D-Dimer Improves the Prognostic Value of Combined Clinical and Laboratory Data in Equine Gastrointestinal Colic

The discriminating ability of 15 parameters alone or in combinations, including results from analysis of plasma endotoxin, the Nycomed plasma D-Dimer test and phospholipase A₂, were analyzed to predict morbidity and mortality in equine gastrointestinal colic. Endotoxaemia was a characteristic feature of the colic horses. The problem of adequately predicting non-survivors among colic horses required several parameters to be included in the logistic model: if the “classical parameters”, (heart rate, respiratory rate, PCV, anion gap) were included in the model, addition of plasma D-dimer, phospholipase A₂, and Cl^- significantly improved the predictive value of the logistic model. Increasing heart rate and D-dimer together with decreasing chloride was a risk factor for nonsurvival. The sensitivity of this three-parameter logistic model to predict nonsurvival was 78% and specificity 77%. The Nycomed D-Dimer test is recommended as a horse-site test to predict disseminated intravascular coagulation and nonsurvival in equine colic.     

Breeding for increased grain protein and micronutrient content in wheat: Ten years of the GPC-B1 gene

To provide food and nutrition security for a growing world population, continued improvements in the yield and nutritional quality of agricultural crops will be required. Wheat is an important source of calories, protein and micronutrients and is thus a priority to breed for improvements in these traits. The GRAIN PROTEIN CONTENT-B1 (GPC-B1) gene is a positive regulator of nutrient translocation which increases protein, iron and zinc concentration in the wheat grain. In the ten years since it was cloned, the impacts of GPC-B1 allelic variation on quality and yield traits have been extensively analyzed in diverse genetic backgrounds in field studies spanning forty environments and seven countries. In this review, we compile data from twenty-five studies to summarize the impact of GPC-B1 allelic variation on fifty different traits. Taken together, the results demonstrate that the functional copy of the GPC-B1 gene is associated with consistent positive effects on grain protein, Fe and Zn content with only marginally negative impacts on yield. We conclude that the GPC-B1 gene has the potential to increase nutritional and end use quality in a wide range of modern cultivars and environments and discuss the possibilities for its application in wheat breeding.     

Validation of an immunoturbidimetric D-dimer assay in canine citrated plasma

Abstract: D-dimer is a neoantigen formed when thrombin initiates the transformation of fibrinogen to fibrin; it is derived from plasmin digestion of cross-linked fibrin. In human medicine, the usefulness of this analyte in diagnosing disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) has been assessed in patients fulfilling the clinical and laboratory requirements for this disorder. In canine medicine, the use of D-dimer is relatively new. Detailed studies are needed to understand the relationship between D-dimer concentration in plasma and DIC status in dogs. We validated a D-dimer immunoturbidimetric assay (Tina-quant [a] D-Dimer, Boehringer Mannheim) in canine citrated plasma samples. Intra-assay and interassay variability (coefficient of variation) was 5.63% and 8.82%, respectively. The assay was linear, using 2 samples with low and high D-dimer concentrations (r = .996 and .998). Accuracy was 102.2% and 95.7% based on a recovery study in which 2 samples were assessed. Reference values for D-dimer were established using 70 healthy dogs that were assessed clinically and evaluated on the basis of a complete laboratory workup. The reference range was set between 0.02 and 0.28 μg/mL (chi-square test for normal distribution, P > .05).     

基于数字信号处理器(DSP)的双缸电液振动台波形再现控制

振动试验台的振动试验需再现实际工况的振动波形，需应用控制算法对多油缸激振进行同步控制，该文在最小二乘递推估计的基础上，推导了一种逆传递函数矩阵实时辩识算法，并将该算法用于双缸有耦合电液振动台的波形再现控制中。介绍了采用DSP(数字信号处理器)为核心的控制系统构成及数字迭代控制的实现方法，并给出随机波波形再现的试验结果。     

Liquoid-induced disseminated intravascular coagulation in the blue fox

The present experiments were performed to study the effects of a single high intravenous dose of Liquoid (10 mg/kg body weight) upon platelets, coagulation activities and hematocrit in blue foxes, and their correlation with the survival time. Both “short-living” (< 9 h) and “long-living” (24 h or more) blue foxes showed a marked consumption of coagulation factors, initial fall in fibrinogen, positive ethanol gel test and a gradual decrease in platelet counts. In addition “short-living” animals developed a marked rise in hematocrit, reflecting a considerable increase in vascular permeability. We conclude that activation of plasma proteases has as one of its effects increased permeability in microvasculatory vessels and that this may play a central role for the course and outcome of Liquoid-induced disseminated intravascular coagulation.     

乳山宫家岛以东牡蛎养殖水域秋季海—气界面CO2交换通量研究

为探讨规模化贝类养殖对海—气界面CO2交换通量的影响,选择山东乳山市宫家岛以东太平洋牡蛎养殖水域作为研究区域,根据2011年10月大面调查获得的pH、总碱度(TA)、叶绿素a等基础数据,分析了该区域表层海水溶解无机碳(DIC)体系各分量的浓度、组成比例及平面分布特征,估算了海—气界面CO2的交换通量,定量了浮游植物的固碳贡献。结果表明,秋季乳山宫家岛以东牡蛎养殖水域表层海水DIC浓度范围1 953.20～2 130.74μmol/L,平均值(2 048.73±57.19)μmol/L;HCO3-是DIC的主要成分,占88.25%;表层海水pCO2范围为220.08～262.29μatm,平均值(246.46±23.00)μatm;该区域秋季海—气界面CO2交换通量在-53.78～-21.93 mmol/(m2.d),平均值为-42.09 mmol/(m2.d),表现为强的CO2汇;该区域浮游植物的固碳强度变化范围为460.27～725.64 mg/(m2.d),平均为(593.27±91.98)mg/(m2.d),海—气界面较强烈的CO2交换通量主要由浮游植物的光合作用贡献;养殖区与对照区海—气界面CO2交换通量差异不显著,表明太平洋牡蛎呼吸、钙化生理活动释放的CO2对海—气界面CO2的交换影响不大。     

Evaluation of thermomechanical pretreatment for enzymatic hydrolysis of pure microcrystalline cellulose and cellulose from Brewers’ spent grain

Microcrystalline cellulose (Avicel PH102) and Brewers’ spent grain (BSG) were subjected to Détente Instantanée Contrôlée (DIC) thermomechanical pre-treatment before exposure to cellulases (Celluclast 1.5 L). In a first part, we showed that the addition of β-glucosidase (Novozym-188) increased the hydrolysis yield of Avicel. A maximal theoretical yield (100%), was obtained for 5 and 10 g/L of Avicel using a mixture of Celluclast 1.5 L/Novozym-188. After DIC pre-treatments, the initial rate and final yield of hydrolysis decreased in comparison with those from untreated microcrystalline cellulose. This phenomenon may be due to the modification of the crystallinity of pure cellulose and the formation of inhibitors during the pre-treatment. In a second part, BSG was thermomechanically pre-treated and hydrolyzed. The results showed that the hydrolysis yield of BSG treated at pressure levels between 2 and 7 bar during 15 min was strongly improved compared to hydrolysis yield of untreated BSG. The optimized hydrolysis process, under intensive DIC conditions, achieved a glucose yield corresponding to 100% of the theoretical cellulose value. The morphology of BSG samples was studied with Scanning Electronic Microscopy (SEM) and highlighted that the structure of pre-treated BSG showed an important disruption compared to the rigid structure of untreated BSG.     

Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation in Dogs: Review of the Literature

Diagnosis of Disseminated Intravascular coagulation (DIC) is controversial in both human and veterinary medicine. This article reviews the available literature in human and veterinary medicine regarding the etiology, pathophysiology, and diagnosis of DIC with emphasis on the diagnosis of DIC in dogs. Controversy surrounding the diagnosis of DIC arises from the complex nature of the disease itself, in addition to the absence of a consensus strategy for laboratory testing. The available literature indicates that dogs diagnosed with DIC possessed various hemostatic function testing abnormalities, typically possessed an underlying disease that predisposed to DIC, but may or may not have had clinically identifiable hemorrhage or thrombosis. Additionally, the hemostatic function testing utilized in diagnosis is not uniform. Generalizations about the usefulness of individual assays or diagnostic strategies cannot be formulated because of the marked diversity of the types of cases studied, as well as the small number of cases reported in the literature. (Vet Emerg & Crit Care, 1998; 8: 29–45)     

实验性急性猪丹毒弥散性血管内凝血的研究

笔者用中监所提供的猪丹毒标准株C#-（43）-2,6,7,8和自然野毒株作为菌种,经颈静脉接种100-500亿活菌/头,模拟急性猪丹毒DIC。试验猪34头,发病27头,死亡15头。发病猪生前凝血象出现变化;死后组织学检查,脑、肾、心、肺等器官有DIC形成。电镜观察微血栓为纤维素,红细胞和丹毒杆菌。本文对DIC判定标准,DIC病理组织学特点及其发病机制和意义进行了讨论。