Asset Management for Irrigation Systems – Addressing the Issue of Serviceability

This paper advocates the need for defining criteria for level of service provision for irrigation networks and outlines a proposed Irrigation Serviceability Matrix to be used in the preparation of asset management plans and investment strategies for irrigation infrastructure. The development of the Irrigation Serviceability Matrix is based on experienced gained in the UK by the privatised water industry where the level of service provision to customers has become a key determinant for investment in infrastructure. The paper describes the evolution of this process within the UK water industry and its application to the irrigation sector.     

Effect of hexoestrol implantation and body size on the chemical composition and body components of chickens

Two groups of meat‐type cockerels, 56 d of age, from the same hatch but of different mean live‐weights (1135 g ± SD 96.2 and 544 g ± 72.0) due to differences in earlier nutritional treatments were implanted with hexoestrol to determine the effects on food consumption, live‐weight gain, carcass gain, chemical composition of carcass and offal, and weight of some body components. Replicate groups were slaughtered prior to implantation and at the end of the 28‐d experimental period.

Implantation with a single 15 mg hexoestrol pellet resulted in the following significant differences compared with untreated controls: increases in food consumption, live‐weight gain, carcass weight and weight of offal of 21.5, 14.2, 8.2 and 16.6 per cent respectively; poorer food conversion, higher total fat in the carcass, offal and total body and, relative to body weight, heavier livers and lighter hearts, gizzards, legs and necks. The increased fat in treated chickens accounted for all the increased body weight and carcass weight.

In comparisons of small and large chickens there was no significant difference in live‐weight gain during the 28‐d experimental period. At both 56 and 84 d of age the dressing percentages were lower and the weights relative to body weight of offal, liver, shanks and gizzards were higher in small than in large chickens. Percentage moisture was significantly higher in the total bodies and carcasses of small chickens, while percentage fat was significantly lower in the carcasses of small chickens at both 56 and 84 d and in the total bodies and offals at 56 d.     

Therapeutic responses of piglets to experimentally induced colibacillosis.

The purpose of these experiments was to determine the effects of prior exposure to antimicrobials on subsequent treatment of artificially induced colibacillosis in pigs. One- to two-week-old piglets were given 10(7) multiple antibiotic resistant Escherichia coli orally. Two groups of the piglets received priming doses at different levels of the antimicrobial preparation, ASP-250 before challenge. The remaining group received no antimicrobial. Piglets ill as a result of the challenge were treated with chloramphenicol of chlortetracycline, or received no treatment. Chloramphenicol was significantly more effective than chlortetracycline in terminating colibacillosis in the primed and unprimed groups. There were fewer deaths and relapse cases in those groups which received chloramphenicol treatment. Results in piglets treated with chlortetracycline were not significantly better than those which received no treatment.     

The use of Markov chain Monte Carlo for analysis of correlated binary data: patterns of somatic cells in milk and the risk of clinical mastitis in dairy cows

Two analytical approaches were used to investigate the relationship between somatic cell concentrations in monthly quarter milk samples and subsequent, naturally occurring clinical mastitis in three dairy herds. Firstly, cows with clinical mastitis were selected and a conventional matched analysis was used to compare affected and unaffected quarters of the same cow. The second analysis included all cows, and in order to overcome potential bias associated with the correlation structure, a hierarchical Bayesian generalised linear mixed model was specified. A Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) approach, that is Gibbs sampling, was used to estimate parameters.

The results of both the matched analysis and the hierarchical modelling suggested that quarters with a somatic cell count (SCC) in the range 41,000–100,000 cells/ml had a lower risk of clinical mastitis during the next month than quarters <41,000 cell/ml. Quarters with an SCC >200,000 cells/ml were at the greatest risk of clinical mastitis in the next month. There was a reduced risk of clinical mastitis between 1 and 2 months later in quarters with an SCC of 81,000–150,000 cells/ml compared with quarters below this level. The hierarchical modelling analysis identified a further reduced risk of clinical mastitis between 2 and 3 months later in quarters with an SCC 61,000–150,000 cells/ml, compared to other quarters.

We conclude that low concentrations of somatic cells in milk are associated with increased risk of clinical mastitis, and that high concentrations are indicative of pre-existing immunological mobilisation against infection. The variation in risk between quarters of affected cows suggests that local quarter immunological events, rather than solely whole cow factors, have an important influence on the risk of clinical mastitis. MCMC proved a useful tool for estimating parameters in a hierarchical Bernoulli model. Model construction and an approach to assessing goodness of model fit are described.     

Anatomy of the patent ductus venosus in the dog

The biplanar umbilical vein portovenograms of 49 newborn puppies and the biplanar mesenteric vein portovenograms, obtained during surgery, of 42 adult dogs with left divisional intrahepatic portosystemic shunts consistent with a patent ductus venosus (PDV) were reviewed. On the basis of the combined surgical, postmortem and imaging data, the left divisional intrahepatic portosystemic shunts were consistent, each having a straight vessel which drained into a venous ampulla before draining into the caudal vena cava at the level of the diaphragm. The left phrenic vein and the left hepatic vein both entered the ampulla independently of the shunting vessel. The morphology of the ductus venosus in the pups was similar and consistent with the morphology of the left divisional intrahepatic PDV shunt of the adult dogs. It is concluded that this form of left divisional shunt is correctly named a PDV and is the result of the persistence of the fetal ductus venosus. From the surgical records it is concluded that all the shunts described as a PDV were attenuated by the direct manipulation of the ductus venosus before its entry into the ampulla.     

Effects of disk trench orientation and planting spot position on the ten-year performance of lodgepole pine

A disk-trenching experiment in thesub-boreal spruce zone of central British Columbia,Canada, established three plots (0.12 to 0.26 ha each)with trenches running east–west, and another threeplots with north–south trenches. Approximately 200Pinus contorta Dougl. seedlings were planted ineach of 13 microsites: berm, hinge, and trenchpositions in each of north, south, east, and westaspects, and in untreated locations between furrows.Soil temperature and soil moisture of representativemicrosites were monitored for 3 years; seedlingdiameter, height, and vigour were monitored annuallyfor ten growing seasons. Based on tenth-year stemvolumes, performance on south-, east-, and west-facingmicrosites was significantly greater than onnorth-facing or untreated microsites. Superior growthwas noted on all berm and hinge positions other thanthose facing north. Microsites identified as best inyear 5 were also best in year 10. On east-, south- orwest-facing berm positions, stem volume averaged 47%to 54% greater than that of control seedlings in year5, but had suffered greater mortality. Seedlings oneast-, south- or west-facing hinges were 46% to 61%(year 5), or 36% to 47% (year 10) larger thancontrol seedlings. Both east–west and north–southdisk-trenching treatments are useful for increasingseedling growth, with planting spot selection beingmore important overall than trench orientation. Thestand-level effectiveness of north–south disktrenching was greatest, because the creation of coolnorth-facing microsites was avoided.     

Diagnosis of canine claw disease – a prospective study of 24 dogs

The aetiology of claw disease in 24 dogs exhibiting only claw disease was investigated with cytologic examination of claw exudate, complete blood count (CBC), serum biochemistry panel, urinalysis, total thyroxine (tT4) concentration, antinuclear antibody (ANA) titre, bacterial culture and sensitivity testing, fungal culture, histopathology of claw biopsy samples and elimination diet. Abnormalities on the CBC, serum biochemistry panel and urinalysis were minor and nonspecific. Total T4 concentrations were within the normal laboratory reference range. Fungal cultures and ANA titres were negative in all dogs. A bacterial infection was present in approximately half of the dogs. On histological examination of claw tissue, a cell-poor or cell-rich interface onychitis was seen in all but one dog. Evidence for an adverse reaction to food was present in four dogs. One dog responded completely to antibiotic therapy. Interface onychitis seems to be a histological reaction pattern of the claw matrix in the dog with various possible underlying aetiologies. In dogs with claw disease as the only clinical sign, the recommended initial diagnostic evaluation includes cytologic examination, bacterial culture and sensitivity, claw biopsy and an elimination diet.