Infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis: a ring device designed for prolonged retention in the bovine eye.

A study was conducted to determine whether treatment devices could be designed for prolonged retention in the eyes of cattle. Experimental design ring devices were compared relative to their ease of insertion, induction of adverse tissue reaction, and period of retention. The ring devices were also compared with commercially available devices used in human eyes. Ring devices having a circumference smaller than that of the conjunctival sac, but larger than that of the globe of the eye, were easy to insert, caused a minimal tissue reaction, and were retained by the eye up to 19 days. The authors suggest that a development using the ring design and an erodable matrix containing an antibacterial agent could lead to a possible method for the treatment of obstinate infections, such as infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (IBK) and Moraxella bovis carrier states in cattle.     

The effect of three fungicides on nitrification and ammonification in soil

Three fungicides, Captan, Thiram and Verdasan were added at varying concentrations to soil amended with ammonium sulphate, and their effect upon nitrification and ammonification was studied over 28 days. Two general effects of addition of fungicides on nitrification were apparent. At very low concentrations all three fungicides stimulated or did not affect this process. The stimulation was most marked after treatment with Thiram at 10 μg a.i./g soil. At higher concentrations the fungicides led to a progressive decrease in nitrate production. The concentration at which nitrification was inhibited was for Verdasan 10 μg, Thiram 100 μg and Captan above 250 μg a.i./g soil.At low concentration all three fungicides did not greatly affect ammonification. At increasing concentrations, however, there was a marked increase of NH⁺₄-N, compared with the controls. The lowest rates of application of the three fungicides resulted in most nitrification and least ammonification. The results are discussed in relation to the differential effects of the fungicides on the soil microbial population.     

New multiple-herbicide crop resistance and formulation technology to augment the utility of glyphosate

Glyphosate has performed long and well, but now some weed communities are shifting to populations that survive glyphosate, and growers need new weed management technologies to augment glyphosate performance in glyphosate-resistant crops. Unfortunately, most companies are not developing any new selective herbicides with new modes of action to fill this need. Fortunately, companies are developing new herbicide-resistant crop technologies to combine with glyphosate resistance and expand the utility of existing herbicides. One of the first multiple-herbicide-resistant crops will have a molecular stack of a new metabolically based glyphosate resistance mechanism with an active-site-based resistance to a broad spectrum of ALS-inhibiting herbicides. Additionally, new formulation technology called homogeneous blends will be used in conjunction with glyphosate and ALS-resistant crops. This formulation technology satisfies governmental regulations, so that new herbicide mixture offerings with diverse modes of action can be commercialized more rapidly and less expensively. Together, homogeneous blends and multiple-herbicide-resistant crops can offer growers a wider choice of herbicide mixtures at rates and ratios to augment glyphosate and satisfy changing weed management needs.     

RESEARCH PAPER: Comparison between two methods for cardiac output measurement in propofol‐anesthetized dogs: thermodilution and Doppler

ObjectiveTo compare cardiac output (CO) measured by Doppler echocardiography and thermodilution techniques in spontaneously breathing dogs during continuous infusion of propofol. To do so, CO was obtained using the thermodilution method (CO_TD) and Doppler evaluation of pulmonary flow (CO_DP) and aortic flow (CO_DA).Study designProspective cohort study.AnimalsEight adult dogs weighing 8.3 ± 2.0 kg.MethodsPropofol was used for induction (7.5 ± 1.9 mg kg^?1 IV) followed by a continuous rate infusion at 0.7 mg kg^?1 minute^?1. The animals were positioned in left lateral recumbency on an echocardiography table that allowed for positioning of the transducer at the 3rd and 5th intercostal spaces of the left hemithorax for Doppler evaluation of pulmonary and aortic valves, respectively. CO_DP and CO_DA were calculated from pulmonary and aortic velocity spectra, respectively. A pulmonary artery catheter was inserted via the jugular vein and positioned inside the lumen of the pulmonary artery in order to evaluate CO_TD. The first measurement of CO_TD, CO_DP and CO_DA was performed 30 minutes after beginning continuous infusion (T0) and then at 15‐minute intervals (T15, T30, T45 and T60). Numeric data were submitted to two‐way anova for repeated measurements, Pearson’s correlation coefficient and Bland &; Altman analysis. Data are presented as mean ± SD.ResultsAt T0, CO_TD was lower than CO_DA. CO_DA was higher than CO_TD and CO_DP at T30, T45 and T60. The difference between the CO_TD and CO_DP, when all data were included, was ?0.04 ± 0.22 L minute^?1 and Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r) was 0.86. The difference between the CO_TD and CO_DA was ?0.87 ± 0.54 L minute^?1 and r = 0.69. For CO_TD and CO_DP, the difference was ?0.82 ± 0.59 L minute^?1 and r = 0.61.ConclusionDoppler evaluation of pulmonary flow was a clinically acceptable method for assessing the CO in propofol‐anesthetized dogs.     

Liposome-encapsulated oxymorphone prevents hyperalgesia for 7 days in a rat model of neuropathic pain

A delayed‐release formulation of liposome‐encapsulated oxymorphone (LEO) was produced using a novel dehydration–rehydration technique. Preparations were standardized spectrophotometrically against a known concentration of the drug. The purpose of this study was to test the analgesic properties of LEO in a rat model of neuropathic pain. Sprague–Dawley rats were divided into control (non‐neuropathic) and test (neuropathic) groups. Control and test groups were administered one SC injection of (i) vehicle liposomes (negative control treatment); (ii) liposome‐encapsulated morphine, 2.8 mg kg^?1 (positive control treatment); or (iii) LEO, 1.2 mg kg^?1. All treatments were administered after baseline thermal withdrawal latencies (TWL) were determined (9.2 ± 0.39 seconds (mean ± SEM)). Test groups then underwent sciatic ligation to induce neuropathic pain. TWL were determined in all six groups (n = 8) daily for 1 week. In a separate group of age‐matched rats, blood (0.3 mL from the jugular vein) and urine (1–2 mL via metabolism cages) were collected daily for 7 days after administration of LEO (1.2 mg kg^?1). TWL did not change in the control rats given liposome‐encapsulated sucrose or morphine. There was a small increase (p = 0.04) in TWL in control rats given LEO, likely as a result of the relatively higher dose of oxymorphone compared with morphine based on receptor affinity. TWL in test rats given blank liposomes decreased significantly (p < 0.001) by day 4 (7.1 ± 0.5 seconds), with a maximal decrease by day 7 (5.1 ± 0.36 seconds), indicating development of full hyperalgesia. In contrast, rats given liposome‐encapsulated morphine or oxymorphone had no change in TWL at day 4, indicating that these preparations prevented hyperalgesia after a single injection. This treatment effect persisted through day 7. Serum concentrations of oxymorphone after a single injection of LEO peaked at 4 hours (6.8 ± 0.82 ng mL^?1) and were detectable through day 4 (0.98 ± 0.003 ng mL^?1), while urine concentrations of drug were detectable through day 7. This result suggests that oxymorphone metabolites might have been responsible for the protracted analgesic response. The encapsulation efficiency of oxymorphone using this novel technique was approximately 96%. In conclusion, liposome encapsulation of oxymorphone proved to be an efficient mechanism to provide a delayed‐release formulation of this opioid. This single dose of subcutaneously administered liposome‐encapsulated oxymorphone was effective in preventing hyperalgesia for 7 days in this animal model of neuropathic pain.     

Internal parasite control strategies.

To maintain the general health of small ruminants, owners, managers, and clinicians should be familiar with the body condition-scoring [table: see text] methods, general health, and overall appearance of the animals in their care. Any changes in the overall health of individual animals or the flock should be noted immediately, the cause determined, and immediate measures should be taken to correct any problems. Parasite management in small ruminants is a difficult and arduous task. When a program that reduces parasite infestation is discovered, it should be carefully implemented, maintained with vigilance, and constantly "tweaked" to maximize its effectiveness.     

Endometrial candidiasis in five mares

Five cases of endometritis caused by yeast were seen at Texas A & M University, and are presented in this paper. Possible methods of diagnosis and therapy are discussed. A guarded prognosis for future reproductive performance should be expected if this syndrome occurs in concert with poor perineal conformation.     

Vitamin K,the coumarin-derivative antagonists and the coagulation of blood: Recent advances

The discovery, the development and the actions and uses of the coumarin-derivative anticoagulants are summarized against the simultaneously evolving understanding of the mechanism by which blood coagulates. The current understanding of the particular contribution of those plasma proteins, whose synthesis is now known to be vitamin K-dependent, to the coagulation mechanism is described. The importance of vitamin K to the post-ribosomal incorporation of the newly recognised amino acid, -carboxyglutamic, acid, into these proteins is identified. The mode of action of the coumarin derivative anticoagulants is revealed by recent research to be the prevention of the reduction of vitamin K epoxide to the form of the vitamin active in the biosynthetic step by which precursor protein is converted to biologically active coagulation factor. Finally, the discovery that vitamin K may function other than in relation to the coagulation of blood is summarized.

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Kurzfassung Entdeckung, Entwicklung, Wirkung und Anwendung der Kumarinderivat-Antikoagulantien werden im Zusammenhang mit den gleichzeitig erweiterten Kenntnissen der Mechanismen, die der Blutgerinnung zugrunde liegen, diskutiert. Der heutige Wissensstand um die Mitwirkung der Plasmaproteine bei der Blutgerinnung, deren Synthese Vitamin-K-abhangig ist, wird beschrieben. Die Rolle von Vitamin K beim post-ribosomalen Einbau der neu-entdeckten Aminosaure-Car-boxyglutaminsare in diese Proteine wird erlautert. Der Wirkungsmechanismus der Kumarinderivat-Antikoagulantien, wird aus der Sicht neuer Forschungsergebnisse als Blockierung der Reduktion von Vitamin K-Epoxid zu einer Form dargestellt, das in dem Biosyntheseschrittaktiv ist bei dem Vorstufenprotein in den biologisch aktiven Koagulationsfaktor umgewandelt wird. Schliesslich werden die Funktionen des Vitamin K zusammenfassend besprochen, die mit der Blutgerinnung nichts zu tun haben.

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Resume La découverte, le développment, les propriétés et usages des anticoagulants à structure coumarinique sont résumés par rapport aux connaissances sur la coagulation sanguine. Sont exposées ensuite les données sur les protéines plasmatiques, indispensables à la coagulation dont la synthese est dépendante de la vitamine K. L'importance de la vitamine K pourl'incorporation post-ribosomale à ces protéines d'un acide amine, 1'acide -carboxyglutamique, est connue depuis peu. Le mode d'action des anticoagulants derivés de la coumarine a été révélé par de récents travaux, montrant l'effet négatif de ceux-ci sur la réduction d'un epoxide de la vitamine K, biologiquement operationnel dans l'activation des protéines précurseurs des facteurs plasmatiques de la coagulation. Le rôle de la vitamine K en dehors de l'hémostase, récemment mis en évidence, est aussi exposé.

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Riassunto La scoperta, la messa a punto e le azioni ed use degli anticoagulanti derivati dalla dicumarina sono esposti in modo riassuntivo in relazione al contemporaneo evolversi delle conoscenze del meccanismo alla base della coagulazione sanguigna. Si descrivono le attuali conoscenze del ruolo particolare attraverso il quale le proteine plasmatiche, la cui sintesi e ora riconosciuta come vitamina K-dipendente, contribuiscono al meccanismo della coagulazione. Viene stabilita l'importanza della vitamina K ai fini dell'incorporazione dell'aminoacido di recente identificazione, l'acido-carbossiglutammico, nelle suddette proteine. La modalita di azione degli anticoagulanti derivati dalla dicumarina consiste, secondo recenti ricerche, nell'impedire la riduzione della vitamina K epossido nella forma della vitamina attiva nella fase di biosintesi per cui la proteina precursore viene convertita in fattore di coagulazione biologicamente attivo. Da ultimo, si descrive brevemente la scoperta che la vitamina K puo avere funzioni diverse da quelle relative alla coagulazione del sangue.

     

Heritability and quantitative trait loci of composition and structural characteristics in sorghum grain

Breeding efforts in cereal crops directed toward developing or improving end-use products of grain require assessment of existing phenotypic variance and an understanding of the genetic control of grain quality traits. To this end, a grain sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] mapping population consisting of 113 F_2:7 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from a cross between Sureño and RTx430 was evaluated in multiple environments for grain composition (fat, fiber, protein, starch) using near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS), and size estimates of grain parts (embryo, vitreous endosperm, floury endosperm, kernel area) using an image-based phenotyping software system. Estimates of broad-sense heritability of grain compositional traits ranged from 0.11 to 0.90, whereas those of grain size ranged from 0.16 to 0.72. Composite interval mapping (CIM) was applied to a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based linkage map to identify marker-trait associations, and through these efforts, a total of 37 quantitative trait loci (QTL) for grain quality were identified across environments. Each QTL explained between 7 and 23% of the phenotypic variation for a given grain trait. Three of the five QTL that colocalized were for traits with significant negative correlation, which included grain protein content that was negatively correlated with grain starch content. In addition, several traits that were positively correlated (e.g. fat and fiber content) also revealed colocalized QTL. Finally, we compared the present study with previous studies identifying grain composition trait loci in an effort to identify genomic regions controlling grain traits across a diversity of environments and sorghum genotypes.