Syntheses of new film-forming aromatic poly(amide-imide)s containing isoindoloquinazolinedione unit in the backbone: Poly(biphenylphthalicdianhydride-oxydianiline-4,4′-diamino-3′-carbamoyl-benzanilide) (poly(BPDA-ODA-DACB))

New film forming aromatic poly(amide-imide)s containing isoindoloquinazolinedione (IQ) unit in the backbone chain (polymerXIV) have been successfully synthesized by preparing prepolymers of poly(amic acid-carbonamide), followed by subsequent thermal cyclization of the prepolymers. 4,4′-Diamino-3′-carbamoylbenzanilide (DACB)V has been synthesized by reduction of 3′-carbamoyl-4′-amino-4-nitrobenzanilideIV. The prepolymers of poly(amic-acid-carbonamide) (polymersVII andVIII) which exhibit viscosities ranging from 1.4 to 1.7 dl/g have been prepared by a condensation polymerization of monomers such as BPDA, ODA, and DACB. PolymerXIV has been obtained by thermal cyclization of the polymersVII andVIII. During the thermal cyclization reaction, imide ring structure was first introduced and then transformed to the structure of IQ unit. The thermal degradation rate of the resultant polymers were influenced by the cleavage of amide bond but the final char yield was comparable to that of poly(BPDA-ODA).     

Factors influencing social organization in postpartum Angus cows under confinement. Effect on cow–calf weight change

The objective was to determine factors influencing social organization in postpartum Angus cows and its effect on variation of cow–calf weight after 90 d. Postpartum Angus cows (N=90) with no history of puerperal problems, a calf suckling, and body condition score (BCS) no less than 3 were allocated into 3 groups of 30 (A, B, and C) according to parity (P) and cow body frame (CF). Using the agonistic interactions recorded during the study, a raw dominance value with subsequent Arc-sin conversion (Arc-sin DV) was calculated to generate a linear social dominance order (DO) with 3 social categories (dominant—D-, intermediate—I-, and subordinate—S-cows). The effects of postpartum body weight (PPBW), BCS, CF, and P on Arc-sin DV were statistically analyzed using ANOVA. Similar procedure was applied to analyze the effects of group, P, CF, and DO on cow body weight at 90 d (CW90), and the effects of DO of dams, P, group, calf gender (CG), and sire within breed (SWB) on calf body weight at 90 d (CFW90). Cows with larger CF and heavier PPBW obtained greatest (P<0.0005) Arc-sin DV. The youngest and the oldest cows tended (P<0.10) to obtain the lowest Arc-sin DV. After 90 d of trial, D cows were heavier than I (P<0.002) and S cows (P<0.0001). Calf birth weight was influenced by SWB (P<0.03) and P (P<0.05), and D cows had heavier (P<0.05) calf at birth than S cows. At 90 d, calf body weight was influenced by P (P<0.03) and DO of dam (P<0.008). Thus, calf weight at 90 d increased with DO of dams. In conclusion, CF, PPBW, and to a less extent P, influenced DO. Parity and CF influenced PPBW. Variation of CW90 was influenced by DO. Calf birth weight was influenced by SWB, P, DO of cow, and CG. Meanwhile, CFW90 was influenced by P and DO of cow. Interactions among social organization, management strategies, calf growth, and reproductive aspects need more attention.     

Hog Production in China: Technological Bias and Factor Demand

Technological change and factor biases are estimated by employing a translog cost function based on a new adjusted dataset for China's hog production sector. Technological change is found not to have been neutral and the factor bias to be statistically significant towards feed grain-saving technology. It is also found that the demand for feed grain is elastic with respect to its own price and that strong substitution relationships exist with respect to some other inputs. Thus, along with technological biases, the changes in input price could affect hog farmer input behaviors and therefore change factor shares of hog production cost in China. In other words, demand for feed grain is very elastic, which results in feed grain-saving technological bias. Two major policy implications can be drawn that rising feed grain prices could significantly reduce the feed grain input on hog farms and developing specialized hog farms could provide more employment opportunities for rural labor in China because feed grain and labor are complementary.     

Time‐coordinated prevalence of extracellular HGF,FGF2 and TGF‐β3 in crush‐injured skeletal muscle

Successful regeneration and remodeling of neuromuscular junctions are critical for restoring functional capacities and properties of skeletal muscle after damage, and axon‐guidance molecules may be involved in the signaling that regulates such restoration. Recently, we found that early‐differentiated satellite cells up‐regulate a secreted neural chemorepellent Sema3A upon in vivo muscle‐crush injury. The study also revealed that Sema3A expression is up‐regulated in primary satellite‐cell cultures in response to hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF2) and is prevented by transforming growth factor (TGF)‐β2, 3. In order to verify the physiological significance of this regulation in vitro, the present study was designed to estimate the time‐course of extracellular HGF, FGF2 and TGF‐β3 concentrations after crush‐injury of Gastrocnemius muscle in the rat lower hind‐limb, using a combination of a non‐homogenization/non‐spin extraction of extracellular wound fluids and enhanced chemiluminescence–Western blotting analyses. Results clearly demonstrated that active HGF and FGF2 are prevalent in 2–8 days post‐crush, whereas active TGF‐β3 increases after 12 days, providing a better understanding of the time‐coordinated levels of HGF, FGF2 and TGF‐β3 that drive regulation of Sema3A expression during regenerative intramuscular moto‐neuritogenesis.     

越南水稻黄矮病毒多克隆血清抗体的制备

[目的]制备用于检测水稻黄矮病毒(RYSV)的多克隆抗体,为水稻和黑尾叶蝉上的病毒诊断提供技术支持.[方法]利用两种不同来源的RYSV抗原免疫家兔,一种是从受感染的水稻病叶组织纯化获得RYSV病毒粒子;另一种是从越南RYSV分离株克隆出完整N蛋白编码基因,然后将其连接至pET-28a载体上,在大肠杆菌Rosetta(DE3)菌株中进行诱导表达获得N蛋白抗原.其中,N蛋白抗原又以两种形式(洗脱纯化N蛋白和N蛋白条带聚丙烯酰胺切片匀浆)对家兔进行免疫.最后,采用PTA-ELISA分析评估家兔抗体血清(多克隆抗体)对水稻叶片和黑尾叶蝉RYSV的特异性和敏感性.[结果]分离自越南RYSV分离株的N基因由1542个核苷酸组成,与来自我国和日本RYS分离株N基因序列进行比对,其核苷酸序列同源性分别为98.1%和97.9%,对应的推导氨基酸序列同源性为83.4%和99.4%.以RYSV病毒粒子、洗脱纯化N蛋白和N蛋白条带聚丙烯酰胺切片匀浆3种抗原免疫家兔获得的多克隆抗体均能有效检测出水稻植株中的RYSV,其中,感病植株的OD405分别为1.449、2.337和1.649,健康植株的OD405分别为0.375、0.294和0.283.PTA-ELISA检测结果表明,获得的多克隆抗体能从单个带病毒黑尾叶蝉中检测出RYSV,且该结论在RT-PCR检测中得到进一步验证.[结论]制备获得的多克隆抗体对RYSV具有较高特异性和敏感性,可用于水稻和黑尾叶蝉上的病毒诊断,同时表明以含有病毒植物蛋白的聚丙烯酰胺切片直接注射免疫模型动物制备多克隆抗体具有可行性.     

Effect of chlortetracycline in a trace mineral salt mix on fertility traits in beef cattle females in Florida

The study objective was to determine the effect of chlortetracycline in an ad libitum trace-mineralized salt mix given to heifers before and(or) during bull exposure on the proportion pregnant and the time to conception in a fixed breeding period. Heifers (n = 768), 13 to 15 mo of age, were individually identified, immunized (Leptospira, Campylobacter fetus), examined (body condition score, vaginal lesion score, BW), and randomly allocated within 2 x 2 factorial blocks of treatments where trace mineral salt with and without chlortetracycline medication was provided in similar but nonadjacent pastures either before and(or) during bull exposure. The chlortetracycline feeding period was about 30 d for each. In the 2 d immediately before bull exposure, heifers were examined (body condition score, vaginal lesion score, reproductive tract evaluation) and reallocated to treatment pastures. Pregnancy was determined by per rectal palpation at 45 d following bull removal. Mineral intake was below that expected for heifer groups and, as a result, chlortetracycline intake was estimated at less than one-third of that targeted. Many heifers were not cycling reproductively at the onset of bull exposure (n = 456, 60.3%, based on a reproductive tract score < 3). Despite these limitations, heifers receiving chlortetracycline treatment before breeding had a pregnancy percentage of 65% (chlortetracycline before and during breeding 67% and chlortetracycline before breeding 61.8%) compared to those receiving no treatment before breeding (53%, P < 0.03; no chlortetracycline before or during breeding 60.4% and chlortetracycline during breeding 47.4%). Heifers receiving chlortetracycline treatment before breeding were 57% more likely to become pregnant than those not treated before breeding. Change in vaginal lesion score was associated with the proportion pregnant, but neither body condition score nor average daily gain were.     

Serial chemical restraint for treatment of decubitus ulcers in two neonatal white rhinoceroses (Ceratotherium simum).

Two neonatal white rhinoceroses (Ceratotherium simum) at two zoological institutions were medically managed for wounds characterized by extensive multifocal necrosis of the skin and subcutaneous tissue, associated with decubitus ulcers throughout the body. Wounds resulted from prolonged recumbency due to inability to stand in one case and causes unconfirmed in the other. Both calves were born in cement stalls during winter. Using either butorphanol (i.v. or i.m.) alone or in combination with detomidine (i.m.), serial chemical restraint was conducted over a 6-wk period to facilitate wound care. Anesthesia was well tolerated in both calves, and lesions responded well to medical treatment.