MEASUREMENT OF NORMAL MIDDLE EAR CAVITY VOLUME IN MESATICEPHALIC DOGS

Water-filling and serial computed tomographic (CT) imaging techniques were used to measure normal middle ear cavity volume (MECV) in 18 dogs (10 live dogs, eight cadavers; 36 ears in total). The specific aims of this study were to (1) compare MECV measurements by water-filling and CT techniques and (2) define a model of MECV vs. body weight (BW) from CT values. There was a significant difference between the two techniques (P = 0.02). The volume obtained by water filling was consistently greater than that obtained by computed tomography. MECV (expressed in ml) increased with BW (expressed in kg) according to the following formula: MECV = -0.612 + 0.757 (In BW) (P<0.01, R2 = 0.74).     

Cryopreservation of Sheep Primordial Follicles

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of 1 M dimethylsulphoxide (DMSO), ethylene glycol (EG), propylene glycol (PROH) and glycerol (GLY) to cryopreserve primordial follicles. The first evaluation was performed soon after cryopreservation and the second evaluation after 4 days of in vitro culture, using the cryoprotectants that allowed the higher results (higher follicular survival rate) after cryopreservation. The results after follicular isolation (control) and cryopreservation using 1 M DMSO, EG, PROH and GLY showed that the mean number (+/- SEM) of live follicles per millilitre was 3204 (100%) +/- 319.27, 2798 (87%) +/- 239.14, 2492 (78%) +/- 345.8, 448 (14%) +/- 46.3 and 208 (7%) +/- 75.26, respectively. Higher follicular survival was reported when DMSO and EG were used. Control follicles and follicles cryopreserved with these two cryoprotectants were cultured and the percentage of follicular survival was 55% (control), 42% (EG) and 34% (DMSO). Similar results were found between control and follicles cryopreserved with EG. In conclusion, 1 M EG is the most effective cryoprotectant to preserve primordial follicles isolated from ovaries of sheep.     

Recovery rate and quality of rotary peeled veneer from 30-year-old Pinus taeda L. logs

??Context

In the construction sector, wood is facing competition with other materials such as concrete, steel or plastics. Therefore, there is a need for more efficiency in the forest–wood chain by improving silvicutural management and wood processing technologies.

??Aims

The objective of the study is to analyse the influence of log diameter and quality to recovery rate, veneer quality and economic benefit.

??Methods

The trees used in the study came from a 30-year-old Pinus taeda L. thinning trial in Southern Brazil. In total, 57 logs (20.7 to 67.0 cm) were peeled following the standard industrial processing methods of the plywood mill.

??Results

Average recovery rate was 54 % ranging from 35 to 72.6 %, with a linear trend (R ²?=?0.48) of increasing recovery with an increment on the log small-end diameter. Results show that the gap between theoretically possible and real recovery was lower in the logs with bigger diameters, indicating their higher efficiency in industrial processing. Moreover, the economic analysis detected that the current prices for log assortments reflect only the industrial potential of low-quality pruned logs. An optimised pruning strategy would result in higher industrial efficiency, which would allow higher log prices.

??Conclusion

The results indicate that the recovery rate of bigger logs is higher in terms of volume of peeled veneer. The quality and therefore the value obtained from each log were negatively influenced by inadequate pruning strategies. Management of pines for higher value utilisation requires optimized thinning and pruning strategies in order to meet high growth rates and proportionally bigger dimensions of clear wood.     

Animal industry and veterinary science in eastern New Guinea 1: before World War II

Until the latter part of the nineteenth century, there were no domestic animals other than pigs, dogs and poultry in the island of New Guinea. From 1889 onwards, occupying authorities, missionaries and settlers from Germany, the UK, Japan and Australia imported ruminants, pigs and horses. Some of these importations were from Asia. This paper describes some outcomes of those importations and the potential hazards for Australia entailed in them.     

Animal industry and veterinary science in eastern New Guinea: World War II to Independence, 1975

We have described the efforts of the Australian administration of the Territory of Papua and New Guinea (TPNG) to establish a veterinary service and viable animal industries. These efforts began with planning before the end of World War II in 1945 and continued until independence in 1975. Whereas pre-war cattle had mostly been used to control grass on plantations, post-war, the objective was to use the country's extensive, unoccupied grasslands for cattle production. During this period, the cattle population increased from 4000 to more than 150,000. The greatest success was achieved in herds with crosses of Bos indicus and Bos taurus owned by expatriates. The only serious disease constraint on production was myiasis due to Chrysomya bezziana, a parasite throughout New Guinea and South-east Asia. Attempts were made to increase the productivity of the indigenous pig population. Success was limited by a failure to manage inadequate nutrition and internal parasites and to fully understand the cultural aspects of pig ownership. Similar problems inhibited chicken production in villages. The serious viral infections of pigs and birds were absent from TPNG, but a border with Indonesian Papua represents a potential route for the incursion of animal diseases exotic to both Papua New Guinea and to Australia.     

Organic Electroluminescent Devices

Electroluminescence from organic materials has the potential to enable low-cost, full-color flat-panel displays, as well as other emissive products. Some materials have now demonstrated adequate efficiencies (1 to 15 lumens/watt) and lifetimes (>5000 hours) for practical use; however, the factors that govern lifetime remain poorly understood. This article provides a brief review of device principles and applications requirements and focuses on the understanding of reliability issues.     

Feeding patterns in a fish community of Baia da Onça,a floodplain lake of the Aquidauana River,Pantanal, Brazil

Abstract The stomach contents of 24 species of fish and unidentified species from four genera in a floodplain lake of the Pantanal were studied. Fish were collected during the dry season when the lake was isolated from the main river. A community food ingestion index (feeding index weighted by consumer biomass, FIWCB, where 0 < FIWCB < 1) was calculated to quantify feeding patterns. Detritus and algae ingested by Curimatidae were responsible for 46.5% of the FIWCB, while that for algae ingested by Loricariidae (armoured catfish) accounted for 13.2%. The importance of detritus in fish diets is discussed as a strategy for shortening food chains, thereby increasing community efficiency, and as a consequence, fish biomass. It was learnt that the main route of energy flow in this perennial lake was through the detritus chain. The floodplain lakes function as a dry season feeding ground for small-sized species of fish, which are potential prey for the more highly valued larger species of fish.     

Size-dependent predation on marine fish larvae by Ctenophores, Scyphomedusae, and Planktivorous fish

Size-dependent predation rates on marine fish larvae by the ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi , scyphomedusa Chrysaora quinquecirrha , and planktivorous fish Anchoa mitchilli were estimated via experiments in 3.2 m³ me-socosms. Predation rates on larvae of the goby Gobio-soma bosci were estimated in relation to 1) length of larval prey, 2) presence or absence of alternative < 1 mm zooplankton prey, and 3) a predator-prey interaction between the scyphomedusa and ctenophore. The consumption rate of larvae by the three predators generally declined as larval length increased. The ctenophore ate fewer (1.0 d^-1 per predator) larvae than did the medusa (7.8 d ^-1 per predator) or bay anchovy (4.0 d ^-1 per predator), but it consumed larvae in all size classes tested (3.0–9.5 mm SL). Predation by bay anchovy and the medusa was more size-dependent: 3.0–5.0 mm larvae were most vulnerable. Fewer larvae were eaten by the ctenophore and bay anchovy when zooplankton alternative prey was available, but predation on larvae by the medusa was not influenced by alternative zooplankton prey. Consumption rate of fish larvae by the medusa was reduced 20–25% when the ctenophore was present as its alternative prey. An encounter-rate model was developed and its parameters estimated from the experimental results. Model simulations indicated that the relationship between larval size and vulnerability is dependent on size, swimming speed, and behavior of both predators and larvae, and that bigger or faster-growing fish larvae are not always less vulnerable to predation.