Neurotoxic syndrome of sheep due to the ingestion of plants of the Mediterranean scrub: clinical, histopathological, histochemical and ultrastructural observations

A severe neurological disorder was observed during a very dry season, in sheep pasturing on land with mediterranean vegetation. During the crisis, lasting 5-20", ataxia and convulsions were the main clinical signs. Brain congestion, spongy appearance of the liver, interstitial nephritis and hyperpigmentation of visceral lymph nodes were the most important macroscopic lesions. Histopathological, histochemical and ultrastructural findings confirmed liver and kidney lesions and showed considerable neurovisceral storage of lipofuscin. Although further toxicological and experimental studies are needed to elucidate the origin of the disease, the Authors attribute the outbreak of the neurological syndrome to the ingestion of a neurotoxin containing plant.     

Diurnal and individual variations in bile acids in the plasma of normal dairy cows

Blood samples were collected every 2 h during a 24 h period from 6 cows of one herd and 10 cows of another herd. In a third herd 9 cows were sampled every 2 h from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Concentrations of total bile acids, acetoacetate, glucose and free fatty acids were determined in blood plasma. A marked difference in individual bile acid concentrations and patterns of diurnal variation was found. For most cows the highest bile acid values were observed between 2 and 6 a.m. (overall mean (+/- SD) at 6 a.m.: 104 +/- 84 mumol/l, range: 20-307 mumol/l). Fourteen cows with a bile acid value greater than 90 mumol/l at 6 a.m. ("high BA") were characterized as a group by showing a pronounced decrease in the mean bile acid concentration after morning feeding. In the group of 11 cows with a 6 a.m. bile acid value less than 90 mumol/l ("low BA") the time of day did not contribute significantly to the bile acid variation. For the "high BA" group a nearly synchronous variation between the mean values of the 3 feeding dependent parameters (acetoacetate, glucose and free fatty acids) and the mean values of bile acids was found. The within animal coefficients of correlation between bile acids and the feeding dependent parameters were significantly higher in the "high BA" group than in the "low BA" group. No direct connection was found between bile acid levels and the quantity of concentrates fed or the individual milk yield.     

Performance of broiler chicks fed on alkali‐treated neem (Azadirachta indica) kernel cake as a protein supplement

1. An experiment was conducted to evaluate growth and nutrient efficiency of broiler chicks from 3 to 42 d fed on diets containing alkali‐treated neem (Azadirachta indica A. juss) kernel cake (NKC) as a protein supplement in place of peanut meal (PNM).

2. NKC was treated with sodium hydroxide at 10 (ANKC 1) or 20 g (ANKC 2)/kg and incorporated into the test diets at 135 or 300 g/kg to replace 50 (low—L) or 100 (High—H) % of the PNM protein of the reference diet.

3. Despite comparable retentions of dry matter and total carbohydrate on L‐ANKC 1 and 2, fibre on L‐and H‐ANKC 2 and nitrogen, calcium and acid detergent fibre on all experimental diets compared to the retentions of chicks on the reference diet, only the chicks fed L‐ANKG 2 were found to grow and utilise food as well as those on the reference diet.

4. The activities of serum alkaline phosphatase on H‐ANKC 1 and alanine amino transferase on all test diets were depressed (P < 0.05), but the activity of serum aspartate amino transferase, total erythrocyte count and concentration of blood haemoglobin and urea were similar in all chicks.

5. No significant differences were noticed in the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the meat of chicks fed on the reference diet and on diets incorporating ANKC at the lower concentrations. Feeding ANKC protein did not impart any untoward taste as evaluated in pressure cooked meat by a semitrained panel on a 7 point Hedonic scale.

6. Except for duodenal and jejunal inflammation in chicks on both reference and test diets, all the vital organs were normal, ruling out any adverse affects caused by residual neem bitters.

7. Comparable performance and cost of chicks fed on the reference and L‐ANKC 2 diets, warrants the utilisation of hitherto wasted protein‐rich NKC after alkali treatment in broiler chick diets to spare peanut meal for human consumption in developing countries.     

A formation mechanism for catalytically grown helix-shaped graphite nanotubes

The concept of a spatial-velocity hodograph is introduced to describe quantitatively the extrusion of a carbon tubule from a catalytic particle. The conditions under which a continuous tubular surface can be generated are discussed in terms of this hodograph, the shape of which determines the geometry of the initial nanotube. The model is consistent with all observed tubular shapes and explains why the formation process induces stresses that may lead to "spontaneous" plastic deformation of the tubule. This result is due to the violation of the continuity condition, that is, to the mismatch between the extrusion velocity by the catalytic particle, required to generate a continuous tubular surface, and the rate of carbon deposition.