Effects of oral calcium bolus supplementation on intracellular polymorphonuclear leukocyte calcium levels and functionality in primiparous and multiparous dairy cows.

The objectives of this study were (1) to characterize Ca levels and polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) function in primiparous and multiparous animals following oral Ca bolus supplementation, and (2) to determine differential responses of boluses containing a lower dose of Ca than traditionally used in primiparous animals on Ca levels and PMN function. Jersey × Holstein crossbred animals (n = 104) were enrolled within 24 h of parturition. All animals were blocked by time relative to calving and randomly assigned to treatment.

Technical note: Effect of delayed analysis of cooled lithium-heparinized whole blood on the stability of ionized calcium, ionized magnesium, sodium, potassium, chloride, glucose, and lactate in samples from dairy cows.

The objectives of this study were to describe the stability of bovine whole-blood electrolytes, glucose, and lactate in samples collected in lithium heparin tubes and stored in thermoconductive modules immersed in ice water. A total of 99 Jersey cows (40 first-parity, 18 second-parity, and 41 third-parity or greater cows) from a commercial dairy farm in West Texas were enrolled between June and July 2018. Blood was collected from the jugular vein using a 60-mL polypropylene syringe and equally distributed into 5 spray-dried evacuated lithium heparin tubes.

The value of routine dilated pupil screening examination.

We evaluated the cost-effectiveness of routine dilated fundus examination in improving visual outcomes. The cost of routine dilated fundus examination was related to the number of preventable cases of vision-threatening peripheral retinal disease. Patients with these diseases who had no risk factors were ascertained in a population of 1.

Intramolecular Excited State Electronic Coupling Along an alpha-Helical Peptide.

Several families of peptides composed of alternating L-alanine (Ala) and alpha-aminoisobutyric acid (Aib) residues with an appended N,N-dimethylanilino and/or 2-naphthalenyl group exist in MeOH and CDCl(3) as alpha-helices. Steady state and time-resolved fluorescence measurements show that the distance and dihedral angle between the appended donor and acceptor and the alignment of the vectors for intramolecular charge transfer interaction (from donor to acceptor) with or against that of the helical dipole moment significantly influence the efficiency of photoinduced electronic coupling and, hence, of intramolecular fluorescence quenching.