Studies on efficacy and stability of a vaccine bait containing ERA strain of rabies virus propagated in a BHK-21 cell line.

In a dose response study in foxes, the median protective dose of ERA BHK21 vaccine in a blister pack bait was 10(6.0) tissue culture infective doses (TCID)/mL, while artificially aged baits with titers of 10(6.3) TCID/mL induced seroconversion in 78% of foxes. There was no significant difference in the development of antibodies in foxes receiving 1, 2 or 3 mL volumes of vaccine in the bait. When baits were exposed to the elements and fed to foxes over a 21 day period, 85% of the animals seroconverted. Age, sex and the way in which the vaccine container was contacted did not appear to be factors in the responses of these animals. Juvenile foxes, approximately six months of age, were marked more readily with the tetracycline bait marker than older animals. Approximately 25% of foxes did not appear to respond well to vaccination and the titer of the vaccine was a critical factor in producing seroconversion in these animals.     

Effect of initial restraint, weaning, and transport stress on baseline and ACTH-stimulated cortisol responses in beef calves of different genotypes.

The productivity and well-being of animals can be substantially affected by stress. This is particularly true in the case of beef calves that are subjected to a multitude of stressors over a short period during the first year of life. Perhaps the most often studied stress-responsive variable has been blood corticosteroid concentrations. Factors such as age, gender, genetics, and degree of prior experience, can influence how an animal perceives and responds to a given stressor. Few studies have tried to control these variables, and accordingly, many conflicting results have been published regarding the impact of various stressors on cortisol response. We measured baseline plasma cortisol concentration over a 44-day study in Bos indicus and Bos taurus calves. Plasma cortisol values in Bos indicus calves were higher (32.60 +/- 0.66 ng/ml) than values in calves of Bos taurus (25.81 +/- 0.76) breeding. A precipitous decrease in cortisol concentration was observed 7 days after transport stress in all calves. Baseline cortisol concentration did not provide any indication of the intensity of the various stressors. However, significant differences were readily observed after ACTH administration. On the basis of cortisol secretion, stresses of transport and weaning were similar and were the most stressful to calves, regardless of genotype.     

Occurrence of Staphylococcus intermedius on the hair and skin of normal dogs.

Aerobic bacterial populations were studied on the distal hair coat and at the skin surface of the shoulder, rump and abdomen of 10 healthy dogs. Coagulase negative staphylococci (CNS) were more frequently isolated from the hair than the skin at the shoulder and rump. There was no difference in the isolation rate of coagulase positive staphylococci (CPS) (Staphylococcus intermedius) between the hair and skin. Total skin counts were greatest on the abdomen whereas CNS counts from the hair were least at this site. There were no differences between CPS counts at the three sites on either hair or skin. The populations on the relatively unfavourable microenvironment of the distal hair may represent contamination rather than colonisation. The low populations of CPS at the skin surface also indicate contamination or transient colonisation rather than true resident status.     

分离群体中常染色体上标记基因的数量遗传方差——Ⅰ.含有一个数量性状位点(QTL)时的计算方法

应用常染色体上的标记基因研究能够加快数量性状的遗传进展。亲代由标记基因遗传给后代的加性遗传方差值可以用来测定标记基因这种效益。分别在个体水平上以及在复合连续平衡的分离群体水平上建立了标记基因加性遗传方差值的理论方程。这些方程包括与标记基因连锁的数量性状位点数、这些数量性状位点的效应值以及与标记基因有关的重组率。并就分离群体中标记基因加性遗传方差的期望值进行了推导。在分离群体的系谱选择方案中,常染色体上遗传方差中绝大部分与位于该染色体上的标记基因相关。对于牛的一个平均长度染色体来讲,这部分值大约是该染色体孟德尔分离方差值的40% 。标记基因的位置效应和干扰因素对这一期望值的影响是很小的,而染色体的长度对期望方差值影响很大。如果标记基因缺乏多态型以及染色体替代效应估计偏差会大大降低MAS的选择效果。常染色体上标记基因遗传方差期望值的大小表明:即使当标记基因处在一个非活动位点,在分离群体中,仍有较大的染色体替代效应存在。     

Prevalence of mycoplasmas in the respiratory tracts of pneumonic calves.

The prevalence of mycoplasmas in the respiratory tracts of 148 pneumonic calves originating from 25 herds in the Netherlands is reported. Four types of culture media were used to isolate mycoplasmas: solid modified Edward medium, 2 types of Friis media, and A7B differential agar medium. Mycoplasmas were isolated both from nasal swab specimens and lung lavage fluids collected from live calves and from nasal mucosa and lung tissue specimens collected post mortem. All of the mycoplasma strains isolated could be identified as either Ureaplasma diversum (isolated from 80% of 25 herds), Mycoplasma dispar (92%), M. bovirhinis (88%), M. bovis (20%), M. bovigenitalium (4%), M. arginini (16%), or M. canis (12%). Isolation rates of M. dispar and U. diversum were considerably higher from lung lavage fluids than from nasal swab specimens. M. bovis was detected only in fattening herds and not in dairy herds. The respiratory tracts of 75% of the calves examined contained at least 2 mycoplasma species. In total, 25 different combinations of mycoplasma species were detected in specimens collected from noses and lungs. The pathogenic species U. diversum and M. dispar had not been isolated before in the Netherlands.     

Genomic variability among globally distributed isolates of equine arteritis virus.

Equine arteritis virus (EAV), a non-arthropod borne togavirus, has been shown to have a global distribution. To date, no major antigenic variation has been demonstrated between EAV isolates from different geographic origins. In this study, the genomic RNA of EAV isolates obtained from horses of different breeds in various countries around the world was oligonucleotide fingerprinted. Comparisons of these fingerprints were used to determine the extent of genomic variation among such isolates. Comparisons among isolates from North American horses revealed, for the most part, oligonucleotide homologies of less than 60%. Only 29 of the 98 comparisons revealed greater than 60% oligonucleotide homology. Nonetheless, several comparisons indicated a close epidemiologic relationship between isolates from horses of different breeds located in different states. Though all European isolates were of Standardbred origin and were from horses located in northern European countries, the majority had oligonucleotide homologies of less than 60%. Where oligonucleotide homology was apparent, it was, with one exception, greater than 70%. The two isolates from New Zealand had 93.2% oligonucleotide homology. This is indicative of an extremely close epidemiologic relationship. Comparisons between EAV isolates from around the world revealed oligonucleotide homologies between viruses from North America, Europe and New Zealand. In several instances, this homology was greater than 70% and in one case greater than 80%. No oligonucleotide homology was evident in comparisons involving the virus from South Africa. The high level of genomic conservation between certain EAV isolates of disparate geographic origins may reflect dissemination of the virus associated with the international movement of horses. The extent of genomic variation demonstrated between most of the EAV isolates used in this study confirms the need for further investigation of genomic heterogeneity among strains of this virus before techniques that rely upon nucleic acid hybridization can be effectively applied as diagnostic procedures.     

Toxic peripheral neuropathy with demyelination in Sprague-Dawley rats given CGS 21595--a 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor.

Male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were given CGS 21595, a pro-drug that is almost immediately metabolized to CGS 19213, a naphthoquinone that acts as a 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor. The compound was administered by gavage to five groups of Sprague-Dawley rats (group Nos. 1, 5, n = 30; group Nos. 2-4, n = 20) at daily doses of 0, 50, 150, 500, or 1,000 mg/kg for 13 weeks. Rats in the higher dose groups had a reduced weight gain, but significant neurologic signs were not observed. A peripheral neuropathy consisting predominantly of myelin destruction in the spinal nerve roots and sciatic nerves in male rats treated with greater than or equal to 150 mg/kg CGS 21595 and in female rats treated with greater than or equal to 50 mg/kg CGS 21595 for 13 weeks. This lesion was not fully reversible after a recovery period of 4 weeks. Lesions consisted of ballooning of myelin sheaths, infiltration by macrophages, demyelination, and occasional areas of remyelination. Axons were generally preserved, and the brain and spinal cord were not affected. Male and female rats in all treatment groups had cytoplasmic hyaline droplets in the proximal renal tubules. This change was reversible after 4 weeks and was not associated with any other adverse effects on the kidney.     

三峡库区柑桔林水土保持效益分析

对三峡库区2种不同建园方式的柑桔林,从建园开始连续9年定位观测柑桔林水土流失情况,结果表明,梯田柑桔林径流系数在0.047~0.153之间,径流含沙量在425~2170g/m3之间,侵蚀模数在9.37~116.67g/m2之间。25°坡地柑桔林径流系数在0.079~0.378之间,径流含沙量在500~5 050 g/m3之间,侵蚀模数在48.29~1 962.04g/m2之间。在建园初期4年内,25°坡地柑桔林径流系数、径流含沙量和侵蚀模数急剧下降,径流系数由0.378下降到0.103,径流含沙量由5050 g/m3下降到350g/m3,侵蚀模数由1 962.04g/m2下降到131.42 g/m2。4年后,覆盖度的增加有效的抵消了坡度对水土流失的影响,柑桔林覆盖度达到0.82,径流系数,径流含沙量和侵蚀模数分别为0.103~0.253,350~3404 g/m3、14.71~148.4g/m2,表现出较好的水土保持效益。     

南美白对虾养殖技术之四南美白对虾虾苗长途运输技术要点

由于水质、技术、气候等因子的限制,南美白对虾的育苗区域目前还很局限,因此,某些地方如果要养殖南美白对虾的话,就必须从其他地方调运虾苗.     

不同处理稻草混合青贮料对奶牛生产性能的影响

本试验采用稻草分别与玉米秸杆、象草混合青贮,同时添加纤维素复合酶制剂和乳酸菌制剂,研究稻草的最佳青贮模式以及5种不同处理的稻草混合青贮料对奶牛生产性能的影响。结果表明,稻草与玉米秸杆混合青贮(同时添加纤维素复合酶制剂)料可使奶牛产奶量显著高于其他青贮组合(P<0.05),但对乳成分无显著影响(P>0.05),其他组之间的产奶量和乳成分差异不显著(P>0.05)。