Prevention of renal carriage of leptospirosis in dogs by vaccination

Dogs vaccinated with a Leptospira interrogans vaccine containing serogroups Canicola and Icterohaemorrhagiae and prepared from cultures grown in a protein-free medium resisted challenge with heterologous representatives of these serogroups. In contrast, control dogs were pyrexic and leptospires were isolated from the blood for nine days following Canicola challenge and six days after Icterohaemorrhagiae challenge. Leptospires were isolated from the urine of controls throughout the post challenge period and from kidneys at post mortem examination of six out of six and four out of six Canicola and Icterohaemorrhagiae challenged controls, respectively. There have been no reports of hypersensitivity reactions to this vaccine since its introduction in 1980.     

Blood, Bull Terriers and Babesiosis: further evidence for direct transmission of Babesia gibsoni in dogs

This study reports on the epidemiology of Babesia gibsoni in American Pit Bull Terriers living in a region of western Victoria in southern Australia. Both American Pit Bull Terriers (n = 100) and other dog breeds (n = 51) were screened for B gibsoni using immunofluorescent antibody testing (IFAT) and/or polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). A questionnaire was also completed by each dog owner, ascertaining the husbandry and habits of the dogs sampled. Fourteen dogs were positive for B gibsoni using IFAT and/or PCR-RFLP and all were American Pit Bull Terriers. Dogs that were male and/or had been bitten by or were biters of other American Pit Bull Terriers were more likely to be B gibsoni positive, thus suggesting that blood-to-blood transmission contributes to the spread of this disease between dogs.     

A Comparison of Three Methods of Pike (Esox lucius L.) Removal from a Lowland Trout Fishery

The seine netting, gill netting and angling techniques used at Grafham Water for the removal of pike are described and assessed, and the effectiveness of the various methods compared. It was found that a combination of summer gill netting and seine netting was most effective, but it was concluded that angling was worthwhile during the autumn months.     

Clinical exercise testing in the normal Thoroughbred racehorse

To evaluate normal cardiorespiratory and metabolic responses of Thoroughbred horses to a standardised treadmill exercise test, we examined 28 horses ranging in age from 1 to 4 years. The group consisted of eight yearlings, eight 2-year-olds and twelve 3 and 4-year-olds. All horses except the yearlings were in training, and either racing or ready to race, at the time of examination. None of the horses had histories of performance problems. On the first day the horses received a full physical examination, resting electrocardiogram, upper respiratory tract endoscopy and either one or two acclimatisation runs on the treadmill. The following day they were given an exercise test on a treadmill inclined at 6 degrees (+10% slope). The test consisted of 3 min at 4 m/sec, 90 sec at 6 m/sec and 60 sec intervals at 8, 10, 11, 12 and 13 m/sec. During the last 15 sec of each step, blood samples were collected for plasma lactate determination, expired respiratory gases were obtained using an open flow mask system for measurement of oxygen uptake, and heart rate was measured using telemetry electrocardiogram. From these measurements, various derived values were calculated, which have been used by others as indices of exercise capacity. These values included: V200 (speed at HR of 200 bpm), VHRmax (speed at which horses reached maximum HR), VO2-200 (oxygen uptake at a HR of 200 bpm), VO2max (maximum oxygen uptake), VLA4 (speed at which horses reached a plasma lactate of 4 mmol/l) and HRLA4 (HR at which horses reached a plasma lactate of 4 mmol/l). The yearlings had significantly lower values than the older age groups for most of the derived values.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Rhizobia in tropical legumes—XIV. Ion uptake differences between fast- and slow-growing strains

We compared the uptake of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus (as well as ¹⁴C-labelled mannitol, ³H-labelled glutamate, and ³²P-labelled phosphate) in three fast- and three slow-growing rhizobia. The fast-growing strains used were Rhizobium meliloti (isolated from Medicago sativa), R. trifolii (from Trifolium subterraneum), and Rhizobium spp from Leucaena leucocephala, while the slow-growing strains were R. japonicum (Glycine max), and two Rhizobium spp (from Centrosema pubescens and Crotolaria anagyroides). Slow-growing organisms preferentially utilized glutamate in the medium. Both fast- and slow-growing strains took up more NH⁺₄-N than NO^?₃-N on a per cell basis. In the presence of mannitol, fast-growing strains can cause either acid or alkaline reactions, an effect that is dependent only on the N-source (NH⁺₄ or NO^?₃). Uptake preferences of the fast-growing Leucaena isolate (UMKL 19) resembled those of the slow-growing rhizobia, further strengthening the argument that this organism (and others like it) may be intermediate between the normal fast- and slow-growing groups. Generally, the efficiency of uptake of N (either as NH⁺₄ or NO^?₃), P, and therefore K, was greater in the fast-growing organisms.     

Rhizobia in tropical legumes—XIII. Biochemical basis of acid and alkali reactions

Three fast-growing rhizobia (Rhizobium meliloti isolated from Medicago saliva, R. trifolii from Trifolium subterraneum, and Rhizohium sp. from Leucaena leucocephala) and three slow-growing rhizobia R. japonicum from Glycine max, Rhizobium spp from Centrosema pubescens and Crotolaria anagyroides) were grown in defined media. The mean generation times of the fast-growing and slowgrowing strains were 3.8 h and 8.6 h respectively. Slow-growing organisms raised the initial pH of the defined medium while the fast-growing organisms lowered it. Rates of oxygen consumption tended to be higher in the slow-growing organisms.UMKL 19 (isolated from L. leucocephala) possessed all the normal reactions of fast-growing rhizobia but had a single sub-polar flagellum, similar to the three slow-growing strains studied.Certain combinations of amino acids and sugars (e.g. glutamine and galactose) induced an acidic reaction in the fast-growing organisms while the slow-growing ones changed the media to alkaline. Fast-growing organisms utilized more galactose for growth compared to slow-growing ones. Both types of organisms synthesized and released a wide range of amino acids into the medium.We suggest that pH changes produced by rhizobia growing on yeast-extract mannitol media are caused by the preferential utilization of sugars by fast-growing organisms and nitrogenous compounds by slow-growing ones.     

Comparative analysis of Australian and Canadian barleys for seed dormancy and malting quality

The association between high malting quality and pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) susceptibility is a key challenge when developing new malting barley varieties. A new malting barley variety Baudin has successfully combined high malting quality and PHS tolerance. A doubled haploid population was developed for mapping PHS tolerance and seed dormancy from a cross of Baudin?×?AC Metcalfe using 233 molecular markers. Three QTLs were mapped for seed dormancy based on the standard germination test at 24, 48 and 72?h. One major QTL was mapped to the long arm of chromosome 5H controlling seed dormancy and PHS tolerance from Baudin. Two other minor QTLs were identified from Baudin on chromosomes 3 and 7H. QTL/QTL interaction was detected for seed dormancy between chromosomes 3 and 5H. The PHS tolerance allele of the 5H QTL from Baudin contributes to higher malt yield without significant impact on diastatic power, beta-glucan content and wort viscosity. QTL from Baudin provide new sources to integrate PHS tolerance and high malting quality.     

Cardiovascular effects of sevoflurane in Holstein calves

Objective The purpose of this study was to determine the cardiovascular effects of sevoflurane in calves. Study design Prospective experimental study. Animals Six, healthy, 8–12‐week‐old Holstein calves weighing 80 ± 4.5 (mean ± SEM) kg were studied. Methods Anesthesia was induced by face‐mask administration of 7% sevoflurane in O₂. Calves tracheae were intubated, placed in right lateral recumbency, and maintained with 3.7% end‐tidal concentration sevoflurane for 30 minutes to allow catheterization of the auricular artery and placement of a Swan‐Ganz thermodilution catheter into the pulmonary artery. After instrumentation, administration of sevoflurane was temporarily discontinued until mean arterial pressure was > 100 mm Hg. Baseline values were recorded and the vaporizer output increased to administer 3.7% end‐tidal sevoflurane concentration. Ventilation was controlled to maintain normocapnia. The following were recorded at 5, 10, 15, 30 and 45 minutes after collection of baseline data and expressed as the mean value (± SEM): direct systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial blood pressures; cardiac output; mean pulmonary arterial pressure; pulmonary arterial occlusion pressure, heart rate; and pulmonary arterial temperature. Cardiac index and systemic and pulmonary vascular resistance values were calculated using standard formulae. Arterial blood gases were analyzed at baseline, and at 15 and 45 minutes. Differences from baseline values were determined using one‐way analysis of variance for repeated measures with post‐hoc differences between mean values identified using Dunnet's test (p < 0.05). Results Mean time from beginning sevoflurane administration to intubation of the trachea was 224 ± 9 seconds. The mean end‐tidal sevoflurane concentration at baseline was 0.7 (± 0.11)%. Sevoflurane anesthesia was associated with decreased arterial blood pressure at all sampling times. Mean arterial blood pressure decreased from a baseline value of 112 ± 7 mm Hg to a minimum value of 88 ± 4 mm Hg at 5 minutes. Compared with baseline, arterial pH was decreased at 15 minutes. Pulmonary arterial blood temperature was decreased at 15, 30 and 45 minutes. Arterial CO₂ tension increased from a baseline value of 43 ± 3 to 54 ± 4 mm Hg (5.7 ± 0.4 to 7.2 ± 0.3 kPa) at 15 minutes. Mean pulmonary arterial pressure was increased at 30 and 45 minutes. Pulmonary arterial occlusion pressure increased from a baseline value of 18 ± 2 to 23 ± 2 mm Hg at 45 minutes. There were no significant changes in other measured variables. All calves recovered from anesthesia uneventfully. Conclusion We conclude that sevoflurane for induction and maintenance of anesthesia was effective and reliable in these calves and that neither hypotension nor decreased cardiac output was a clinical concern. Clinical relevance Use of sevoflurane for mask induction and maintenance of anesthesia in young calves is a suitable alternative to injectable and other inhalant anesthetics.