To evaluate herd-level risk factors for seropositive status of cattle to 1 or more bluetongue viruses. 110 herds of cattle in Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Blood samples were collected before and after the vector season. Samples were tested for antibodies against bluetongue virus by use of a commercially available competitive ELISA. Factors evaluated included descriptors of geographic location and management practices. Trapping of insect vectors was conducted to evaluate vector status on a subset of 57 operations. A multivariable logistic regression model was constructed to evaluate associations. For the full data set, altitude and latitude were associated with risk of having seropositive cattle (an increase in altitude was associated with an increase in risk, and a more northerly location was associated with a decrease in risk of a premise having seropositive cattle). Import of cattle from selected states was associated with an increase in risk of having seropositive cattle. From the subset of herds with data on vector trapping, altitude and latitude were associated with risk of having seropositive cattle, similar to that for the full model. However, commingling with cattle from other herds was associated with a decrease in risk of seropositivity. Findings reported here may be useful in generating additional hypotheses regarding the ecologic characteristics of bluetongue viruses and other vector-borne diseases of livestock. Sentinel surveillance programs are useful for documenting regionalization zones for diseases, which can be beneficial when securing international markets for animals and animal products.

In this study we assessed the influences of ultraviolet (UV) light B radiation on epidermal cells by apoptotic sunburn cell (SBC) and the effect of green tea treatment on the inhibition of SBC formation in SKH1-hr mouse. The extent of changes following 200 mJ/㎠ (0.5 mW/sec) was studied at 0, 3, 6, 12, 18, 24, 30 or 36 hours after exposure. SBCs were recognized by 3 hours after irradiation. There was tendency to increase from 3 hours to 24 hours and decrease from then to 36 hours after irradiation. The mice that received 0, 25, 50, 100, 200, 400 or 800 mJ/㎠ of UVB were examined 24 hours after irradiation.

To elucidate the roles of phospho-IkB expression in the development and progression of EAE, we investigated the expression of phospho-IkB in the central nervous system (CNS) of rats during experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) using immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis. In Western blot analysis, the increased expression of phospho-IkB went parallel to severity of EAE. The expression of phospho-IkB increased significantly at the peak stage of EAE followed by gradual decrease. Immunohistochemical studies showed that the phospho-IkB immunoreactivity was mainly expressed in inflammatory cells (macrophages, T cells) and glial cells (astrocytes, microglial cells) at the peak stage of EAE and disappeared at the recovery stage.

13-week orally repeated dose toxicity was investigated to ascertain the toxic effects of Aristolochiae radix in F344 rats at dose levels of 0, 1 (0.003 AA, aristolochic acid, mg/kg), 5 (0.014 AA mg/kg), 25 (0.068 AA mg/kg), 125 (0.34 AA mg/kg), and 500 mg/kg (AA 1.36 mg/kg). No mortalities were found in any of the dose groups including vehicle control groups of both sexes during the study period. Hematologic and serum biochemical examinations revealed no changes related to the test item in any of the dose groups of both sexes. However, gross findings at necropsy implicated thickening of the stomach wall.

African swine fever (ASF) is an infectious disease of domestic and wild pigs for which there is no vaccine in the world. A proper surveillance of viral activity and a timely response to ASF outbreaks depend upon the rapid diagnosis of ASF viral infection. Internationally prescribed enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is a fast, sensitive test routinely used in the diagnosis of the ASF. However, inactivated whole ASF virus antigen used in this test is a tedious to prepare and has a risk of outside exposure of infectious virus by laboratory accident during the preparation.

Much of the interest on the chemopreventive properties of herbs and plants has been raised, whereas little is regarding to anti-tumor effect of farming and aquatic products. In the present study, the anti-tumor effect of hot-water extract of a seaweed, BLC (Sargassum fulvellum) and BLC/HEN egg was investigated using MCF-7 cells in vitro and in vivo systems. We found that the BLC extract and BLC/HEN egg inhibited cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner, which might be mediated through up-regulation of p53. Furthermore, this test compound can directly induce apoptosis in MCF-7 cells, which might be mediated through up-regulation of a pro-apoptotic Bax protein and down-regulation of a anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein, not by immune system.

Canine sarcoptic mite (Sarcoptes scabiei var. canis) is ectoparasite which burrow usually in the stratum corneum of the skin of dogs. Antigens from the burrowing mites induce humoral and cellmediated immune responses in the hosts. The effect of antigenecity induced by somatic antigens of house dust mite (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus) isolated by continuous elution has been evaluated in canine sarcoptic mites infestation. Continuous elution was carried out in 7.5% SDS-PAGE to isolate proteins of common antigens from somatic antigens of house dust mite.

In order to study about the lobule and layer formation and cell migration of the mouse cerebellum from at the birth to 15th day effected by 2.5, 5 and 10 Gy r-raddiation at the 19th pregnancy. The routine tissue preparation and staining procedure, Immunohistochemical staining method by the several antibody and western brotting method were utilized from the birth to the 15th day. The results were as followings. 1. The body and cerebellum weights were more slowly increase of the the 2.5 Gy, 5 Gy and 10 Gy irradiation group compare to the control group, and the health condition of the 2.5 Gy group was a little bad. but the 10 Gy group was more severe and begun to die from the 12th day after birth.

The purpose of this study is to examine the elemental compositions, antioxidant and antitumor activity of water, 20%, 40%, 60%, and 80% ethanol extracts obtained from the fruiting body of Phellinus gilvus. In electron donating ability test, the strong activities more than 70% were observed in 80 μg/ml of 20%, 40%, 60% and 80% ethanol extracts from the fruiting body of P. gilvus grown in oak and sawdust. The antitumor activity was evaluated by sulforhodamine B (SRB) in terms of cell survival level. The tumor cells (sarcoma 180) were treated with various ethanol extracts (water, 20, 40, 60 and 80%). The results showed that all extracts inhibited proliferation showing a dose-dependent manner against tumor cells.

An immunochromatographic (IC) strip for the rapid detection of Salmonella spp. in the enriched sample was developed. Affinity purified Salmonella polyclonal antibody was conjugated with 40 nm colloidal gold particles which were prepared by citrate method in our laboratory. The antigen-antibody-gold complex was captured by Salmonella antibody attached to test line of nitrocellulose membrane during the capillary migration of sample. Specificity of the IC strip was calculated to be 100% (12/12) and sensitivity was 97.6% (41/42) in the test with pure cultured bacteria. Salmonella was artificially inoculated into raw pork macerated with enrichment broth.