A multiparametric approach to assessing residual pain experienced by dairy cows undergoing digestive tract surgery under multimodal analgesia

This study assessed residual pain responses of dairy cows undergoing fistulation surgery under multimodal analgesia using a multiparametric method combining behavioural and physiological indicators. A longitudinal study was conducted on five dairy cows, each acting as her own control. The surgery consisted of implanting a ruminal and a duodenal cannula in each cow. The multimodal drug protocol consisted of a combination of N-Methyl-D aspartic Acid antagonists, α2-agonists, and local anaesthetic during surgery, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and opioid treatment postsurgery. Cow responses to surgery were monitored by direct behavioural observation, physiological assay indicators, and milk production from day (D) −6 days before surgery (D-6) to D13 postsurgery. From the data recorded, the variables that contributed most to the discrimination of days pre- and postsurgery were identified using factorial discriminant analysis. Components 1 and 2 of the factorial discriminant analysis explained 68.2% and 17.9%, respectively, of the total variance. Component 1 was mainly explained by haptoglobin (contribution to axis: 0.885), oxidative stress (ratio of oxidized gluthatione to reduced glutathione (GSH/GSSG), −0.746; vitamin E, −0.683; vitamin A, −0.597; malondialdehyde (MDA), 0.416), and behavioural indicators (general attitude, 0.594). On this axis, the higher the score, the higher were the apathy and haptoglobin and MDA concentrations, and the lower were the GSH/GSSG ratio and concentrations of vitamins A and E. This axis opposed cows on D-6 to cows on D3 and D5; cows on D1 and D13 were intermediate. Component 2 was mainly explained by the Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA), 0.686; cortisol, 0.669), milk yield (−0.725), oxidative stress (MDA, −0.584; nitric oxide (NO), 0.454), and behavioural indicators of pain (ear position, 0.467; leg postures, 0.431). On this axis, the higher the score, the higher the NEFA, cortisol, and nitric oxide concentrations; the more the ear and leg pain postures; and the lower the milk production and MDA concentrations. This axis opposed cows on D13 to cows on D1. These results suggest that cows may experience some pain only on D1, whereas on subsequent days, the inflammatory response and oxidative stress did not seem to be associated with pain. Our results should be considered for different surgeries to improve analgesia immediately after surgery, and to provide antioxidants along with NSAIDs to promote recovery.     

蚊虫叮咬止痒消炎剂的研制及应用

目的研制蚊虫叮咬止痒消炎剂,观察应用该蚊虫叮咬止痒消炎剂对吉林洮南地区背点伊蚊和刺扰伊蚊叮咬后的治愈效果。方法药品制备采用渗漉法和超声波提取法,质量控制依据中华人民共和国国家标准《一次性使用卫生用品卫生标准》GB 15979-2002,效果观察采用局部外用涂抹法。结果该止痒消炎剂12、24和48 h平均痊愈率分别为24.30%、55.14%和17.76%,总有效率为97.20%。结论该蚊虫叮咬止痒消炎剂符合中华人民共和国国家标准《一次性使用卫生用品卫生标准》GB 15979-2002的规定,对吉林洮南地区优势蚊种叮咬后具有明显的治愈效果,适用于部队野外执行任务携带。     

蕾期土壤盐度降低后棉花叶片的生理功能恢复

试验于2011—2012年在江苏南京江苏省农业科学院经济作物研究所试验田进行,采用盆栽方法,以鲁棉研37号和苏棉22号为供试材料,设置土壤盐度降低试验(初始土壤含盐量为0.2%,棉花进入二叶期后每7d加入混合盐1次,每次增加0.1%,使土壤含盐量逐渐达到0.5%,蕾期进行盐度降低处理,使土壤含盐量降低到0.2%左右),研究蕾期土壤盐度降低后棉花叶片的生理代谢动态特征。结果表明:土壤盐度降低后,棉花叶片叶绿素(Chl)、类胡萝卜素(Car)含量和Chl/Car升高;净光合速率和气孔导度升高,且分别在土壤盐度降低后第14天和7天接近于低盐对照;土壤盐度降低后棉花叶片超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)和过氧化物酶(POD)活性升高,过氧化氢酶(CAT)活性和丙二醛(MDA)含量降低,MDA含量在土壤盐度降低后第14天接近于低盐对照;土壤盐度降低后棉花叶片中可溶性糖、游离氨基酸和脯氨酸含量降低,且接近于低盐对照。上述结果表明土壤盐度降低后,棉花叶片生理功能逐渐恢复,进而实现棉花生长发育的恢复补偿。棉花叶片生理功能在土壤盐度降低后的恢复能力存在品种间差异,鲁棉研37号较苏棉22号叶片生理功能表现出更强的恢复能力。     

硬膜外分娩镇痛的临床研究

目的 :探讨硬膜外分娩镇痛效果及其对产程、母婴状况的影响。方法 :将 0 1%布比卡因及芬太尼 5 μg/ml混合液硬膜外分娩镇痛的 30 0例产妇作为镇痛组 ,将未用任何镇痛药的 30 0例产妇作为对照组 ,比较两组的产痛程度、产程时间、分娩方式、产后出血量、羊水粪染率、新生儿窒息及缩宫素应用等。结果 :镇痛组 30 0例产妇中显效 90 33% (2 71/30 0 ) ,有效 9 6 7% (2 9/30 0 ) ,总镇痛有效率 10 0 % ;镇痛组的活跃期和第二产程时间短于对照组 ,差异有显著性意义 (P <0 0 1) ;镇痛组自然分娩率明显高于对照组 (P <0 0 5 ) ,剖宫产率则以对照组为高 (P <0 0 5 ) ;两组羊水粪染率、新生儿窒息、Apgar评分、产后出血量及缩宫素应用的比较无显著性差异 (P <0 0 5 )。结论 :硬膜外分娩镇痛是一种理想的、安全有效的分娩镇痛方法。     

Das Kopulationsverhalten von Kiebitzen (Vanellus vanellus) im Verlauf der Brutsaison

Zusammenfassung Von 1996 bis 2000 wurden insgesamt 43 verschiedene und 58 des Kiebitz jeweils vom 1. März bis 15. Juni beobachtet. Während 79 Ganztagsbeobachtungen mit insgesamt 1109 Stunden wurden 767 Kopulationen registriert. Eine Kopulation dauerte in allen Phasen des Brutgeschäftes durchschnittlich 1,7 s. Die ersten Begattungen wurden acht bis zehn Tage nach Erstbeobachtung der im Revier der und je vier bis sechs Tage vor Legebeginn ab Anfang/Mitte März festgestellt. Die letzten Begattungen waren noch Anfang Juni zu beobachten. Die Kopulationen verteilten sich über den ganzen Tag mit Maxima in den frühen Morgen- und späten Nachmittag- bzw. frühen Abendstunden. Bis zum vollständigen Gelege wurde jedes 40- bis 70-mal begattet. Diese häufigen Kopulationen könnten zur Festigung und zum Erhalt von Paarbindungen beitragen. Auch während der gesamten Gelegebebrütung kopulierten die Brutpartner durchschnittlich zwei- bis dreimal täglich. Hier erfolgten 51,5 % aller Kopulationen bei der Ablösung des brütenden durch das . Mit zunehmender Zahl an Brutablösungen nahm die Anzahl der Ablösungen mit Kopulation zu. Insgesamt wurde im Durchschnitt bei jeder vierten Brutablösung kopuliert. Nur an 18 (13,5 %) von insgesamt 133 beobachteten Bebrütungstagen eines konnte den ganzen Tag über keine Begattung festgestellt werden. Polygyne hielten zu all ihren sexuellen Kontakt. Mit dem Schlupf der Küken wurden die Kopulationen eingestellt. Erneut einsetzende Begattungen während des Jungeführens oder nach Kükenverlust erfolgten im Rahmen der Ablage eines Zweitgeleges. Zwischen Gelegealter und Kopulationshäufigkeit wurde kein Zusammenhang gefunden. Fremdkopulationen (EPCs) wurden nicht beobachtet. Kopulationen während der Gelegebebrütung dienen daher wohl nicht zur Verhinderung von Fremdbefruchtung eines Ersatz- oder Zweitgeleges. Sie sind wohl während der Bebrütung ebenso nicht nötig, um das Follikelwachstum und die Keimdrüsen für ein weiteres Gelege zu stimulieren, da auch nach mehreren Wochen ohne Kopulation innerhalb weniger Tage der Follikelsprung ausgelöst wurde. Offenbar sind Kopulationen während der Bebrütungsphase unabhängig von ihrer eigentlichen Befruchtungsfunktion. Die sehr häufigen Kopulationen scheinen Kommunikationsfunktion im Sinne der Aufforderung zur Brutablösung zu haben und können die Paarbindung stärken und so eine optimale Bebrütung des Geleges ermöglichen.

---

The copulation behaviour of Lapwings (Vanellus vanellus) throughout the breeding season

Summary From 1996 to 2000 43 male and 58 female Lapwings were observed from March 1st until June 15th. During 79 full day observations over a total of 1109 hours, 767 copulations were recorded. Viewed over the whole breeding period a copulation took on average 1.7 seconds. The first matings (beginning of March) were registered eight to ten days after the arrival of the female in the male territory; four to six days later egg laying started. The last copulations were still being observed in early June. Matings were observed at all times of the day with peaks in the early morning and late afternoon. By the time the clutch was completed each female lapwing had taken part in 40 to 70 copulations. Frequent copulation may promote pair bonding. Over the complete incubation period the partners copulated on average two to three times a day. 51.5 % of copulations occured during brood relief of the male by the female. With an increasing number of brood reliefs the number of male to female reliefs with copulations became more frequent. All in all matings took place on average every fourth brood relief. Over 133 days of observation of an incubating fermale on only 18 days (13.5 %) were no copulations at all recorded. Polygamous males kept up contact to all their mates. The copulations finished on the hatching of the chicks. During chick leading or after the loss of chicks, matings started again for a second clutch. No connection was found between the age of a clutch and the frequency of copulations. Extra-pair copulations (EPCs) were not observed. Therefore matings during the incubation period would not appear to serve to prevent the extra-pair fertilization of a replacement or second clutch. Copulations during incubation time seem to be unnecessary to stimulate follicle growth and the germ glandular for a second clutch, because even after several weeks of abstention, an ovulation could be provoked within a few days. Copulations during the breeding period are obviously not connected to their regular function of fertilization. The very large number of copulations may have a communicative function stimulating turn-taking at brooding and helping to stabilize the pair bond, with a positive effect on the breeding success.

     

大肠杆菌磷酸甘油酸脱氢酶突变体的构建及抗反馈抑制效应

磷酸甘油酸脱氢酶(D-3-phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase,PGDH,EC 1.1.1.95)为L-丝氨酸合成途径的关键酶,其编码基因为ser A,其活性受到合成产物L-丝氨酸的反馈抑制调控。为解除丝氨酸的反馈抑制,采用定点突变技术把编码PGDH酶344位组氨酸或346位天冬氨酸或364位天冬氨酸的密码子定点突变为丙氨酸密码子。改造后的ser AFbr被连到表达载体pT7-7上,并转入大肠杆菌Escherichia coli BL21(DE3)中进行表达,破壁回收粗酶液,通过DEAE阴离子柱纯化PGDH突变体,并对其酶活性和IC_(50)值进行了测定。结果,野生型PGDH酶IC_(50)值为7μmol/L,而PGDH双突变体N346A/H344A催化活性与野生型相近,在丝氨酸浓度为160 mmol/L时,其酶活仍保持未添加丝氨酸时酶活的96%,基本解除反馈抑制。     

Comparison of efficacy of eight treatments for plantar fasciitis: A network meta-analysis

The objective of this network meta-analysis (NMA) was to assess the pain relief performance of eight different plantar fasciitis therapies, including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications, corticosteroid injections (CSs), autologous whole blood, platelet-rich plasma (PRP), extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT), ultrasound therapy (US), botulinum toxin A (BTX-A), and dry needling (DN). Published prospective or randomized controlled trials (RCTs) as for the above eight therapies were identified by searching CNKI, PubMed, and Embase. Mean difference (MD) and 95% credible intervals (CrIs) of visual analogue scale (VAS) were used to evaluate multiaspect comparisons. The ranking result was obtained by utilizing surface under cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA). Node-splitting plots were conducted to assess the consistency between direct and indirect evidence. Egger’s test and funnel plots were performed to examine publication bias. Forty-one trials with a total of 2,889 cases were involved in this NMA. In terms of 1-month VAS, only ESWT turned out to be of better efficacy than placebo (MD = −3.3; CrI: [−5.3, −1.1]). No statistically significant difference was found between pair-wise comparisons concerning 2-month VAS. ESWT also demonstrated better efficacy as for 3-month results (MD = −2.7; CrI: [−4.2, −1.3]). Besides, CSs was significantly better than placebo as well in 3-month results (MD = −2.1; CrI: [−4.1, −0.19]). With regard to 6-month VAS results, ESWT performed better than placebo (MD = −3.0; CrI: [−5.0, −0.51]). According to the SUCRA, ESWT ranked the first as for all seven outcomes. ESWT might be the optimal treatment. In addition, BTX-A and PRP were considered as suboptimal.     

Patterns of nest relief during incubation,and incubation period variability in the yellow-eyed penguin (Megadyptes antipodes)

Abstract

Daily nest checks were used to determine the yellow-eyed penguin’s pattern of nest relief during incubation, and to examine the inter-pair variability in incubation period. Nests at two breeding areas on the Otago Peninsula were visited between September and December in 1985 and 1986. At each visit, status of the nest and the identity and behaviour of the sitting bird was recorded. Incubation is shared between the sexes, with males tending to sit longer than females. Incubation spells ranged from 1–7 days with a mode of 1–2 days. Records of lone incubation following mate death show the yelloweyed penguin to be capable of 15 day unrelieved spells at the nest The incubation period of the yellow-eyed penguin ranges from 39–51 days and is the most variable of all penguins. This variability is because of the failure of some individuals to adequately cover the clutch until up to 5 days after the laying of the second egg.     

Dental topography of platyrrhines and prosimians: Convergence and contrasts

Dental topographic analysis is the quantitative assessment of shape of three‐dimensional models of tooth crowns and component features. Molar topographic curvature, relief, and complexity correlate with aspects of feeding behavior in certain living primates, and have been employed to investigate dietary ecology in extant and extinct primate species. This study investigates whether dental topography correlates with diet among a diverse sample of living platyrrhines, and compares platyrrhine topography with that of prosimians. We sampled 111 lower second molars of 11 platyrrhine genera and 121 of 20 prosimian genera. For each tooth we calculated Dirichlet normal energy (DNE), relief index (RFI), and orientation patch count (OPCR), quantifying surface curvature, relief, and complexity respectively. Shearing ratios and quotients were also measured. Statistical analyses partitioned effects of diet and taxon on topography in platyrrhines alone and relative to prosimians. Discriminant function analyses assessed predictive diet models. Results indicate that platyrrhine dental topography correlates to dietary preference, and platyrrhine‐only predictive models yield high rates of accuracy. The same is true for prosimians. Topographic variance is broadly similar among platyrrhines and prosimians. One exception is that platyrrhines display higher average relief and lower relief variance, possibly related to lower relative molar size and functional links between relief and tooth longevity distinct from curvature or complexity. Explicitly incorporating phylogenetic distance matrices into statistical analyses of the combined platyrrhine‐prosimian sample results in loss of significance of dietary effects for OPCR and SQ, while greatly increasing dietary significance of RFI. Am J Phys Anthropol 153:29–44, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.