A rapid ELISA was developed for simultaneous detection of bovine coronavirus (BCV), rotavirus (RV) serogroup A, and Escherichia coli K99 antigen in feces of calves. A mixture of 3 monoclonal ...antibodies specific for BCV, RV, or K99 was used successfully to capture the antigens; the same antibodies labeled with peroxidase were used to detect BCV, RV, or K99. The triple ELISA was compared with standard reference diagnostic methods by examining feces from experimentally and naturally infected and healthy calves. All the components of the test were highly specific ( 90%) and sensitive (BCV, 77%; K99, 93%; RV, 100%) when used in a format requiring short incubation steps at 20 C and visual recording of results
To determine an accurate rapid method for determination of blood glucose concentration in cattle under field conditions.
Prospective, randomized, controlled trial.
62 clinically normal Holstein ...cattle: 34 cows and 28 calves.
Glucose concentrations in venous blood samples were measured in duplicate using a rapid, dry-slide chemistry technique for determination of blood glucose concentration and a laboratory-based method for determination of plasma glucose concentration. Analyses of variance were used to determine whether the relationship between results of the 2 methods was affected by the status of the animals (cows vs calves) or the PCV of the blood samples. Simple linear regression was performed to determine the correlation between the 2 methods and the slope, intercept, and residual error variance of the relationship between the methods.
There as a significant linear relationship between the 2 methods throughout the range of glucose concentrations. Mean difference between results of the 2 methods (results for laboratory-based method - results for rapid method) was 12.95 mg/dl (SD, 7.20 mg/dl). The PCV did not affect the relationship, and there was no difference between results of the 2 methods for cows versus calves. Correlation between means of the duplicative values determined by use of the 2 methods was high (r = 0.9462).
The good correlation between the 2 procedures and the comparable precision estimates (coefficient of variation, 7.17% for laboratory-based method; coefficient of variation, 10.11% for rapid methods) indicates that using the rapid method to measure blood glucose concentration is valid in cows and calves.
Phys. Rev. C 103, 051303 (2021) Background: The Efimov effect is a universal phenomenon in physics whereby
three-body systems are stabilized via the interaction of an unbound two-body
sub-systems. A ...hypothetical state in $^{12}\mathrm{C}$ at 7.458 MeV excitation
energy, comprising of a loose structure of three $\alpha$-particles in mutual
two-body resonance, has been suggested in the literature to correspond to an
Efimov state in nuclear physics. The existence of such a state has not been
demonstrated experimentally. Method: Using the combined data sets from two
recent experiments, one with the TexAT TPC to measure $\alpha$-decay and the
other with Gammasphere to measure $\gamma$-decay of states in $^{12}\mathrm{C}$
populated by $^{12}\mathrm{N}$ and $^{12}\mathrm{B}$ $\beta$-decay
respectively, we achieve high sensitivity to states in close-proximity to the
$\alpha$-threshold in $^{12}\mathrm{C}$. Results: No evidence of a state at
7.458 MeV is seen in either data set. Using a likelihood method, the 95\% C.L.
$\gamma$-decay branching ratio is determined as a function of the $\beta$-decay
feeding strength relative to the Hoyle state. In parallel, calculations of the
triple-alpha reaction rate show the inclusion of the Efimov corresponds to a
large increase in the reaction rate around $5 \times 10^{7}$ K. Conclusion:
From decay spectroscopy - at the 95\% C.L., the Efimov state cannot exist at
7.458 MeV with any $\gamma$-decay branching ratio unless the $\beta$-strength
is less than 0.7\% of the Hoyle state. This limit is evaluated for a range of
different excitation energies and the results are not favorable for existence
of the hypothetical Efimov state in $^{12}\mathrm{C}$. Furthermore, the
triple-alpha reaction rate with the inclusion of a state between 7.43 and 7.53
MeV exceeds the rate required for stars to undergo the red giant phase.
Most estimates of the prevalence of anaplasmosis have been based on serologic data using the complement-fixation (CF) and/or card agglutination tests. Since these tests are considered to be only ...about 50 percent reliable for detecting carrier cattle in enzootically stable herds, the need for more sensitive diagnostic tests is widely recognized. The objective in the present study was to compare the sensitivity of the CF test with that of the indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) test and a recently developed DNA probe in determining the prevalence of Anaplasma marginale infection in cattle from an enzootic area. The study herd consisted of 52 8-month-old steers and 13 3-year-old cows of mixed beef breed. All cattle were initially tested for this comparative purpose. All but one animal (one that was a positive reactor as assessed by all three tests, and served as a positive control), were treated with long-acting oxytetracycline in an attempt to clear any carrier infections. Each animal was then retested at 1 month and 2 months post-treatment (PT), in an effort to determine if the DNA probe could be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the drug. Six of the 65 (9.2%) initial serum samples were CF positive. In contrast, 60 (92.3%) and 64 (98.5%) of the samples were positive as assessed with the IIF test and the DNA probe, respectively. The DNA hybridization reactions varied in intensity within the sample population indicating different individual levels of infection. The DNA probe hybridized with two samples taken at 1 month PT, and with two different samples taken at 2 months PT. The mean IIF titers were reduced at both the 1 month and 2 month sampling times. These results suggest that the drug did not eliminate infections in all cattle. Some may have been cleared, but, in any event, the drug did reduce the level of infections below the sensitivity of the DNA probe and interrupted continuity of stimulation of antibody. Therefore, the DNA probe and the IIF test appear to be considerably more sensitive in detecting carrier infections than the CF test, and should be considered in future epidemiologic studies.
We used confocal immunofluorescence microscopy to examine spindle migration, morphology and orientation during the maturation of Xenopus oocytes, in the presence or absence of cytochalasin B (CB), an ...inhibitor of actin assembly. Treatment with CB during maturation (10-50 micrograms/ml beginning 0-3 h prior to addition of progesterone) disrupted the normal organisation of the novel MTOC and transient microtubule array (MTOC-TMA complex) that serves as the immediate precursor of the first meiotic spindle, suggesting that F-actin plays an important role in the assembly or maintenance of this complex. However, CB treatment did not block translocation of the MTOC-TMA complex to the oocyte cortex, suggesting that MTOC-TMA translocation is not dependent on an actin-based mechanism. Bipolar spindles were observed in CB-treated oocytes fixed during both M1 and M2. However, rotation of the M1 and M2 spindles into an orientation orthogonal to the oocyte surface was inhibited by CB. Rhodamine-phalloidin revealed a concentration of F-actin at the site of M1 spindle attachment, further suggesting that cortical actin is required for anchoring and rotation of the meiotic spindles. Finally, the incidence of M1 monasters was significantly increased in CB-treated oocytes, suggesting that interactions between the nascent M1 spindle and cortex are dependent on F-actin.
Muscle cell culture experiments were conducted to determine the relative regulatory effects of insulin-like growth factors (IGF) on protein turnover. The effects of recombinant (rc) human IGF-I, ...ovine somatomedin (oSm/oIGF-I), and insulin on rates of protein labeling and degradation in L6 myotube cultures were evaluated. Myotube cultures were treated with growth factors following a 4-h serum-free incubation period. Protein labeling was measured by determining the rate of 3H leucine incorporation into cell protein. Protein degradation was measured by a pulse-chase procedure using 3H leucine. The apparent half maximal stimulation of protein labeling (12%, 8%, 7%) occurred at approximately .1 nM rcIGF-I, 1 nM oSm/oIGF-I and 15 nM insulin, respectively. The apparent half maximal inhibition of proteolysis (18%, 15% and 11%) occurred at .4 nM rcIGF-I, .6 nM oSm/oIGF-I and 4 nM insulin, respectively. The magnitude of the response for protein labeling and degradation was greatest for rcIGF-I. The results provide additional evidence that IGFs play a primary role in regulating protein turnover in muscle.
A critical piece of information that is needed to help understand the transport and acceleration of electrons in the inner magnetosphere is the radial gradient of the phase space density (PSD) at ...constant first and second invariants. We use the detailed energetic electron angular and spectral data combined with the magnetic field from SCATHA and a field model to obtain the PSD radial profile evolution through a small magnetic storm (2 May, 1986; Dst > -95 nT). We examine the pre storm PSD radial profiles and compare the changes that occur through the storm recovery period. SCATHA provides electron observations covering the M range 200 - 2500 MeV/G and K range 0.06 - 0.65 Re G over an L* range of 5.2 - 7.3 Re. Thus SCATHA provides the PSD radial profiles both near and off the magnetic equator for a range of M values. We used data only from the dayside magnetosphere to avoid the night side region where field models generally match the observed field more poorly. The PSD radial profiles show a range of features from peaked in L* at small K and M during the pre storm period to relatively flat for much of K and L* late in the post storm recovery. During the electron PSD enhancement period, 6-10 May, the PDS radial profiles ranged from those with relative minima in the L* = 5.2-7 range to those that had peaks in the L* = 5.2-6.5 range depending on the value of K. There are significant differences in the radial profiles for small and intermediate K values at constant M. This indicates the importance of being able to measure the near equatorial pitch angle distributions. For example, during the early recovery period the PSD profiles were flat or decreasing for K=0.06 for M > 1200 MeV/G while they are peaked near L*=5.75 for K > 0.2. After the post storm PSD's maximized, within the L* range of the observations, the radial profiles were relatively flat or slightly falling with increasing L*. The results will be discussed in terms of what they imply for the electron transport and acceleration processes.
