Inherited progressive spinal myelinopathy in Murray Grey cattle

In a breeding experiment conducted to determine the mode of inheritance of progressive spinal myelinopathy, semen from a Murray Grey bull which had previously sired affected calves was used to inseminate 120 cows. Female progeny were then inseminated with semen from the same bull. Of the 51 calves born, six (11.8%) had spinal cord lesions consistent with progressive spinal myelinopathy. From analysis of pedigrees and the results of the breeding experiment it was concluded that the condition was inherited as an autosomal recessive condition in Murray Grey cattle.     

An immunohistochemical study of canine disseminated aspergillosis

An immunohistochemical study of 25 lesions from 7 dogs with disseminated aspergillosis (Aspergillus terreus) is presented. All had multiple fungal granulomas in many viscera, with centres of necrotic tissue and hyphal elements surrounded by a mixed infiltrate of predominantly mononuclear cells. Within these lesions, hyphae coated with immunoglobulin (IgG, IgM, IgA) and complement (C3, C4) were identified, together with peri-lesional mononuclear cells that reacted with antisera directed towards either IgG, IgM, IgA or a T lymphocyte marker (MUII). A conspicuous feature was the prominent hyphal fluorescence seen with IgA and C3 antisera. The IgA reagent also marked large numbers of mononuclear cells both around lesions and scattered throughout interstitial tissue, suggesting an abnormality of IgA production or regulation as a factor predisposing to this condition.     

Seasonality of sarcoptic mange in pigs in South Australia

Retrospective analysis of records, from July 1987 to June 1991, of 1140 inspections of slaughtered pigs from 154 swine herds in the Pig Health Monitoring Scheme of South Australia was conducted to evaluate patterns of variation in the prevalence and severity of skin lesions typical of sarcoptic mange. An increase in the severity of sarcoptic mange in winter and spring was observed. There was a substantial reduction in the severity of mange over the period of monitoring. These observations support the role of monitoring at slaughter in the management of endemic disease. They provide some basis for refining control programs for mange to improve cost-effectiveness.     

Successful Treatment for Subinvolution of Placental Sites in the Bitch with Low Oral Doses of Progestagen

Subinvolution of placental sites (SIPS) is the major cause of persistent sanguineous vaginal discharge after parturition in the bitch. Spontaneous remission is common but may take several months, and hence, medical therapy to end the discharge is often requested. In this retrospective study, we evaluated the effect of treatment for SIPS with low oral doses of a progestagen. Nine bitches with SIPS, but otherwise clinically healthy, were found in the computer database of the Department of Clinical Sciences of Companion Animals. Seven of these bitches were treated with low oral doses of a progestagen (megestrol acetate, 0.1 mg/kg body weight (bw) once daily for the 1st week, then 0.05 mg/kg bw once daily for the 2nd week). The other two bitches were untreated. Treatment results were evaluated by a telephone questionnaire. Progestagen treatment was successful in all of the treated dogs; sanguineous vaginal discharge stopped within the treatment period. One of the two untreated dogs remained symptomatic until the next oestrus, approximately 120 days after parturition, and the other remained symptomatic until 6 weeks before the start of the next pro‐oestrus, 270 days after parturition. No side effects of the progestagen treatment were observed. Subsequent gestations, parturitions and puerperal periods of 5 mated bitches were uneventful. One bitch did not become pregnant after mating. In conclusion, the results of this study indicate that oral administration of low doses of progestagen for 2 weeks is effective in stopping persistent sanguineous vaginal discharge in bitches with SIPS, with neither side effects nor reduced subsequent fertility.     

Mechanism of the Zonal Displacements of the Pacific Warm Pool: Implications for ENSO

The western equatorial Pacific warm pool is subject to strong east-west migrations on interannual time scales in phase with the Southern Oscillation Index. The dominance of surface zonal advection in this migration is demonstrated with four different current data sets and three ocean models. The eastward advection of warm and less saline water from the western Pacific together with the westward advection of cold and more saline water from the central-eastern Pacific induces a convergence of water masses at the eastern edge of the warm pool and a well-defined salinity front. The location of this convergence is zonally displaced in association with El Nino-La Nina wind-driven surface current variations. These advective processes and water-mass convergences have significant implications for understanding and simulating coupled ocean-atmosphere interactions associated with El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO).     

Rapid isolation of red wine polymeric polyphenols by solid-phase extraction

A rapid technique for the isolation of polymeric polyphenols from red wine has been developed and validated. A copolymer reversed-phase SPE cartridge was utilized in conjunction with predominantly organic eluents to provide three phenolic fractions from red wine without the need for sample pretreatment. The first fraction contained the bulk of the monomeric and oligomeric phenolic material, while the second and third fractions contained the polymeric polyphenolic compounds, as determined by HPLC analysis. The two polymeric polyphenolic fractions differed in their solubility and extent of pigmentation, and the differences appeared to be related to wine age. This method contrasted with other available fractionation techniques because the interfering, nonpolymeric material can be removed in a single wash fraction, while the polymeric material is separated into two distinct fractions based on their diverse physicochemical properties. It is anticipated that the rapid access to discrete polymeric fractions afforded by this method will be of benefit in furthering the understanding of red wine polymeric polyphenols.