Responses of dairy cows supplemented with somatotropin during weeks 5 through 43 of lactation

Beginning at wk 5 of lactation, 136 cows (34 per treatment) were supplemented daily for 38 wk with 0, 10.3, 20.6, or 41.2 mg of recombinantly derived bST monomer. Cows were obtained from University of Kentucky, University of Minnesota, University of Pennsylvania, and The Ohio State University. Nine cows (4 at 0 mg/d, 1 at 10.3 mg/d, 1 at 20.6 mg/d, and 3 at 41.2 mg/d) did not complete the experiment because of health problems. Data from these cows were included in the reproduction and health databases but not in the production database. Cows supplemented with bST produced more milk, consumed more feed, had lower rates of BW gain, and had improved efficiencies of milk production (conversion of feed and NEL to milk). Additional increases in productivity were modest at 20.6 and 41.2 mg/d versus productivity at 10.3 mg/d of bST. Concentrations of fat, protein, and TS in milk were unaffected. At 10.3 mg/d, bST did not adversely affect reproduction or health.     

Synergy between simulation and experiment in describing the energy landscape of protein folding

Experimental data from protein engineering studies and NMR spectroscopy have been used by theoreticians to develop algorithms for helix propensity and to benchmark computer simulations of folding pathways and energy landscapes. Molecular dynamic simulations of the unfolding of chymotrypsin inhibitor 2 (CI2) have provided detailed structural models of the transition state ensemble for unfolding/folding of the protein. We now have used the simulated transition state structures to design faster folding mutants of CI2. The models pinpoint a number of unfavorable local interactions at the carboxyl terminus of the single alpha-helix and in the protease-binding loop region of CI2. By removing these interactions or replacing them with stabilizing ones, we have increased the rate of folding of the protein up to 40-fold (tau = 0.4 ms). This correspondence, and other examples of agreement between experiment and theory in general, Phi-values and molecular dynamics simulations, in particular, suggest that significant progress has been made toward describing complete folding pathways at atomic resolution by combining experiment and simulation.     

Explaining the variation in the shear force of lamb meat using sarcomere length, the rate of rigor onset and pH

The temperature when the pH=6.0 (temp@pH6) impacts on the tenderness and eating quality of sheep meat. Due to the expense, sarcomere length is not routinely measured as a variable to explain variation in shear force, but whether measures such as temp@pH6 are as useful a parameter needs to be established. Measures of rigor onset in 261 carcases, including the temp@pH6, were evaluated in this study for their ability to explain some of the variation in shear force. The results show that for 1 day aged product combinations of the temp@pH6, the pH at 18 °C and the pH at 24 h provided a larger reduction (almost double) in total shear force variation than sarcomere length alone, with pH at 24 h being the single best measure. For 5 day aged product, pH at 18 °C was the single best measure. Inclusion of sarcomere length did represent some improvement, but the marginal increase would not be cost effective.     

Coding mammograms using the classification "probably benign finding--short interval follow-up suggested"

OBJECTIVE: Many benign breast lesions revealed by mammography show features indicating that the lesions have a high, but not complete, likelihood of being benign. The Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) allows radiologists to classify these mammograms as "probably benign finding-short interval follow-up suggested" (category 3). We explored whether certain factors are associated with the use of category 3 in a national cancer detection program. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed data from the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program, a comprehensive nationwide program that provides cancer screening for low-income and medically underserved women. The study population included all women at least 40 years old who had undergone mammography on or before September 30, 1996 (n = 372,760). RESULTS: Of the 372,760 mammograms, 7.7% were classified as category 3. The probability of receiving a category 3 classification decreased as patients' ages increased. Women who were symptomatic were nearly twice as likely as women who were asymptomatic to receive a category 3 classification, and women whose clinical breast examinations had abnormal findings were more than twice as likely as women with examinations having normal findings to receive a category 3 classification. The percentage of mammograms classified as category 3 by state or tribal organization ranged from 1.4% to 14.0%. CONCLUSION: Several patient variables, including patient symptomatology, were associated with the probability of having a mammogram classified as category 3. One of the most important determinants was where the patient underwent mammography, which suggests that variability exists among radiologists themselves in using this BI-RADS code for "probably benign" mammographic lesions.     

Reducing pregnancy and induced abortion rates in China: family planning with husband participation

OBJECTIVES: This study assessed the effectiveness of a family planning intervention with and without husband's participation in reducing pregnancy and abortion rates in Shanghai, China. METHODS: In this 3-arm randomized trial among 1800 nonsterilized married women, educational interventions targeting both spouses and targeting the wife only were compared with usual family planning care. RESULTS: Among women not using intrauterine devices (IUDs), the intervention with husband's participation had an effect in reducing pregnancy rates (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 0.36, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.12, 1.1) and abortion rates (adjusted OR = 0.29, CI = 0.09, 0.94) compared with control subjects, and a significant effect in reducing pregnancy rates (adjusted OR = 0.29, CI = 0.10, 0.85) and abortion rates (adjusted OR = 0.24, CI = 0.07, 0.77) compared with wife-only subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Family planning interventions involving husbands may reduce pregnancy and abortion rates among non-IUD users.     

Comparison of pethidine, buprenorphine and ketoprofen for postoperative analgesia after ovariohysterectomy in the cat

Sixty cats which underwent an ovariohysterectomy were randomly allocated into four treatment groups. One group (controls) received no analgesics postoperatively, and the others received either a single dose of buprenorphine (0.006 mg/kg) intramuscularly, or pethidine (5 mg/kg) intramuscularly, or ketoprofen (2 mg/kg) subcutaneously. The analgesia obtained after each treatment was assessed by three measures. There were significant differences between the groups both for the requirement for intervention analgesia (P = 0.0008) and for the overall clinical assessment (P = 0.0003) with ketoprofen requiring least intervention analgesia and having the best overall clinical assessment, followed by buprenorphine then pethidine. The control group required the most intervention analgesia and had the worst overall clinical assessment. Visual analogue scale scoring for pain produced significant differences between the groups from one hour after the operation, with the cats which were given ketoprofen tending to have lower pain scores than the other groups.     

In vivo neurochemistry of the brain in schizophrenia as revealed by magnetic resonance spectroscopy

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), an application of the methods of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), is a functional imaging modality that provides a view of localized biochemistry in vivo. A number of studies applying MRS to the neurochemistry of schizophrenia have been reported, which encompass a range of patient populations, states of medication, anatomic regions, nuclear species, and MRS techniques. A brief review of the history and methodology of NMR and MRS is presented. Comparison is made of MRS capabilities with other functional imaging modalities. Aspects of the neurochemistry of schizophrenia relevant to MRS studies are reviewed, as are the reported MRS studies involving patients with schizophrenia. Areas of consistent findings include decreased phosphomonoesters and increased phosphodiesters in frontal lobes, and decreases in the putative neuronal cell marker, N-acetylaspartate, in temporal lobes. Studies of neurotransmitters such as glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid, and glutamine have generated inconsistent results. New insights into alterations in neurochemistry in schizophrenia have been provided by MRS. Studies of neurotransmitters have future potential with improvements in field strength and in spectral editing techniques. MRS has the potential to measure brain medication levels and simultaneous effects on neurochemistry. MRS may assist in characterizing high-risk populations, and ultimately guide medication use.