Effect of Progesterone Prior to GnRH-PGF2α Treatment on Induction of Oestrus and Pregnancy in Anoestrous Awassi Ewes

An experiment was conducted to examine the effect of progesterone prior to a GnRH‐PGF_2α treatment on oestrus and pregnancy in seasonally anoestrous Awassi ewes. Twenty‐four ewes were randomly assigned to three groups to be pre‐treated with 60 mg medroxyprogesterone acetate sponges (group A), 600 mg progesterone sponges (group B) or blank sponges (group C) for 4 days. All ewes were injected with 100 μg of GnRH 24 h after sponge removal followed, 5 days later, by 20 mg PGF_2α injection. Ewes were exposed to three fertile rams at the time of PGF_2α injection (day 0, 0 h) and were checked for breeding marks at 6‐h intervals for 5 days. Blood samples were collected from all ewes 1 day (day ?10) prior to sponge insertion, at the time of sponge removal (day ?6), 1 day following sponge removal (day ?5, at the time of GnRH injection) and at the time of PGF_2α injection (day 0) for analysis of progesterone. Progesterone concentrations on days ?10 and ?5 were basal and averaged 0.2 ± 0.04 and 0.2 ± 0.2 ng/ml, respectively. Progesterone concentrations on day ?6 were elevated only in group B ewes and were higher (p < 0.0001) than those of groups A and C. Progesterone concentrations on day 0 were higher (p = 0.002) in groups A and B than group C. Oestrous responses occurred only in ewes of groups A and B (p > 0.05). Induced oestrus conception rate was greater (p < 0.01) in group A than groups B and C. Ewes returned to oestrus 17–20 days following day 0 were two of eight, six of eight and three of eight of groups A, B and C, respectively, all of which eventually lambed. The overall lambing rate was 82% in progesterone‐primed ewes compared with only 38% non‐progesterone‐primed ewes (p < 0.05). Progesterone priming apparently sensitizes GnRH‐PGF_2α‐treated seasonally anoestrous ewes and increases their response in oestrus and pregnancy rates.     

简单、实用、高效的细胞培养技术

通过近几年的实践,笔者对我国兽医生物制品生产中传统的细胞培养工艺进行了一些改进,包括用洗洁精代替其他洗液,用自行研制的营养液代替常规营养液用于细胞培养,改变培养时的转速,改变细胞消化液,改进细胞的保存方法.这些方法均成功应用于生产,取得了良好的效果.     

The Effect of Progesterone and Oestradiol Benzoate on Fertility of Artificially Inseminated Repeat-breeder Dairy Cows during Summer

An experiment was conducted to examine the effect of progesterone (P(4)) and oestradiol benzoate (ODB) on fertility of repeat-breeder lactating dairy cows during summer. One hundred repeat-breeder lactating dairy cows were randomly allocated to four groups (Tr1, Tr2, Tr3 and C) in a study conducted at a private dairy farm. All cows were injected with 2 mg ODB (day 0), which were at random stages of their oestrous cycles. Cows in Tr1, Tr2 and Tr3 were administered with intravaginal progesterone-releasing devices (controlled internal drug-releasing, CIDR) at the time of ODB injection for 7 days and those in group C were untreated and served as controls. Following CIDR removal, all cows were given an intramuscular injection of 25 mg Prostaglandin (PGF(2 alpha)). Twenty-four hours after the PGF(2 alpha) injection, cows in Tr1, Tr2 and C groups were injected with 1 mg ODB. Cows in Tr3 group were injected with 10 microg gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist 48 h after CIDR removal. Artificial insemination was performed between 24 and 30 h following the second ODB injection for cows in Tr1 group and at the time of GnRH injection for cows in Tr3 group. Cows in Tr2 and C groups were inseminated at detected oestrus. Plasma P(4) and oestradiol 17beta (E(2)) concentrations were determined for all cows daily from day 0 to day 9. Plasma concentrations of P(4) and E(2) among cows of groups Tr1, Tr2 and Tr3 were increased and reached maximum values within 48 h following administration and were greater (p < 0.001) than those of group C cows. The proportion of cows detected in oestrus based on P4 concentration on day 9 was 88%, 72%, 88% and 60% in groups Tr1, Tr2, Tr3 and C, respectively. Oestrous detection rate differed (p < 0.01) significantly between time-inseminated groups (Tr1 and Tr3) and those inseminated at observed oestrous (Tr2 and C) groups. Pregnancy rates based on ultrasonography performed on day 28 were 52%, 56%, 60% and 40%, and those based on rectal palpation on day 45 were 32%, 44%, 36% and 28% for Tr1, Tr2, Tr3 and C cows (p > 0.1), respectively. Whereas pregnancy rates for cows with four or more previous services in all groups (54.55%) were higher (p < 0.03) than those for cows with three previous services (29.49%). In pregnant cows, mean days from calving to the day of insemination were higher (p < 0.01) among cows with four or more previous services (204 +/- 8.0 days) than those with three previous services (157 +/- 6.0 days). Results indicate that treatment with a combination of ODB and CIDR in repeat-breeder dairy cows causes elevation in plasma concentrations of E(2) and P(4). Oestrous detection rate was better in cows that were primed with P(4) than those without P(4) priming. Cows with four or more previous services had significantly higher pregnancy rates than those with three previous services.     

Dealkylation and loss of capacity for reactivation of cholinesterase inhibited by sarin

Inhibition of rat brain acetylcholinesterase by (32)P-sarin in vivo results initially in (32)P-isopropylmethylphosphonylated enzyme. The percentage of inhibited enzyme that could not be reactivated by pyridinium aldoxime methochloride (aged enzyme) approximated the amount of radioactivity identified as (32)P-methylphosphonate. The (32)P-isopropyl methylphosphonate not released fromthe inhibited enzyme by the oxime accounted for 51 +/- 10 percent ( standard deviation) of the radioactivity fixed to brain tissue. It showed no correlation with aging and was probably bound to sites other than acetylcholinesterase.     

Covariant glacial-interglacial dust fluxes in the equatorial Pacific and Antarctica

Dust plays a critical role in Earth's climate system and serves as a natural source of iron and other micronutrients to remote regions of the ocean. We have generated records of dust deposition over the past 500,000 years at three sites spanning the breadth of the equatorial Pacific Ocean. Equatorial Pacific dust fluxes are highly correlated with global ice volume and with dust fluxes to Antarctica, which suggests that dust generation in interhemispheric source regions exhibited a common response to climate change over late-Pleistocene glacial cycles. Our results provide quantitative constraints on the variability of aeolian iron supply to the equatorial Pacific Ocean and, more generally, on the potential contribution of dust to past climate change and to related changes in biogeochemical cycles.     

采用根滤去污工艺的污水净化植物补救系统决策支持软件

为了开发利用植物去除因吸收污染水而产生的重金属的商业化根滤系统和植物去污补救工艺,研究开发了微型计算机软件,以便为该系统的设计与运行提供参考。建立了一个基于Michaelis-Menton方程的工艺模型,可以定量确定在根滤系统中的植物积累和去除毒素物质的能力。采用一系列的算法处理信息并编入一个根滤设施的系统模型内。该系统模型将植物补救系统的物理元件——植物苗圃、根过滤系统、水的前处理与后处理、植物生物质的产后处理等与系统设计的工程方面包括工艺、运行、设施和系统集成结合起来。该软件内含的工程经济分析工具可用于分析主要设计变量对系统效率的影响     

Simulating leaf area of corn plants at contrasting water status

An exponential decay function was fitted with literature data to describe the decrease in corn leaf expansion rate as predawn leaf water potential decreases. The fitted function was then applied to modify an existing leaf area simulation module in a soil–plant–atmosphere continuum corn simulation model (MaizSim) in order to simulate leaf area of corn plants at different water status. Data were collected from field for two years as well as from sunlit growth chambers located at USDA-ARS facilities in Beltsville, MD with different irrigation frequencies. Comparison among simulations and measurements indicated that the modified leaf area module improved leaf area simulation for corn plant under different drought stress. For plants under more severe drought stress, the improvement in leaf area simulation was more significant. These results suggested that the modified leaf area model presented an approach to mechanistically link corn leaf area with corn plant water status, and was suitable for integration with existing corn models that simulate corn leaf area.     

Modulation of arachidonic acid metabolism by bovine alveolar macrophages exposed to interferons and lipopolysaccharide

Stimulation of bovine alveolar macrophages with calcium ionophore A23187 resulted in marked production of leukotriene (LT)B4 and a lesser increase in thromboxane (TX)B2, whereas opsonized zymosan (OPZ) resulted in production of TXB2 and relatively small increases in LTB4 and prostaglandin (PG)F2 alpha. Alveolar macrophages incubated with recombinant bovine interferon-gamma or lipopolysaccharide, and subsequently stimulated with A23187 or OPZ, had altered arachidonic acid metabolism, producing markedly increased amounts of TXB2 and PGF2 alpha, and slightly increased LTB4. Incubation of alveolar macrophages with lipopolysaccharide had a more profound effect on the increased amounts of TXB2 and PGF2 alpha, observed in response to stimulation with A23187 or OPZ, than did incubation with interferon-gamma. Alveolar macrophages incubated with recombinant bovine interferon-alpha 1-1 also produced slightly increased amounts of LTB4 when stimulated with A23187 or OPZ. Altered arachidonic acid metabolism by alveolar macrophages exposed to interferons and lipopolysaccharide may contribute to the development of pulmonary inflammation, such as in the early stages of bacterial pneumonia following viral infections that induce interferon production.     

Effect of Phosphorus Nutrition on Growth and Physiology of Cotton Under Ambient and Elevated Carbon Dioxide

Phosphorous deficiency in soil limits crop growth and productivity in the majority of arable lands worldwide and may moderate the growth enhancement effect of rising atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentration. To evaluate the interactive effect of these two factors on cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) growth and physiology, plants were grown in controlled environment growth chambers with three levels of phosphate (Pi) supply (0.20, 0.05 and 0.01 mm ) under ambient and elevated (400 and 800 μmol mol^?1, respectively) CO₂. Phosphate stress caused stunted growth and resulted in early leaf senescence with severely decreased leaf area and photosynthesis. Phosphate stress led to over 77 % reduction in total biomass across CO₂ levels. There was a below‐ground (roots) shift in biomass partitioning under Pi deficiency. While tissue phosphorus (P) decreased, tissue nitrogen (N) content tended to increase under Pi deficiency. The CO₂ × Pi interactions were significant on leaf area, photosynthesis and biomass accumulation. The stimulatory effect of elevated CO₂ on growth and photosynthesis was reduced or highly depressed suggesting an increased sensitivity of cotton to Pi deficiency under elevated CO₂. Although, tissue P and stomatal conductance were lower at elevated CO₂, these did not appear to be the main causes of cotton unresponsiveness to elevated CO₂ under severe Pi‐stress. The alteration in the uptake and utilization of N was suggested due to a consistent reduction (18–21 %) in the cotton plant tissue N content under elevated CO₂.     

Red sea drillings

Recent drilling in the Red Sea has shown that much of the basin is underlain by evaporites of a similar age to that of evaporites found in the Mediterranean Sea. These evaporites and their structural positions indicate that other brine areas are present-and, indeed, several others have been discovered.