An amended functional leaching model applicable to structured soils. II. Model application

The performance of a functional leaching model (Hall, 1993) is compared with leaching data from two lysimeter experiments with soils of contrasting texture using sodium bromide and potassium chloride as the non-reactive solutes. The model parameters are optimized using the solute elution curves as standards and compared with the physical properties of the soil. A good match with the measured discharge of both water and solute was achieved for both soils using the moisture release characteristics to define the pore volume available for mobile and immobile water. The results indicate that preferential flow takes place through even coarse-textured soils but that there is negligible diffusive exchange of solute between water passing through the macropores and the rest of the soil.     

生物炭和堆肥提高西澳大利亚沙质平原土壤上的作物产量但这种效应是短期的

Sandplain soils on the south coast of Western Australia have low inherent fertility, which is mainly due to poor nutrient retention caused by insufficient clay and organic colloidal material. Previous research has shown the benefits in nutrient levels and retention from adding clay to sandplain soils; however, there is almost no information on the addition of organic amendments. A field experiment was established at the Esperance Downs Research Station, Western Australian, in May 2010, to assess the effects of wheat straw (WS) and chicken manure (CM) biochars and compost with and without phosphorus (P) addition on soil properties and crop production over five growing seasons. The five seasons alternated between winter and summer crops.~The CM and WS biochar and compost treatments significantly increased crop yields and P uptake in 3, 2 and 1 of the five seasons, respectively. The yield increases $(P<0.05)$ were no more than 8\%. By the end of the third season, no differences in crop yields were found that could be attributed to the organic amendments. The addition of P increased crop yields in each winter cropping season. Phosphorus addition explained more than 30\% of the variation in crop yields. Despite marginal P levels and summer drought conditions, arbuscular mycorrhizal root colonisation was not affected by the organic amendments. There were no significant interactions between the organic amendments and P addition in terms of crop yields, P uptake or P uptake efficiency. We conclude that much of the effect of the organic amendments was due to direct nutrient addition which dissipated over time.     

Prolonged anaesthesia

Prolonged surgical anaesthesia presents different problems from those encountered in the provision of immobilization and unconsciousness for intensive therapy. Meticulous care in applying basic principles will provide surgical anaesthesia of several hours' duration. In dogs, prolonged immobilization for intensive therapy may be obtained by a routine of morphine and diazepam administration, while in cats it may be achieved by 'Saffan' anaesthesia. During prolonged unconsciousness careful monitoring of the patient is essential; an adequate urine flow can be ensured by the intravenous infusion of appropriate electrolyte solutions, and particular care has to be given to maintenance of body temperature.     

Cycad (zamia) poisoning in Australia

The Cycads belong to an ancient family of plants and were the cause of the first well documented plant poisoning in Australia when Captain Cook's men and their pigs were affected by eating them. Subsequent reports particularly by early explorers refer to toxicity of the seeds to man. One reason for this was the evidence that the natives ate them. Subsequent reports and experimental work established the toxicity to sheep and cattle. In sheep and cattle 2 syndromes occur, ataxia and liver damage. In cattle the former is the better known, the spinal cord lesion being mainly a demyelination of the sensory pathways. The liver damage is necrosis and fibrosis.     

The EMO system in small animal anaesthesia

The EMO System was used to administer ether/air anaesthesia to dogs undergoing clinical surgical procedures. Anaesthesia with spontaneous breathing gave rise to normal oxygen tensions in arterial blood, a slight acidosis and a decrease in arterial carbon dioxide tension. When used with relaxant drugs and intermittent positive pressure ventilation of the lungs it was found that to maintain normal oxygen tensions in the arterial blood it was necessary to hyperventilate to low arterial carbon dioxide tensions. Ether/air anaesthesia with the EMO System was found to meet modern criteria for acceptability in general practice where the veterinary surgeon may be assisted in the operating theatre by a nurse or may be entirely alone.     

Poverty,Innovation Capacity,and State Economic Development in the Knowledge Economy: Evidence from the U.S.

We examine poverty's effect in two ways. First, we study the relationship between poverty and capacity for innovation in the U.S. states; second, we study the combined effects of poverty and innovation capacity on U.S. state economic output and employment. Because many of the relationships among poverty, innovation capacity and economic performance are simultaneous, we employ the Arellano Bond Difference GMM estimator to estimate various models using panel data (1980–1999). The findings reveal a negative indirect effect of socio‐economic need (poverty) on human and U.S. state and local financial innovation capacity, though there is no empirical link between poverty and federal financial capacity. We find no statistically significant evidence of the contemporaneous effect of poverty on state economic performance, holding innovation capacity constant. This suggests that poverty primarily affects state economic performance indirectly through reduction of innovation capacity. Overall, our findings suggest that U.S. officials ought to be concerned about the role poverty plays in diminishing their state economies' capacity to innovate.     

Propofol anaesthesia in cats

Propofol was administered to 49 cats to induce anaesthesia. The mean dose required was 6.8 mg/kg and this was not affected by prior administration of acepromazine maleate. In 27 cases, propofol was also used as the principal maintenance agent (mean dose rate 0.51 mg/kg/minute). Inductions were very smooth and problem free. Intubation was easily achieved in 15 cats with the aid of local desensitisation by lignocaine spray or neuromuscular relaxation by suxamethonium. Heart rate did not vary significantly during induction or maintenance of anaesthesia but respiratory rates did fall significantly. Recovery from anaesthesia was remarkably smooth in all cases and there was no significant difference in recovery times between the cats in which halothane was the principal maintenance agent and cats which received propofol alone. Side effects were seen during recovery in eight cats and included retching, sneezing and pawing of the face.