Pilot study of the effect of acemannan in cats infected with feline immunodeficiency virus.

Acemannan, a complex carbohydrate shown to stimulate interleukin-1, tumor necrosis factor alpha and prostaglandin E2 production by macrophages, has also demonstrated antiviral activity in vitro against human immunodeficiency virus, Newcastle disease virus and influenza virus. A pilot study was undertaken to determine acemannan's effect in 49 feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infected cats with clinical signs of disease (Stage 3, 4 or 5), 23 of which had severe lymphopenia. Cats received acemannan either by intravenous (Group 1) or subcutaneous (Group 2) injection once weekly for 12 weeks, or by daily oral (Group 3) administration for 12 weeks. Upon entry into the study, cats were randomly assigned to one of the three groups. Laboratory analyses were performed at the beginning of the study and at Weeks 6 and 12. Cats were allowed to continue with a predetermined maintenance regimen of acemannan after completing the 12-week study. Thirteen cats died during the course of treatment. Upon necropsy, the most frequent histopathologic findings were neoplastic, kidney and pancreatic disease. Friedman's two-way ANOVA test showed no significant differences in efficacy among groups administered acemannan by the different routes. Therefore, groups were combined and a signed-ranks test was used to determine changes over time. A significant increase was seen in lymphocyte counts (P < 0.001). Neutrophil counts decreased significantly (P = 0.007), as did incidence of sepsis (P = 0.008). When cats entering with lymphopenia were analyzed separately, a much greater increase in lymphocyte counts was noted (235%) compared with non-lymphopenic cats (42%). A survival rate of 75% was found for all three groups. Thirty-six of 49 animals are alive 5-19 months post-entry. These results suggest that acemannan therapy may be of significant benefit in FIV-infected cats exhibiting clinical signs of disease.     

Antibody response to crustacean ectoparasites in rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum), immunized with Argulus foliaceus L. antigen extract

Abstract. A humoral antibody response was demonstrated by ELISA in rainbow trout immunized intraperitoneally with extracts from the branchiuran ectoparasite Argulus foliaceus. A similar immunization protocol produced a higher titre response in a rabbit. Both trout and rabbit identified several antigenic components on immunoblots. ELISA and immunoblotting indicated that rainbow trout and rabbit anti-A. foliaceus sera identified components from the parasitic copepods Lepeophtheirus salmonis and Caligus elongatus.     

Behaviour of laying hens in a deep litter house

1. Flocks of medium hybrid laying hens were housed in a modified deep litter system; the house was divided into 2, 3 and 4 pens in three successive years. Flock size was 300 or 370 and stocking density varied from 3.4 to 10.7 birds/m2. Higher densities used were above those recommended by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF). 2. A random sample of 100 birds was identified with individual tags in each of the 9 flocks; regular observations using a scanning technique were made in each laying cycle to determine bird location and behaviour. 3. In all flocks the use of area by some individuals was uneven, that is, they were sighted in certain areas significantly more often than would have been expected by chance. The proportion of such individuals varied between flocks from 35 to 65%. Overall, birds spent more time on the slatted area than would have been expected from the area that it occupied. 4. A wide variety of different behaviour patterns was observed both on litter and on slats, but with foraging occurring more on litter and feeding more on slats. 5. Movement appeared to be constrained by crowding, because time spent in locomotion decreased in approximately linear fashion with increased stocking density. This provides support for MAFF recommendations of limits on stocking density in deep litter houses.     

低、无毒农药防治花灌木主要刺吸式口器害虫

在查清天津市园林主要花灌木刺吸口器害虫桃粉蚜、绣线菊蚜、棉蚜和山楂红蜘蛛发生消长规律的基础上 ,确定了防治适期和结合点 ,筛选出 10 %吡虫啉、绿灵、蚧螨灵、 1. 8%齐螨素和花保5种低、无毒药剂 ,防效均达到 90 %以上。查出天敌 13种 ,并对优势种作了取食量调查     

苗期夜温对番茄畸形果发生的影响

试验表明番茄苗期低夜温不仅提高了畸形果发生率，而且也提高了畸形果平均级数和综合指数，并增加了畸形果的类型，同时乱形果在畸形果中所占的比例也增大。试验还认为：引起番茄畸形果大量发生的界限温度在大于６℃和小于１２℃的范围内，低温所需时间为幼苗２片子叶充分展开后１０～１６天，幼苗低温敏感期为２～４片真叶展开期。因此，番茄育苗期间应避免２～４片真叶展开期夜温低于１２℃。     

根据饲料可消化氨基酸研制肉仔鸡无鱼粉饲粮试验

选用２４０只ＡＡ商品代出壳肉仔鸡进行试验，以探讨根据饲料中可消化氨基酸含量，研制菜籽粕型无鱼粉低蛋白肉仔鸡饲粮的饲用效果。结果表明：以可消化氨基酸为基础研制的菜籽粕型无鱼粉肉仔鸡低蛋白平衡饲粮，可降低饲粮蛋白质水平１－１．５个百分点，试验鸡４９日龄体重达２１５８．２６克、料肉比２．１５：１，增重和饲料转化率均达到或接近鱼粉型高蛋白饲粮的效果；每吨菜籽粕型无鱼粉饲粮可比鱼粉型饲粮降低原料成本７２－８     

无核葡萄胚发育及早期离体培养的研究:Ⅲ.培养方式对离体胚发育的影响

对5个无核葡萄品种的试验表明,不同培养方式对离体胚发育的影响是很明显的,其中4个品种胚发育率液体培养高于固体培养,‘京早晶’在液体培养中胚发育率高达73.7%,是目前国内外胚发育率最高的报道;液体培养比固体培养胚的发育程度高,发育整齐,无畸形胚,易成苗.     

Subconjunctival cyst associated with Thelazia gulosa in a calf.

A large subconjunctival cyst of 4 weeks' duration was surgically excised from the left eye of a 7-month-old Simmental calf. Two white, partially mineralized, approximately 1-cm-long, fertile female nematodes subsequently identified as Thelazia gulosa were found embedded in the cyst wall. Thelazia spp are generally regarded as nonpathogenic or mildly pathogenic in cattle in North America, despite reported infection rates ranging from 12.2 to 34.2%. Additionally, parasitic subconjunctival nodules associated with Thelazia spp rarely have been reported in the past, and cyst formation has not been described. It was postulated that in this calf, immature or adult worms may have penetrated normal tissue barriers, or entered via an earlier conjunctival wound, and created an inflammatory response with subsequent cyst formation.