Ultraviolet observations of venus from mariner 10: preliminary results

An objective grating spectrometer on Mariner 10 has measured air-glow in the wavelength range 200 to 1700 angstroms. The data reveal the presence of significant concentrations of hydrogen, helium, carbon, and oxygen atoms in the upper atmosphere of Venus. A preliminary analysis of the hydrogen data indicates an exospheric temperature of 400 degrees K. There is evidence for intense air-glow emission at wavelengths longward of 1350 angstroms; the nature of this emission is unclear, but the radiation is spatially extensive and detectable on both day and night sides of the planet.     

Amniotic and allantoic fluids from experimentally infected sheep contain immunoglobulin specific for Chlamydophila abortus

Chlamydophila abortus, the aetiological agent of enzootic abortion of ewes (EAE), replicates in trophoblast cells leading to their destruction and dissemination of the bacterium to foetal organs. To further understand the pathogenesis of EAE, amniotic and allantoic fluids were collected from experimentally infected pregnant ewes at 30 (7 samples from each fluid), 35 (8 samples from each fluid), 40 (10 samples from each fluid) and 43 (6 amniotic fluids and 7 allantoic fluids) days post-infection to determine pathogen numbers and other markers of infection. Whilst experimentally infected ewes had characteristic placental lesions, only two amniotic and seven allantoic fluid samples were positive for C. abortus by real-time PCR. In contrast, all amniotic and allantoic fluids were positive for immunoglobulin. Immunoglobulins were generally detected earlier in allantoic fluid than in amniotic fluid and the numbers of samples containing immunoglobulins increased as infection progressed. IgG in amniotic and allantoic fluids was shown to be specific for C. abortus, and reacted with the major outer membrane proteins, polymorphic outer membrane protein and macrophage infectivity potentiator protein. A comparison of two-dimensional immunoblots using purified IgG from the allantoic fluid, amniotic fluid, ewe serum and foetal serum of a C. abortus infected animal at 40 days post infection indicated a pattern of reactivity intermediate between that of the ewe serum and the foetal serum. Results suggest that a maternal source of immunoglobulin is predominant at 30 days post-infection but that foetal derived antibodies may be contributed at a later stage.     

Monitoring clinical outcomes,pathological changes and shedding of Chlamydophila abortus following experimental challenge of periparturient ewes utilizing the natural route of infection

Enzootic abortion of ewes (EAE) caused by Chlamydophila abortus is an important disease resulting in significant lamb loss in most sheep producing countries. Ewes are considered to be naturally infected with C. abortus via the oral–nasal route and may become persistent carriers, shedding during subsequent oestrous cycles and at lambing. The aim of this study was to monitor the clinical outcomes, pathological changes and shedding of C. abortus in 18 periparturient orally infected sheep for two breeding seasons. In the first season, C. abortus was detected by real-time PCR (rt-PCR) in 13/18 conjunctival swabs at oestrus. Three out of the 15 pregnant ewes gave birth to 1 live and 1 dead lamb, and 2 of them aborted. Following parturition/abortion, C. abortus was detected in 12/15 vaginal swabs and in all the collected foetal membranes. However, only those membranes containing high copy numbers of the bacterium displayed the EAE typical lesions. In the second season, none of the 13 pregnant ewes aborted, and 5 of them gave birth to dead or weak lambs. C. abortus was not detected in conjunctival or vaginal swabs at oestrus or parturition. The bacterium was detected at low levels in 36% of the foetal membranes, but with no evidence of histopathological lesions. These results indicate that C. abortus can be detected in a large proportion of animals during the first pregnancy after oral infection. However, this proportion is reduced at the subsequent breeding season, confirming the occurrence of a chronic low level persistent infection in post-abortion/lambing ewes.     

Extreme ultraviolet observations from voyager 2 encounter with jupiter

Extreme ultraviolet spectral observations of the Jovian planetary system made during the Voyager 2 encounter have extended our knowledge of many of the phenomena and physical processes discovered by the Voyager 1 ultraviolet spectrometer. In the 4 months between encounters, the radiation from Io's plasma torus has increased in intensity by a factor of about 2. This change was accompanied by a decrease in plasma temperature of about 30 percent. The high-latitude auroral zones have been positively associated with the magnetic projection of the plasma torus onto the planet. Emission in molecular hydrogen bands has been detected from the equatorial regions of Jupiter, indicating planetwide electron precipitation. Hydrogen Lyman alpha from the dark side of the planet has been measured at an intensity of about 1 kilorayleigh. An observation of the occultation of alpha Leonis by Jupiter was carried out successfully and the data are being analyzed in detail.     

The clinical neurology of scrapie in Irish sheep

One hundred twenty-nine sheep with scrapie were identified from 20 flocks in which scrapie previously had been confirmed. Physical and neurologic examinations were performed on all animals. Videotape recordings were made and reviewed to assess gait. These procedures were repeated in 46 sheep at 2- to 3-week intervals until recumbency or inappetence necessitated euthanasia. Confirmation of scrapie was made by histopathologic and immunohistochemical examinations of brain tissue. The clinical signs most frequently recorded in the 129 animals on initial presentation were hindlimb ataxia (71%), head tremor (61%), altered mental status (57%), positive nibble reflex (51%), crouching posture (51%), teeth grinding (44%), low head carriage (38%), body condition score (BCS) < 1.5 (38%), and conscious proprioceptive deficits of the hindlimbs (36%). Progression of the disease was characterized by an increase in the frequency and severity of ataxia, weakness and hypermetria of the hindlimbs, a decreasing sway response, a decreasing extensor response to thoracolumbar pressure, and a reduction in the BCS. No effect of farm of origin on the clinical presentation could be shown. The presence of a nibble reflex was strongly associated (P < .0005) with prion protein (PrP) genotypes AA136RR154QH171 and AA136RR154QQ171. Logistic regression modeling of groups with associated clinical signs showed that animals with a crouching posture (odds ratio [OR], 20.036) and an abnormal yield to thoracolumbar pressure (OR, 7.117) were at increased risk of ataxia. Pruritus (OR, 0.168) was negatively associated with ataxia. Pruritus (OR, 4.974) and teeth grinding (OR, 4.279) were associated with a positive nibble reflex.     

Comparison of prophylactic or therapeutic dietary administration of capsaicin for reduction of Salmonella in broiler chickens

In three experiments the effects of prophylactic or therapeutic dietary inclusion of capsaicin, the pungent component of peppers, were evaluated as a nonantibiotic alternative for reduction of Salmonella in broiler chickens through culture and morphologic assessment of cecal tissue. Expt. 1 evaluated the effects of 0 or 10 ppm purified capsaicin (CAP) in the starter phase (days 1-16) on chicks challenged with Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) on day of age. Therapeutic inclusion of 10 ppm purified CAP increased (P < 0.05) liver/spleen (L/S) and ceca positive results for SE. In Expt. 2, capsaicin oleoresin (CO) was included in the finisher diet (days 30-37) at 0, 5, or 20 ppm with SE challenge on day 31. Inclusion of 5 ppm CO increased ceca positive results for SE, and a linear decrease in cecal lamina propria thickness of SE-challenged birds was observed with increased CO concentration in the diet. Expt. 3 evaluated prophylactic CO treatment at 0, 5, or 20 ppm in starter, grower, and finisher diets for resistance to SE or Salmonella Typhimurium (ST) challenge on day 14 or 29. With challenge on day 14, 5 and 20 ppm prophylactic CO feeding reduced ceca SE positive results by 37% and 26%, respectively, and ST culture rate was reduced similarly with 5 ppm CO. Lamina propria thickness of the ceca increased with 5 ppm CO feeding in SE-challenged birds, whereas a decrease was observed in nonchallenged birds fed 5 ppm CO. Challenge on day 29 of birds fed 20 ppm CO resulted in reduced L/S positive results for SE. Lamina propria thickness decreased with 5 ppm CO and SE or ST challenge compared with nonchallenged birds fed 5 ppm. An increase was observed in ST- or SE-challenged birds fed 20 ppm CO compared with nonchallenged birds fed 20 ppm CO. No differences were observed in mast cell number in either Expt. 2 or 3. These data provide evidence that prophylactic or therapeutic dietary capsaisin differentially affects broiler susceptibility to Salmonella.     

Muscle enzymes in the diagnosis of ovine weaner nutritional myopathy

SUMMARY The diagnostic performance of plasma tests for muscle enzymes was measured in sheep from flocks affected by clinical and sub-clinical nutritional myopathy. Parallel combinations of tests for creatine kinase (CK), alanine amino transferase (ALT), aspartate amino transferase (AST) and lactate dehydrogenase had higher diagnostic sensitivity than CK alone. The enzymes ALT and AST showed the highest correlation with the degree of muscle damage. A parallel combination of tests for plasma CK and ALT as well as tests for plasma α-tocopherol and red cell glutathione peroxidase are recommended for the diagnosis of nutritional myopathy and a decision on the appropriate treatment. The number of false negative results based on a diagnosis from the microscopic examination of single muscles was higher than for the parallel combination of tests. The number of false negatives was highest for the vastus intermedius and lowest for the tensor fascia lata. Diagnosis using a panel of blood tests has the advantages of overcoming problems of inadequate muscle sampling, a larger number of sheep in the flock can be tested and a more rapid diagnosis can be obtained.