Excitatory phenomena following the use of propofol in dogs

Over a two month period, 148 dogs presented for surgery had general anaesthesia induced and sometimes maintained with propofol. Excitatory phenomena were recorded on 12 occasions. Signs included muscle twitching, opisthotonus and limb hyperextension (nine cases), and panting with associated activity of the brachiocephalicus muscle and tongue retraction (three cases). The records for a similar two month period were examined for data and observations relating to thiopentone. During this period anaesthesia was induced with thiopentone in 71 dogs and no excitatory phenomena were recorded.     

Persistence of salmonella enteritidis in poultry units and poultry food

1. Studies on the survival of Salmonella enteritidis in poultry units and food were carried out over a two‐year period.

2. The organism persisted for at least one year in an empty trial house at the laboratory in which naturally‐infected broiler breeder birds had previously been housed. A similar survival period was seen in a building which had housed an infected layer breeder flock, although infection was not detected in a subsequent pullet flock.

3. Salmonella enteritidis was also frequently found surviving outside poultry houses in small pockets of litter and fan dust which had been left after cleansing and disinfection of the site. On some poultry units S. enteritidis was also found in wild bird droppings.

4. Salmonella contamination appeared to persist preferentially in association with dust particles swept from the floor and in food troughs and S. enteritidis survived at least 26 months in artificially contaminated poultry food.     

Oat cells in the pathology of ovine pneumonia-pleurisy

Light microscope observations on oat cells in the ovine pneumonia-pleurisy complex are presented. This study is based on the experimental production of the disease by viruses and Pasteurella haemolytica. Oat cells appeared only in necrotic lesions associated with large numbers of P. haemolytica in the pneumonic lung. It is suggested that oat cells originate from blood monocytes, which transform into the oat shape when developing in the necrotic, hypoxic environment created by P. haemolytica. They were not, however, observed to be phagocytic. Oat cells are characteristic of pneumonic pasteurellosis but are not pathognomonic because they can also be found in extrapulmonary locations and in other pathological conditions of the lungs.     

Skin blackening during the cooking of spent laying fowls

1. Blackening of the skin in factory processed cooked hens has been associated with elevated copper levels.

2. The degree of blackening was not directly related to copper content although the latter level was always higher than in control hens.

3. Simulated factory procedures, using scald water at 53 °C or 60 °C containing 50 mg Cu²⁺/1 and 50 mg C1₂/1, produced blackened skins of varying intensity on cooking.

4. It is suggested that the problem arose from a malfunction of the chlorination plant which produced excessive levels of chlorine and low pH, followed by erosion of copper from water pipes and subsequent interaction of copper and chlorine with the chicken skin.     

Influences of population density,temperature and latitude on the growth of invasive topmouth gudgeon Pseudorasbora parva

Plasticity in life‐history traits provides advantages for introduced fish in overcoming demographic bottlenecks that would otherwise inhibit establishment. Here, the influence of population density, temperature and latitude was tested on the growth increments and growth rates of invasive populations of topmouth gudgeon Pseudorasbora parva, a small Asian cyprinid fish that is invasive across Europe. Aquaria experiments tested the roles of fish number and temperature on growth increments under a fixed food supply, pond experiments tested the role of density on growth increments, and a field study completed in England and Wales tested the influence of density and latitude on growth rates. In aquaria experiments, whilst growth increments were higher at 21 and 23 °C than at 19 and 25 °C, fish number had a greater influence on growth than temperature. Higher growth increments were produced at lower densities. In experimental ponds, growth increments were significantly higher in ponds with low densities of P. parva compared with those at elevated densities. In the field study comprising 10 wild populations across a latitudinal gradient of 4.0°N, a difference in mean air temperatures of approximately 3 °C, and estimated densities between 0.5 and 65.0 m^?2, population density was the only significant predictor of growth rates. Whilst populations at very low densities comprised of significantly faster growing individuals, there were no significant differences when densities were between 15 and 65 m^?2. Thus, invasive P. parva populations have considerable growth plasticity, especially at low densities, with this likely to be important in their ability to colonise new environments.     

Theileria orientalis: a review

Theileria orientalis (also known historically as T. sergenti and T. buffeli) is responsible for benign or non-transforming theileriosis, and exerts its major effect through erythrocyte destruction. The life cycle of T. orientalis is essentially similar to that of other Theileria species, except that the schizonts do not induce transformation and fatal lymphoproliferation. The pathogenesis of anaemia as a result of infection is not clearly established and may be multifaceted. Clinical signs of weakness, reluctance to walk and abortion are early but non-specific indications of disease, particularly if accompanied by a history of cattle being moved. Physical examination may reveal pallor (pale eyes, vaginal mucosa), pyrexia, and elevated heart and respiratory rates. T. orientalis is an economically important parasite of cattle in New Zealand, Australia and Japan, especially where naïve animals are introduced into an endemic area or in animals under stress. Increased awareness of the risks posed by the parasite is required to enable management practices to be implemented to minimise its impact.     

Assessing the options for upland livestock systems under CAP reform: Developing and applying a livestock systems model within whole-farm systems analysis

This paper presents a scenario-based analysis of the impacts of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform for upland agriculture using a Welsh case-study. Specifically the paper examines the impacts of the introduction of the single-farm payment (SFP), the modulation of direct payments under Pillar I of the CAP and the increase in agri-environment payments under Pillar II. Three enterprises are examined, upland sheep rearing with lamb finishing, spring- and autumn-calving suckler-cattle with calf rearing. These enterprises are modelled under conditions in 2002/3, 2004/5 and for the reformed CAP in 2005/6. To support this analysis a livestock system model (LSM) was implemented. The model assesses alternative management regimen using a flexible state-transition approach. This simplifies the realisation and parameterisation of potentially complex management regimen. The model tracks fodder requirements to achieve targets based on defined diets. The LSM underpins whole-farm analyses of stocking-rates, labour and other resource requirements and net-farm income. From the case study the paper concludes that the impacts of the introduction of the CAP reform on the financial performance of the systems are small but negative (a net reduction of around 5% in support). The larger reduction in direct payments (15–18%) is partially offset by agri-environment measures. The paper concludes that while SFP encourages a more market-oriented outlook, the adaptive capacity within systems as they stand is very limited. There are a range of possible adaptation strategies, but for the uplands the extensification of cattle systems by reducing stock numbers and cutting back on labour seems most probable.