A Blinded Comparison of the Efficacy of Daily and Twice Daily Trimethoprim-Sulfadiazine and Daily Sulfadimethoxine-Ormetoprim Therapy in the Treatment of Canine Pyoderma

Abstract— In a blinded trial to determine the efficacy of potentiated sulfa drugs in the treatment of canine pyoderma, 50 dogs with superficial pyoderma were randomly assigned to receive either once or twice daily trimethoprim-sulfadiazine (30mg.kg^-1) or once daily sulfadimethoxine-ormetoprim (55mg.kg^-1 on the first day, then 27.5 mg.kg^-1 thereafter). Dogs were evaluated prior to antibiotic therapy. Clinical efficacy of the antibiotic was assessed after 3 weeks of antibiotic therapy and, if needed, after 6 weeks of antibiotic therapy. Forty-five dogs completed the study; 43 dogs were used in the statistical analysis. The percentage of dogs that were cured of their pyoderma with once daily trimethoprim-sulfadiazine was 38.5% by 3 weeks and 75.9% by 6 weeks. With twice daily trimethoprim-sulfadiazine, 57.1 and 78.6% of dogs were cured by 3 and 6 weeks, respectively. With once daily sulfadimethoxine-ormetoprim, 75.0 and 100% of dogs were cured by 3 and 6 weeks, respectively. This difference was not statistically significant, possibly due to the low sample size. Few adverse effects were noted. Résumé— Dans une étude en double aveugle pour apprécier l'efficacité des sulfamides potentialisés dans le traitement des pyodermites canines, cinquante chiens présentant une pyodermite superficielle ont reçu, au hasard, soit deux fois ou une fois par jour du triméthoprime-sulfadiazine (30 mg.kg^-1) ou une fois par jour du sulfadiméthoxine-ormétoprime (55mg.kg^-1 le premier jour, puis 27.5 mg.kg^-1). Les chiens ont étéévalués avant le traitement. L'efficacité clinique de l'antibiotique a été appréciée après 3 semaines de traitement et, si besion est, après 6 semaines. Le pourcentage de chiens guéris avec une prise quotidienne de triméthoprime-sulfadiazine était de 33.5%à 3 semaines et 75.9%à 6 semaines. Avec des prises biquotidiennes de triméthoprime-sulfadiazine 57.1% et 78.6% des chiens étaint guéris à 3 et 6 semaines. Avec une prise quotidienne de sulfadiméthoxine-ormétoprime, 75.0% et 100.0% des chiens étaient guéris à 3 et 6 semaines. Cette différence n'était pais statistiquement significative, probablement à cause de la taille trop faible de l'échantilon. Très peu d'effects secondaires ont été notés. Zusammenfassung— Für eine Blindstudie zur Bestimmung der Wirksamkeit von potenzierten Sulfonamidpräparaten bei der Behandlung kaniner Pyrodermie wurden 50 Hunde mit oberflächlicher Pyodermie zufällig ausgewählt, um entweder einmal oder zweimal täglich Trimethoprim-Sulfadiazin (30mg/kg) oder einmal täglich Sulfadimethoxin-Ormetoprim zu erhalten (55 mg/kg am ersten Tag, danach 27,5 mg/kg). Die Hunde wurden vor der antibotischen Therapie untersucht. Die klinische Wirksamkeit der Antibiose wurde nach 3 Wochen antibiotischer Therapie und, wenn nötig, nach 6 Wochen antibiotischer Therapie ausgewertet. 45 Hunde durchliefen die Studie vollständig; 43 Hunde fanden in die statistische Analyse Eingang. Der Prozentsatz der Hunde, deren Pyrodermie durch einmal tägliches Trimethoprim-Sulfadiazin geheilt wurde, lag bei 38,5% nach 3 Wochen und bei 75,9% nach 6 Wochen. Bei zweimaliger Trimethoprim-Sulfadiazin-Verabreichung wurden 57,1% und 78,6% der Hunde nach 3 bzw. 6 Wochen geheilt. Mit einer einmal täglichen Verabreichung von. Sulfadimethoxin-Ormetoprim wurden 75,0% und 100% der Hunde nach 3 bzw. 6 Wochen geheilt. Dieser Unterschied war statistisch nicht signifikant, möglicherweise aufgrund der geringen Fallzahlen. Es wurden nur wenige Nebenwirkungen festgestellt. Resumen A cincuenta perros que presentaban pioderma superficial se les evaluó para la eficacia de antibioticos potenciados de tipo sulfamídico en el tratamiento del pioderma canino, por medio de la administración de una a dos veces diarias de trimetoprim-sulfadiazina (30 mg/kg), o sulfadimetoxinaormetoprim una vez al día (55 mg/kg en al primer día, y 27.5 mg/kg después de la primera dosis). Los animales se examinaron antes del tratamiento con antibióticos. La eficacia clínica del tratamiento se evaluó a las tres o seis semanas en los casos necesarios. Cuarenta y cinco de los perros completaron el estudio; 43 se utilizaron en analisis estadísticos. El porcentaje de perros curados con el tratamiento diario a base de trimetoprim-sulfadiazina fué del 38.5% a las 3 semanas, y 75.9% a las 6 semanas. De los animales tratados dos veces al día con trimetoprim-sulfadiazina, el porcentaje de cura fue del 57.1% y 78.6%, a las 3 y 6 semanas respectivamente. Con el tratamiento a base de sulfadimetoxina-ormetoprim una vez al día, 75.0% y 100% de los perros fueron curados a las tres y seis semanas. La diferencia no se encontró estadísticamente significativa, posiblemente debido al reducido número de perros evaluados. Se observaron posas reacciones adversas a la medicación.     

Effect of Integration of Fertilizer and Green Manure Nitrogen on Yield Attributes, Nitrogen Uptake and Yield of Lowland Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Field experiments were conducted at Tamil Nadu Rice Research Institute, Aduthurai, India, during the wet seasons of 1992 and 1993 to study the effect of full and partial substitution of fertiliser N with green manure N (Sesbania rostrata) on nitrogen uptake, yield attributes and yield of rice. The experiment consisted of eight treatments with two levels of N (100 and 200 kg ha⁻¹) and three sources of N application viz., fertilizer, integrated (1:1 fertilizer and green manure N) and green manure N compared to the recommended practice (150 kg fertilizer plus 6.25 t ha⁻¹ (72 kg N) green manure) and a no N control. Nitrogen application markedly increased the N uptake. Combined use of the two N sources at 200 and 222 kg N ha⁻¹ and of single fertilizer N at 200 kg N ha⁻¹ recorded the maximum N uptake, increased the yield attributes such as number of panicles per unit area, weight per panicle, number of total and filled grains per panicle and test weight. At 200 kg N ha⁻¹ full substitution of N by green manure reduced the grain yield but only partial substitution of N by green manure resulted in almost similar yield as single fertilizer N. Thus 200 kg N ha⁻¹ applied in equal proportions of fertilizer and green manure N can be recommended for medium duration rice cultivars.     

Does the induction agent affect the course of halothane anaesthesia in horses?

Four hundred and ninety horses were anaesthetised with halothane for clinical surgical or diagnostic procedures following induction with either detomidine/keta-mine, detomidine/thiopentone, xylazine/ketamine or guaiphenesin/thiopentone. Routine clinical monitoring was performed during anaesthesia. All horses developed hypotension (mean arterial pressures below 80 mm Hg) and respiratory depression (significant fall in respiratory rate and arterial carbon dioxide tension above 7 kPa (53 mm Hg)) consistent with the recognised effects of halothane. All anaesthetic procedures incorporating xylazine or detomidine resulted in lower pulse rates (28–35 per min) than after guaiphenesin/thiopentone (36–44 per min) and there was greater respiratory depression after techniques employing thiopentone rather than keta-mine. Development of hypotension was delayed after techniques using the α₂ adrenoceptor agonist agents (xylazine and detomidine), particularly detomidine. Prernedication with acepromazine did not affect any of the physiological variables measured after techniques employing detomidine. Recovery to standing was fastest after xylazine/ketamine (31±1 min) and slowest after detomidine/thiopentone (53±2 min). Recovery quality was best after detomidine/thiopentone and all techniques employing an α₂ adrenoceptor agonist agent resulted in smoother recovery than after guaiphenesin/thiopentone. This study demonstrates that most of the physiological effects of individual induction agents are overridden by the cardiovascular and respiratory depressant effects of halothane. The study also shows that detomidine is an acceptable sedative for use before general anaesthesia with halothane in horses.     

Vererbung des β-Glucangehaltes der Haferkaryopse

Inheritance process for β-glucan content in oat caryopsis
Due to the fact that there are only few studies concerning β-glucans in oat caryopsis with regard to plant-breeding aspects, three oat crosses were performed (cross 19 = low × high, cross 86 = low × low, cross 98 = high × high). In all of the three oat crosses, lower β-glucan content (% DM) was recorded in F, than in F, indicating that the β-glucan content (% DM) at a higher heterozygoty grade is lower than at a reduced heterozygoty grade. This points to a dominant inheritance of lower β-glucan content (% DM). A tendency towards the female β-glucan content (% DM) could not be proven. Thus, it can be started from a nuclear genetic inheritance of the β-glucan content (% DM). In most cases, the experiments showed a normal distribution of β-glucan content (% DM), indicating for several genes a quantitative inheritance of β-glucan content (% DM). By means of the regression of the F₃-lines to the F₂-plants, the narrow-sense heritability could be calculated for the cross 86 (h²= 0.51***) and the cross 98 (h²= 0.48***). The heritability for the cross 19 was not significant.     

Sphaeropsis shoot blight and altered nutrition in red pine plantations treated with paper mill waste sludge

During 1993 progressive, severe shoot blight and canker disease in crowns of mature, merchantable red pines (Pinus resinosa) in central Wisconsin was noted in plantations in which paper mill waste sludge previously had been applied. For eight treated plantations and six non‐treated plantations, incidence of shoot blight attributed to the pathogenic fungus Sphaeropsis sapinea (syn. Diplodia pinea) was quantified during 1993 or 1994. Foliage and soil samples also were collected for analyses. Sphaeropsis shoot blight was more frequent in treated plantations than in the non‐treated stands (means of 81% of trees and 10.2% of shoots compared with 7% of trees and 0.1% of shoots, respectively). Consistent with other reports of damage caused by some diseases of conifers in situations of altered host nutrition, mean foliar N concentrations were higher in treated plantations (1.61%) than non‐treated plantations (1.31%) (p < 0.001). Mean foliar Zn, Mn, Cu, and Al concentrations were lower in treated plantations than non‐treated plantations, and mean soil P, Ca, and Mg concentrations were higher in treated plantations than non‐treated plantations.     

舍饲安哥拉周岁公羊行为习性观察

对 6只舍饲安哥拉周岁公羊进行连续三天昼夜行为习性观察 ,结果表明 :周岁安哥拉山羊在舍饲情况下每昼夜反刍时间 (min)为 45 7 2 5± 2 4 39,睡眠时间为 2 96 5 0± 41 5 0 ,采食时间为 2 65 0 0± 2 2 31,其他时间为 15 4 2 5± 72 76。反刍与采食的时间比为 1 7∶1,明显大于正常的反刍与采食比 (0 5～ 1)的上限。反刍、睡眠和采食也与其它山羊相差较大。周岁安哥拉山羊的反刍、睡眠多发生在夜间 ,采食活动及其它一些动作如打架、自淫多发生在白天。安哥拉山羊白天排粪、排尿次数多于黑夜 ,昼夜排粪次数差异极显著。安哥拉山羊对牧草及灌木有较强的选择性 ,对饮水的卫生要求极为严格 ,拒饮不干净的水     

Clinical equine dysautonomia and autonomic neuron damage.

Damage to the neurons of selected autonomic ganglia was quantified in relation to the severity of the clinical signs shown in acute, subacute and chronic cases of dysautonomia (grass sickness). No connection between the clinical severity of acute or subacute dysautonomia and the amount of neuronal damage in the superior cervical, stellate and coeliaco-mesenteric ganglia could be demonstrated. However, a higher proportion of normal neurons were found in chronic cases. Jejunal submucosal neuronal damage was correlated with clinical severity but further work is required to confirm this finding and to establish how widespread the alimentary neuronal lesions are in dysautonomia of different severities.