Microprocessor controlled low-temperature corn drying system

Hardware, software and control criteria of microcomputer control of low-temperature corn drying are discussed. The ambient temperature and relative humidity were monitored by the microcomputer as a measure of the input conditions. A model of the low-temperature drying process stored in the memory enabled the microcomputer to calculate the grain moisture contents at assigned locations in the bin. Control decisions were then based on predicted moisture levels and on predicted or measured grain temperatures. Simulation results showed that the proposed system can save energy from 5 to 31% compared with high-temperature drying, depending upon the weather conditions.     

Inhibited development of trichostrongylid worms in grazing cattle

Inhibition of development of gastro-intestinal trichostrongylid worms was studied using successive groups of tracer calves and groups of continuously grazed calves over one year in the Tully area of North Queensland lowland wet tropics. The results, assessed by means of worms from these calves recovered at necropsy 3 weeks after their removal from pastures, showed inhibition in the development of Haemonchus placei and Cooperia punctata at the early fourth stage at the approach to and during the relatively dry period in the area. Inhibition was however minor and inhibited larvae formed but only a small percentage of worm burdens in both categories of calves, indicating that they were not in any way of major epidemiological importance. It was suggested that the minor nature of inhibition was due to the mild climatic conditions which could not produce appropriate conditioning treatment, or caused only mild selection pressure for inhibition in the area.     

Detection of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae in the porcine upper respiratory tract as a complement to serological tests.

Attempts were made to isolate Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae from the nasal cavities and tonsils of 442 healthy pigs from 15 herds. Samples were streaked onto different media formulations. Serum samples were assayed for antibodies to A. pleuropneumoniae by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and complement fixation test. Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae was isolated from the nasal cavities only in 24 pigs, from tonsils only in 90 pigs, and from both the nasal cavities and the tonsils in 11 pigs. A PPLO medium supplemented with lincomycin, bacitracin and crystal violet allowed recovery of A. pleuropneumoniae from more animals than a tryptic soy agar medium from both sites. Incubation of plates in an enriched CO2 atmosphere did not affect the recovery rate. Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae belonging to serotypes 1, 2, 3, 5a, 5b, 7, 8, 10 and 12 were isolated, and, in several herds, more than one serotype were recovered. Serotypes of A. pleuropneumoniae were isolated from nine herds which were found seronegative to these. The isolation of A. pleuropneumoniae from the upper respiratory tract can be useful for detection of carrier pigs and complements serological screening.     

Viral replication and lesions in BALB/c mice experimentally inoculated with porcine circovirus isolated from a pig with postweaning multisystemic wasting disease

Eight-week-old BALB/c mice were either sham inoculated (control mice) or were inoculated intraperitoneally (IP) and intranasally (IN) with a single (sPCV mice) or multiple (mPCV mice) doses of porcine circovirus 2 (PCV2). Four control mice and 4 sPCV mice were sacrificed 7, 14, 28, and 42 days postinoculation (PI). All 4 mPCV mice were sacrificed 42 days PI. In addition, 7-day and 14-day pregnant BALB/c mice were either sham inoculated (control mice) or were inoculated IP and IN with a single dose of PCV2. Newborn mice were euthanatized 1, 8, and 15 days after birth. Necropsies were performed on all euthanatized mice and tissues were collected for histopathology, electron microscopy, in situ hybridization, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). PCV2 replicated in 8-week-old BALB/c mice that were inoculated with PCV2 and caused fetal infection when inoculated into pregnant BALB/c mice at 7 days and 14 days of gestation. PCV was detected by in situ hybridization and PCR in sPCV mice on days 7, 14, 28, and 42 PI; in mPCV mice on day 42 PI; and in newborn mice from mothers inoculated with PCV at 7 days and 14 days of gestation at 1, 8, and 15 days after birth, but not in control mice. No clinical signs or gross lesions were found in sPCV or mPCV mice during the study. Microscopic lesions in sPCV mice and mPCV mice were characterized by expansion of germinal centers in lymphoid organs with large numbers of histiocytic cells and lymphoblasts, apoptosis of histiocytic cells in germinal centers, and mild lymphoid depletion of the paracortex. PCV nucleic acid was detected in the nuclei and cytoplasm of histiocytes and apoptotic cells in germinal centers in lymphoid tissues as well as in the nuclei of hepatocytes in the liver, in the nuclei of renal tubular epithelial cells, and in the cytoplasm of single lymphocytes in the thymus. Congenitally infected mice only had PCV nucleic acid detected in putative Kupffer cells in livers.     

Molecular Basis of Gene-for-Gene Specificity in Bacterial Speck Disease of Tomato

Transient expression of the Pseudomonas syringae avirulence gene avrPto in plant cells resulted in a Pto-dependent necrosis. The AvrPto avirulence protein was observed to interact directly with the Pto resistance protein in the yeast two-hybrid system. Mutations in the Pto and avrPto genes which reduce in vivo activity had parallel effects on association in the two-hybrid assay. These data suggest that during infection the pathogen delivers AvrPto into the plant host cell and that resistance is specified by direct interaction of Pto with AvrPto.     

Evaluation of availability and quantity-intensity relationship of zinc in some tropical soils

Zinc was extracted from seven soils collected from Haryana state (India), representing the tropical region of the country, to predict the availability of Zn to crops. Weakly adsorbed Zn extracted by 0.05 M CaCl₂ was almost negligible. Similarly 1 M MgCl₂, designated to extract the lattice Zn, extracted small quantities of Zn indicating that no Zn was substituted for any other cation in clay lattice. Maximum zinc was extracted by chelating agents like DTPA and EDTA and were correlated significantly among themselves. None of the methods tested was significantly correlated to plant Zn indicating that in addition to crop requirement, other soil factors play a major role in determining the Zn availability. Equilibrium Zn values in all except a sandy soil, were less than 1 μg Zn/ml indicating the possibility of moderate to severe Zn deficiency in these soils.     

Effect of macrophage secretory products on elaboration of virulence factors by planktonic and biofilm cells of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Macrophages, which constitute the first line of defense, pour their secretions in the mileu following stimulation with pathogens. These secretory products, referred to as macrophage secretory products (MSPs), can influence ultimate outcome of an infection. In the present investigation, it was observed that different strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa vary in their ability to stimulate macrophages leading to variability in generation of macrophage secretory products. Cytokine levels, reactive nitrogen intermediates and protein content of macrophage secretory products generated with biofilm cells of P. aeruginosa was found to be more as compared to their planktonic counterparts. The effect of macrophage secretory products produced in response to interaction of macrophages with P. aeruginosa on elaboration of virulence factors produced by planktonic and biofilm cell forms of this pathogen was assessed. Significant enhancement in growth and elaboration of all the virulence determinants by both the cell forms was observed when P. aeruginosa was grown in presence of supernatants with macrophage secretory products. Implications of these findings in relation to urinary tract infections induced by P. aeruginosa have been discussed.     

Role of soil physicochemical characteristics on the present state of arsenic and its adsorption in alluvial soils of two agri-intensive region of Bathinda,Punjab, India

Journal of Soils and Sediments - Arsenic (As) contamination of groundwater has received significant attention recently in district Bathinda, due to consequent health risk in this region. Soil is...