Isolation of a reovirus from a broiler chicken flock with high early mortality

A reovirus was isolated from a flock of 12,000 broiler chickens which experienced a total mortality of 6.3% up to 35 days. The reovirus produced large syncytia in primary chicken kidney cell cultures with eosinophilic intracytoplasmic inclusion body formation. Infected cells reacted with fluorescein conjugated specific anti-reovirus serum. Negatively strained virions had a double shelled appearance with overall diameter of 65 to 70 nm. The nucleic acid had ten discrete segments with electrophoretic mobilities as would be expected for a reovirus.     

High sulfur related thiamine deficiency in cattle: A field study

Following development of polioencephalomalacia in one of 105 cattle in a farm in southeastern Saskatchewan, a study was initiated to monitor thiamine (B₁) and copper (Cu) status, and to evaluate interactive nutritional factors which may have been responsible for this occurrence. It was evident that a combination of high sulfur (S) and low Cu intake was responsible for the depletion of blood B₁ and plasma Cu. Supplementation with trace minerals alone resulted in a significant (p<0.05) improvement in both B₁ and Cu status of the herd. We recommend that herds exposed to high intakes of S be supplemented with Cu up to 50 mg/kg feed dry matter to alleviate potential deficiencies of B₁ and Cu.     

Pharmacokinetics of orally administered phenylbutazone in African and Asian elephants (Loxodonta africana and Elephas maximus)

The pharmacokinetic parameters of phenylbutazone were determined in 18 elephants (Loxodonta africana and Elephas maximus) after single-dose oral administration of 2, 3, and 4 mg/kg phenylbutazone, as well as multiple-dose administrations with a 4-wk washout period between trials. After administration of 2 mg/kg phenylbutazone, mean serum concentrations peaked in approximately 7.5 hr at 4.3 +/- 2.02 microg/ml and 9.7 hr at 7.1 +/- 2.36 microg/ml for African and Asian elephants, respectively, while 3 mg/kg dosages resulted in peak serum concentrations of 7.2 +/- 4.06 microg/ml in 8.4 hr and 12.1 +/- 3.13 microg/ml in 14 hr. The harmonic mean half-life was long, ranging between 13 and 15 hr and 39 and 45 hr for African and Asian elephants, respectively. There was evidence of enterohepatic cycling of phenylbutazone in Asian elephants. Significant differences (P < 0.0001) in pharmacokinetic values occurred between African and Asian elephants for clearance (27.9 and 7.6 ml/hr/kg, respectively), terminal half-life (15.0 and 38.7 hr, respectively), and mean residence time (22.5 and 55.5 hr, respectively) using 2-mg/kg dosages as an example. This suggests that different treatment regimens for Asian and African elephants should be used. There were no apparent gender differences in these parameters for either elephant species.     

Effect of Chemical and Physical Stress Conditions on the Concentration and Composition of Essential Oil Components in Leaves of Full‐Grown Artemisia annua L.

Full‐grown Artemisia annua plants were subjected to chemical and physical stress conditions, and the effect of these on the concentration and chemical composition of essential oil components (EOC) in the leaves was studied. The chemical stress treatments were performed by foliar application of NaCl, H₂O₂, salicylic acid and chitosan oligosaccharide (COS). The EOC of the leaves were extracted with n‐hexane and identified and quantified by GC–MS and GC–FID, respectively. Approximately 96 % of EOC in the extracts were identified and quantified of which β‐pinene, camphene, germacrene D, camphor, coumarin and dihydro‐epi‐deoxyarteannuin B were the major EOC accounting for about 75 % of the total content of EOC in the extracts. The physical stress treatment, sandblasting of the plants resulted in a significant enhancement in the content of α‐pinene, camphene, coumarin and dihydro‐epi‐deoxyarteannuin B. The total yield of identified EOC in non‐treated plants (control) was 86.2 ± 13.8 μg g^?1 fresh weight (FW) compared with 104.0 ± 9.1 μg g^?1 FW in sandblasted plants. The chemical stress treatments did not affect the composition of EOC significantly. The results indicate that chemical stress treatments do not affect the concentration and composition of EOC in full‐grown A. annua plants to the same extent as physical stress treatment by sandblasting.     

Longitudinal shrinkage of wood — Part I: Longitudinal shrinkage of thin sections

Summary The possibility of using microtomed longitudinal sections of wood for the study of longitudinal shrinkage has been investigated using hoop pine (Araucaria cunninghamii Ait.). Cutting of the sections was shown to distort them and to affect their subsequent shrinkage. However, by increasing the inclination angle of the microtome knife, sections could be cut without change in longitudinal dimensions. The longitudinal shrinkage behaviour of such sections more than 80 m thick was little different from that of thicker sawn specimens.Measurements of longitudinal shrinkage using this technique showed that very thin sections (40 m) had greater longitudinal shrinkage than sawn wood. Partial delignification with sodium chlorite also increased longitudinal shrinkage. The longitudinal shrinkage was reproducible over successive cycles of moisture content change but not reversible, the length of a specimen at a given moisture content being less during desorption than at the same moisture content during adsorption. It is considered likely that the longitudinal shrinkage of wood is markedly affected by stresses which develop within the cell wall as the wood dries.

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Zusammenfassung Die Möglichkeit, Mikrotom-Längsschnitte zur Prüfung der Längsschwindung zu verwenden, wurde an Hoop Pine (Araucaria cunninghamii Ait.) geprüft. Dabei zeigte sich, daß die Längsschnitte beim Schneiden verschoben werden, was die nachfolgende Schwindung beeinflußt. Nachdem der Schnittwinkel des Mikrotommessers vergrößert worden war, konnten die Schnitte ohne Veränderung der Längsabmessungen abgetrennt werden. Das Längsschwindungs-Verhalten solcher Schnitte von über 80 m Dicke unterschied sich nur wenig von demjenigen dickerer, gesägter Proben.Messungen der Längsschwindung mit Hilfe des beschriebenen Verfahrens zeigten, daß sehr dünne Schnitte (40 m) eine größere Längsschwindung aufweisen als gesägte Schnitte. Die teilweise Delignifizierung mit Natrium Chlorit erhöhte ebenfalls die Längsschwindung. Die Längsschwindung blieb während aufeinanderfolgender zyklischer Feuchtigkeitsänderungen reproduzierbar, war aber nicht umkehrbar. Die Länge einer Probe war, bei gleichem Feuchtigkeitsgehalt während der Desorption geringer als während der Adsorption. Es darf als wahrscheinlich angesehen werden, daß die Längsschwindung des Holzes deutlich durch Spannungen beeinflußt wird, die sich beim Trocknen des Holzes innerhalb der Zellwand entwickeln.

     

Dead wood in European beech (Fagus sylvatica) forest reserves

Data were analysed on the volume of dead wood in 86 beech forest reserves, covering most of the range of European beech forests. The mean volume was 130 m³/ha and the variation among reserves was high, ranging from almost nil to 550 m³/ha. The volume depended significantly on forest type, age since reserve establishment and volume of living wood. More dead wood was found in montane (rather than lowland/submontane) reserves, longer-established reserves (time since designation) and reserves with higher volumes of living wood.

On average, fallen dead wood contributed more to the total dead wood volume than standing dead wood. The percentage of dead wood that was standing was almost twice as high in montane than in lowland/submontane forest reserves (45% versus 25%). The volume of dead wood at selected sites changed considerably over time. The fluctuations were significantly higher in lowland/submontane than montane reserves, possibly connected with differences in the disturbance regimes and especially damage caused by windstorms. In NW Europe, the blow down of formerly managed, even-aged stands led to extraordinary high volumes of dead wood shortly after reserve establishment.

The implications for forest management and biodiversity conservation are discussed. An increase in dead wood volumes must be carried out in accordance with the local/regional forest type and disturbance regime. Thus, in order to fulfil the requirements of as many wood-depending organisms as possible, it is important to preserve not only larger amounts of dead wood, but also dead wood of different types and dimensions as well as securing a long-term continuity of dead wood.     

Color and albedo heterogeneity of Vesta from Dawn

Multispectral images (0.44 to 0.98 μm) of asteroid (4) Vesta obtained by the Dawn Framing Cameras reveal global color variations that uncover and help understand the north-south hemispherical dichotomy. The signature of deep lithologies excavated during the formation of the Rheasilvia basin on the south pole has been preserved on the surface. Color variations (band depth, spectral slope, and eucrite-diogenite abundance) clearly correlate with distinct compositional units. Vesta displays the greatest variation of geometric albedo (0.10 to 0.67) of any asteroid yet observed. Four distinct color units are recognized that chronicle processes--including impact excavation, mass wasting, and space weathering--that shaped the asteroid's surface. Vesta's color and photometric diversity are indicative of its status as a preserved, differentiated protoplanet.