Strategies and visualization tools for enhancing user auditing of spreadsheet models

10.1016/S0950-5849(00)00130-0Information and Software Technology42151037-1043ISOT

Total protein and gamma-globulin contents of mammary secretion during early post-partum period of Nubian goats in the Taiwan area

Variation in total protein and gamma-globulin contents of the mammary secretion during early post-partum period was studied in two herds of Nubian goats raised in two different areas of Taiwan. A commercial agarose gel electrophoresis system migrating at pH 8.4-8.8 was used to separate and quantify the gamma-globulin fraction in fat-free colostrum. Colostrum samples were obtained at birth and 6 h, 12 h, 18 h, 24 h, 36 h, 48 h, 3 d, 4 d, and 5 d post-partum, respectively. The electrophoresis results showed that colostral gamma-globulin expressed similar mobility to that of serum gamma-globulin. alpha-lactalbumin/beta-lactoglobulin constituted a stable part of the total protein, while casein was not a significant component throughout the studies. Colostral total protein and gamma-globulin were decreased from 16.46, 16.15 and 7.22, 7.92 g dl(-1) at parturition to 9.10, 7.86 and 3.94, 2.40 g dl(-1) 12 h later for the two herds, respectively. Values decreased more slowly at 18 h post-partum. Colostral total protein content was not affected by herds from different areas; colostral gamma-globulin content was not significantly different at birth but was lower in one herd within 24 h post-partum. These results suggest that colostral gamma-globulin might be more susceptible to influencing factors than total protein especially during the critical absorption period. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved

Anti-peroxidation effects of vitamin E on low density lipoprotein and milk fat globule membrane of lactating goats: in vivo versus metal ion challenge in vitro

Ruminants are animals with mild oxidation risk considering characteristics of their plasma. The purpose of the present study was to determine if surplus vitamin E supplementation further improved their peroxidation status. Four lactating goats (Capra ibex ibex) receiving a single intramuscular injection of 3000 IU D-alpha-tocopheryl acetate were monitored daily for a week. Plasma and milk levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) were measured to estimate the peroxidation status of overall body and mammary gland, respectively. Lipid hydroperoxide content of low density lipoprotein (LDL) and milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) were determined both immediately after isolation and after metal ion challenge to evaluate their spontaneous peroxidation in vivo and peroxidation susceptibility in vitro, respectively. The results showed that while plasma and milk levels of a-tocopherol peaked at day 2, the corresponding TBARS dropped to their lowest weekly levels. Content of preformed lipid hydroperoxides in LDL and MFGM remained unchanged (P>0.05) during the study period, while peroxidation in LDL and MFGM on extended exposure to Cu2+ was prevented by vitamin E enrichment. Therefore, surplus vitamin E was beneficial to the peroxidation-resistant mechanisms of the overall body and those specifically within mammary gland of lactating goats. Furthermore, peroxidation resistance of LDL and MFGM to copper challenge in vitro also benefited from vitamin E enrichment despite the fact their endogenous peroxidation seemed unresponsive. The hypothesis that peroxidation of LDL and MFGM of lactating goats in situ, which proceeds with metal ion-independent mechanisms, is minor was discussed. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Perinatal adrenocortical function in relation to the growth rate and immunoglobulin acquisition of goat kids

Serum cortisol concentration at birth can reflect the prenatal adrenocortical function of young animals. Its relation with the growth rate and serum gamma-globulin levels during the first 5 days of post-natal life was studied in full-term and eutocial goat kids. Two groups of kids born with high (n = 14, 10.59 +/- 0.43 mu g/dl) or low (n = 15, 5.09 +/- 0.28 mu g/dl) serum cortisol levels had similar (p> 0.05) mean birth weight, serum glucose and gamma-globulin concentrations at birth. Post-natal profiles of serum cortisol for kids of both groups declined to a similar (p > 0.05) level by 2 days of age. The ACTH responsiveness of serum cortisol at 5 days of age was not different (p > 0.05) between groups. The kids with higher serum cortisol levels at birth gained about 33% more weight (p < 0.05) during the 5-day period than those with lower serum cortisol levels. Serum glucose levels after birth remained normal at all time intervals measured and were higher (p < 0.05) for kids born with high serum cortisol levels. The peak serum gamma-globulin level reached at about 18 h after the first colostrum feeding was greater in kids of 'high' cortisol group, and a consistently greater level of serum gamma-globulin was maintained throughout the study compared to the kids of the 'low' cortisol group. The results suggest that there does not appear to be a relationship between serum cortisol levels at birth and birth weight or post-natal adrenocortical function of normal kids. High serum cortisol levels at birth are desirable for growth and immunoglobulin acquisition of neonatal kids. The possible mechanisms were discussed. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved

Serum protein levels and neonatal growth rate of Nubian goal kids in Taiwan area

Levels of serum total protein and gamma-globulin were determined in 43 newborn goat kids of up to 5 days of age on two goat farms in Taiwan using colorimetric assay and an agarose gel electrophoresis kit, respectively. The kids were sufficiently bottle-fed with the maternal colostrum every 6 h for the first day and every 12 h since 2 days. The overall mean serum total protein and gamma-globulin concentrations were low at birth (9.40 and 0.13 g dl(-1)), peaked around 24 h (12.45 and 3.33 g dl(-1)) and remained at a plateau with slight decrease through 5 days(11.50 and 2.23 g dl(-1)). The mean serum total protein and gamma-globulin levels at birth and at 24 h of age as well as BW gains during the first 5 days were not significantly (p>0.05) affected by litter size, kid sex, birth weight and farms. Kids which had ingested colostrum with total protein content >10.51 g dl(-1) at 6h grew better (p0.05) serum total protein level up to 24 h of age. Kids ingested first colostrum of gamma-globulin content higher than >7.51 g dl(-1) had higher (p<0.05) concentration of serum gamma-globulin during the first 24 h of life but did not have better growth rate. The contents of total protein and gamma-globulin of the first colostrum were highly correlated (p<0.05) with those of the serum of neonatal kids except that there was a lag time of 12 h for the correlation of total protein. It is suggested that there are colostral proteins other than gamma-globulin that have trophic effects to improve the overall performance of kids, and they apparently are absorbed and turnover differently from those of gamma-globulin. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved

In situ generation of milk protein-derived peptides in drying-off cows

Our previous studies demonstrated prompt elevation of proteinase activity in mammary secretion of drying-off cows and goats. The current study examined the progressive changes in composition of cow mammary secretion following drying-off and, in parallel, characterized the mode of peptide neogenesis using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) and liquid chromatography-electrospray-ionization (LC-ESI) MS/MS. The results show that the percentage of casein of total milk protein at time of drying-off was 76%, which dropped to 41%, 24%, and 16%, respectively, 1, 2, and 3 weeks after drying-off. Levels of beta-lactoglobulin and alpha-lactoalbumin in mammary secretions of drying-off cows decreased prominently while levels of lactoferrin, BSA, and casein derived-proteins increased concomitantly compared with regular milk. A fractionation procedure was applied to remove molecules larger than 10 kDa before MALDI-TOF MS and LC-ESI MS/MS and the results show that the MALDI-TOF MS peptide profile of mammary secretion ranging from m/z 600 to 4000 was apparently modified after drying-off for 1 week, whereas species 1590 m/z and 2460 m/z were most obviously enriched compared with regular milk. LC-ESI MS/MS results were used to map peptide sequence with Mascot search server and under no post translational modification to reduce database size and 202 novel beta-casein-derived peptides were successfully identified in mammary secretion after drying-off for 1 week in contrast to regular milk. Accordingly at least 48 additional cleavage positions were assigned on beta-casein for mammary secretion. Among the 202 novel peptides, 5 are homologous with confirmed opioid agonists, angiotensin 1-converting enzyme inhibitors, or immuno-moclulators. In conclusion, peptides are released in situ from milk proteins within short intervals following drying-off in cows, They might play roles in the transition of mammary glands from lactating to non-lactating. With specified post-translational modifications and focused functional screening, novel peptides are yet to be discovered in dry cow mammary secretion

The effects of endurance training on the hemogram of the horse

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the changes and readjustment capacity in the hematological characteristics of the horse during and after a prolonged training program. One pony and two hot-blooded horses were used in this study. Resting or basal blood parameters were assessed by collecting blood samples of the animals for I to 2 months prior to start of the training program. Each animal was subjected to arbitrary exercise for 30 min by an automatic hot trotter and was bled at 0, 15, 30, 45 (15 min of recovery), 60 (30 min of recovery), and 75 min (45 min of recovery) after onset of exercise. All animals were exercised 3 times a week over a five-month period. Hematological parameters including average white blood cell counts (WBC, x 10(3)/mul), erythrocyte concentrations (RBC, x 10(6)/mul), hematocrit (HCT, %), mean corpuscular volume (MCV, fl), number of platelets (PLT, x 10(4)/mul), hemoglobin concentration (Hb, g/dl), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH, pg), and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC, g/dl) were analyzed using an automatic cell counter. All animals showed that RBC, WBC, and HCT were significantly (p0.05) regardless of the training periods. Similar trends were observed after 1, 3, 4, and 5 months of training when compared to the resting state. When these parameters were analyzed by the effect of training periods (month), mean WBC concentrations significantly reduced in the fourth and fifth month after onset of training compared to that in resting condition or the first month of training program (p<0.05). The RBC values elevated at the second month (9.40) and reaching a significantly low level (p<0.001) at the fifth month (8.62) after training compared to the first month of training (7.89). In conclusion, a mild training program enhances blood parameters gradually in both the horse and the pony. Therefore, an optimized training program is beneficial in promoting the endurance performance of the horse

STRATEGY FOR THE TREATMENT OF PUERPERAL METRITIS AND IMPROVEMENT OF REPRODUCTIVE EFFICIENCY IN COWS WITH RETAINED PLACENTA

The objective of this study was to improve the reproductive efficiency of dairy cows with puerperal metritis (PM) subsequent to retained placenta (RP) using a two-step treatment strategy. A total of 188 postpartum cows, aged from 2 to 8 years, were utilised for 2 experiments. In Experiment 1, cows affected with RP/PM were randomly assigned to two treatment groups. Cows in Group A (n = 17) were treated with 600 mg of ceftiofur intramuscularly for 3 days followed by intrauterine lavage with 0.1% chlorhexidine and infusion with 0.5% povidone-iodine, while cows in Group B (n = 16) received two intrauterine infusions, first with 5 g of oxytetracycline and then with 0.5% povidone-iodine. Cows with normal postpartum findings were regarded as the healthy control group (n = 26). Ultrasonographic examination revealed that the ovarian activities including the appearance of a dominant follicle and days to first ovulation of the cows in Group A during the early postpartum period differed from those of Group B (P < 0.05), which coincided with the results of uterine swabbing for bacteriology. In Experiment 2, cows with normal postpartum findings were allocated to Group D (n = 78), which received an ovulation protocol (GnRH - 7 d PGF(2 alpha) - 48 h hCG - 24 h AI) on day 50 +/- 2 postpartum. Cows affected with PM were randomly divided into two groups, Group E (n = 25) combined the treatments applied in Groups A and D, while Group F (n = 26) repeated the treatment administered in Group E except for uterine lavage. The results indicated that the pregnancy rate within 150 days postpartum and the mean days open in Group E (76.0% and 106.3 +/- 4.6 days, respectively) were significantly different from those in Group F (38.5% and 137.9 +/- 10.9 days, respectively) (P < 0.05). This study suggests that reproductive efficiency could be improved by using the two-step treatment to regulate uterine involution and an early resumption of ovarian function in cows with RP/PM

Comparison of morphology, viability, and function between blood and milk neutrophils from peak lactating goats

The morphological features of blood and milk neutrophils from peak lactating goats were compared using light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and flow cytometry in order to investigate the cytological changes of neutrophils after migration into the mammary gland. The kinetics of reactive oxygen intermediates (ROI) generation and gelatinase release of blood and milk neutrophils, with or without stimulation of phorbol 12-myristate, 13-acetate ester (PMA), were used to characterize their responses to inflammatory stimuli. Neutrophils isolated from goat milk were highly segmented and contained multi-lobed nuclei. Ultrastructurally, milk neutrophils were more ruffled on the surface compared to blood neutrophils. Approximately 30% of milk neutrophils were undergoing cell death, either necrosis or apoptosis, in contrast to 8% of blood neutrophils. The ROI production of activated milk neutrophils peaked earlier than blood neutrophils, but the duration and the intensity were much less. Neutrophils from both sources augmented the release of gelatinase in response to PMA (1 ng/mL). However, the amount of gelatinase released from milk neutrophils was lower (P < 0.05) than that of blood neutrophils. In summary, more neutrophils become apoptotic and necrotic in the mammary gland, presumably due to spontaneous aging, the process of diapedesis, and the interaction with milk components. Milk neutrophils have impaired functionalities in comparison with blood neutrophils. The information is relevant when studying mammary gland immunity and related diseases, such as mastitis

Regional accretion of gelatinase B in mammary gland during gradual and acute involution of dairy animals

The level of gelatinases in surrounding body fluids of actively remodelling tissue is indicative of basement membrane and extracellular matrix degradation under various physiological and pathological circumstances. To elucidate the association of gelatinase with mammary tissue remodelling during gradual or acute involution, in the first trial, goats milked twice daily (lactation) and goats receiving decreased milking frequency (involution) served to provide a total of 12 milk samples and 11 mammary secretion samples, respectively. In the second trial, 6 cows served to provide samples of dry secretion in 3 consecutive weeks immediately following milk stasis. Gelatin zymography was applied for gelatinase phenotyping and quantification on milk, plasma and the degranulation medium/lysate of milk somatic cells. Results indicated that the most prevalent gelatinase subtype switched from gelatinase A in milk to gelatinase B in involution secretion. Mammary secretion of goats during involution contained marginally higher protein level, significantly lower casein ratio and greater specific capacity of gelatinase B compared with those of milk during lactation. Specific capacities of gelatinases A and B in plasma of goats were similar during lactation and involution, while gelatinase B capacity in degranulation medium/lysates based on unit number of goat somatic cell was significantly higher during involution than during lactation. Milk stasis of cows induced a significant increase in specific capacity of gelatinase B, but not gelatinase A, of dry secretion up to the third week. Results of both trials agree that regional selective accretion of gelatinase B in milk might have played a role in mammary tissue remodelling during involution induced by either decreasing milking frequency or milk stasis. It is suggested that infiltrated polymorphonuclear neutrophils are one of the potential contributors responsible for the accumulation of gelatinase B during involution