Some observations on the epidemiology of Nematodirus battus in anglesey

A ten year study on ten fields on two sheep farms in Anglesey, North Wales (one lambing early and one late) naturally infected with Nematodirus battus is described. Double and single spring peaks of herbage infection were observed; their form and timing were satisfactorily correlated with temperatures in the period January to March. Some autumn hatching was also observed. The role of temperature and rainfall in influencing the population curves is discussed. The implication of these findings in relation to the treatment of lambs is reviewed.     

Fat digestibility in Equus caballus follows increasing first-order kinetics

The digestibility of ether extract varies greatly from forages to grains and further to added fats consisting mainly of triglycerides. This variation has been attributed to two main factors, the presence of nonhydrolyzable substances in the ether extract, especially in leafy foods, and the dilution of endogenous fecal fat. A compilation of results from 188 equine digestion balance observations on five basal feeds and 18 test feeds with added fats demonstrated a true digestibility of fat approaching 100% and an endogenous fecal fat of 0.22 g x d(-1) x kg BW(-1). The results revealed that nonhydrolyzable ether extract and endogenous fecal fat were insufficient to account for the difference between true digestibility and apparent digestibilities of ether extract in basal feeds and partial digestibilities of added fats in test feeds. A third possible contributing factor was demonstrated: an increasing first-order relationship between observed digestibilities (D, %) and the fat content of the feed (F, g/kg): D = 92.0 - 92.0e(-F/342). r2 = 0.81, P < 0.001. This equation indicates that 46% digestibility (half maximum) occurs at an ether extract or fat content of 24 g/kg, which is common in forages. It is consistent with fat digestibility or efficiency of absorption being a function of the rate of lipolysis, especially when residence time in the small intestine is limited. Consequently, we suggest that the kinetics of lipases, which are difficult to measure, may contribute to low digestibility when substrate concentration in the small intestine is low due to a low fat content in food. The status of vitamins A and E might be affected by low dietary fat contents and might be improved by fat supplementation.     

National diet and nutrition surveys: the British experience

OBJECTIVE: The National Diet and Nutrition Surveys (NDNS) are a series of government-funded surveys of food intake, nutrient intake and nutritional status of individuals, undertaken to support nutritional policy and risk assessment. This paper summarises a review that considered the extent to which NDNS met the needs of users and suggested options for the future. The Food Standards Agency has since progressed favoured options. This paper aims to help others wishing to obtain this type of information within their own populations. DESIGN: A detailed questionnaire was used to probe use of data and gather opinions from users, producers and managers of the NDNS. It asked about general information needs from NDNS and changes that might be made. This was followed by a two-day workshop which included discussion of the main issues and the generation of 19 possible future options for consideration by the Agency. RESULTS: Options to improve effectiveness included methods to prioritise breadth and depth of coverage and possible ways of improving response and compliance. Strategies to make surveys more efficient and timely, such as adopting a rolling programme, disaggregating survey components, integrating with other studies and improving data access, were also suggested. A rolling programme, in which data are collected continuously, was the favoured option to address some of the concerns and a strategy is now in place to achieve this. CONCLUSIONS: There is widespread support for the NDNS from its users. There is no alternative source for such high-quality data on food and nutrient consumption and nutritional status and physical measurements in the same individuals. Useful information, such as the potential value of using a rolling programme from the outset, can be gained from this British experience by others wishing to measure food and nutrient intakes and status in their own populations.     

Coherent sensing of a mechanical resonator with a single-spin qubit

Mechanical systems can be influenced by a wide variety of small forces, ranging from gravitational to optical, electrical, and magnetic. When mechanical resonators are scaled down to nanometer-scale dimensions, these forces can be harnessed to enable coupling to individual quantum systems. We demonstrate that the coherent evolution of a single electronic spin associated with a nitrogen vacancy center in diamond can be coupled to the motion of a magnetized mechanical resonator. Coherent manipulation of the spin is used to sense driven and Brownian motion of the resonator under ambient conditions with a precision below 6 picometers. With future improvements, this technique could be used to detect mechanical zero-point fluctuations, realize strong spin-phonon coupling at a single quantum level, and implement quantum spin transducers.     

Veterinary infection control in Australia: is there control?

There is little information relating to infection control procedures in Australian veterinary practices. This review summarises the findings of international studies in the area of zoonoses and infection control, and discusses potential reasons for the apparent complacency about these issues in veterinary practice. It is the authors’ opinion that legislative changes governing veterinary practice in Australia should be implemented. The curricula in veterinary schools should also emphasise infection control. These measures would significantly improve safety issues associated with the control of zoonoses in veterinary practice.     

Characterization of infectious bursal disease viruses isolated in 2007 from Delmarva commercial broiler chickens

A study was performed in 2007 to isolate and characterize infectious bursal disease viruses (IBDVs) in commercial broilers grown in the Delmarva (DMV) Peninsula region of the United States. Bursae of Fabricius were collected weekly from 1 to 4 wk of age from broilers on 10 farms with a history of poor performance. Microscopic pathology was used to determine the infectious bursal disease (IBD) status of the broilers. Bursae from 1- and 2-wk-old broilers did not show IBD microscopic lesions. Moreover, broilers on 1 of the 10 farms were IBD lesion free at 3 and 4 wk of age. However, 3 of 9 and 9 of 9 farms yielded broilers with IBD-affected bursae from 3- and 4-wk-old commercial broilers, respectively. Ten IBDV isolates were recovered from 3 of 3 lesion-positive bursal pools at 3 wk of age and 7 of 9 lesion-positive bursal pools at 4 wk of age. Analysis of the viral protein (VP) 2 genes identified all isolates as serotype 1 Delaware (Del) variant viruses. Five field isolates, each representing different molecular clades of the Delaware variant viruses, were selected for further study. Experimental infection of specific-pathogen-free white leghorn chickens with isolates DMV/4813/07, DMV/4947/07, DMV/4955/07, DMV/5038/07, and DMV/5041/07 produced gross and microscopic pathology of the bursa consistent with Delaware variant infection. Monoclonal antibody testing showed DMV/4813/07, DMV/4947/07, DMV/ 4955/07, and DMV/5041/07 to be similar to previous recognized variant viruses. However, DMV/5038/07 was found to be unreactive with the monoclonal antibodies that typically recognize reference strains STC, Del E, GLS, RS593, and AL2. In a challenge of immunity study, 10-day-old progeny from breeders immunized with a commercially available inactivated IBDV vaccine containing the Del E and classic strains were protected to a lesser degree against isolate DMV/5038/07 compared to Del E challenge based on microscopic lesion scores (P < 0.01) of the bursa. This result suggests the virus is antigenically different from the Del E strain contained in the vaccine. Collectively, the monoclonal antibody and progeny challenge of immunity findings suggest DMV/5038/07 is antigenically different from the Del E strain contained in the vaccine.