Deal stem disease of asparagus caused by Fusarium culmorum

Deal stem disease in asparagus is characterized by yellow dead stems with reddish lesions, mostly at soil level. There are two types of infection. The first one with lesions on the base of the stem at soil level, as a result of which the stem dies off. In the second type of infection the lesions appear higher up on the stems, while stems remain mostly green. The disease was proved to be caused byFusarium culmorum. This fungus is mainly spread through the soil. Air dispersal was demonstrated but seems of little importance to disease incidence.     

Effect of sodium bicarbonate and sodium bentonite on digestion, solid and liquid flow, and ruminal fermentation characteristics of forage sorghum silage-based diets fed to steers

Six ruminally cannulated steers, five Holsteins and one Hereford (250 to 295 kg), were fed 84% forage sorghum silage plus 16% supplement or 50% forage sorghum silage plus concentrate and supplement diets containing either no addition (controls), 1% sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) or 2% sodium bentonite in a 2 X 3 factorial arrangement of treatments in a 6 X 6 Latin-square experiment with 3-wk periods. Sodium bicarbonate increased dry matter (DM) intake when concentrate was included, but neither compound affected intake of the 84% silage diet. Bentonite lowered DM, neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and acid detergent fiber (ADF) digestibilities, but NDF disappearance from nylon bags was unchanged. Ruminal pH, osmolality and L(+) and D(-) lactate were not affected by treatment. Both NaHCO3 and bentonite tended to lower ruminal NH3-N concentrations. Bentonite lowered the molar proportion of isobutyrate in ruminal fluid relative to controls, but proportions of other volatile fatty acids (VFA) and total VFA concentrations were unchanged. Neither NaHCO3 nor bentonite affected ruminal liquid or solid volumes, dilution rate constants or ruminal outflow rates. Markers overestimated volumes, but correction with measured volumes did not change interpretation of treatment effects. It was concluded that control diets had sufficiently high baseline values of pH, dilution rate and acetate proportion to preclude changes induced by either compound, especially at 1 or 2% of DM intake. An effect on palatibility through neutralization of silage acids may have been responsible for the intake response to NaHCO3.     

Pythiosis with bone lesions in a pregnant mare

A 9-year-old pregnant mare was referred for evaluation of a nonhealing wound of 8 weeks' duration on the lateral aspect of the left forelimb. A soft tissue mass encircled the proximal two thirds of the metacarpus; radiography revealed a moderate periosteal reaction affecting metacarpal bone i.v. Histologic and immunohistochemical examinations revealed eosinophilic granulomatous inflammation and Pythium sp in the soft tissues. The mare was treated for 12 days with antimicrobials, medicated wound dressings, debridement, and i.v. administration of sodium iodide; radiography revealed progression of the bone lesions. The mare was treated by regional arterial perfusion with miconazole and excision of affected soft tissues and the distal two thirds of metacarpal bone i.v. The mare recovered without complications and gave birth to a healthy foal. Regional perfusion of antifungal agents provides high concentrations in soft and osseous tissues and permits use of low dosages of agents administered by other routes, which reduces cost, adverse effects, and teratogenic effects.     

The use of monoclonal antibodies in an enzyme immunospot assay to detect isotype-specific antibody-secreting cells in pigs and chickens

Monoclonal antibodies directed against porcine immunoglobulin isotypes G, G1, G2, M, and A and against chicken immunoglobulin isotopes G, M, and A were tested in an antigen-specific spot-forming cell (SFC) assay based on the principle of the enzyme immunoassay. The SFC assay was used to quantitate ovalbumin (OA)-specific antibody-secreting cells (ASC) in pigs that had been primed and boosted with OA. The SFC assay was also used to quantitate trinitrophenyl (TNP)-specific ASC in chickens that had been primed with TNP-conjugated keyhole lympet haemocyanin (TNP-KLH). Although, the classical plaque-forming cell (PFC) assay cannot reliably detect isotope-specific ASC in pigs and chickens, it can detect these cells in mice. Therefore, we compared the OA- and TNP-specific SFC assays with PFC assays that were specific for these antigens in mice. The study demonstrated that the SFC assay is superior to the PFC assay in detecting both OA-specific ASC and TNP-specific ASC. The frequencies of OA-specific and TNP-specific SFC detected in mice were of the same order of magnitude as those detected in pigs and chickens. We concluded that the SFC assay is the better method for quantitating ASC in pigs, chickens, and probably all domestic animals for which isotype-specific monoclonal antibodies are available.     

The effects of restricted feeding on adrenal cortical activity in the immature domestic fowl

1. The effect of reducing food intake to 75% of the ad libitum intake was determined from hatching to 8 weeks in young Light Sussex chickens.

2. Restricted birds were lighter throughout the experiment.

3. Relative adrenal weight tended to be greater in restricted birds but the difference decreased with time.

4. There was no depletion of adrenal cholesterol: from week 5 there was a significantly greater amount in the adrenals of restricted birds.

5. After 1 week of restriction plasma corticosterone concentration was 73% greater than in controls. It decreased progressively, falling within the normal range at 5 weeks.

6. Restricted birds were hypoglycaemic from weeks 2 to 7 and hyper‐lipacidaemic throughout. A negative correlation between plasma glucose and free fatty acids was found.     

Comparative therapeutic efficacy and safety of type-II collagen (UC-II), glucosamine and chondroitin in arthritic dogs: pain evaluation by ground force plate

The investigation was conducted on client-owned moderately arthritic dogs with two objectives: (i) to evaluate therapeutic efficacy of type-II collagen (UC-II) alone or in combination with glucosamine hydrochloride (GLU) and chondroitin sulphate (CHO), and (ii) to determine their tolerability and safety. Dogs in four groups (n = 7-10), were treated daily for a period of 150 days with placebo (Group-I), 10 mg active UC-II (Group-II), 2000 mg GLU + 1600 mg CHO (Group-III), and UC-II + GLU + CHO (Group-IV). On a monthly basis, dogs were evaluated for observational pain (overall pain, pain upon limb manipulation, and pain after physical exertion) using different numeric scales. Pain level was also measured objectively using piezoelectric sensor-based GFP for peak vertical force and impulse area. Dogs were also examined every month for physical, hepatic (ALP, ALT and bilirubin) and renal (BUN and creatinine) functions. Based on observations, significant (p < 0.05) reduction in pain was noted in Group-II, III, and IV dogs. Using GFP, significant increases in peak vertical force (N/kg body wt) and impulse area (N s/kg body wt), indicative of a decrease in arthritis associated pain, were observed in Group-II dogs only. None of the dogs in any group showed changes in physical, hepatic or renal functions. In conclusion, based on GFP data, moderately arthritic dogs treated with UC-II (10 mg) showed a marked reduction in arthritic pain with maximum improvement by day 150. UC-II, GLU and CHO operate through different mechanisms of action, and were well tolerated over a period of 150 days.     

Estimation of direct and correlated responses to selection using univariate animal models.

Analytic results obtained using simple models show that estimates of selection response of univariate experiments using animal models are completely dependent on the heritability used as prior when fixed effects are nested within generations, and both on the prior and on the true heritability parameter when fixed effects overlap across generations. Univariate animal model estimators of correlated changes of a trait not selected directly are usually biased. The absolute value of the estimate of the correlated response is smaller than the true value when the traits are only genetically correlated and larger than the expected value of zero when they are only environmentally correlated. The validity of the results derived from the analysis of simple models is confirmed using computer simulations, which illustrate the magnitude of the bias. It is emphasized that use of univariate animal models to estimate response in breeding programs whose breeding objectives include several correlated traits may lead to erroneous conclusions.     

Comparison of the standard predictive equation for calculation of resting energy expenditure with indirect calorimetry in hospitalized and healthy dogs

OBJECTIVE: To determine the level of clinical agreement between 2 methods for the measurement of resting energy expenditure (REE). DESIGN: Prospective case series. ANIMALS: 77 dogs. PROCEDURE: Oxygen consumption (Vo2) and CO2 production (Vco2) were measured with an open-flow indirect calorimeter in healthy (n = 10) and ill (67) dogs. Measurements were collected at 3 time periods on 2 days. The Vo2 and the Vco2 measurements were then used to calculate the REE values. RESULTS: Mean values of measured (MREE) and predicted (PREE) REEs in healthy dogs and a dog with medical illnesses or trauma were not significantly different. There was a significant difference on day 2 between the MREE and PREE in the group of dogs recovering from major surgery. More importantly, there was significant variation between the PREE and MREE on an individual-dog basis. The PREE only agreed to within +/- 20% of the MREE in 51% to 57% of the dogs. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The level of agreement between these two methods for determining the 24-hour REE was poor in individual dogs. The level of disagreement between the 2 methods indicates that these methods may not be used interchangeably in a clinical setting. Measurement of REE by use of indirect calorimetry may be the only reliable method of determining REE in an individual ill or healthy dog.