The use of a Giardia vaccine as an immunotherapeutic agent in dogs.

Dogs (n = 13), which had failed to be cured of giardiosis following chemotherapeutic measures, were treated with a Giardia vaccine (2-3 injections). Clinical signs resolved between 16 and 42 days postvaccination and cessation of fecal cyst shedding was between 21 and 70 days. Vaccination is a potential method of treating giardiosis in dogs.     

An evaluation of the pesera soil erosion model and its application to a case study in Zakynthos, Greece

Abstract. The Pan‐European Soil Erosion Risk Assessment (pesera ) model was evaluated using existing soil erosion data collected under various types of climate, vegetation, landscape and soil conditions. The data used represent a variety of typical Mediterranean land uses such as winter wheat, vines, olives and bare, stony land prevailing in hilly areas. Using this data, the model was calibrated for sediment transport by overland flow and results compared to measured soil erosion values from runoff plots and a watershed on a monthly basis. The performance of the model was assessed statistically, showing that it can be satisfactorily used for predicting soil erosion rates under the conditions included in the study. The overall model estimate including all the available experimental data was 0.69 t ha^?1 yr^?1 with a maximum error of 1.49 t ha^?1 yr^?1. After validation, the model was applied to a small watershed (60 ha) of great ecological importance for the sea turtle Caretta caretta. For this purpose, soil and vegetation maps were compiled from all the necessary data for applying the model. The model was run for three years using daily data from an existing nearby meteorological station. The predicted and measured soil erosion rates for a 7‐month period were 0.31 t and 0.18 t, respectively. Application of the model to each mapping unit showed the over‐riding importance of land use for sediment generation under the given climatic conditions. Bare land, occupying 5.5% of the watershed area, generated up to 69% of the total sediments estimated for the watershed. It is concluded that the pesera model can be used as a regional diagnostic tool under a range of soil, topographic and climatic conditions for identifying the best land use type and vegetation cover to protect hilly areas from soil erosion. The calculated overall root mean square error for the model is 0.06 t ha^?1 yr^?1, compared to a soil erosion rate of 0.04 t ha^?1 yr^?1, which can be tolerated for protecting the area for the sea turtle.     

Flow cytometric analysis of intracellular complexity and CD45 expression for use in rapid differentiation of leukocytes in bovine blood samples.

OBJECTIVE: To develop an efficient and reliable method that accurately differentiates bovine lymphocytes from monocytes in leukograms. SAMPLE POPULATION: Blood samples from 30 healthy cows and 1 calf with bovine leukocyte adhesion deficiency. PROCEDURE: Flow cytometric analysis of intracellular complexity and CD45 expression on bovine leukocytes was compared with results for conventional light microscopy methods. Verification of leukocyte subpopulations determined by intracellular complexity and CD45 expression was conducted, using 2-color phenotypic analysis with selected monoclonal antibodies. RESULTS: The CD45 and side-scatter properties of bovine leukocytes clearly differentiated cell types, including neutrophils, eosinophils, monocytes, and lymphocytes. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This is a rapid assay that is simple to use. More importantly, it is more accurate than the conventional method that involves the use of blood slides and light microscopy, because of the ability of the assay to readily distinguish bovine monocytes and lymphocytes. Rapid preparation of samples and short analysis times allow for efficient and reliable examination of a large number of samples, and the task of viewing slides by light microscopy is eliminated. The labor-savings benefit of this procedure is most apparent in research environments that require frequent processing of batches of blood samples.     

Canine distal renal tubular acidosis and urolithiasis

Distal RTA is characterized by decreased distal renal tubular hydrogen ion secretion, decreased ability to acidify urine, hypercalciuria, hyperphosphaturia, hypocitraturia, and metabolic acidosis. Because of the resulting alterations in urine composition and pH, patients with distal RTA are predisposed to urolithiasis and renal calcification. Diagnosis of distal RTA is important because it is a potentially reversible disorder that, left untreated, may cause nephrocalcinosis, recurrent urolith formation, moderate to severe metabolic acidosis, and renal failure.     

Long-term variation in brown trout, Salmo trutta L., stocking success in a large lake: interplay between availability of suitable prey and size at release

Abstract –  Factors affecting long-term variation in brown trout, Salmo trutta L., stocking success were examined in a large lake, Lake Oulujärvi, in central Finland. Brown trout were stocked in spring (late May to early June) in 1974–1991 and in summer (late June to early July) in 1992–2001. The biomass of the vendace, Coregonus albula (L.), population (prey) at release time had the largest positive effect on stocking success within both periods: biomass of adult vendace in spring and both 0+ and adult vendace in summer. Increasing the size of stocked fish had a positive effect if the vendace available at release were only adults. The increasing trend of predator-catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) [combined CPUE of northern pike Esox lucius L., burbot Lota lota (L.), and pike-perch Stizostedion lucioperca (L.)] through the study period and its negative effect on trout stocking success suggested an increasing effect of predation within the entire time series.     

Effects of low and high calcium intake prepartum on calcium mobilization rate around parturition in dairy cows

Forty-one dairy cows were fed a low (LCa-13 g/d) and a high (HCa-83.5 g/d) calcium ration in the 8 weeks prior to parturition and the effect on the Ca mobilization rate around parturition was studied. Plasma Ca values were stable in the LCa group around parturition. In the older cows of the HCa group a very slight decrease in the mean plasma Ca was observed: 2.58 mmol/l at 12-36 h ante partum decreased to 2.38 mmol/l at parturition. Hypocalcaemia, which commonly occurs around parturition, did not occur in 40 of the cows. A subclinical hypocalcaemia (1.8 mmol/l) occurred in one cow (parity 10) from the HCa group. To assess the efficiency of Ca mobilization, a severe hypocalcaemia (1.0 mmol/l) with clinical signs was induced by means of Na2EDTA infusion (0.90 mmol/min), starting at 10 h post-partum. The older cows in the LCa group required more Na2EDTA than those in the HCa group. Higher urinary hydroxyproline excretion in the week before parturition in the LCa than in the HCa group suggested a higher bone turnover. Plasma PTH levels around parturition were not significantly different between the groups. The amount of colostrum milked out in the first 10 h post-partum did not influence Ca homeostasis around parturition. The results contradict those of many other experiments in which hypocalcaemia was observed in cows ingesting high levels of Ca. It is concluded that the restricted feed intake prepartum possibly had a favourable effect on Ca homeostasis.     

Quantitation of natural antibodies to infectious bursal disease in Nigerian indigenous chickens

Serum samples collected from 687 indigenous chickens located in small scattered groups in four states of Nigeria were examined for antibodies to infectious bursal disease (IBD) virus by the agar-gel precipitation (AGPT) and counterimmunoelectrophoresis (CIEOP) tests. 51 of the positive samples were further titrated by each of the two techniques. CIEOP detected more positive reactors (74.59%) than AGPT (58.95%). CIEOP also detected higher antibody levels among the reactors [geometric mean titre (GMT) of 51 samples was 23.02] when compared to AGPT. GMT of the same 51 samples was 21.8. The prevalence of antibodies to IBD virus in the indigenous chickens ranged from 64.7 to 77.7% CIEOP reactors between states. Since reports of IBD outbreaks among these chickens are rare unlike the situation among commercial poultry flocks, it was concluded that local chickens probably act as carriers of IBD virus.