Anatomy,Morphometry and Radiography in the thoracic limb bones of the Patagonian Huemul Deer (Hippocamelus bisulcus)

The aim of this study was to provide morphometric, anatomic and radiographic data of the thoracic limb bones of the Patagonian Huemul (Hippocamelus bisulcus) including a functional interpretation of this, as a reference for clinical use, biomedical research and teaching purposes. Currently, the Patagonian huemul deer is in danger of becoming extinct due to multiple causes. Research carried out for its conservation has focused mainly on its ecology and pathology, leaving gaps in biological knowledge, which is basic and important for its comprehension. This study was conducted to reveal the gross osteology and radiology features of the thoracic limb bones of the Patagonian huemul deer. The osteological findings suggest the presence of powerful flexor muscles in the scapulohumeral and elbow joints, useful to cushion the jumps. Also, the principal nutrient foramen of Patagonian huemul differs in position with respect to domestic ungulates, which may be important to consider during surgical procedures. Finally, the radiographic data can provide new information about the tissue loading conditions in Patagonian huemul, so that this new knowledge can be of great importance for a better understanding of mechanically induced or adaptive changes in bone produced by habitat or other ecological phenomena.     

Utilization of MSW Compost In Nursery Stock Production

This three year study was conducted to evaluate the suitability of municipal solid waste (MSW) compost as a soil amendment or a mulch to suppress weeds in the production of field grown nursery stock. In the soil amendment experiment, compost was applied at the rates of 0, 56, and 112 t/ha and incorporated into the soil prior to planting. In the mulch/weed control experiment, 224 t/ha of compost was applied to one set of plots as a mulch after planting and compared to plots treated with herbicide and untreated controls. Each plot in both experiments contained four rows with one each of red maple (Acer rubrum L.), sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.), white pine (Pinus strobus L.), and pin oak (Quercus palustris Muenchh.). Mortality and weed counts were determined during the first growing season. Annual measurements of crown height, crown width, and caliper (at the 1 foot level) were made the following three winters. Two inches of compost mulch (224 t/ha) provided adequate weed control only in the first year. Mowing suppressed the weeds that invaded the plots beyond the first year. For maples, first year mortality in plots mulched with 224 t/ha compost or amended with 112 t/ha compost was significantly less than unamended controls. In subsequent years, the mulched maples grew more than trees in the unamended controls. In the plots amended with 56 or 112 t/ha compost, sugar maples had increased height, canopy, and caliper growth compared to the unamended controls. The hearty pin oak saplings survived transplanting and there was a significant increase in caliper growth in plots amended with 112 t/ha (1 inch) of compost. Mortality of white pine increased when mulched with 224 t/ha compost. Increased mortality was most likely due to high concentrations of ammonium and soluble salts in the immature compost. Beyond the first year, there were no negative impacts on the growth of white pine from any of the compost treatments.     

Applying Leaf Compost to Reduce Fertilizer Use In Tomato Production

For two consecutive years, one-inch (50 T/A) of leaf compost was applied to plots on a sandy terrace soil (Windsor, Connecticut) and a loamy upland soil (Mt. Carmel, Connecticut). These compost-amended plots were fertilized with 10-10-10 (N-P₂O_5-K₂O) at three rates: 0, 650 (half), 1300 (full) lb/A and cottonseed meal at a rate of 2166 lb/A. Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Miller) yield from compost-amended plots were compared to yield from unamended control plots fertilized with 1300 lb 10-10-10/A. In both years, at both sites, plots only amended with compost had yields equivalent to the fertilized control plots. In both years, the greatest yields at Mt. Carmel were from plots amended with compost and the full rate of inorganic fertilizer. In the second year, yields from compost-amended plots fertilized at half the rate were equivalent to compost-amended plots fertilized at full rate. The yields from the organic plots were similar to the control plots the first year and to plots amended with compost and half the rate of fertilizer the second year. At Windsor, the greatest yields for both years were from plots amended with compost and the full rate of fertilizer. The compost-amended plots fertilized with cottonseed meal produced the lowest yields, both years. Cumulative effects of compost on soils were measured by increases in pH and organic matter percentage at both sites. Tomato fruit in plots amended with compost and no fertilizer developed less blossom-end rot than fruit in all other treatments.     

Impact of seawater intrusion control on the environment,land use and household incomes in a coastal area

Agricultural production in the coastal wetlands of Asia is often hindered by salinity intrusion caused by tidal fluctuation. This paper reports changes in environmental and socio-economic conditions that followed the phased construction and operation of sluices for controlling seawater intrusion from 1994 –2000 in a coastal area of the Mekong River Delta, Vietnam. Canal water salinity decreased rapidly upstream of sluices, allowing rice cropping intensification and increased rice production in the eastern part of the study area. However, the livelihoods of farmers in the western part were adversely affected due to cessation of supply of brackish water that was needed for brackish-water shrimp farming, while the acid sulphate soils present there posed problems for rice cultivation. The poor farmers and landless people suffered more because the fishery resource that they depended on declined sharply due to reduced salinity and increased acidity in the canal water. The findings confirmed that the environment and resource use in the coastal lands are very sensitive to external intervention. A clear understanding of the socio-economic and environmental impacts of salinity control measures in coastal areas can help planning to enhance farmers' incomes while minimizing negative environmental impacts. Land-use policy formulation, planning and management should adopt a more holistic approach, taking into account the interests of all resource users, especially the poor, instead of focusing on any particular sector.     

The isolation, propagation and characterization of tissue-cultured equine rotaviruses

From 105 field cases of diarrhea in neonatal or young foals, rotavirus was detected by electron microscopy (EM) and/or by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in the feces of 65 foals on 16 different premises. ELISA was performed with Rotazyme test kits developed by Abbot and Company for the detection of rotaviruses. Twenty-four field isolates from the feces of diarrheic foals with equine rotavirus infection as ascertained by EM were placed in MA-104 cell cultures after pretreatment of the viral suspension with 10 micrograms ml-1 of trypsin and incorporation of 0.5 micrograms ml-1 or 1 microgram ml-1 of trypsin in Earle's minimal essential medium (MEM), 2% lactalbumen hydrolysate, and antibiotics. The isolates that replicated in cell culture produced varying degrees of cytopathic effect. After the 24 isolates had been transferred 5 or 7 times in cell culture, viral particles were observed in 17 by EM, and 22 had positive ELISA tests as determined by visual color chart and spectrophotometric readings. Concentrated tissue-cultured viral antigen of 9 isolates fixed complement using Nebraska calf diarrhea rotavirus calf antiserum while four isolates gave negative results. The same 13 tissue-cultured viral suspensions failed to fix complement using reovirus antiserum. The 9th passages of two isolates (EID1 and EID2) yielded titers of 10(4.45) ml-1 TCID50 and of 10(4.95) ml-1 TCID50, respectively, as measured by cytopathic effect. After 13 tissue-cultured passages, 2 other isolates, EID3 and EID4, each had titers of 10(6.2) ml-1 TCID50 and of 10(5.95) ml-1 TCID, respectively. Cytoplasmic or intranuclear inclusions were not seen in any cells of the MA-104 infected cell cultures. Small, but distinct, plaques in MA-104 cell cultures were produced by the EID1 isolate. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis tests of EID1 and EID2 isolates at the 9th cell passage and EID3 and EID4 isolates at the 13th cell passage each showed that the RNA genome had 11 segments with a migrating pattern that was identical for each isolate and characteristic of rotaviruses. These 4 equine tissue-cultured isolates when tested by ELISA, utilizing a monoclonal antibody serum pool that cross-reacted with many rotavirus isolates, each gave positive values comparable to rotavirus antigen controls.     

An unusual case of inclusion body hepatitis in a cockerel

This report describes inclusion body hepatitis in a 12-week-old leghorn-type cockerel. The cockerel had come from a specific-pathogen-free flock and was reared in a positive-pressure isolator until 6 weeks old. Grossly, the cockerel was jaundiced, and the liver was swollen and had small white foci throughout. Histologically, there were foci of hepatic necrosis and basophilic inclusion bodies in the nuclei of numerous hepatocytes. A fowl adenovirus, isolated from the liver, was found to belong to serotype 2/12. The bursa of Fabricius had some degenerative changes, but these were not consistent with infectious bursal disease, nor was there evidence of seroconversion to infectious bursal disease virus in the remaining chickens.     

Herpes viral hepatitis in a toucan

Herpesvirus infection was diagnosed in a toucan. The herpesvirus was isolated from the liver and identified by electron microscopy in the liver and in cell culture. A negative immunofluorescent reaction was obtained when virus-infected cell cultures were reacted with a conjugate to the herpesvirus of Pacheco's disease. The main pathologic finding in the toucan consisted of a severe necrotizing hepatitis with intranuclear inclusions in the liver and spleen. A presumptive diagnosis of chlamydiosis was also made, based on a positive direct fluorescent monoclonal antibody reaction to chlamydial antigens in impression smears of liver and spleen. Chlamydial isolation attempts were unsuccessful. The toucan had been in contact with two macaws that had died 5 days before the toucan died and were diagnosed by histology as having herpesvirus hepatitis.     

Cataracts and optic nerve hypoplasia in turkey poults

Newly hatched commercial turkey poults culled because of grossly visible cataracts were studied. A total of 43 affected and 23 unaffected control poults at various ages were necropsied, and the ocular changes in affected poults were compared with those of aged-matched controls. Affected poults had consistent cataracts coupled with a marked depletion in retinal inner plexiform, ganglion cell, and optic nerve fiber layers, with a resultant reduction in the size of the optic nerves. Lesions were seen in 1-day-old poults. Lens changes included microphakia and lens fiber degeneration throughout the lens, with nuclear liquefaction. The depletion in the numbers of retinal ganglion cells did not appear to progress over several weeks time. The ganglion cell depletion was not uniform within the retina. The cause for these ocular changes is unknown.     

Assessment of ram fertility in hill flocks in Argyll

Examination of 1260 rams, involving 1540 semen examinations, revealed that 9 per cent of rams in hill flocks in Argyll were subfertile as assessed by semen evaluation. Although 34 lesions of the genitalia were identified, only 13 were associated with poor semen quality. A five year survey of one blackface flock resulted in the elimination, after three years, of a 17 per cent level of infertility following routine examination of all rams, with an increase of 2.27 per cent in the lamb crop. Based on the 1981 lamb prices for this flock an increased income of 1085 pounds was achieved.     

Evaluation of two test procedures for diagnosis of giardiasis in dogs.

Two commercially available tests, an antigen-capture ELISA for use on fecal samples, and a peroral nylon string test for use in dogs, were compared with a zinc sulfate fecal concentration technique (ZSCT) for detection of giardiasis in dogs. Of 77 dogs and 164 fecal samples (from these dogs), 33 and 52, respectively were found to be Giardia-positive on the basis of results of the ZSCT. The ELISA gave false-negative results for 10 and 14% of ZSCT-positive dogs and fecal samples, respectively, and false-positive results (relative to the ZSCT test results) in 13 and 10% of ZSCT-positive dogs and fecal samples, respectively. Of the 18 string-tested dogs, 14 were positive by results of the ZSCT. Of the 4 dogs that were Giardia-negative by ZSCT, 2 were Giardia-positive by ELISA. Dogs were sedated and given water and metoclopramide to aid passage into the duodenum of the capsule containing a nylon string. Of the 21 string tests performed on the 18 dogs, only 5 strings reached the duodenum, and 0 of the 5 yielded positive results for Giardia sp. Because the string broke in 1 dog (leaving most in the gastrointestinal tract and, therefore, producing a risk of string foreign body) further string tests were not done.