Radiotherapy in three suspect cases of feline thymoma

Radiation therapy for three cases of suspect feline thymoma is described. The thymoma was controlled for 4 years in case no. 1. Case no. 2 responded well to radiation therapy but was euthanized after 2 months because of a nasal adenocarcinoma. Case no. 3 continues to do well more than 8 months after radiotherapy. Difficulties in diagnosing feline thymomas are discussed, and biological behavior as well as different treatment modalities of feline and human thymomas are compared.     

Nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism in six cats

Nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism (NSH) was diagnosed in six cats during a three-year period, based on clinical, radiographic and laboratory findings. Clinical signs were attributable to severe osteopenia (n = 5) and hypocalcaemia (n = 4), which had resulted in spontaneous fractures of long bones, scapulae, pelvis, nasal bones, or spine, and in excitation, muscle twitching or seizures, respectively. Serum parathormone levels were markedly elevated, and 1,25(OH)2-vitamin D3 mildly elevated, whereas 25(OH)-vitamin D3 was mildly decreased compared to age-matched healthy cats. Treatment was limited to short-term parenteral calcium gluconate injections, as clinically indicated, a balanced diet and cage rest, which resulted in quick clinical recovery in four cases. The remaining two cats had to be euthanased because of progressive neurological deficits secondary to spinal fractures. At the time of writing, a multitude of commercial balanced diets is widely available and diseases secondary to dietary deficiencies have become rare. Nevertheless, NSH is still an important clinical entity, and should be considered in growing cats presenting with spontaneous fractures or seizures.     

Diagnostic ultrasound examination of the dorsal aspect of the equine metacarpophalangeal joint

Diagnostic ultrasonography was used to demonstrate villonodular synovitis of the equine metacarpophalangeal joint. The presence of the soft tissue, intracapsular mass was confirmed with conventional radiography and positive contrast arthrography. The mass was surgically excised and submitted for histopathologic identification.     

Long-term soil and shortleaf pine responses to site preparation ripping

A shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata Mill.) ripping study was established by the Missouri Department of Conservation in March 1988 at the Logan Creek Conservation Area, USA. The objective of the study was to evaluate the effects of ripping on soil chemical and physical properties, on free-to-grow status, and on survival and growth of planted shortleaf pine seedlings. After 16 years, ripping increased exchangeable calcium; however, it had no long-term effects on soil particle size, organic carbon, pH, exchangeable potassium and exchangeable magnesium. Ripping increased the percentage of free-to-grow saplings by 3.8% after two growing seasons. Ripping improved survival by 4% during the 1st three growing seasons and by 7.1% at age 16. After two growing seasons, ripping improved crown spread by 13.6%, height by 14.2%, diameter by 14%, and volume by 41.2%. At age 16, ripping no longer had an effect on shortleaf pine height and had reduced diameter by 5.3% and volume by 11.0%. Our results suggest that ripping 1) had no effect on long-term physical properties or chemical properties of the soil, 2) had no effect on the number of free-to-grow seedlings, and 3) produced short-term benefits on survival and growth of planted shortleaf pine.     

Contents Volume 49 2000

Volume Contents

Contents Volume 49 2000     

The effects of burning forest biomass on the yield of plantain (cv. Ebang,Musa spp. AAB,false horn) after hot-water and boiling-water treatment in southern Cameroon

Plantain grown after forest slash-and-burn raises concerns due to the release of CO₂ and the destruction of biodiversity. Plantain yields are presented after forest biomass was burned or retained in combination with sucker sanitation versus traditional planting. Biomass burning did not affect plant crop and total yield. Soil chemical properties were weakly positively affected by burning. Sucker sanitation increased total yield at one site from 6.2 to 9.7 Mg ha^?1 (p = 0.015), without effects on root health. In the second site, sucker sanitation had no effect on fresh bunch yield (mean 8.59 Mg ha^?1), yet significantly improved root health parameters. Thus, at the first site, sucker sanitation elicited a positive response via a mechanism different from nematode control. At the second site, by contrast, nematode control was not the most important factor in yield formation. These data do not support the notion that retaining biomass increases plantain production. Other factors related to labor requirements and later weed infestation are probably more important in farmers' decision making on biomass management.     

The impact of toxaphene applied as a post-emergence herbicide for control of sicklepod, Cassia obtusifolia L., on arthropods associated with soybean

The impact on arthropod populations of toxaphene (camphechlor) used as a herbicide was compared with cultivation and pre-emergence herbicide usage for control of sicklepod, Cassia obtusifolia L., in soybean. Soybean yields and weed control were also evaluated. Pest resurgence due to toxaphene was found to be limited, but significantly more soybean plants had main stems girdled due to the threecornered alfalfa hopper, Spissistilus festinus (Say), than those plants where toxaphene had not been applied. Both toxaphene usage and cultivation reduced early season predator abundance significantly compared with soybean where weeds were not controlled. However, the greater abundance of predators in soybeans with weeds appeared to be attributable to the increase in habitat diversity provided by the weeds and soybeans and not to a reduction in predator numbers caused by toxaphene in the treated plots. Neither soybean yields, nor the degree of sicklepod control, differed significantly between toxaphene usage and cultivation. Permethrin usage significantly reduced both pest and predator abundance in soybean.     

A historic account of the invasion of Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae) in the continental United States, with remarks on their identification

BACKGROUND: Drosophila suzukii is an oriental species first reported outside Asia from Hawaii in 1980. The first confirmed records for the continental United States were made in 2008 in California. The identification of this pest is difficult because very few published resources exist. RESULTS: It has since been recorded in Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Utah, Michigan, Wisconsin, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida. Males are relatively easy to identify by the black apical wing spots and the single row of combs on the first and second tarsal segment of the fore leg. The male genitalia are also very characteristic and will aid in identifying teneral specimens. Females can be identified by the large ovipositor, which is 6–7 times as long as the diameter of the spermatheca. Immature stages can only be identified by molecular techniques. CONCLUSION: Although this species has been recorded from many US states and Canadian provinces, it has not been established in all of these places, and the main economic damage is restricted to the western part of North America. With the characters laid out in this paper, it should be possible to identify the pest with high certainty. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Discovery of very high energy gamma rays associated with an x-ray binary

X-ray binaries are composed of a normal star in orbit around a neutron star or stellar-mass black hole. Radio and x-ray observations have led to the presumption that some x-ray binaries called microquasars behave as scaled-down active galactic nuclei. Microquasars have resolved radio emission that is thought to arise from a relativistic outflow akin to active galactic nuclei jets, in which particles can be accelerated to large energies. Very high energy gamma-rays produced by the interactions of these particles have been observed from several active galactic nuclei. Using the High Energy Stereoscopic System, we find evidence for gamma-ray emission of >100 gigaelectron volts from a candidate microquasar, LS 5039, showing that particles are also accelerated to very high energies in these systems.