Effect of virginiamycin supplementation on the performance of young grazing cattle

Three experiments have been conducted to study the effect of virginiamycin in young grazing-bulls (Experiment 1) and heifers (Experiments 2 and 3). Rotational grazing on permanent grassland was practised and animals were supplemented with 1 kg dried sugarbeet pulp per head daily. Control groups did not receive virginiamycin via the supplement, while it was incorporated at 120, 300 and 200 mg kg⁻¹ for the treatment groups in Experiments 1 to 3 respectively.
Average daily liveweight gain was significantly increased from 0·59 to 0·72 kg in Experiment 1 and from 0·73 to 0·81 kg in Experiment 3, but was not affected in Experiment 2 (0·51 vs 0·55 kg). Virginiamycin also increased liveweight gain per ha by 12, 7 and 13%, respectively, for the three experiments. Grazed area per animal was not enlarged to the same extent as the calculated daily energy allowances, which may suggest an improved digestibility and/or rumen fermentation.     

Carbon kinetics of milk formation in Holstein cows in late lactation

Carbon transfer to milk in Holstein cows in late lactation was measured by introducing changes in the natural stable carbon isotope composition of the feed. Six Holstein cows in mid-lactation were placed on a diet naturally low in 13C (-25.0% vs Pee Dee belemnite [PDB] an international carbon isotope standard), based on alfalfa-barley, and six others were placed on a diet naturally enriched in 13C (-11.5% vs PDB), based on corn. After a 7-wk equilibration period on these diets, three cows were switched from alfalfa-barley to corn, and three were switched from corn to alfalfa-barley. The three other cows in each group served as controls. 13C/12C ratios were measured in daily morning milk samples during the week before and for 6 wk after the changes in diet. After the diets had been switched, milk isotope ratios rapidly approached the isotopic composition of the new diet, indicating rapid transfer of dietary carbon into milk. The data were consistent with a model whereby milk was synthesized from a single precursor pool that responded rapidly to dietary perturbation. The milk precursor pool had a half-life of approximately .9 d and had a mass of approximately 7 kg of carbon, which was renewed daily by the entry of 5 kg of digestible dietary carbon.     

Congenital ocular anomalies and ventricular septal defect in a dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius).

A 5-wk-old female dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius) was clinically diagnosed with bilateral corneal dermoids, incomplete congenital cataracts, a left persistent hyaloid artery (PHA), and a ventricular septal defect (VSD). The corneal dermoids were removed by lamellar keratectomy, and vision improved in the left eye. Thirteen months after dermoid surgery, the calf was presented for enlargement of the right eye. Glaucoma was confirmed in the right eye, and corneal fibrosis and cataract were noted in the left eye. Persistence of the VSD was confirmed by cardiac ultrasonography. The calf was euthanized, and necropsy findings confirmed VSD. Histopathologic examination revealed bilateral corneal thinning and fibrosis, cataracts with retrolental fibroplasia, and retinal dysplasia. Additional changes in the right globe were anterior segment dysgenesis, ruptured lens capsule, chronic phacoclastic uveitis, and retinal separation. The PHA was confirmed in the left eye.     

Reversible cryogenic blockade of neural function in the brain of unrestrained animals

Reversible cryogenic blockade of neural systems in the brain may be accomplished by local cooling. A small cryoprobe is described which may be implanted in the brain of an unrestrained, behaving animal. Cooling may be restricted to the tip of the cryoprobe and the temperature of the tip and the shaft may be regulated and monitored independently by miniature thermocouples and appropriate control and indicator devices. Electrophysiological results are presented which show that the cryogenic blocking effect may be localized to within a few millimeters of the tip of the cryoprobe and that the size of the region blocked is proportional to the tip temperature. The system described has been shown to be effective in both electrophysiological and behavioral studies.     

Influence of ectomycorrhization and cesium/potassium ratio on uptake and localization of cesium in Norway spruce seedlings

Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) seedlings growing in a growth pouch system were used to investigate the effects of the ectomycorrhizal fungus Hebeloma crustuliniforme (Bull. ex St. Amans) Quél. and various Cs/K ratios on the uptake of (134)Cs, expressed as a percentage of the total amount of (134)Cs supplied. The amount of (134)Cs taken up by seedlings increased with increasing Cs/K ratio. At a Cs/K ratio of 0.1, uptake of (134)Cs ranged between 7.2 and 7.3% and was independent of ectomycorrhizal status, whereas at Cs/K ratios >/= 1 uptake of (134)Cs varied from 8.1 to 11.1% for ectomycorrhizal and from 10.4 to 14.4% for non-inoculated plants. Ectomycorrhizal seedlings contained a lower concentration of (134)Cs than non-inoculated seedlings. Among plant parts, the amount of (134)Cs was significantly lower in needles and lateral roots of ectomycorrhizal seedlings compared with non-inoculated seedlings. Among fungal and seedling tissues, highest X-ray net counts of (133)Cs were measured in fungal hyphae of ectomycorrhizal mantles. X-Ray net counts of (133)Cs in lateral roots of ectomycorrhizal and non-inoculated plants were similar, but 5 to 10 times higher than in main roots and needles, suggesting an accumulation of (133)Cs in lateral roots and slow translocation to other plant parts. In contrast, X-ray net counts of K indicated that K was readily mobilized from lateral roots to main roots and needles. Elemental mapping showed a relatively homogeneous distribution of (133)Cs within the root.     

Hepatomas in Atlantic tomcod Microgadus tomcod (Walbaum) collected in the Hudson River estuary in New York

Abstract. Incidental observations of Atlantic tomcod during routine laboratory processing revealed that a portion of the adult population collected during the 1977–78 spawning season had enlarged livers containing dark coloured tumours and other abnormalities. Of the total of 264 livers collected between 16 January and 27 February 1978 and grossly examined for prevalence of abnormalities, 25% appeared to contain neoplastic nodules and hepatocellular carcinoma. One liver contained a massive tumour (7 × 12 mm) that involved approximately 60% of the liver. The exact causes of the high prevalence of hepatocellular carcinoma are unknown but poly-chlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are suspected of having a possible role. The Hudson River is known to contain elevated concentrations of PCBs. Twelve tomcod livers from the 1977–78 spawning population representing both normal and hepatoma conditions contained concentrations of PCBs ranging from 10–9 to 98–2 ppm (mean of 37–5 ppm).     

Competitive and allelopathic interference between soybean crop and annual wormwood (Artemisia annua L.) under field conditions

Annual wormwood interference on soybean crop growth and yield may result from competition and allelopathy, which are modulated by crop management. Allelochemicals released by annual wormwood (e.g. artemisinin) may affect the crop directly or indirectly through the effect on the nitrogen fixing symbiont, Bradyrhizobium japonicum. The objectives were (i) to quantify the crop response (i.e. biomass production, nodulation and yield) to weed interference and (ii) to determinate the relative change of competition and allelopathy interferences, when a sublethal dose of herbicide is applied. Two split plot field experiments with three replications were used. The experiment involved a factorial combination of five weed–crop density (soybean/annual wormwood, plants m^?2) levels: D1, pure soybean, 40/0 plants m^?2; D2, 40/2 plants m^?2; D3, 40/4 plants m^?2 and D4, 40/8 plants m^?2, and D5, pure annual wormwood, 0/8 plants m^?2, two activated carbon (allelopathy) levels: C?, with activated carbon (reduced allelopathy) and C+, non activated carbon applied (with allelopathy) and two herbicide levels: H?, untreated and H+, treated with a sub-lethal dose of glyphosate. Activated carbon to adsorb allelochemicals (with and without activated carbon) and glyphosate application (with and no herbicide) were assigned to sub-plots. Increasing weed density did not affect crop biomass at flowering, but changed nodule number and soybean yield with a different pattern depending on carbon and herbicide treatment. Relative crop yield decreased with increasing relative weed biomass. This decrease was particularly drastic when allelopathy was reduced by activated carbon and without herbicide application. The maximum yield losses of 33% in 2006 and 17% in 2007 were observed with the highest weed density (8 plants m^?2). In contrast, without carbon (high allelopathy level), soybean yield remained stable within the explored range of annual wormwood biomass, despite the fact that weed biomass at high densities (D4) was high enough to generate competition. The lack of response to increasing weed density could be related to the indirect effect of allelochemicals interacting with soil microorganisms (i.e. B. japonicum) that positively affected the nodulation (e.g. larger nodules in 2006 and increased nodules biomass due to higher number of roots in 2007 at high densities). With herbicide application, soybean yield of both carbon treatments remained stable when biomass of annual wormwood increased. This research provided strong evidence in support of the existence of positive effect of allelopathic and competitive interactions between annual wormwood and soybean crop under field conditions that may be overridden under herbicide application.