Hemostatic studies in racing standardbred horses with exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage. Hemostatic parameters at rest and after moderate exercise.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether a defect in hemostasis might be a factor in the etiology of exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH). Hemostatic parameters were evaluated in 22 EIPH-positive and ten EIPH-negative racing horses while in a rested state. Nineteen EIPH-positive and ten EIPH-negative horses were further evaluated just before and immediately after a 15 min exercise period on a 260 m oval track. When EIPH-positive and EIPH-negative horses were compared at rest, there was no significant difference in any of the coagulation and fibrinolytic parameters studied. There was however, a significant difference in platelet function as assessed by aggregometry. The platelets from affected horses were significantly less responsive than those from nonaffected horses when exposed in vitro to the platelet agonists adenosine diphosphate, collagen and platelet activating factor. Exercise tended to increase the packed cell volume and factor VIII/von Willebrand factor and to decrease platelet aggregation responses to low concentrations of adenosine diphosphate. These effects of exercise however were quantitatively similar in both EIPH-positive and EIPH-negative horses. Reduced platelet function may therefore be a contributing factor in the bleeding characteristic of horses with EIPH.     

An investigation of the effect of hesperidin complex and lemon bioflavonoid complex on growth and development of thoroughbred horses

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of Hesperidin Complex and Lemon Bioflavonoid Complex (HC/LBC) on the growth and development of thoroughbred horses. The trial involved twenty-four foals (12 colts, 12 fillies) allotted to treatment shortly after weaning. The study was conducted for a 342-d growing phase and a 153-d training phase, or a total of 495-d. The HC/LBC was included in the test diet at a level calculated to supply the compound at 55 mg X kg body weight-1 X d-1. During the growing phase, average daily gain of colts that received HC/LBC was higher (P less than .05) than gain of control fillies but not different from that of treated and control colts. No differences (P greater than .05) in daily gain due to treatment were observed during the growing phase, training phase, or the data for the combined growing and training phases. Differences between treatments in changes in height at the withers and knees during the growing phase were not significant. In the training phase, average daily height change values for colts was higher (P less than .05) than that of fillies; however, these differences were not related to diet treatment. Radiographs were taken of the epiphyseal plate of the knee initially and at approximately 120-d intervals. No differences (P greater than .05) were noted between diet treatments through d 365 of the trial. Radiographs taken upon termination of the trail (495 d) showed a difference (P less than .05) favoring fillies over colts, but no differences related to diet treatment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Tryptophan-accelerated electron flow through proteins

Energy flow in biological structures often requires submillisecond charge transport over long molecular distances. Kinetics modeling suggests that charge-transfer rates can be greatly enhanced by multistep electron tunneling in which redox-active amino acid side chains act as intermediate donors or acceptors. We report transient optical and infrared spectroscopic experiments that quantify the extent to which an intervening tryptophan residue can facilitate electron transfer between distant metal redox centers in a mutant Pseudomonas aeruginosa azurin. Cu(I) oxidation by a photoexcited Re(I)-diimine at position 124 on a histidine(124)-glycine(123)-tryptophan(122)-methionine(121) beta strand occurs in a few nanoseconds, fully two orders of magnitude faster than documented for single-step electron tunneling at a 19 angstrom donor-acceptor distance.     

Modeling enteric bacterial die-off: A review

To protect surface and groundwater resources from enteric bacterial pollution, management practices must be devised based on a sound knowledge of the fate of these organisms in the environment. Areas covered in this article include the effects of physical and chemical characteristics of the environment, mathematical modeling approaches of bacterial die-off and a summary of past investigations of bacterial die-off in storage systems, soil and fresh/sea water environments. The greatest need for future research efforts was shown to be in determination of the relationships of environmental and physical parameters to bacterial survival so that the literature data could be unified.     

Genetical and Cytological Aspects of Incompatibility and Sterility in Cultivated Fruits.

Summary

Effects of auxin and gibberellin on changes in pectin polysaccharides and activities of the enzymes, pectin methylesterase and polygalacturonase were assayed in fruits of cape-gooseberry (Physalis peruviana L. ‘Rashbhori’) during their development and ripening. The water-soluble pectic fractions accumulation more in the auxin-treated fruits than in the control, while gibberellin raised the level of the acid-soluble and alkali-soluble fractions. Treatments with auxin increased polygalacturonase activity and gibberellin proved to be highly effective in reducing its activity. The significance of these findings in relation to pectin solubilization is discussed.     

Assessing benefits of irrigation and nutrient management practices on a southeast Florida royal palm (Roystonea elata) field nursery

Many of the best management practices (BMPs) that are recommended for agricultural producers have not been scientifically evaluated for their conservation benefits considering the soil, climate, and hydrology of the proposed application location. The goal of this study was to compare royal palm (Roystonea elata) production in south Florida, USA, using tensiometer automated irrigation and reduced soil applications of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), to that of traditional grower practices considering water savings, nutrient inputs, crop yield, crop nutrient status, soil nutrient status, and economic analyses. The study consisted of six treatments: (1) control (i.e., a grower irrigation rate and N and P fertilizer rates); (2) irrigation system automated to irrigate when soil water suction exceeded 5 kPa and the grower N and P rates; (3) irrigation system automated to irrigate when soil water suction exceeded 15 kPa and the grower N and P rates; (4) irrigation system automated to irrigate when soil water suction exceeded 15 kPa and 50% of the grower N and P rates; (5) the grower irrigation rate and 75% of the grower N and P rates; and (6) the grower irrigation rate and 50% of the grower N and P rates. Irrigation water volume applied, plant diameters, and plant heights were measured periodically throughout the study and plant tissue samples and soil samples were collected periodically for analysis of N and P content. Significant differences among treatments were only observed for the irrigation water volume applied. Automating the irrigation system to irrigate at soil suction exceeding 5 and 15 kPa resulted in 75 and 96% less water applied, respectively, than traditional irrigation scheduling practices used by a grower. Economic analyses suggested that all treatments would result in financial savings ranging from 7 to 34% per ha considering a 5-year, 2 ha investment. Thus, automating irrigation based on soil water suction for palm production in southern Florida, USA and similar locations will result in more sustainable agricultural production systems by benefiting the environment (less nutrients and water applied) and the grower (lower cost).     

Effect of Different Combinations of Cryoprotectants on In Vitro Maturation of Immature Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) Oocytes Vitrified by Straw and Open‐Pulled Straw Methods

This study was designed to evaluate effects of different combinations of cryoprotectants on the ability of vitrified immature buffalo oocytes to undergo in vitro maturation. Straw and open‐pulled straw (OPS) methods for vitrification of oocytes at the germinal vesicle stage also were compared. The immature oocytes were harvested from ovaries of slaughtered animals and were divided into three groups: (i) untreated (control); (ii) exposed to cryoprotectant agents (CPAs); or (iii) cryopreserved by straw and OPS vitrification methods. The vitrification solution (VS) consisted of 6 m ethylene glycol (EG) as the standard, control vitrification treatment, and this was compared with 3 m EG + 3 m dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), 3 m EG + 3 m glycerol, and 3 m DMSO + 3 m glycerol. Cryoprotectants were added in two steps, with the first step concentration half that of the second (and final) step concentration. After warming, oocyte samples were matured by standard methods and then fixed and stained for nuclear evaluation. Rates of MII oocytes exposed to CPAs without vitrification were lower (54.3 ± 1.9% in EG, 47.5 ± 3.4% in EG + DMSO, 36.8 ± 1.2% in EG + glycerol and 29.9 ± 1.0% in DMSO + glycerol; p < 0.05) than for the control group (79.8 ± 1.3%). For all treatments in each vitrification experiment, results were nearly identical for straws and OPS, so all results presented are the average of these two containers. The percentages of oocytes reaching telophase‐I or metaphase‐II stages were lower in oocytes cryopreserved using all treatments when compared with control. However, among the vitrified oocytes, the highest maturation rate was seen in oocytes vitrified in EG + DMSO (41.5 ± 0.6%). Oocytes cryopreserved in all groups with glycerol had an overall low maturation rate 19.0 ± 0.6% for EG + glycerol and 17.0 ± 1.1% for DMSO + glycerol. We conclude that the function of oocytes was severely affected by both vitrification and exposure to cryoprotectants without vitrification; the best combination of cryoprotectants was EG + DMSO for vitrification of immature buffalo oocytes using either straw or OPS methods.