Dynamics of globular clusters

In their attempt to reach kinetic equilibrium, through gravitational encounters between separate stars, globular clusters are driven to destruction, with their cores collapsing and their outer regions expanding. The effects of core collapse, which apparently produces x-ray sources, are not yet fully understood, but white dwarfs and neutron stars, probably in binary systems, are thought to be involved, and possibly black holes as well.     

The "soil" of Mars (viking 1)

The location of the Viking 1 lander is most ideal for the study of soil properties because it has one footpad in soft material and one on hard material. As each soil sample was acquired, information on soil properties was obtained. Although analysis is still under way, early results on bulk density, particle size, angle of internal friction, cohesion, adhesion, and penetration resistance of the soil of Mars are presented.     

Viking magnetic properties investigation: further results

The amounts of magnetic particles held on the reference test chart and backhoe magnets on lander 2 and lander 1 are comparable, indicating the presence of an estimated 3 to 7 percent by weight of relatively pure, strongly magnetic particles in the soil at the lander 2 sampling site. Preliminary spectrophotometric analysis of the material held on the backhoe magnets on lander 1 indicates that its reflectance characteristics are indistinguishable from material within a sampling trench with which it has been compared. The material on the RTC magnet shows a different spectrum, but it is suspected that the difference is the result of a reflectance contribution from the magnesium metal covering on the magnet. It is argued that the results indicate the presence, now or originally, of magnetite, which may be titaniferous.     

Maintenance of pregnancy in postpartum beef cows that have short-lived corpora lutea.

The first two experiments examined the role of the uterus in low pregnancy rates of beef cows induced to ovulate by early weaning. At 20 to 25 d postpartum, one-half of the cows in Exp. 1 and 2 received a s.c. implant containing 6 mg of norgestomet (NOR) for 9 d (NOR-pretreated) and the remaining cows were untreated controls (CON). Lengths of first postpartum luteal phase after weaning of calves at d 7 after implant insertion were expected to be normal in NOR-pretreated and short in CON cows. In Exp. 1, cows of both groups received an implant containing 3 mg of NOR at d 4 after first estrus and a silastic implant with 15 or 25 mg of NOR at d 7 after first estrus. At 7 d after first estrus, two embryos were transferred into the uterus of each cow and pregnancy was diagnosed by ultrasonography at d 35. Blood samples were collected daily from onset of treatment to d 8 after estrus and then every other day to d 24. Only 4 of 22 cows were pregnant at d 35, concentrations of estradiol (E2) were elevated after luteolysis, and large follicles were present at d 35. In Exp. 2, all cows were injected with 100 mg of progesterone (P4) twice daily from d 4 to 35 after first estrus. Embryos were transferred, pregnancy was diagnosed, and blood samples were collected as in Exp. 1, except blood sampling was continued to d 34.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Luteal function and reproductive response in suckled beef cows after metestrus administration of a norgestomet implant and injection of estradiol valerate with various dosages of injectable norgestomet.

In an experiment replicated over 2 yr, 149 suckled beef cows were administered Syncro-Mate-B (SMB), a 6-mg Norgestomet (NOR) ear implant (in situ 9 d) in conjunction with an i.m. injection of 5 mg of estradiol valerate (EV), and either 3.0, 4.5, or 6.0 mg of NOR, 2 d after estrus. All cows were artificially inseminated at 48 h (timed insemination; TI) after implant removal (IR) and cows were reinseminated at any estrus subsequent to 24 h of TI through 30 d. Blood samples collected before treatment, every 3 d through IR, and at TI were assayed for progesterone (P4). At TI, 44, 39, and 12% of cows treated with 3.0, 4.5, or 6.0 mg of NOR, respectively, had serum concentrations of P4 greater than 1 ng/mL (3.0 and 4.5 mg vs 6.0 mg, P less than .01). Fifty-eight, 63, and 84% of cows treated with 3.0, 4.5, or 6.0 mg of NOR, respectively, exhibited a synchronized (within 5 d of IR) estrus (3.0 and 4.5 mg vs 6.0 mg, P less than .05). Pregnancy rates for the 5-d synchronized period were 38, 45, and 66% for cows treated with 3.0, 4.5, or 6.0 mg of NOR, respectively (3.0 and 4.5 mg vs 6.0 mg, P less than .05). First-service pregnancy rates were 66, 71, and 79% for cows treated with 3.0, 4.5, or 6.0 mg of NOR, respectively (P greater than .10).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Evaluation of the Preservation and Digestion of Seal Meat Processed with Heating and Antioxidant Seal Meat Hydrolysates

Seal meat is of high nutritive value but is not highly exploited for human food due to ethical issues, undesirable flavors, and loss of nutrients during the processing/cooking step. In this work, commercially available processed seal meat was treated with its hydrolysates as preservatives with the aim of improving nutrient bioavailability. The contents of the nutrients were analyzed after digestion using a simulated dynamic digestion model, and the effects of different processing conditions, i.e., low-temperature processing and storage (25 °C) and high-temperature cooking (100 °C), of seal meat were investigated. Hydrolysates with antioxidant activity decreased the amounts of the less desirable Fe³⁺ ions in the seal meat digests. After treatment with hydrolysates at room temperature, a much higher total Fe content of 781.99 mg/kg was observed compared to other treatment conditions. The release of amino acids increased with temperature and was 520.54 mg/g for the hydrolysate-treated sample versus 413.12 mg/g for the control seal meat sample treated in buffer. Overall, this study provides useful data on the potential use of seal meat as a food product with high nutritive value and seal meat hydrolysates with antioxidant activity as preservatives to control oxidation in food.     

Is nutritional anestrus precipitated by subfunctional corpora lutea in beef cows?

Thirty-four multiparous, lactating, cyclic beef cows which calved in moderate body condition were used to determine effects of restricted nutrition on corpus luteum (CL) development and endocrine status. At 78 d postpartum, six cows were assigned to a control (CON) diet (26.0 Mcal ME), fed to increase bodyweight (BW) and body condition score (BCS), and the remaining 28 cows were fed to lose BW and BCS on a restricted (RES) diet (14.0 Mcal ME). Following a 40-d adjustment period on respective diets, estrous cycles were synchronized and cows bled daily for determination of progesterone (P4), luteinizing hormone (LH) and insulin (INS) beginning at the synchronized estrus. Ultrasonography was used to determine the ovulatory follicle and CL development. Control cows were maintained for one estrous cycle and were ovariectomized on day 11 of their second cycle. Ten cows on restricted diet (RES-C) continued to form a functional CL (P4 > 1.5 ng/ml at day 10 of an estrous cycle) through as many as 5 cycles, after which observations were discontinued. Fourteen cows on restricted diet (RES-A) were ovariectomized on day 11 of a cycle when a CL was identified by ultrasonography, but was subfunctional (P4 < 1.5 ng/ml on day 10 of that cycle). Four additional RES-A cows which had subfunctional CL were not ovariectomized but were bled for an additional 25 d. At ovariectomy, CL and ovarian weights were collected. Luteal tissue was prepared for evaluation of P4 synthesis, LH responsiveness in vitro, and for determination of P4 content and total LH receptors. Bodyweight and BCS increased in CON cows; whereas, RES cows lost BW and BCS (P < .05). In the cycle prior to ovariectomy, serum P4 and LH were not different in 18 RES-A cows which developed subfunctional CL in comparison to CON cows. Four RES-A cows not ovariectomized but bled for an additional 25 d neither exhibited estrus, ovulated, nor had P4 concentrations greater than .3 ng/ml. Serum INS was lower in RES-A cows during the cycle prior to ovariectomy than in CON cows (P < .05). During the 11-d period prior to ovariectomy, mean serum P4 and INS were lower in RES-A cows than in CON cows (P < .05); however, serum LH was not different. Furthermore, CL and ovarian weights, P4 content of CL, secretion of P4 by luteal tissue in response to LH in vitro and LH receptor number were not different between CON and RES-A cows. In conclusion, nutritional anestrus may be preceded by the formation of a CL with lower steroidogenic output in vivo. However, luteal tissue, collected from RES-A cows, did not appear to be subfunctional during in vitro incubation when substrate availability and gonadotropin support were equal between diets.