AN EXPERIMENTAL METHOD TO TEST THE EFFECTS OF LOCAL EMISSION REDUCTIONS DURING SUMMERSMOG

A method is presented that makes it possible to eliminate some of the meteorological influence on the change in air pollutant concentrations (mainly NO_χ and ozone) when considering the effects of local emission reductions. The relation of measurements outside the test area to values inside the area for normal conditions (i.e. defined weather type, no emission reduction in the test area) allows prediction of the values for the test area during emission reductions, but only if this relation shows a good correlation. This prediction includes the influence of meteorological factors that are distributed more or less homogeneously within an area of about 100 km × 100 km, which includes a large part of the meteorological influence. The comparison of predicted and measured values in the test area shows the effect of emission reduction, with the uncertainty of remaining meteorological effects, of course. The method is applied to the Heilbronn ozone experiment in summer 1994. Most precise results are obtained for ozone, while conclusions for nitrogen oxides are more uncertain.     

Atmospheric deposition of trace elements in Norway: Temporal and spatial trends studied by moss analysis

The atmospheric deposition of sixteen trace elements, as inferred by their concentration in moss samples collected in 1985 from 500 sites in Norway, is compared with data from a similar survey in 1977. The deposition patterns of V, Zn, As, Se, Cd, Sb, and Pb are substantially influenced by long-range transport from other parts of Europe, but a general decline is evident from 1977 to 1985, most strongly for Pb. For Cr, Fe, Co, Ni, and Cu the deposition patterns are largely determined by contributions from point sources within Norway and on the Kola peninsula close to the Russian/ Norwegian border. The moss data for Br, I, and partly Se reflect airborne supply from the marine environment, whereas Al and Sc serve as indicators of contributions from soil dust. Contributions to the trace element concentrations in moss from sources other than atmospheric deposition are identified and discussed.     

Einfluss der Zwischenlagerung auf die anfängliche Entwicklung rekultivierter Oberböden

Influence of temporary stockpiling on the initial development of restored topsoils Due to increasing construction and open‐cast mining activities on fertile agricultural land, excavation, stockpiling, and restoration of soils have become important issues in soil protection. In this study, we performed a restoration experiment to investigate how the conditions during stockpiling may influence initial soil development and plant growth on a restored site. Four topsoils, which originated from two depths (with uninhibited and inhibited aeration) of a nontrafficked and a trafficked topsoil deposit, were repacked in strips and sown with three meadow‐seed mixtures in strips perpendicular to the soil strips. During stockpiling as well as during the first 2 years after restoration, we assessed the physical and mechanical properties of the topsoils and (after restoration) also plant growth. None of the investigated properties of the topsoils was influenced by the depth in the deposit. In contrast, the coarse porosity and compression index were lower, whereas the bulk density and precompression stress were higher in the trafficked than in the nontrafficked topsoil deposit. However, these differences largely disappeared already in the course of soil restoration. Contrary to our expectations, the plants grew better on the soil of the trafficked topsoil deposit than on the soil of the nontrafficked topsoil deposit in the year of restoration. This might be attributed to the extremely dry and hot summer of that year. In the course of the 2 years following restoration, also the differences in plant growth tended to disappear. The remaining differences in bulk density and plant growth could not be attributed to differences in stockpiling conditions. The results suggest a re‐examination of current soil restoration guidelines. The maximum permitted stockpiling heights for topsoils might be increased in order to reduce the areas required for temporary stockpiling.     

The effect of 3‐nitro‐4‐hydroxyphenylarsonic acid (3‐nitro‐hoechst) on egg production and food conversion of laying hens and residue analyses of muscle,organs and eggs

White Leghorn pullets were divided into two groups, each comprising 5 pens with 15 or 16 birds per pen. The experiment began when the birds were 20 weeks old and finished on the 500th day of life. The control group received a normal ration containing 16 per cent protein whilst the experimental group received the same ration supplemented with 50 p.p.m. 3‐nitro‐4‐hydroxyphenylarsonic acid (3‐nitro‐hoechst).

Food consumption and egg weight were similar in both groups but the treated group laid 4 per cent more eggs. Although this was not significant, the treated group showed an overall improvement in the efficiency of food utilisation of 2.5 per cent.

For a period of 6 months the arsenic content of 10 eggs was determined weekly and after this time at fortnightly intervals. At the end of the experiment 10 birds of each group were killed and the arsenic contents of the heart, liver, kidneys, tibia, pectoral muscle and feathers were determined. The arsenic contents of the eggs, heart, kidneys, muscle and bone of the experimental birds were not significantly different from the controls. However, the liver of the birds fed the supplement contained twice and the feathers fifteen times as much arsenic as the control birds.     

Investigations on the association of D-lactate blood concentrations with the outcome of therapy of acidosis, and with posture and demeanour in young calves with diarrhoea

The objective of this prospective study was to elucidate whether amounts of bicarbonate needed for correction of acidosis and normalization of clinical signs are influenced by blood D-lactate concentrations in calves with diarrhoea. In 73 calves up to 3 weeks old with acute diarrhoea and base excess values below -10 mmol/l correction of acidosis was carried out within 3.5-h by intravenous administration of an amount of sodium bicarbonate which was calculated using the formula: HCO (mmol) = body mass (kg) x base deficit (mmol/l) x 0.6 (l/kg). Clinical signs, venous base excess, and plasma D-lactate concentrations were monitored immediately following admission, following correction of acidosis at 4 h and 24 h after admission. The base excess and plasma D-lactate concentrations throughout the study were -17.8 +/- 4.0, -0.4 +/- 0.4, -3.0 +/- 5.5 mmol/l (base excess), and 10.0 +/- 4.9, 9.8 +/- 4.8, 5.4 +/- 3.4 mmol/l (D-lactate) for the three times of examination. Metabolic acidosis was not corrected in more than half of the calves (n = 43) by the calculated amount of bicarbonate, whereas the risk of failure to correct acidosis increases with D-lactate concentrations. The study shows that calves with elevated D-lactate concentrations do not need additional specific therapy, as D-lactate concentrations regularly fall following correction of acidosis and restitution of body fluid volume, for reasons that remain unclear. However, calves with distinct changes in posture and demeanour need higher doses of bicarbonate than calculated with the factor of 0.6 in the formula mentioned above probably because of D-hyperlactataemia.     

Female age as a factor determining the patterns of tree canopy utilisation by the European cherry fruit fly,Rhagoletis cerasi

The European cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis cerasi is a univoltine, oligophagous pest of cultivated sweet cherries. The pest is closely associated with the canopy of its host tree, and its on-farm behaviour and mobility are determined by the crop structure and spatial arrangement of the farm. However, in spite of its relevance to integrated pest management, little is known about the within-canopy behaviour of R. cerasi, or the role of host and non-host canopy traits in local pest translocations. This paper reports the results of our exploratory studies, which reveal the modulating role of female age on various aspects of R. cerasi on-farm behaviour, such as diurnal and lifetime patterns of canopy utilisation and within-canopy activity, the propensity to undertake local explorative errands and the response to volatiles emanating from host and non-host canopies. The potential implications of our findings on the development of site-optimised IPM and/or pest-resilient agro-landscapes were also discussed.     

AAHA canine life stage guidelines

Guidelines are offered to guide the veterinary practitioner in designing a comprehensive, individualized wellness plan for each stage of a dog's life. Life stages are defined by both age and breed characteristics for practical purposes. Each patient visit should use an individualized approach to patient handling, preventive care, and early disease detection. Environment, behavior, nutrition, parasite control, vaccinations, dental care, zoonotic disease control, safety, and reproductive health should be addressed.