Comparison of German and Swiss Rainfall Simulators - Utility,Labour Demands and Costs

The utility, vehicle required, the time needed for assembly and relocation and the costs associated with six different rainfall simulators were studied. The results can be summarized as follows:

• 1 The simulator designed by Kainz & Eicher (1990) is the least expensive to operate. This simulator also has excellent experimental versatility. Its only restriction is a short slope length.
• 2 The rainfall simulator of Karl & Toldrian (1973) is also inexpensive to operate, but because of disadvantages such as low falling height, wind susceptibility, and the need for more workers than other simulators, it should be used mainly where other simulators are not practical (forests, steep slopes, or long slopes).
• 3 The rainfall simulator of Richter et al. (1988) has limited mobility in the field and is highly susceptible to wind drift. Moreover, its narrow plots do not cover a representative unit of a cultivated field.
• 4 The modified Swanson-type simulator (Auerswald, (1986) is suitable for large plots if a sufficient water supply is available.
• 5 The simulator of Kromer & Vöhringer (1988) has the highest fixed costs, but labour is used efficiently.
• 6 The simulator of Schmidt (1983) can only be considered for stationary use because of its long assembly time. Other disadvantages are narrow plot size and high wind susceptibility.

Depending on the selection of the simulator, total costs of between 400 DM and 2000 DM per plot should be expected even with high use rates.     

Managing Insect Resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis Toxins

Bacillus thuringiensis (B.t.) delta-endotoxins provide an alternative to chemical insecticides for controlling many species of pest insects. Recent biotechnological developments offer the promise of even greater use of B.t. toxins in genetically transformed pest-resistant crops. However, the discovery that insects can adapt to these toxins raises concerns about the long-term usefulness of B.t. toxins. Several methods for managing the development of resistance to B.t. toxins have been suggested, but none of these approaches offer clear advantages in all situations.     

A scanning electron microscopic study of the vascular system of the bovine hind limb claw

The vascular organisation of the hind limb claws of clinically normal cattle was studied using scanning electron micrographs of plastic corrosion casts. The microvasculature of the dermal papillae and lamellae was demonstrated. A consistent vascular pattern was observed in the dermal papillae of the periople, coronary margin, sole and bulb. Ultrastructurally, the papillar vasculature consisted of a central artery and vein surrounded by a fine network of interconnected capillaries and venules. Arteriovenous anastomoses, connecting the central artery and vein, and peripherally situated arteriovenous loops were recognised in the terminal papillae of the white zone only. Arteriovenous anastomoses, focal enlargements and distension of the capillary bed were located within the interior half of the dermal lamellae. Numerous arteriovenous anastomoses were present throughout the entire dermis of the claw and were situated predominantly at the base of the dermal papillae and lamellae. The anastomoses and focal capillary enlargements may influence the blood flow in normal conditions and may play a significant role in the pathophysiology of bovine laminitis and sole ulceration.     

Cytochemical staining characteristics of lymph nodes from normal and lymphoma-affected dogs

Frozen sections and imprint smears were used to evaluate the presence and pattern of cytochemical staining reactions in the B- and T-cell regions of lymph nodes from normal dogs and dogs with lymphoma. Staining procedures evaluated included peroxidase (PER), Sudan black B (SBB), naphthol AS-D chloroacetate esterase (CAE), alpha-naphthyl butyrate esterase (NBE), acid phosphatase (ACP), and leukocyte alkaline phosphatase (LAP). In normal lymph nodes, macrophages and some lymphocytes within the interfollicular (T-cell) region and medulla stained positive with ACP and NBE. Smaller numbers of macrophages also occurred sporadically within the germinal follicles. Cells positive for PER, SBB, and CAE were scattered infrequently throughout all regions of the normal lymph node, consistent with granulocytes and mast cells. The LAP stained cells were predominantly and prominently located within the mantle zone of secondary follicles and to a much lesser extent within the germinal centers, compatible with B-cell lymphocytes derived from follicular center cells. Of the 12 dogs with lymphoma, 7 cases (4 immunoblastic, 2 large noncleaved, 1 small noncleaved) stained diffusely positive with LAP, 4 cases (all lymphoblastic) had numerous focally positive lymphocytes using ACP and NBE, and 1 case (immunoblastic) did not stain positive with any of the cytochemical reactions. Cytochemical staining of canine lymph nodes with NBE, ACP, and LAP proved useful in distinguishing between B- or T-cell regions and detecting different cell types of canine lymphoma.     

An improved ferritin assay for canine sera

An improved serum ferritin assay for canine serum has been developed. It uses two monoclonal antibodies in a sandwich arrangement. Serum ferritin can be determined on undiluted canine sera with this assay. The recovery of ferritin added to canine serum ranged from 98 to 106%, the within-assay coefficient of variability was 3.3 to 4.5%, and the assay-to-assay variability was 9.8 to 10.2%. Serum ferritin from 61 apparently healthy dogs had a geometric mean of 252 ng/ml, with a range of 80 ng/ml to 800 ng/ml.     

Influence of age,sex, capture technique,and restraint on hematologic measurements and serum chemistries of wild California sea otters

Hematologic and/or serum chemical analyses were done on a total of 27 non-tranquilized adult and juvenile wild sea otters, 66 tranquilized adult and juvenile wild sea otters, and 26 wild sea otter pups. The median and inner 90 percentile range were determined for the adult, juvenile, and pup groups and for the following subgroups: adult male versus adult female, juvenile male versus juvenile female, pup male versus pup female, captured with dip net versus captured with Wilson trap, and tranquilized adults and juveniles versus non-tranquilized adults and juveniles. When values for adults were compared to values for juveniles and pups, hematocrits, red blood cell counts, and hemoglobin levels were significantly lower in pups. This is consistent with documented findings in other species. White cell counts were also somewhat lower in younger animals. Among the subgroups, significantly higher hemoglobin levels, white cell counts and neutrophil counts were found in adult females than in adult males. This is in direct contrast to what is seen in other mammalian species and warrants further documentation. Method of capture and tranquilization did not appear to influence either hematologic or serum biochemical determinations from a clinical perspective.     

Toxicosis in sheep following ingestion of natural gas condensate.

Thirty of 200 ewes died or were euthanatized during a 21-day period following a 1-day accidental exposure to natural gas condensate, a complex mixture of hydrocarbons obtained during collection of natural gas from wells. Despite access to potable well water, the poisoned ewes willingly consumed toxic doses of condensate that contaminated surface water. Eight animals died without premonitory signs; the remainder became ill over the course of a few days to 3 weeks. The principal cause of mortality was aspiration pneumonia, but myocardial degeneration and necrosis, renal tubular damage, gastritis, enteritis, and meningeal edema and hyperemia were also observed. Gas chromatographic analysis identified chemical traces of the hydrocarbons in the tissues, and "fingerprinting," the process of matching chromatographic tracings, provided forensic proof of the contamination source. Atomic absorption spectroscopy and cholinesterase analyses were performed to eliminate the possibility of toxicosis by heavy metal contaminants or other constituents. This appears to be the first reported incidence of natural gas condensate toxicity involving sheep or other ruminants. Although the available literature presents a suggestive pattern of clinical signs and pathologic lesions of petroleum product poisoning, diagnostic investigations should employ detailed analytic examination because each source of petroleum hydrocarbons contains unique sets of components that may produce different toxic effects.