Evaluation of Five Most Commonly Grown Cotton Cultivars (Gossypium hirsutum L.) Under Mediterranean Conditions: Productivity and Fibre Quality

Studies were conducted in four regions of central Greece (Larisa, Karditsa, Livadia, Thiva), to evaluate the productivity and fibre properties (fibre strength and fibre length) of the five most commonly grown cotton cultivars in these regions. The experiments lasted for 6 years (1995–2000). All the characteristics tested were strongly influenced by the factors ‘year’, ‘cultivar’ and ‘region’. Significant cultivar × region, year × cultivar, region × year and cultivar × region × year interactions occurred for all the characteristics studied. The cultivar Alegria had the highest seed‐cotton and lint yield, while Aria had the lowest ones. Both cultivars gave the highest mean lint percentage but the lowest mean boll weight (MBW). Alegria had the lowest fibre strength, while Aria had the highest. The Acala‐type cultivars, Acala SJ2 and Zeta 2, had intermediate seed‐cotton and lint yield, while Vered 171 had high seed‐cotton and satisfactory lint yield. The three cultivars mentioned above had the highest MBW and very good fibre strength. Positive correlation was observed between fibre strength and length. In spite of the fact that mean fibre length was statistically the same in all cultivars, it was influenced by the factor ‘year’, as a result of different weather conditions. The year 1996 was the most unfavourable one for seed‐cotton yield and MBW, because it was characterized by lower than average air temperatures and rather dry conditions for all study sites. The factor ‘region’, a combination of different climatic conditions and cultural practices, influenced significantly all the parameters studied.     

关于促进瘦肉生长的饲喂方法

随着瘦肉生长率的提高 ,猪对氨基酸的需要量也增加了。能影响生产水平的一切因素都能影响猪对氨基酸的需要量 ,比如遗传、健康、温度 ,等等。在确定氨基酸需要量的时候对这些因素都应加以考虑。     

Identification of cultured Aeromonas salmonicida by an indirect dot blot immunoassay

Abstract. A method is described which improves both the specificity and paracticability of immune identification of Aeromonas salmonicida. The modified assay employs antisera raised against outer membrane proteins (OMP) of A. salmonicida cells and is carried out as a dot blot test on nitrocellulose membranes. Performance of the test with 55 non- A. salmonicida bacterial isolates from fish and water revealed weak cross reactivity in five cases. However, these cross reactive only occur at very high antigen concentrations and can be overcome by adequate dilution.     

Protection of turbot, Scophthalmus maximus (L.), and rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Richardson), against vibriosis using two different vaccines

Abstact. The potency of a whole-cell bacterin (WCB) and a toxoid enriched whole-cell vaccine (WCEB) administered intraperitoncally into rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Richardson), were compared. The most effective vaccine was further evaluated by bathing turbot, Scophthalmus maximus (L.). These vaccines were composed of three strains of V. anguillarun , of the serotypes 01 and 02. Both vaccines conferred the highest protection against strains of serotype 01 within 4 weeks. With the toxoid enriched vaccine giving the best results (77 RPS). When trout were revaccinated after 7 weeks with this vaccine, good protection was achieved against strains of serotypes 01 and 02. Interestingly, when the WCEB was administered by bath to turbot, acceptable levels of protection against strains of both serotypes were obtained after 4 weeks of immunization.     

Polysaccharide-induced protection of carp, Cyprinus carpio L., against bacterial infection

Abstract. The efficacy of 10 polysaccharides (curdlan, inulin, krestin, laminaran, lentinan, levan, schizophylian, selerogiucan, yeast glucan and zymosan) to enhance protection of carp, Cyprinus carpio L., against bacterial infection was investigated. Carp were intraperitoneally injected with the polysaceharides (2–l0 mgkg^-1) on days 1 and 4, and challenged with Edwardsiella tarda on day 7. Among the polysaccharides tested, lentinan, schizophyllan and scleroglucan, which are l,6-branchcd-β-l,3-glucans, significantly increased the survival rate. They also induced a protective effect against Aeromonas hydrophila at a dose of 5 mg kg^-1. The ability of the polysaccharides to activate the alternative complement pathway (ACP) was examined by incubating the polysaccharides with carp serum and measuring the residual ACP activity. At a final concentration of 0.l mgml^-1, l,6-branched-β-1,3-glucans greatly reduced (76–77%) the ACP activity. Therefore, it is suggested that the protective effect of the l,6-branched-β-1,3-glucans may be associated with the activation of ACP.     

Application of Airway Pressure Therapy in Veterinary Critical Care: Part II: Airway Pressure Therapy

As the specialties of emergency medicine and critical care have grown and evolved in both human and veterinary medicine, so has the need for more advanced care of patients with primary lung disease. Treatment of acute respiratory failure has been the focus of several articles in the human medical literature of the past few years.^1,8 This paper deals with airway pressure therapy and its application in cases of acute respiratory failure in veterinary medicine. The reader is referred to part I of this paper for a reveiw of respiratory mechanics and hypoxemia as they apply to respiratory therapy.     

Evidence of biogenic greigite (ferrimagnetic Fe3S4) in soil

The occurrence of greigite (Fe₃S₄) in soils is reported for the first time. It forms irregularly-shaped aggregations within plant cells in the Gr₂ horizon of a gley soil developed from colluvial material. Greigite was identified by X-ray diffraction and magnetic measurements and was investigated by optical and transmission electron microscopy. Biogenic formation is proposed, based on the elongated shape of single greigite crystals, and sulphur isotope analyses, which showed a depletion in ³⁴S relative to the soil-water sulphate. The cell-edge length of 0.98639±0.00003 nm is significantly smaller than values reported for sedimentary greigite. The mean coherence length of 27 nm agrees with TEM observations and indicates that the single greigite crystals lie in the superparamagnetic region. However, the fine aggregates show magnetically single-domain behaviour. Greigite is the only carrier of a stable magnetic remanence in the soil profile studied.     

Effects of Pasteurella haemolytica A1 leukotoxin on bovine neutrophils: degranulation and generation of oxygen-derived free radicals.

To further define the role of Pasteurella haemolytica A1 leukotoxin in the pathogenesis of bovine pneumonic pasteurellosis, its in vitro effects on bovine neutrophils were investigated. Leukotoxin-containing culture supernatant, from P. haemolytica, stimulated a neutrophil respiratory burst as measured by the generation of oxygen-derived free radicals O2- and H2O2. This effect was immediate because preincubation of neutrophils with the culture supernatant for 5 min or longer substantially suppressed this respiratory burst. This suppression was due to cytolysis of the neutrophils. Prolonged incubation of neutrophils with the same culture supernatant caused further cytolysis and degranulation. Heat-inactivated P. haemolytica culture supernatant that had lost its cytotoxic properties failed to stimulate respiratory burst by neutrophils. Furthermore, the respiratory burst, cytolysis and degranulation were abrogated only by leukotoxin-neutralizing monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies, but not by antibodies against the lipopolysaccharide. These studies show that the leukotoxin component in the culture supernatant was responsible for the generation of oxygen-derived free radicals and proteolytic enzymes from neutrophils which may participate in direct lung injury.