Micromorphology of soils in soliflucted materials,Okstindan, Northern Norway

The micromorphology of two soil profiles developed on turf-banked solifluction lobes and a third profile formed on a larger turf-banked solifluction terrace is described. Four elements common to the three profiles are identified.In the horizontal plane the apparent long axes of detrital grains show preferred orientation parallel to the azimuth of the line of greatest slope, and in slides cut in the vertical plane aligned with the slope direction a somewhat stronger preferred orientation (or apparent dip of the grains) is observed parallel, or sub-parallel to the ground surface gradient. Secondly, coatings of matrix material are observed on the upper surfaces of detrital grains at depths greater than 50 cm. Above this depth similar coatings also appear on the sides and lower surfaces of detrital grains. Roughly horizontal flattened patches of matrix enrichment are also observed in the three profiles. These become more frequent with depth, producing a banded pattern of matrix concentrations separated by detrital grains. Finally, large rounded pores, or vesicles, are observed in the upper 25 cm of the three profiles.These micromorphological elements are described, and suggestions are made as to their origins.     

Impacts of Bolbophorus damnificus (Digenea: Bolbophoridae) on Production Characteristics of Channel Catfish,Ictalurus punctatus,Raised in Experimental Ponds

Bolbophorus damnificus was recognized as a threat to channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, production in Louisiana and Mississippi in 1997 and 1999, respectively. Severe to moderate outbreaks (≥34% prevalence) are correlated to heavy losses, but impact of mild outbreaks with low prevalence (<33%) was unknown. Laboratory and field studies were conducted to evaluate sublethal acute (early stage) and chronic (late stage) trematode infection impacts on catfish production. Fish raised in ponds seeded with ram's horn snails from ponds harboring active B. damnificus outbreaks resulted in infection prevalence ranging from 1.6 to 20.4%. Compared to fish raised in ponds not seeded with infected snails (0% prevalence), fish biomass, number harvested, and total feed fed were significantly lower. These data agree with previous studies where mild infections reduced feed consumption, fish production, and economic returns. Infected fish were collected from ponds and used in a laboratory growth study. Once removed from the infection source, weight gain, growth rate, feed consumption, and feed efficiency were equal to or greater than trematode‐free fish. This suggests that although early B. damnificus infection (premetacercarial development) can severely impact production, infection has little impact on performance once metacercarial cysts are fully developed, and the infection source is removed.     

Conservation and the low population density of invertebrates inside neotropical rain forest

Counts of invertebrates by sweep-netting and beating the stratum of rain forest vegetation between 6 in (15 cm) and 6 ft (1·8 m) have been made during rainy season conditions in N. Brasil and on Barro Colorado Island, Panama Canal, the latter from measured volumes of habitat. This work has been repeated on BCI during the dry season. The average population densities of total catches were 0·97 m³ for rainy season and 1·09 m³ for dry season. Species diversity was very high, therefore numbers per species extremely low. It is suggested that such low population density brings hazards of local extinction, and that the maintenance of such a system depends on the existence of extensive habitat from which recolonisation can occur. If this is so, reserves in rain forest will have to be very large, to ensure long-term survival of many of the invertebrate species.     

A multivariable prognostic model for equine colic patients

A survey of 1965 equine colic cases was conducted from August 1985 to July 1986 ten equine referral hospitals located througout the U.S.A. Two-thirds of the cases were randomly selected for model development (1336), while the remaining cases (629) were used only for subsequent validation of the model. The following outcomes were defined: (1) died or killed prior to discharge from the hospital; or (2) alive at the time of discharge. Only variables which were significant (P<0.05) in an initial bivariate screening procedure and for which there were less than 400 missing values were considered in the multivariable modelling. A multivariable logistic regression model was constructed using a stepwise algorithm. The model used 666 cases and included the following variables: peripheral pulse (normal or weak), pulse rate, surgical or medical treatment, packed cell volume, self-inflicted trauma (absent or present) and capillary refill time. For each horse in the validation data set which had the appropriate variables recorded (n=335), the estimated expected probability of death (expected value) was calculated using the logistic regression equation. Using Bayes theorem, the post-test probability was calculated from the expected value (an estimate of the test odds) and the present probability (the case-fatality rate at each institution). Nomograms of predictive values for different case-fatality rates and expected values were constructed. Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit statistics indicated that the model fitted the model data set well but the validation set poorly. However, when the observed case-fatality rates were compared with the average post-test probabilities for 0.10 increments of post-test probability, qualitatively, the model's performance was better.     

Heavy Metal Content of Coho Oncorhynchus kisutch and Chinook Salmon O. tschawytscha Reared in Deep Upwelled Ocean Waters in Hawaii1

Coho (Oncorhynchus kisutch) and chinook salmon (O. tschawyrscha) were reared in seawater pumped from the 600 m depth at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii. Fish were reared in either 100% deep water at 11 C, or a mixture of 55% deep and 45% surface waters at 17 C. Salmon flesh was analyzed for mercury, zinc, cadmium and lead. Mercury concentration in coho salmon reared at 11 C was significantly lower than the concentration in coho reared at 17 C (P < 0.05), but other heavy metal concentrations in tissue did not differ between the two species or between the two rearing temperatures. Compared with wild salmon from the northwest Pacific Ocean, salmon reared in Hawaii had significantly lower concentrations of mercury and lead (P < 0.05), but significantly higher concentrations of zinc and cadmium. These differences in heavy metal concentration between wild and cultured salmon were most readily explained by differences in the heavy metal content of diets and the lack of heavy metal concentrations in rearing water. The concentration of mercury in salmon tissue was at least 20 times less than the 1.0 μ/g U.S. Food and Drug Administration action level for mercury. Action levels have not been established for zinc, cadmium, and lead.     

A Gis-derived integrated moisture index to predict forest composition and productivity of Ohio forests (U.S.A.)

A geographic information system (GIS) approach was used in conjunction with forest-plot data to develop an integrated moisture index (IMI), which was then used to predict forest productivity (site index) and species composition for forests in Ohio. In this region, typical of eastern hardwoods across the Midwest and southern Appalachians, topographic aspect and position (rather than elevation) change drastically at the fine scale and strongly influence many ecological functions. Elevational contours, soil series mapping units, and plot locations were digitized for the Vinton Furnace Experimental Forest in southeastern Ohio and gridded to 7.5-m cells for GIS modeling. Several landscape features (a slope-aspect shading index, cumulative flow of water downslope, curvature of the landscape, and water-holding capacity of the soil) were used to create the IMI, which was then statistically analyzed with site-index values and composition data for plots. On the basis of IMI values for forest land harvested in the past 30 years, we estimated oak site index and the percentage composition of two major species groups in the region: oak (Quercus spp.), and yellow poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) plus black cherry (Prunus serotina). The derived statistical relationships were then applied in the GIS to create maps of site index and composition, and verified with independent data. The maps show the oaks will dominate on dry, ridge top positions (i.e., low site index), while the yellow poplar and black cherry will predominate on mesic sites. Digital elevation models with coarser resolution (1:24K, 1:100K, 1:250K) also were tested in the same manner. We had generally good success for 1:24K, moderate success for 1:100K, but no success for 1:250K data. This simple and portable approach has the advantage of using readily available GIS information which is time-invariant and requires no fieldwork. The IMI can be used to better manage forest resources where moisture is limiting and to predict how the resource will change under various forms of ecosystem management.     

Seroprevalence and comparison of isolates of endometriotropic bovine herpesvirus-4.

Sixty-eight cases of suppurative, ulcerative endometritis associated with Bovine Herpesvirus-4 (BHV-4) in postparturient dairy cows (62 Holsteins and 6 Jerseys, mean age 4.2 years) were confirmed by a combination of histopathology, fluorescent antibody assays, electron microscopic evaluation of uterus, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). All cases occurred in the 3- to 28-day postpartum period, and histologic lesions among various cows were consistent when compared with postpartum interval. The endometrial lining epithelium was necrotic and ulcerated from 3 to 7 days postpartum, with only mild inflammation in the lamina propria and submucosa. From 1 to 4 weeks postpartum, the ulcers were confluent to diffuse. Epithelium was replaced by fibrinonecrotic, suppurative mats, resulting in severe bacterial pyometra by day 24. Seroprevalence to BHV-4 in one dairy with a history of 18 mortality cases was 36% (107 of 296). In a random sample of 8 cows from this herd, none had serologic titers in blood sampled 2 weeks prepartum, but 3 of 8 seroconverted with significant titers of 1:8 to 1:16 at 2 weeks postpartum. By 10 weeks postpartum, all 8 cows returned to negative serologic status. Two of 6 cats from the premises also had positive titers. Random serum samples taken from 480 dairy cattle at sale barns indicated 76 (16%) were positive by serum neutralization. Clinical signs, postparturient timing, and histologic lesions were very similar to those previously reported in Belgium with BHV-4. But sequence analysis of PCR products of the glycoprotein B region of 4 separate field isolates of endometriotropic BHV-4 suggests these field isolates were more closely related to the North American nonvirulent strain DN-599 than to the endometriotropic European strain V.     

QUANTIFICATION OF CEREBRAL VENTRICULAR VOLUME IN ENGLISH BULLDOGS

Quantitative measurement of cerebral ventricle volume of eight English bulldogs was performed using magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. The mean ventricular volume was 14.8 ml. with a range of 8.6 m1.-38.1 ml. The mean ventricular volume of two beagles was 2.2 ml with a range of 0.7 m1.3.7 ml. The percent of intracranial volume occupied by ventricle was found to be significantly larger in bulldogs (14.0%; S.D. = 7.9%) than in beagles (Range = 1.048%). The relationship between the percent of intracranial volume occupied by ventricle and measurements of body weight, age, sex, and various measures of skull anatomy of the bulldog was also determined. The relationship between ventricular volume and neurologic dysfunction was examined. There was a possible trend between high percent of intracranial volume occupied by ventricle and low body weight. This study will serve as a pilot study for examining the relationship between ventricular volume and neurologic disease in bulldogs.