Equine proliferative enteropathy – a review of recent developments

Equine proliferative enteropathy (EPE) is a disease of foals caused by the obligate intracellular organism Lawsonia intracellularis. This emerging disease affects mainly weanling foals and causes fever, lethargy, peripheral oedema, diarrhoea, colic and weight loss. The diagnosis of EPE may be challenging and relies on the presence of hypoproteinaemia, thickening of segments of the small intestinal wall observed upon abdominal ultrasonography, positive serology and molecular detection of L. intracellularis in faeces. Although the clinical entity, diagnostic approach and treatment of EPE are well established and described, the epidemiology for this disease has remained largely unaddressed. This article focuses on new developments in the field of EPE, including epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical signs, diagnosis, treatment and prevention. The Summary is available in Chinese – see Supporting information.     

Veterinary pharmacovigilance. Part 2. Veterinary pharmacovigilance in practice -- the operation of a spontaneous reporting scheme in a European Union country -- the UK, and schemes in other countries

Veterinary pharmacovigilance, as it operates in the European Union (EU), covers a very broad remit, including adverse effects in treated animals, exposed humans and the environment, and in addition, it extends to cover the violation of maximum residue limits. The mainstay of veterinary pharmacovigilance is the spontaneous reporting scheme working along side other systems such as those reporting on residues surveillance. One of the most well established schemes in the EU is that operating in the UK and this paper examines the evolution of that scheme and some of its findings, data from other countries, and information available from the literature. It also tentatively examines the ways that pharmacovigilance can be used for regulatory purposes, and the contribution from pharmacoepidemiology.     

Bread-Making Quality Indices in Triticum aestivum Progenies. Implications in Breeding for Better Bread Wheat

Bread-making quality indices (dough strength and dough mixing stability) in relation to flour protein content, glutenin/gliadin ratio, and high-molecular-weight (HMW) subunits of glutenin have been investigated in Triticum aestivum progenies during a three year agronomic trial. Dough strength (W) proved to be a fairly stable characteristic, slightly but positively correlated with flour protein content. High could be associated with a high glutenin/gliadin ratio as well as with the presence of specific HMW. subunits of glutenin, while high protein content tended to favour a balanced dough tenacity-extensibility ratio (P/L = 0.4—0.6). Satisfactory values of dough-mixing stability were frequently observed in association with good expression of W showing that the two quality traits may coexist without much difficulty in the same genotype. From the plant breeding standpoint the data suggest feasible to obtain high dough strength by concentrating in a genotype the HMW subunits of glutenin known to have a beneficial effect on W. However, very high W may present unfavourable P/L ratios. This possibility is enhanced when the flour has a low protein content which often occurs in high yielding genotypes.     

The performance of a thermometer screen on an automatic weather station

The performance of a Didcot-type thermometer screen on an Automatic Weather Station and a conventional Stevenson screen were compared, both with each other and against an aspirated Assmann psychrometer. Maximum temperature in the Didcot screen exceeded the conventional screen maximum by up to 1 K on calm, sunny days, and Didcot minimum temperatures were as much as 1.5 K less than the screen minima on still, clear nights; mean temperature discrepancies between screens were + 0.3 and − 0.4 K for maxima and minima, respectively. The apparent psychrometric constant for the Didcot screen was 1.0 mbar K⁻¹ which increased to 1.2 mbar K⁻¹ when u < 2 m s⁻¹ in contrast to the value of 0.799 mbar K⁻¹ frequently used for the Stevenson screen.     

河北省城郊农业发展方向与模式研究

通过对城郊农业特点的分析,提出城郊农业应向二、三产业延伸,实行多功能开发,走观光采摘农业的路子。在实际工作中,通过坚持3个结合、做好5项工作,实现4个功能。     

Ultrastructural features of Mycoplasma gallisepticum in tracheal explants under transmission and stereoscan electron microscopy

Ultrastructural features of Mycoplasma gallisepticum in tracheal explants were examined using the transmission and stereoscan electron microscope. The organisms were characteristically cocco-bacilliform except when in close contact with the host cells when they assumed an elongated and irregular form characteristically terminating in a bleb which was often embedded in the cell surface. In such organisms there were peripherally aligned fibrillar structures oriented towards the bleb which may have a functional relationship with a probing or moving habit of the mycoplasma.     

视黄酸及干扰素对胃癌细胞系MKN45中p16,p21,c-myc基因表达的影响

目的探讨全反式视黄酸及干扰素两种因子对胃癌MKN45细胞的影响.方法将视黄酸及干扰素同时加入胃癌细胞系MKN45中进行细胞培养,用MTT法测定细胞的生长状况,并通过Northern blot和免疫组化测定p16,p21及c-myc的表达情况.结果干扰素（IFN）协同全反式视黄酸（ATRA）可有效地抑制MKN45细胞生长,癌细胞经联合用药诱导后p16和p21基因的表达水平提高,c-myc基因表达水平下降.视黄酸受体RARα基因在MKN45细胞中呈低水平表达,经ATRA和IFN诱导后表达水平提高.结论 ATRA联合IFN诱导可调节p16和p21基因的表达水平,抑制胃癌MKN45细胞生长,这可能与细胞中RARα基因高水平表达有一定关系.     

Development of a marker assisted selection program for cacao

ABSTRACT Production of cacao in tropical America has been severely affected by fungal pathogens causing diseases known as witches' broom (WB, caused by Moniliophthora perniciosa), frosty pod (FP, caused by M. roreri) and black pod (BP, caused by Phytophthora spp.). BP is pan-tropical and causes losses in all producing areas. WB is found in South America and parts of the Caribbean, while FP is found in Central America and parts of South America. Together, these diseases were responsible for over 700 million US dollars in losses in 2001 (4). Commercial cacao production in West Africa and South Asia are not yet affected by WB and FP, but cacao grown in these regions is susceptible to both. With the goal of providing new disease resistant cultivars the USDA-ARS and Mars, Inc. have developed a marker assisted selection (MAS) program. Quantitative trait loci have been identified for resistance to WB, FP, and BP. The potential usefulness of these markers in identifying resistant individuals has been confirmed in an experimental F(1) family in Ecuador.     

Statistical Model on the Time and Time Difference Error of Arrival in TDOA Location Estimation

Additional time delay of arrival resulted from non-line of sight(NLOS)propagation and muti-path effect in(cellular) environment is the dominant factor resulting in TDOA location error,study on the statistical property of TDOA error is useful for improving the accuracy of TDOA location.Based on the exponential distribution property of NLOS propagation delay,and considering the system error resulted from the signal detection,the authors establish a statistical model of arrival time and a model of TDOA error distribution by statistics when non-light of sight and multi-path propagation exist.The models reflect the statistical property of arrival time and TDOA error in cell network,the simulation shows that the proposed models have a good accuracy and a satisfactory behavior.