苹果早熟新品种‘早翠绿’选育

早翠绿是以辽伏为母本,岱绿为父本杂交育成的早熟苹果新品种。果实圆形或圆锥形,平均单果重151.3g,最大204g,7月中下旬成熟,果皮绿色,肉质细脆汁多,酸甜适口,香味浓,较耐贮藏,早果,丰产。     

早熟桃新品种‘春瑞’

 ‘春瑞’桃系从国外引进品种中选出的优良品种，果实近圆球形，平均单果质量130．5 g，果面全红，果肉白色，含可溶性固形物10．9％ ，果实生育期65 d，早果，丰产。     

Clostridium difficile diarrhea: infection control in horses.

C difficile has emerged as an important cause of diarrheic disease in horses. C difficile diarrhea is usually diagnosed in mature horses, mostly when they are treated with antimicrobials and hospitalized. It is important for clinicians at veterinary hospitals to have knowledge about the organism and the infection. To prevent C difficile diarrhea, judicious use of antimicrobials is important, as is minimizing different stress factors at the animal hospital or clinic. Infected horses must be isolated. Routine examination for C difficile and toxin A or B is recommended in horses with antibiotic-associated diarrhea. When treating foals for R equi pneumonia, it is important to avoid accidental ingestion of erythromycin by the dams. To reduce the number of environmental spores, thorough cleaning and surface disinfection of the animal hospital and clinic are important. Routine handwashing should be performed by all staff.     

Renal ultrasonographic evaluation in the oncilla (Leopardus tigrinus).

Ultrasonography is currently used in veterinary medicine to examine the anatomy and physiology of internal organs and to establish normal standards for exotic animal species. Specifically, the kidneys may be evaluated and measured in length, width, and height. The kidneys in 33 oncilla (Leopardus tigrinus), including 20 males and 13 females, were opportunistically located, characterized, and measured by ultrasound using a 7.5-MHz linear transducer at two different zoologic facilities in S?o Paulo, Brazil. Renal volume was calculated from these linear measurements. The mean linear measurements and volume of the right and left kidneys were not significantly different.     

Recognition of the Nor98 variant of scrapie in the Swedish sheep population.

Within the framework of the active surveillance for transmissible spongiform encephalopathies in sheep in Sweden, 4 cases of the atypical form of scrapie, Nor98, were identified during 2003. Nor98 is a recently recognized and poorly understood variant of scrapie, first described in Norway. The cases were positive by the rapid test (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay). Immunohistochemical staining showed diffuse thin-granular staining of the cerebellar cortex. Western immunoblotting analysis of specimens of brain stem and cerebellum showed a light band of approximately 12 kDa. Typical scrapie was ruled out based on the confirmatory testing. The affected ewes were from 4 different flocks. They were between 7 and 9 years old. Two were of the ARQ/ARQ genotype, 1 ARR/ARQ, and 1 ARR/AHQ. Two ewes had shown ataxia, and the other 2 had no clinical signs. Whole-flock slaughter was applied, and testing of the flock mates did not reveal additional cases. Nor98 differs from typical scrapie in its epidemiology, frequency of genotypes of sheep affected, clinical signs, microscopic lesions, distribution of scrapie prion protein in the brain, and characteristics of the immunostaining and immunoblotting profiles.     

Evaluation of the cationic trypsinogen gene for potential mutations in miniature schnauzers with pancreatitis

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the cationic trypsinogen gene in miniature schnauzers for possible mutations. Genetic mutations have been linked with hereditary pancreatitis in humans. Four miniature schnauzers were selected on the basis of a clinical history of pancreatitis. One healthy miniature schnauzer and 1 healthy mixed breed canine were enrolled as controls. DNA was extracted from these canines using a commercial kit. Primers were designed to amplify the entire canine cationic trypsinogen cDNA sequence. A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed and products were purified and sequenced. All sequences were then compared. The healthy control canine, a healthy miniature schnauzer, and the 4 miniature schnauzers with pancreatitis showed identical sequences of the cationic trypsinogen gene to the published sequence. We conclude that, in contrast to humans with hereditary pancreatitis, mutations of the cationic trypsinogen gene do not play a major role in the genesis of pancreatitis in the miniature schnauzer.     

An inexpensive sedimentation chamber for the preparation of cytologic specimens of cerebrospinal fluid.

An inexpensive sedimentation chamber to obtain cytologic specimens of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is described. The device, which has a total cost of about $5.00 can be built in few minutes. The device permits the cytologic study of specimens of CSF in clinics, where because of economic constraints, a cytocentrifuge is not available. The device permits the study of the CSF cells on either air-dried or wet smears even under field conditions, and the results obtained are consistent. Also, the device permits to retrieve the cell-free fluid for its use in chemical or immunologic procedures.     

Effects of surgical implantation of temperature dataloggers on reproduction of captive striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis).

A total of 20 (14 females, six males) captive striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis) with miniature temperature dataloggers implanted free in the abdominal cavity were examined for reproductive performance and pathology because of implants. Eleven of 12 female skunks reproduced successfully 45.9+/-3.7 days after surgery to remove implanted dataloggers. The pregnancy rate of 91.7% (11/12) was much higher than other captive studies and was comparable with that of wild skunks. Eight striped skunks (six males, two females) that were euthanatized and necropsied after having implants in the abdominal cavity for 5 mo showed no apparent pathology associated with the implant. Implantation of the intraperitoneal devices did not lead to complications in abdominal tissues. Neither implant nor surgery affected reproduction. We conclude that implanted dataloggers can safely be used in physiologic studies of striped skunks or possibly other small carnivores in captive or field studies.     

Adherence of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae serotype 1 to swine buccal epithelial cells involves fibronectin

The swine pathogen Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae serotype 1 was investigated for its ability to adhere to swine, rat, and human buccal epithelial cells (BEC). The highest number of bacteria adhered was to swine BEC. This binding ability was affected by heating, extreme pH, treatment with sodium dodecyl sulfate, ethylenediamine tetraacetate, or periodate, and proteolysis, suggesting that cell-surface glycoproteins participate in adherence and that adherence is based mostly on ionic interactions. Mannose and swine fibronectin may play a direct role in this interaction. Convalescent-phase serum from naturally infected pigs inhibited the adhesion. There was a correlation between bacterial pathogenicity as well as host specificity and the capacity for adherence to swine BEC. Adhesion to swine BEC provides a convenient method to study in vitro the adherence of A. pleuropneumoniae and other pathogens of the pig respiratory tract.     

空心莲子草浸提液对苜蓿、菊苣和燕麦的潜在化感效应

空心莲子草(Alternanthera philoxeroides)是全球难以根除的恶性杂草,遍布我国20多个省(市)的陆地和水域,造成巨大的生态灾难和经济损失,研究它对牧草的化感作用可为有效防除和选种牧草提供科学依据。本研究以苜蓿(Medicago sativa)、菊苣(Cichorium intybus)和燕麦(Avena sativa)为受体植物材料,采用培养和盆栽试验,研究了空心莲子草地上部(ESA)和根系浸提液(ERA)对牧草种子发芽和幼苗生长的影响。结果表明,用ESA和ERA浸种,抑制牧草胚乳蛋白质、淀粉和肌醇磷酸盐水解,降低种子游离氨基酸、可溶性糖和水溶性无机磷含量,破坏种子细胞膜结构,从而抑制牧草种子萌发,其发芽率、发芽指数和活力指数的最大降幅依次为95.66%、96.15%和98.63%。用ESA和ERA浇灌幼苗,会降低牧草根系活力、硝酸还原酶活性和叶绿素含量,减少植株氮、磷、钾吸收,抑制幼苗生长,生物量的最大降幅分别为52.27%(ESA)和63.74%(ERA)。此外,ESA和ERA对3种牧草的化感指数和化感综合效应均为负值,其绝对值随浸提液浓度增加而增大,且表现为ERA大于ESA,燕麦大于苜蓿和菊苣。因此,空心莲子草浸提液对3种牧草均有化感抑制作用,ERA的化感效应大于ESA,燕麦种子发芽和幼苗生长受到的抑制程度大于苜蓿和菊苣。在牧草栽培中,选种较不敏感的菊苣和苜蓿有益于减轻危害和减少损失。