The effect on creatinine kinase activity of freezing plasma from healthy foals

Abstract

AIM: To assess the stability of creatine kinase (CK) activity in plasma collected from healthy foals and frozen at ?20°C for up to 12 weeks.

METHODS: Samples of venous blood drawn from 25 foals were analysed for CK activity soon after collection, and again after 1 and 12 weeks of freezing at ?20°C.

RESULTS: CK activity decreased (p<0.001) between Week 0 and Week 1 and between Week 0 and Week 12.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Decreases in CK activity were statistically significant but clinically insignificant.     

Alternate Row Spacing and Plant Density Effects on Forage and Dry Matter Yield of Corn Hybrids (Zea mays L.)

Irrigated field experiments were conducted in the Marmara region of Turkey in 2002 and 2003 to compare alternate 40 : 25 cm row spacings and conventional 65 cm with four different plant densities (65 000, 85 000, 105 000 and 125 000 plants ha⁻¹) of three corn hybrids (DK-585, ADA 95–10 and C-955) in some morphological traits and forage and dry matter yield. Morphological traits such as plant height, leaf per plant, stem diameter, ear per plant and ear percentage were measured, forage and dry matter yield was also determined in this study. Hybrids, row spacings and plant densities significantly affected some morphological traits, forage and dry matter yield at 0.01 level. Later maturing hybrids tended to produce taller and thicker stemmed plants. Row spacings and plant densities did not affect plant height. Average stem diameter increased significantly with population density. Row spacings did not influence leaf number, whereas leaf number increased slightly with plant density. On average, all corn plants had slightly more than 1.0 ear per plant in our experiment. Row spacings and plant densities did not affect significantly number of ear per plant. Early maturing DK-585 had the highest ear percentage whilst late maturing C-955 lowest. Yields usually increased with hybrid maturity. When averaged across years, row spacings and plant densities, late maturing C-955 performed significantly better in forage and dry matter yield in all experimental years and combined years. The studies showed favourable advantage for alternate 40 : 25 cm rows over conventional 65 cm row spacings at all plant densities. Average forage and dry matter yields were greater for alternate 40 : 25 cm row spacings than for 65 cm row spacings. However, strong hybrid × row spacing interactions for both forage and dry matter yield were detected.     

Pneumonia associated with Mycoplasma spp in three cats

Mycoplasma spp were isolated in pure culture from bronchoalveolar lavage specimens from three cats with clinical, cytological and radiographic signs of bron-chopneumonia or suppurative bronchitis. Predisposing factors were not identified in the first case, the second cat had oesophageal hypomotility, while the third cat had been exposed to cigarette smoke and had advanced periodontal disease. Respiratory signs resolved promptly and completely in all cases following antimicrobial therapy directed against mycoplasmas. Mycoplasma spp are possible causes of lower respiratory tract disease in cats and this should be considered when selecting empirical therapy for feline airway disease and pneumonia. In some situations mycoplasmas may behave as primary lower respiratory tract pathogens in cats.     

Modeling surface fuels moisture content in Pinus brutia stands

Fuel moisture content is an important variable for forest fires because it affects fuel ignition and fire behavior. In order to accurately predict fuel ignition potential, fuel moisture content must be assessed by evaluating fire spread, fireline intensity and fuel consumption.Our objective here is to model moisture content of surface fuels in normally stocked Calabrian pine(Pinus brutia Ten.) stands in relation to weather conditions, namely temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed in the Mugla province of Turkey. All surface fuels were categorized according to diameter classes and fuel types. Six fuel categories were defined: these were 0–0.3, 0.3–0.6, and0.6–1 cm diameter classes, and cone, surface litter, and duff. Plastic containers 15 9 20 cm in size with 1 9 1 mm mesh size were used. Samples were taken from 09:00 to19:00 h and weighed every 2 h with 0.01 g precision for10 days in August. At the end of the study, samples were taken to the laboratory, oven-dried at 105 °C for 24 h and weighed to obtain fuel-moisture contents. Weather measurements were taken from a fully automated weather station set up at the study site prior to the study. Correlation and regression analyses were carried out and models were developed to predict fuel moisture contents for desorption and adsorption phase for each fuel type categories. Practical fuel moisture prediction models were developed for dry period. Models were developed that performed well with reasonable accuracy, explaining up to 92 and 95.6%of the variability in fuel-moisture contents for desorption and adsorption phases, respectively. Validation of the models were conducted using an independent data set and known fuel moisture prediction models. The predictive power of the models was satisfactory with mean absolute error values being 1.48 and 1.02 for desorption and adsorption as compared to the 2.05 and 1.60 values for the Van Wagner's hourly litter moisture content prediction model. Results obtained in this study will be invaluable for fire management planning and modeling.     

Clinical haematology and biochemistry profiles of cattle naturally infected with Theileria orientalis Ikeda type in New Zealand

AIMS: To present the haematology and biochemistry profiles for cattle in New Zealand naturally infected with Theileria orientalis Ikeda type and investigate if the results differed between adult dairy cattle and calves aged <6 months.

METHODS: Haematology and biochemistry results were obtained from blood samples from cattle which tested positive for T. orientalis Ikeda type by PCR, that were submitted to veterinary laboratories in New Zealand between October 2012 and November 2014. Data sets for haematology and biochemistry results were prepared for adult dairy cattle (n=62 and 28, respectively) and calves aged <6 months (n=62 and 28, respectively), which were matched on the basis of individual haematocrit (HCT). Results were compared between age groups when categorised by HCT. Selected variables were plotted against individual HCT, and locally weighted scatterplot smoothing (Loess) curves were fitted to the data for adult dairy cattle and calves <6 months old.

RESULTS: When categorised by HCT, the proportion of samples with HCT <0.15 L/L (severe anaemia) was greater for adult dairy cattle than for beef or dairy calves, for both haematology (p<0.002) and biochemistry (p<0.001) submissions. There were differences (p<0.05) between adult dairy cattle and calves aged <6 months in the relationships between HCT and red blood cell counts, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular haemoglobin, mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentrations, lymphocyte and eosinophil counts, and activities of glutamate dehydrogenase and aspartate aminotransferase. In both age groups anisocytosis was frequently recorded. The proportion of blood smears showing mild and moderate macrocytosis was greater in adults than calves (p=0.01), and mild and moderate poikilocytosis was greater in calves than adults (p=0.005).

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The haematology and biochemistry changes observed in cattle infected with T. orientalis Ikeda type were consistent with extravascular haemolytic anaemia. Adult dairy cattle were more likely to be severely anaemic than calves. There were differences in haematology and biochemistry profiles between adult dairy cattle and calves, but most of these differences likely had a physiological rather than pathological basis. Overall, the haematological changes in calves aged <6 months appeared less severe than in adult dairy cattle.