Constitutive nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activities in big-head carp (Aristichthys nobilis)     

H.Y. Wong  L.Y. Fung  F. Kwok  S.C.L. Lo 《Fish physiology and biochemistry》1998,19(2):171-179

Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) is an enzyme that catalyzes the formation of nitric oxide (NO), an important biological messenger from L-arginine. There are considerable evidence showing the expression of NOS in mammalian tissues. Information on distribution of NOS activities in various organs and tissues of fish is rare. Non-functional NOS activities were documented in fish semi-quantitatively either by an indirect nicotine-adenine-dinucleotide-phosphate diaphorase (NADPH-d) activity histochemical staining method or by an immunohistochemical method using a cross-reacting antibody to brain NOS. Report on the functional levels of NOS activities in fish is lacking. This report represent the first attempt to document the functional NOS levels in various fish organs and tissues. Constitutive NOS (cNOS) activities in various organs of big-head carp (Aristichthys nobilis) was measured by a chemiluminescence method with a detection limit as low as 10 mol of NO produced. It was found that constitutive NOS activity was highest in the brain, followed by the intestine, stomach, retina, olfactory lobe, swim bladder, skeletal muscle, heart, kidney, ovary and liver. NOS activity could not be detected in the gill filaments. Omission of NADPH in the reaction mixture caused a 57–100% decrease in cNOS activities. However, omission of arginine in the mixture only caused a 56–87% drop in cNOS activities. When compared with cNOS activities documented from other species, a similar pattern of cNOS activities in the various organs and tissues of big-head carp could be seen.  相似文献   

Emission of coherent THz radiation from superconductors     

Ozyuzer L  Koshelev AE  Kurter C  Gopalsami N  Li Q  Tachiki M  Kadowaki K  Yamamoto T  Minami H  Yamaguchi H  Tachiki T  Gray KE  Kwok WK  Welp U 《Science (New York, N.Y.)》2007,318(5854):1291-1293

Compact solid-state sources of terahertz (THz) radiation are being sought for sensing, imaging, and spectroscopy applications across the physical and biological sciences. We demonstrate that coherent continuous-wave THz radiation of sizable power can be extracted from intrinsic Josephson junctions in the layered high-temperature superconductor Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8. In analogy to a laser cavity, the excitation of an electromagnetic cavity resonance inside the sample generates a macroscopic coherent state in which a large number of junctions are synchronized to oscillate in phase. The emission power is found to increase as the square of the number of junctions reaching values of 0.5 microwatt at frequencies up to 0.85 THz, and persists up to approximately 50 kelvin. These results should stimulate the development of superconducting compact sources of THz radiation.  相似文献   

Organic superconductors--new benchmarks     

Williams JM  Schultz AJ  Geiser U  Carlson KD  Kini AM  Wang HH  Kwok WK  Whangbo MH  Schirber JE 《Science (New York, N.Y.)》1991,252(5012):1501-1508

Recent advances in the design and synthesis of organic synthetic metals have yielded materials that have the highest superconducting transition temperatures (T(c) approximately 13 kelvin) reported for these systems. These materials have crystal structures consisting of alternating layers of organic donor molecules and inorganic anions. Organic superconductors have various electronic and magnetic properties and crystal structures that are similar to those of the inorganic copper oxide superconductors (which have high T(c) values); these similarities include highly anisotropic conductivities, critical fields, and short coherence lengths. The largest number of organic superconductors, including those with the highest T(c) values, are charge-transfer salts derived from the electron donor molecule BEDT-TTF or ET [bis(ethylenedithio)-tetrathiafulvalene]. The synthesis and crystal structures of these salts are discussed; their electrical, magnetic, and band electronic structure properties and their many similarities to the copper oxide superconductors are treated as well.  相似文献   

Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in dogs from Colombia, South America and genetic characterization of T. gondii isolates   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

Dubey JP  Cortés-Vecino JA  Vargas-Duarte JJ  Sundar N  Velmurugan GV  Bandini LM  Polo LJ  Zambrano L  Mora LE  Kwok OC  Smith T  Su C 《Veterinary parasitology》2007,145(1-2):45-50

The prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in 309 unwanted dogs from Bogotá, Colombia, South America was determined. Antibodies to T. gondii were assayed by the modified agglutination test (MAT) and found in 52 (16.8%) of 309 dogs with titers of 1:20 in 20, 1:40 in six, 1:80 in 17, 1:160 in three, 1:320 in three, 1:1280 or higher in three. Some organs obtained after necropsy of dogs (hearts, tongues and brains, either separately or pooled) were used in bioassays carried out in mice (37 samples, of which 20 were assayed with separate organs and 17 were assayed with pooled organs), cats (pooled organs from six) and pooled organs of two dogs both in mice and cat. Mice receiving dog tissues were examined for T. gondii infection. Feces of cats that received dog tissues were examined for oocyst shedding. In total, T. gondii was isolated from tissues of 20 dogs (16 by bioassays in mice, 3 by bioassay in cats and 1 by bioassay in mice and cat). All infected mice from 7 of 17 isolates bioassayed in this host died of toxoplasmosis during primary infection. Only 10 of the 20 dogs whose tissues were bioassayed separately induced infections in mice. Interestingly, dog organs varied in their capacity to induce T. gondii infection in mice, hearts and tongues producing more positive results than the brain. The 20 T. gondii isolates obtained from seropositive dogs were PCR-RFLP genotyped using polymorphisms at 10 nuclear markers including SAG1, SAG2, SAG3, BTUB, GRA6, c22-8, c29-2, L358, PK1, a new SAG2 and an apicoplast marker Apico. Ten genotypes were revealed. These genotypes are different from the three predominant Types I, II and III lineages that are widely spread in North America and Europe. A new allele denoted u-3 at PK1 locus was identified in three isolates. This result supports previous findings that T. gondii population is highly diverse in Colombia.  相似文献   

A three-dimensional biomechanical model for numerical simulation of dynamic pressure functional performances of graduated compression stocking (GCS)     

Rong Liu  Yi-Lin Kwok  Yi Li  Terence-T Lao  Xin Zhang  Xiao Qun Dai 《Fibers and Polymers》2006,7(4):389-397

The beneficial effects of graduated compression stockings (GCS) in prophylaxis and treatment of venous disorders of human lower extremity have been recognized. However, their pressure functional performances are variable and unstable in practical applications, and the exact mechanisms of action remain controversial. Direct surface pressure measurements and indirect material properties testing are not enough for fully understanding the interaction between stocking and leg. A three-dimensional (3D) biomechanical mathematical model for numerically simulating the interaction between leg and GCS in dynamic wear was developed based on the actual geometry of the female leg obtained from 3D reconstruction of MR images and the real size and mechanical properties of the compression stocking prototype. The biomechanical solid leg model consists of bones and soft tissues, and an orthotropic shell model is built for the stocking hose. The dynamic putting-on process is simulated by defining the contact of finite relative sliding between the two objects. The surface pressure magnitude and distribution along the different height levels of the leg and stress profiles of stockings were simulated. As well, their dynamic alterations with time processing were quantitatively analyzed. Through validation, the simulated results showed a reasonable agreement with the experimental measurements, and the simulated pressure gradient distribution from the ankle to the thigh (100:67:30) accorded with the advised criterion by the European committee for standardization. The developed model can be used to predict and visualize the dynamic pressure and stress performances exerted by compression stocking in wear, and to optimize the material mechanical properties in stocking design, thus, helping us understand mechanisms of compression action and improving medical functions of GCS.  相似文献   

High prevalence and genotypes of Toxoplasma gondii isolated from organic pigs in northern USA     

Dubey JP  Hill DE  Rozeboom DW  Rajendran C  Choudhary S  Ferreira LR  Kwok OC  Su C 《Veterinary parasitology》2012,188(1-2):14-18

The ingestion of undercooked pork infected with Toxoplasma gondii is considered an important source of transmission of this parasite. While T. gondii infection in confinement raised market pigs (market pigs are typically used for fresh, unprocessed pork products) in the USA has decreased significantly over the last 20 years, infection levels in pigs with access to the outdoors can be quite high. An upsurge in consumer demand for 'organically raised', 'humanely raised' and 'free range' pork products has resulted in increasing numbers of hogs being raised in non-confinement systems. To determine T. gondii infection rate in these organic pigs, prevalence of T. gondii in organically raised pigs in two establishments (Farm 1, Farm 2) in Michigan was investigated. Serum and tissue samples from 33 pigs on the farm were available for T. gondii evaluation at slaughter. Serological testing was performed using both ELISA and the modified agglutination test (MAT). Antibodies to T. gondii were detected by both ELISA and MAT in 30 of 33 animals with MAT titers of 1:25 in three, 1:50 in six, 1:100 in seven, 1:200 in 13, and 1:400 in one. Hearts of all 33 pigs were bioassayed for T. gondii in mice; T. gondii was isolated from 17 pigs including one from a seronegative (both ELISA and MAT) pig. Genetic typing of 16 of the 17 T. gondii isolates using the SAG1, SAG2, SAG3, BTUB, GRA6, c22-8, c29-2, L358, PK1 and Apico loci revealed clonal Type II from Farm 1 and clonal Type III on Farm 2. These results revealed very high prevalence of T. gondii in organic pigs for the first time in USA, indicating potentially increased health risk of consuming organic swine products.  相似文献   

Mastitis diagnostics and performance monitoring: a practical approach     

TJGM Lam  RGM Olde Riekerink  OC Sampimon  H Smith 《Irish veterinary journal》2009,62(Z4):S34

In this paper a review is given of frequently used mastitis diagnostic methods in modern dairy practice. Methods used at the quarter, cow, herd and regional or national level are discussed, including their usability for performance monitoring in udder health. Future developments, such as systems in which milk-derived parameters are combined with modern analytical techniques, are discussed. It is concluded that, although much knowledge is available and science is still developing and much knowledge is available, it is not always fully exploited in practice.  相似文献   

Genetic and biologic characteristics of Toxoplasma gondii infections in free-range chickens from Austria   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

Dubey JP  Edelhofer R  Marcet P  Vianna MC  Kwok OC  Lehmann T 《Veterinary parasitology》2005,133(4):299-306

The prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in free-ranging chickens is a good indicator of the prevalence of T. gondii oocysts in the soil because chickens feed from the ground. The prevalence of T. gondii in free-range chickens (Gallus domesticus) from 11 Bio-farms in Austria was determined. Antibodies to T. gondii assayed by the modified agglutination test (MAT) were found in 302 of 830 (36.3%) chickens with titers of 1:10 in 50, 1:20 in 69, 1:40 in 53, 1:80 in 40, 1:160 or higher in 90. Hearts of 218 chickens with MAT titers of 10 or higher were bioassayed individually in mice. Tissues from 1183 chickens were pooled and fed to 15, T. gondii-free cats. Feces of the cats were examined for oocysts; 11 cats shed T. gondii oocysts. T. gondii was isolated from 56 chickens by bioassay in mice. Thus, there were 67 isolates of T. gondii from these chickens. Genotyping of these 67 isolates using the SAG2 locus indicated that all 33 were Type II. Phenotypically and genetically these isolates were different from T. gondii isolates from Brazil. None of the isolates was virulent for mice. This is the first report of isolation of T. gondii from chickens from Austria.  相似文献   

Occurrence of Neospora caninum antibodies in sera from dogs of the city of São Paulo,Brazil     

Gennari SM  Yai LE  D'Auria SN  Cardoso SM  Kwok OC  Jenkins MC  Dubey JP 《Veterinary parasitology》2002,106(2):177-179

Neospora caninum is an important cause of abortion in dairy cattle worldwide. Dogs are important in the epidemiology of this parasite because they are the only hosts known to excrete N. caninum oocysts. In order to understand the prevalence of N. caninum in dogs, sera from 500 owned dogs and from over 600 feral street dogs from the city of S?o Paulo, Brazil were assayed for antibodies to N. caninum. Sera were examined by the Neospora agglutination test (NAT) using mouse-derived tachyzoites. Antibodies (> or =1:25) to N. caninum were found in nearly 10% (49/500) of owned dogs and in 25% (151/611) of stray dogs. NAT titers for owned dogs were 1:25 in 28 (5.6%) dogs, 1:50 in 20 (4%) dogs, and > or =1:500 in 1 (0.2%) dog. NAT titers for stray dogs were 1:25 in 79 (12.9%) dogs, 1:50 in 68 (11.1%) dogs, and > or =1:500 in 4 (0.6%) dogs. These data indicate that feral dogs may be important in the epidemiology of N. caninum infection.  相似文献   

Neospora caninum antibodies in wild carnivores from Spain     

Sobrino R  Dubey JP  Pabón M  Linarez N  Kwok OC  Millán J  Arnal MC  Luco DF  López-Gatius F  Thulliez P  Gortázar C  Almería S 《Veterinary parasitology》2008,155(3-4):190-197

Serum samples from 251 wild carnivores from different regions of Spain were tested for antibodies to Neospora caninum by the commercial competitive screening enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (c-ELISA) and confirmed by Neospora agglutination test (NAT) and/or by indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT). Samples with antibodies detected by at least two serological tests were considered seropositive. Antibodies to N. caninum were found in 3.2% of 95 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes); in 21.4% of 28 wolves (Canis lupus); in 12.0% of 25 Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus); in 16.7% of 6 European wildcats (Felis silvestris); in 6.4% of 31 Eurasian badgers (Meles meles); in 21.4% of 14 stone martens (Martes foina); in 66.7% of 3 pine martens (M. martes) and in 50% of 2 polecats (Mustela putorius). Antibodies to N. caninum in common genets (Genetta genetta) and Egyptian mongooses (Herpestes ichneumon) were only observed by c-ELISA but were not confirmed by IFAT and/or NAT. No antibodies were detected in 5 Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra) by any technique. Statistically significant differences were observed among species and among geographical areas. The highest seroprevalence of N. caninum infection was observed in the Cantabric Coastal region characterized by high humidity. To our knowledge, this is the first report of antibodies to N. caninum in free ranging wild carnivores, other than wild canids, in Europe. The existence of a possible sylvatic cycle could have important implications in both sylvatic and domestic cycles since they might influence the prevalence of infection in cattle farms in those areas.  相似文献