WAAVP/Pfizer award for excellence in teaching veterinary parasitology: teaching of veterinary parasitology--quo vadis?

Some thoughts on training and recruitment of academic teachers and future trends in teaching veterinary parasitology are presented with emphasis on the European situation. It is underlined that research is an indispensable basis for academic teaching. Besides a broad scientific background of the teacher, motivation and teaching methods are also important. Many academic teachers do not receive formal training in teaching methods. In order to improve future education, training of staff members in teaching methods should be promoted. Quality control of teaching and research, already established in many schools, should generally be introduced. Teaching is mostly underestimated in relation to research. Therefore, more weight should be placed on the former both in selecting scientists for the career as academic teachers and in evaluating and ranking departments for their academic activities. In the future veterinary medicine will have to cope with profound changes in the society and the veterinary profession, and the progressing European unification will enhance trends for internationalizing teaching curricula. Therefore, veterinary medicine has to reconsider the teaching subjects and methods and to lay more emphasis on flexibility, skills of problem-solving and self-learning and on training for life-long learning. At present there is an ongoing discussion on the question how to teach veterinary medicine, including veterinary parasitology. There are various options, and some of them are discussed, namely, the disciplinary and the problem-based/organ-focussed approaches. It is concluded that for teaching of veterinary parasitology and related disciplines a combined disciplinary and problem-based approach offers the best chances for fulfilling the requirements of teaching for the future. In the curriculum of undergraduate teaching of veterinary medicine at least 70-90 h should be dedicated to veterinary parasitology using a disciplinary and taxonomic approach. Additional hours are required for instructions on clinical cases in approaches focussed on animal species and/or organ diseases. As there is a need for discussing teaching issues, post-graduate specialization, and continuing education in parasitology and related disciplines on national and international levels, it is recommended to WAAVP to include regular workshops on teaching in the programmes of the biannual conferences, and to establish a permanent committee which should collect information and submit proposals for improvement of teaching veterinary parasitology.     

马家塔露天矿生态复垦区土壤养分状况研究

本文系统研究了神东矿区马家塔露天采坑复垦区土壤养分状况,结果显示:复垦区土壤基本上为原始回填土,剖面层次不发育,成土程度很低;土壤机械组成以砾石、粗沙为主,含量高达90%。有机质、含碱解氮含量略高于未受扰动的原状土壤,但速磷、速钾含量均低于原状土壤,总体评价土壤属于养分贫乏型;成土程度低、养分含量少是农林业生产水平不高的主要原因。研究表明通过改良复垦工艺以及提高复垦区生产管理水平是提高土地生产力的主要措施。     

Gas adsorption sites in a large-pore metal-organic framework

The primary adsorption sites for Ar and N2 within metal-organic framework-5, a cubic structure composed of Zn4O(CO2)6 units and phenylene links defining large pores 12 and 15 angstroms in diameter, have been identified by single-crystal x-ray diffraction. Refinement of data collected between 293 and 30 kelvin revealed a total of eight symmetry-independent adsorption sites. Five of these are sites on the zinc oxide unit and the organic link; the remaining three sites form a second layer in the pores. The structural integrity and high symmetry of the framework are retained throughout, with negligible changes resulting from gas adsorption.     

Einfluß von Monoethanolamin auf den Ertrag von Kulturpflanzen

Effect of monoethanolamine on yield of crops
I. Studies on the effect of monoethanolamine on the grain yield and the nitrogen household in cereal plants (pot experiments)
The effect of monoethanolamine (EA, applied as foliar spray, 10 mg per pot) on grain yield and yield components was investigated in pot experiments with spring barley, winter wheat, and winter rye. Under conditions of a moderate drought stress the applied EA increased the grain yield of spring barley from 5 % to 7 % (significance only at α= 0.05). A stimulating effect of EA on the grain yield of winter wheat and winter rye was also obtained.
The positive influence of EA on the grain yield of spring barley was reproducible under the conditions of a limited water supply in small-scale plot experiments (increase of yield about 9 %).
In case of spring barley and winter rye the increase of the grain yield by EA, applied at growth stage 31 (= DC 31) was connected with a greater number of ear-bearing tillers. The increase of the winter wheat yield resulted from more grains per ear of the tillers.
The enhanced formation of tiller grain mass and total tiller biomass by EA was in correlation with a higher nitrogen import into tillers (r = 0.8⁺). Since an export of N from the main shoots into the tillers was not observed a higher N uptake (≥ 6 %) was calculated from N balances. After a fertilization with ¹⁵N-labelled fertilizers the additional ¹⁵N uptake was 13 % to 20 %.
Possible stress reducing activities caused by EA are discussed.     

Myxomatosis of the Depilated Angora rabbit. A Preliminary Study

Abstract— A nodular eruption occurring on the skin of depilated Angora rabbits was studied at 47 rabbit farms in 1988. Virus isolation, electron microscopy, transmission experiments and comparison with experimental infection using recognised strains of myxoma virus confirmed that the disease was myxomatosis. The disease occurred particularly in July and August in rabbits vaccinated in March or April with the heterologous vaccine. Morbidity on farms where lesions occurred only on depilated skin was much lower than on those where generalised forms occurred. In experimental intradermal infections of unvaccinated New Zealand White rabbits, both primary and secondary myxomas occurred earlier in inoculated animals depilated up to five days before or on the day of inoculation; but after six days development of lesions in the depilated area was not observed. The authors advance the hypotheses that the nature ot the spontaneous disease in rabbitries is dependant on the residual level of post-vaccinal immunity. Where this is high, myxomatosis does not occur. Where it is low classical myxomatosis, with numerous lesions on the depilated skin, occurs. Intermediate levels of immunity are able to restrict the development of myxomas to the depilated area. Résumé— Des nodules cutanés, se développant exclusivement sur le dos de quelques animaux récemment épilés, ont été observés en 1988 dans 47 élevages de lapins angora. L'isolement viral, la microscopie électronique, la transmission expérimentale et la comparaison avec l'infection expérimentale par des souches de virus myxomateux ont permis de montrer qu'il s'agissait d'une forme particulière de myxomatose. La maladie était principalement observée en juillet et août sur des lapins vaccinés en mars et avril avec un vaccin hétérologue. La morbidité dans les élevages atteins était significativement inférieure à celle constatée dans les élevages affectés par des formes classiques de myxomatose. L'infection expérimentale de lapins néo-zélandais non vaccinés a montré que le développement des myxomes était plus précoce lorsque les animaux étaient épilés cinq jours avant ou le jour de l'inoculation; mais aucune lésion ne fut observée dans la zone épilée lorsque l'épilation avait lieu plus de six jours après l'inoculation. Les auteurs émettent l'hypothèse que l'aspect de la maladie dépend du niveau résiduel de l'immunité post-vaccinale. Si ce niveau est élevé, la maladie n'apparaît pas. S'il est insuffisant, on observe une forme classique de myxomatose, avec en plus de nombreux myxomes dans la zone cutanée épilée. Une immunité intermédiaire limite le développement des myxomes aux zones cutanées épilées. Zusammenfassung— Das Auftreten von Nodula auf der Haut von enthaarten Angorakaninchen wurde 1988 in 47 Kaninchenfarmen untersucht. Durch Virusisolierung, elektronenmikroskopische Untersuchungen, Übertragungsversuche und den Vergleich mit experimentellen Infektionen mit bekannten Myxomavirusstämmen konnte bestätigt werden, daß es sich bei der Erkrankung urn Myxomatose handelte. Die Ekrankung trat vor allem im Juli und August bei Kaninchen auf, die im März oder April mit heterologen Vakzinen geimpft worden waren. Die Morbidität in Betrieben, wo die Veränderungen nur auf enthaarter Haut auftraten, war viel niedriger als bei denen, wo generalisierte Formen auftraten. Bei experimentellen intradermalen Infektionen nicht geimpfter Weiße Neuseeland-Kaninchen traten sowohl primäre wie sekundäre Myxome früher auf bei den inokulierten Tieren, die bis zu fünf Tage vor der Inokulation depiliert worden waren; 6 Tage danach jedoch wurde keine Entwicklung von Veränderungen im depilierton Bereich festgestellt. Die Autoren stellen die Hypothese auf, daß der Grad der natürlichen Erkrankung in Kaninchenhaltungen von dom residualen Spiegel der durch Impfung erzeugten Immunität abhängt. Wo dieser Spiegel hoch ist, tritt die Myxomatose nicht auf. Wo er niedrig ist, kommt es zu der klassischen Myxomatose mit zahlreichen Veränderungen auf der enthaarten Haut. Mittlere Immunitätsspiegel können die Entwicklung der Myxome of enthaarte Gebiete beschränken. Resumen Una erupción nodular producida en la piel de conejos de Angora depilados fue estudiada en 47 granjas de conejos en 1988. El aislamiento de virus, microscopía electrónica, experimentos de transmisión y la comparación con infecciones experimentales usando cultivos conocidos del virus myxoma, confirmaron que la enfermedad era myxomatosis. La enfermedad ocurrió especialmente en julio y agosto en conejos vacunados en marzo o abril con la vacuna heteróloga. En infecciones experimentales intradérmicas de conejos no vacunados New Zealand y Blancos, ambos myxomas, primario y secundario ocurrieron más pronto en animales inoculados depilados hasta unos cinco dias antes o en el día de la inoculacion; pero después de seis días no se observó desarrollo de lesiones en el area depilada. Los autores avanzaron la hipotesis de que la naturaleza de la enfermedad espontánea en rabbitrios es dependiente del nivel residual de inmunidad post-vacunal. Dónde este es elevado no se produce myxomatosis. Dónde es bajo, se produce la clásica myxomatosis con numerosas lesiones en la piel depilada. Niveles intermedios de inmunidad son capaces de restringir el desarrollo de myxomas en el area depilada.     

A survey of cattle producers in the Boophilus microplus endemic area of Queensland to determine attitudes to the control of and vaccination against tick fever

SUMMARY: A survey by mail was used to determine the views of beef producers in the Boophilus microplus endemic area of Queensland on the control of and vaccination against tick fever. Data from 448 questionnaires were analysed, representing 2.7% of beef producers in the survey area. Producers considered buffalo fly ( Haematobia irritans exigua ) infestation as the most important problem whereas tick fever ranked sixth overall. Private veterinarians were regarded as the most important source of information on vaccines for cattle followed by a weekly rural newspaper. From the survey we estimate that about 33% of producers used the tick fever vaccine produced by the Tick Fever Research Centre of Queensland Department of Primary Industries but there were significant (P < 0.05) variations between regions and herds. Large herds (≥ 400 head) in south-east Queensland were the most likely to be vaccinated against tick fever. Of the producers who did not use the vaccine, over 70% replied that there was no need to vaccinate because of the low risk of the disease in their herds. In 52% of unvaccinated herds the treatment of animals with acaricide was considered the most important means of tick fever control and 61% of these herds comprised Bos indicus x Bos taurus or Bos indicus cattle.