Biofilms and their relevance to veterinary medicine

Bacteria are renowned for their ability to tolerate and adapt to a wide range of adverse environmental conditions. The primary mechanism that facilitates these adaptations is thought to be the capacity to form and maintain biofilms. Within a biofilm, bacteria become attached to a surface where they exist in complex communities which are able to interact with each other through intracellular communication and thus rapidly adapt to changing environments. The organisms within biofilms are notorious for their resistance towards the host immune response and antibacterial agents compared to their free-living planktonic counterparts. Consequently, biofilms are of significant importance to both clinical and veterinary science. However, although bacterial infections are widely reported in animals their association with biofilms is rarely discussed. The aim of this review is to look at the characteristics of biofilm infections in humans and to relate this knowledge to veterinary science in order to assess their relevance in this area.     

Tracking the evolution of a hydrothermal event plume with a RAFOS neutrally buoyant drifter

The migration and evolution of a deep ocean hydrothermal event plume were tracked with a neutrally buoyant RAFOS float. The float remained entrained in the plume for 60 days, and the plume vorticity was calculated directly from the anticyclonic motion of the float. Concentrations of suspended particles, particulate iron, and dissolved manganese in the plume did not decay significantly during the 60 days, which indicates that event plumes would be easily detectable a year after formation.     

Paleolithic population growth pulses evidenced by small animal exploitation

Variations in small game hunting along the northern and eastern rims of the Mediterranean Sea and results from predator-prey simulation modeling indicate that human population densities increased abruptly during the late Middle Paleolithic and again during the Upper and Epi-Paleolithic periods. The demographic pulses are evidenced by increasing reliance on agile, fast-reproducing partridges, hares, and rabbits at the expense of slow-reproducing but easily caught tortoises and marine shellfish and, concurrently, climate-independent size diminution in tortoises and shellfish. The results indicate that human populations of the early Middle Paleolithic were exceptionally small and highly dispersed.     

壳聚糖对动物脂肪代谢及生长性能的影响

壳聚糖(chifosan),是甲壳素的衍生物．又名可溶性甲壳素、脱乙酰甲壳素、甲壳胺、几丁聚糖．是通过甲壳素一定程度的脱乙酰而得到．通常将脱乙酰度55％以上的甲壳素称作壳聚糖,化学名称是(1．4)-2-氨基-2-脱氧-β-D-葡聚糖。在众多的天然多糖中,甲壳素及其主要衍生物壳聚糖是唯一的碱性多糖．具有生物相容性、可食用性、可抗菌性、     

Variations in cell morphology in the canine cruciate ligament complex

Cell morphology may reflect the mechanical environment of tissues and influence tissue physiology and response to injury. Normal cruciate ligaments (CLs) from disease-free stifle joints were harvested from dog breeds with a high (Labrador retriever) and low (Greyhound) risk of cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) rupture. Antibodies against the cytoskeletal components vimentin and alpha tubulin were used to analyse cell morphology; nuclei were stained with 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole, and images were collected using conventional and confocal microscopy. Both cranial and caudal CLs contained cells of heterogenous morphologies. Cells were arranged between collagen bundles and frequently had cytoplasmic processes. Some of these processes were long (type A cells), others were shorter, thicker and more branched (type B cells), and some had no processes (type C cells). Processes were frequently shown to contact other cells, extending longitudinally and transversely through the CLs. Cells with longer processes had fusiform nuclei, and those with no processes had rounded nuclei and were more frequent in the mid-substance of both CLs. Cells with long processes were more commonly noted in the CLs of the Greyhound. As contact between cells may facilitate direct communication, variances in cell morphology between breeds at a differing risk of CCL rupture may reflect differences in CL physiology.     

聚合条件对羧甲基纤维素、玉米淀粉双母体高吸水性树脂性能的影响

采用自由基聚合法,以过硫酸铵为引发剂,N,N'-亚甲基双丙烯酰胺为交联剂,羧甲基纤维素及玉米淀粉与丙烯酸进行自由基接枝共聚合成吸水剂.并详细考察了中和丙烯酸时,KOH的用量及中和度对高吸水性树脂吸收能力的影响.实验表明:丙烯酸的中和度为95%时,高吸水性树脂对纯水、自来水和生理盐水的吸收率有最高值,分别是592g/g、300g/g和99g/g.当氢氧化钾的中和百分比为1%时,高吸水性树脂对纯水、自来水和生理盐水有最高吸收率,分别为630g/g、340g/g和95g/g.     

利用沙尘暴进行荒漠化草原表土再造技术原理及实践

依据风沙学原理,利用沙尘暴现象对内蒙古荒漠草原进行了表层土壤再造试验。采用地表撒松散杂草(秸秆)后用尼龙网罩固定的方法,拦截沙尘暴所携带的尘土。再造后的土壤掩埋了裸露的植物根系和地表面的砾石,比对照土壤有效锌增加114.8%、有机质增加33.3%、全氮增加77.1%、有效磷增加150.0%、速效钾增加7.8%、pH值降低了1.3%。此方法为如何利用沙尘暴这一自然现象开辟了新的思路。