Ninth Week Research Articles

Changes in caffeine consumption as a signal of pregnancy

Objectives : The purpose of this prospective study was to examine caffeine consumption and other signals of early pregnancy. Study Design : One hundred and five pregnant, nonsmoking, coffee drinkers ages 18–40 were enrolled by the ninth week after their last menstrual period (LMP). Participants kept daily diaries of beverage and caffeine consumption and symptoms. Urine samples were collected to assess hormone metabolites. Descriptive statistics were generated. Results : During the first trimester, 96% of subjects decreased or quit drinking coffee, 65% of whom reported a unique aversion to coffee. The mean daily caffeine consumption at LMP from coffee alone was 119 mg (S.D., 105), with a range 1–574 mg. There was a 59% decrease of mean daily consumption of caffeine from coffee between weeks 4 and 6, from 96 to 39 mg. The vast majority of subjects experienced nausea (98%) and appetite loss (93%); vomiting was less prevalent (54%). The most common dietary aversions included meat, coffee, spicy foods, and dairy products . Hormone metabolite patterns are reported. Conclusion : Signals of early pregnancy included an aversion to coffee in addition to nausea and vomiting, which resulted in decreased caffeine consumption. These symptoms often interfered with daily life and lasted beyond the first trimester for many. Consideration should be given that a decrease in caffeine consumption may be a signal for a healthy pregnancy and acting as a confounder .

Nutritional-pharmacological combinations--a novel approach to reducing colon cancer incidence.

Recent studies have suggested that n-9 fatty acids in olive oil prevent colon carcinogenesis while n-6 PUFA seems to activate this process. To evaluate the effects of nutritional-pharmacological combinations made up of olive or soy oil-based diets and the drug sulindac, on colon cancer incidence in a chemically induced (1,2-dimethylhydrazine, DMH) rat cancer model. Male rats were assigned to two different dietary regimes based on a standard murine defined diet (AIN-76A) containing either a low (4%) or high (15 %) concentration of olive or soy oil. Some groups also received sulindac in their food (80 mg/kg food) starting from the ninth week following the first DMH or vehicle administration. Oleic and linoleic acid reached higher levels in plasma and liver lipids when rats were fed high concentrations of olive or soy oil, respectively. Rats fed a low or high soy oil-based diet showed no significant difference in the number of aberrant crypt foci (ACF) in proximal or distal colon specimens. In contrast, rats fed a higher olive oil-based diet developed a significantly lower number of ACF than rats fed a low concentration of olive oil. Addition of sulindac reduced the number of ACF in rats fed the 4%, but not the 15%, soy oil diet. In contrast, the effect of sulindac was significant when combined with both the low and high concentrations of olive oil. High soy oil-based diet or DMH treatment upregulated colon expression of Bcl-2, but not that of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). In contrast, olive oil dose-dependently downregulated the expression of both Bcl-2 and COX-2 in colonic mucosa and also abrogated the upregulation of Bcl-2 by DMH. Olive oil/sulindac combinations were effective in downregulating colonic mucosa Bcl-2 expression (with the 4% oil diet) and COX-2 expression (with the 15% oil diet). These effects were not observed in rats fed the soy oil/sulindac combinations. Caspase-3 activity in colonic mucosa was unaffected by soy oil or soy oil/sulindac combinations. The addition of olive oil, on the other hand, significantly enhanced colonic caspase-3 activity. Diets containing high levels of olive oil exert a significant protective effect from tumor development that is additive with the inhibitory effect of sulindac. These inhibitory effects are mediated by regulating the expression and activity of key proteins involved in prostaglandin-biosynthesis and apoptosis-induction pathways. It may be concluded that appropriate dietary-pharmacological combination can improve anti-tumor efficacy over either dietary or pharmacological intervention alone.

Effects of cytokines on carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatic fibrogenesis in rats

To observe the possible effects of transforming growth factor (TGF) beta(1), interleukin (IL)-6, tumor-necrosis factor (TNF) alpha and IL-10 on experimental rat hepatic fibrosis. One hundred SD rats were divided randomly into the three groups. Control group received intraperitoneal injection of saline (2 ml/kg(-1)), twice a week. Fibrogenesis group was injected intraperitoneally with 50% carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4)) (2 ml/kg(-1)) twice a week. Fibrosis-intervention group was given IL-10 at a dose of 4 microg/kg(-1) 20 minutes before CCl(4) administration from the third week. At the fifth, seventh, and ninth weeks, 7 to 10 rats in each group were sacrificed to collect serum. Levels of TGF-beta(1), TNF-alpha, IL-6 and IL-10 were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The liver tissues were taken for routine histological examination. Hepatic fibrosis was developed with the injection of CCl(4). Values of the circulating TGFbeta(1), TNFalpha, IL-6 and IL-10 in the control group were 25.49+/-5.56 ng/L(-1), 15.18+/-3.83 ng/L(-1), 63.64+/-13.03 ng/L(-1) and 132.90+/-12.13 ng/L(-1), respectively. Their levels in the CCl(4)-intoxication group were 31.13+/-6.41 ng/L(-1), 18.91+/-5.31 ng/L(-1), 89.08+/-25.39 ng/L(-1) and 57.63+/-18.88 ng/L(-1), respectively, and those in the IL-10-intervention group were 26.11+/-5.32 ng/L(-1), 13.99+/-1.86 ng/L(-1), 74.71+/-21.15 ng/L(-1) and 88.19+/-20.81 ng/L(-1), respectively. A gradual increase was observed in the levels of TGFbeta(1), TNFalpha and IL-6 during hepatic fibrogenesis. These changes were partially reversed by simultaneous administration of IL-10. The histological parameters, characterized by CCl(4)-intoxification, also seemed to be improved with IL-10 treatment, the collagen production was reduced at the ninth week and the histological activity index was decreased from 7.9+/-1.2 to 4.7+/-0.9. TGFbeta(1), TNFalpha and IL-6 may play important roles during CCl(4)-induced hepatic fibrogenesis, and IL-10 may counterbalance their effects.

Expression of N-cadherin by skeletal muscle in the degeneration and the degeneration/regeneration processes after nerve injury.

We investigated the expression of N-cadherin by skeletal muscle during the degeneration and degeneration/regeneration processes using the rat sciatic nerve and gastrocnemius muscle model. The right sciatic nerve was exposed in the mid-thigh region, and the nerve was transsected with small scissors. After then, nerve was sutured (sutured group), or both edges of the resected nerve were turned and sutured to the muscle of each side (unsutured group). At various periods up to 24 weeks after the operation the middle portion of the gastrocnemius muscle of the treated hindlimbs was removed. Expression of N-cadherin was detected by western blot analysis and immunofluorescent staining with an anti N-cadherin antibody. In the both groups, the degree of expression had already increased by the end of the first postoperative week, but there were no significant differences between the first and second postoperative weeks between the two groups. However, the values recorded at the fourth, sixth, ninth, and twelfth postoperative weeks were significantly higher in the unsutured group than in the sutured group. Immunofluorescent staining was present around the muscular membrane in all specimens including the control. These results indicated that there was a difference in the kinetics of expression of N-cadherin in skeletal muscle between the degeneration and degeneration/regeneration processes of the muscle after injury to the nerve. It was also clear that N-cadherin has a role at the surface of the muscle cell in skeletal muscle, not in the satellite and inflammatory cells, in both groups.

Antiphospholipid/antiprotein antibodies, hemostasis-related autoantibodies, and plasma homocysteine as risk factors for a first early pregnancy loss: a matched case-control study

AbstractMaternal hypercoagulability is a possible cause of miscarriage during the eighth and ninth weeks of pregnancy, when the placenta replaces the yolk sac. We thus examined associations between putative markers of an acquired hypercoagulable state and the risk of first miscarriage. We conducted a case-control study comparing 743 women who miscarried in weeks 8 and 9 with 743 women who underwent a first provoked abortion, matched for age, number of pregnancies, and time elapsed since abortion. Levels of plasma homocysteine and of various antiphospholipid/antiprotein and hemostasis-related autoantibodies were categorized in 4 strata (percentiles 1-80, 81-95, 96-99, 100 among control patients) and analyzed in conditional logistic regression models. Pregnancy loss was independently associated with positive lupus anticoagulant (matched odds ratio [OR], 2.6; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1-6.0), high levels of immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies against cardiolipin (OR for percentile 100 versus 0-80, 3.5; CI, 1.2-10.1) and against phosphatidylethanolamine (OR, 4.7; CI, 1.9-12.1), high levels of IgG antibodies against annexin V (OR, 3.2; CI, 1.1-9.1) and against tissue-type plasminogen activator (OR, 19.5; CI, 7.9-48.0), and high homocystinemia (OR, 4.1; CI, 1.3-12.5). A first early pregnancy loss is associated with increased levels of several autoantibodies and of homocysteine. (Blood. 2003;102:3504-3513)

An Examination of Children Exposed to Marital Violence Accessing a Treatment Intervention

SUMMARY This study examines the well-being of families accessing treatment due to children's exposure to marital violence. Participants were 47 children, aged 6–12 years, enrolled in a 10-week group treatment intervention and one of their parents who were attending a corresponding parenting group. Measures were administered prior to the commencement of the programs and again in the ninth week of the interventions. Children completed self-report measures of anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress and associated symptoms, and knowledge of abuse and safety planning. Parents reported on child competence and behavior problems, as well as their own experience of stress. Results indicated elevated rates of clinical scores on several measures compared with normative data. Parental stress was significantly correlated with reported child behavior problems, anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress symptoms. Scores at the second assessment indicated significant changes in ratings of child behavior problems, pa...

Isolation of an unusual fungus in treated dental unit waterlines

Numerous organisms have been identified in dental unit waterlines, or DUWLs. Decontamination of DUWLs focuses on maintaining heterotrophic, mesophilic bacteria below 200 colony-forming units per milliliter as recommended by the ADA. The authors conducted a study to test the efficacy of a continuous-use, stabilized chlorine dioxide proprietary compound to decrease the number of bacteria in DUWLs. The authors used three dental units with self-contained water systems to test the product and three similar units as controls. They aseptically collected water samples weekly according to recommended methods, plated the samples on R2A agar and incubated them for seven days. The authors isolated heterotrophic, mesophilic bacteria from treatment and control units for eight weeks. In the ninth week, the predominant isolates from one of the treatment units changed in appearance to small, dark, shiny colonies that the authors tentatively identified as fungal. The authors then isolated similar colonies from the source tap water and ultrasonic and handpiece lines. They added three additional dental units from the same clinic in the sixth week of the study and isolated similar fungal colonies from them after five weeks of treatment. The authors performed DNA sequencing with an automated sequencer and identified the organism Exophiala mesophila. The authors did not observe fungal isolates in the control units, which suggests that continuous waterline treatment may cause proliferation of a fungus present in small amounts in source water. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS. The findings of this study indicate the need to monitor water quality regularly when treating waterlines with continuous-use chemical cleaners.

Embriologia e genetica dello sviluppo cerebellare

During the fourth week of development, the mesencephalic flexure and cervical flexure appear in the cranial region of the neural tube, delimiting three neural vescicles: the prosencephalon, mesencephalon and rhomboencephalon. During the fifth week, the pontine flexure forms in the roof of the rhomboencephalon, marking the division between the metencephalon and myeloencephalon, the future medulla oblongata. The dorsal part of the metencephalon (alar plate), between the mesencaphalic isthmus and the pontine flexure, will give rise to the cerebellum, whereas its ventral part (basal plate) will give rise to the pons. The alar plates, lateral to the deepening pontine fissure and the hindbrain cavity, present an intense proliferative activity with the formation of two extensions which fuse just behind the isthmus to form the cerebellar plate. During the sixth week of development, the rhombic lips appear in the posterolateral regions of this strip and after persistent proliferative activity they fuse along the median line. Median thickening of this region will give rise to the vermis, while the two lateral masses become the lateral lobes. During the seventh week, the flocculonodular lobe will form. Between the eighth and ninth weeks, the vermis expands caudally with progressive dilatation of the fourth ventricle whose Luschka and Magendie foramina are still unperforated. The cerebellar proliferation and differentiation processes are correlated to the activity of two separate germinal areas: the ependymal ventricle and the rhombic lip. From the eighth week, neuroblastic migration starts from the rhombic lip which in successive genetically controlled steps leads to the formation of the external granular layer of the cerebellar cortex. From the ventriculo-ependymal zone cells migrate to form the cerebellar nuclei destined to differentiate into Purkinje cells. The cerebellar recess starts to develop around the twelfth week with the formation of the primary fissure separating the anterior and posterior parts of the cerebellum to end with the complete formation of all cerebellar lobes at around the twenty-fourth week of development. The foliation process starts when the recess has formed and continues in the first months of life after birth. The processes of cell development and differentiation are genetically programmed and the outcome of an interaction between genetic and environmental factors. The different stages of embryonic development are thought to be controlled by sequential ordered activation of genetic clusters (homeotypic genes) which in turn encode for a series of molecules directly involved in the regulation of cell and tissue interactions. There is increasing evidence of genetic involvement in the different types of cerebellar malformation whose expression and association with other extracerebellar malformations depends on the developmental age at which the genetic change occurred.

Neumonitis por hipersensibilidad inducida en cobayos por los antígenos de las heces del murciélago

A bat feces extract was able to induce the synthesis of specific IgG in rabbits and IgE in atopics. These findings were corroborated by skin tests, RAST and RAST-inhibition. Nowadays, data concerning the experimental induction of hypersensitivity pneumonitis using a glycoprotein of bat feces are presented. This antigen was aerosolized for inhalation by adult guinea pigs for 12 weeks to detect specific serum IgM, IgG and IgE antibodies as well as sensitized T-CD4 cells. Histopathological studies of the lungs showed interstitial infiltrates of macrophages and lymphocytes, cellular bronchiolitis and single non-necrotizing granulomas from the seventh to the ninth weeks. From the tenth week to the end of the experiment the lesions of the lungs progressively worsened. The results from this animal model suggest that the chronic contact with the bat feces'antigen can induce other inflammatory lung reactions than those IgE dependant.

Effects of transmitters and interleukin-10 on rat hepatic fibrosis induced by CCl4.

To study the effects of transmitters ET, AgII, PGI(2), CGRP and GG on experimental rat hepatic fibrosis and the antifibrogenic effects of IL-10. One hundred SD rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: control group (N): intraperitoneal injection with saline 2 ml.kg(-1) twice a week; the fibrogenesis group (C): intraperitoneal injection with 50 % CCl(4) 2 ml.kg(-1) twice a week; IL-10 treated group (E): besides same dosage of CCl(4) given, intraperitoneal injection with IL-10 4 ug.kg(-1) from the third week. In the fifth, the seventh and the ninth week, rats in three groups were selected randomly to collect plasma and liver tissues. The levels of ET, AgII, PGI(2), CGRP and GG were assayed by radioimmunoassay (RIA). The liver fibrosis was observed with silver staining. The hepatic fibrosis was developed with the increase of the injection frequency of CCl(4). The ET, AgII, PGI(2), CGRP and GG levels in serum of group N were 71.84+/-60.2 ng.L(-1), 76.21+/-33.3 ng/L, 313.03+/-101.71 ng/L, 61.97+/-21.4 ng/L and 33.62+/-14.37 ng/L, respectively; the levels of them in serum of group C were 523.30+/-129.3 ng/L, 127.24+/-50.0 ng/L, 648.91+/-357.29 ng/L, 127.15+/-62.0 ng/L and 85.26+/-51.83 ng/L, respectively; the levels of them in serum of group E were 452.52+/-99.5 ng/L, 90.60+/-44.7 ng/L, 475.57+/-179.70 ng/L, 102.2+/-29.7 ng/L and 38.05+/-19.94 ng/L, respectively. The histological examination showed that the degrees of the rats liver fibrosis in group E were lower than those in group C. The transmitters ET, AgII, PGI(2), CGRP and GG play a significant role in the rat hepatic fibrosis induced by CCl(4). IL-10 has the antagonistic action on these transmitters and can relieve the degree of the liver fibrosis.

Expression of growth hormone receptor and its mRNA in hepatic cirrhosis.

To investigate the expression of growth hormone receptor (GHR) and mRNA of GHR in cirrhotic livers of rats with the intension to find the basis for application of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) to patients with liver cirrhosis. Hepatic cirrhosis was induced in Sprague-Dawley rats by administration of thioacetamide intraperitoneally for 9-12 weeks. Collagenase IV was perfused in situ for isolation of hepatocytes. The expression of GHR and its mRNA in cirrhotic livers was studied with radio-ligand binding assay, RT-PCR and digital image analysis. One class of specific growth hormone-binding site, GHR, was detected in hepatocytes and hepatic tissue of cirrhotic livers. The binding capacity of GHR (R(T), fmol/mg protein) in rat cirrhotic liver tissue (30.8+/-1.9) was significantly lower than that in normal control (74.9+/-3.9) at the time point of the ninth week after initiation of induction of cirrhosis (n=10, P<0.05), and it decreased gradually along with the accumulation of collagen in the process of formation and development of liver cirrhosis (P<0.05). The number of binding sites (X10(4)/cell) of GHR on rat cirrhotic hepatocytes (0.86+/-0.16) was significantly lower than that (1.28+/-0.24) in control (n=10, P<0.05). The binding affinity of GHR among liver tissue, hepatocytes of various groups had no significant difference (P>0.05). The expression of GHR mRNA (riOD, pixel) in rat cirrhotic hepatic tissues (23.3+/-3.1) was also significantly lower than that (29.3+/-3.4) in normal control (n=10, P<0.05). The growth hormone receptor was expressed in a reduced level in liver tissue of cirrhotic rats, and lesser expression of growth hormone receptors was found in a later stage of cirrhosis. The reduced expression of growth hormone receptor was partly due to its decreased expression on cirrhotic hepatocytes and the reduced expression of its mRNA in cirrhotic liver tissue.

Effect of Protein Level in Prepartum Diets on Metabolism and Performance of Dairy Cows

Multigravid Holstein cows (n = 75) were used in a randomized block design to evaluate the effect of prepartum diets formulated to supply surplus energy and incremental concentrations of protein on the nutritional status of dairy cows at parturition. Cows were blocked according to expected calving date and assigned to one of five diets: 9.7, 11.7, 13.7, 14.7, and 16.2% crude protein (CP). Dietary treatments were initiated 28 d before expected calving date and fed until parturition. A common diet was fed postpartum. Dry matter intake and milk yield were recorded daily through 90 d postpartum. Increasing the protein concentration from 9.7 to 14.7% of dry matter during the last 28 d of gestation improved responses of cows during lactation. Increasing dietary protein up to 14.7% also increased milk yield response to recombinant bovine somatotropin (rbST) during the ninth week of lactation and yields of 305-d 2× mature equivalent milk, milk protein, and milk fat. Plasma aspartate aminotransferase tended to be highest in cows fed 13.7 and 14.7% CP prepartum, but decreased linearly postpartum in response to dietary protein levels. There were no treatment differences for plasma insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) at d 60 postpartum (before rbST provision), but IGF-1 on d 90 (after rbST provision) was higher in plasma of cows fed 14.7% CP than the other diets except 13.7% CP. Close-up diets containing 13.7% CP and surplus energy produced the most beneficial outcomes during the subsequent lactation.

Civic Autonomy in Journalism Education: Applying Expertise to Political Action

A contingent of student editors seethed in disdain, unbeknownst to me, as I lectured about the responsibility of the press in a participatory democracy. In retrospect, the public journalism course invited resentment from the first day of class. My intent in this essay is to make something good out of a failed class by describing a largely unrecognized problem of instruction as an influence on professional socialization. The news topic for the course was student retention and programs to alleviate the high dropout rate at our university. The undergraduate students conducted a survey to document faculty views, wrote indepth stories for the campus newspaper, and held a town hall forum to promote discussion. The class included editors and reporters of the newspaper along with mass communication students who were more interested in theory than professional skills. The latter group seemed to accept the goals of the class, but during the ninth week of the semester, two editors approached me after a class to deliver a legalistic document. In terse language, it outlined the independence of the paper as a student-run publication, and the lack of a guarantee that any article from the class would be published. I struggled the rest of the semester to convince the editorial staff that public journalism could be practiced without violating the autonomy of the press, and without jeopardizing the independence of the campus paper. I will argue in this essay that reform advocates have not appreciated adequately the dynamics of professional socialization that predispose college students to resist public journalism. While students in the early stages of anticipatory socialization might support the goals of public (or civic) journalism, the increasing importance of autonomy that comes with professional identification tends to erode this support. Unless instructors can promote an expanded view of autonomy - a conception that accommodates both conventional and reformist views of autonomy - public journalism is likely to fade away as an impetus for curriculum reform. After explicating the process of professional development that engenders a commitment to independence, I propose an instruction strategy based on a model of civic-oriented autonomy. This approach promotes public journalism goals while preserving autonomy - and recasting it as reflective judgment directed at civic activation. Student Resistance Professional autonomy refers to the relative freedom of practitioners to make and implement choices associated with occupational duties.1 Inside the newsroom, journalists value autonomy as the capacity for discretionary judgment despite the constraints of bureaucratic routine. Outside the newsroom, journalists value professional independence as an orientation that provides some insulation against partisan influences and other threats to credibility.2 Public journalism is dismissed by many in the press as an unacceptable threat to professional detachment. Public journalists set out to improve the conditions for discursive democracy so that citizens might participate in discussions that explore options for solving community problems. But independence is compromised, according to critics, when news organizations make connections with local institutions to activate the citizenry. Specific reporting techniques, rather than the lofty goal of civic empowerment, seem to elicit the most antipathy from practitioners.3 My understanding of autonomy as an outcome of professional development is derived from a case study intended to identify factors that predict levels of support for public journalism among undergraduate students.4 The setting for the survey was a large city in the Southwest, where we interviewed 317 students with varying degrees of interest in journalism as a career. Students tended to be critical of conventional reporting, and this disposition helped to account for their approval of public journalism. …

Markedly elevated β-hCG levels in a normal singleton gestation with hyperreactio luteinalis

BACKGROUND: Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is produced by the trophoblast early in pregnancy and peaks at a level of approximately 100,000 IU/liter around the ninth week of gestation. Abnormally high levels are usually noted in association with multiple gestation, molar gestation, and specific ovarian or gestational malignancies. CASES: A multiparous patient in the second trimester was referred for evaluation after a maternal triple marker screen was incalculable due to a β-hCG level of 2.1 million IU/L. Targeted sonography revealed bilateral complex adnexal masses with a solid component of the left ovary, a normal fetus, and normal placenta. The patient underwent an exploratory laparotomy at 18 weeks’ gestational age. A left oophorectomy was performed. Pathology confirmed hyperreactio luteinalis. The remainder of the pregnancy was remarkable for preterm labor and delivery at 35 weeks’ gestational age. At delivery, the hCG level was noted to be 24,210 IU/L, and the fetus and placenta were normal. CONCLUSION: Markedly elevated hCG levels rarely occur in normal singleton pregnancy and can be associated with hyperreactio luteinalis. When noted, a work-up to evaluate possible malignancy, molar gestation, and multiple gestation should be pursued.

Markedly Elevated β-hCG Levels in a Normal Singleton Gestation With Hyperreactio Luteinalis

BACKGROUND Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is produced by the trophoblast early in pregnancy and peaks at a level of approximately 100,000 IU/liter around the ninth week of gestation. Abnormally high levels are usually noted in association with multiple gestation, molar gestation, and specific ovarian or gestational malignancies. CASES A multiparous patient in the second trimester was referred for evaluation after a maternal triple marker screen was incalculable due to a β-hCG level of 2.1 million IU/L. Targeted sonography revealed bilateral complex adnexal masses with a solid component of the left ovary, a normal fetus, and normal placenta. The patient underwent an exploratory laparotomy at 18 weeks' gestational age. A left oophorectomy was performed. Pathology confirmed hyperreactio luteinalis. The remainder of the pregnancy was remarkable for preterm labor and delivery at 35 weeks' gestational age. At delivery, the hCG level was noted to be 24,210 IU/L, and the fetus and placenta were normal. CONCLUSION Markedly elevated hCG levels rarely occur in normal singleton pregnancy and can be associated with hyperreactio luteinalis. When noted, a work-up to evaluate possible malignancy, molar gestation, and multiple gestation should be pursued.

Eimeria infections in cows in the periparturient phase and their calves: oocyst excretion and levels of specific serum and colostrum antibodies

Faecal Eimeria oocyst excretion and levels of antibodies to first generation merozoite antigen of E. bovis in sera and colostra were followed in 86 and 70 cow–calf pairs in northern (group EF) and central Germany (group H), respectively, over periods of 3 weeks before to 3 weeks after calving in cows and from birth to an age of 63 days in calves. Oocysts were found in 30 and 7.7% of cows in groups EF and H, respectively. They belonged to 10 (group EF) and four Eimeria spp. (group H) with E. bovis, E. ellipsoidalis, E. auburnensis and E. zuerni as the most frequently occurring species. Prevalence and intensity of oocyst excretion varied with time resulting in peak values around the date of parturition, particularly in the case of E. bovis. Peak values at the time of parturition were also seen in case of strongyle egg excretion. Seven (group H) and nine Eimeria spp. (group EF) were found in the calves. The predominant species E. ellipsoidalis, E. zuerni, E. bovis and E. auburnensis were detected for the first time earlier after birth (3–5 weeks) than the others. The prevalence of Eimeria infections increased to 67.1% (group EF) and 50.1% (group H) 9 weeks after birth. Specific IgM and IgA antibody levels (the latter only determined in group EF) in cow sera remained almost constant throughout the observation period, whereas IgG 1 and IgG 2 levels were reduced at the time of parturition. Levels of specific antibodies in sera and colostra were significantly correlated. Except IgM antibodies, significant inverse correlations were found in cows between intensity of infection with E. bovis and specific serum IgG (group H) and IgG 2 (group EF) antibodies. Antibodies to E. bovis were detected in calves sera only after colostrum intake with significant correlations between levels in calves sera and colostra. Levels decreased, starting within the first week of life (most conspicuously in case of IgM and IgA) until the third week. Subsequently, but except IgG 1 antibody concentrations increased until the end of the observation period. Interrelations between antibody levels and the total amount of E. bovis oocysts excreted by the calves until the ninth week of life varied with the age of the animals. Inverse relationships in the first 3 weeks of life as suggested by negative correlation coefficients could not be proven statistically. Thus, there is no unambiguous proof for immunoprotection of calves against E. bovis via maternal immunity. Considering antibody levels in the 3–9 weeks old calves significant direct correlations with E. bovis oocyst excretion were found in case of IgM, IgG 2 and IgA, reflecting an active immune response of young calves to coccidial infection.

Genetische Analyse des individuellen Wachstums- und Futteraufnahmeverlaufs von Jungebern während der Eigenleistungsgruppenprüfung

Abstract. Title of the paper: Genetic analysis of the course of individual growth and feed intake of group-penned Performance tested boars Objective of the study was to analyse the course of feed intake and growth of 661 boars of three lines (259, 208, and 194 animals of lines 3, 4, and 8, respectively) during an age dependent Performance test between the 100th and 170th day of age. Individual feed intake of the group-penned animals was recorded by electronic feeding stations during the first, third, fifth, seventh, and ninth week on test. Additionally, each animal was weighted in biweekly intervalls. A second order polynomial and a third order polynomial were individually fitted on feed intake and live weight. From these curves, individual information about daily feed intake, daily gain, and food conversion ratio were derived for five periods of 12 days and for the entire period. Genetic parameters were estimated simultaneously using a multiple trait animal model. Heritabilities of h2 = .50, .55, .40, and .39 for traits of entire test period were found for backfat thickness, daily gain, daily feed intake, and food conversion ratio, respectively. Estimated heritabilities for each test period from one to five were h2 = .50, .56, .54, .50, and .37 for daily gain, h2 = .18, .43, .46, .45, and .38 for daily feed intake, and h2 = .34, .42, .46, .44, and .39 for food conversion. The genetic correlation between daily gain and food conversion in period one (rg = −.84) was significantly different from correlations between these traits in the following periods (rg = −.32 to −.51). Genetic correlations between daily gain and daily feed intake in each period were rg = .56 to .42 from first to last period. Except of first period (rg = −.11), the genetic associations between food conversion and daily feed intake for periods were similar (rg = .52 to .56). The genetic associations indicate, that a high feed intake in the beginning of the fattening period is desirable, while afterwards a more reduced feed intake should be achieved to improve efficiency of fattening Performance. In order to optimise fattening Performance, the use of part test information from growth rate and feed intake is necessary.

How to discriminate between normal and abnormal early pregnancy

Early fetal growth delay and early oligohydramnios have been suspected as signs of embryonal jeopardy. Sonographic examinations of 100 early pregnancies between the sixth and ninth gestational week were performed to investigate predictable sonographic findings of early abortion. Sonographic measurements of the gestational sac (G‐SAC), Crown‐rump length (CRL) and fetal heart rate (FHR) were performed using a transvaginal transducer with Doppler. All measurement of 11 early abortions were compared to those of 89 normal pregnancies to investigate the objective rules for the screening of early abortion. Most of the early aborted pregnancies were classified correctly by discriminant analysis with G‐SAC and CRL (G‐SAC = 0.5222 × CRL + 14.6673 = 0.5 × CRL + 15). In conclusion, early fetal growth retardation and oligohydramnios could discriminate the poor prognosis of early pregnancies.

Transmission of HCV to a chimpanzee using virus particles produced in an RNA-transfected HepG2 cell culture.

It was demonstrated previously that HepG2 cells produce negative strand RNA and virus-like particles after transfection with RNA transcribed from a full-length hepatitis C virus (HCV) cDNA clone [Dash et al. (1997) American Journal of Pathology, 151:363-373]. To determine in vivo infectivity of these in vitro synthesized viral particles, a chimpanzee was inoculated intravenously with HCV derived from HepG2 cells. The infected chimpanzee was examined serially for elevation of liver enzymes, for the presence of HCV RNA in the serum by reverse transcription nested polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), anti-HCV antibodies in the serum, and inflammation in the liver. The chimpanzee developed elevated levels of liver enzymes after the second week, but the levels fluctuated over a 10-week period. HCV RNA was detected in the serum of the chimpanzee at the second, seventh and ninth weeks after inoculation, and remained positive up to 25 weeks. Liver biopsies at Weeks 18 and 19 revealed of mild inflammation. Nucleotide sequence analysis of HCV recovered from the infected chimpanzee at the second and ninth weeks showed 100% sequence homology with the clone used for transfection studies. Serum anti-HCV antibodies were not detected by EIA during the 25 weeks follow-up period. These results suggest that intravenous administration of the virus-like particles derived from RNA-transfected HepG2 cells are infectious, and therefore, the pMO9.6-T7 clone is an infectious clone. These results provide new information that in vitro synthesized HCV particles produced from full-length HCV clone can cause infection in a chimpanzee. This study will facilitate the use of innovative approaches to the study of assembly of HCV particles and mechanisms of virus infectivity in cell culture.

Comparative Study of Two Plum (Prunus salicina Lindl.) Cultivars during Growth and Ripening

Some physicochemical parameters related to fruit growth and ripening, as well as the plant growth regulators ethylene, abscisic acid and polyamines were determined in two plum cultivars (Golden Japan and Santa Rosa) during their development and ripening. From the ninth week of development, the physicochemical parameters (punction force, color and ripening index) showed significant modifications, indicating that the ripening process had begun. Santa Rosa cultivar exhibited a climacteric ripening pattern, in which these changes coincided with increase in respiration rate, ethylene emission and l-aminocyclopropane-l-carboxylic acid (free and total) content, while Golden Japan cultivar showed a non-climacteric ripening process, without any increase in ethylene or respiration rate associated with ripening. Polyamines increased in Golden Japan cultivar during ripening (especially putrescine), which could be responsible for the low ethylene emission. In both cultivars, abscisic acid started to increase, coinciding with the changes in the parameters related to ripening.