Serum amyloid A protein concentration measured by radial immunodiffusion in Abyssinian and non-Abyssinian cats

Serum amyloid A (SAA) protein concentration was determined by use of radial immunodiffusion (RID) in 4 groups of cats: Abyssinian cats with amyloidosis, healthy Abyssinian cats without clinical evidence of amyloidosis, hospitalized non-Abyssinian cats, and clinically normal non-Abyssinian cats. Mean SAA concentration in Abyssinian cats with amyloidosis was significantly (P = 0.05) higher than mean SAA concentration in healthy Abyssinian cats without clinical evidence of amyloidosis and in hospitalized non-Abyssinian cats. Mean SAA concentration in clinically normal non-Abyssinian cats was significantly (P = 0.05) lower than mean SAA concentration in healthy Abyssinian cats without clinical evidence of amyloidosis and in hospitalized non-Abyssinian cats. Affected and healthy Abyssinian cats, however, could not reliably be distinguished on the basis of SAA concentration, because of the wide range of SAA values in these 2 groups of cats.     

Effects of epidural xylazine on EEG responses to surgical stimulation during isoflurane anaesthesia in dogs

The effects of epidural administration of 250 μg/kg xylazine on EEG responses to surgical stimulation of 5 different intensities were evaluated during isoflurane anaesthesia for an experimental orthopaedic procedure in dogs. The dogs were assigned randomly to one of 2 treatment groups receiving either xylazine (n = 4) or equal volumes of sterile water (n = 4) (control group) epidurally. Intense surgical stimulation during removal of a bone graft from the dorsoiliac spine of the ileum was associated with a significantly (P = 0.0339) higher increase in EEG alpha/delta ratio after epidural administration of sterile water than after epidural injection of 250 μg/kg of xylazine. In addition, the preincision baseline values for 80% spectral edge frequency were significantly (P = 0.0339) lower in the xylazine group compared to control dogs. Our results suggest that epidural administration of 250 μg/kg of xylazine during orthopaedic procedures in dogs exerts antinociceptive effects which may be in part mediated by a supraspinal effect of xylazine.     

霉形体膜蛋白溶解及含量测定方法研究

本文选择双蒸水；０．１ｍｏｌ／ＬＮａＯＨ；１．０ｍｏｌ／ＬＮａＯＨ；４％ＤＯＣ和１％ＳＤＳ条件分别对猪肺炎霉形体膜制剂作增溶处理，使膜蛋白溶解，然后采用Ｌｏｗｒｙ法进行蛋白质含量的测定．测定结果表明：０．１ｍｏｌ／ＬＮａＯＨ溶解效果较好，所测得膜蛋白含量达６８．８％左右。，数据更为接近实际含量．     

Economic Assessment of Alternative Aquaculture Aeration Strategies

Oxygen depletion is a serious problem for the catfish industry, especially as producers attempt to increase their production intensity. Aeration, either emergency or continuous, is the most common method used to address oxygen depletion.
A risk-programming model using Target MOTAD methodology was developed to study the aquacultural producer's aeration decision-making process. Effects of stocking rate, aeration yield response and availability of labor, capital and electricity on the selection of aeration strategy were analyzed.
Continuous aeration with electric paddlewheels was most often selected as the best aeration strategy. However, as farmers become increasingly concerned with financial risk, they apply continuous aeration with pump sprayers first, then no aeration and lastly emergency aeration with tractor-powered paddlewheels. Emergency aeration was only used when: 1) electricity was not available and the producer desired a highly conservative financial strategy, and 2) the relative efficiency of continuous aeration in the field was dramatically reduced from experimental results.     

The contribution from hyphae, roots and organic carbon constituents to the aggregation of a sandy loam under long-term clover-based and grass pastures

Water-stable macro-aggregate size fractions (>2.0 mm, 1.0–2.0 mm, 0.5–1.0 mm and 0.25–0.5 mm) and non-aggregated soil from a sandy loam under long-term clover-based pasture and from grass pasture were analysed to determine the role of acid- and water-extractable carbohydrate C, total hyphal length, microbial biomass, organic C and total and mycorrhizal root length in stabilization of the aggregates. Aggregates were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the particle-size distribution of the size fractions was also determined. Macro-aggregation increased under grass, relative to clover-based pasture; however, the properties of the aggregate fractions measured did not reflect this difference. Microbial-biomass C, extractable-carbohydrate C, hyphal length, total and mycorrhizal root length and organic C content of the soils were poorly correlated with macro-aggregation. Within the aggregates, the proportion of 250–1000-km sand was smaller and clay, silt and fine sand (20–250 μm) were greater relative to non-aggregated soil, suggesting that the >250-μm sand in the non-aggregated soil limited the stabilization of macro-aggregates. Under SEM, no enmeshment of aggregates by hyphae and roots was apparent. Although 50–160 m hyphae g^?1 soil was found within the aggregates, calculations showed that on average only 5 to 13 lengths of hyphae were associated with each 250-μm cube of soil within the aggregates, and suggested little potential to stabilize the aggregates by enmeshing. On average, all >2.0-mm aggregates contained less than 3.6 mm of roots and less than 50% by weight of <2.0-mm aggregates contained a single length of root. The findings cast doubt about the role of hyphae and fine roots in the stabilization of macro-aggregates through an enmeshing mechanism in sandy soils.     

Comparative susceptibility of caponized and uncaponized tom turkeys to Pasteurella multocida.

When susceptibility to virulent Pasteurella multocida was compared, there was no significant (P greater than 0.05) difference between caponized and uncaponized tom turkeys. Neither was there any significant (P greater than 0.05) difference between the surviving caponized and uncaponized toms in the development of serum anti-P. multocida antibody. However, at 28 weeks of age, the average live body weight of the caponized toms was significantly (P less than 0.05) lower than that of the uncaponized toms. Turkeys were caponized when 9 weeks old, and different groups were exposed to P. multocida when 13, 18, 23, and 28 weeks old.     

Influence of 17-α-Methyltestosterone on Red Tilapia Under Two Thermal Regimes

Fingerling red tilapia ( Oreochromis mossambicus ± O. niloticus ) were orally administered 17-α-methyltestosterone (MT) under a warmwater (27.0 ± 0.5 C) and coolwater (21.5 ± 0.5 C) thermal regime. In the warmwater experiment, fish received either 0, 1, 5, 10, 30, 60, or 100 mg MT/kg feed for 75 days. In the coolwater experiment, fish received 0, 10, or 60 mg MT/kg feed for 75 days followed by a 34 day withdrawal period. After 75 days, fish receiving 60 mg MT/kg feed (best treatment) in the warmwater and coolwater experiments exhibited significantly higher growth rates than controls by 35.3 and 45.8%, respectively. Likewise, feed conversion among groups receiving 60 mg MT/kg feed in the warmwater and coolwater experiments were significantly better than the controls (1.14 versus 1.30 and 1.44 versus 1.77, respectively). During the withdrawal period, no significant differences in growth rates or feed conversion were observed between the control and treatment groups. MT treatment significantly affected the body composition (whole body and empty carcass) of the red tilapia in both experiments, elevating percent moisture and protein values, but depressing percent fat values. Results demonstrated that incorporation of MT into fingerling diets offers potential for extending the period when tilapias actively feed and grow in temperate climates.     

Tuberculosis in wild seals and characterisation of the seal bacillus

SUMMARY Tuberculosis was diagnosed in 3 otariid seals found dead on beaches at 3 locations on the south coast of Western Australian between May 1990 and March 1991. This confirms that tuberculosis is present in the 2 native seals (Neophoca cinerea and Arctocephalus forsteri) in Western Australian waters. Mycobacterium sp isolated from the lungs of 2 of the seals were studied to determine the similarity of the strains to each other, to the strains isolated during 1986 from Australian sea lions and New Zealand fur seals kept in captivity at a marine park near Perth, Western Australia, and to a strain isolated in 1988 from a seal trainer who worked with the infected captive seals for 3 years. After restriction endonuclease analysis (REA) with the endonucleases Bst Ell, Bcl I and Pvu II, one of the wild seal strains appeared to have identical DNA fragment patterns to the strains from the captive seals and the seal trainer. The other wild seal isolate had identical REA profiles using Bst EII and Bcl I, but a minor difference was detected using Pvu II. Differences in these isolates were more clearly seen in restriction fragment length polymorphisms after hybridisation with two DNA probes. The secretory protein MPB70, present in M bovis, was not detected in wild seal isolates using sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Western blotting techniques. Analysis of protein and DNA fragment profiles indicated that seal tuberculosis isolates form a unique cluster within the M tuberculosis complex.     

Pharmacokinetics of enrofloxacin and its metabolite ciprofloxacin after intravenous and oral administration of enrofloxacin in dogs

Rung, K., Riond, J.-L. & Wanner, M. Pharmacokinetics of enrofloxacin and its metabolite ciprofloxacin after intravenous and oral administration of enrofloxacin in dogs. J. vet
Four dogs were given 5 mg/kg body weight enrofloxacin intravenously (i.v.) and orally (p.o.) in a cross-over study. Plasma concentrations of the active ingredient enrofloxacin and its main metabolite ciprofloxacin were determined by a reversed phase liquid chromatographic method. Pharmacokinetic parameters of both substances were calculated by use of statistical moments and were compared to those of enrofloxacin described in the veterinary literature. Mean enrofloxacin t _½λZ was 2.4 h, mean Cl_s was 27.1 ml/min-kg, and mean V_ss was 7.0 1/kg. After i.v. and p.o. administration, concentrations of ciprofloxacin exceeding minimal inhibitory concentrations of several microorganisms were reached (C_max= 0.2 ng/ml, max = 2.2 h after intravenous administration; C_max= 0.2 (ig/ml, t _max= 3.6 h after oral administration). A considerable part of the antimicrobial activity is due to ciprofloxacin, the main metabolite of enrofloxacin.