Stimulation of Libido in Pubertal and Mature Boars with Prostaglandin F2α Analogs: Clinical Observations.

Contents Observations on 156 pubertal and 120 mature boars trained and used for semen collection at a.i. studs indicated that treatment with 25 mg PGF₂α (Enzaprost) 30 min. before collection, overcame to a large extent lack or loss of libido. It improved markedly the success of the first training session of pubertal boars: more than 90% accepted a dummy and allowed for semen collection. Treatment reduced reaction time in older boars with fatigue considerably to normal values. Repeated treatments, if required, showed similar favorable responses.     

Experimental paratuberculosis (Johne's disease)--studies on biochemical parameters in cattle

Ten male Holstein-Friesian calves naturally infected by Mycobacterium paratuberculosis were experimentally re-infected orally at an average of 17 days. Monthly measurements were conduced of the following activities, in the period between post infection days 160 and 400: total protein (TPR), albumin (ALB), cholesterol (CHOL), triglycerides (TRIG), Zn and Cu concentrations as well as sorbitol dehydrogenase, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), alpha-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase (alpha-HBDH), gamma-glutamyltransferase, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), creatine kinase (CK), alkaline phosphatase and fructose-1,6-diphosphate aldolase (ALD). TPR, ALB, TRIG, and CHOL were reduced by day 400, in conjunction with disorders of digestion and absorption. Increased activities of CK, ALD, LDH, alpha-HBDH, AST and ALT primarily indicated damage to skeletal muscle and/or liver. Serum CK and ALD activities as well as TRIG and TPR concentrations may serve as aids to specific diagnosis of paratuberculosis, particularly in the advanced stage of the disease.     

The Increasing Possibilities of the Application of Integrated Control in Plant Protection in Hungary

With the growing specialisation in agriculture, plant protection has become much more important. This sudden expansion has also resulted in an improvement in this service. The plant protection stations which have gradually developed since the fifties, 20 of which operate in Hungary today, were the direct cause of this. Naturally, practical progress requires the existence of a solid research basis, which is provided by the Research Institute for Plant Protection, as well as the plant protection chairs in Universities.     

Pathogenicity of infectious bronchitis virus isolates from Ontario chickens

Infectious bronchitis (IB) is one of the important viral diseases of chickens, and in spite of regular vaccination, IB is a continuous problem in Canadian poultry operations. In an earlier study using sentinel chickens we determined the incidence of infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) in Ontario commercial layer flocks. The objective of this study was to determine the pathogenicity of 5 nonvaccine-related IBV isolates recovered from the sentinel birds. The clinical signs, gross, and histological lesions in specific pathogen-free chickens indicated that all 5 isolates caused mild lesions in the respiratory tract. An important finding of this study was the significantly lower average daily weight gain among virus-inoculated groups of chickens during the acute phase of infection. Based on sequences of part of the S1 gene IBV-ON2, IBV-ON3, and IBV-ON5 formed a cluster and they were closely related to strain CU-82792. IBV-ON4 had 98.7% identity with the strain PA/1220/9, a nephropathogenic variant.