Nulliparous versus primiparous crossbred females for beef

Feedlot and carcass traits of nulliparous and primiparous females representing eight breed types, including Bos taurus and Bos indicus x Bos taurus crosses, were evaluated. Nulliparous females (heifers) were in the feedlot for 4 mo; primiparous females (heiferettes) were fed for 2 1/3 mo after their calves were weaned at 6 mo of age. Heifers averaged higher (P less than .01) in dressing percentage, percentage of kidney fat, carcass grade (P less than .10), and color of lean (P less than .05) compared with heiferettes. Heiferettes exceeded the nulliparous group in feedlot ADG (P less than .01), fat thickness (P less than .05), and percentage of steak, roast, and bone (P less than .01). Parity effects on carcass weight, longissimus area, marbling, pH, and shear force value were not statistically significant. Dam breed types differed in several traits, including marbling (P less than .05) and percentage of steak (P less than .10), roast (P less than .01), and bone (P less than .01). Dam breed x parity interactions were nonsignificant. Results show that beef derived from heiferettes is competitive with heifer beef.     

淀粉在含乳甜点中的应用

本文通过普通淀粉，某变性淀粉和两种功能性天然淀粉Novation 26000和Novaion3300在乳制甜点中的应用实验，从产品的货架期，结构，口感以及粘工等方面对不同淀粉的功能特性进行了比较，口感测试和仪器测试结果均可证明，两种功能性天然淀粉与该变性淀粉相似，赋予甜点稳定性和奶油感，而普通淀粉则无此贡献。     

Life-cycle evaluation of Bos taurus and Bos indicus X Bos taurus breed types in a dry, temperate climate: performance of mature dams

Mature dams representing Hereford, Red Poll, F1 Hereford x Red Poll, F1 Red Poll x Hereford, F1 Angus x Hereford, F1 Angus x Charolais, F1 Brahman x Hereford and F1 Brahman x Angus breed types were evaluated. All cows were bred to Limousin sires to produce two-way or three-way-cross progeny. Mature Brahman x Hereford dams produced a higher (P less than .05) percentage of live calves than Herefords, but dam breed differences in percentage of calves weaned relative to the number of cows exposed for mating were not statistically significant. Progeny of Angus x Charolais and Red Poll dams were outstanding in weaning weight, but Hereford and Brahman-cross calves were below average. Planned comparisons showed that Angus x Charolais calves were heavier (P less than .01) at weaning than Hereford (23.0 +/- 3.8 kg) or Angus x Hereford (9.6 +/- 3.2 kg) progeny. Mature Angus x Hereford mothers weaned heavier calves than did Brahman x Herefords (7.4 +/- 3.2 kg, P less than .05) or Brahman x Angus (10.9 +/- 3.0 kg, P less than .01). Analysis of the Hereford-Red Poll diallel showed evidence of maternal heterosis in calf weaning weight (4.0 +/- 2.6 kg, P less than .05), but there was no difference in the percentage of calves weaned by crossbred vs straightbred dams.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

汽蒸处理对落叶松木材物理性质的影响

本文取兴安落叶松(Larix gmelinii Rupr)生材加工成规格为20mm×20mm×20mm的试样;于常压下汽蒸1、2、4、8、16、32、48、64、96h。测定了气干和全干状态的干缩率、气干密度、基本密度和平衡含水率(EMC)等物理性质的变化情况。结果表明:①木材全干干缩率除汽蒸初始1h略有下降外,均随汽蒸的延续而逐渐增加,至64 h达最大值,径向、弦向和体积干缩率分别为7.28％、13.40％和21.85％,若继续延长汽蒸时间,干缩率稍有降低。②汽蒸过程中差异干缩值的变化不大,稍有降低。因而,汽蒸不会加剧差异干缩,并能使其有所改善。③气干密度和基本密度均随汽蒸的延续而逐渐降低,至48h降达最低值,分别为0.615g/cm~3和0.487g/cm~3,若继续汽蒸,气干密度和基本密度均稍有回升。④平衡含水率(EMC)随汽蒸的延续而逐渐降低,汽蒸96h降为8.53％。因此,汽蒸处理对落叶松木材物理性质的影响不大,落叶松成材汽蒸处理时间,一般不宜超过16h。     

Schemas and memory consolidation

Memory encoding occurs rapidly, but the consolidation of memory in the neocortex has long been held to be a more gradual process. We now report, however, that systems consolidation can occur extremely quickly if an associative "schema" into which new information is incorporated has previously been created. In experiments using a hippocampal-dependent paired-associate task for rats, the memory of flavor-place associations became persistent over time as a putative neocortical schema gradually developed. New traces, trained for only one trial, then became assimilated and rapidly hippocampal-independent. Schemas also played a causal role in the creation of lasting associative memory representations during one-trial learning. The concept of neocortical schemas may unite psychological accounts of knowledge structures with neurobiological theories of systems memory consolidation.     

Zinc selectively blocks the action of N-methyl-D-aspartate on cortical neurons

Large amounts of zinc are present in synaptic vesicles of mammalian central excitatory boutons and may be released during synaptic activity, but the functional significance of the metal for excitatory neurotransmission is currently unknown. Zinc (10 to 1000 micromolar) was found to have little intrinsic membrane effect on cortical neurons, but invariably produced a zinc concentration-dependent, rapid-onset, reversible, and selective attenuation of the membrane responses to N-methyl-D-aspartate, homocysteate, or quinolinate. In contrast, zinc generally potentiated the membrane responses to quisqualate or alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionate and often did not affect the response to kainate. Zinc also attenuated N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor-mediated neurotoxicity but not quisqualate or kainate neurotoxicity. The ability of zinc to specifically modulate postsynaptic neuronal responses to excitatory amino acid transmitters, reducing N-methyl-to-aspartate receptor-mediated excitation while often increasing quisqualate receptor-mediated excitation, is proposed to underlie its normal function at central excitatory synapses and furthermore could be relevant to neuronal cell loss in certain disease states.     

Influences of dietary uptake and reactive sulfides on metal bioavailability from aquatic sediments

Understanding how animals are exposed to the large repository of metal pollutants in aquatic sediments is complicated and is important in regulatory decisions. Experiments with four types of invertebrates showed that feeding behavior and dietary uptake control bioaccumulation of cadmium, silver, nickel, and zinc. Metal concentrations in animal tissue correlated with metal concentrations extracted from sediments, but not with metal in porewater, across a range of reactive sulfide concentrations, from 0.5 to 30 micromoles per gram. These results contradict the notion that metal bioavailability in sediments is controlled by geochemical equilibration of metals between porewater and reactive sulfides, a proposed basis for regulatory criteria for metals.     

The Anticancer Effect of Fucoidan in PC-3 Prostate Cancer Cells

Fucoidan, a sulfated polysaccharide, has a variety of biological activities, such as anti-cancer, anti-angiogenic and anti-inflammatory. However, the mechanisms of action of fucoidan as an anti-cancer agent have not been fully elucidated. The present study examined the anti-cancer effect of fucoidan obtained from Undaria pinnatifida in PC-3 cells, human prostate cancer cells. Fucoidan induced the apoptosis of PC-3 cells by activating both intrinsic and extrinsic pathways. The induction of apoptosis was accompanied by the activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase mitogen-activated protein kinase (ERK1/2 MAPK) and the inactivation of p38 MAPK and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt. In addition, fucoidan also induced the up-regulation of p21^Cip1/Waf and down-regulation of E2F-1 cell-cycle-related proteins. Furthermore, in the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, fucoidan activated GSK-3β that resulted in the decrease of β-catenin level, followed by the decrease of c-myc and cyclin D1 expressions, target genes of β-catenin in PC-3 cells. These results suggested that fucoidan treatment could induce intrinsic and extrinsic apoptosis pathways via the activation of ERK1/2 MAPK, the inactivation of p38 MAPK and PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, and the down-regulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in PC-3 prostate cancer cells. These data support that fucoidan might have potential for the treatment of prostate cancer.     

Identification of mannosidosis heterozygotes — Factors affecting normal plasma α-mannosidase levels

Abstract

Extract

Madam:— Thoracopagy, a condition in which equal and symmetrical twins are conjoined in or near their sternal regions ⁽³⁾ 1974. Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary, 25th edition, 1604–1604. Philadelphia: W B Saunders Company.  [Google Scholar] and have hepatic and variable cardiac and gastrointestinal fusions, ⁽⁶⁾ Marin-Padilla, M., Chin, A.J., and Marin-Padilla, T.M. 1981. Cardiovascular abnormalities in thoracopagus twins. Teratology, 23: 101–113.  [Google Scholar] has been an uncommon cause of perinatal ovine mortalities. ⁽²⁾ Dennis, S.M. 1975. Embryonic duplications in sheep. Aust. vet. J., 51: 83–87.  [Google Scholar] ⁽⁴⁾ Hartley, W.J., and Kater, Joan. 1964. Perinatal disease conditions of sheep in New Zealand. N.Z. vet. J., 12: 49–57. [Taylor &; Francis Online] , [Google Scholar] ⁽⁸⁾ Roberts, S.J. 1971. Veterinary Obstetrics and genital diseases (Theriogenology), 73–80. Ithaca, New York: Published by the author.  [Google Scholar] Sheep are not mentioned in recent summaries of literature on detailed autopsy findings in thoracopagy. ⁽¹⁾ Czarnecki, C.M. and Schenk, M.P. 1977. A case of monster twinning (cephalothoracopagus) in the pig. Br. vet. J., 133: 530–534.  [Google Scholar] ⁽⁹⁾ Sekeles, E. 1985. Posterior duplication (cephalothoracopagus syncephalus) in the cat. Zbl. Vet. Med. A., 32: 793–799.  [Google Scholar] One other report ⁽¹⁰⁾ Sharma, M.M., and Mathur, D.B. 1980. A case report of ovine conjoined twins. Indian vet. J., 57: 88–89.  [Google Scholar] describes a pair of lambs with a common thorax and abdomen that contained disparate hearts and lungs and a single set of abdominal organs. We report autopsy findings in a pair of thoracopagus twin female lambs removed from a full-mouth Romney x Lincoln ewe which had been mated to a Lincoln ram.     

Proposal of screening method for intestinal mucus adhesive lactobacilli using the enzymatic activity of glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH)

Adhesion tests are complex, time‐consuming and expensive, while the most important criterion for a probiotic lactobacilli is the ability to adhere to the human intestine. Thirty lactobacilli isolates from human intestinal tissues were measured for cell surface glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) activity using a microtiter plate screening method. GAPDH activities were detected in 21 out of 30 samples from 12 h cultures and in all samples from 18 h cultures. This suggests GAPDH is universally expressed on the bacterial cell surfaces from many lactobacilli. A statistically significant positive correlation was shown between GAPDH activity and adhesion using the BIACORE adhesion assay (P < 0.01). The new screening method using GAPDH enzymatic activity without an adhesion test may be possible due to the significant positive correlation of GAPDH activity with adhesion of lactobacilli derived from the human intestine.