The fibrinogen concentration in blood of dairy cows and its influence on the interpretation of the glutaraldehyde and formol-gel test reactions.

It has earlier been shown that the formol-gel test on serum and glutaraldehyde test on whole blood are simple and rapid methods for evaluation or the immunoglobulin status in the cow. Both tests function as coagulation tests in which aldehyde groups oross-link basic blood globulins at their NH₂-groups, forming polymerisates. The glutaraldehyde has in whole blood the capacity to polymerize not only immunoglobulins but also fibrinogen.This investigation was made in order to study whether the fibrinogen level may influence the result of the glutaraldehyde test, so revealing any differences between the results of that and the formol-gel test carried out on serum. In 92 cows with a variety of clinical disorders (most of them with inflammatory processes) the total protein, albumin, total globulin concentration and albumin/globulin ratio in serum and fibrinogen concentration in plasma were recorded. The material was grouped according to glutaraldehyde and formol-gel test reactions.It is shown that increases in the fibrinogen level have an effect on the results of the glutaraldehyde test. A positive glutaraldehyde test in more acute processes is ascribed to a heavy rise of plasma fibrinogen in its capacity of acute-phase protein. A positive glutaraldehyde test in chronic diseases may be viewed as a result of interaction between high immunoglobulin concentrations and elevated fibrinogen concentration.In conclusion the fibrinogen and immunoglobulin status of blood is important to assess in many diseases of cattle. The semiquantitative tests described for field use can separately, or especially in parallel use, provide valuable information about the character and development of a disease and may be regarded as good substitutes for the sedimentation rate (SR), which is not demonstrable in cattle. kw|Keywords|k]bovine fibrinogen; k]bovine serum proteins; k]formol-gel reaction; k]glutaraldehyde test; k]acute and chronic inflammations     

Customer adapted grading of Scots pine sawn timber using a multivariate method

To define new grading rules, or to customize the ones in use in a rule-based automatic grading (RBAG) system of boards, is a time-consuming job for a sawmill engineer. This has the effect that changes are rarely made. The objective of this study was to continue the development of a method that replaces the calibration of grading rule settings by a holistic-subjective automatic grading, using multivariate models. The objective was also to investigate if this approach can improve sawmill profitability and at the same time have a satisfied customer. For the study, 323 Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) boards were manually graded according to the preferences of an important customer. That is, a customer that regularly purchases significant volumes of sawn timber. This manual grading was seen as reference grading in this work. The same boards were also scanned and graded by a RBAG system, calibrated for the same customer. Multivariate models for prediction of board grade based on aggregated knot variables, obtained from the scanning, were calibrated using partial least squares regression. The results show that prediction of board grades by the multivariate models were more correct, with respect to the manual grading, than the grading by the RBAG system. The prediction of board grades based on multivariate models resulted in 76–87% of the boards graded correctly, according to the manual grading, while the corresponding number was 63% for the RBAG system.     

Questioning the contemporary forest planning paradigm: making use of local knowledge

The forest planning system of large Swedish forest owners follows a three step procedure: long-term, medium-term, and short-term planning. The system is sequential and hierarchical in the sense that longer-term plans form the framework for shorter-term plans, and that top-level management prepares the long range plans and the lower management levels develop plans with successively shorter horizons. Studies indicate that this approach does not fully use existing knowledge within the organization. Problems associated with the top-down approach are also recognized in the general literature on organization and management. A proposal for a bottom-up approach is developed that aim at the use of local level knowledge to enhance accuracy and applicability of the forest plans. After top-level management has issued some fundamental planning directives, medium-term planning is conducted by the districts. Then the district plans are consolidated at the top-level for coordination and revision. A simulated planning process provides an illustration of the approach. The Heureka system is used here to optimize harvests and road costs with a mixed integer programming model of the problem, spanning 10 years with three seasons per year. The importance of detailed local knowledge to the outcome of planning is indicated, and needs for continued decision support systems development is discussed.     

Agarose gel electrophoretic fractionation of serum proteins in adult cattle. II. A study of cows with different diseases.

In 283 dairy cows suffering from internal disorders the serum proteins were studied by agarose gel electrophoresis supplemented by total protein and albumin determinations. The clinical diagnoses could be grouped according to protein pattern. Group 1 (abomasal displacement and traumatic muscle injury) did not appreciably affect the serum protein concentrations and represented primarily non-inflammatory diseases or diseases of non-infectious origin. Group 2 (leukosis) occupied an exceptional position, with heavy lowering of albumin unaccompanied by a corresponding rise of total globulin. The γ-globulin concentration was significantly lowered. Group 3 (acute traumatic peritonitis) represented an acute inflammatory process with increase chiefly of the α-globulins, while the γ-globulin concentration was normal. Group 4 (chronic traumatic peritonitis, summer mastitis, chronic subclinical mastitis, chronic laminitis and polyarthritis, urinary tract infection, abscess, and sub-acute-chronic pneumonia) comprised diseases chiefly of chronic inflammatory character and with infectious origin. Especially characteristic was the heavy rise of globulins in general and of γ-globulin in particular. In most cases there was a large increase also of the α- and p-globulin fractions.     

Bone-metastasizing squamous-cell carcinoma of the skin in a dog

Bone-metastasizing squamous-cell carcinoma of a 6-year-old female Bedlington terrier is reported. The dog was operated on for a squamous-cell carcinoma in the axillary region. Four weeks after operation the dog developed signs of anaemia. It also became weak and showed neurological signs. Radiographs revealed areas of rarefaction in two vertebrae and densities in the lungs suggesting tumour metastases. The animal was destroyed and metastases were found in the axillary and internal iliac lymph nodes, the lungs, the first thoracic vertebra and the third lumbar vertebra. The tumour mass in the thoracic vertebra protruded into the spinal canal and compressed the spinal cord. The tumour cells in the primary tumour were of anaplastic type. Résumé. Un carcinome squamo-cellulaire, métastasiant les os est rapporté chez un Bedlington terrier femelle de six ans. On a opéré le chien d'un carcinome squamo-cellulaire dans la région axillaire. Quatre semaines après l'opération le chien a développé des signes d'anémie. Il s'est aussi affaibli et a montré des signes neurologiques. Des radiographies ont révélé des surfaces de raréfaction dans deux vertèbres et les densités dans les poumons ont suggéré des métastases de tumeur. L'animal a été detruit et on a trouvé des métastases dans les n?uds lymphatiques, iliaques internes et axillaires, les poumons, la première vertèbre thoracique et la troisième vertèbre lombaire. L'excroissance dans la vertèbre thoracique a fait saillie dans le canal vertébral et a comprimé la moelle épinière. Les cellules de la tumeur dans la tumeur primaire étaient de type anaplastique. Zusammenfassung: Von einem Knochen-metastasierenden schuppenzelligem Karzinom in einem 6 Jahre alten weiblichen Bedlington-Terrier wurde berichtet. Man operierte den Hund an einem schuppenzelligen Karzinom in der Achsellymphdrüsengegend. Vier Wochen nach der Operation entwickelte der Hund Anzeichen von Anämie. Auch wurde er schwach und zeigte neurologische Symptome. Röntgenaufnahmen zeigten Gebiete von Rarefactio in zwei Rücken-wirbeln und Verdichtungen in der Lunge liessen auf Tochtergeschwulste deuten. Man tötete den Hund und Metastasen fanden sich in den Achsellymphdrüsen und den innerlichen Darmbein-lymphknoten, der Lunge, dem ersten Brustwirbel und dem dritten Lendenwirbel. Der Massen-tumor in dem Brustwirbel ragte bis in den Kanal der Wirbelsäule hinein und drückte auf denWirbelsäulenstrang. Die Tumorzellen in dem Primärtumor waren vom anaplastischen Typ.     

Otolith elemental characteristics of whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus) from brackish waters of the Gulf of Bothnia,Baltic Sea

To investigate whether European whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus) groups in the brackish (≤7%) Gulf of Bothnia (Baltic Sea) express specific otolith elemental characteristics, concentrations of elements (Ca, Ba, Sr, Zn, Mn, Fe) in whole otoliths were studied by inductively coupled plasma‐optical emission spectrometry. Whitefish (N = 67) were sampled from six different latitudinal sites; four in the sea and two in rivers along the west coast of Finland, and from a fresh water lake for comparison. The concentration of several elements showed significant differences among sampling sites. Otolith Ba concentrations were higher at the northern sampling sites compared to the southern ones, thereby showing negative association to capture‐habitat salinity. In contrast, otolith Sr and Zn concentrations were lower at the northern sampling sites, thereby associating positively to capture‐habitat salinity. Otolith Mn concentrations did not associate with latitude or salinity but markedly varied between sampling sites. Elevated Fe concentrations occurred in fish otoliths from the two northernmost sites. Ca concentrations were at the same levels in otoliths from all whitefish samples. Otoliths of whitefish from the lake had very high Ba and low Sr concentrations compared to concentrations in otoliths from whitefish in the sea and rivers. Our results show that otolith elemental characteristics of whitefish vary considerably at various geographic scales showing high potential for population identification using elemental fingerprints. Analysis of otolith elemental characteristics may therefore provide an efficient tool for the identification of main areas of residence, spawning locations, and migration routes, thus contributing towards the sustainable management of whitefish stocks.     

Artificial root exudates and soil organic carbon mineralization in a degraded sandy grassland in northern China

Plant root exudates contain various organic and inorganic components that include glucose, citric and oxalic acid. These components affect rhizosphere microbial and microfaunal activities, but the mechanisms are not fully known. Studies concerned from degraded grassland ecosystems with low soil carbon（C） contents are rare, in spite of the global distribution of grasslands in need of restoration. All these have a high potential for carbon sequestration, with a reduced carbon content due to overutilization. An exudate component that rapidly decomposes will increase soil respiration and CO2 emission, while a component that reduces decomposition of native soil carbon can reduce CO2 emission and actually help sequestering carbon in soil. Therefore, to investigate root exudate effects on rhizosphere activity, citric acid, glucose and oxalic acid（0.6 g C/kg dry soil） were added to soils from three biotopes（grassland, fixed dune and mobile dune） located in Naiman, Horqin Sandy Land, Inner Mongolia, China） and subjected to a 24-day incubation experiment together with a control. The soils were also analyzed for general soil properties. The results show that total respiration without exudate addition was highest in grassland soil, intermediate in fixed dune and lowest in mobile dune soil. However, the proportion of native soil carbon mineralized was highest in mobile dune soil, reflecting the low C/N ratio found there. The exudate effects on CO2-C emissions and other variables differed somewhat between biotopes, but total respiration（including that from the added substrates） was significantly increased in all combinations compared with the control, except for oxalic acid addition to mobile dune soil, which reduced CO2-C emissions from native soil carbon. A small but statistically significant increase in pH by the exudate additions in grassland and fixed dune soil was observed, but there was a major decrease from acid additions to mobile dune soil. In contrast, electrical conductivity decreased in grassland     

Log sawing positioning optimization and log bucking of tropical hardwood species to increase the volume yield

The sawmill industry is a very important link in the Mozambique forest products value chain, but the industry is characterized by undeveloped processing technology and high-volume export of almost unrefined logs. The low volume yield of sawn timber has been identified as a critical gap in the technological development of the industry. To improve the profitability of the industry, there is thus a need to develop methods and techniques that improve the yield. In this paper, different positioning of logs prior to sawing and the possibility of increasing the volume yield of crooked logs by bucking the logs before sawing have been studied. A computer simulation was used to study the cant-sawing and through-and-through sawing of the logs to determine the volume yield of sawn timber from the jambirre (Millettia stuhlmannii Taub.) and umbila (Pterocarpus angolensis DC.) species. The optimal position, i.e. the position of the log before sawing that gives the highest volume yield of sawn timber for a given sawing pattern when the positioning parameters, offset, skew and rotation, are considered gave a considerable higher volume yield than the horns-down position. By bucking very crooked logs and using the horns-down positioning before sawing, the volume yield can be of the same magnitude as that obtained by optimal positioning on full-length (un-bucked) logs. The bucking reduces the crook of the logs and hence increases the volume yield of sawn timber.     

Whole otolith elemental analysis reveals feeding migration patterns causing growth rate differences in anadromous whitefish from the Baltic Sea

Impact of feeding migration pattern on growth rate of whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus L.) from River Kemijoki was investigated. River Kemijoki is located in the northernmost Gulf of Bothnia (Baltic Sea). Whitefish ascending the river to spawn show major growth rate variations. To study whether these variations are related to different feeding areas (migratory connectivity), whole otoliths from fast‐growing (FAST^G) whitefish (n = 9, age 4 years, average weight 790 g) and slowly growing (SLOWLY^G) whitefish (n = 9, age 8 years, average weight 600 g) were analysed for elemental (Ba, Sr, Mg, Zn, Mn, Ca) concentrations by inductively coupled plasma‐optical emission spectrometry. Results showed that the FAST^G whitefish had much lower otolith Ba concentration (~45%, p ≤ .01) than SLOWLY^G whitefish, revealing that FAST^G whitefish have spent more time in water of higher salinity/lower latitude, that is at feeding grounds in the southern Gulf of Bothnia. Otoliths of the FAST^G whitefish had also higher Mg (~25%, p ≤ .001) and Zn (~20%, p ≤ .05) concentrations, but lower Ca (~5%, p ≤ .01) concentrations, than the otoliths from SLOWLY^G whitefish. These results further reveal that FAST^G and SLOWLY^G whitefish have been spatially separated. In conclusion, bulk otolith elemental analysis revealed spatial separation and migration differences in river‐spawning whitefish subpopulations in the Gulf of Bothnia, which apparently lead to differences in fish growth rate. Our results increase the understanding of river‐spawning whitefish biology and its population structure and dynamics and may contribute to a sustainable management of river‐spawning whitefish stocks.     

Glutaraldehyde test on whole blood of swine at slaughter--a preliminary report]

In an initial experiment the highest concentration of a glutaraldehyde solution that does not coagulate whole blood of fatteners without or with only slight pathological changes was established. Total protein, albumin, globulin, A/G ratio and electrophoretic protein pattern were at the same time determined in blood serum. A glutaraldehyde solution with the established highest concentration was used in a second experiment on whole blood to distinguish fatteners without or with only small pathological changes from those with severe processes such as abscesses and purulent arthritis. It is evident that the glutaraldehyde test gives a good idea of the immunoglobulin status of fatteners. There is reason to believe that systematized glutaraldehyde testing of whole blood taken at pig slaughter could improve the chances of detecting concealed inflammatory processes.