Economics of gastrointestinal parasitism of cattle

Understandably, cattle are raised for profit, as beef and/or dairy. Anything that negates that equation results in a loss to the producer and to the livestock economy. Thus, parasites negatively affect the economy of the industry. Worldwide, gastrointestinal nematode parasites, especially Ostertagia ostertagi, and those of the respiratory tract (Dictyocaulus viviparus) have a potentially major impact on herd health. In the past 10-15 years, anthelmintic (AH) drug development and the strategic use of AH have positively balanced the economic equation, so that overall, parasitism in cattle is often observed or determined to be subclinical or economical. Other control measures, such as better pasture management, are also being developed to enhance herd health and the cattle economy. The determination of the economic impact of parasitism has thus become less apparent, to the extent that measures, such as performance parameters, must be used to measure differences between treated and untreated animals or herds. These include weight gain, reproduction, lactation and forage use. To determine the effectiveness of control measures, field trials are designed to measure these parameters by the demonstration of improved performance. Because these trials are conducted in a competitive mode, results are often debated by competitors and by the scientific community because of study design. Variables must then be taken into consideration in the interpretation of results. It is now well known that, with the generation of new AH and appropriately-timed administration, parasitism of well-managed herds has been reduced to subclinical levels. Thus, we are now in the process of fine-tuning the positive effect of these control measures for enhanced production. Understandably, beef and dairy producers have 'production of high quality commodities' at a cost-effective level as a common goal. Successful cattlemen calculate expenditures and income by line item including veterinary expenses and cost and labor in administration of AH. Return is based on performance. Again, nematode parasites can disturb the equation enough to make production less profitable or even unprofitable. Most USA beef cattle producers believe that worm parasites do have an effect on cattle health and production so that 77% use AH and the market impact is that AH have become integrated into cattle herd health programs. However, to be most cost-effective, programs must be strategic but flexible with scheduling tailored for the region and the cattle operation. Other technologies should eventually provide rapid identification of worm populations by species and numbers and recognition of individual animal response to parasites and inheritance of that trait by their progeny. Computerized programs for analysis of seasonality of the epidemiology of gastrointestinal parasites and of herd performance could predict appropriate timing and cost benefit for control measures. Modes of AH administration are being developed which are more reliable and convenient in terms of delivery and labor. Control measures must also include better pasture management with less impact on the environment and to justify investment in land. In addition, successful producers are better educated, more cost-conscious, consumer-oriented, sensitive to the environment and attuned to the economics of parasitism.     

Decreased left frontal lobe N-acetylaspartate in schizophrenia

OBJECTIVE: The authors measured N-acetylaspartate (a putative neuronal marker), using in vivo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (1H-MRSI), in the frontal lobes of schizophrenic patients and normal subjects. METHOD: Frontal lobe 1H-MRSI was performed bilaterally on 24 medicated schizophrenic patients and 15 healthy comparison subjects. Levels of N-acetylaspartate, creatine, and choline were determined. RESULTS: Relative to the comparison group, the patients with schizophrenia demonstrated significantly lower levels of N-acetylaspartate in the left frontal lobe. There was no association between level of N-acetylaspartate and duration of illness or medication dosage. No differences between groups or lateralized asymmetries in choline or creatine were noted. CONCLUSIONS: This preliminary study provides support for decreased N-acetylaspartate in the left frontal lobe in schizophrenia and neuronal dysfunction in this brain region.     

Interstitial incorporation of plutonium into a low-dimensional potassium borate

The molten boric acid flux reaction of PuBr(3) with KBO(2) at 200 °C results in the formation of large light-yellow crystals of K[B(5)O(7)(OH)(2)]·H(2)O:Pu(4+). Single-crystal X-ray diffraction experiments on the Pu-doped K[B(5)O(7)(OH)(2)]·H(2)O demonstrate two features: (1) K[B(5)O(7)(OH)(2)]·H(2)O:Pu(4+) adopts a one-dimensional borate chain structure with void spaces between the chains. (2) The doping plutonium atoms do not reside on the potassium sites. The latter are not fully occupied. Both laser-ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) and energy-dispersive spectrometry analyses indicate that plutonium atoms are uniformly distributed in crystals of K[B(5)O(7)(OH)(2)]·H(2)O with an atomic K:Pu ratio of approximately 65:1 measured by LA-ICP-MS. UV-vis-NIR spectra taken from both freshly made and one day old crystals show that the plutonium present within the crystals is predominantly characterized by Pu(IV). A small amount of Pu(III) is also present initially, but slowly oxidized to Pu(IV) via interaction with oxygen in the air. X-ray absorption near-edge structure and extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopic measurements confirm that plutonium is mainly present as a form similar to that of a PuO(2) cluster. The combined results suggest that the clusters containing Pu(IV) ions are uniformly distributed in the void spaces between the borate chains.     

Short communication: Inhibition of DNA methyltransferase and histone deacetylase increases β-defensin expression but not the effects of lipopolysaccharide or 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 in bovine mammary epithelial cells

Antimicrobial peptides are a common defense against bacterial infections in many species and a significant part of the innate immune response of the bovine mammary gland. The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of epigenetic factors on vitamin D and toll-like receptor–mediated induction of β-defensins in mammary epithelial cells. Primary bovine mammary epithelial cells were treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 0 or 100 ng/mL), 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D₃ [1,25(OH)₂D₃, 0 or 10 nM], and 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine (5-Aza, inhibitor of DNA methyltransferase, 0 or 5 μM) or trichostatin A (TSA, inhibitor of histone deacetylase, 0 or 80 nM) in a factorial arrangement. Effects of treatments on β-defensin gene expression along with genes for cytokines and enzymes known to be induced by LPS or 1,25(OH)₂D₃ were evaluated by quantitative PCR. The LPS treatment induced expression of β-defensin (DEFB)3, DEFB5, DEFB7, DEFB10, enteric β-defensin (EBD), lingual antimicrobial peptide (LAP), and tracheal antimicrobial peptide (TAP); whereas, the 1,25(OH)₂D₃ treatment increased DEFB5 and DEFB7 expression and decreased LAP. The 5-Aza treatment increased expression of DEFB3, DEFB5, DEFB10, EBD, LAP, and TAP in the presence and absence of LPS. The TSA treatment increased expression of DEFB3, DEFB4, DEFB5, DEFB7, and DEFB10 in the absence of LPS but decreased LPS-induced expression of and LAP and TAP. Together these results indicate that β-defensin expression in bovine mammary epithelial cells is likely influenced by DNA methylation and histone acetylation. Investigation of environmental and nutritional factors that influence epigenetic control of β-defensins in the mammary gland may be beneficial for improving resistance to intramammary infections.     

Kinetically driven self assembly of highly ordered nanoparticle monolayers

When a drop of a colloidal solution of nanoparticles dries on a surface, it leaves behind coffee-stain-like rings of material with lace-like patterns or clumps of particles in the interior. These non-uniform mass distributions are manifestations of far-from-equilibrium effects, such as fluid flows and solvent fluctuations during late-stage drying. However, recently a strikingly different drying regime promising highly uniform, long-range-ordered nanocrystal monolayers has been found. Here we make direct, real-time and real-space observations of nanocrystal self-assembly to reveal the mechanism. We show how the morphology of drop-deposited nanoparticle films is controlled by evaporation kinetics and particle interactions with the liquid-air interface. In the presence of an attractive particle-interface interaction, rapid early-stage evaporation dynamically produces a two-dimensional solution of nanoparticles at the liquid-air interface, from which nanoparticle islands nucleate and grow. This self-assembly mechanism produces monolayers with exceptional long-range ordering that are compact over macroscopic areas, despite the far-from-equilibrium evaporation process. This new drop-drying regime is simple, robust and scalable, is insensitive to the substrate material and topography, and has a strong preference for forming monolayer films. As such, it stands out as an excellent candidate for the fabrication of technologically important ultra thin film materials for sensors, optical devices and magnetic storage media.     

Intramammary 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 treatment modulates innate immune responses to endotoxin-induced mastitis

Vitamin D signaling in response to pathogen-associated molecules contributes to activation of innate immune responses of bovine monocytes. We hypothesized that lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of bacteria associated with mastitis in dairy cows activates the vitamin D pathway in innate immune cells of the udder and that increasing availability of 25-hydroxyvitamin D₃ [25(OH)D₃] would augment expression of vitamin D-associated genes. The objective of this experiment was to determine the effects of intramammary LPS and 25(OH)D₃ treatments on activation of the vitamin D pathway and innate immune responses of mammary immune cells. Individual mammary quarters of 5 lactating cows were treated with placebo control, 100 μg of 25(OH)D₃, 5 μg of LPS, or a combination of 100 μg of 25(OH)D₃ and 5 μg of LPS. Somatic cells from milk were evaluated for percentage of neutrophil and macrophage populations and expression of genes associated with vitamin D metabolism and innate immunity. Data from samples collected from 4 to 12 h after challenge were analyzed for main effects of LPS and 25(OH)D₃ treatments, treatment interactions, and simple effects of 25(OH)D₃ treatment. Data from samples collected at the time of challenge were used as covariates. The percentages of neutrophils in milk at 8 h postchallenge were 58 ± 10, 82 ± 11, 89 ± 10, and 63 ± 10% of total cells in milk from control, 25(OH)D₃, LPS, and LPS plus 25(OH)D₃ glands, respectively, such that the interaction of LPS and 25(OH)D₃ was significant. Expression of the vitamin D 1α-hydroxylase (CYP27B1) and vitamin D receptor genes was upregulated by LPS treatment in total cells, macrophages, and neutrophils in milk. In addition, expression of the vitamin D 24-hydroxylase (CYP24A1) gene in milk somatic cells was upregulated by 25(OH)D₃ and LPS treatments. The inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), chemokine (C-C-motif) ligand 5 (CCL5), β-defensin 3 (DEFB3), DEFB7, and DEFB10 genes were upregulated by LPS treatment in total cells and neutrophils from milk. Expression of iNOS in milk somatic cells tended to be affected by the interaction between LPS and 25(OH)D₃, such that 25(OH)D₃ tended to increase iNOS in the absence of LPS but not in the presence of LPS. Furthermore, expression of CCL5 in macrophages was downregulated by 25(OH)D₃. In conclusion, intramammary endotoxin challenge activates the vitamin D pathway in mammary macrophages and neutrophils, and intramammary 25(OH)D₃ treatment alters the percentage of neutrophils and expression of immune genes in milk somatic cells.     

Iron-Base Superalloys for Turbine Engines

These low-cost alloys, developed by Chrysler, are suitable for mass production, perform in turbine wheel application up to 1500°F.     

Differential effects of prefrontal cortex ablation in neonatal, juvenile, and young adult rats.

Long-Evans hooded rats sustaining lesions in the medial (MF) or the orbital (OF) prefrontal cortex at various ages (10, 25, 40, or 60 days postnatally) were tested as adults on a series of behavioral tasks that are known to be sensitive to such lesions in adults. On spatial alternation learning, both the 40- and 60-day MF Ss were seriously impaired, whereas neither the 10- nor the 25-day MF Ss differed from controls. On a hoarding task, 25- and 60-day MF Ss hoarded less food than either controls or 10-day MF Ss. Lesions of OF cortex in males at 40 or 60 days significantly increased running-wheel activity; OF lesions in both sexes at 25 days of age or later decreased the rate of continuous reinforcement reacquisition relative to controls, whereas 10-day OF Ss did not differ from controls on either task. Thus, Ss with lesions of either frontal area at 10 days of age showed complete behavioral sparing on all measures. The effects of lesions at later ages varied with the behavioral task employed and with lesion locus. Although the 10-day Ss received a somewhat longer postoperative recovery interval than most of the later operates, these results cannot be explained on the basis of recovery time alone. (34 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Bayesian estimation of unavailability

This paper gives two Bayesian methods for estimating test-and-maintenance unavailability. Both unplanned and periodic maintenance are considered. One estimation method uses ‘detailed data,’ the individual outage times. The other method uses ‘summary data,’ totals of outage time and exposure time in various time periods such as calendar months. Either method can use either a noninformative or an informative prior distribution. Both methods are illustrated with an example data set, and the results are compared.