Diafenthiuron residue and decline in pakchoi and soil under field application

A simple analytical method based on QuEChERs was established for diafenthiuron residues in packhoi and soil. The residue levels and diaaipation rates of diafenthiuron in packhoi and soil were detected by HPLC-MS. And ultrasonic extraction was employed in the study to improve extraction effectiveness. At three fortification levels of 0.02, 0.1 and 1 mg/kg in packhoi and soil, recoveries were in the range 74.0 percent-100 percent, with relative standard deviations (RSD) of 6.1-14.8 percent. The limit of quantification (LOQ) of method was 0.02 mg/kg for packhoi and soil. In the supervised field trials, the half-lives of diafenthiuron in packhoi and soil were 1.27 and 5.94 day, respectively. The final residue levels of diafenthiuron could not be detected in soil, while only trace amount of diafenthiuron residues were detected in pakchoi.

Dissipation and residue behavior of emamectin benzoate on apple and cabbage field application

A LC-ESI-MS/MS method with QuEChERS for analysis of emamectin benzoate in cabbage, apple and soil was established. At fortification levels of 0.001, 0.01 and 0.1 mg/kg in cabbage, apple and soil, it was shown that recoveries ranged from 75.9 to 97.0 percent with relative standard deviation (RSD) of 4.4-19.0 percent. The limit of quantification (LOQ) was 0.001 mg/kg for cabbage, apple and soil. The dissipation half-lives of emamectin benzoate in cabbage, apple and soil were 1.34-1.72 day, 2.75-3.09 day and 1.89-4.89 day, respectively. The final residues of emamectin benzoate ranged from 0.001 to 0.052 mg/kg in cabbages, 0.003 to 0.090 mg/kg in apples and 0.001 to 0.089 mg/kg in soils, respectively. Therefore, it would be unlikely to cause health problems if emamectin benzoate was applied according to the use pattern suggested by the manufactures on the label.

Generation of SV40-transformed rabbit tracheal-epithelial-cell-derived blastocyst by somatic cell nuclear transfer

The prospect of developing large animal models for the study of inherited diseases, such as cystic fibrosis (CF), through somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) has opened up new opportunities for enhancing our understanding of disease pathology and for identifying new therapies. Thus, the development of species-specific in vitro cell systems that will provide broader insight into organ- and cell-type-specific functions relevant to the pathology of the disease is crucial. Studies have been undertaken to establish transformed rabbit airway epithelial cell lines that display differentiated features characteristic of the primary airway epithelium. This study describes the successful establishment and characterization of two SV40-transformed rabbit tracheal epithelial cell lines. These cell lines, 5RTEo- and 9RTEo-, express the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene, retain epithelial-specific differentiated morphology and show CFTR-based cAMP-dependent Cl(-) ion transport across the apical membrane of a confluent monolayer. Immunocytochemical analysis indicates the presence of airway cytokeratins and tight-junction proteins in the 9RTEo- cell line after multiple generations. However, the tight junctions appear to diminish in their efficacy in both cell lines after at  least 100 generations. Initial SCNT studies with the 9RTEo- cells have revealed that SV40-transformed rabbit airway epithelial donor cells can be used to generate blastocysts. These cell systems provide valuable models for studying the developmental and metabolic modulation of CFTR gene expression and rabbit airway epithelial cell biology.

Association of osteoporotic fracture with smoking, alcohol consumption, tea consumption and exercise among Chinese nonagenarians/centenarians

OBJECTIVE

To observe the association of osteoporotic fracture with habits of smoking, alcohol consumption, tea consumption and exercise among very old people.

DESIGN AND SETTING

A cross-sectional study conducted in Dujiangyan Sichuan China.

PARTICIPANTS

703 unrelated Chinese nonagenarians and centenarians (67.76% women, mean age 93.48 years) resident in Dujiangyan.

MEASUREMENTS

Medical history of osteoporosis and the statement of fracture and habits (current and former) of smoking, alcohol consumption, tea consumption and exercise were collected.

RESULTS

In women, subjects with current or former habit of alcohol consumption had significantly higher prevalence osteoporotic fracture than those without this habit; but subjects with former habit of exercise had significantly lower prevalence osteoporotic fracture than those without this habit. However, in men, there was no significant difference in prevalence of these habits between subjects with and without osteoporotic fracture. After adjust for age, gender, sleep habits educational levels, religion habits and temperament, we found that former habit of alcohol consumption had a significant odds ratio (OR=2.473 95% CI (1.074, 5.526)) for osteoporotic fracture.

CONCLUSIONS

In summary, among nonagenarians and centenarians, among habits (current and former) of smoking, alcohol consumption, tea consumption and exercise, there seems to be significant association of osteoporotic fracture only with current or former habits of alcohol consumption, former habit of exercise. The habit of alcohol consumption might be associated with a greater risk of osteoporotic fracture, but the former habit of exercise might be associated with a lower risk of osteoporotic fracture.

Note: Diagnosing femtosecond laser-solid interactions with monochromatic Kα imager and x-ray pinhole camera

An x-ray pinhole camera and a monochromatic K(α) imager are used to measure the interactions of intense femtosecond laser pulses with Cu foil targets. The two diagnostics give different features in the spot size and the laser energy scaling, which are resulted from different physical processes. Under our experimental conditions, the K(α) emission is mainly excited by the fast electrons transporting inside the cold bulk target. In contrast, the x-ray pinhole signals are dominated by the broadband thermal x-ray emission from the hot plasma at the front target surface.

High-grade prostate cancer with favorable results in the modern era

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Background: Historically, patients with high-grade prostate cancer have the worst outcomes. With the advent of prostate- specific antigen (PSA) screening, diagnosing prostate cancer no longer depends on palpation of a bulky mass on digital rectal exam and prostate cancers are found at an earlier stage. Our aim is to determine the outcome of a modern cohort of high grade patients with the available treatment options.

Methods: We reviewed the STVHS Tumor Registry and identified those patients diagnosed with prostate cancer between 2002 and 2008 capturing those patients with Gleason score >7 on biopsy. Details including all recorded PSA values, biopsy and surgical pathology results, primary, neoadjuvant and adjuvant treatment, as well as response to treatment were recorded and analyzed using Kaplan-Meier estimates, log-rank test, and multivariate analysis using Cox proportional hazards models.

Results: We identified 297 patients with Gleason 8–10 cancer with a median follow up of 35 months. Initial treatment was surgery in 136, radiation in 52, and androgen ablation in 110; one patient has both surgery and androgen ablation. Five and 10 year biochemical-free survival (BFS), metastasis-free survival, and overall survival are shown in the Table . Overall, 5 year biochemical failure-free survival was 50% and metastasis free survival was 89%, resulting in an overall survival of 77%.

Conclusions: Historically, patients with a Gleason score of 8–10 have done very poorly. However, in the modern era, regardless of the initial treatment, the outcome is not as dire. Possible reasons are less bulky tumors or other facets of stage migration. While there is room for improvement, we should not have a nihilistic impression of how these patients will respond to treatment.

[Table: see text]

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Effect of prepulse on fast electron lateral transport at the target surface irradiated by intense femtosecond laser pulses

The effects of preplasma on lateral fast electron transport at front target surface, irradiated by ultraintense (>10(18) W/cm2) laser pulses, are investigated by Kα imaging technique. A large annular Kα halo with a diameter of ∼560 μm surrounding a central spot is observed. A specially designed steplike target is used to identify the possible mechanisms. It is believed that the halos are mainly generated by the lateral diffusion of fast electrons due to the electrostatic and magnetic fields in the preplasma. This is illustrated by simulated electron trajectories using a numerical model.

Study on the interaction between nucleic acids and imidacloprid and its application

The determination of imidacloprid with DNA via a resonance light scattering (RLS) technique was developed. The RLS of DNA was remarkably quenched after adding imidacloprid in aqueous medium of pH 2.10. An RLS peak at 311 nm was found, and the quenched intensity of RLS at this wavelength was proportional to the concentration of imidacloprid. The linear range of the calibration curve was approximately 0.02-2 microg/mL with the detection limit (S/N = 3) of 0.02 ng/mL. The imidacloprid in river water, cucumbers, and apple samples was determined. The recovery rates were in the range of 91.9% to 95.20%, 97.2% to 111.3%, and 94.5% to 114.8%, respectively. The mechanism of the reaction between imidacloprid and DNA is also discussed.

169 EMBRYO TRANSFER OF SEXED/VITRIFIED IVF EMBRYOS IN CATTLE: PREGNANCY COMPARISON AFTER SINGLE AND DOUBLE TRANSFERS

Advancement in sperm sorting technology combined with vitrification of in vitro produced bovine embryos will promote cattle breeding and production. The objective of this study was to evaluate pregnancy and embryo loss after embryo transfer (ET) of sexed/vitrified embryos with one bilaterally (double transfer, 2 embryos) v. ipsilaterally (single transfer, 1 embryo) into the recipient. Bovine oocytes collected from slaughterhouse ovaries or ovum pickup were matured for 20-22 h, then subjected to IVF using Brackett and Oliphant BO procedures with sorted X-sperm, and cultured with our standard culture system. Expanded blastocysts with tight compaction of the inner cell mass (quality 1) were selected on Day 7 for cryopreservation via liquid nitrogen surface vitrification (LNSV; Xu et al. 2006 J. Dairy Sci. 89, 2510-2518). Embryo transfer was performed for 3 replicates in Navasota, Texas, in April 2009. Prior to ET, embryos were warmed and subsequently washed several times in warming, dehydration solution and base medium. Some of sexed/vitrified embryos were cultured for 3 days post-warming to determine the survivability. The treatments were as follows: (1) vitrified-single transfers, 1 embryo was transferred into the horn ipsilateral to CL; (2) vitrified-double transfers, 1 embryo was transferred into each uterine horn by nonsurgical transfer; and (3) fresh-single, 1 fresh embryo was transferred into the horn ipsilateral to CL (control) to a synchronous recipient on Day 7. Pregnancy was determined by ultrasound monitoring on Day 35, and palpation per rectum on Day 75 after transfer. The pregnancy data were analyzed by General Linear Model analysis (SPSS 11.0, SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). The survival rate of vitrified IVF embryos reached to as high as 97.6% (n = 42) 2 h post-warming, and hatching rate was 85.7% after 3 days culture in vitro. The data (Table 1) showed that there was no difference in Day 35 pregnancy rate among vitrified-double, vitrified-single, and fresh ET control groups. However, on Day 75 post-ET, there was a significantly higher fetal loss found in the vitrified-double transfer group (41.1%) compared to those of vitrified-single transfers (16.6%) and fresh-single group (11.9%) (P < 0.05). The pregnancy rate on Day 75 of 51.4% achieved with vitrified-single transfers was comparable to the 43.3% achieved with the fresh-single control transfers but was significantly higher than the 31.1% of the vitrified-double transfer group. This study demonstrated that double embryo transfers can aggravate high fetal loss and/or abortion when sexed IVF embryos are transferred, and ET with 1 sexed/vitrified embryo per recipient is sufficient to establish satisfactory pregnancy, comparable to that achieved with fresh embryos. Table 1.Pregnancy and fetal loss of sexed/vitrified bovine IVF embryos following single and double transfers Supported by USDA/CSREES-SBIR: 2006-03069 Phase II to F. Du.

81 THE EFFECT OF FOLLICULAR AND OVIDUCT OOCYTES ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF RABBIT NUCLEAR TRANSFERRED EMBRYOS IN VITRO

This study was designed to examine the effect of rabbit oocytes collected from oviducts v. follicles on the developmental potential of nuclear transplant (NT) embryos. Rabbit oocytes were flushed from the oviducts (oviduct oocytes) or collected from the ovarian Graafian follicles(follicular oocytes) of superovulated does at 12 h post-hCG injection (hpi). Cumulus cells were then removed from the oocytes by incubation in 0.5% hyaluronidase and pipetting. Oocyte enucleation was conducted in TCM-199 +10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) and confirmed under fluorescent microscopy. Skin fibroblasts from an adult rabbit were prepared and cultured to passage 8 to 10 before use as nuclear donors. A donor cell with a diameter of approximately 15 to 19 μm was transferred into the perivitelline space of an enucleated oocyte and subsequently fused with the recipient oocyte by applying 3 direct current pulses at 3.2 kV cm-1 for 20 μs per pulse. Fused oocytes were activated by the same electrical stimulation described above, and then cultured in TCM-199 + 10% FBS containing 2.0 mM 6-DMAP and 5 μg mL-1 cycloheximide for 1 h. Cloned embryos were cultured in 2.5% FBS B2 medium in 5% CO2 and 95% humidified air at 38.5°C for 3 d. Embryo development to cleavage (2- to 4-cell), 8-cell, and morula/blastocyst (Mor/BL) stages was evaluated. The data were analyzed by the General Linear Model procedure (SPSS 11.0, SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA).The total number of oocytes collected per animal was 27.6 ± 1.3, with 47.8% from oviducts, and 52.2% from follicles. The percentage of oviduct oocytes that showed the first polar body was 98.3% (n = 150) at the time of collection, whereas follicular oocytes only had 54.8% at collection (n = 93), but it reached 92.4% when immature follicular oocytes were cultured for 3 h in vitro. The enucleation rates were similar between the follicular (82.7%) and the oviduct (79.1%) groups. Table 1 shows that a significantly higher fusion rate was found in follicular oocytes compared with that in the oviduct group (90.8 v. 63.4%; P < 0.05). There was no difference in the cleavage rate and Mor/BL development between the 2 groups, although the 8-cell(78.4 v. 63.9%; P = 0.11) and the overall efficiencies (30.6% v. 17.9%; P = 0.14) appeared higher in the follicular group. These results demonstrated that rabbit follicular oocytes at 12 hpi have potential equivalent or maybe better (fusion) than that with oviduct oocytes for promoting the preimplantational development of NT embryos. Table 1.The effect of follicular and oviduct oocytes on the development of rabbit NT embryos Supported by NIH1R43 RR023774-01A1 and 5R44HL091605-03.

157 AGGREGATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF RABBIT CLONED EMBRYOS WITH ZYGOTIC, TETRAPLOID, AND PARTHENOGENETIC EMBRYO IN VITRO

The rabbit compared to other domestic animals, such as cattle and sheep, was a relatively more difficult species to clone. One of the major reasons may be attributed to the low cell number in cloned embryo before implantation. This study was designed to aggregate 2 nuclear transfer (NT) embryos and one with a different origin, determine their developmental potential in vitro, and finally examine the cell number of aggregated embryos. NT was performed with our standard procedure using in vivo derived oocytes and donor cells from adult skin fibroblasts. Zygotes (ZY) were collected from does at 18 h post-hCG and mating. Parthenogenetic (PA) embryos were generated from oocytes with activation protocol, whereas tetraploid embryos (4N) were prepared by fusing fertilized embryos at 2-celled stage into 1-celled stage by electrical pulse. All of the embryos were cultured for 20-24 h into 4-/8-celled stage prior to aggregation. Zona pellucida was then removed and 2 NT embryos were aggregated with 1 embryo originated from ZY, PA, and 4N groups in a depressed droplet containing culture medium. Aggregated embryos were cultured for another 48 h (total 3 days, initiation of activation = Day 0) before being fixed for cell counting. Both single embryo from NT, ZY, PA, and 4N and 3 embryo aggregates (3X) from the same category were used as controls for NT aggregation. The results of 3-day embryo culture in vitro showed that the development of aggregated embryos to blastocyst (BL) stage was 2 NT + ZY, 68.6% (n = 35); 2 NT + 4N, 91.7% (n = 36); and 2 NT+PA, 37.5% (n = 24), whereas 3X aggregates developed to BL at a rate of ZY, 100% (n = 24); 4N, 100% (n = 19); and PA, 100% (n = 14). The BL rates of single embryo control developed into early BL were ZY, 100% (n = 34) and 4N, 93% (n = 36); however, NT and PA developed slower, only 45.4% NT (n = 187) and 79.2% PA (n = 72) to compacted morula/early BL stage. Cell counting data (Table 1) showed that there was no difference in cell number per embryo between NT and PA, whereas ZY and 4N possessed significantly higher cell number than NT and PA (128-162 v. 52-61, P < 0.05) for single embryo category. In the 3X aggregation group, significantly higher cell number per aggregated embryo was found in ZY and 4N compared to that in PA (549-564 v. 196, P < 0.05). More importantly, there was significantly higher cell number found in 2 NT + 4N embryo than that in single 4N (293 v. 162, P < 0.05). This result demonstrated that 2 cloned embryos had propagated and incorporated into 1 tetraploid embryo during pre-implantational development. The next step is to study how NT embryos successfully interact within the aggregated embryo during further development and differentiation, in order to increase the birth rate of clones. Table 1.The cell number of aggragated rabbit embryos between NT and other embryos of different origin after 3 days of culture in vitro Supported by NIH 5R44HL091605-03.