Induced oestrus in lactating sows by administration of PMS and HCG

Ό πειραματισμός αυτός έγινε σέ βιομηχανικού τύπου χοιροτροφική μονάδα δυναμικότητας 500 χοιρομητέρων. Σ' αυτόν πήραν μέρος 20 χοιρομητέρες πού χρησίμευσαν σαν μάρτυρες (ΤΙ) και άλλες 20 αντίστοιχα (Τ2), του ίδιου γενετικού δυναμικού πού διαβιούσαν κάτω άπό τις 'ίδιες συνθήκες εκτροφής, στις όποιες έγινε ή ακόλουθη αγωγή: (α) τήν 23η ήμερα μετά τό τοκετό 1.000 u.i PMS, (β) τήν 24η ήμερα 300 u.i. HGC, (γ) άπό 26-31η ήμερα 12ωρη απομάκρυνση των χοιριδίων άπό τις χοιρομητέρες και (δ) έκθεση των χοιρομητέρων στα ερεθίσματα του κάπρου επί 30' κάθε πρωί άπό τήν 26-31η ήμερα. Και για τίς δύο ομάδες (ΤΙ καί Τ2) ό απογαλακτισμός τών χοιριδίων έγινε τή 35η ήμερα. Τό μέγεθος των τοκετοομάδων, ή βιοσιμότητα μέχρι τή 35η ήμερα, τά σωματικά βάρη τών χοιριδίων μέχρι τή 35η ήμερα καί οί αποδόσεις τοΰ επομένου τοκετού δέν είχαν καμιά στατιστικά σημαντική διαφορά. Οί χοιρομητέρες τής ομάδας ΤΙ ήλθαν σέ οργασμό — όχεία τήν 44,75 ±1,1 ημέρα (ποσοστό 85% τών χοιρομητέρων — εγκυμοσύνη 90%) καί τής Τ2 τήν 35,85±1,4 ήμερα (ποσοστό 80% τών χοιρομητέρων — εγκυμοσύνη 75%) (Ρ<0,001). Ή όλη όμως πειραματική εργασία στην ομάδα τ2 προκάλεσε μεγάλα λειτουργικά προβλήματα στό χοιροστάσιο.The experiment was conducted in a livestock unit of 500 brood sows and comprised a total of 40 animals of the same genetic potential and living under the same management conditions. Of the above animals. 20 were used as controls (group Tl), while the remaining 20 (group T2) were treated as follows: a) on day 23 after farrowing, they were injected with. 1000 i.u. PMS, b) on day 24 they were injected with 300 i.u. of HCG, c) on days 21-24 the litters were removed from their dams for 12 hours daily, d) on days 26-31 the sows were exposed to the presence of the boar, for 30' every morning. All litters of both groups were weaned on day 35 after farrowing. There were no significant differences in litter size, survival and body weight of piglets to the 35th day, as well as in the yields of the animals at the subsequent parturition. The sows of group Tl came into oestrus on day 44.75 ± 1.1 d. (85% of the sows in oestrus - conception rate 90%), while those of group T2 came into oestrus on day 35.85 ± 1.4 d. (80% of the sows in oestrus - conception rate 75%) (P/0.001). The entire experimental work among the animals of group T2, however, caused considerable operational problems in the unit

Molecular Imprinting of Tri-O-Acetyladenosine for the Synthetic Imitation of an ATP-Binding Cleft in Protein Kinases

A number of diseases, including cancer, diabetes, and inflammation, are linked to deregulation of cell signaling pathways controlled by protein kinases. Inhibition of the kinases involved can interrupt aberrant signaling and have a specific therapeutic effect. Protein kinases are recognized as validated therapeutic targets for the treatment of a number of diseases and there are considerable efforts to discover new kinase inhibitors suitable for drug development. The main goal of this study was to fabricate the synthetic imitations of the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) binding cleft in protein kinases and thus produce polymers suitable for screening and isolation of new protein kinase ATP-mimetic inhibitors from different sources. Such polymers were created by the imprinting of tri-O-acetyladenosine in acrylic polymer matrix with the use of methacrylic acid (MAA) or 3-vinylbenzoic acid (VBA) as a functional monomer and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as a cross-linking agent. The imprints prepared with the use of VBA demonstrate substantially better binding efficiency than that with MAA and particularly high affinity to the initial template (K-d as low as 1.2M), sufficient concentration of binding sites N (up to 32molg(-1)), and pronounced specificity (imprinting factor up to 11). Under flow conditions, the fabricated polymers also demonstrate high capacity and template affinity. The produced imprints reproduce spatially noncovalent interactions present in the ATP binding site of protein kinases and can be anticipated as approximate synthetic imitations of the binding cleft

Variation in the Seasonal Oestrus Period in Three Breeds of Greek Sheep

The preferred mating period in Greece is spring and early summer. Conception rate to natural mating at the end of one oestrus period or early in the next is low, leading to a lengthy lambing period. Some 10% of flocks are synchronised during this period by a standard progestagen/PMSG treatment. There is considerable variation in ovulation rate, conception rate and litter size which could be related to within-flock variation in oestrous activity.Fourteen adult ewes from each of three breeds -Chios, Karagouniko and Serres - were maintained as a single flock at Diavata (latitude 40.5°N), without mating, from the end of the milking period in September. From the following April, oestrous activity was checked daily by vasectomised ram for 18 months. Live weight was maintained approximately constant at 59, 54 and 54 kg, respectively, for Chios, Karagouniko and Serres. Plasma progesterone was measured 10 days after detected oestrus and after 28 days when there was no intermediate activity. A silent oestrus in the breeding period was counted as oestrus but when it occurred prior to the first or after the last detected oestrus, it was not used to determine the breeding period.</jats:p

HPLC Analysis of Antipsychotic Asenapine in Alternative Biomatrices: Hair and Nail Clippings

Asenapine is a novel atypical antipsychotic drug for the treatment of schizophrenia and acute mania. Although some analytical methods have been published on the determination of the drug in conventional biological samples, such as blood serum and urine, there is currently no method available for alternative biomatrices, such as hair and nail clippings, which are of utmost importance in forensic and clinical toxicology. A reversed-phase analytical column, Inertsil C8, (250 × 4.0 mm) 5 μm (MZ AnalysenTechnik, Mainz, Germany), was used at ambient temperature, with a mobile phase consisting of an acetate buffer (at pH 4.5), acetonitrile and methanol, (50:40:10%, v/v). Separation was achieved isocratically at a flow rate of 1 mL/min. Quantification was performed at 240 nm. Validation of the method was performed in terms of accuracy and precision: intra-day (n = 5) and inter-day (n = 3 × 5). Recovery rates ranged between 95.0% and 102.5% in hair samples and between 98.8% and 105% in nail samples. In hair the limit of detection was 1.3 ng/mg and the limit of quantitation was 4 ng/mg, whereas in nail clippings the respective values were 2.7 ng/mg and 8 ng/mg. The method was successfully applied to hair and nail clippings, following simple sample pretreatment. © 2015 © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

Computer-simulation-based selection of optimal monomer for imprinting of tri-O-acetyl adenosine in a polymer matrix: calculations for benzene solution

Molecular imprinting is a promising way to create polymer materials that can be used as artificial receptors, and have anticipated use in synthetic imitation of natural antibodies. In case of successful imprinting, the selectivity and affinity of the imprint for the substrate molecules are comparable with those of natural counterparts. Various calculation methods can be used to estimate the effects of a large range of imprinting parameters under different conditions, and to find better ways to improve polymer characteristics. However, one difficulty is that properties such as hydrogen bonding can be modeled only by quantum methods that demand a lot of computational resources. Combined quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) methods allow the use of MM and QM for different parts of the modeled system. In present study this method was realized in the NWChem package to compare estimations of the stability of tri-O-acetyl adenosine–monomer pre-polymerization complexes in benzene solution with previous results under vacuum. © 2016, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

Polymer-Silica nanoparticles composite films as protective coatings for stone-based monuments

The decrease of surface energy of mineral substrates similar to those used in many stone monuments of cultural heritage by the application of protective polymer coatings along with the simultaneous increase of their surface roughness can increase their ability to repel water substantially. In this work, the effect of artificially induced roughness on the water repellency of mineral substrates coated with protective polymer films was investigated. Natural marble samples or home made calcium carbonate blocks were tried as the mineral substrates. The roughness increase was achieved by mineral chemical etching or by creation of nanoscale binary composition film on the substrate surface. PMMA and PFPE were the polymers used, while different-sized silica nanoparticles were employed for the production of the nanocomposite films. Examination of the coated and uncoated surfaces with profilometry and AFM and measurements of water contact angles reveal a pronounced effect of the surface roughness on water repellency. Especially in the case of nanocomposite coatings, the surfaces become super-hydrophobic. This result indicates that the nanoscale binary composition film scheme, which is characterized by its simplicity and low cost, is a suitable candidate for the water protection of stone-based monuments on large scale. © 2007 IOP Publishing Ltd