Effect of paddy straw plus nonforage fiber sources based complete rations with different levels of neutral detergent fiber on hemato-biochemical and mineral profile of lactating dairy cows.

AIM: This study was conducted to assess the effect of feeding paddy straw plus nonforage fiber sources based complete rations with different levels of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) on hemato-biochemical and mineral parameters of lactating dairy cows. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was conducted for 6 months in 18 lactating dairy cows, divided into three groups of six each, by feeding them on paddy straw plus nonforage fiber sources based complete rations containing different levels of NDF, in two phases of 3 months (90 days) each, being the early and mid lactation phases, respectively. Three isonitrogenous and isocaloric complete rations, T1, T2 and T3 with 25%, 30% and 35% NDF, respectively, were fed to the experimental animals. Blood samples were collected at the beginning and the end of each of the two phases to estimate the different hematological, plasma protein, and mineral parameters to know the overall health status of the animals and standard methods were followed to analyze the samples. RESULTS: There was no significant difference (p>0.05) in various hematological parameters such as hemoglobin, glucose, and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) in blood; plasma protein parameters such as total protein, albumin, globulin and albumin: globulin ratio and mineral parameters such as plasma calcium and phosphorus levels at the beginning and end of Phase I (1st day and 90th day) and Phase II (91st day and 180th day) as well as between the three dietary treatments, with all the values being in the normal range for lactating dairy cows. Even though nonsignificant (p>0.05), the BUN values of animals fed on ration T1, both at the beginning and end of Phase I, were higher than that of animals fed on rations T2 and T3 because the diet T1 with lowest NDF and the highest soluble carbohydrate content underwent rapid fermentation in the rumen, produced more energy, which was utilized by the rumen microbes to degrade the protein in the feed to ammonia, the excess ammonia being transported to the liver and excreted through the blood resulting in a higher BUN content. CONCLUSION: Feeding of paddy straw plus nonforage fiber sources based complete rations with different levels of NDF had no effect on hemato-biochemical and mineral profile as well as overall health status of lactating dairy cows. However, the higher, BUN values found in cows fed on diet T1 with 25% NDF as compared to those fed on T2 and T3 with 30% and 35% NDF, respectively, indicate more wastage of protein in T1 as compared to T2 and T3, in early lactation.

Relative abundance of tissue mRNA and association of the single nucleotide polymorphism of the goat NGF gene with prolificacy.

Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) promotes the development of pre-antral ovarian follicles through ovarian innervations and regulation of ovarian response to gonadotropins. The present study was conducted to study the tissue gene expression profile, to characterize the genetic variants, find associations of the NGF gene with prolificacy in the prolific Malabari and less prolific Attappady Black goats because NGF has an important role in reproduction by augmenting ovarian folliculogenesis. Relative abundance of NGF mRNA was greatest in reproductive tissues signifying its role in reproduction. The PCR-SSCP analysis of a 251bp fragment of Exon 3 of the NGF gene from the 277 goats revealed four diplotypes (EE, EF, FF and EG) with respective frequencies of 0.76, 0.22, 0.01 and 0.01. Sequencing of the representative samples revealed one synonymous and one novel non synonymous mutations (g.705G>A and g.715C>T). Statistical analysis indicated that the SNP g.705G>A was associated with litter size in Attappady Black goats (P<0.05) and a PCR-RFLP was designed using the restriction enzyme, BpiI, for rapid screening of the SNP. The results of the present study suggest that the NGF gene is a primary candidate gene affecting prolificacy in goats and may be used for Marker Assisted Selection (MAS) in goats, especially in lowly prolific Attappady Black goats.

Nerve Growth Factor gene ovarian expression, polymorphism identification, and association with litter size in goats.

The Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) plays an important role in reproduction by augmenting folliculogenesis. In this study, the coding regions of caprine NGF gene were analyzed to detect single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), their association with litter size, and the relative ovarian expression of NGF gene in the two indigenous goat breeds of South India viz., the prolific Malabari and less-prolific Attappady Black. The sequence analysis of the third exon containing the entire open reading frame of NGF gene was observed to be of 808 bp with one nonsynonymous mutation at 217th position. Later, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed to amplify a region of 188 bp covering the region carrying the detected mutation. The genomic DNAs from the goats under study (n = 277) were subjected to PCR and single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP). On analysis, four diplotypes viz., AA, AB, AC, and AD were observed with respective frequencies of 0.50, 0.22, 0.27, and 0.01. Sequencing of the representative samples revealed an additional synonymous mutation, i.e., g.291C>A. Statistical analysis indicated that NGF diplotypes and the SNP g.217G>A were associated with litter size in goats (P < 0.05). Relative expression of NGF gene was significantly higher in the ovaries of goats with history of multiple than single births (P < 0.05). The results of the present study suggest the significant effect of the NGF gene on litter size in goats and identified SNPs would benefit the selection of prolific animals in future marker-assisted breeding programs. The two novel PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphisms designed, based on the detected SNPs, would help in the rapid screening of large number of animals in a breeding population for identifying individual animals with desired genetic characteristics.

Well water contamination in a rural community in southwestern Pennsylvania near unconventional shale gas extraction.

Reports of ground water contamination in a southwestern Pennsylvania community coincided with unconventional shale gas extraction activities that started late 2009. Residents participated in a survey and well water samples were collected and analyzed. Available pre-drill and post-drill water test results and legacy operations (e.g., gas and oil wells, coal mining) were reviewed. Fifty-six of the 143 respondents indicated changes in water quality or quantity while 63 respondents reported no issues. Color change (brown, black, or orange) was the most common (27 households). Well type, when known, was rotary or cable tool, and depths ranged from 19 to 274 m. Chloride, sulfate, nitrate, sodium, calcium, magnesium, iron, manganese and strontium were commonly found, with 25 households exceeding the secondary maximum contaminate level (SMCL) for manganese. Methane was detected in 14 of the 18 houses tested. The 26 wells tested for total coliforms (2 positives) and E. coli (1 positive) indicated that septic contamination was not a factor. Repeated sampling of two wells in close proximity (204 m) but drawing from different depths (32 m and 54 m), revealed temporal variability. Since 2009, 65 horizontal wells were drilled within a 4 km (2.5 mile) radius of the community, each well was stimulated on average with 3.5 million gal of fluids and 3.2 million lbs of proppant. PA DEP cited violations included an improperly plugged well and at least one failed well casing. This study underscores the need for thorough analyses of data, documentation of legacy activity, pre-drill testing, and long term monitoring.

Cancer 'chemotherapia specifica' ninety years after Paul Ehrlich.

From his student days throughout his whole life, Paul Ehrlich tried hard to obtain 'chemotherapia specifica' for the harmless systemic therapy of infectious diseases. Given the poor therapeutic benefit obtained with cytotoxic therapeutic agents and empirical radiopharmaceuticals, so far used only for neoadjuvant and adjuvant treatments of cancer, we have tried to develop Paul Ehrlich's 'chemotherapia specifica' for safe and effective therapy of cancers in cigarette smokers. With the help of sector-field inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, we have tried to find the metabolic action of cigarette smoke constituents in the cancerous organ. On the basis of these results we are synthesizing pharmaceuticals and radiopharmaceuticals to purge the tobacco-constituent metabolic products that cause cancer. The purity, stability and chemical nature of the pharmaceuticals and radiopharmaceuticals required for therapy have been studied by chromatography and electrophoresis. The cancer specificity of the therapeutic agent has been examined by the total body distribution of its gamma- and beta-labelled species in solution. At present, a bladder cancer-specific therapeutic agent is being developed.

[Reexamination of the communicating branch between the sural and tibial nerves].

Reexamination of communicating branches between the sural and tibial nerves ventral to the calcanean tendon was carried out on 52 legs of 26 Japanese cadavers which were used for ordinary dissection practices at the Niigata University School of Medicine. Communicating branches were found in 7 out of 52 dissections (13.5% of cases). In three of the 7 specimens, the communicating branch, the sural nerve and the tibial nerve with the deep crural fascia were removed from the legs and demonstrated by a modified Sihler's staining technique. Three types of communicating branches, Y, U and N, were distinguished on the basis of their shapes. In type Y, a medial branch from the sural nerve and a branch from the tibial nerve joined in Y-shape and become one terminal branch. In type U, the both branches formed a loop between the sural and tibial nerves. The type N communicating branch ran obliquely and medially to reach the tibial nerve distally. Only the Y type appeared in 5 specimens. Both the Y and U type and the Y and N types occurred in one specimen each. We assume that the communicating branch of the N type contains motor fibers which are derived from the sural nerve and innervate some plantar muscles, because this type is correspond to the communication type of some animals in which motor fibers have been demonstrated. Therefore, if the sural nerve biopsy is performed to examine a pure sensory nerve, removal of the more distal part of the sural nerve than a diverging point of a communicating branch is recommended. This study also indicated that the modified Sihler's staining technique is useful to examine distributions of cadaveric peripheral nerves after medical students' dissection course.