SE—Structures and Environment: Ammonia Emission and Nitrogen Balances in Mink Houses

Ammonia emissions from mink houses were measured over two seasons for growing kits in a two-row open-sided building with slurry gutters (385 mm wide). In the first season, a layer of sand was placed below the cages, and in the last season a layer of chopped barley straw on sand, to serve as a collector for urine and faeces dropped outside the gutter. When the slurry was removed weekly in the houses with slurry gutter and sand layer, the ammonia emission was 0·59 g [N] per animal per 24 h at 6°C and 1·15 g [N] per animal per 24 h at 16°C. By covering the ground area below the cages with a layer of chopped barley straw, renewed weekly, the nitrogen loss increased with the time since the latest renewal of the straw. One week after renewal of straw and removal of slurry, the emission amounted to 0·70 g [N] per animal per 24 h at 6°C and 1·44 g [N] per animal per 24 h at 16°C.Nine-week nitrogen balance measurements were carried out in three sections over the second season. When a layer of chopped barley straw on the ground area was renewed once a week, about 45% of the nitrogen in the consumed feed was collected in the slurry gutter by emptying the gutter twice a week. About 19% was collected in straw beneath the cages, about 5% was deposited in the carcass, about 20% evaporated, and the rest, about 11%, was assumed to be collected in the sand layer below the cages.     

Empirical predictions of plant material C and N mineralization patterns from near infrared spectroscopy, stepwise chemical digestion and C/N ratios

Prediction of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) mineralization patterns of plant litter is desirable for both agronomic and environmental reasons. Near infrared reflectance (NIR) spectroscopy has recently been introduced in decomposition studies to characterize biochemical composition. The purpose of the current study was to use empirical techniques to predict C and N mineralization patterns of a wide range of plant materials incubated under controlled temperature and moisture conditions. We hypothesized that the richness of information in the NIR spectra would considerably improve predictions compared to traditional stepwise chemical digestion (SCD) or C/N ratios. Initially, we fitted a number of empirical functions to the observed C and N mineralization patterns. The best functions fitted with R²=0.990 and 0.949 to C and N, respectively. The fractions of C and N mineralized at different points in time were then either predicted directly with regression functions or indirectly by prediction of the parameters of the empirical functions fitted to incubation data. In both cases, partial least squares (PLS) regressions were used and predictions were validated by cross-validations. We found that the NIR spectra (best R²=0.925) were able to predict C mineralization patterns marginally better than the SCD fractions (best R²=0.911), but considerably better than the C/N ratios (best R²=0.851). In contrast, N mineralization was better predicted by SCD fractions (best R²=0.533) than the C/N ratio (best R²=0.497), which was better than NIR predictions (best R²=0.446). Although the predictions with the NIR spectra were only slightly better for C and worse for N mineralization compared to SCD fractions, NIR spectroscopy still holds advantages, as it is a much less laborious and cheaper analytical method. Furthermore, exploration of the applications of NIR spectroscopy in decomposition studies has only just begun, and offers new ways to gain insights into the decomposition process.     

Lactoperoxidase-induced protein oxidation in milk

The reaction between lactoperoxidase (LPO) and H(2)O(2) in the presence of bovine serum albumin (BSA), beta-lactoglobulin, or casein was investigated for the formation of protein radicals by freeze-quench electron spin resonance (ESR) and by the formation of the protein oxidation product, dityrosine. The presence of BSA resulted in a dramatic change after 1 min of reaction in the obtained ESR spectrum compared with the spectrum obtained for LPO and H(2)O(2) alone. Furthermore, experiments employing BSA or beta-lactoglobulin resulted in the formation of long-lived protein radicals detectable 10 min after initiation of the reaction. The presence of casein resulted in a minor change in the fine structure of the ESR spectrum after 1 min of reaction compared with LPO and H(2)O(2) alone, but no difference between the two reaction mixtures could be observed after 10 min of reaction. The formation of dityrosine could be detected in reaction mixtures containing LPO and H(2)O(2) after 1 and 10 min of incubation at 25 degrees C both in the absence and in the presence of BSA, beta-lactoglobulin, or casein. The presence of casein resulted in an increased dityrosine concentration compared with the reaction with LPO and H(2)O(2) alone. Endogenous LPO in unpasteurized milk was activated at 25 degrees C by adding 1 mM H(2)O(2). Radical species could be detected directly in the milk by freeze-quench ESR during the initial phase of the reaction, and dityrosine could be measured after 4 h of incubation. The role of LPO activity in the formation of ESR detectable radical species and dityrosine in milk was further verified in ultrahigh temperature (UHT) milk with no endogenous enzyme activity, as the formation of ESR detectable radical species and dityrosine took place in UHT milk only upon the addition of both H(2)O(2) and exogenous LPO.     

Cassini measurements of cold plasma in the ionosphere of Titan

The Cassini Radio and Plasma Wave Science (RPWS) Langmuir probe (LP) sensor observed the cold plasma environment around Titan during the first two flybys. The data show that conditions in Saturn's magnetosphere affect the structure and dynamics deep in the ionosphere of Titan. The maximum measured ionospheric electron number density reached 3800 per cubic centimeter near closest approach, and a complex chemistry was indicated. The electron temperature profiles are consistent with electron heat conduction from the hotter Titan wake. The ionospheric escape flux was estimated to be 10(25) ions per second.     

Growth of SiO2 at room temperature with the use of catalyzed sequential half-reactions

Films of silicon dioxide (SiO2) were deposited at room temperature by means of catalyzed binary reaction sequence chemistry. The binary reaction SiCl4 + 2H2O --> SiO2 + 4HCl was separated into SiCl4 and H2O half-reactions, and the half-reactions were then performed in an ABAB ellipsis sequence and catalyzed with pyridine. The pyridine catalyst lowered the deposition temperature from >600 to 300 kelvin and reduced the reactant flux required for complete reactions from approximately 10(9) to approximately 10(4) Langmuirs. Growth rates of approximately 2.1 angstroms per AB reaction cycle were obtained at room temperature for reactant pressures of 15 millitorr and 60-second exposure times with 200 millitorr of pyridine. This catalytic technique may be general and should facilitate the chemical vapor deposition of other oxide and nitride materials.     

Course of feline leukemia virus infection and its detection by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and monoclonal antibodies

Monoclonal antibodies specific for 3 distinct epitopes of the species-specific determinants of feline leukemia virus (FeLV) p27 were used in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for measurement of serum p27 in cats infected with FeLV. Group-specific antigen (GSA) of FeLV in peripheral blood leukocytes was also determined by an immunofluorescence assay. Antibodies to FeLV and the feline oncornavirus-associated cell membrane antigen (FOCMA) were also measured. Thirty-six cats were surveyed and assigned to 4 categories. Five developed persistent viremia (category 1), characterized by continuous expression of p27, GSA, and low antibody titers to FeLV and FOCMA. Eleven cats with transient viremia (category 2) and 13 cats that were never detectably viremic (category 3), as judged by absence of GSA and p27, developed increased antibody titers to FeLV and FOCMA. Seven cats were never viremic, as judged by the GSA in the peripheral blood leukocytes, but still had detectable serum p27 (category 4). Most category 4 cats developed high antibody titers against FOCMA and/or FeLV. Of 307 field cats examined, 7% of the healthy cats and 10% of the sick cats could be assigned to category 4. However, this difference was not significant (P greater than or equal to 0.05). Of 26 cats with neoplasms 2 (1 of 12 with lymphosarcoma) could be classified as category 4. Because virus could be isolated from 2 category 4 cats, they were considered immune carriers.     

Comparative efficacy of three commercial feline leukemia virus vaccines against methylprednisolone acetate-augmented oronasal challenge exposure with virulent virus.

Three commercial FeLV vaccines, (A, B, and C) were purchased on the open market and administered to 8- to 20-week-old specific-pathogen-free kittens, according to manufacturers' instructions. A similar group of nonvaccinated kittens served as controls. All kittens were challenge-exposed oronasally with virulent FeLV 4 weeks after the final vaccination. Serum samples were monitored for FeLV-p27 antigenemia using an ELISA at 1- to 2-week intervals for at least 16 weeks after the last day of challenge exposure. Kittens that were either transiently (1 to 4 weeks) or never viremic during this period were counted as recovered, whereas kittens that became viremic and retained viremia for at least 10 weeks were counted as persistently viremic. The 3 vaccines were found to be 39% (vaccine C), 28% (vaccine B), and 17% (vaccine A) efficacious in preventing persistent viremia in immunized, compared with nonimmunized kittens.     

Mitral valve prolapse in 3-year-old healthy Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. An echocardiographic study.

Clinical studies have shown that Cavalier King Charles Spaniels (CKCS) have a high prevalence of mitral valvular insufficiency (MVI). Echocardiography has the potential to disclose early valvular changes, and the present prospective study was designed to investigate the occurrence of mitral valve prolapse (MVP) in young CKCS without heart murmurs, and to correlate the degree of MVP with the clinical status of the dogs by including CKCS with MVI as well. The study was based on blinded evaluations of echocardiographic recordings of mitral valves from 34 CKCS and 30 control dogs. Thirteen (87%) of 15 three-year-old CKCS without heart murmurs had MVP (2 total and 11 partial), as compared with 1 (7%) of 15 three-year-old normal Beagle dogs (P < 0.0001), and none of 15 three-year-old normal Medium Size Poodles (P < 0.0001). Of 19 CKCS with MVI, MVP was found in 84% of the entire group and in 100% of dogs with pulmonary congestion or edema. The occurrence of total MVP tended to be higher in the group with MVI (47%, 9/19), when compared with the younger CKCS without heart murmurs (13%, 2/15, P = 0.06). MVP was positively associated with excessive heart rate variability (P = 0.003). The radius of curvature of the anterior mitral valve leaflet in systole was significantly reduced in dogs with MVP when compared with those without (P < 0.0001). In conclusion, this study shows that CKCS at an early age have a high occurrence of MVP. This suggests: 1) A genetic predisposition of CKCS to MVP; and 2) That MVP is a pathogenetic factor in the development of mitral valvular insufficiency. Follow up studies may add further support to these proposals, and clarify whether echocardiography may be an aid in selecting CKCS for future breeding.