以提高无精蛋的利用率。     

不同浓度KT预处理液对干藏洋桔梗切花保鲜的影响

为分析KT预处理液对洋桔梗(Eustoma russellianum)切花的保鲜效果,采用不同浓度的KT预处理液处理洋桔梗,干藏后检测鲜切花的瓶插寿命、可溶性糖、花青素、SOD、MDA等生理生化指标。结果表明,干藏洋桔梗切花使用KT预处理液处理后SOD活性增强,MDA含量降低,可溶性糖含量升高,可延缓花青素降解和延长切花瓶插寿命,且提高了洋桔梗切花的观赏品质。其中,2%蔗糖+40 mg/L KT+80 mg/L柠檬酸+200 mg/L 8-HQ配方对洋桔梗切花的保鲜效果最佳。     

CT Real-time Analysis of Damage Evolution of Coal under Uniaxial Compression

In order to clarify the mechanism of rockburst, using the specified loading equipment and the CT machine, the real-time computerized tomography testing of coal under the uniaxial compression was completed. Through CT scanning, the clear CT images which included the stage from the microcrack clousre to the microcrack growth, bifurcation, development, failure and the post-failure stage were obtained. According to the CT values, the meso-damage evolution of coal under uniaxial compression was analysed, which provided the basis for the meso-damage evolution.     

East coast fever: 3. Chemoprophylactic immunization of cattle using oxytetracycline and a combination of theilerial strains

In the first of two experiments performed, 29 animals were immunized by chemoprophylaxis against either a combination of three theilerial strains, Theileria parva (Muguga), T. parva (Kiambu 5) and T. lawrencei (Serengeti transformed), or against one or two elements of the combination separately, and then challenged with either T. parva (Kiambu 1) or T. lawrencei (Solio KB1), both of which were known to be heterologous to T. parva (Muguga). The animals immunized against the combination had mild or inapparent reactions to challenge, whilst the susceptible control cattle and many of those immunized against one or two strains either had severe reactions of died.In the second experiment, 17 cattle immunized by chemoprophylaxis against the combination were challenged with lethal doses of three theilerial strains, T. parva (Entebbe 1), T. parva (Entebbe 2) and T. parva (Ukunda), recently isolated from two widely separated areas of East Africa. They had mild or inapparent reactions whilst 13 of 15 susceptible control cattle died.Chemoprophylaxis using a combination of theilerial strains and a limited oxytetracycline regimen was shown to be an effective means of immunizing cattle against East African theilerioses. The use of this technique as a method of immunizing cattle before exposure in the field is proposed.