Study on Advanced Treatment of Secondary Effluent Using Fixed-Bed Filled with Bone Char

The adsorption of a fixed bed filled with bone char was investigated in terms of its efficiency and capacity by determining operational conditions for the purpose of further reduction of organic matter and removal of phosphorus using a continuous flow of real secondary effluent. Simultaneous removals of phosphorus and chemical oxygen demand (COD) were sufficiently achieved by this fixed-bed method. Stable performance was maintained even at a linear flow velocity (abbreviated as LV) of 1.5 m h^–1. Appropriate backwashing and regeneration were required to operate the system continuously for a long period of time. During the regeneration, the use of treated water including Ca²⁺ ion was so effective that phosphorus removal efficiency increased from about 50 to 80%, and afterwards maintained over 65%, until inflow water of the volume up to 150 times as large as the volume of bone char had passed through. Even when the inflow water of the volume rose up to 200 times, the phosphorus removal efficiency could be maintained over 50%. During this operation, the adsorptions of phosphorus and COD onto the bone char surface were observed to be over 6.7 and 35 gL^–1, respectively.     

Detection of transmissible gastroenteritis virus in feces from pigs by reversed passive hemagglutination

A reversed passive hemagglutination (RPHA) method was developed for the detection of transmissible gastroenteritis (TGE) virus in the fecal specimens from pigs. Ovine erythrocytes fixed with glutaraldehyde and treated with tannic acid were coated with anti-TGE virus swine antibodies, which were purified by affinity chromatographic technique linked with purified TGE virus. The RPHA test was done by the Microtiter method. Erythrocytes coated with purified specific antibodies were agglutinated by TGE virus, but not by porcine rotavirus or porcine enterovirus. The reaction was specifically inhibited by antiserum against TGE virus, confirming the specificity of the reaction. A litter of seven 3-day-old pigs was orally inoculated with TGE virus, and fecal specimens were obtained once a day and serum was obtained every 4th day. With the RPHA test, TGE virus was detected in the diarrheal feces; all of the inoculated pigs developed virus-neutralization antibody for the TGE virus. The RPHA test detected TGE virus in feces from pigs with naturally occurring diarrhea. The RPHA test detected TGE virus in 5 of 6 fecal specimens (80%), whereas the positive rate was only 50% (3/6) for the immunofluorescent staining of primary cultures of porcine kidney cells inoculated with the specimens. The advantages of the RPHA method are simplicity, high sensitivity, and rapid to do.     

Hemolytic anemia and red blood cell metabolic disorder attributable to low phosphorus intake in cows

Hypophosphatemia was induced in 2 cows by reducing phosphorus content in their feed after parturition. Serum inorganic phosphorus (Pi) values decreased to 1 mg/dl within 10 days after parturition; and RBC adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) and reduced glutathione values decreased to 50 and 70% of baseline values, respectively. Methemoglobin concentration was moderately higher than normal. These changes preceded the onset of hemolysis, and anemia progressed with decreases in PCV, hemoglobin concentration, and RBC counts. Serum Pi resumed its normal value when anemia was most severe. This RBC disorder was confirmed to be characteristic of hemolytic anemia in cows resulting from hypophosphatemia. The RBC glycolytic intermediates, total triose phosphate (combined glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate and dihydroxyacetone phosphate content) and fructose-1,6-diphosphate, greatly increased in vivo and in vitro with decreases in serum or plasma Pi and RBC ATP. From our results, we concluded that inadequate Pi in the plasma impairs the function and viability of RBC by hindering the production of ATP via disturbance of reactions at the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase step.     

Bovine postparturient hemoglobinemia: hypophosphatemia and metabolic disorder in red blood cells

Mechanism of hemolysis in postparturient hemoglobinemia was studied in 7 cows. Cows 1 to 5 had a history of hemoglobinemia at a previous calving, but hemoglobinemia did not occur during the present parturition. Cow 6, a daughter of cow 4, and cow 7 from another farm, developed postparturient hemoglobinemia and had hemoglobinuria on days 20 and 21 and 10 to 17 after calving, respectively. During the time cows 6 and 7 had hemoglobinuria, both cows had a marked decrease in serum inorganic phosphorus, RBC adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP), and reduced glutathione, and a significant (P less than 0.01) increase in methemoglobin concentration. In cow 6, these changes were observed before the onset of hemoglobinuria, indicating metabolic disorder of RBC. After phosphate administration IV, serum inorganic phosphorus was corrected, and RBC ATP was increased above base-line value. During the time cows 6 and 7 had hemoglobinuria, PCV, hemoglobin concentration, and RBC count decreased progressively and reached nadir values, 40% to 50% of baseline values, on day 22 in cow 6 and on day 19 in cow 7. Cows 6 and 7 were anemic, even after serum inorganic phosphorus and RBC ATP values returned to acceptable values. Glycolytic disorder and depletion of ATP, resulting from phosphorus deficiency, appeared to be a primary and essential step leading to hemolysis in postparturient hemoglobinemia in cows 6 and 7.     

Theoretical epidemiology on bovine ephemeral fever outbreaks in Tanegashima Island, Kagoshima Prefecture of Japan in 1988.

From the end of September to November 1988, a compact scale of bovine ephemeral fever (BEF) outbreaks occurred suddenly in Tanegashima island of Kagoshima Prefecture, southern part of Kyusyu island of Japan. The BEF outbreak pattern showed epidemical characteristics as follows; (1) outbreak spread from few foci to zone during one month, and (2) the disease might be transmitted in farms with a fixed probability of adequate contact. By using the above aspects, we attempted to analyze the disease theoretically with the application of Poisson distribution and Reed-Frost model. The BEF incidence in farms was in well accord with the Poisson distribution. As the very rare event occurred in unit time or in unit area in this epidemic, the cattle population at risk were equivalently susceptible to BEF virus in this island, due to the influence of no vaccination to BEF control before the first outbreak. Similarly, the epidemic curve of the Reed-Frost model was proved to fit well the incidence observed in a farm, and the probability of adequate contact was induced as p = 0.226. If the cattle population is less than 5 in this farm, the outbreak would not occur in the first instance.     

Suppressive effect of potassium silicate on powdery mildew of strawberry in hydroponics

From 1996 to 1997, potassium silicate (SiO₂) was tested at 0, 25, 50, and 100mgl^–1 in hydroponics to control powdery mildew. Other elements were added in the usual amounts, and the strawberries were cultivated hydroponically in a greenhouse for 4 months (from October to January). The powdery mildew spread in the control plot, but little mildew developed in the plot with 25mgl^–1 silicate, and none in plots with more than 50mgl^–1 silicate. The suppressive effect lasted for about 4 months on fruits and even longer on leaves. On analysis of mineral content in the leaves, only the silicate content differed markedly between the control and treated plants. Nitrogen, phosphate, potassium, and calcium contents did not differ greatly. The maximum silicate content was about 24 times that of the control, and disease severity decreased significantly when the content was more than 1.5% in the leaves. The hardness of the strawberry leaves, measured by a creep meter, was increased by the silicate treatment.