Mango seed kernels as an energy source for chicks1

1. Chemical analysis of a sample of ground mango seed kernels (MSK) revealed the following percentage composition: dry matter, 91.55; ash, 1.97; protein, 6.74; ether extract, 12.53; fibre, 1.30; nitrogen‐free extract, 77.46.

2. The ME content of MSK was 1.82 kcal/g.

3. The percentage retention of the crude fat content of MSK was only 3.38%.

4. Substituting MSK for corn at 10 or 20% led to reduced growth rate and poorer food consumption and a reduced efficiency of food utilisation in the period 0 to 4 weeks.     

Effect of an immunomodulator on the efficacy of an attenuated vaccine against avian pneumovirus in turkeys

Since 1997, avian pneumovirus (APV) has caused estimated annual losses of $15 million to the Minnesota turkey industry. In order to develop an attenuated live vaccine against APV, we serially passaged a Minnesota isolate of APV (APV/MN/turkey/1-a/97) in vitro in cell cultures for 41 passages. Laboratory experiments with this high-passage virus (P41) indicated that the attenuated virus provided immunogenic protection to turkeys against challenge with virulent APV, although some birds showed mild to moderate dinical signs after inoculation. To reduce the residual pathogenicity of P41, while maintaining its immunogenicity, we decided to vaccinate turkeys with P41 in the presence of an immunomodulator, S-28828 (1-n-butyl-2-ethoxymethyl-1H-imidazo[4,5-c]quinolin-4-amine-hydrochloride), which is a potent cytokine inducer. The combined inoculation of S-28828 (5 mg/kg body weight) and P41 resulted in a significant reduction in the incidence of virus-induced clinical signs in comparison with birds that received P41 without immunomodulator (P < 0.05). Only 17% of birds inoculated with S-28828 + APV P41 showed mild respiratory symptoms at 5 days postinoculation as compared with 46% of the vaccinated turkeys that did not receive S-28828. Vaccination with either P41 or with P41 + S-28828 protected turkeys against dinical signs and viral replication after challenge with virulent APV. These results indicate that immunomodulators, such as S-28828, may act as good vaccine adjuvants that can reduce the pathogenicity but maintain the immunogenicity of partially attenuated vaccines.     

乌鲁木齐地区三种不同景观鸟类群落结构初报

作者于１９９４年３－６月在乌鲁木齐地区,对三各不同景观的鸟类群落进行了调查,可划分为３类群落：干旱荒漠为角百灵＋沙群落（群落Ａ）;干旱草原为角百灵＋领岩鹨群落（群落Ｂ）;干旱灌丛云雀＋漠莺＋靴篱莺群落（群落Ｃ）群落的物种多样性以群落Ｃ最高（１．８８６７）,次为群落Ｂ（１．８８３７）,群落Ａ的多样性最低（１．５２１２）种的多样性与生态环境的差异有关。     

Wheat Seed Presoaking for Improved Germination

Seed presoaking improves wheat germination under marginal moisture conditions. The duration of seed presoaking was studied at The University of Arid Agriculture, Rawalpindi, using 10 wheat varieties. Seed presoaking beyond 12 h does not improve germination further, and beyond 21 h, germination rate is drastically reduced.     

Dysgenesis of the tubal system in an infertile mare karyotype 63,X:64,XY:65,XXY

A Thoroughbred mare, barren during three years at stud, unresponsive to therapy, and not palpably abnormal anatomically was found to have hypoplasia of the uterine tubes after excision at laparotomy. The cause was an unbalanced genotype. The mosaic karyotype, determined on a blood sample, was indispensible in diagnosis and the case extends the potential for cytogenetic prognostic procedures.     

cDNA cloning and complete primary structures of myosin heavy chains from brushtooth lizardfish Saurida undosquamis and wanieso lizardfish S. wanieso fast skeletal muscles

ABSTRACT:   The complete cDNA sequences encoding predominant types of myosin heavy chain (MYH) in the fast skeletal muscle were determined for brushtooth lizardfish Saurida undosquamis and wanieso lizardfish S. wanieso , which are used as materials for preparing high-quality surimi-based products. The cDNA consisted of 5973 and 5987 bp, respectively, and both encompassed an open reading frame encoding a polypeptide of 1936 amino acid residues. Brushtooth and wanieso lizardfish MYH showed the amino acid sequence identity of 92–93% to white croaker MYH, which was higher than that of 90% to walleye pollack MYH. The putative binding sites for ATP, actin, and regulatory and essential light chains in the subfragment-1 region of brushtooth lizardfish MYH exhibited a high identity with white croaker counterparts as well as the sequences of subfragment-2 and light meromyosin. In contrast, phylogenetic tree, constructed by the neighbor-joining method based on mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene, revealed that the two lizardfish species formed a cluster with walleye pollack, which was paraphyletic with white croaker. Therefore, a good reputation for lizardfish and white croaker to have a high thermal-gel forming ability seemed to be reflected by MYH rather than biological similarity as revealed by the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene.     

OSTEOCHONDROSIS IN THE LATERAL FEMORAL CONDYLES OF A HORSE

Osteochondrosis of the lateral femoral condyles was diagnosed radiographically in an 8-month-old, female Arabian horse, which had been presented with a hindlimb lameness. The diagnosis was confirmed by gross and microscopic pathology. The location of the lesions was considered unusual for osteochondrosis in the horse.