Riding arenas and different riding track surfaces in relation to the airway contamination in horses. Laboratory studies on riding surfaces]

29 samples of commonly used surfaces were tested for their water characteristics (litre weight, water capacity, water binding, water evaporation) and their contribution to airborne fungal spores (dust formation, dust setting). The results are discussed in comparison to the literature with regard to the environment. The results are: 1. Any surface--no matter of what material--eventually causes air pollution with fungal spores and dust. 2. Correct watering prevents air pollution by any surface. 3. Artificial products have no advantage over natural materials in the parameters tested. 4. The question of proper disposal of old surface material has to be clarified before purchase. The results show that a mixture of sand and wood shavings should be recommended as a surface for indoor arenas, especially in regard to environmental protection and proper disposal.     

The effects of low voltage current on healing of thermal third degree wounds.

Bilateral third degree burns were created on the flanks of eight miniature swine. Each animal had one side treated daily with low intensity direct (LIDC) of 400 microamperes (muA) by contact electrode for 2 hours morning and afternoon until healing occurred. The polarity of the electrode was negative in 4 pigs and positive in 4 pigs. One group of 4 pigs had the eschar surgically removed 24 hours post burn. Weekly biopsies and cultures were taken of treated and control wounds. Results indicated: local treatment of 400 muA LIDC did not hasten or delay healing of thermal third degree burns; escharectomy hastened wound healing by 10 days, and superficial proteus infection occurred in 80% of all wounds.     

III. Buchbesprechungen

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Beobachtungen über Erholung von Scheintodlähmungen durch Kontaktgifte bei Cerambyciden

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Effect of dietary protein/carbohydrate ratio on activities of hepatic enzymes involved in the amino acid metabolism of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus (L.)

This study investigated the influence of different dietary protein/carbohydrate ratios on activities of enzymes involved in the amino acid metabolism as well as on growth performance and body composition of Nile tilapia (Oreo- chromis niloticus). Fish were fed semi-synthetic diets differing in their protein/carbohydrate ratio. The diets were formulated to be isolipidic and isoenergetic (on the basis of metabolizable energy). Fish were reared individually. After a prefeeding phase, tilapia were randomly assigned to three groups and were fed the experimental diets at a relatively low level. The study lasted 9 weeks. Proximate composition, gross energy content, and activities of aspartate aminotransferase (ASAT) and alanine aminotransferase (ALAT) in the liver of fish were determined. While the mean growth rate and feed conversion efficiency did not differ significantly among the feeding groups, the body composition showed significant differences. The dietary protein/carbohydrate ratio had no significant effect on the protein and energy gain, but the lipid gain was significantly higher in tilapia fed the low-protein diet. The activities of ASAT and ALAT per gram of liver and per gram of soluble protein were significantly increased in fish fed the high-protein diet. There was a significant positive correlation between the activities of ASAT and ALAT. The activities of both enzymes in the liver were significantly higher in fish with a higher protein gain. Measuring the activities of enzymes involved in the amino acid metabolism can provide more information about the metabolic utilized dietary protein.     

Effects of transition season management on soil N dynamics and system N balances in rice–wheat rotations of Nepal

In the low-input rice–wheat production systems of Nepal, the N nutrition of both crops is largely based on the supply from soil pools. Declining yield trends call for management interventions aiming at the avoidance of native soil N losses. A field study was conducted at two sites in the lowland and the upper mid-hills of Nepal with contrasting temperature regimes and durations of the dry-to-wet season transition period between the harvest of wheat and the transplanting of lowland rice. Technical options included the return of the straw of the preceding wheat crop, the cultivation of short-cycled crops during the transition season, and combinations of both. Dynamics of soil N_min, nitrate leaching, nitrous oxide emissions, and crop N uptake were studied throughout the year between 2004 and 2005 and partial N balances of the cropping systems were established. In the traditional system (bare fallow between wheat and rice) a large accumulation of soil nitrate N and its subsequent disappearance upon soil saturation occurred during the transition season. This nitrate loss was associated with nitrate leaching (6.3 and 12.8 kg ha⁻¹ at the low and high altitude sites, respectively) and peaks of nitrous oxide emissions (120 and 480 mg m⁻² h⁻¹ at the low and high altitude sites, respectively). Incorporation of wheat straw at 3 Mg ha⁻¹ and/or cultivation of a nitrate catch crop during the transition season significantly reduced the build up of soil nitrate and subsequent N losses at the low altitude site. At the high altitude site, cumulative grain yields increased from 2.35 Mg ha⁻¹ with bare fallow during the transition season to 3.44 Mg ha⁻¹ when wheat straw was incorporated. At the low altitude site, the cumulative yield significantly increased from 2.85 Mg ha⁻¹ (bare fallow) to between 3.63 and 6.63 Mg ha⁻¹, depending on the transition season option applied. Irrespective of the site and the land use option applied during the transition season, systems N balances remained largely negative, ranging from −37 to −84 kg N ha⁻¹. We conclude that despite reduced N losses and increased grain yields the proposed options need to be complemented with additional N inputs to sustain long-term productivity.     

Die Wirksamkeit von Isomeren des Hexachlorcyclohexans gegen holzzerstörende Käferlarven

Zusammenfassung Es wurde die Giftwirknng der α-, β-, γ- und δ-Isomeren des Hexachlorcyclohexans gegenüber Eilarven des Hausbockk?fers (Hylotrupes bajulus L.) und mittelgro?en Larven des Gew?hnlichen Nagek?fers (Anobium punctatum De Geer) bestimmt. Gegenüber beiden Larvenarten erwies sich das λ-Isomere erwartnngsgema? als der bei weitem wirksamste Stoff. Danach folgt, je nach den Versuchsbedingungen um den Faktor 10 bis 20100 schlechter, unerwartet das α-Isomere. Das δ- und noch ausgepr?gter das β-Isomere sind bedeutend weniger wirksam. Der Unterschied gegenüber dem γ-Isomeren liegt für Hausbock-Eilarven in der Gro?enordnung von 1500 und 80000; für Anobien-Larven ist er mit < 500 geringer. Das Ergebnis mit dem α-Isomeren ist beachtenswert.

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Summary The toxicity of the α-, β-, γ-, and δ-isomers of hexachlorocyclohexane towards egg-larvae of the Old House Borer (Hylotrupes bajulus L.) and medium-sized larvae of the Common Furniture Beetle (Anobium punctatum De Geer) was determined. As was to be expected, the γ-,isomer proved by far most effective against both species of larvae. Then, unexpectedly, the α-isomer follows, inferior by the factor 10 to 2000 according to the testing conditions. The δ- and, even more distinctly, the β-isomer show a considerably smaller efficiency. The difference to the γ-isomer amounts to a relation of 1500 and 80000 withHylotrupes egg-larvae; it is smaller (<500) withAnobium larvae. The result obtained with the α-isomer is remarkable.

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Résumé L'effet toxique des α-, β-, γ-, et δ-isomères du chlorocyclo-hexane contre des ovule-larves desHylotrupes bajulus L. et contre des larves de moyenne grandeur del'Anobium punctatum De Geer fut déterminé. Comme supposé, le γ-isomère était bien la plus efficace substance. Inattendu, le α-isomère, suit, selon les conditions d'essai plus mauvaises du facteur 10 à 2000. Le δ-isomè re et plus distinctement le β-isomère sont efficaces beaucoup moins. La différence entre ces derniers et les γ-isomères est de 1500 et 80000 pour des larves deHylotrupes bajulus L.; elle e'st moindre (< 500) pour des larves del'Anobium punctatum De Geer.

     

Evidence for long‐term spatial displacement of breeding and pupping harbour seals by shellfish aquaculture over three decades

• 1. Shellfish mariculture is increasing worldwide and often occurs adjacent to marine mammal breeding and feeding habitat. To better understand breeding pinniped vulnerability to potential shellfish mariculture disturbance and displacement effects in a US National Park, potential mechanisms were explored that may affect the proportion of harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) selecting high quality haul‐out sites near shellfish aquaculture within a large colony, and overall seal utilization of that colony in relation to other regional colonies.
• 2. Seal haul‐out sites isolated from the mainland (no predator access) had higher pup:adult ratios, indicating they are generally more important for pupping. Short‐term human disturbance did not have a significant effect on spatial use, but rather spatial use was pre‐determined by general sandbar isolation. Using multiple competing hypothesis and an information‐theoretic approach, it was found that within the estuary, after removing effects of El Niño, the proportion of seals (total seals and pups only) hauled out near mariculture sites was 8 ± 2% lower during years of higher oyster harvest. Annual oyster harvest was used as a measure of aquaculture activity that could result in direct disturbance or indirect displacement of harbour seals.
• 3. At the regional scale, oyster harvest, seal counts at a nearby colony, and loss of a major haul‐out site within the estuary, best explained pup and total seal use compared with the region. Regional population size, short‐term human disturbance rate, and other factors were not important. Concurrent with higher oyster harvest, the proportion of regional seals using the estuary declined by 7 ± 2% for seal pups (–65 ± 18 total pups), and 5 ± 2% for total counts ( ? 192 ± 58 total seals). These findings (both within the estuary and at the regional scale) were essentially identical whether modelling oyster harvest as either a continuous or categorical (low/high) variable and when using either frequentist or Bayesian statistical analyses.
• 4. Marine reserves set aside for wildlife may be less effective when the highest quality breeding and pupping sites are adjacent to regular aquaculture activities. These effects may not be detectable until additional natural variation lowers the quality of nearby habitats. Published in 2011. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

     

Geographic Pattern of Genetic Diversity Among 43 Ethiopian Mustard(Brassica carinata A. Braun) Accessions as Revealed by RAPD Analysis

As an oilseed crop, the cultivation of Ethiopian mustard (Brassica carinata) is restricted only to Ethiopia. Even though geographic diversity is a potent source of allelic diversity, the extent of genetic diversity among germplasm material of Ethiopian mustard from different countries has not been assessed. Forty-three accessions, comprising 29 accessions from eight different geographic regions of Ethiopia and 14 exotic accessions from Australia, Pakistan, Spain, and Zambia were analysed for their genetic diversity using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) technique. A set of 50 primers yielded a total of 275 polymorphic bands allowing an unequivocal separation of every Ethiopian mustard accession. The usefulness of the 50 RAPD primers in measuring heterozygousity and distinguishing accessions was variable such that polymorphic information content (PIC) varied from 0.05 to 0.40, band informativeness (BI) from 0.05 to 0.65 and primer resolving power (RP) from 0.15 to 6.83. Jaccard's similarity coefficients ranged from 0.44 to 0.87 indicating the presence of a high level of genetic diversity. On the average, Australian and Ethiopian accessions were the most similar while, Spanish and Zambian accessions were the most distant ones. Cluster analysis grouped the 43 accessions into four groups, which has quite a high fit (r = 0.80) to the original similarity matrix. With no prior molecular information, the RAPD technique detected large genetic diversity among the 43 accessions from five different countries and their grouping by dendrogram and principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) was inclined towards geographic differentiation of RAPD markers. Conversely, RAPD differentiation along geographic origin was not apparent within the Ethiopian accessions.