Some techniques used in clinical investigation of cardiovascular function in the dog

Five methods are described, which have proved to be useful in closed chest experimental and clinical cardiovascular research in small animals.     

Screening of 170 Peruvian plant species for allelopathic activity by using the Sandwich Method

Peru is one of the 20 botanically extremely diverse countries in the world, with >17 000 flowering plants, of which 30% are endemic. So far, no systematic research has been conducted on the screening of the allelopathic plants. In this study, the allelopathic activity of 170 species from 61 families of Peruvian plants that were collected from the three main regions of Peru – the Costa (Pacific coastline), the Sierra (Andean mountains), and the Selva (Amazonian rainforest) – was evaluated. The allelopathic activity was determined by the Sandwich Method, which can evaluate the activity of leaf leachates. The species that were found to be highly inhibitory in this screening, under the criterion of >90% inhibition of the radicle of lettuce (Lactuca sativa) seedlings, were Aristeguietia ballii and Diplostephium foliosissimum (Asteraceae) and Spondias mombin (Anacardiaceae). All of these species are native plants from Peru. This study gives a strong clue regarding the potential of isolating potent allelochemicals from these plants in the future.     

不同施氮量对天然草场牧草产量影响

采用不同施氮量作用于天然草场，研究了草地施肥与牧草产量的关系，通过测定施肥试验的各项参数，确定了干草原类草场产草量和经济效益最佳的施肥方案，最佳施肥量为450kg/hm^2，同时建立了施肥量与牧草产量间的回归方程。     

The Iron Ore Market in the Sino-Brazilian Trade

China has required a large quantity of commodities in order to keep with its economic growth path,driven by large exports,rapid urbanization and investment in fixed assets.Commodities exporter countries have benefited from China ’s immense"hunger"for commodities,especially during the 2000s.Brazil,for instance,has emerged in this scenario as one of the largest iron ore producers and exporters.However,the cooling down of the Chinese economy has brought doubts to the iron ore industry,which may remain strong in near future but one cannot claim for certain whether or not this trend will remain this positive in the long run.     

牦牛粪便对高寒草甸群落多样性及生产力的影响

研究了4个不同施牦牛粪便的处理对高寒草句植物群落多样性和生产力的短期影响。结果表明,（1）处理S1,S2和s3的植物群落盖度显著高于对照（SO）（P〈0．05）,各处理的植物群落高度与对照（SO）相比都呈上升趋势,且S3与S0差异显著（P〈0．05）;（2）处理S1、S2和S3的Pielou均匀度指数与sO相比逐渐下降,且S2与sO有显著差异（P〈0．05）。处理S1、s2和S3的Shannon—Wiener物种多样性指数与S0相比逐渐下降,且S2与S0差异极显著（P〈0．01）。而Simpson物种多样性指数的变化则表现为无规律性。（3）施牦牛粪便后植物群落的地上总生物量出现增加趋势,且S2,S3与s0间达到差异显著（P〈0．05）。     

DIE INVLOED VAN RADIALE HARSGEïNFILTREERDE KERNSKEURE OP DIE GESAAGDE OPBRENGS UIT PINUS ELLIOTTII ENGELM.-SAAGBLOKKE / THE EFFECT OF RADIAL RESIN-INFILTRATED SPLITS ON THE YIELD OF SAWN TIMBER FROM PINUS ELLIOTTII ENGELM. SAWLOGS

A number of complaints, regarding the presence of resin-infiltrated splits in seasoned boards produced from Pinus elliottii sawlogs supplied from certain stands in State Forests, led to an investigation to determine the incidence of the defect and to find possible causes.

This paper deals mainly with the study of the first aspect. In the investigation two samples of stems were selected by a semi-random method from one mature stand, being clearfelled, in Entabeni State Forest (Northern Transvaal) and from three stands receiving, or due to receive, their fifth thinning. The clearfelling and thinning had produced logs containing heart shakes and this had given rise to the complaints.

During log preparation it was attempted to prepare as much as possible of the stem length into the longest sawlogs, working as closely as possible to the maximum limits for sweep and knots allowed by the departmental log specifications. This attempt resulted in the preparation of some logs containing slightly more than the permissible defects. Observations were made on stump surfaces of the orientation of shakes, and on log ends of their occurrence higher up in the stem, in an attempt to find a link between shake orientation and the known direction of strong winds, and to determine the height in the stem to which shakes extended from the stump. The orientation study produced no definite proof that wind was responsible, although there were strong indications.

This was followed by sowings up the logs mainly into structural timber, kiln seasoning and grading in two ways, viz A ignoring the resin-infiltrated checks and splits but taking all other defects pertinent to the relevant grades into consideration, and B taking all defects, including the checks and splits into consideration (Table 4). During the grading further measurements were taken on boards containing splits, to determine to what heights in the stem the shakes extended.

From the grading results, total and graded yields of sawn timber were computed, the differences in yields between the two grading procedures being a measure of the incidence and seriousness of the shake defect. Within log classes, (see footnote to Table 2) the yields obtained separately for each 2 cm top U.B. diameter class into which the logs had been segregated prior to sawing, were weighted according to the percentage size distributions of the logs yielded by the clearfelling and thinning operations in the relevant compartments, to obtain a weighted average for the log class.

The heights to which shakes were present in the stems of the two samples are shown in Table 3(a) while their incidence in logs of the various size classes are shown in Table 3(b). It is seen that shakes were more frequent and serious in the larger logs.

The presence of shake in the log samples, taken as a whole, caused only minimal yield losses (Table 4) but had the effect of somewhat reducing average board length (Table 5). However, sawn and graded yields are still excellent and the species should not be discriminated against in afforestation, because of the sporadic occurrence of the defect.

The yield figures should be of some value to sawmillers processing both normal and shake-containing logs of this species.     

A Five-Day Progesterone Plus eCG-Based Fixed-Time AI Protocol Improves Fertility Over Spontaneous Estrus in High-Producing Dairy Cows Under Heat Stress

This study compared the efficiency of a five-day or standard (nine-day) progesterone-based regimen combined with equine chorionic gonadotrophin (eCG) in a fixed-time AI (FTAI) protocol for dairy cows. The data examined were derived from 3577 inseminations conducted in three dairy herds. Animals with no estrus signs detected over 21 days were randomly assigned to a PRID-9 or PRID-5 group. Cows in each group received a progesterone intravaginal device (PRID) for 9 or 5 days, respectively, PGF_2α and eCG on PRID removal, and GnRH 48 h later. Fixed-time AI was performed 12 h after the GnRH dose. Cows artificially inseminated following spontaneous estrus during the study period were considered as controls. Based on the odds ratio, the likelihoods of animals in PRID-9 in the warm (conception rate [CR] of 22.3%) and cool (32% CR) periods, and control animals in the warm period (26.6% CR) becoming pregnant were reduced (by factors of 0.6, 0.3 and 0.4, respectively) compared with the control animals in the cool period (CR of 43.7%). The risk of a twin pregnancy was higher (51.4%) for cystic PRID-9 cows (by a factor of 3.6) and lower (9.9%) for cyclic PRID-5 animals (by a factor of 0.4) compared with the PRID-9 cyclic cows. These findings indicate that the proposed protocol achieves similar results during the cool or warm season to those obtained when AI is conducted at spontaneous estrus during the cool season. In addition, PRID-5 reduced twin pregnancy compared with PRID-9.     

不同光质处理对枫香幼苗叶色的影响

[目的]从生理生化角度揭示不同光质处理对枫香家系叶色变化的影响,为探索枫香叶色对光质的响应机理提供参考。[方法]以2个枫香家系的1年生幼苗为试验材料,测定其在不同光质处理下叶片叶绿素、类胡萝卜素、花青素、可溶性糖、类黄酮和苯丙氨酸解氨酶的含量并分析其相关性。[结果]结果表明:试验后2个枫香家系叶色较处理前有一定程度的变化。红光处理组枫香幼苗叶片叶绿素含量显著高于其它处理组,而蓝光处理组叶片叶绿素含量则显著低于其它处理组。蓝光处理后,2个枫香家系叶片花青素含量较对照有显著提高,而红光处理则减少了叶片花青素含量。同时蓝光处理能显著提高枫香幼苗叶片类胡萝卜素、可溶性糖和类黄酮含量以及苯丙氨酸解氨酶活力,红光处理效果较对照无显著差异。方差分析表明,不同光质处理对枫香幼苗叶片叶绿素含量影响显著,而对花青素量和类胡萝卜素含量影响不显著。[结论]2个枫香家系叶色在光质处理下有相同的变化趋势,红光处理可以促进枫香幼苗叶片叶绿素合成;蓝光处理可以促进枫香幼苗叶片积累更多的花青素。