Elevated temperature during reproductive development affects cone traits and progeny performance in Picea glauca x engelmannii complex

Two temperature regimes were applied during reproductive development of seed and pollen cones of interior spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss and Picea engelmannii (Parry) complex) to determine temperature effects on the adaptive traits of progeny. In Experiment 1, identical crosses were made on potted interior spruce using untreated pollen followed by exposure to a day/night temperature of 22/8 or 14/8 degrees C with a 12-h photoperiod during the stages of reproductive development from post-pollination to early embryo development. Frost hardiness and growth of progeny from seed produced in the two temperature treatments were measured over a 4-year period. Elevated temperature significantly affected both seed-cone development and the adaptive properties of the progeny. Seed cones exposed to the 22/8 degrees C treatment reached the early embryo stage in 53 days versus 92 days in the 14/8 degrees C treatment. Seed yields, cotyledon emergence and percent germination were also significantly enhanced by the 22/8 degrees C treatment. Progeny from seed produced in the higher temperature treatment showed significantly reduced spring and fall frost hardiness, but the elevated temperature treatment had no significant effects on time of bud burst, growth patterns or final heights. In Experiment 2, single ramets of the same clone were subjected to a day/night temperature of 20/8 or 10/8 degrees C during pollen cone development, starting from meiosis and ending at pollen shedding. The two populations of pollen were then crossed with untreated seed cones. Compared with pollen cones exposed to the 10/8 degrees C treatment, pollen cones exposed to the 20/8 degrees C treatment during development reached the shedding stage 2-4 weeks earlier, whereas pollen yields, in vitro viability and fertility (seed set) were significantly lower; however, the resulting progeny displayed no treatment differences in frost hardiness or growth after 1 year. Results suggest that seed orchard after-effects could be caused by temperature differences between orchard site and parent tree origin and that this effect acts on maternal development. Gametophytic (pollen or megagametophyte or both) and early embryo (sporophytic) selection are possible mechanisms that may explain the observed results. Although the effects are biologically significant, they are relatively small and do not justify changes in current deployment strategies for seed orchard seed.     

The effect of sub-zero temperatures in the light and dark on cold-hardened,dehardened and newly flushed white spruce (Picea glauca [Moench.] Voss) seedlings

Cold hardened, dehardened, and newly flushed foliage of one year old white spruce (Picea glauca [Moench.] Voss) seedlings were exposed to various sub-zero temperatures (--2 to --22.5°C) either in the dark or light. The freezing treatment had no significant effect on the variable fluorescence to maximal fluorescence ratio (F_v/F_m) of hardened seedlings, either in the light or dark. Also, no visible damage or increase in electrolyte leakage were evident in either the light or the dark treated seedlings. Both dehardened and newly flushed foliage were significantly affected by the freezing treatment, and light enhanced the effect. A decline in F_v/F_mincreased electrolyte leakage and visible damage were observed at warmer temperatures in newly flushed needles than in dehardened needles. Seedlings exposed to sub-zero treatments in the light also had lower F_v/F_m, increased electrolyte leakage and showed more visible damage than seedlings exposed to the same sub-zero treatments in the dark. The temperature where 50% of the needles were damaged (LT₅₀) as estimated from visible damage data was --10.8°C in the light and --12.1°C in the dark for dehardened, one year old needles. The LT₅₀in newly flushed needles was --4.8°C in the light and --6.2°C in the dark. Recovery of F_v/F_mvalues 3 days after freezing exposure was only evident in treatments where little visible damage was present. Both F_v/F_mand electrolyte leakage were strongly correlated with visible damage.     

Polyarthritis in wild mice (Mus musculus) caused by Streptobacillus moniliformis

SUMMARY Mice trapped on farms in south-eastern Queensland had chronic abscessating osteoarthritides mainly involving the carpi and tarsi. Pleomorphic bacteria were shown by silver staining to be plentiful within lesions. Streptobacillus moniliformis was isolated from the joints, and streptobacillary polyarthritis was diagnosed. Other lesions observed included subcutaneous and hepatic abscesses.     

Detecting benzimidazole resistance with faecal egg count reduction tests and in vitro assays

Composite strains of Trichostrongylus colubriformis and Ostertagia spp consisting of 0, 1, 10, 25, 50, 75, 90, and 100% of known resistant strains were prepared and tested for benzimidazole resistance using faecal egg count reduction tests, in vitro egg hatch assays and tubulin binding assays. All tests detected resistance where the proportion of the resistant strain in the composite was 50% or more, whereas none of the tests unequivocally detected resistance below 25%. Egg count reduction tests were no less sensitive than the in vitro tests in detecting low levels of resistance but the egg hatch and tubulin binding assays provided a better quantitative estimate of moderate to high levels of resistance. Faecal egg count reduction therefore, provides a suitable means of detecting resistance in the field but tests, more sensitive to low levels of resistance are required. Results indicate that the use of post-treatment counts alone provides an adequate indication of anthelmintic efficiency.     

Galactose utilization in galactosemia

Cultures of human galactosemic fibroblasts without detectable transferase activity were able to convert [1-(14)C]galactose to (14)CO(2) to the same extent as normal cells, but did so at a significantly slower rate. The utilization of galactose in both normal and galactosemic cells was strongly inhibited by glucose at physiologic concentrations.     

Ultrasonographic characteristics of soft tissue tumours in dogs

Objective   To identify and describe the ultrasonographic features of soft tissue tumours in dogs.
Procedure   Superficial soft tissue tumours of various histological types, including mast cell tumours (MCTs) and soft tissue sarcomas (STSs), were evaluated. Ultrasound was used to visualise internal characteristics of the tumour, including vascularity. Tumours were categorised according to size, shape, margin definition, tissue plane mobility, echogenicity, echotexture, acoustic shadowing or enhancement and vessel distribution. Objective measurements of intratumoural blood flow included velocities and maximal perfused cross-sectional area (fractional area). Logistic regression models incorporating a variety of data were used in an attempt to predict the histopathological type of tumours.
Results   The logistic regression model defined by the parameters echotexture, margin definition and presence of subcapsular vessels was highly predictive of MCTs (> 73%; P = 0.024). Several other trends, including a larger size for STSs and less vascularity for both MCTs and STSs, were observed, but did not reach statistical significance.
Conclusion   This preliminary study has shown the potential diagnostic value of ultrasound in differentiating soft tissue tumours. However, at present, ultrasound cannot replace biopsy and histopathological evaluation for tumour diagnosis.     

Dietary Fat Supplementation and the Consequences for Oocyte and Embryo Quality: Hype or Significant Benefit for Dairy Cow Reproduction?

In many countries, fat supplementation in the diet has become common in the dairy industry. There are several ideas as to how dietary fat could influence reproductive performance. Saturated fatty acids, such as palm oil, can increase milk yield but may aggravate negative energy balance and thus may impair fertility when fed during the first week post‐partum. However, priming the lipid oxidation in the liver by feeding saturated fats during the dry period has recently been shown to be a potentially promising strategy to mitigate fat mobilization and liver accumulation post‐partum. Furthermore, polyunsaturated fats (omega‐3 fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acids) are fed to reduce the ‘de novo’ fat synthesis in the udder and thus the milk fat content, which may be of modest benefit for overall energy balance. Furthermore, omega‐6 and omega‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids are reported to alter follicular growth, steroid synthesis and prostaglandin metabolism in the ovary and endometrium, respectively. Omega‐6 fatty acids are believed to have pro‐inflammatory and thus PGF2α‐stimulating properties rendering them extra value as ‘nutraceutical’ early post‐partum, while omega‐3 fatty acids can weaken this inflammatory potency, leading to a higher chance of survival of the embryo when supplemented during the periconceptual period. Unfortunately, research results rarely provide a consensus in this perspective. The consequences of these fat‐feeding strategies on oocyte and embryo quality remain an intriguing issue for debate. Fat feeding may alter the microenvironment of the growing and maturing oocyte of the early and older embryo and thus may affect reproductive outcome. We recently reported that dietary‐induced hyperlipidaemic conditions can be harmful for embryo development and metabolism. However, to date, research results remain somewhat conflicting most probably due to differences in fat sources used, in diet and duration of supplementation and in experimental set‐up in general.     

Cobalt deficiency in sheep and diagnostic reference ranges

Abstract

Extract

In the last 2 years, two papers have been published suggesting that current New Zealand reference criteria for diagnosing cobalt deficiency should be reviewed (Grace et al 2003), and they are conservatively high and lead to the over-diagnosis of vitamin B₁₂ deficiency and ill-thriftiness in sheep (Gruner et al 2004). The comments refer to reference ranges cited by animal health diagnostic laboratories. These reference ranges were derived from the paper by Clark et al (1989 Clark, RG, Wright, DF, Millar, KR and Rowland, JD. 1989. Reference curves to diagnose cobalt deficiency in sheep using liver and serum vitamin B₁₂ levels.. New Zealand Veterinary Journal, 37: 7–11. [Taylor &; Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]), which reviewed data from published and unpublished weight gain response trials preceding that date. The review included all published trials in New Zealand and as many unpublished trials that the authors could obtain. They involved serum vitamin B12 data from 54 trials and liver vitamin B₁₂ data from 21 trials. It was stated that more data from trials conducted in autumn were required to reliably determine an autumn response curve. In addition, it was envisaged that as other trial data became available the reference curves could be upgraded (Clark et al 1985 Clark, RG, Wright, DF and Millar, KR. 1985. A proposed new approach and protocol to defining mineral deficiencies using reference curves. Cobalt deficiency in young sheep is used as a model.. New Zealand Veterinary Journal, 33: 1–5. [Taylor &; Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]).