Romina and Cristina: Two New Strawberry Cultivars with High Sensorial and Nutritional Values

ABSTRACT

The two cultivars (Romina and Cristina) recently released from the Marche Polytechnic University (Ancona, Italy) strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) breeding program, show high adaptability to non-fumigated soil. Furthermore, ‘Romina’ showed very early ripening, conic or bi-conic fruit shape, good taste with high sweetness, high firmness and shelf life, and high vitamin C and folate contents. ‘Cristina’ showed very late ripening, high productivity, large fruit of conical shape, good taste, and high vitamin C and folate contents. The European Union patents of ‘Romina’ and ‘Cristina’ have been transferred to the United States, and nursery production has begun following United States rules to determine future market interest.     

The Effects of the Periodical Use of In-feed Chlortetracycline on the Reproductive Performance of Gilts and Sows of a Commercial Pig Farm with a History of Clinical and Subclinical Viral and Bacterial Infections

The objective of this study was to assess the effects of in‐feed chlortetracycline (CTC) as a measure of preventing or minimizing infectious problems of reproductive failure in gilts and sows. In a farm of 400 Large White × Landrace gilts and sows with a clinical history of porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome (PRRS) virus, the animals were treated with CTC. Treatment consisted of 10 g CTC sow/day for 15 days every 3 months. It improved the health status of sows by decreasing post‐farrowing clinical mastitis and vaginal discharges, abortions, return‐to‐oestrus and irregular return‐to‐oestrus rates. These beneficial effects had a positive impact on the performance of the litter. More piglets were born live and weaned. These positive effects improved with repeated use of CTC. The serological evidence of PRRS virus, Leptospira spp. and Chlamydia spp. and the subsequent beneficial use of the antimicrobial agent indicate that reproductive failure, possibly resulting from the bacterial agents can be controlled with in‐feed use of broad spectrum antimicrobials.     

Frequency and severity of osteochondrosis in horses with cervical stenotic myelopathy

We compared the frequency and severity of osteochondrosis lesions in young Thoroughbred horses with cervical stenotic myelopathy (CSM) vs that in clinically normal Thoroughbreds of the same age. All lesions of the cervical vertebrae and appendicular skeleton were classified histologically as osteochondrosis or nonosteochondrosis and were measured for severity. Minimal sagittal diameter was significantly smaller in horses with CSM from C2 through C6; no difference was detected at C7. Severity of cervical vertebral osteochondrosis was greater in the horses with CSM, however frequency was not different. Frequency and severity of nonosteochondrosis lesions were not different in cervical vertebrae or appendicular skeleton. Frequency and severity of appendicular skeleton osteochondrosis lesions were both greater in horses with CSM. Osteochondrosis and nonosteochondrosis lesions were more severe on facets at sites of compression than on facets at noncompressed sites in horses with CSM. However, compression was also observed at sites with no articular facet lesions. The association of widespread osteochondrosis and spinal canal narrowing with CSM suggests CSM may represent a systemic failure in the development or maturation of cartilage and bone.     

Use of Mailed Questionnaire Data in a Study of Swine Congenital Malformations

A study was designed to evaluate the representativeness and accuracy of data collected on swine birth defects by mailed questionnaire. The study was conducted in the three contiguous counties of Johnson, Lafayette and Pettis in west central Missouri. A personal interview survey and an examination of malformed pigs were used to validate mailed questionnaire data which estimated the frequency and distribution of malformations observed in pigs over a six month period. This period between April and September 1970 was defined as the study period. The results were compared to a previous six month period (April-September 1969), or baseline period, when only the mailed questionnaire was used. The frequency and distribution of the reported malformations by type did not differ significantly (at the p=0.05 level) between the study period (70.4% response) and the baseline period (31.3% response). Evaluation of this and additional data collected during the study suggested that the mailed questionnaire can be used effectively to estimate the frequency and distribution of swine malformations within a defined geographic area.     

Responses to submaximal treadmill exercise and training in the horse: changes in haematology, arterial blood gas and acid base measurements, plasma biochemical values and heart rate

Four standardbred horses with subcutaneously relocated carotid arteries were given a seven week training programme of treadmill exercise at a gradient of 19 per cent in order to assess if there were any effects of exercise and training on haematology, arterial blood gas and acid base measurements, plasma biochemistry and heart rate. The exercise consisted of one minute walking at 110 metres/minute followed by five minutes trotting at 200 metres/minute, twice daily in the first week. The period of trotting exercise was increased by one minute per week so that by the seventh week the horses were being given 12 minutes trotting twice daily. Before training commenced venous blood samples, for complete blood counts and plasma biochemistry, and arterial samples, for blood gas, acid base and lactate measurements, were taken at rest, after five minutes and 15 minutes of treadmill exercise (200 metres/minute) and 30 minutes and 60 minutes after completing the exercise. Heart rate was measured by telemetric electrocardiogram at similar intervals. This exercise test and blood collection were repeated after one, three, five and seven weeks of training. The only significant changes were a decrease in exercise lactate with training, increases in exercise and recovery total protein. The haematological response to treadmill exercise included an increase in certain red cell parametes and a leucocytosis which was caused by both a neutrophilia and a lymphocytosis. These effects had largely disappeared by 30 minutes after exercise and all values had returned to resting values by one hour after exercise.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)