Acquired hydrocephalus and hydromyelia in a cat with feline infectious peritonitis: A case report and brief review

A one-year-old domestic long-haired cat was referred to the New York State College of Veterinary Medicine because of acute onset of paraparesis and hyperesthesia associated with trauma. Myelography and cerebrospinal fluid analysis revealed severe hydromyelia and myelitis, respectively. The definitive diagnosis of feline infectious peritonitis was made by histological examination at necropsy. Lesions were confined exclusively to the brain and spinal cord. Partial occlusion of the third and fourth ventricles with pyogranulomatous debris caused hydrocephalus and subsequent hydromyelia. The hydromyelia may have been the primary means of compensation for the hydrocephalus, thus masking subclinical disease.     

A review of antimicrobial peptides: defensins and related cationic peptides

Cationic antimicrobial peptides are present throughout the plant and animal kingdoms and bear striking structural and functional similarities across species lines. They provide primitive, nonspecific means of combating a variety of bacteria, fungi, enveloped viruses, and protozoa. Some are also cytotoxic against host cells, including neoplastic cells. Cationic antimicrobial peptides may play various roles in inflammation and tissue repair. Antimicrobial peptides are found in epithelial tissues regularly exposed to microbial attack as well as in cells whose primary function is defense against potential pathogens. They constitute an important part of the nonoxidative antimicrobial arsenal of leukocytes. They are preformed and/or readily synthesized when the cells are stimulated by exposure to pathogens. They exert their effects directly by inserting into membranes of target cells and forming ion channels which increase membrane permeability; however, antimicrobial peptides can also act as opsonins to facilitate phagocytosis. Resistance to defensins is a virulence factor for organisms such as Salmonella sp. The study of cationic antimicrobial peptides is increasing our understanding of innate immunity, inflammation, and the pathogenesis of genetic diseases such as specific granule disease in humans. Therapeutic applications of antimicrobial peptides are currently under investigation.     

Weed:spring barley competition for applied nitrogen in pig slurry

Summary The experiments were carried out in the two spring barley fields of the organic six-course cattle:crop rotation at Foulumgaard, Denmark. The weed density was 300 and 1800 plants m⁻² respectively. Pig slurry was applied by hand in microplots by four methods: broadcasting followed by incorporation, or injected in bands to depths of 5, 10 or 15 cm. Spring barley and weeds were sampled separately six times during the tillering and elongation phase of the spring barley. The effect of application method on dry-matter (d.m.) production, nitrogen uptake and recovery of applied nitrogen in the spring barley and the weeds is reported. Slurry banding halved the weed d.m. and weed N uptake compared with broadcasting, irrespective of weed density. Weeds recovered up to 12% of the applied nitrogen, which made them a significant competitor when the slurry was broadcast and incorporated. Banding by direct injection reduced the slurry:soil contact and the weed:crop competition balance for applied nitrogen moved in favour of the crop. Thus, the crop recovery of applied nitrogen at the end of the sampling period was increased from approximately 45% for broadcast and incorporated to approximately 50% for injected slurry, and coincidental weed recovery was reduced to a maximum of 5%. As the nitrogen supply normally affects plant d.m. production, banding of slurry might well improve crop competitiveness and its tolerance to mechanical weed control.     

De invloed van enkele milieufactoren op de vatbaarheid van erwten voor Botrytis cinerea

In a temperature and nutrient experiment with Rondo peas marked differences were observed in the degree of infection of the plants byBotrytis cinerea. After harvesting the ripe plants these differences were clearly expressed in the percentage of seeds with a chalky appearence, due to invasion by the mycelium ofB. cinerea. Comparatively high percentages of chalky peas were found when the plants were grown at a temperature of 20°C during the day and 15°C during the night. Omitting calcium or magnesium from the nutrient solution did not significantly influence the percentage of chalky peas, but omitting potassium from two weeks before flowering until the end of ripening increased the percentage of chalky peas significantly. This suggests that potassium deficiency before and during flowering makes the plant more susceptible toB. cinerea infection.Samenvatting In een temperatuur- en voedingsproef met Rondo erwten werden opvallende verschillen waargenomen in aantasting van de planten doorBotrytis cinerea. Na het oogsten van de rijpe planten kwamen deze verschillen duidelijk tot uiting in het percentage kalkerwten; dit zijn zaden die door het mycelium vanB. cinerea zijn doorwoekerd. Er werden relatief hoge percentages kalkerwten gevonden bij een temperatuur van 20°C overdag en 15°C's nachts. Het weglaten van calcium of magnesium uit de voedingsoplossing had geen betrouwbare invloed op het percentage kalkerwten, maar het weglaten van kalium vanaf 14 dagen voor de bloei tot het einde van de afrijping verhoogde het percentage kalkerwten zeer belangrijk. Dit wijst er op dat kaliumgebrek vóór en tijdens de bloei de planten vatbaarder maakt voorB. cinerea.     

Production of Antibody in Mammary Gland of Pregnant, Non-Lactating and Lactating Cows, Evoked by Polyvalent Antigen with Reference to Dosage and Frequency of Immunization

Sixteen cows were used in a series of experiments to test dose, route and frequency responses in the production of milk and serum agglutinins to a spectrum of 9 proven bovine pathogens. The bacterial species were: Pasteurella multocida (2 isolates), Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus albus, Streptococcus sp., Corynebacterium sp., Salmonella enteriditis, and Aerobacter aerogenes. Primary immunizations were made either through the teat canal or intramuscularly. “Booster” injections were made through the teat canal. Agglutinins in the blood appeared only after a week or more. In the milk, titers were recorded in 1 or 2 days following primary immunization. Variation of titer in the blood and milk was somewhat independent. In all but 1 cow, antibody was produced against each organism in milk and blood serum. Udder inflammation was observed in the experiments when a 15-day interval separated immunizations. Inflammation was minimal in the experiments employing the 7-day interval of immunization. A positive Whiteside test was observed following most injections, even where no other clinical signs of reaction were seen. The findings are discussed in relation to the previous literature.