Deduced primary structures of three types of vitellogenin in mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis), a viviparous fish

Three distinct forms of vitellogenin (Vg), 600 kDa VgA and VgB and 400 kDa Vg, were discovered biochemically in estrogen treated female plasma. By sequencing of the three Vg cDNAs, the VgA and VgB were recognized as complete Vgs having all yolk protein (YP) domains, and the 400 kDa Vg was thought to be phosvitinless (Pvl) Vg lacking phosvitin (Pv) domain.     

Is experience on a farm an effective approach to understanding animal products and the management of dairy farming?

The understanding of animal products and dairy farming is important for the promotion of dairy farming. Thus, to examine the effects of farm experience on the understanding of animal products and the management of dairy farming, the interaction between students and dairy cows was investigated in groups of first‐year veterinary nursing students in 2011 and 2012 (n = 201). These students included 181 women and 20 men. Nine items about dairy cows were presented in a questionnaire. The survey was performed before and after praxis on the educational farm attached to the authors' university. After praxis on the farm, increases occurred in the number of positive responses to the items involving the price of milk, dairy farming and the taste of milk. For these items, a significant difference (P < 0.05) was found between the scores obtained before and after training. The results of the study suggested that farm experience is useful for improving the understanding of animal products and dairy farming.     

Oocyte growth in temperate basses: multiple forms of vitellogenin and their receptor

A full-length cDNA encoding a vitellogenin (Vg) receptor (VgR) was isolated and sequenced from a white perch, Morone americana, ovarian cDNA library. The perch expresses a single VgR that is structurally classified as an LR8 type (without an 0-linked sugar domain) and appears to be the only species observed to possess no splice variant of the receptor. We proposed a hypothetical model for ovarian lipid transfer in Morone species, one in which the `single VgR' transports Vg and other lipoproteins via a selective endocytotic pathway based on ligand affinity, in conjunction with a lipase-mediated pathway of fatty acid transport.     

Effects of changes in loading conditions and heart rate on the myocardial performance index in cats

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of changes in hemodynamics on the myocardial performance index (MPI) in cats. ANIMALS: 6 mixed-breed cats. PROCEDURES: Cats were anesthetized by administration of thiopental sodium; anesthesia was maintained by administration of isoflurane. Systolic arterial pressure and central venous pressure were measured by use of catheters, and heart rate was controlled by right atrial pacing. Afterload was increased by balloon occlusion of the descending aorta, and preload was increased by IV infusion of lactated Ringer's solution at a rate of 40 mL/kg/h. Echocardiography was performed for each condition. RESULTS: Atrial pacing significantly increased heart rate. The MPI did not change with heart rate. Arterial pressure and MPI increased significantly during aortic occlusion. The IV infusion increased fractional shortening but did not change the MPI. Multiple regression analysis revealed that the MPI was not affected by heart rate, systolic arterial pressure, central venous pressure, fractional shortening, or velocity of the E wave. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The MPI can be used to assess cardiac function in healthy cats. The MPI is independent of heart rate and systolic arterial pressure but is sensitive to changes in afterload.     

Overcoming the self-incompatibility of Raphanus sativus by application of plant hormones,amino acids and vitamines,and by temperature treatment of pollen

Summary Overcoming self-incompatibility by application of three kinds of plant hormones, sucrose, 3 kinds of amino acids and 2 kinds of vitamines was tested in cvs. Honbashi-taibyo Minowase (H-Mino) and Minowase (Mino) of Raphanus sativus. Effects differed between the cultivars. In H-Mino, BA (100 mg/l) and glutamic acid, folic acid and nicotinic acid (500 mg/l) resulted in higher fruit set and higher number of seeds per pollinated flower. In Mino, BA and NAA (100 mg/l) and glutamic acid and glycine (500 mg/l) induced a high number of seeds per pollinated flower. These chemicals, however, induced parthenocarpic fruit set, especially GA3. From the observation of pollen on stigmas washed with glutamic acid, it appeared that the pollen-tube penetrated into a papilla cell after 1 hour and openings of papillae and detached pollen grains and tubes were found after 2 hours as the result of successful pollentube penetration of papillae. Pollen was heated at 50°C for 30, 45 or 60 minutes, at 60°C for 15, 30 or 45 minutes and at 70°C for 10, 20 or 30 minutes prior to self-pollination. In H-Mino, 60 and 70°C were effective, and expecially 60°C for 15 or 30 minutes resulted a higher percentage fruit set and more seeds per fruit. In Mino, although 50–70°C were effective, the mean number of seeds per pollinated flower was lower than in H-Mino.     

Antibacterial activity of akyl gallates against Bacillus subtilis

The antibacterial activity of a series of alkyl gallates (3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoates) against Gram-positive bacteria was tested using a broth dilution method. All of the Gram-positive bacteria tested were susceptible to alkyl gallates, and this activity was found to correlate with the alkyl chain length. The antibacterial activity of alkyl gallates against Bacillus subtilis was a parabolic function of their lipophilicity and maximized with alkyl chain length between C(8) and C(11). Notably, alkyl gallates were found to be bactericidal against B. subtilis ATCC 9372, but this activity was significantly affected by the endospore formation in the culture. The antibacterial activity of alkyl gallates likely comes at least in part from their ability to inhibit the membrane respiratory chain but is not due to the prooxidant action.     

Anaemia, iron deficiency and vitamin A status among school-aged children in rural Kazakhstan

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the prevalence of anaemia and iron deficiency and vitamin A status among school-aged children in rural Kazakhstan and identify factors associated with anaemia in this population. DESIGN: A cross-sectional design. SETTING: School-aged children in rural Kazakhstan. SUBJECTS: Socio-economic and anthropometric information was collected from 159 school-aged children living in the Kzyl-Orda region of Kazakhstan. Blood samples were collected and the concentrations of haemoglobin (Hb), serum iron, serum ferritin (SF), erythrocyte protoporphyrin (EP), serum retinol and beta-carotene, total iron binding capacity (TIBC), transferrin saturation (TS) and other haematological indices were measured. RESULTS: Among the 159 children, the prevalence of anaemia and iron deficiency defined by the multiple criteria model (SF, TS and EP) was 27% and 13%, respectively. Nine per cent had iron-deficiency anaemia and 21% had serum retinol value < 1.05 micromol l(-1). Mean SF and serum iron concentrations and TS were significantly lower in anaemic children than in their non-anaemic peers, while TIBC and EP were significantly higher in children with anaemia. Hb was significantly correlated with serum iron and retinol concentrations. Serum retinol and SF concentrations and mean corpuscular volume were significantly correlated with Hb by multiple regression analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Anaemia among school-aged children in rural Kazakhstan appears to be related to iron indices and vitamin A status.     

Discovery of a Jupiter/Saturn analog with gravitational microlensing

Searches for extrasolar planets have uncovered an astonishing diversity of planetary systems, yet the frequency of solar system analogs remains unknown. The gravitational microlensing planet search method is potentially sensitive to multiple-planet systems containing analogs of all the solar system planets except Mercury. We report the detection of a multiple-planet system with microlensing. We identify two planets with masses of approximately 0.71 and approximately 0.27 times the mass of Jupiter and orbital separations of approximately 2.3 and approximately 4.6 astronomical units orbiting a primary star of mass approximately 0.50 solar mass at a distance of approximately 1.5 kiloparsecs. This system resembles a scaled version of our solar system in that the mass ratio, separation ratio, and equilibrium temperatures of the planets are similar to those of Jupiter and Saturn. These planets could not have been detected with other techniques; their discovery from only six confirmed microlensing planet detections suggests that solar system analogs may be common.     

GaN photonic-crystal surface-emitting laser at blue-violet wavelengths

Shorter-wavelength surface-emitting laser sources are important for a variety of fields, including photonics, information processing, and biology. We report on the creation of a current-driven blue-violet photonic-crystal surface-emitting laser. We have developed a fabrication method, named "air holes retained over growth," in order to construct a two-dimensional gallium nitride (GaN)/air photonic-crystal structure. The resulting periodic structure has a photonic-crystal band-edge effect sufficient for the successful operation of a current-injection surface-emitting laser. This represents an important step in the development of laser sources that could be focused to a size much less than the wavelength and be integrated two-dimensionally at such short wavelengths.