The photoperiodic effect of ahemeral light‐dark cycles which entrain circadian rhythms

1. A 27‐h cycle of light and dark provides a greater gonadotrophic stimulus to the laying fowl, as judged by sexual maturity and rate of lay, than a 24‐h cycle incorporating the same photoperiod.

2. An hypothesis put forward to account for these effects states that Effective Photoperiod equals p + c – b, where p = actual photoperiod, c = cycle length and b = the period of the endogenous biological clock.

3. Two experiments designed to test this hypothesis have yielded results which are consistent with it.

4. A poultryman who uses an ahemeral cycle to alter egg weight or shell thickness and then wishes to transfer his flock back to a 24‐h cycle should calculate the difference between the two cycle lengths and then add this quantity to the prevailing photoperiod to find the appropriate amount of light to be used in the 24‐h cycle.     

The action of sulphanilamide on shell deposition

1. The action of sulphanilamide on egg shell deposition has been studied in the domestic fowl. The length of time that eggs remain in the shell gland was measured; the relative thickness and protoporphyrin pigment concentration for egg shells removed from the shell gland were determined; egg shell structure was examined using a replica technique.

2. Sulphanilamide appeared to act mainly by reducing the rate of shell deposition, time spent in the shell gland was unaffected.

3. The thickness of shell components was reduced in a roughly proportional manner in thin shells produced during sulphanilamide treatment.

4. It is proposed that other thin shells in which the component layers are all reduced to a similar extent are also the result of a decreased deposition rate.     

Sire × hatch interaction effects and pen effects in progeny testing broiler males for growth rate

1. Pen effects and sire x hatch interaction effects on growth rate to 8 weeks of age were estimated from family and progeny test data obtained from the application of two commercial breeding programmes for growth rate to broilers.

2. The following variance components were obtained: σ²(pen) = 255 g², σ²(sire) = 1 260 g², σ²(sire × hatch) = 1 997 g²,σ²(residual) = 19 708 g².

3. It is concluded that the effectiveness of progeny testing for growth rate in broilers is severely restricted by sire x hatch interaction effects.     

The use of n‐paraffin‐grown yeast as the main source of protein in diets for chicks

1. n‐Paraffin‐grown yeast and a mixture of soyabean meal and fish meal were compared in the net protein utilisation (NPU) test, and as protein supplements in diets for broilers up to 4 weeks of age.

2. The difference between the NPU values, 0.66 for yeast and 0.80 for the soyabean meal and fish meal mixture, could largely be attributed to the high nucleic acid content of the yeast.

3. Chicks given the diet containing yeast (190 g/kg) did not grow as rapidly as those given the soyabean meal and fish meal reference diet, and the reduced growth could only partly be explained by a marginal deficiency of methionine.

4. Food conversion efficiency with the yeast diet was improved by maize oil while responses to α‐tocopheryl acetate and sodium selenite were inconsistent.

5. Chicks grew well when yeast replaced fish meal in the mixture of soyabean meal and fish meal, and when fish meal (194 g/kg diet) was the sole protein supplement.     

Comparisons of frequencies and egg shell characteristics of broken and intact eggs within diverse populations of chickens

1. Differences were found among eight populations of White Plymouth Rock pullets in the frequency of broken eggs.

2. The shells of such eggs were thinner than those of intact eggs in seven of the populations.

3. The number of defective eggs, the specific gravity of the eggs, and the percentage hen‐day egg production of normal eggs were significantly correlated within populations with the incidence of broken eggs.

4. No significant correlations were found within populations between the incidence of egg breakage and either egg weight, body weight, or shank length.     

Treatment of the repeat breeder cow syndrome in Kenya

Summary One hundred repeat breeder dairy cows have been studied in detail. Although clinically 60 per cent of them were normal bacteria were isolated from the uteri of the majority (90 per cent). Thirty per cent of these isolates were mixed.Intra-uterine infusion of the uteri with diluted Lugol's Iodine solution, supplemented in a few cases by antibiotic therapy, resulted in a 62 per cent conception rate compared with 26 per cent in the control group. It is concluded that dilute Lugol's Iodine is a useful treatment for repeat breeder cows under conditions similar to those described.

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Tratamiento Del Sindrome De Vacas Repetidoras En Kenya

Resumen Se estudíaron en detalle 100 vacas repetidoras destinadas a la producción de leche, en Kenya. Aunque el 60 por ciento de ellas parecía normal clinicamente, se aislaron bacterias del útero de la mayoría (90 por ciento). El 30 por ciento de los aislamientos fue mixto.La infusión intrauterina de una solución diluída de Lugol, combinada en algunos casos con antibióticos, resultó en una proporción del 62 por ciento de concepciones, comparada con el 26 por ciento del grupo control. Se concluye, que la solución de Lugol diluída es útil para el tratamiento del síndrome de vacas repetidoras, bajo condiciones similares a las aquí descritas.

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Traitement Du Syndrome De L'Accouplement Repete Chez La Vache Au Kenya

Résumé Cent vaches laitières ont été examinées avec soin. Bien que 60 p. 100 d'entre elles aient été considérées comme normales, des germes ont été isolés de l'utérus de la majorité d'entre elles (90 p. 100). Dans 30 p. 100 des cas, la population microbienne était mixte.Des injections intra-utérines d'une solution diluée de Lugol accompagnée dans quelques cas par de l'antibiothérapie ont fait que le groupe traité à un taux de fécondité de 62 p. 100 contre 26 p. 100 dans le groupe témoin. Les auteurs concluent que la solution iodée de Lugol constitute un traitement utile chez les vaches contre ce syndrome, dans les conditions semblables à celles décrites.

     

New data on the mechanism of action of immuno-adjuvants: Applications in veterinary medicine

Certain natural or synthetic peptidoglycans which act as watersoluble adjuvants represent a new family of drugs which can act selectively on certain lymphoid cells, B or T cells or macrophages. Some of these molecules can inhibit the immune response.We have developed a technique which enables either normal membranous vesicles, (cellular surface on the outside, RSO), or inverted vesicles, (cellular surface on the inside, IO), to be taken from a murine plasmacytoma. Some peptidoglycans act on the RSO vesicles, others on the IO vesicles, in every case by activating and/or inhibiting membranous enzymes such as 5-nucleotidase and Na⁺/K⁺ ATPase.It is likely that the immuno-adjuvants act selectively and that the same substance can activate or inhibit according to the dose used.

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Kurzfassung Bestimmte natürliche oder synthetisch hergestellte Peptidoglykane (wasserlösliche Adjuvanzien) sind eine neue Familie pharmakodynamischer Agenzien, die elektiv auf bestimmte Lymphoidzellen, B-Zellen, T-Zellen oder Makrophagen wirken. Bestimmte Moleküle können die Immunreaktion inhibieren. Es wurde ein Verfahren erarbeitet, mit dem aus einem Plasmozytom bei Ratten oder Mäusen Membranbläschen gewonnen werden konnten, die entweder richtig geformt (Zelloberfläche aussen, RSO) oder umgekehrt (Zelloberfläche innen, IO) sind. Manche Peptidoglykane wirken auf RSO, andere auf IO; in allen Fällen ist diese Wirkung gekennzeichnet durch die Activierung und/oder Inhibierung von Membranenzymen wie der 5-Nukleotidase und der Na+/KA—ATPase.Voraussichtlich haben die Immunitätsadjuvanzien eine Zielspezifität und derselbe Stoff kann je nach Dosierung stimulierend oder inhibierend wirken.Riassunto Gli adiuvanti idrosolubili, che sono peptido-glicani naturali o sintetici, costituiscono una nuova famiglia di agenti farmacodinamici in grado di agire selettivamente su alcune cellule linfoidi, le cellule B, T o macrofagi. Alcune molecole possono inibire la reazione immunitaria.Gli autori hanno messo a punto una tecnica che permette di ottenere, partendo da un plasmocitoma murino, vescicole membranose girate nel senso giusto (superficie cellulare rivolta all-esterno RSO) o rovesciate (superficie cellulare all'interno, IO). Alcuni peptido-glicani sono attivi sulle RSO, altrillo sono sulle IO; in ambedue i casi detta attività è caratterizzata dall-attivazione e/o dall'inibizione di enzimi membranosi come la 5 nucleotidasi e la Na⁺/K⁺ ATP-asi.Si puo ipotizzare che gli adiuvanti dell'immunita posseggano una specificita di bersaglio, e che la medesinna sostanza possa rivelarsi stimolante od inibitoria a seconda della dose impiegata.

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Resume Les adjuvants hydrosolubles que sont certains peptidoglycanes naturels ou synthétiques représentent une nouvelle famille d'agents pharmacodynamiques capables d'agir électivement sur certaines cellules lymphoides, cellules B, T ou macrophages. Certaines molécules peuvent inhiber la réponse immunitaire.Nous avons mis au point une technique permettant d'obtenir à partir d'un plasmocytome murin des vésicules membranaires tournées dans le bon sens (surface cellulaire à l'extérieur, RSO) ou inversées (surface cellulaire à l'intérieur, IO). Certains peptidoglycanes sont actifs sur les RSO, d'autres sur les IO: dans tous les cas cette activité est caractérisée par l'activation et/ou l'inhibition d'enzymes membranaires telles que la 5-nucléotidase et la Na⁺/K⁺ ATPase.Il est prévisible que les adjuvants de l'immunité ont une spécificité de cible et qu'une même substance peut se révéler stimulante ou inhibitrice selon la dose utilisée.

     

The half-life of bovine (incomplete) antibodies to Brucella abortus.

The half-life of bovine immunoglobulins was established in a group of 60 calves suckled on non-infected dams immunised with antigens to Brucella abortus. The half-life of the "incomplete antibody" as determined by the anti-bovine globulin test was 20.9 days. Up to 45 days, the mean half-life of antibodies in the calves was 17.1 days; from 46 to 99 days it was 21.1 days and for periods exceeding 100 days it was 24.4 days. In 39 calves born of and suckled on infected dams the mean half-life of antibodies was 22.4 days. Up to 100 days the figure was 19.5 days; over 100 days it was 22.8 days. There was no significant difference in the mean half-life of antibody between calves from infected and non-infected dams. In both cases the antibodies appear to be catabolised at a progressively slower rate.