Brain edema: induction in cortical slices by polyunsaturated fatty acids

The presence of polyunsaturated and saturated fatty acids in leukocytic membranes prompted study of their possible role in the induction of brain edema. Polyunsaturated fatty acids including sodium arachidonate, sodium linoleate, sodium linolenate, and docasahexaenoic acids induced edma in slices of rat brain cortex. This cellular edema was specific, since neither saturated fatty acids nor a fatty acid containing a single double bond had such effect.     

Nutrition in critical illness.

Malnutrition associated with critical illness has been unequivocally associated with increased morbidity and mortality in humans. Because malnutrition may similarly affect veterinary patients, the nutritional requirements of hospitalized critically ill animals must be properly addressed. Proper nutritional support is increasingly being recognized as an important therapeutic intervention in the care of critically ill patients. The current focus of veterinary critical care nutrition, and the major focus of this article, is on carefully selecting the patients most likely to benefit from nutritional support, deciding when to intervene, and optimizing nutritional support to individual patients.     

Cutaneous hemangioma in a giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca).

An adult male giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) was presented with a cutaneous mass ventral to the eye. The animal was anesthetized and the mass was surgically excised. Histopathologic examination determined that the mass was a benign cavernous hemangioma, the first reported case in a giant panda.     

Anesthetic management of the head trauma patient

Objective: To describe the optimal anesthetic management of patients with brain injury, with emphasis on the support of oxygen delivery to the brain, and the effects of anesthetic agents on cerebral perfusion. Data sources: Clinical and experimental studies from both the human and veterinary neuroanesthesia literature. Summary: The management of patients following primary traumatic brain injury (TBI) significantly impacts outcome. Outcome can be improved by strategies that improve oxygen delivery to the brain and prevent cerebral ischemia. Anesthetic agents have widely variable effects on the blood supply to the brain and, therefore, choice of anesthetic agent can influence neurological outcome. Although in the past, anesthetic agents have been selected for their neuroprotective properties, it is increasingly being recognized that the support of cerebral perfusion during anesthesia contributes more significantly to a positive outcome for these patients. Support of cardiorespiratory function is, therefore, highly important when anesthetizing patients with TBI. Conclusion: Choice of anesthetic agent is determined by the extent of brain injury and intracranial pressure (ICP) elevation. Factors that should be considered when anesthetizing head trauma patients include the effects of anesthetic agents on the cardiac and respiratory systems, their effects on cerebral blood flow (CBF), ICP, and possible neuroprotective benefits offered by certain agents.     

Serial determination of biomarkers of oxidative stress and antioxidant status in dogs with naturally occurring gastric dilatation-volvulus

Objective: To serially determine the biomarkers of oxidative stress and antioxidant status of dogs with gastric dilatation‐volvulus (GDV) over 48 hours. Design: Prospective study. Setting: Veterinary teaching hospital intensive care unit. Animals: Thirteen client‐owned dogs with GDV. Interventions: None. Measurement and main results: For all dogs, biomarkers of oxidative stress and antioxidant status were ascertained. Indicators of oxidative stress measured included F_2α‐isoprostanes (isoprostanes) and malondialdehyde (MDA). Vitamin C, vitamin E, glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx), and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) were measured to assess antioxidant status. Oxidants and antioxidants were measured at the time of admission and at 24 and 48 hours post‐admission. There were significant decreases in vitamin E (P=0.002), vitamin C (P=0.001), ORAC (P=0.02), and MDA (P=0.001) during hospitalization. There was no significant change in GSHPx and isoprostane concentrations over time. Conclusion: Oxidative stress and antioxidant capacity in dogs with GDV change over time. Further studies measuring oxidative stress in more severely affected dogs and performing measurements earlier in the disease process may be beneficial in determining when oxidative stress is most severe during the course of GDV management.     

Effects of urea formaldehyde foam soil amendment on growth and response to transient water deficit stress of potted Flindersia schottiana saplings

Hydrocell™is a urea formaldehyde resin foam (UFRF) product used as a soil amendment. It is proposed to improve the physicochemical properties (viz. water relations and aeration) of the plant root zone. Flindersia schottiana is a tree species used in the ornamental horticulture industry. This study investigated the potential of Hydrocell™ [0–50% (v/v) incorporation rates] to promote growth of F. schottiana saplings during containerized nursery production in composted pine bark medium. The growth response of the potted saplings to transient water stress was also assessed. In addition, growth of F. schottiana saplings potted into three different soil types (sand, loam, clay) was assessed in the presence and absence of 30% (v/v) Hydrocell™. Under well-watered conditions in composted pine bark, Hydrocell™ treatments enhanced sapling leaflet numbers, with 30% (v/v) being the most beneficial treatment. However, no consistent significant differential effects of incorporation rate on either plant height or stem diameter were recorded. Extended time to wilting upon withholding irrigation was achieved, with the optimum Hydrocell™ rate being 10% (v/v). Among the three soil types compared, use of 30% (v/v) Hydrocell™ resulted in improved growth of potted F. schottiana saplings in the sand and loam soils, but not in the clay soil. These findings suggest that the UFRF, Hydrocell™, holds limited promise as a soil amendment for trees in the nursery phase. Optimum incorporation rates (v/v) would need to be determined for individual media types, specific irrigation regimes and individual taxa.     

不同秸秆还田模式对玉米田杂草发生规律的影响

为精准制定玉米田杂草防控措施,在秸秆地表覆盖还田、秸秆碎混还田、秸秆翻埋还田的玉米田每隔7d调查杂草出现种类和出现数量并分析发生规律.结果表明:秸秆地表覆盖还田、秸秆翻埋还田的玉米田有8种杂草发生,秸秆碎混还田的玉米田有9种杂草发生,杂草发生种类和主要杂草种类基本相同.杂草累计发生量在秸秆翻埋还田的玉米田最多,秸秆覆盖...     

水牛SOX2基因5'调控序列的克隆与功能分析

为探讨水牛SOX2基因的转录调控机制,本试验克隆获得其长2555 bp 的5'调控序列片段,结合生物信息分析设计了-2263、-1816、-1275、-660和-407 bp 5个缺失体,并分别构建其EGFP表达报告载体,通过生产转基因早期胚胎和转染水牛胎儿成纤维细胞分析各缺失体片段的转录活性。结果发现,除-407 bp以外的各缺失体在猪4.5 d早期胚胎细胞中均能成功启动下游EGFP的表达,且随着片段缩短,其转录活性呈极显著递减趋势(P<0.01);而转染水牛成纤维细胞48 h后,除p-407-EGFP以外的各缺失体报告载体转染组均观察到少数细胞发光,转录活性两两之间差异均极显著(P<0.01),转录活性从高到底排布分别为-2263、-660、-1275和-1816 bp。p-407-EGFP载体在胚胎水平和细胞水平均未观察到荧光。以上结果表明,-660~-407 bp是构成水牛SOX2基因表达不可缺失的部分,-2263~-1816 bp中有非多能细胞特异性的增强子元件存在,而-1816~-1275 bp和-1275~-660 bp均含有多能性细胞特异性的增强子元件。     

水杉基因组微卫星分析及标记开发

微卫星(microsatellite)又称简单重复序列(simple sequence repeat,SSR),是指以少数几个核苷酸为单位,多次串联重复的DNA序列,其普遍存在于真核生物及一些原核生物基因组中.基因组序列中微卫星重复序列变异最快,在群体间和不同个体间通常表现出很高的序列多态性,且呈共显性遗传.由于重复单元重复次数的高度可变性及其侧翼序列的相对保守性,微卫星作为一种分子标记被广泛应用于物种的指纹鉴定、亲子谱系分析、群体遗传结构分析、遗传图谱构建、比较基因组及分子标记辅助育种等诸多研究领域(李淑娴等,2010).