Three commercial tests that measure progesterone content in milk were evaluated for accuracy of estrus detection. The tests were evaluated on 96 milk samples collected from Holstein cows at a commercial dairy farm in central Florida. The test results were compared with the results of radioimmunoassay on the same sample. Comparisons were made by calculating the sensitivities, specificities, and predictive values. The significance of the statistical association between the tests and the radioimmunoassay was evaluated by use of the McNemar chi 2 test. Decision-tree analysis was used to determine the most useful testing strategy, considering both cost and accuracy. The cowside progesterone assay on estrus-mount detector-positive cows was more profitable than use of estrus-mount patches alone. The return on investment was higher with the cowside test, making it preferred as a field test for detecting estrus. 相似文献
Membranous nephropathy was induced in four cats by repeated intravenous injections of 120 mg cationic bovine serum albumin (BSA, pI 9.5). All four cats developed diffuse granular deposits of IgG and C3 along the glomerular capillary walls as early as five weeks which persisted until the end of the experiment at 17 weeks. Ultrastructural studies revealed many subepithelial electron dense deposits. Two cats developed severe proteinuria and the nephrotic syndrome characterised by hypoalbuminaemia and oedema. An additional four cats received repeated injections of unmodified native BSA (pI 4.5) and remained basically normal. This is the first report of membranous nephropathy and the nephrotic syndrome in an experimental animal model which, unlike other animal models, is subject to the spontaneously occurring disease. 相似文献
Effects of exposing quail eggs to high temperature on the heat tolerance ability and productivity of birds were investigated. Four groups of 600 fertile eggs were randomly selected; the first group was incubated under 37.5 °C and the hatched chicks were reared under a gradual decrease in temperature from 35 to 24 °C (Control). The second group was exposed to 39.1 °C for 2 h/day during 4–14 days of embryogenesis and the hatched chicks were reared under a gradual decrease in temperature from 35 to 24 °C. The third group was incubated under 37.5 °C and the hatched chicks were exposed to 39?±?1 °C for 2 h/day during 4–14 days of age. The fourth group was exposed to 39?±?1 °C for 2 h during 4–14 days of embryogenesis and the hatched chicks were exposed to 39?±?1 °C for 2 h/day during 4–14 days of age. The temperature applied changed (P?<?0.01) embryo weight and incubation period. Birds exposed to high temperature during brooding had superior growth performance, dressed carcass, body temperature and health traits. Birds subjected to 39?±?1 °C during brooding exhibited decreased feed consumption and body weight gain. Finally, this work suggests that thermal acclimation during embryogenesis might offer a practical method for easing heat stress.
Detailed studies have been undertaken to define pruning regimes for Eucalyptus nitens, but little is known of E. globulus responses to pruning although this is a more commonly planted species. This paper describes experiments that aimed to identify (a) levels of pruning that reduce E. globulus growth, (b) physiological processes contributing to those growth responses, (c) the incidence of decay and factors influencing decay incidence following pruning of E. globulus, and (d) comparative responses of E. nitens and E. globulus to live branch pruning. Results of a field experiment indicated that removal of between 30 and 50% of the crown length was appropriate for E. globulus plantations verging on canopy closure. The significant reduction in height growth associated with removal of 50 or 70% of crown length suggested pruning should remain below 50% of crown length if reduced stem growth of pruned trees was to be avoided. Stem volume was only significantly reduced over the period of the experiment by 70% pruning, but it was estimated that standing volume following removal of 50% of crown length would be reduced by 82 m3 ha−1 over a 20-year rotation if there were no other silvicultural interventions. The growth responses observed were probably related to large reductions in leaf area following 50 or 70% removal of crown length. Trees responded to pruning by changing patterns of biomass partitioning to favour stem growth at the expense of branch growth. A glasshouse study determined that light-saturated net CO2 uptake (Amax) increased following pruning. E. nitens seedlings had both a higher baseline Amax and higher Amax following pruning than did E. globulus, which could partially explain the greater effect of pruning on E. globulus growth than has been observed for E. nitens in other studies. This result, as well as apparently different patterns of foliage distribution through the crowns of E. globulus and E. nitens, suggested that models of pruning responses need to be parameterised for both species. In addition, a more conservative pruning regime may be appropriate for E. globulus than E. nitens. Pruning increased the frequency of branch traces with decay infection, and there was a trend towards increasing decay outbreaks with increasing pruning severity. Decay outbreaks were more likely to occur following pruning of high angle or larger diameter branches. 相似文献
Infection of heartwood by decay fungi (heartrot) is a concern for growers of Acacia mangium for solid‐wood products as the incidence can be high in some regions of Indonesia. Variation of heartrot incidence for different provenances of A. mangium was determined using two field trials in Sumatra, Indonesia. In a Riau Province trial of 21 provenances, the effect of provenance was statistically significant for natural heartrot incidence, which ranged from 1.6% to 27.2%. In a smaller trial using artificial inoculation in South Sumatra, heartwood infection incidence ranged from 39.4% to 70.8% across six provenances and both wound type and provenance were statistically significant factors. There was also significant variation in sapwood infection length related to provenance. Wood extractives (yield, total phenols, protein‐precipitable tannin and 2,3‐trans‐3,4′,7,8‐tetrahydroxyflavanone) were quantified from a subsample of trees for each trial. However, no significant differences in extractive concentration were detectable according to provenance and evidence for a relationship between heartwood extractives and heartrot incidence was generally poor. While further studies need to be completed to establish the basis for heartrot incidence, results from these trials allow for recommendations on provenance selection to reduce heartrot incidence and provide information for further genetic selection programmes. 相似文献
A procedure was developed for plantlet production from embryos of Douglas-fir [Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco]. The Medium for Conifer Morphogenesis, used at full strength, and supplemented with 10 M benzyladenine for 17 days produced an average of 6.8 shoots on more than 90% of the embryos. The percentage of shoot-forming embryos as well as the average number of shoots per embryo varied significantly among eight seedlots. For secondary multiplication, 89% of the adventitious shoots produced axillary buds on MCM with 5 M benzyladenine. However, 0.5 M BA was more suitable for the elongation of axillaries. Rooting ranged from 0–87% depending upon the treatment. The highest percentage was obtained with a 7-week incubation in peat:perlite containing 1/5-strength medium, 1% sucrose and 2.7 M naphthaleneacetic acid, followed by 5 weeks on peat:perlite with 1/5-strength major and minor salts, full iron and organics, 1% sucrose and 0.1% charcoal. 相似文献
The responses of juvenile leaves of two Eucalyptus species, with contrasting susceptibility to infection by Mycosphaerella leaf disease, were compared. The anatomical changes, accumulation of phenolics, suberin, lignin and anthocyanin and the retention of chlorophyll were studied in leaf lesions of varying developmental stages caused by species of Mycosphaerella. Enhanced resistance of Eucalyptus nitens in southern Australia was attributed to the formation of an effective lignified and suberized necrophylactic periderm, to restrict pathogen spread. Leaves of E. nitens contained isobilateral palisade which resulted in both abaxial and adaxial cell division and the initiation of a strong reinforced cellular zone from an early lesion stage. Eucalyptus globulus formed a slower, distorted necrophylactic periderm through hypertrophic changes to existing mesophyll and limited cell divisions of the single adaxial palisade layer. Deposits of lignin and suberin did not occur until later in lesion development, which were not effective in preventing further disease development. From this study it is hypothesized that tolerance of eucalypts to Mycosphaerella pathogens may be associated with constitutive mesophyll density. 相似文献
This study was conducted to identify and analyse the expression of gametogenesis‐associated genes and proteins in foetal and adult buffalo gonads of both the sexes. Relative quantification of the genes was determined by qPCR and Western blotting. Immunohistochemistry was also performed for various gametogenesis‐associated proteins in foetal and adult gonads of both the sexes. We observed significantly (p < 0.05) increased expression of primordial germ cell‐specific, meiotic as well as genes associated with oocyte maturation and development in foetal ovaries as compared to the adult ones. However, significantly (p < 0.05) increased expression of proteins associated with oocyte maturation like GDF9 and ZP4 was found in adult ovaries, indicating temporal regulation of mRNA translation during oogenesis. Meiotic genes showed significantly (p < 0.05) increased expression in adult testes as compared to foetal testes and ovaries, indicating onset of meiosis at a later stage in spermatogenesis. In general, the expression of primordial germ cell‐associated as well as meiotic genes was higher in adult testes, indicating the increased biological activity in the organ. Immunohistochemistry revealed localized expression of gametogenesis‐associated proteins in ovarian follicles and seminiferous tubules of testes, while the surrounding somatic tissues were devoid of these proteins. The study gives an understanding of the sequential and temporal events of gene expression as well as mRNA translation during male and female gametogenesis. It could also be concluded that follicles and seminiferous tubules are the functional units of the female and male gonads, respectively, and their function could be enhanced by appropriate chemical and genetic intervention of the somatic tissue immediately surrounding them. This assumes importance in the context that buffalo attains sexual maturity at an older age of 2–3 years and have smaller ovaries with lesser number of primordial follicles in comparison with cattle, which is suggested to be the main reason of their poor breeding performance. 相似文献