Chemical and nutritional characteristics of United States soybeans and soybean meals

Two experiments were conducted to determine U.S. soybean meal (SBM) variation. In experiment 1, SBM from 55 U.S. processors was evaluated. Significant (P < 0.05) but numerically small differences were detected in dry matter (DM) and organic matter (OM) concentrations. Crude protein (CP) concentrations (51.6-54.6%) were higher (P < 0.05) in SBM produced in the southern U.S. Lipid and total dietary fiber concentrations also differed (P < 0.05). The protein dispersibility index was affected (P < 0.05) by the source of SBM. In experiment 2, soybeans and resultant SBMs were obtained from 10 U.S. processing plants. Soybean DM, OM, and CP concentrations differed (P < 0.05). Soybean meal varied (P < 0.05) in CP (48.2-56.2%), acid-hydrolyzed fat (3.3-9.2%), total dietary fiber (17.0-20.7%), and lysine concentrations. Soybean meal carbohydrate composition was also affected by processing conditions. These results indicate a significant variation in chemical and nutritional characteristics of U.S. SBM from different sources.     

Vegetative substrates used by larval northern pike in Rainy and Kabetogama Lakes,Minnesota

Our objective was to identify characteristics of aquatic vegetative communities used as larval northern pike nursery habitat in Rainy and Kabetogama lakes, glacial shield reservoirs in northern Minnesota. Quatrefoil light traps fished at night were used to sample larval northern pike in 11 potential nursery areas. Larval northern pike were most commonly sampled among floating‐leaf burreed Sparganium fluctuans, common burreed Sparganium eurycarpum, sedges Carex spp., hybrid cattail Typha × glauca and wild rice Zizania palustris. A negative binomial model of light‐trap catches using the presence/absence data for 2012 from all 11 bays included water elevation and the presence of cattail as significant variables. Ultimately, the species of vegetation may not be as important as the physical quality or form of the vegetation in supplying feeding and hiding cover. The aquatic plant species and structural forms encountered by larval northern pike suggest they use nearly any vegetated cover available in early spring. Water‐level regulations that change availability of aquatic vegetation are likely to influence recruitment of northern pike to larger sizes.     

Growth,water relations,and survival of drought-exposed seedlings from six maternal families of honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa): responses to CO(2) enrichment

Low water availability is a leading contributor to mortality of woody seedlings on grasslands, including those of the invasive shrub Prosopis. Increasing atmospheric CO(2) concentration could favor some genotypes of this species over others if there exists intraspecific variation in the responsiveness of survivorship to CO(2). To investigate such variation, we studied effects of CO(2) enrichment on seedling survival in response to uniform rates of soil water depletion in six maternal families of honey mesquite (P. glandulosa Torr. var. glandulosa). Three families each from the arid and mesic extremes of the species' distribution in the southwestern United States were studied in environmentally controlled glasshouses. Relative water content at turgor loss and osmotic potential were not affected by CO(2) treatment. Increased atmospheric CO(2) concentration, however, increased growth, leaf production and area, and midday xylem pressure potential, and apparently reduced transpiration per unit leaf area of seedlings as soil dried. Consequently, CO(2) enrichment about doubled the fraction of seedlings that survived soil water depletion. Maternal families of honey mesquite differed in percentage survival of drought and in several other characteristics, but differences were of similar or of smaller magnitude compared with differences between CO(2) treatments. There was no evidence for genetic variation in the responsiveness of survivorship to CO(2). By increasing seedling survival of drought, increasing atmospheric CO(2) concentration could increase the abundance of honey mesquite where establishment is limited by water availability. Genetic types with superior ability to survive drought today, however, apparently will maintain that advantage in the future.     

Potential for the Adaptation and the Strategic Implementation of Local and PRC Resources for Industrialised Housing in Chongqing

The provision of quality industrialized housing in Chongqing to meet demand is perceived by the Chongqing Construction Commission to be a key feature of the local construction industry's future development. The growing strategic importance of Chongqing as a developing municipality, at the junction of the Yangtze and Jialing rivers, will ensure continuing economic development in the region. To facilitate such development the local construction industry will need to react accordingly to provide new infrastructure, commercial development, and housing and recreation facilities. Clearly, this must be achieved in accordance with a robust Master Plan, which addresses all issues associated with the built environment and other environmental considerations relating to pollution, conservation and sustainability. Throughout the World it is becoming increasingly recognized that traditional forms of construction are not sustainable in the long term and that new concepts and methods of construction must be developed. Construction must more effectively utilize and re-cycle resources that would otherwise become depleted or exhausted. Further, all aspects of the in-use performance of buildings, especially housing, must be significantly improved. The situation in Chongqing is no exception to this perception and hence the purpose of this paper is to evaluate locally available resources and relevant resources elsewhere in China to assess the potential for adaptation for effective use in industrialized housing. A broad approach will be taken covering all forms of human and non-human resources, especially those resources which can be re-cycled rather than being consigned to waste. By-products from other industries will be considered, such as those from agriculture and manufacturing. A key aspect of this paper is the articulation of a framework to facilitate the realization and development of an industrialized housing system by the creation of an integrated supply chain capable of delivering the necessary design and performance features geared to affordability, conservation and sustainability. The paper will be concludes by presentation of recommendations regarding the introduction of a development strategy geared to an incremental timetable for implementation.     

PREOPERATIVE RADIOTHERAPY FOR VACCINE ASSOCIATED SARCOMA IN 92 CATS

Medical records for 92 cats with a vaccine associated sarcoma receiving preoperative irradiation, with or without chemotherapy, between December 1985 and September 1998 were reviewed. The purposes were to quantify response to treatment and to attempt identification of factors associated with favorable response. Variables evaluated for a relationship to outcome included signalment, tumor location, presence of gross vs. microscopic tumor, radiation field size, irradiation technique, type of surgical procedure, completeness of excision, and chemotherapy (none, carboplatin alone, and others). Time to first event was calculated for the first day of treatment until local tumor recurrence or metastasis, or the date of euthanasia or death. Median time to first event for all 92 cats was 584 days. Only completeness of surgical excision was related to the time to first event. Median time to first event in cats having complete surgical excision was 986 days compared to 292 days for cats with incomplete excision (P = 0.004). Cats requiring bone removal to effect tumor removal had earlier failure than cats having other types of surgery. There was not a significant relationship between administration of chemotherapy or chemotherapy type and time to first event although outcome in cats receiving carboplatin was better than all other treatment groups. Carboplatin addition to preoperative irradiation appears worthy of further study. Preoperative irradiation is an effective treatment for cats with vaccine associated sarcoma, especially if complete excision can be accomplished following irradiation.     

蓝耳病清除的经验:防止再感染

蓝耳病（PRRS）不像伪狂犬病,没有终身带毒的猪存在,只有持续感染的猪,感染过一种亚型的蓝耳病病毒（PRRSV）后,便不会再感染同一亚型的病毒,但却可以感染其他亚型的PRRSV。在美国,猪场净化蓝耳病的成功率是相当高的,其清除并不难,但是净化的关键在于以后如何继续保持阴性,防止重新再感染。     

Nuclear fuel in a reactor accident

Nuclear accidents that lead to melting of a reactor core create heterogeneous materials containing hundreds of radionuclides, many with short half-lives. The long-lived fission products and transuranium elements within damaged fuel remain a concern for millennia. Currently, accurate fundamental models for the prediction of release rates of radionuclides from fuel, especially in contact with water, after an accident remain limited. Relatively little is known about fuel corrosion and radionuclide release under the extreme chemical, radiation, and thermal conditions during and subsequent to a nuclear accident. We review the current understanding of nuclear fuel interactions with the environment, including studies over the relatively narrow range of geochemical, hydrological, and radiation environments relevant to geological repository performance, and discuss priorities for research needed to develop future predictive models.     

Description and validation of a magnetic resonance imaging-guided stereotactic brain biopsy device in the dog

A stereotactic brain biopsy system that is magnetic resonance (MR) imaging-guided has not been validated in dogs. Our purpose was to determine the mean needle placement error in the caudate nucleus, thalamus, and midbrain of a canine cadaver brain using the modified Brainsight stereotactic system. Relocatable reference markers (fiducial markers) were attached to the cadaver head using a dental bite block. A T1-weighted gradient echo three-dimensional (3D) sequence was acquired using set parameters. Fiducial markers were used to register the head to the acquired MR images in reference to a 3D position sensor. This allowed the planning of trajectory path to brain targets in real time. Coordinates (X, Y, Z) were established for each target and 0.5 microl of diluted gadolinium was injected at each target using a 26-gauge needle to create a lesion. The center of the gadolinium deposition was identified on the postoperative MR images and coordinates (X', Y', Z') were established. The precision of this system in bringing the needle to target (needle placement error) was calculated. Seventeen sites were targeted in the brain. The mean needle placement error for all target sites was 1.79 +/- 0.87 mm. The upper bound of error for this stereotactic system was 3.31 mm. There was no statistically significant relationship between needle placement error and target depth (P = 0.23). The ease of use and precision of this stereotactic system support its development for clinical use in dogs with brain lesions > 3.31 mm.