Risk factors for metritis in Danish dairy cows

A retrospective longitudinal study of metritis was conducted in Denmark on data collected during 1993-1994. Data on herd size, breed, parity, and treatment of disease were obtained from the Danish Cattle Database. Management and production-facility data were collected using a questionnaire, conducted as a telephone interview in 1994. The study included 2144 herds from three regions in Denmark (102,060 cows). Herd-level variables included were: herd size, housing, flooring, grazing, calving measures, and calving supervision. Cow-level variables were: parity, breed, calving season and whether the cow had been treated by a veterinarian for dystocia or the diseases: retained placenta, reproductive disease, ketosis, milk fever, or dry cow mastitis.Marginal multivariable logistic-regression analyses were performed. The cow with highest odds of metritis was a first or greater than or equal to third parity cow, of large breed, that calved during November-April, in a zero-grazing herd. The cow had been treated for dystocia, retained placenta, and at least one other reproductive disease, but not for ketosis.     

Risk-based surveillance of antimicrobial residues in pigs – Identification of potential risk indicators

Around 20,000 samples are analysed each year for the presence of antibacterial residues in Danish finisher pigs, and between zero and five samples are detected positive above the maximum residue level (MRL). The intention was to develop a risk-based surveillance programme involving fewer samples while ensuring equal sensitivity. Therefore, risk indicators were searched for. Data were obtained from the Danish slaughterhouse database covering the period from July 2010 to December 2012. Residues were found or suspected in 17 incidents. In nine of these, the farmer had called in to prevent the pigs from being slaughtered. Hence, eight suspect cases were found through the surveillance programme, and two of these were above MRL. For these eight case herds, the number of pigs slaughtered and the number in which each of the following lesions were found were included in a statistical analysis: chronic pleuritis, tail bite, chronic pericarditis, chronic pneumonia, chronic peritonitis, osteomyelitis, abscess in hindquarters, abscess in leg/toe and abscess in forequarters. Only chronic pleuritis was associated with the presence of residues. Next, data from all herds delivering pigs for slaughter to the same abattoir were included covering a 3-month period prior to the residue finding. The prevalence of chronic pleuritis was on average 1.7 times higher in the eight case herds compared to all other herds. In two herds, the prevalence was significantly higher (P ≤ 0.05), and in one herd substantially higher, but only borderline significant (P = 0.1). In the remaining herds, the prevalence did not differ from the other herds delivering pigs to the abattoir. This indicates that chronic pleuritis might be considered as a risk indicator for use in surveillance. Other risk indicators/factors – reported in the cases where the farmers called in – were inadequate marking of treated animals and incorrect use of medication dispensers. These factors are not suited for use in surveillance and should be dealt with otherwise.     

Simple and Rapid Quality Control of Sulfated Glycans by a Fluorescence Sensor Assay—Exemplarily Developed for the Sulfated Polysaccharides from Red Algae Delesseria sanguinea

Sulfated polysaccharides (SP) from algae are of great interest due to their manifold biological activities. Obstacles to commercial (especially medical) application include considerable variability and complex chemical composition making the analysis and the quality control challenging. The aim of this study was to evaluate a simple microplate assay for screening the quality of SP. It is based on the fluorescence intensity (FI) increase of the sensor molecule Polymer-H by SP and was originally developed for direct quantification of SP. Exemplarily, 65 SP batches isolated from the red alga Delesseria sanguinea (D.s.-SP) and several other algae polysaccharides were investigated. Their FI increase in the Polymer-H assay was compared with other analytical parameters. By testing just one concentration of a D.s.-SP sample, quality deviations from the reference D.s.-SP and thus both batch-to-batch variability and stability can be detected. Further, structurally distinct SP showed to differ in their concentration-dependent FI profiles. By using corresponding reference compounds, the Polymer-H assay is therefore applicable as identification assay with high negative predictability. In conclusion, the Polymer-H assay showed to represent not only a simple method for quantification, but also for characterization identification and differentiation of SP of marine origin.     

Outgassing behavior and composition of comet C/1999 S4 (LINEAR) during its disruption

The gas activity of comet C/1999 S4 (LINEAR) was monitored at radio wavelengths during its disruption. A runaway fragmentation of the nucleus may have begun around 18 July 2000 and proceeded until 23 July. The mass in small icy debris (相似文献   

Structure of a legume lectin with an ordered N-linked carbohydrate in complex with lactose

The three-dimensional structure of the lactose complex of the Erythrina corallodendron lectin (EcorL), a dimer of N-glycosylated subunits, was determined crystallographically and refined at 2.0 angstrom resolution to an R value of 0.19. The tertiary structure of the subunit is similar to that of other legume lectins, but interference by the bulky N-linked heptasaccharide, which is exceptionally well ordered in the crystal, forces the EcorL dimer into a drastically different quaternary structure. Only the galactose moiety of the lactose ligand resides within the combining site. The galactose moiety is oriented differently from ligands in the mannose-glucose specific legume lectins and is held by hydrophobic interactions with Ala88, Tyr106, Phe131, and Ala218 and by seven hydrogen bonds, four of which are to the conserved Asp89, Asn133, and NH of Gly107. The specificity of legume lectins toward the different C-4 epimers appears to be associated with extensive variations in the outline of the variable parts of the binding sites.     

Transcription regulation through promoter-proximal pausing of RNA polymerase II

Recent work has shown that the RNA polymerase II enzyme pauses at a promoter-proximal site of many genes in Drosophila and mammals. This rate-limiting step occurs after recruitment and initiation of RNA polymerase II at a gene promoter. This stage in early elongation appears to be an important and broadly used target of gene regulation.     

The effect of diets supplemented with fish broth and fish oil on the health of weaners

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of fish-based feed materials, as a source of readily available protein contained in fish broth and essential polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) found in fish oil, on the health of piglets and rearing results. The experiment was conducted on a commercial pig fattening farm. The study involved a total of 80 weaners with an approximate body weight of 15 kg. The experiment was carried out over a period of 40 days. Feed samples were subjected to laboratory analyses. Blood samples were collected from experimental group animals to determine serum biochemical and immunological parameters. The body weight gains of weaners, mortality rates and average feed intake per animal were calculated for the entire experimental period. The addition of fish broth and fish oil significantly improved the n3:n6 fatty acid ratio in diets. The presence of EPA and DHA in the experimental diet could have had a positive health effect on piglets, comparable with that exerted by therapeutic doses of zinc often administered to pigs of this age group. During the experiment, feed conversion ratio (FCR) gain was considerably reduced in the experimental group, with similar daily gains in the control and experimental group.