Effect of P.G. 600 on the timing of ovulation in gilts treated with altrenogest     

Horsley BR  Estienne MJ  Harper AF  Purcell SH  Baitis HK  Beal WE  Knight JW 《Journal of animal science》2005,83(7):1690-1695

We previously reported that ovulation rate, but not pregnancy rate or litter size at d 30 after mating, was enhanced by treatment with P.G. 600 (400 IU of PMSG and 200 IU of hCG, Intervet America, Inc., Millsboro, DE) in gilts fed the orally active progestin, altrenogest (Matrix, Intervet America, Inc.) to synchronize estrus. We hypothesized that in addition to increasing ovulation rate, P.G. 600 may have altered the timing of ovulation. Therefore, mating gilts 12 and 24 h after first detection of estrus, as is common in the swine industry, may not have been the optimal breeding regimen, and as a consequence, pregnancy rate and litter size were not altered. The objective of the present study was to determine the effect of P.G. 600 on the timing of ovulation in gilts treated with altrenogest. Randomly cycling, crossbred gilts (5.5 mo old, 117 kg BW, and 14.7 mm of backfat) were fed a diet containing altrenogest (15 mg/d) for 18 d. Twenty-four hours after altrenogest withdrawal, gilts received i.m. injections of P.G. 600 (n = 25) or saline (n = 25). Gilts were checked for estrus at 8-h intervals. After first detection of estrus, transrectal ultrasonography was performed at 8-h intervals to determine the time of ovulation. Gilts were killed 9 to 11 d after the onset of estrus to determine ovulation rate. All gilts displayed estrus by 7 d after treatment with P.G. 600 or saline. Compared with saline, P.G. 600 increased (P = 0.07) ovulation rate (14.8 vs. 17.5, respectively; SE = 1.1). The intervals from injection to estrus (110.9 vs. 98.4; SE = 2.7 h; P < 0.01) and injection to ovulation (141.9 vs. 128.6; SE = 3.2 h; P < 0.01) were greater in gilts treated with saline than in gilts treated with P.G. 600. Duration of estrus (54.4 vs. 53.7; SE = 2.5 h), the estrus-to-ovulation interval (30.2 vs. 31.7; SE = 2.2 h), and the time of ovulation as a percentage of estrus duration (55.8 vs. 57.5; SE = 3.0%) did not differ for the P.G. 600 and saline-injected gilts, respectively. In summary, P.G. 600 advanced the onset of estrus and ovulation following termination of altrenogest treatment and increased ovulation rate; however, treatment of gilts with P.G. 600 had no effect on the timing of ovulation relative to the onset of estrus.  相似文献   

Affluent effluent: growing vegetables with wastewater in Melbourne, Australia—a wealthy but bone-dry city     

Fiona Barker-Reid  Grant A. Harper  Andrew J. Hamilton 《Irrigation and Drainage Systems》2010,24(1-2):79-94

Water scarcity in Australia has become a significant challenge for all water users and water reuse is now a critical component of Melbourne’s response to this water crisis, particularly for food production. While most vegetable production occurs in a large-scale commercial environment, there is a significant proportion produced in backyards. With the introduction of severe water restrictions, commercial vegetable production now relies heavily on high quality Class A reclaimed water, while households have turned to the use of greywater. While there are many benefits of wastewater reuse, there are also many potential risks to plant, environmental and human health. A quantitative microbial risk assessment of the two systems was conducted to evaluate the human health risks associated with both large-scale and backyard reuse of water for vegetable irrigation. This preliminary model suggests that for irrigation with typical greywater, the annual infection probability for enteric viruses is >10^?4, even after a two week period of no irrigation with greywater. The human annual enteric virus risk from Class A reclaimed water was much lower.  相似文献   

Conservation: Linking Ecology, Economics and Culture     

David Harper  . 《Fish and Fisheries》2008,9(1):117-118

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Pholidostrophiid brachiopods: origin of the nacreous luster     

Towe KM  Harper CW 《Science (New York, N.Y.)》1966,154(3745):153-155

The "nacreous" luster characteristic of the pholidostrophiid group of fossil brachiopods results from a shell structure that produces superimposed sets of natural optical-diffraction gratings made of calcite. The wall structure is crossed lamellar, parallel to the shell surfdce; thus flakiness and development of reflecting surfaces are facilitated.  相似文献   

Water Column and Sediment Phosphorus in a Calcareous Lowland River and Their Differential Response to Point Source Control Measures     

Benoît O. L. Demars  David M. Harper 《Water, air, and soil pollution》2005,167(1-4):273-293

Phosphorus control measures at two major (>10000 people equivalent, p.e.) sewage treatment works (STWs) were installed in the lowland calcareous basin of the River Wensum (England). In-stream phosphorus concentrations were monitored seasonally from subcatchments with different levels of phosphorus impacts, as well as before and after phosphorus control, above and below the two major STWs. Point source effluents raised in-stream soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) concentrations from 9–15 μg L^?1 (agricultural sub-catchments) to 580–3270 μg L^?1. This was accompanied by an increase of the SRP relative to total phosphorus from 27% to 80–90%. The phosphorus content of the suspended sediment was high (0.2 to 7.7%). Molybdate unreactive phosphorus (1–29 μg L^?1) was surprisingly not affected by point source effluents. The river bed sediment bioavailable phosphorus concentrations were higher (4–18 μg g^?1 wet weight) downstream from the main effluents, compared to upstream (2–6 μg g^?1 wet weight). Phosphorus control at the STWs in 1999 has allowed to reduce in-stream soluble reactive concentrations to 140–280 μg L^?1 but has had no significant impact on bioavailable phosphorus in the sediment by 2001, suggesting that either net sediment desorption did not occur or that it is a much slower, longer term response. The relative contribution of the diffuse sources increased from 10% to 27% of the total phosphorus loads at Fakenham. The management of these rivers is therefore problematic.  相似文献   

Quantification of plasma DNA as a prognostic indicator in canine lymphoid neoplasia     

D. M. W. Schaefer  M. A. Forman  W. C. Kisseberth  A. M. Lehman  N. T. Kelbick  P. Harper  L. J. Rush 《Veterinary and comparative oncology》2007,5(3):145-155

Dogs have a similar incidence of spontaneous cancers as people, and a noninvasive test to monitor disease status in dogs would be of great value. Humans with cancer often have increased levels of cell‐free circulating DNA in their plasma, which has shown promise for diagnosis, prognosis and detection of residual disease. We hypothesized that dogs with cancer have increased circulating DNA compared with healthy dogs or dogs with non‐neoplastic diseases. Plasma DNA was measured in 40 healthy dogs, 20 dogs with non‐neoplastic diseases and 80 dogs with cancer. The reference interval for plasma DNA in healthy dogs was 1–15 ng mL^?1. Dogs with lymphoma and lymphoid leukaemia had significantly higher concentrations (range: 0–91 ng mL^?1, P < 0.0001). Antigen receptor rearrangement assays suggest that plasma DNA had the same clonality as the primary lymphoid tumours. Dogs with lymphoid neoplasia and plasma DNA >25 ng mL^?1 had shorter remission times than those with < 25 ng mL^?1 (P= 0.0116). In contrast to humans, where increased plasma DNA is seen in many diseases, dogs with nonlymphoid malignancies and non‐neoplastic diseases had plasma DNA concentrations similar to healthy dogs. This study shows that a portion of dogs with lymphoid neoplasia have increased tumour‐derived plasma DNA, which serves as a negative prognostic indicator.  相似文献   

Irradiation of diets fed to captive exotic felids: microbial destruction, consumption, and fecal consistency.     

S D Crissey  K A Slifka  K L Jacobsen  P J Shumway  R Mathews  J Harper 《Journal of zoo and wildlife medicine》2001,32(3):324-328

Two frozen, raw horse meat-based diets fed to captive exotic felids at Brookfield Zoo were irradiated to determine the extent of microbial destruction and whether radiation treatment would affect consumption and/or fecal consistency in exotic cats. Fifteen cats, two African lions (Panthera leo), two Amur tigers (Panthera tigris altaica), one Amur leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis), two clouded leopards (Neofelis nebulosa), two caracals (Felis caracal), one bobcat (Felis rufus), and five fishing cats (Felis viverrinus), housed at Brookfield Zoo were fed nonirradiated and irradiated raw diets containing horse meat with cereal products and fortified with nutrients: Nebraska Brand Feline and/or Canine Diet (Animal Spectrum, North Platte, Nebraska 69103, USA). Baseline data were obtained during a 2-wk control period (nonirradiated diets), which was followed by a 4-wk period of feeding comparable irradiated diets. Feed intake and fecal consistency data were collected. An estimated radiation dose range of 0.5-3.9 kilograys reduced most microbial populations, depending on specific diet and microbe type. Irradiation had no overall effect on either feed consumption or fecal consistency in captive exotic cats, regardless of species, age, sex, or body mass. Data indicate that irradiation of frozen horse meat-based diets (packaged in 2.2-kg portions) result in microbial destruction in these products but that product storage time between irradiation and sampling may also affect microbial reduction. However, irradiation would be an appropriate method for reducing potentially pathologic bacteria in raw meat fed to exotic cats.  相似文献   

Medicinal plants used for dogs in Trinidad and Tobago     

Lans C  Harper T  Georges K  Bridgewater E 《Preventive veterinary medicine》2000,45(3-4):201-220

This paper documents ethnoveterinary medicines used to treat dogs in Trinidad and Tobago. In 1995, a 4-stage process was used to conduct the research and document the ethnoveterinary practices. Twenty-eight ethnoveterinary respondents were identified using the school-essay method, which is a modified rapid rural appraisal (RRA) technique. Semi-structured interviews were held with these respondents as well as with 30 veterinarians, 27 extension officers and 19 animal-health assistants and/or agricultural officers, and the seven key respondents that they identified. The final step involved hosting four participatory workshops with 55 of the respondents interviewed to discuss the ethnoveterinary data generated from the interviews and to determine dosages for some of the plants mentioned. Supplementary interviews were conducted in 1997 and 1998.

Seeds of Carica papaya, and leaves of Cassia alata, Azadirachta indica, Gossypium spp., Cajanus cajan and Chenopodium ambrosiodes are used as anthelmintics. The anthelmintics Gossypium spp. and Chenopodium ambrosiodes are the most frequently used species. Crescentia cujete pulp, Musa spp. stem exudate, the inside of the pods of Bixa orellana, leaves of Cordia curassavica and Eclipta alba plant tops are used for skin diseases. Musa spp. stem exudate, seeds of Manilkara zapota, Pouteria sapota and Mammea americana and leaves of Cordia curassavica, Scoparia dulcis and Nicotiana tabacum are used to control ectoparasites. Dogs are groomed with the leaves of Cordia curassavica, Bambusa vulgaris and Scoparia dulcis. Psidium guajava buds and leaves and the bark of Anacardium occidentale are used for diarrhoea. Owners attempt to achieve milk let-down with a decoction of the leaves of Stachytarpheta jamaicensis. The plant uses parallel those practised in human folk medicine in other Caribbean countries and in other tropical countries.  相似文献   

Concentrations of leptin in serum and milk collected from lactating sows differing in body condition   总被引：5，自引：0，他引：5  

Estienne MJ  Harper AF  Barb CR  Azain MJ 《Domestic animal endocrinology》2000,19(4):379-280

Leptin concentrations in the circulation and milk were determined in sows that differed in body condition at farrowing, and in feed consumption during lactation. Serum concentrations of leptin at farrowing and weaning were highest in sows exhibiting the greatest amount of backfat. Leptin was detected in both skim and whole milk throughout lactation, but levels were not correlated with backfat thickness or circulating leptin concentrations. This report provides the first evidence for the presence of leptin in sow milk; its function in the physiology of suckling pigs remains to be determined.  相似文献   

Effect of warm storage and date of lifting on the quality of Douglas-fir seedlings     

Harper  C. P.  O'Reilly  C. 《New Forests》2000,20(1):1-13

The effect of warm storage (15 °C)for up to 21 days on the vitality of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) seedlings lifted on four occasions from October to January wasassessed using fine root electrolyte leakage (REL). After 0, 7 and 21 days warm storage, additionalseedlings were potted and placed in a controlledgreenhouse environment to determine root growthpotential (RGP) after 4 weeks and survival after 8weeks. REL was a poor indicator of survival potential;REL increased after 7 days storage, despite the factthat RGP and survival were unaffected. REL increased further during the remainder of the 21-days storage period, but values were often not greatly different from those following 7days storage. Storage for up to 21 days greatlydecreased RGP and survival. Seedlings lifted inOctober and November were most affected by storagetreatments, but differences among lifting dates wererelatively small.  相似文献