A retrospective study of 29 cases of otitis media/interna in dairy calves

Epidemiological data, clinical findings, laboratory data, medical imaging, and outcomes were reviewed in 29 dairy calves with otitis media/interna. Age at admission ranged from 1 to 24 wk. The majority of calves were referred during winter. Clinical signs included drooping ear, ptosis, head tilt, abnormal nystagmus, strabismus, dysphagia, regurgitation, stiff neck, opisthotonos, facial hyperesthesia, and purulent aural discharge. Intranasal endoscopic examination of 5 animals revealed nasopharyngeal collapse in 4. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was abnormal in all of 7 cases. Mycoplasma bovis was cultured from all but 1 case with external ear or tympanic bullae samples (n = 12), and Mycoplasma arginini was cultured from the remaining ear sample. Radiographs of the tympanic bullae were performed in 24 calves, tomodensitometry (CT) in 3 calves and ultrasound in 4 calves. According to medical imaging techniques or necropsy, 69% of the cases were classified as chronic. Mean duration of treatment was 23.3 d. The rate of clinical recovery was 75%.     

Comparative genome and proteome analysis of Anopheles gambiae and Drosophila melanogaster

Comparison of the genomes and proteomes of the two diptera Anopheles gambiae and Drosophila melanogaster, which diverged about 250 million years ago, reveals considerable similarities. However, numerous differences are also observed; some of these must reflect the selection and subsequent adaptation associated with different ecologies and life strategies. Almost half of the genes in both genomes are interpreted as orthologs and show an average sequence identity of about 56%, which is slightly lower than that observed between the orthologs of the pufferfish and human (diverged about 450 million years ago). This indicates that these two insects diverged considerably faster than vertebrates. Aligned sequences reveal that orthologous genes have retained only half of their intron/exon structure, indicating that intron gains or losses have occurred at a rate of about one per gene per 125 million years. Chromosomal arms exhibit significant remnants of homology between the two species, although only 34% of the genes colocalize in small "microsyntenic" clusters, and major interarm transfers as well as intra-arm shuffling of gene order are detected.     

Degradability of black carbon and its impact on trace gas fluxes and carbon turnover in paddy soils

Rice paddy soils are characterized by anoxic conditions, anaerobic carbon turnover, and significant emissions of the greenhouse gas methane. A main source for soil organic matter in paddy fields is the rice crop residue that is returned to fields if not burned. We investigated as an alternative treatment the amendment of rice paddies with rice residues that have been charred to black carbon. This treatment might avoid various negative side effects of traditional rice residue treatments. Although charred biomass is seen as almost recalcitrant, its impact on trace gas (CO₂, CH₄) production and emissions in paddy fields has not been studied. We quantified the degradation of black carbon produced from rice husks in four wetland soils in laboratory incubations. In two of the studied soils the addition of carbonised rice husks resulted in a transient increase in carbon mineralisation rates in comparison to control soils without organic matter addition. After almost three years, between 4.4% and 8.5% of the black carbon added was mineralised to CO₂ under aerobic and anaerobic conditions, respectively. The addition of untreated rice husks resulted in a strong increase in carbon mineralisation rates and in the same time period 77%-100% of the added rice husks were mineralised aerobically and 31%-54% anaerobically. The ¹³C-signatures of respired CO₂ gave a direct indication of black carbon mineralisation to CO_2. In field trials we quantified the impact of rice husk black carbon or untreated rice husks on soil respiration and methane emissions. The application of black carbon had no significant effect on soil respiration but significantly enhanced methane emissions in the first rice crop season. The additional methane released accounted for only 0.14% of black carbon added. If the same amount of organic carbon was added as untreated rice husks, 34% of the applied carbon was released as CO₂ and methane in the first season. Furthermore, the addition of fresh harvest residues to paddy fields resulted in a disproportionally high increase in methane emissions. Estimating the carbon budget of the different rice crop residue treatments indicated that charring of rice residues and adding the obtained black carbon to paddy fields instead of incorporating untreated harvest residues may reduce field methane emissions by as much as 80%. Hence, the production of black carbon from rice harvest residues could be a powerful strategy for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from rice fields.     

Nitrate leaching losses under Miscanthus grass planted on a silty clay loam soil

Abstract. Nitrate leaching under newly planted Miscanthus grass was measured for three years. The crop received either no fertilizer-N or an annual spring application of 60 kg or 120 kg N ha^-1. During three winters soil water was collected from porous cup probes installed 90 cm deep. Nitrate leaching was calculated from the mean drain flow recorded in two drain gauges multiplied by the mean nitrate-N concentration in the soil water solutions collected. In the first year soil water nitrate concentrations were high on all treatments and N losses were 154, 187 and 228 kg ha^-1 respectively on the unfertilized treatment and those that received 60 or 120 kg N ha^-1. Leaching losses in the second and third years were, in turn, 8, 24 and 87 kg ha^-1 and 3, 11 and 30 kg ha^-1 for the unfertilized treatment and for the 60 and 120 kg N ha^-1 treatments respectively. Leaching losses were closer to those recorded under extensively managed grassland than arable land. The large losses in the first year were probably due to the previous agricultural management at the site and excessive inputs of N on the fertilized plots. In the second and third year, lower drainage volumes may also have influenced losses. The results show that Miscanthus , once established, can lead to low levels of nitrate leaching and improved groundwater quality compared with growing arable crops.     

Determination of Young's modulus for spruce, fir and isotropic materials by the resonance flexure method with comparisons to static flexure and other dynamic methods

Summary Dynamic methods provide rapid and accurate means to determine Young's modulus, i.e. the modulus of elasticity, of wood. For dry, clear specimens of épicéa commun (Norway spruce, picea excelsa) and sapin pictiné (silver fir, abies amabilis) we present a comparison of results from tests by a resonance flexure method with results obtained from four-point static flexure tests. For a wide range of specimen size the resonance flexure method provides a simpler, more rapidly performed alternative to the classical static flexure method, giving Young's modulus values which are for the spruce and fir specimens of this study, nearly identical to those calculated from the static flexure tests. Results are also presented which show that a resonance longitudinal method yields higher values of Young's modulus and an ultrasonic method yields still higher values. We provide also a comparison of the four test methods applied to isotropic materials.The authors wish to thank Pierre Michel and André Perrin for preparing the test specimens and components of the test apparatus for this study     

Carbon dioxide enrichment improves growth, water relations and survival of droughted honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) seedlings

Low water availability reduces the establishment of the invasive shrub Prosopis on some grasslands. Water deficit survival and traits that may contribute to the postponement or tolerance of plant dehydration were measured on seedlings of P. glandulosa Torr. var. glandulosa (honey mesquite) grown at CO(2) concentrations of 370 (ambient), 710, and 1050 micro mol mol(-1). Because elevated CO(2) decreases stomatal conductance, the number of seedlings per container in the elevated CO(2) treatments was increased to ensure that soil water content was depleted at similar rates in all treatments. Seedlings grown at elevated CO(2) had a greater root biomass and a higher ratio of lateral root to total root biomass than those grown at ambient CO(2) concentration; however, these seedlings also shed more leaves and retained smaller leaves. These changes, together with a reduced transpiration/leaf area ratio at elevated CO(2), may have contributed to a slight increase in xylem pressure potentials of seedlings in the 1050 micro mol mol(-1) CO(2) treatment during the first 37 days of growth (0.26 to 0.40 MPa). Osmotic potential was not affected by CO(2) treatment. Increasing the CO(2) concentration to 710 and 1050 micro mol mol(-1) more than doubled the percentage survival of seedlings from which water was withheld for 65 days. Carbon dioxide enrichment significantly increased survival from 0% to about 40% among seedlings that experienced the lowest soil water content. By increasing seedling survival of drought, rising atmospheric CO(2) concentration may increase abundance of P. glandulosa on grasslands where low water availability limits its establishment.     

A two-step modification treatment of solid wood by bulk modification and surface treatment

A combination of bulk and surface modification of wood could lead to a product that shows the advantages of both treatments. This study evaluates the penetration of melamine resin into acetylated and silylated cell walls and possible side effects of melamine impregnation on this bulk treatment in order to clarify the feasibility of a combination of the chosen bulk modification (acetylation or silylation) and surface treatments (hardening by melamine modification). UV microscopy confirmed that melamine resin penetrates into wood cell walls even after acetylation and silylation treatment. Energy dispersive X-ray analysis showed that the melamine treatment did not lead to substantial washing out of silyl groups with the silylation reagent used. The possibility of a combination of the selected bulk and surface modification methods is given.     

Adaptation of the LIGNUM model for simulations of growth and light response in Jack pine

LIGNUM is a whole tree model, developed for Pinus sylvestris in Finland, that combines tree metabolism with a realistic spatial distribution of morphological parts. We hypothesize that its general concepts, which include the pipe model, functional balance, yearly carbon budget, and a set of architectural growth rules, are applicable to all trees. Adaptation of the model to Pinus banksiana, a widespread species of economic importance in North America, is demonstrated.

Conversion of the model to Jack pine entailed finding new values for 16 physiological and morphological parameters, and three growth functions. Calibration of the LIGNUM Jack pine model for open grown trees up to 15 years of age was achieved by matching crown appearance and structural parameters (height, foliage biomass, aboveground biomass) with those of real trees. A sensitivity study indicated that uncertainty in the photosynthesis and respiration parameters will primarily cause changes to the net annual carbon gain, which can be corrected through calibration of the growth rate. The effect of a decrease in light level on height, biomass, total tree branch length, and productivity were simulated and compared with field data. Additional studies yielded insight into branch pruning, carbon allocation patterns, crown structure, and carbon stress. We discuss the value of the LIGNUM model as a tool for understanding tree growth and survival dynamics in natural and managed forests.