The effects of creep feed composition and form and nursery diet complexity on small intestinal morphology and jejunal mucosa-specific enzyme activities after weaning in pigs

Fifty-six litters from first-parity sows standardized to 12 piglets were used to determine the effects of creep feed composition and form and the provision of low- or high-complexity nursery diets on the evolution of small intestinal histomorphology and jejunal mucosa-specific enzyme activities postweaning. At 5 d of age, litters (initial bodyweight [BW] 2.31 ± 0.61 kg) were assigned to one of four creep feeding regimens (n = 14): 1) commercial creep feed (COM), 2) liquid milk replacer (LMR), 3) pelleted milk replacer (PMR), or 4) no creep feed (NO). At weaning (21 d of age), six pigs per litter were provided a HIGH- (contained highly digestible animal proteins) or LOW- (contained corn and soybean meal as main protein sources) complexity nursery diet (n = 7). At 21, 28, and 59 d of age, two pigs per pen (one castrated male and one female) were euthanized, and ileal and jejunal segments for histomorphological measurements and jejunal mucosal scrapings were collected to determine specific mucosa enzyme activities. At weaning, pigs provided COM had a greater ileal absorptive capacity (M) than LMR or NO, which were not different (14.1 vs. 10.4 and 10.5 ± 0.9 μm²; P < 0.05); PMR was intermediate. On days 28 and 59, M was not different among pigs regardless of creep feed treatments. Pigs fed LOW had reduced jejunal villus height (VH; P < 0.001) and M (P < 0.001) on day 28 vs. day 21. The VH and M were not different for pigs fed HIGH or LOW by the end of the nursery period. For all dietary treatments except COM-HIGH and COM-LOW, jejunal mucosal maltase-specific activity was not different between days 21 and 28 of age but greater on day 59 (P < 0.05). For pigs that received COM-HIGH, maltase-specific activity was not different between days 21 and 28 but greater on day 59 than day 28 (P < 0.05). For pigs that received COM-LOW, maltase-specific activity was not different between days 21, 28, and 59. Regardless of creep or nursery treatment, sucrase-specific activity was the greatest on day 59, followed by days 21 and 28 (P < 0.001), and lactase-specific activity was greater on day 21 than on days 28 and 59 (P < 0.001), which were not different. Therefore, pigs that provided LOW diet had greater villus atrophy and reduced M during the first week after weaning vs. pigs that provided HIGH, regardless of creep feeding regimen, but were able to recover by the end of the nursery period.     

Discovery of olivine in the Nili Fssae region of Mars

We have detected a 30,000-square-kilometer area rich in olivine in the Nili Fossae region of Mars. Nili Fossae has been interpreted as a complex of grabens and fractures related to the formation of the Isidis impact basin. We propose that post-impact faulting of this area has exposed subsurface layers rich in olivine. Linear mixture analysis of Thermal Emission Spectrometer spectra shows surface exposures of 30% olivine, where the composition of the olivine ranges from Fo30 to Fo70.     

Random amplification of polymorphic DNA and phenotypic typing of Zimbabwean isolates of Pasteurella multocida

Eighty-one isolates presumptively identified as Pasteurella multocida from a variety of diseases in animals in Zimbabwe were subjected to biochemical characterization, capsular typing and RAPD analysis. The majority of isolates (over 80%) were assigned into named taxa and were predominantly P. multocida subsp. multocida and P. multocida subsp. septica, whilst the remainder were unassigned. Serogroup A was predominant among the three capsular types (A, B and D) of P. multocida detected. Three main RAPD clusters and three subclusters were observed among the majority of isolates (93.8%), whilst the remainder was found to be weakly related. Nine different groups of strains with similar RAPD profiles (100% similarity) were also observed. The reference strain of capsular serogroup F clustered with the reference strain of P. multocida subsp. septica, whilst all other serogroups clustered with reference strains of subsp. multocida and gallicida. Notably, serogroups A and D were observed to be closely related to the reference strain of subsp. multocida. The relationship between biotype, capsular type, host origin and disease manifestation was not clear-cut. However, most pig isolates of subsp. multocida clustered together as did most cattle isolates of subsp. multocida. RAPD tended to separate subsp. multocida from septica.     

Evidence of long distance airborne transmission of Aujeszky's disease (pseudorabies) virus

Aujeszky's disease has been the subject of an eradication campaign in Denmark since 1980. A detailed knowledge of the virus strains present in the country was provided by restriction fragment analyses of older clinical isolates, and of isolates from all the virologically confirmed outbreaks since 1985. The introduction of foreign strains into southern border areas was demonstrated during the winters of 1984/85, 1986/87 and 1987/88. An epizootic during the winter of 1987/88 was shown to correlate with an unusual predominance of southerly winds. Both conventional and specific pathogen free herds became infected. A herd level case-control analysis of the outbreaks during the winter of 1987/88 revealed that there was a positive correlation between the risk of infection and the size of the herd. The observations support the hypothesis of airborne transmission of the disease.     

Suppression of Babesia microti infection in mice concurrently infected with Fasciola hepatica

Blood cell parasitaemia of Babesia microti and the associated haematological changes were examined in mice harbouring patent Fasciola hepatica infections and in fluke-free control mice. B. microti parasitaemia was markedly suppressed in mice harbouring primary 7-week F. hepatica infections, as reflected in a reduction in the percentage of erythrocytes parasitised and in the incidence of multiple B. microti infections in the red cells. This suppression was accompanied by an annulment of B. microti induced reductions in haemoglobin and haematocrit levels in F. hepatica infected mice. In naive recipient mice, inoculated with blood from mice concurrently infected with F. hepatica and B. microti, the course of B. microti infection was characterised by a prolonged pre-parasitaemia period, a reduced peak parasitaemia and a delayed fall in haematocrit levels as compared to those inoculated with blood from mice infected with B. microti only. This feature may presumably be dose-related. The present study does not reveal the actual mechanism(s) involved in the suppression of the blood protozoan by F. hepatica. However, since B. microti has a preference for mature erythrocytes, the suppression may be a result of the altered erythrocyte kinetic state induced by the removal of erythrocytes by the blood-sucking fluke resulting in high levels of reticulocytes.     

A case of trisomy 22 in a live hereford calf.

A case of the rare genetic trisomy 22 in a live calf is described. The calf had low blood thyroxine level and low growth rate. It had several defects including brachygnathia superior, strabismus convergence, aortal cusp insufficiency and hypertrophy of clitoris. Chromosome analysis was performed on cultured blood lymphocytes and fibroblast cells. In all counted metaphases 61 chromosomes were present. The extra chromosome was identified as a chromosome 22 by R-banding. The defects of the calf have similarities with cases of partial trisomy 3p25-pter in human. This section of the human chromosome 3 corresponds to sections of cattle chromosome 22.     

Effect of Chemical and Physical Stress Conditions on the Concentration and Composition of Essential Oil Components in Leaves of Full‐Grown Artemisia annua L.

Full‐grown Artemisia annua plants were subjected to chemical and physical stress conditions, and the effect of these on the concentration and chemical composition of essential oil components (EOC) in the leaves was studied. The chemical stress treatments were performed by foliar application of NaCl, H₂O₂, salicylic acid and chitosan oligosaccharide (COS). The EOC of the leaves were extracted with n‐hexane and identified and quantified by GC–MS and GC–FID, respectively. Approximately 96 % of EOC in the extracts were identified and quantified of which β‐pinene, camphene, germacrene D, camphor, coumarin and dihydro‐epi‐deoxyarteannuin B were the major EOC accounting for about 75 % of the total content of EOC in the extracts. The physical stress treatment, sandblasting of the plants resulted in a significant enhancement in the content of α‐pinene, camphene, coumarin and dihydro‐epi‐deoxyarteannuin B. The total yield of identified EOC in non‐treated plants (control) was 86.2 ± 13.8 μg g^?1 fresh weight (FW) compared with 104.0 ± 9.1 μg g^?1 FW in sandblasted plants. The chemical stress treatments did not affect the composition of EOC significantly. The results indicate that chemical stress treatments do not affect the concentration and composition of EOC in full‐grown A. annua plants to the same extent as physical stress treatment by sandblasting.     

Longitudinal shrinkage of wood — Part I: Longitudinal shrinkage of thin sections

Summary The possibility of using microtomed longitudinal sections of wood for the study of longitudinal shrinkage has been investigated using hoop pine (Araucaria cunninghamii Ait.). Cutting of the sections was shown to distort them and to affect their subsequent shrinkage. However, by increasing the inclination angle of the microtome knife, sections could be cut without change in longitudinal dimensions. The longitudinal shrinkage behaviour of such sections more than 80 m thick was little different from that of thicker sawn specimens.Measurements of longitudinal shrinkage using this technique showed that very thin sections (40 m) had greater longitudinal shrinkage than sawn wood. Partial delignification with sodium chlorite also increased longitudinal shrinkage. The longitudinal shrinkage was reproducible over successive cycles of moisture content change but not reversible, the length of a specimen at a given moisture content being less during desorption than at the same moisture content during adsorption. It is considered likely that the longitudinal shrinkage of wood is markedly affected by stresses which develop within the cell wall as the wood dries.

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Zusammenfassung Die Möglichkeit, Mikrotom-Längsschnitte zur Prüfung der Längsschwindung zu verwenden, wurde an Hoop Pine (Araucaria cunninghamii Ait.) geprüft. Dabei zeigte sich, daß die Längsschnitte beim Schneiden verschoben werden, was die nachfolgende Schwindung beeinflußt. Nachdem der Schnittwinkel des Mikrotommessers vergrößert worden war, konnten die Schnitte ohne Veränderung der Längsabmessungen abgetrennt werden. Das Längsschwindungs-Verhalten solcher Schnitte von über 80 m Dicke unterschied sich nur wenig von demjenigen dickerer, gesägter Proben.Messungen der Längsschwindung mit Hilfe des beschriebenen Verfahrens zeigten, daß sehr dünne Schnitte (40 m) eine größere Längsschwindung aufweisen als gesägte Schnitte. Die teilweise Delignifizierung mit Natrium Chlorit erhöhte ebenfalls die Längsschwindung. Die Längsschwindung blieb während aufeinanderfolgender zyklischer Feuchtigkeitsänderungen reproduzierbar, war aber nicht umkehrbar. Die Länge einer Probe war, bei gleichem Feuchtigkeitsgehalt während der Desorption geringer als während der Adsorption. Es darf als wahrscheinlich angesehen werden, daß die Längsschwindung des Holzes deutlich durch Spannungen beeinflußt wird, die sich beim Trocknen des Holzes innerhalb der Zellwand entwickeln.

     

Spectroscopic identification of carbonate minerals in the martian dust

Thermal infrared spectra of the martian surface indicate the presence of small concentrations (approximately 2 to 5 weight %) of carbonates, specifically dominated by magnesite (MgCO3). The carbonates are widely distributed in the martian dust, and there is no indication of a concentrated source. The presence of small concentrations of carbonate minerals in the surface dust and in martian meteorites can sequester several bars of atmospheric carbon dioxide and may have been an important sink for a thicker carbon dioxide atmosphere in the martian past.