Dimensional stabilization of wood with water soluble fire retardant bulking chemicals compared with polyethylene glycol-1000

Summary Mono and diammonium acid phosphate, ammonium sulfamate, and sodium silicate were compared with polyethylene glycol-1000 as bulking dimension stabilizing agents using Engelmann spruce cross sectional wafers. Limiting antiswell efficiencies are equal to the volume fraction of chemical in a saturated solution. The experimental antiswell efficiencies due to bulking are the percent increase in the dry cross sectional area of the wafers caused by deposition of dry chemical within the cell walls divided by the percent swelling in water. These values for the phosphates, the sulfamate, and the polyethylene glycol approach the limiting values from solubility indicating that chemical continues to diffuse into the cell walls as the wood is dried to virtually attain a saturated solution within that structure. The sodium silicate gave an apparent negative antiswell efficiency as collapse of the fibers on drying exceeded the actual bulking. Antiswell efficiencies between 0 and 30% relative humidity, 0 and 90% relative humidity and 30 and 90% relative humidity were in general still lower. This is largely due to the treated systems taking up more water than the controls, especially at the higher relative humidity. Antiswell efficiencies for the mono ammonium acid phosphate ranged from 20 to 27%, for the diammonium acid phosphate from 28 to 37%, the ammonium sulfamate from 51 to 66% and the polyethylene glycol from 63 to 77%.Paper No. 4245 of the Journal Series of North Carolina State University Agricultural Experiment Station, Raleigh, North Carolina     

Variations of maximum tracheid and pit pore dimensions from pith to bark for ponderosa pine and redwood before and after drying determined by liquid displacement

Summary Measurements of the gas pressure just required to displace saturating liquids and allow a slow continuous stream of gas to pass through ponderosa pine and redwood cross sections over a broad range of thicknesses at varying distances from pith to bark, together with the surface tensions of the liquids, have been used to calculate: (1) maximum lumen radii and maximum fiber lengths from the data for the thinner specimens, and (2) maximum pit pore radii for the specimens thicker than the maximum fiber lengths. Maximum lumen radii and maximum fiber lengths both increase from pith to bark and with increasing height in the tree. Maximum effective pit pore radii increase from the pith to the sapwood transition point, then increase abruptly followed by a variable zone in the sapwood. Displacement of water or a wetting agent solution gave comparable results for never-dried wood. Drying from water and resoaking reduced the maximum effective pit pore size. Drying from a wetting agent soaked condition followed by resoaking reduced the loss in permeability but not to the degree anticipated. ponderosa pine sapwood, that had been exposed to bacterial action, showed a large increase in the maximum effective communicating opening sizes.     

Maximum effective lumen and pit pore sizes of the earlywood and the latewood of never dried loblolly pine sapwood

Summary Measurements of the air pressure required to initially displace a saturating liquid and allow a slow continuous stream of air bubbles to pass through wood cross sections of different thickness, together with the equilibrium surface tension of the saturating liquid, make it possible to calculate the maximum effective opening radii. Previous measurements were made for wood as a whole over complete annual rings. Measurements reported here were made separately for earlywood and latewood. Extrapolating plots of the maximum effective opening radius-cross section thickness, for thicknesses below the maximum fiber length, to zero thickness gave maximum lumen radii of 16 m for the earlywood and 10.3 m for the latewood. The values are only slightly greater than the calculated average values. Extrapolating the plots in the opposite direction to zero opening radius gave approximate maximum lumen or fiber lengths for the earlywood of 6 mm and for the latewood of 5 mm. The maximum effective opening radii for cross sections thicker than the maximum fiber length give maximum effective communicating pore radii. These values continue to decrease, with increasing thickness of the cross sections due to the decreasing probability of the largest openings falling in any one series path through the structures. The maximum effective pit pore radius for passage through fifty pits in series was 0.8 m for the earlywood and 0.28 m for the latewood.Paper No. 3787 of the Journal Series of North Carolina State University Agricultural Experiment Station, Releigh, N. C.     

Antimicrobial drug resistance as determined by the E-test in Campylobacter jejuni, C. coli, and C. lari isolates from the ceca of broiler and layer chickens in Grenada

One hundred and twenty five chickens from Grenada, consisting of 77 broilers and 48 layers were examined for carriage of thermophilic campylobacters in their ceca by culture. Seventy nine percent of chickens were positive for campylobacters, with an isolation rate of 93.5% for broilers and 56.3% for layers, the difference being significant. Sixty-four pure cultures comprising 39 Campylobacter coli, 21 Campylobacter jejuni, and 4 Campyilobacter lari isolates were tested for their resistance against 7 antibiotics using the E-test. None of the isolates were resistant to chloramphenicol and gentamicin. Resistance rates to other drugs were: ampicillin, 9.4%; ciprofloxacin, 12.5%; erythromycin, 3.1%; metronidazole, 9.4%, and tetracycline, 50% with MICs of >or=256 microg/mL for tetracycline. There were no significant differences in resistance rates between C. coli and C. jejuni. Multiple resistance to >or=2 drugs was seen in 15.6% of total isolates. All C. lari isolates were resistant to ciprofloxacin, and 3 of 4 isolates had multiple drug resistance. Overall, erythromycin, which is the drug of choice for treatment of Campylobacter infections in humans, is effective in vitro against 97% of chicken isolates in Grenada.     

Perfluorooctanoate (PFO) in Forest Soils near a Fluoropolymer Manufacturing Facility

After elevated concentrations of perfluorooctanoate (PFO) were found in river and groundwater in the vicinity of a fluoropolymer manufacturing facility, numerous soils at adjacent sites were sampled in 2007. Within a 5-km northeast-oriented sector around a probable point source, 20 forest sites were investigated and compared to deposition and groundwater data. PFO concentrations up to 600 µg/kg were detected in the soils, and PFO concentrations typically decreased toward deeper soil depths. In mixed or deciduous forests, maximum concentrations of PFO occurred in the topsoil, pointing to the favorable decomposition and incorporation of deciduous litter. PFO concentrations of the organic layer over the 20 sampling sites were interpolated using ordinary kriging. Highest PFO content in the organic layer was located about 500 m away from the point source in the regional wind direction, decreasing asymptotically outwards. Long-term monitoring data pointed to an accumulation of PFO over time in the organic layer. The data suggest that PFO might be released in the course of litter decomposition and transported toward deeper soil regions only gradually. The soils’ PFO concentrations reflect the deposition data. The transport link toward groundwater is currently established in lysimeter studies.     

Investigations concerning the prevalence of Coxiella burnetii and Chlamydia abortus in sheep in correlation with management systems and abortion rate in Lower Saxony in 2004

The intracellular bacteria Coxiella (C) burnetii and Chlamydia (Chl) abortus induce abortion in sheep and also affect humans. While Chl. abortus only infrequently infects humans, C burnetii is the aetiological agent of numerous Q fever outbreaks during the last decades. There is only limited knowledge about the prevalence of both pathogens in sheep, although sheep are involved in almost all Q fever outbreaks in Germany. The aim of our study was to investigate the prevalence of both pathogens in flocks located in Lower Saxony, Germany, in correlation to the management form and abortion rate. Serum samples of 1714 sheep from 95 flocks located in Lower Saxony were investigated by ELISA. 2.7% of these samples were positive, 1.3% showed inconclusive results in the C. burnetii-ELISA. Elevated intra-flock seroprevalences were only detected in three migrating flocks. Chlamydia-specific antibodies could be detected in 15.1% serum samples of mainly shepherded and migrating flocks. In one of these flocks with a high intra-flock seroprevalence for C burnetii (27%) and Chlamydia (44.9%), C burnetii was detected in 21.6% of the placenta samples of normal births and in 12.5% of the colostrum samples by PCR. Aborted fetuses and the corresponding placentas were negative in C burnetii-PCR, but in most of them and also in many other placenta samples Chl. abortus could be detected by PCR and DNA microarray. This survey shows a low overall prevalence of C. burnetii in sheep in Lower Saxony in the year 2004. However, three migrating flocks with a high intra-flock prevalence are localized in the southern parts of Lower Saxony. Spreading of C burnetii could occur, because of the large radius of grazing of all three flocks.     

Effect of omeprazole paste on intragastric pH in clinically normal neonatal foals

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of omeprazole paste, a commonly used antiulcer drug, on intragastric pH in clinically normal neonatal foals. ANIMALS: 6 clinically normal foals between 5 and 14 days of age. PROCEDURE: Intragastric pH was recorded in each foal by use of a disposable antimony pH electrode with internal reference. Values for intragastric pH were recorded every 4 seconds by use of an ambulatory pH monitor. There were two 24-hour recordings of intragastric pH for each foal, with 24 hours between recordings. Foals were not administered any drugs during the first recording. Foals were administered omeprazole paste (4 mg/kg, PO) 1 hour after the start of the second recording. Mean pH was calculated for each hour of each 24-hour recording session. Hourly mean values were compared between the first and second 24-hour recordings. RESULTS: Complete data were obtained from 4 of 6 foals during the first 24-hour recording and 6 of 6 foals during the second 24-hour recording. Foals had significantly higher mean hourly intragastric pH for hours 2 to 22 following omeprazole administration, compared with corresponding hourly pH values in foals during the first recording. CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Omeprazole paste can effectively increase intragastric pH in clinically normal neonatal foals within 2 hours after oral administration of the first dose and can be administered to neonatal foals at the rate of 4 mg/kg, PO, every 24 hours.     

Bemerkenswerte Vitalitätsschwächung und Holzzersetzung an Rot-Buchen (Fagus sylvatica) durch den weitgehend unbekannten Schlauchpilz Hypoxylon cohaerens

In the years 2005 and 2006 several declining and recently died beech trees were investigated in a large city park in Dresden. The ascomycete Hypoxylon cohaerens, who is exclusively characterized as a saprophytic fungus by literature, was identified as a conspicuous cause of the disease. The symptoms of the infection, the morphologically and physiologically characteristics of the fungus in situ and in vitro as well as the factors of predisposition are presented in the article. Since H. cohaerens attains pathological importance and can be mistaken for some other ascomycetes, the distinguishing marks to related species are described. The changed importance of the fungus is evaluated for practice.     

松属线粒体基因序列变异研究

本研究利用ＰＣＲ和ＰＣＲ产物直接序列分析技术,获得了分属于松属（Ｐｉｎｕｓ）两个亚属Ｐｉｎｕｓ和Ｓｔｒｏｂｕｓ１２个松树种ｃｏｘＩ、ａｔｐ６和ｏｒｆ２５三个线粒体基因ＤＮＡ片段的序列。发现ｃｏｘＩ基因的ＤＮＡ序列在属内没有任何变异,但ａｔｐ６和ｏｒｆ２５在两个亚属间和亚属内出现了较多的碱基置换。这说明尽管裸子植物线粒体基因有较多的ＲＮＡ编辑（ＲＮＡｅｄｉｔｉｎｇ）存在,可促进ＤＮＡ序列的变异,但促进程度因不同基因而异。依据ａｔｐ６和ｏｒｆ２５所做的系统进化树不仅与分类结果一致,而且进一步表明了亚属内种间的亲缘关系。尽管线粒体基因序列变异比叶绿体和核ＤＮＡ变异小,线粒体基因编码序列变异仍适于研究裸子植物亚属甚至组间的系统进化关系。