Hormonal responses to bovine somatotropin and dietary protein in early lactation dairy cows

The effects of bST injection and dietary protein level on blood hormone and metabolite concentrations were examined in four mature Holstein cows in a double crossover design. Cows were assigned at d 5 to 9 postpartum to receive daily injections of either a control (saline) solution or 20.6 mg of bST. Four 3-wk periods were used during which one cow from each group was fed a medium protein diet (17.1% CP), and the other received a high protein diet (23.6% CP). Injections of bST or control solutions began on d 0 of the second period. Intakes of DM were not influenced by dietary protein or bST injection. Milk yield tended to increase with increased CP level but was not affected by bST injection. Based on the rate and extent of decline in milk production after cessation of bST injection, the cows assigned to bST had lower milk production potential than control cows. Thus, the effect of bST injection apparently was to enhance milk yield to levels similar to those of controls. There were no significant CP level or bST injection effects on glucose, FFA, somatostatin, or somatotropin concentrations. Glucagon concentrations were higher in bST-treated cows. Concentrations of insulin-like growth factor-I were increased with increased CP level and also with bST injection. Significant effects of days on bST were observed for insulin, insulin-like growth factor-I, glucose, and FFA. Cows given bST injections and producing equal amounts of milk as control cows did not show major physiological differences in hormones and metabolites with the exception of insulin-like growth factor-I.     

Volatile compounds and descriptive odor attributes in umbu (Spondias tuberosa) fruits during maturation

The umbu fruit is appreciated in north and northeast region of Brazil mainly because of its refreshing and acidic flavor. The objective of this work was to determine the volatile compounds in half-ripe and ripe stages of umbu fruit and to identify important characteristic compounds which could contribute for its aroma by performing sniffing evaluation of volatile extracts. The principal volatile compounds identified in the ripe umbu fruit pulp were 4-methyl-3-penten-2-one, ethyl benzene, 1-penten-3-one, 2-acetyl thiazone, p-xylene, limonene, 2,2-dimethyl 4-octenal, 3-hexanol, 2-nonanol, 1-nonanol, 2-pentanol, 2-octanol, 3-methylethyl 2-butanoate, butyl benzoate, 3-allyl cyclohexene, 2-acetyl furan, 2-hexyl furan, ??-caryophyllene and methyl pyrazine. A total of 37 volatile compounds were diagnosed with characteristic aroma attributes. The principal volatile compounds which could be responsible for the characteristic aroma of ripe umbu fruit pulp were ??-(Z)-ocimene, methyl pyrazine, 2-butyl-thiophene, methyl octanoate, 2-hexyl furan, 2-octanol, (E)-2-cyclohexen-1-one, 3-bromo-cyclohexene, 1-heptanol, 2-nonanol and 1-octanol.     

Evaluation of potential interfering agents on in vitro methods for the determination of the antioxidant capacity in anthocyanin extracts

The evaluation of the effects of sugars, metals, acids and other antioxidants on the in vitro antioxidant capacity of purified anthocyanin extract by different techniques was the purpose of this study. Three methods and the ways of expressing their results were evaluated: ABTS_TEAC (capacity equivalent to Trolox, by ABTS (2,2′‐azino‐bis(3‐ethylbenzothiazoline‐6‐sulphonic acid))), DPPH_TEAC (capacity equivalent to Trolox, by DPPH (2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl)), DPPH_EC50 (50% reduction in the radical, by DPPH), DPPH_%Sca (reduction in the scavenging capacity, by DPPH), FRAP_TEAC (capacity equivalent to Trolox, by FRAP (reduction power of iron)) and FRAP_EC50 (50% reduction in the radical, by FRAP). The way of expressing DPPH and FRAP results as EC50 showed the greater interfering extent, mainly when the medium contained tartaric and ascorbic acids. The most coherent method was ABTS_TEAC in which only ascorbic acid interfered. Ascorbic acid was shown to interfere in all methods; thus, it must be removed prior to determining the in vitro antioxidant capacity of anthocyanins in food materials.     

Gestational meconium: a sign of poor neonatal prognosis

Seventy five pregnancies where the presence of antepartum meconium was detected by transabdominal amniocentesis, were compared with 224 cases showing clear amniotic fluid (A.F.). The statistical differences were analized in terms of data of anamnesis, diseases complicating pregnancy, gestational age, fetal maturity diagnosis from the A.F. study, oxytocin test, labor characteristics, perinatal mortality and neurologic morbidity during the first nine months of life. The results suggest that the presence of antepartum meconium implies an increase in fetal risk, demanding an adequate analysis of the obstetric solutions, which is discussed.     

Coincidence of sarcoidosis and amyloidosis

Amyloidosis was diagnosed in a patient with sarcoidosis. There was no evidence of any other disease known to be associated with amyloidosis. The joint occurrence of amyloidosis and sarcoidosis appears to be extremely rare, and to our knowledge, this is the second such patient to be reported. Whether the association of the two diseases in this patient represents a causal relationship remains an open question.     

Oral infection of mice with trophozoites of Giardia muris

Giardia muris has been maintained for years in the mouse by administering by gavage 10,000 trophozoites taken from the small intestine of infected mice. Despite the growth of numerous protozoa in the intestine, absorption of tetracycline hydrochloride in infected mice was not changed to a statistically significant extent, as blood drug levels increased only slightly: behavior was similarly unaffected. Reasons for the apparent lack of virulence of this strain are discussed.     

24—THE RELATIONS BETWEEN THE FIBRE-LENGTH PARAMETERS OBTAINED FROM THE DIGITAL FIBROGRAPH,THE COMB SORTER,AND THE SHIRLEY PHOTO-ELECTRIC STAPLER

An account is given of an investigation in which linear relations, with varying degrees of correlation, were found between the span length (S.L.) from the Digital Fibrograph and (a) the upper-half mean length, (b) the upper-quartile length, and (c) the mean fibre length, respectively, from the comb sorter, and between S.L. and the staple length determined on the Shirley Photo-electric Stapler. Correlations were dependent on the span amount in the S.L. and reached their optimum value for 30% S.L. and comb-sorter parameters, and for 2.5–10% S.L. and staple length from the Shirley Photo-electric Stapler.