Progesterone and Caspase-3 Activation in Equine Cyclic Corpora Lutea

Soon after ovulation, the newly formed corpus luteum (CL) starts secreting progesterone (P(4)), necessary for implantation. The CL, an ovarian transient endocrine organ, undergoes growth and regression throughout its life span. The objective of this study was to evaluate if caspase-3 mediates cell death in the equine cyclic luteal structures and relate it to luteal endocrine function. Blood and luteal tissue were collected during the breeding season after slaughter from 38 randomly assigned cycling mares. Luteal tissues were classified as corpora haemorrhagica (CH; n = 7); mid luteal phase corpora lutea (Mid-CL; n = 17); late or regressing corpora lutea (Late-CL; n = 9) and corpora albicans (CA; n = 5). Plasma P(4) concentration, determined by radioimmunoassay, showed a significant increase from CH to Mid-CL (p < 0.001), followed by a decrease to Late-CL (p < 0.001) and CA (p < 0.001). Caspase-3 processing and poly (ADP) ribose polymerase (PARP) degradation were assessed by western blotting. Active caspase-3 was twofold increased in Mid-CL, Late-CL and CA as compared with CH (p < 0.05). Immunocytochemistry also showed a significant increase in caspase-3 expression in large luteal cells in all structures when compared with CH (p < 0.05). Consistently, the endogenous caspase-3 substrate, PARP, was markedly degraded from CH to CA (p < 0.05). In fact, the ratio of full-length to degraded PARP showed a significant decrease from CH to Mid-CL, Late-CL and CA (p < 0.05). Finally, the decrease in P(4) from Mid- to Late-CL coincided with no further increases in apoptosis. In conclusion, these results suggest that the effector caspase-3 of apoptosis, might play an important role during luteal tissue involution in the mare, even though its relationship with P(4) remains to be elucidated.     

抓低改促高产求发展——双峰乡实施毛竹丰产经营的调查

双峰乡是中国“毛竹之乡”——宜丰县的毛竹重点产区.在对毛竹林的经营中,双峰乡通过全面规划、分类改造,改革机制、多种管理方式经营,建设样板、典型带动推广,以及基地建设与竹材深加工开发相结合等一系列措施,使这个“双料”的毛竹之乡真正发挥了资源优势,实现了毛竹丰产高效,促进了地方经济发展.调查总结了其成功的竹林经营管理经验,还介绍了向全县推广的措施方法.     

Magnetic microstructure of magnetotactic bacteria by electron holography

Off-axis electron holography in the transmission electron microscope was used to correlate the physical and magnetic microstructure of magnetite nanocrystals in magnetotactic bacteria. The magnetite crystals were all single magnetic domains, and the magnetization directions of small superparamagnetic crystals were constrained by magnetic interactions with larger crystals in the chains. Shape anisotropy was found to dominate magnetocrystalline anisotropy in elongated crystals. A coercive field between 300 and 450 oersted was determined for one chain.     

Effect of breed of cattle on transmission rate and innate resistance to infection with Babesia bovis and B bigemina transmitted by Boophilus microplus

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of breed of cattle on the transmission rates of and innate resistance to Babesia bovis and B bigemina parasites transmitted by Boophilus microplus ticks. DESIGN: Groups of 56 purebred B indicus and 52 B indicus cross B taurus (50%, F1 generation) steers were placed in a paddock seeded with and also naturally infested with B microplus which were the progeny of females ticks fed on B taurus cattle specifically infected with a virulent isolate of B bovis. The cattle were placed in the infested paddock 50 days after seeding had started. PROCEDURE: Cattle were inspected from horseback daily for 50 days. Clinically ill cattle were brought to yards and assessed by monitoring fever, depression of packed-cell volume, parasitaemia and severity of clinical signs. Any animals that met preset criteria were treated for babesiosis. Blood samples were collected from all cattle on day 28, 35 and 42 after exposure and antibodies to Babesia spp and packed cell volume measured. RESULTS: All steers, except for one crossbred, seroconverted to B bovis and B bigemina by day 35 and 75% of the crossbred steers showed a maximum depression in packed cell volume of more than 15% due to infection with Babesia spp compared with only 36% of the B indicus group. Ten of the 52 crossbreds and 1 of the 56 B indicus steers showed severe clinical signs. Two of the crossbreds required treatment of which one died 2 weeks after initial treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Pure-bred B indicus cattle have a high degree of resistance to babesiosis, but crossbred cattle are sufficiently susceptible to warrant the use of preventive measures such as vaccination. Transmission rates of B bovis and B bigemina to B indicus and crossbred cattle previously unexposed to B microplus were the same.     

Switchable surfactants

Many industrial applications that rely on emulsions would benefit from an efficient, rapid method of breaking these emulsions at a specific desired stage. We report that long-chain alkyl amidine compounds can be reversibly transformed into charged surfactants by exposure to an atmosphere of carbon dioxide, thereby stabilizing water/alkane emulsions or, for the purpose of microsuspension polymerization, styrene-in-water emulsions. Bubbling nitrogen, argon, or air through the amidinium bicarbonate solutions at 65 degrees C reverses the reaction, releasing carbon dioxide and breaking the emulsion. We also find that the neutral amidines function as switchable demulsifiers of an aqueous crude oil emulsion, enhancing their practical potential.     

Analysis of polymorphisms of cathepsin B and cystatin B impact on economically important traits in pigs raised in Poland

The cathepsins belong to an enzyme family of lysosomal proteinases, which have a wide spectrum of function in a lot of tissues and cell types. Cathepsin B is one of intracellular proteases, whose role is to carboxydipeptidyl activity. In turn, the cystatin B (CSTB) is an intracellular thiol proteinase inhibitor. In pigs, CTSB was mapped on 14 chromosome and linked to loci genes ATP2A2, ACTN2 and ACTA1, in the region where suggestive QTL for fat deposition and meat content were identified. The CSTB gene is localized on telomeric end (1/2) q46–q49 of SSC13 and on this chromosome QTLs for daily gain and birth weight were identified. Our investigation concerned analysis of effects A72C CTSB polymorphism and Asp62Asn CSTB missense mutation on carcass traits in Polish pigs population. The significant results of A72C of CTSB mutation was observed for several growth traits in Pietrain pigs. AC genotype characterized higher carcass yield and weight of ham and loin than in AA pigs (AC — 79.3%, 6.90 kg and 10.2 kg; AA — 77.8, 6.52 and 9.89, P < 0.01). The significant effect of Asp62Asn CSTB was in two traits of Polish Large White pigs: AA animals had higher daily gain and lower number days in test compared to animals with GG genotype (AA — 973 g, 162 days; GG — 882 g, 172 days) with favorable additive genetic effects of allele g173A on LSM. The selection on A allele of CSTB should lead to increasing level of fat. In turn, increasing in population, a C allele of CTSB should affect better meat content parameters in pig population. Overall, these two polymorphisms seem not to be directly association with carcass traits, but probably are linked to unknown QTLs localized on 13 and 14 chromosomes.     

水分胁迫下4种冷季型草坪草抗旱性比较研究

采用盆栽育苗法,研究了4种冷季型草坪草在不同水分胁迫下的抗旱性,结果表明:1)随着水分胁迫程度的加深,4种冷季型草坪草的外观质量和叶片相对含水量显著下降,细胞质膜透性、MDA含量和Pro含量上升。2)模糊数学综合评价结果表明,4种冷季型草坪草种抗旱性能由强到弱的顺序为:高羊茅>多年生黑麦草>草地早熟禾>匍匐翦股颖。     

Einfluß von Monoethanolamin auf Ertrag und Wasserausnutzung von Sommergerste

Effect of monoethanolamine on yield and water use efficiency of barley The effect of monoethanolamine (EA) on yield and water use efficiency (WUE) of spring barley plants was tested in pot experiments. The application of EA (8 to 12 mg/pot) increased the grain yield and WUE by about 4 to 15 per cent under stress conditions. In addition, EA improved the utilization of fertilizer nitrogen. The yield-increasing effect of EA was associated with an increase of the number of ear-bearing tillers and an improved root growth. The effects of EA were only significant at α = 0.05.