The efficacy of praziquantel against cestodes in cats, dogs and sheep

Praziquantel is a new type of acylated isoquinoline-pyrazine. A single, low oral or subcutaneous dose of the compound is reliably effective against all tested juvenile and adult cestodes in cats, dogs and sheep. Praziquantel is the first cestodicide which is also effective on bile duct cestodes. In cats and dogs, 5 mg praziquantel per kg is completely effective on all stages of Taenia hydatigena, T pisiformis, T ovis, T taeniaeformis, Dipylidium caninum, Mesocestoides corti, Echinococcus multilocularis and E granulosus. Because of its very wide therapeutic index praziquantel is thus particularly suited for eradication programmes, eg, echinococcosis.     

Action of fungicidal triazoles of the diclobutrazol series on ustilago maydis

Diclobutrazol [(2RS, 3RS)-1-(2, 4-dichlorophenyl)-4, 4-dimethyl-2-(1,2, 4-triazol-1-yl)pentan-3-ol] decreased the rate of growth of Ustilago maydis during the log phase. Marked changes in sterol composition were observed with a decrease in ergosterol and an increase in methyl-sterols, indicating a block in the removal of the 14-methyl group. The inhibition was of rapid onset (<4 h). Changes in other lipid constituents were minor and there was no build up of unsaturated fatty acids. The fungicidal activity resides in the (2R, 3R)-isomer, which is known to be more potent in blocking a yeast 14-demethylase enzyme than the (2S, 3S)-isomer. This relationship held in the 4-chlorophenyl homologues, which as a group were less fungicidal and less potent inhibitors than the 2, 4-dichlorophenyl compounds. The evidence presented indicates that the primary lesion caused by the fungicide was a build up of membrane sterols containing extra methyl groups; this, in combination with a loss of ergosterol, is believed to prevent proper membrane ordering and thus to cause a loss of membrane function.     

ULTRASONIC DETERMINATION OF KIDNEY VOLUME IN THE DOG

Canine kidney measurements were obtained in vivo using ultrasound before and after anesthesia and were compared with direct caliper measurements at laparotomy. Following excision, the kidney dimensions were also measured ultrasonically in a water bath and the results were used to calculate kidney -volume by a modified parallel planimetric method and three variations of a prolate ellipsoid method. The calculated volume was compared with actual kidney volume determined by volume displacement. All methods were found to underestimate actual volume so that a linear correction of ultrasonically calculated volume was required to predict actual volume. The modified parallel planimetric method and a prolate ellipsoid method using height and width determinations cranial and caudal to the renal pelvis were the best models. The prolate ellipsoid model was chosen for subsequent kidney volume calculations because of its simplicity. The noninvasive calculation of kidney volume using ultrasound was sufficiently accurate to be clinically useful, particularly when serially evaluating kidney size changes in the same dog.     

Disease-induced losses in winter wheat in England and Wales 1985–1989

Annual surveys of winter wheat diseases in England and Wales provide information on the relative severity of the leaf and stem-base disease complex. Septoria tritici was the most damaging disease during the 5-year period 1985–1989 causing annual losses estimated to be 0.329 Mt compared with 0.251 Mt and 0.231 Mt for eyespot and mildew, the next most damaging winter wheat diseases. Annual losses during the period averaged 1.078 Mt excluding losses attributable to the fusarium diseases, for which no satisfactory yield loss relationships are available. Sowing date and length of break from cereals exert a strong influence on incidence of eyespot and losses attributable to the disease and, on the basis of these surveys, growing all winter wheat crops after a 1-year break would prevent national losses of 100 kt annually.     

ESTIMATION OF PORTAL BLOOD FLOW USING DUPLEX REAL-TIME AND PULSED DOPPLER ULTRASOUND IMAGING IN THE DOG

A duplex ultrasound system incorporating a pulsed wave Doppler ultrasound probe with conventional B-mode real-time imaging was used to evaluate portal vein blood flow in eight normal dogs. Adequate visualization of the cranial abdominal vessels was obtained from the right lateral 11th or 12th intercostal space. Doppler spectral analysis showed non-pulsatile flow with a wide range of linear flow velocities across the vessel lumen typical of laminar blood flow. Results for portal vein blood flows were 49.8 ± 13.5 ml/min/kg body weight (mean ± SD) with a range of 37.8 - 76.8 ml/min/kg body weight. These values overestimate portal blood flow by approximately 2 times when compared with published studies using invasive techniques. This overestimation is primarily due to the use of the maximal flow velocity in the blood flow calculations.     

Korrosionsanatomische Untersuchungen am Blutgefäßsystem des Encephalon und der Meninges bei Felis domestica

The blood vessels of the brain and brain cavity were studied in 24 cats with the aid of corrosion-anatomical methods and coloured gelatine-injections. The findings are compared with those of others, and described for the first time in their entirety.     

Water balance of flooded rice paddies

Rice (Oryza sativa L., var. Labelle) was grown in 300 m² paddies of Beaumont clay soil (Typic pelludert) and subjected to two management schemes of flooded rice culture. These schemes were continuous irrigation and intermittent irrigation. Careful measurements of irrigation, precipitation, evapotranspiration, deep percolation and runoff were made, and the total water balance for the two water management schemes was calculated.The results show continuous irrigation to be very wasteful of water with slightly over 1 m of irrigation water applied to supply an evapotranspirational need of 0.5–0.6 m. The intermittent irrigation management is less wasteful but still could be improved upon. Suggestions are presented for techniques to help improve the water use efficiency and reduce runoff losses.