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Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of feeding Microfused Essential Oil Technology (MEOT, Ralco Nutrition, Inc.) to mature boars on their semen production and semen quality biomarkers. In Experiment 1, boars (n = 21) housed at a commercial boar stud were fed MEOT in their diet. These boars were collected in their normal collection routine of twice per week. Total motile sperm count was measured for each collection over a 10-month period (December to September). A baseline motile sperm count was determined for each boar during the 2 months before the beginning of the MEOT feeding in February. Repeated measures analysis was conducted to evaluate the effects of sperm production over time. Feeding MEOT to boars resulted in greater motile sperm count (P< 0.0001) and greater (P< 0.0001) economic revenue per collection. In Exp. 2, the objective was to determine if the increased semen production measured had any impact on semen quality biomarkers. Semen samples were collected from the same boar stud used in Exp. 1 after MEOT feeding. Control samples were collected from a boar stud using similar boar genotypes, environmental condition, semen extender, and time from collection. One 75 mL extended semen dose from 8 to 10 boars across 3 weeks was collected and sent to the laboratory for semen quality analysis. The traits and biomarkers that were analyzed for each sample included morphology, zinc signature, plasma membrane integrity (detected by propidium iodide; PI), lectin PNA acrosome health, lectin LCA membrane health, reactive oxygen species status (ROS; detected by H2DCFDA), aggresome (AGG), and DNA fragmentation (dected by acridine orange). No differences in morphology (P> 0.05) were detected. For the MEOT-fed boars, a greater portion (P< 0.001) of the sperm population was in the zinc signature 2 category indicating more live, non-capacitated sperm and a lesser portion (P< 0.0003) in the zinc signature 4 category indicating less dead, fully capacitated sperm. In addition, for PI, a greater portion (P< 0.03) of the sperm were live with good plasma membrane integrity for boars fed MEOT versus the controls. A greater portion of the sperm from the MEOT-fed boars had better acrosome integrity (P< 0.001) as well as tail membrane health (P< 0.01). No differences (P> 0.05) were observed for ROS. Semen from MEOT-fed boars had less AGG misfolded proteins (P< 0.0001) and a tendency (P< 0.07) for less DNA fragmentation. These data indicate that feeding MEOT to boars resulted in greater motile sperm production and that did not result in a negative impact on semen quality with many semen biomarkers being improved in MEOT-fed boars.

We have purified and characterized active recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) 2A. Implantation of the recombinant protein in rats showed that a single BMP can induce bone formation in vivo. A dose-response and time-course study using the rat ectopic bone formation assay revealed that implantation of 0.5-115 micrograms of partially purified recombinant human BMP-2A resulted in cartilage by day 7 and bone formation by day 14. The time at which bone formation occurred was dependent on the amount of BMP-2A implanted; at high doses bone formation could be observed at 5 days. The cartilage- and bone-inductive activity of the recombinant BMP-2A is histologically indistinguishable from that of bone extracts. Thus, recombinant BMP-2A has therapeutic potential to promote de novo bone formation in humans.

Operationally-oriented research on data link was reviewed as a source of evidence on how human characteristics will interact with data link technology to affect the exchange of information between the ground system and the flight deck. The paper discusses the need for ATC/flight deck integration and then introduces key aspects of the integration problem. This is followed by a brief synthesis of the research findings on controller-pilot information transfer via data link. The research findings are analyzed with respect to operational and human factors issues in ATC/flight deck integration. The conclusion of the paper discusses implications of the simulation research for ATC/flight deck integration in the future system environment.

There is evidence that phases of the moon affect wild animal behaviors including reproduction. However, there is little evidence of moon phase effects on domestic livestock behavior. This study investigated the effects of moon phase and climatic variables on boar ejaculate traits. Records of 4,149 semen collections from boars of 9 different breeds were used. The response variables were volume of ejaculate, concentration of sperm in the ejaculate, and number of doses obtained per ejaculate. Moon phase, highest daily temperature (T), lowest daily T, average daily relative humidity (RH), temperature-humidity index (THI), season and the interaction of moon phase with season were analyzed at the day of collection and 45 days prior to date of collection as a proxy of initiation of spermatogenesis. For both dates analyzed, breed of boar, season and the interaction of season with moon had significant effects (P<.05) on the volume of the ejaculate. Moon phase had a significant effect (P<.05) on volume of ejaculate at the date of collection. Sperm concentration was significantly affected (P<.05) by breed, high and low temperature, THI, RH and the interaction of moon phase with season. Season showed a significant effect (P<0.01) on concentration of sperm at the initiation of spermatogenesis. For doses obtained/ejaculate, the effects of breed, season, moon phase and the interaction between season and moon phase were significant (P<.05) at collection date and at the initiation of spermatogenesis. A highly significant (P<.0001) interaction between season and moon phase was found for volume of ejaculate, sperm concentration and number of doses obtained per ejaculate at date of collection. Yorkshire boars had the highest volume of ejaculate (305.96 ± 15.20ml) and Duroc boars had the lowest (167.55 ± 13.21ml). Duroc boars showed the highest concentration of sperm (527.10 ± 24.98x106/ml). A significant effect of moon phase at the day of collection and 45 days prior was observed on the number of doses/ejaculate. The significant interaction of season and moon phase on boar semen quality traits suggests that to maximize productivity of modern swine production systems further investigation is needed.

Five herpes simplex virus mutants known or presumed to contain mutations in their DNA polymerase genes conferring resistance to acyclovir and arabinosyladenine also proved to exhibit some degree of resistance to (R)-9-(3,4-dihydroxybutyl)guanine (buciclovir). For one mutant, a buciclovir resistance mutation was mapped to a region of the viral DNA polymerase gene proposed to encode the deoxynucleoside 5'-triphosphate binding domain. These data implicate the viral polymerase as a target of buciclovir action that contributes to its antiviral selectivity.

Thermal conditions were measured with temperature and humidity sensors (Onset® Hobologgers) in eleven commercial boar studs in five states. Large White x Landrace F1 boars (n=12; Choice Genetics®) were exposed to representative summertime conditions (heat stress, HS; 22 to 25°C) and heat wave conditions (HW; 25 to 32°C) utilizing the Brody Environmental Chambers at the University of Missouri. Neck and testicular drippers (1 gph) with and without forced air (100 cfm) were applied directly to each boar in a Latin square design with three day periods. Nooyen’s® Cool Sow Floor was tested with each boar under HS and HW using a switchback design with a seven day period. Shoulder, ear, scrotal, and rectal temperatures as well as respiration rate at 0700 and 1500 hours were recorded. Boars were implanted surgically with two temperature sensing telemetry devices (Anipill® Temperature Implant): one implanted between the peritoneum and the body wall (core temperature); the other sutured between the testicular tunics (testicular temperature). Boar temperatures were analyzed using PROC MIXED (SAS 9.4). Least squares means were calculated after nonsignificant effects and interactions were removed in a stepwise fashion. The treatment most effective at creating the largest difference between treatment and control was the combination of drippers and fans on both scrotum and neck. Subsequently, this was applied to six boars (TRT) and six received no cooling (control) with all under HS. The implanted device data showed that the treatment boars had significantly lower testicular temperatures than control (32.90°C vs. 33.90°C, p-value = 0.002). However, core temperature did not vary significantly between boars. After two months boars were slaughtered and sperm collected from the epididymides of each boar. Sperm analysis was conducted using an image based flow cytometer measuring DNA fragmentation (TUNEL) ubiquitination (anti-ubiquitin/UBB antibody), surface glycosylation (lectin LCA), and acrosomal abnormalities (lectin PNA). Critical thresholds for each trait were identified as percentage of sample: TUNEL less than 5%, UBB less than 30%, LCA less than 10% and PNA greater than 50%. Cooling was effective at mitigating the impact of heat stress on sperm quality parameters, with a higher proportion of TRT boars meeting sperm quality targets (n TRT vs n CONTROL, 6 vs. 4 for TUNEL, 4 vs. 2 UBB, 4 vs. 2 LCA, and 4 vs. 1 for PNA respectively). Even under relatively mild thermal stress representative of commercial boar studs in the US, opportunities to improve sperm quality through cooling exist.

This method for preparing paraffin sections of plant material is a modification of Pasternack's one-hour method for animal tissues. Fixation in Randolph's CRAF fixative is hastened by heat and increased vapor pressure obtained by the use of screw top vials. Dehydration with Zirkle's butyl alcohol series likewise is hastened in the same manner. The rapid penetration of paraffin by the use of 1/2 paraffin and 1/2 butyl alcohol in heated screw top vials shortens the embedding process. Sections are held on the slide thru staining by albumen fixative and a coating of 0.2% celloidin in absolute alcohol and ether. Good penetration with freedom from shrinkage or distortion is obtained and root tip chromosome counts can be made in approximately 3 hours.