Solar neutrinos: questions and hypotheses

The "solar neutrino puzzle" has been a challenge for almost 20 years, posing broad and fundamental questions about astrophysics and neutrino properties. This article sketches some of the ideas that have been put forward to solve the problem. These ideas can be grouped into two main classes: those involving changes in the standard solar model or in the basic nuclear reaction data, and those that attribute the puzzle to as yet unobserved properties of the neutrinos.     

Arsenic poisoning in dairy cattle from naturally occurring arsenic pyrites

An outbreak of arsenic poisoning occurred in which most of a 200 cow dairy herd were affected and six died. The source of the arsenic was naturally occurring arsenic pyrites from the Waiotapu Stream, near Rotorua. Arsenic levels in the nearby soil were as high as 6618 ppm. There was little evidence to suggest that treatment affected the course of the disease. Haematology was of little use in diagnosis, post-mortem signs were not always consistent and persistence of the element in the liver appeared short. Control of further outbreaks have been based on practical measures to minimise the intake of contaminated soil and free laying water by the stock.     

Some field observations on the antibody response to avian infectious bronchitis on Auckland layer farms

Layer flocks on four Auckland poultry farms were monitored monthly for Infectious Bronchitis (IB) antibody levels, using the haemagglutination inhibition test. The same birds were bled each month and antibody levels compared with egg production. The results showed that IB vaccination at 4(1/2) and 14(1/2) weeks using the live, attenuated, New Zealand A strain virus, protected layers from IB infection on a farm with good management techniques but vaccination on another commercial farm gave less then ideal protection due possibly to intercurrent disease. Also antibody levels in naturally infected layers responded more vigorously when exposed to the field strain, compared with the response in vaccinated birds.     

The ability of biochemical and haematological tests to predict recovery in periparturient recumbent cows

Blood samples from 433 periparturient recumbent cows submitted by veterinary practitioners to Ruakura Animal Health Laboratory during 1983 and 1984 were analysed and results related to whether cows recovered, died or were euthanased. Generally cows were sampled only once and the time varied from 15 minutes to 20 days after becoming recumbent. During 1983 serum calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, creatine phosphokinase (CK), aspartate amino transferase (AST), glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT) were analysed. In 1984 serum urea, creatinine, fibrinogen and haematological examination (haemoglobin, haematocrit, total and differential white cell counts) were added to the panel. Overall 39% of cows recovered, 30% died and 32% were destroyed. Precalving cows had 111% more deaths and 7% less survivors than postcalving recumbent cows (P<0.1). There was little difference (3%) in euthanasia prevalence. Tests that were most useful in predicting a lack of recovery were serum urea and muscle enzymes. Using these tests and duration of recumbency when sampled a model was produced to predict the probability of recovery from 254 cases.     

The laboratory as an aid to clinical diagnosis

The clinician may use the clinical pathology laboratory as a valuable aid to diagnosis and management, for the assessment of response to treatment, and in preventive medicine programs. Each "link in the chain," that is, sample selection, collection, handling, analysis, result reporting, and interpretation must be carefully and efficiently managed, using an informed combination of art and science, to provide a useful endpoint. This general introduction precedes more specific and detailed articles.