The Limulus Amoebocyte Lysate test: detection of endotoxin in plasma of swine and cattle. II. In vivo investigations

Endotoxin was detected by the LAL test in the plasma of swine and cattle following in vivo injection of endotoxin in order to evaluate the applicability of the test in veterinary medicine for detection of endotoxemia.Clinical symptoms of endotoxemia occurred after the injection into 3 swine of 0.10–0.25 mg endotoxin/100 kg bwt and after the infusion during 1–1½ h of 2.0–2.2 mg endotoxin/100 kg bwt into 3 calves. The concentration of endotoxin detected by the LAL test in the experimental animals ranged from 0.15 ng to 6.0 ng endotoxin per ml crude plasma. As positive LAL reactions were obtained only in close connection to the administration of endotoxin, clearance of endotoxin to levels below the sensitivity of the test was fast. In spite of the fast clearance, light symptoms of endotoxemia could be seen as long as 24 h after the last sample showing a positive test result. The applied technique for LAL analysis on blood, therefore, was not adequate for detection of endotoxin at sufficiently low concentrations and some possibilities of improving the technique are discussed.Though leukocytosis were found not to influence the outcome of the LAL test on blood, leukocytic mediators released by endotoxin or endotoxin-derived injuries may still have caused the persistence of the symptoms of endotoxemia, and this question is disputed in relation to the benefit of improving the technique.Especielly in the veterinary clinic, great precautions are necessary to obviate false positive test samples resulting from, e.g., external contamination or transient stress caused by excitement, and it is concluded that the possible application of the LAL test for detection of endotoxemia in veterinary medicine is restricted to surveillance of hospitalized animals and to research purposes.     

Renal percent clearance ratios in cattle

Renal percent clearance ratios for various electrolytes were determined on nine clinically normal Holstein heifers. Endogenous creatinine serum and urine levels were used to calculate the ratios. The average percent clearance ratios and standard deviations of Na, K, Cl, P, and Ca were 1.97+/-0.63, 49.3+/-9.2, 3.16+/-1.l2, 15.6+/-14.3, and 1.38+/-1.41, respectively. The correlation between Na and Cl percent clearance ratios within a sample was 0.92. A very strong direct correlation of urine creatinine and urine specific gravity was demonstrated.     

Clinical efficacy of intrauterine cephapirin benzathine administration on clearance of uterine bacteria and subclinical endometritis in postpartum buffaloes

This study examined the effect of single IU administration of cephapirin on clinical recovery, clearance of uterine bacteria and reproductive performance of postpartum buffaloes with subclinical endometritis (SCE). Buffaloes (n = 86) at 35 days postpartum (DPP) with >10% polymorphonuclear (PMN) cells in endometrial cytosmears were designated as positive (SCEP, n = 29), and buffaloes with ≤10% PMN cell were designated as negative (SCEN, n = 57) for SCE. Out of 29 positive buffaloes, 15 were administered a single intrauterine dose of cephapirin benzathine on 40 DPP (SCEP‐CB), while the remaining 14 animals were kept as untreated control (SCEP‐C). All animals were observed regularly for oestrous signs and were again subjected to cytobrush sampling on the first postpartum (FPP) oestrus. Buffaloes positive for SCE at 35 DPP were later considered “recovered” if their PMN cells dropped to ≤5% on the FPP oestrus. Presence of Escherichia coli, Arcanobacterium pyogenes and Fusobacterium necrophorum in uterus was detected based upon PCR amplification of genes related to bacteria‐specific virulence factors. A total of 66.7% of SCEP‐CB group buffaloes recovered as compared to 28.6% in SCEP‐C (χ² = 4.21; p < 0.05). Rate of bacterial clearance did not differ between treated (38.5%) and untreated buffaloes (8.3%) (χ² = 1.67; p > 0.05). The median days to first service did not differ significantly (p > 0.05) among the three groups, whereas cephapirin administration reduced (p < 0.05) the days open by 14 days in SCEP‐CB compared to SCEP‐C buffaloes. SCEP‐CB buffaloes were as likely to conceive as SCEN, whereas SCEP‐C had 0.28 hazard ratio for pregnancy. In conclusion, a single treatment with cephapirin benzathine at 40 DPP improved the reproductive performance of buffaloes with subclinical endometritis.     

Clearance of corticosteroids following intra‐articular administration of clinical doses to racehorses

Over the last few years there has been a nationwide cooperative effort to establish threshold concentrations and withdrawal time guidelines for corticosteroid use in racehorses. As dosing regimens are specific to individual horses and highly variable, it is not possible to establish regulatory guidelines for every dosing scenario and therefore they are often based on single dose administration studies. The goal of the study described here was to assess the applicability of current regulatory recommendations for intra‐articular corticosteroids based on clinical protocols used by practitioners. A total of 58 Thoroughbred and 82 Quarter Horse racehorses received varying doses of triamcinolone acetonide, methylprednisolone acetate, isoflupredone or betamethasone intra‐articularly in various joints by the treating practitioner. Blood samples were collected at 0, 7, 10, 14, 21, 28 and 35 days post drug administration and serum samples analysed by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry for quantitation of drug concentrations. Serum elimination varied depending upon the dose and the number and specific joints treated. Serum concentrations fell below the ARCI threshold guidance by Day 7 (100 pg/ml) for both triamcinolone acetonide (2–40 mg dose) and isoflupredone acetate (4–30 mg dose) and Day 21 (100 pg/ml) for methylprednisolone acetate (20–600 mg dose). Betamethasone fell below the regulatory threshold (10 pg/ml) by 7 days for all Quarter Horses and for 7/10 Thoroughbreds studied. Drug concentrations were below the regulatory threshold by Day 10 in the remaining 3 horses receiving betamethasone.     

不同压尺结构对纵向刨切单板背面裂隙和表面粗糙度的影响研究

结合已有的压尺结构,通过试验比较不同压尺结构对单板刨切质量的影响,为今后刨切单板中压尺的设计和制造提供参考。     

单板纵向刨切背面裂隙形成及影响因素

利用摄像机拍摄单板的刨切过程,及采用放大镜观察纵向刨切单板背面裂隙度。采用正交试验,分析了单板刨切厚度、刃倾角和刨切速度对单板背面裂隙的影响。结果表明:单板背面裂隙度随着刨切厚度、刃倾角和刨切速度的增加,都有不同程度的增加,而刨切厚度对单板背面裂隙度影响显著。     

叶轮口环间隙对低比转速离心泵效率的影响

通过改变叶轮口环间隙的大小对不同叶片型式的低比转速离心泵进行试验。证明口环间隙对低比转速离心泵效率的影响与泵叶轮的叶片的型式无关．从能量守恒的角度出发,提出了一种考虑低比转速离心泵口环泄漏量的计算圆盘摩擦损失的方法,以此方法为基础,推导出以泄漏量为自变量的低比转速离心泵机械效率计算公式．最后联合离心泵水力效率和容积效率的计算公式综合分析得出,虽然机械损失随泄漏量增大而减小,但低比转速离心泵的总效率依然随叶轮口环间隙的增大而降低．     

水轮机活动导叶端面间隙磨蚀形态演变预测

恒定边界条件下的磨蚀预测方法不能反映过流壁面磨蚀后流体动力学参数的变化,导致现有的磨蚀预测结果很难与实际一致。该文基于磨蚀微分求积的思想,构造了主要磨蚀壁面几何形态的近似表达,通过RNG k-ε湍流模型和离散相模型(discrete phase model,DPM),对水轮机活动导叶端面间隙挟沙水流进行了非定常数值计算,得到了不同磨蚀阶段主要磨蚀面的平均磨损率分布,建立了过流壁面磨蚀深度变化量关于平均磨损率和磨蚀时间的数学模型和近似求解方法,预测了过流壁面的渐变磨蚀形态,分析了导叶端面和台阶面磨蚀形态逆流向演变的流动机理。数值预测结果与机组实际运行时间对应磨蚀面的磨蚀深度基本一致,平均误差在10.2%以内,验证了该预测方法的有效性。该研究可为流体机械的磨蚀预测提供参考。     

硝酸铈对小鼠非特异性免疫功能的影响研究

［目的］探讨稀土元素对动物非特异性免疫功能的影响机制及其有效剂量。［方法］将试验小鼠随机平均分为4组,分别饲喂蒸馏水和低（2 mg/kg）、中（20 mg/kg）、高（200 mg/kg）剂量的硝酸铈溶液,50 d后测定和比较其免疫指标。［结果］对照组和低、中、高剂量组小鼠的外周血白细胞总数分别为（5.60±1.13）×109、（7.20±1.36）×109、（9.42±2.48）×109和（8.62±2.72）×109/L,表明硝酸铈可提高小鼠的外周血白细胞总数。4组小鼠的校正廓清指数分别为6.167 4±0.256 8、5.557 3±0.184 3、10.210 6±2.084 6和9.237 3±1.918 7,表明硝酸铈可提高小鼠的碳粒廓清指数。4组小鼠的脾指数为3.074 3±0.319 2、4.275 4±1.400 2、4.907 8±1.342 3和3.655 9±1.150 8,胸腺指数分别为2.217 8±0.815 6、2.341 4±1.026 7、3.695 3±0.582 1和2.868 3±0.707 3,表明硝酸铈可提高小鼠的脾指数和胸腺指数。［结论］口服硝酸铈可显著提高小鼠的非特异性免疫力,以中等剂量的效果最为显著。     

水田高地隙自走式变量撒肥机设计与试验

为解决现有水田撒肥机械地隙低、撒肥量调节技术落后、工作效率低等问题,设计了一种水田高地隙自走式变量撒肥机,介绍了整机结构与工作原理,研究设计了高地隙专用底盘、撒肥盘及排肥口调节装置,并确定了关键结构和参数,对以AT89C51单片机为核心的控制系统进行软硬件设计与系统集成。场地和水稻田间撒肥试验结果显示,推肥板推肥角度-20°～40°可调,机器最小转弯半径1.8m,撒肥盘离地高度可达1100mm,撒肥幅宽达14m,作业效率达到6hm2/h,试验结果表明撒肥机适合在水田里自主行走,整机与控制系统设计满足水田宽幅高效变量撒肥工作要求。