The incidence of bruising in broiler flocks

1. The amount of down‐grading due to bruising in 55 flocks of broilers was investigated.

4. Bruising was classified as light or bad bruising and it is suggested that this division represents two distinct types of bruises with different causes.

3. The incidence of bruising was greater in female flocks than in male although the bruising in the former tended to be less severe.

4. The relationships between incidence of bruising and several variables associated with the flock and the environment were examined using regression analysis. The factors shown to have a significant influence on the incidence of bruising were: the age and mean weight of the flock, and the temperature and humidity on the day of processing.     

An age-related coagulation disorder associated with experimental infection with infectious bursal disease virus

Specific-pathogen-free White Leghorn chickens were inoculated with a field strain of infectious bursal disease virus. One group (A) was inoculated at 17 days after the chicks were hatched, and the other groups (C and E) were inoculated at posthatch day 42. Blood samples were obtained for determination of clotting times (whole blood recalcification, prothrombin, and activated partial thromboplastin times), virus-neutralizing antibody, and total hemolytic complement. There were significant increases in clotting times for groups C and E at 3 and 5 days after they were inoculated. There were no significant increases in clotting times at 3 days after inoculation in the group A chickens (inoculated at 17 days after hatching). There were no significant decreases in total complement activity in any of these chickens (groups A, C, and E). This study indicates that the mortality and clinical symptoms observed in chickens experimentally infected with infectious bursal disease virus may be associated with a clotting abnormality because it was noted only in chickens that developed severe clinical disease (inoculated at 42 days after hatching) and was not noted in chickens that remained clinically normal (inoculated at 17 days).     

Chronic renal failure in young dogs–possible renal dysplasia

The clinico-pathological findings are described in thirteen young dogs with advanced renal disease. All but three dogs were less than 2 years old. Some had signs of renal dysfunction since birth. Presenting signs were variable but anorexia, lethargy and weight loss were most frequent. All dogs had raised blood urea levels and most passed dilute urine; proteinuria and anaemia were variable findings. At necropsy all dogs had extra-renal lesions of renal failure and finely granular or lobulated, shrunken kidneys. The microscopical appearances of the kidneys were not those of amyloidosis, inflammatory or glomerular disease but were considered likely to be of developmental origin. The renal lesions were divided into three histologically distinct groups.

• 1 Predominantly cystic and connective tissue changes, characterized by striking dilatation of glomerular capsular spaces and cortical tubules.
• 2 Atypical connective tissue changes in which there were segmental bands of fibrous tissue containing primitive glomerular and tubular structures.
• 3 Predominantly glomerular and connective tissue changes, characterized by varying degrees of glomerulosclerosis and widespread calcification of glomeruli, tubules and blood vessels.

All groups had cortical and medullary interstitial fibrosis but minimal inflammatory cell infiltrates.     

Chronic subclinical ovine fascioliasis: plasma glutamate dehydrogenase, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase and aspartate aminotransferase activities and their significance as diagnostic aids

The effect of low grade chronic Fasciola hepatica infection on the concentration of plasma glutamate dehydrogenase (GD), gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (gamma-GT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) was investigated in sheep dosed daily with three (AL3), eight (AL8) or 14 (AL14) metacercariae over 22 weeks or given a single dose of 200 metacercariae. Significant increases in plasma GD activity first occurred after nine, 12 and 23 weeks and in gamma-GT activity after 12, 24 and 32 weeks for groups AL14, AL8 and AL3 respectively. Changes in AST activity were not as clearly related to dose level. In sheep with single infection, both GD and gamma-GT were capable of detecting liver damage resulting from the migration of 10 or more flukes. Plasma GD and gamma-GT activities are more sensitive indicators of liver cell damage in chronic subclinical fascioliasis than AST activity and gamma-GT may be more suitable as a diagnostic aid on account of its greater stability.     

Embryo transfer: a discussion on its potential for infectious disease control based on a review of studies on infection of gametes and early embryos by various agents

Studies on laboratory animals have shown that viruses vary as to whether or not they are transmissible by the gametes or are capable of passing through the zona pellucida and infecting the embryo.

Methods of studying early embryos for the presence of infectious agents include electron microscopy, immunocytochemistry and cell cultivation.

Determination that early bovine embryos do not become infected by certain agents might allow for easing of restrictions in the current import and export regulations for cattle embryos.

Embryo transfer could be used as a means of controlling or eliminating disease in a herd or flock if the causal agent does not infect the early embryo via the gametes or by penetrating the zona pellucida.

     

Preliminary investigation of a possible lung worm (Parafilaroides decorus), fish (Girella nigricans), and marine mammal (Callorhinus ursinus) cycle for San Miguel sea lion virus type 5

Colostrum-deprived neonatal Northern fur seal pups (Callorhinus ursinus) were exposed to San Miguel sea lion virus type 5 (SMSV-5) by feeding them fish (Girella nigricans) infected with virus or fish infected with both the sea lion lung worm larvae (Parafilaroides decorus) and virus. Virus infection was demonstrated in 8 of 9 pups, and 1 of these developed a vesicular lesion on the flipper. In this sequence, P decorus larvae exposed to SMSV-5 were fed to G nigricans held at 15 C in a salt water aquarium; 32 days later, these fish were killed, then fed to the fur seal pups. The vesicle developed 22 days subsequent to this and SMSV-5 was reisolated from the lesion. The SMSV-5 was shown to persist for at least 23 days in infected neonatal fur seals. Attempts to establish P decorus infection in Northern fur seal pups were apparently unsuccessful.     

Tests of soil fertility following repeated applications of MCPA, tri-allate, simazine and linuron

The following herbicides were applied annually from 1963 to experimental plots of appropriate crops grown in monoculture: MCPA 1.7 kg ha^?1, triallate 1.7 kg ha^?1, simazine 1.7 kg ha^?1 and linuron 0.84 kg ha^?1 (applied twice per year). Before the eighth treatment in 1970, nutrient status, pH and growth in greenhouse tests of a range of plants were similar in soils from treated and control plots. There were no significant differences in yield when several test crops were grown in the field plots in 1977. In a similar experiment which ran for 6 years, the same herbicides were applied twice per year at twice the above rates on each occasion (three times a year at 1.7 kg ha^?1 in the case of linuron) to uncropped plots. Three years after the last treatment, there were no differences in extractable nutrients, pH, soil structure and crop yield on treated or control plots. These results support the conclusion from the main monitoring of the experiments reported elsewhere that annual treatments with these herbicides have had no adverse affect on the soil.     

Absorption and translocation of 14C fosamine by three woody plant species

Absorption and translocation of ¹⁴C fosamine (ethyl hydrogen (aminocarbonyl) phosphonate) and/or fosamine metabolites were monitored in intermediately susceptible seedling black cherry (Prunus serotina Ehrh.) and resistant seedling rhododendron (Rhododendron sp.) and magnolia (Magnolia sp.). The mid two-thirds of the third leaf below the apical bud of each plant was treated with 0·5 μCi ¹⁴C fosamine (carbonyl carbon labelled). Plants were harvested 3, 7 and 14 days following treatment. In black cherry the majority of ¹⁴C absorption and translocation occurred during the second week following treatment, while magnolia and rhododendron translocated and absorbed most of the ¹⁴C within 3 days after treatment. Retention of ¹⁴C in the treated portion of the treated leaf did not differ between species. However, total translocated ¹⁴C was greatest in black cherry, less in magnolia, und minimal in rhododendron. Magnolia translocated ¹⁴C basipetally, while black cherry translocated acropetally, as well as basipetally. Absorpiion et migration de la fosamine ¹⁴C chez trois espèces de plantes ligneuses L'absorptlon et la migration de La ¹⁴C fosamine ((amino carbonyl) phosphonate d'éthyle hydrogène) et/ou de ses métabolites, ont étéétudiées chez des plantules moyennement sensibles de Prunus serotina (Ehrh.) et chez des plantules résistantes de rhododendron (Rhododendron sp.) et de magnolia (Magnolia sp). Les deux tiers moyens de la troisième feuille en-dessous du bourgeon apical de chaque plant ont été traités avec 0.5 Ci ¹⁴C de fosamine (marquée sur le carbone du carbonyl). Les plantes ont été récoltées 3, 7 et 14 jours après le traitement. Chez P. serotina, la plus grande partie de l'absorption et de la migration du ¹⁴C a eu lieu durant la deuxième semaine après le traitement, alors que chez le magnolia et le rhododendron, le maximum d'adsorption et de migration s'est situé dans les trois jours qui ont suivi le traitement. La rétention du ¹⁴C dans la partie traitée n'a pas variè d'une espèce à l'autre. Toutefois, la quantité totale de ¹⁴C qui a migré a été plus grande chez P. serotina, moindre chez le magnolia et minimaie chez le rhododendron. Chez le magnolia, la migration du ¹⁴C s'opere dans le sens basipète, alors que chez le P. serotina. elle s'effectue aussi bien dans le sens acropète que dans le sens basipète. Aufnahme- und Trunstokaiion von ¹⁴C-Fosaminc bei drei Gehölzpflanzen Es wurde die Aufnahme und die Translokation von ¹⁴C Fosamine (O-Äthyl-aminocarbonylphosphonsäure) und/oder seiner Abbauprodukte bei drei Gehölzarten beobachtet. Verwendet wurden Sämlinge der Traubenkirsche (Prunus serotina Ehrh.), die eine mittlere Empfindlichkeit zeigt und Sämlinge des resistenten Rhododendron (Rhododendron sp.) und der ebenfalls resistenten Magnolie (Magnolia sp.). Die mittleren zwei Drittel des dritten Blattes unterhalb der Endknospe wurden bei jeder Pflanze mit 0.5 μCi ¹⁴C-Fosamine (markiert am Carbonylkohlenstoff) behandelt. Die Pflanzen wurden nach 3, 7 und 14 Tagen nach der Behandlung geerntet. Bei der Traubenkirsche wurde während der zweiten Woche am meisten ¹⁴C aufgenommen und transloziert, während dies bei der Magnolie und dem Rhododendron bereits innerhalb der ersten drei Tage der Fall war. Bezüglich der Retention von ¹⁴C in der behandelten Blattfläche unterschieden sich die drei Arten nicht. In der Traubenkirsche wurde aber am meisten ¹⁴C transloziert, weniger in der Magnolie und am wenigsten im Rhododendron. Die Magnolie translozierte das ¹⁴C basipetal, während die Traubenkirsche akropetal wie basipetal translozierte.     

Effect of canopy cover,seeding depth,and soil moisture on emergence of Centaurea maculosa and C. diffusa*

The effects of canopy cover, seeding depth, and soil moisture on emergence of Centaurea maculosa Lam. and C. diffusa Lam. were studied. Canopy cover had no effect on ermergence rate (seedlings/day/100 seeds) of either species. Seeds of both species emerged faster when placed on the soil surface. Emergence rate decreased as seeding depth increased. Both species required more than 55% initial soil moisture to initiate emergence, with 65–70% being optimum. Percentage emergence followed exactly the same trend as emergence rate. C. maculosa had better emergence characteristics over a wider range of conditions than C. diffusa, possibly being some of the reasons for the former having a wider geographical distribution in the United States and Canada.     

The use of immunochemically purified anti-brucella antibody in a direct fluorescent antibody test for Brucella abortus

Antibodies specific for Brucella abortus were purified from the serum of hyperimmunized sheep using immunochemical procedures. They were conjugated to fluorescein isothiocyanate and used in a fluorescent antibody (FA) test for B. abortus. The conjugate did not stain any heterologous bacterial or fungal species tested and background fluorescence associated with its use on smears and sections of abortion materials was particularly low. Of 239 cases of abortion examined fluorescent microscopy demonstrated B. abortus in all 12 cases in which the organism was isolated. A few areas of fluorescence typical of B. abortus were also seen in 3 cases from which the organism was not cultured. B. abortus was demonstrated in lymph nodes from 6 of 36 Brucella reactor cows by culture and 7 by the FA test. However, only very low numbers of B. abortus were isolated or seen and sampling errors would have been significant. Use of the FA test allows diagnosis of Brucellosis to be made in 2 hours, compared to 6 days by the usual cultural procedures.