Effect of Restricted Weight Gain and/or Dichlorvos on Reproductive Performance of Gravid Gilts

In recent years much of the interest in nutrition of the gravid sow has been centered around restricting feed intake regardless of the weight gain of the sow. It has now become a common practice to restrict intake so that weight gain during gestation is limited to a maximum of 75 to 100 pounds. More recently, there has been some interest in the feeding of 2, 2 – dichlorovinyl dimethyl phosphate (dichlorvos) near the end of gestation to attempt to increase the number of live pigs born and growth rate following birth

Fish Solubles in Rations for Early Weaned Pigs

This experiment was a continuation of a project covering several aspects of the nutrition of young pigs. The results of previous work reported at the 1966 Swine Field Day ( A.S. Series 66-21) showed that a simple corn-soybean meal fortified ration was equal to a more complex diet that also contained rolled oats, dried skim milk and sugar. Therefore, the current experiment was designed to compare a basal corn-soybean meal type ration with a similar ration containing 3% fish solubles. Fish solubles are a good source of high quality protein and also may contain an identified growth factor(s). The experiment was designed to study the effect of fish solubles on palatability of the ration as well as its effect on growth and feed conversion

Adaptation of Ultrasonics in the Selection Program

A useful selection tool available to swine producers in recent years has been the ultrasonic animal tester, more commonly called the Sonoray. In creasing numbers of swine producers across the nation have adapted the sonoray to their selection programs in an attempt to more accurately evaluate breeding herd replacements. This report is intended to demonstrate ways that a South Dakota swine producer could use the sonoray in a selection program for total herd improvement. The use of the sonoray could aid the purebred producer in three ways. Number one, the sonoray could be used to select the best gilts after a preliminary selection has been made. Secondly , the information is an aid to prospective breeding stock customers. Third, the producer could utilize ultrasonic information when selecting herd sire replacements

Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal in Growing-Finishing Swine Rations

It has been suggested by many investigations that certain ingredients contain unidentified growth factors of bene fit to the growing pig. One of the ingredients that has been suggested as a source of unidentified growth factors is alfalfa meal. This trial was part of a larger experiment participated in by several states in the North Central region. The objectives were to determine the effects of low levels of dehydrated alfalfa meal in a com-soybean meal type ration fed to growing-finishing swine

Angra Neutrino Project: status and plans

We present the status and plans of the Angra Project, a new nuclear reactor neutrino oscillation experiment, proposed to be built in Brazil at the Angra dos Reis nuclear reactor complex. This experiment is aimed to measure theta_13, the last unknown of the three neutrino mixing angles. Combining a high luminosity design, very low background from cosmic rays and careful control of systematic errors at the 1% level, we propose a high sensitivity multi-detector experiment, able to reach a sensitivity to antineutrino disappearance down to sin^2(2*theta_13) = 0.006 in a three years running period, improving present limits constrained by the CHOOZ experiment by more than an order of magnitude.Comment: 2 pages, 1 figure, talk presented by J.C. Anjos ([email protected]) at NuFact05, 21-26 June 2005, Frascati, Ital

Superconductors with Magnetic Impurities: Instantons and Sub-gap States

When subject to a weak magnetic impurity potential, the order parameter and quasi-particle energy gap of a bulk singlet superconductor are suppressed. According to the conventional mean-field theory of Abrikosov and Gor'kov, the integrity of the energy gap is maintained up to a critical concentration of magnetic impurities. In this paper, a field theoretic approach is developed to critically analyze the validity of the mean field theory. Using the supersymmetry technique we find a spatially homogeneous saddle-point that reproduces the Abrikosov-Gor'kov theory, and identify instanton contributions to the density of states that render the quasi-particle energy gap soft at any non-zero magnetic impurity concentration. The sub-gap states are associated with supersymmetry broken field configurations of the action. An analysis of fluctuations around these configurations shows how the underlying supersymmetry of the action is restored by zero modes. An estimate of the density of states is given for all dimensionalities. To illustrate the universality of the present scheme we apply the same method to study `gap fluctuations' in a normal quantum dot coupled to a superconducting terminal. Using the same instanton approach, we recover the universal result recently proposed by Vavilov et al. Finally, we emphasize the universality of the present scheme for the description of gap fluctuations in d-dimensional superconducting/normal structures.Comment: 18 pages, 9 eps figure

The rhodanese RhdA helps Azotobacter vinelandii in maintaining cellular redox balance

The tandem domain rhodanese-homology protein RhdA of Azotobacter vinelandii shows an active-site loop structure that confers structural peculiarity in the environment of its catalytic cysteine residue. The in vivo effects of the lack of RhdA were investigated using an A. vinelandii mutant strain (MV474) in which the rhdA gene was disrupted by deletion. Here, by combining analytical measurements and transcript profiles, we show that deletion of the rhdA gene generates an oxidative stress condition to which A. vinelandii responds by activating defensive mechanisms. In conditions of growth in the presence of the superoxide generator phenazine methosulfate, a stressor-dependent induction of rhdA gene expression was observed, thus highlighting that RhdA is important for A. vinelandii to sustain oxidative stress. The potential of RhdA to buffer general levels of oxidants in A. vinelandii cells via redox reactions involving its cysteine thiol is discussed.Vigoni project/081517

Nuclear relocalisation of cytoplasmic poly(A)-binding proteins PABP1 and PABP4 in response to UV irradiation reveals mRNA-dependent export of metazoan PABPs

Poly(A)-binding protein 1 (PABP1) has a fundamental role in the regulation of mRNA translation and stability, both of which are crucial for a wide variety of cellular processes. Although generally a diffuse cytoplasmic protein, it can be found in discrete foci such as stress and neuronal granules. Mammals encode several additional cytoplasmic PABPs that remain poorly characterised, and with the exception of PABP4, appear to be restricted in their expression to a small number of cell types. We have found that PABP4, similarly to PABP1, is a diffusely cytoplasmic protein that can be localised to stress granules. However, UV exposure unexpectedly relocalised both proteins to the nucleus. Nuclear relocalisation of PABPs was accompanied by a reduction in protein synthesis but was not linked to apoptosis. In examining the mechanism of PABP relocalisation, we found that it was related to a change in the distribution of poly(A) RNA within cells. Further investigation revealed that this change in RNA distribution was not affected by PABP knockdown but that perturbations that block mRNA export recapitulate PABP relocalisation. Our results support a model in which nuclear export of PABPs is dependent on ongoing mRNA export, and that a block in this process following UV exposure leads to accumulation of cytoplasmic PABPs in the nucleus. These data also provide mechanistic insight into reports that transcriptional inhibitors and expression of certain viral proteins cause relocation of PABP to the nucleus. © 2011. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd

Lesser Noddy Anous tenuirostris migration from a non-breeding area in the northern Maldives to a breeding site in the Seychelles

The Lesser Noddy Anous tenuirostris occurs in large numbers in the northern Maldives during the northeast monsoon season (December to April). These birds do not breed in the Maldives, but their breeding site(s) are unknown. We attached GPS Argos satellite transmitters to seven Lesser Noddies roosting on Gallandhoo Island (Haa Alifu Atoll, northern Maldives) on 25 March 2022. Only one transmitter provided data, but it tracked the migration of one Lesser Noddy to the Seychelles, where the bird first roosted on the island of Poivre before moving to the large nesting colony on Cousine. The tracked bird departed the Maldives on 02 April and arrived in the Seychelles on 10 April, covering approximately 2400 km in eight days. Our results highlight the potential benefit of enhanced cooperation and knowledge exchange between the Seychelles and Maldives for improving conservation of Lesser Noddies in the Indian Ocean