Early lesions of proliferative enteritis in pigs and hamsters

Gnotobiotic pigs and conventional hamsters were given suspensions of intestinal mucosa from a pig with proliferative hemorrhagic enteropathy and killed 10 or 21 days later. Affected animals had evidence of marked proliferation of immature enterocytes in the intestinal crypts. Numerous Campylobacter-like organisms were in the cytoplasm of enterocytes, and in some instances, bacteria were closely associated with enterocytes. Some intracellular bacteria lying below the microvillous border were within membrane-bound structures. Immunofluorescence and electron immunogold staining with specific antibodies indicated that these organisms were antigenically different from curved bacteria in the crypt lumen of early lesions. This study indicates that the life cycle of the intracellular organisms may involve entry into crypt enterocytes from the intestinal lumen with subsequent intracellular multiplication.     

Intestinal adenomatosis in the pig: histochemical and electron microscopic studies of the mucosa

Histochemical studies of normal and adenomatous intestinal mucosa of the pig showed the adenomatous epithelium to be deficient in enzymes normally found in mature absorptive cells. Electron microscopic studies confirmed that the adenomatous cells closely remsembled the crypt cells of normal mucosa.     

Drip as Alternative Irrigation Method for Potato in Florida Sandy Soils

Seepage irrigation is the most common irrigation system for potato production in Florida, which relies on control of the water table to irrigate the crop. A 2-year trial was established to evaluate the feasibility of drip irrigation as an alternative to seepage for potato production. The performance of ‘Atlantic’, ‘Fabula’, and ‘Red LaSoda’ varieties were evaluated by comparing two drip tape installation depths, surface (SUR) and subsurface (SUB) with seepage (SEP). The overall potato total yield was 25.3; 19.2 and 29.9 Mg ha^?1 for SUR, SUB and SEP, respectively. The SUR and SEP treatments yielded similarly for ‘Fabula’ in both years and ‘Atlantic’ in 2011. The ‘Red LaSoda’ consistently obtained lower yields under both drip treatments compared to SEP. Conversely, drip irrigation promoted significant reduction of the incidence of tuber physiological disorders such as brown center, hollow heart, and internal heat necrosis.     

The surface of Mars: the view from the viking 2 lander

Viking 2 lander began imaging the surface of Mars at Utopia Planitia on 3 September 1976. The surface is a boulder-strewn reddish desert cut by troughs that probably form a polygonal network. A plateau can be seen to the east of the spacecraft, which for the most probable lander location is approximately the direction of a tongue of ejecta from the crater Mie. Boulders at the lander 2 site are generally more vesicular than those near lander i. Fines at both lander sites appear to be very fine-grained and to be bound in a duricrust. The pinkish color of the sky, similar to that observed at the lander I site, indicates suspension of surface material. However, the atmospheric optical depth is less than that at the lander I site. After dissipation of a cloud of dust stirred during landing, no changes other than those stemming from sampling activities have been detected in the landscape. No signs of large organisms are apparent at either landing site.     

In vitro antioxidant activity and antigenotoxicity of 5-n-alkylresorcinols

Incubation with 5-n-alkylresorcinols (chain lengths C15:0, C17:0, C19:0, C21:0, and C23:0) increased the self-protection capacity of HT29 human colon cancer cells against DNA damage induced by hydrogen peroxide and genotoxic fecal water samples using comet assay (single-cell gel electrophoresis assay). The alkylresorcinols did not exert potent antioxidant activity in the FRAP (ferric reduction ability of plasma) and DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical assays. However they were able to significantly inhibit copper-mediated oxidation of human LDL (low-density lipoprotein) in vitro, and pentadecylresorcinol at 25 micromol/L increased lag time by 65 min. The results show that alkylresorcinols have antigenotoxic and antioxidant activity under in vitro conditions.     

Supplementation of selenium,vitamin E,chromium and betaine above recommended levels improves lactating performance of sows over summer

Heat stress (HS) exacerbates the body weight loss of lactating sows and reduces litter weight gain. Selenium (Se), vitamin E (VE), chromium (Cr) and betaine have been shown to ameliorate symptoms of HS, and yeast nucleotides and mannan oligosaccharides have been reported to improve lactational performance and immune response in pigs. Therefore, a combination of these nutrients may improve lactational performance of sows in summer. The effects of two nutritionally enhanced diets on lactational performance of sows in summer were investigated in two experiments. In experiment 1, we compared the effects of a nutritionally fortified diet (0.4 ppm Se, 95 IU/kg VE, 0.4 ppm Cr and 0.2% betaine; named as SVCB diet) with the NRC 2012 standard diet (0.15 ppm Se, 44 IU/kg VE) on lactational performance of sows in summer. Results showed that the SVCB diet reduced body weight loss (P = 0.039) and tended to reduce backfat loss (P = 0.075) of sows without affecting feed intake, while litter weight gain was not influenced. In experiment 2, we further enhanced the nutrients in the SVCB diet (0.8 ppm Se, 1% yeast nucleotides, and 0.1% mannan oligosaccharides; named as SNM diet). Results showed that the SNM diet did not improve feed intake of sows, farrowing performance, or litter weight gain compared with the SVCB diet, but increased body weight loss of the third parity sows (P = 0.037). Overall, a combined supplementation of Se, VE, Cr, and betaine above the NRC recommended levels can reduce mobilisation of body reserve of lactating sows in summer.     

Atmospheric residence time of CH3Br estimated from the junge spatial variability relation

The atmospheric residence time for methyl bromide (CH3Br) has been estimated as 0.8 +/- 0.1 years from its empirical spatial variability relative to C2H6, C2Cl4, CHCl3, and CH3Cl. This evaluation of the atmospheric residence time, based on Junge's 1963 general proposal, provides an estimate for CH3Br that is independent of source and sink estimates. Methyl bromide from combined natural and anthropogenic sources furnishes about half of the bromine that enters the stratosphere, where it plays an important role in ozone destruction. This residence time is consistent with the 0.7-year value recently calculated for CH3Br from the combined strength estimates for its known significant sinks.     

Presumptive trimethoprim-sulfadiazine-related hepatotoxicosis in a dog.

Administration of trimethoprim-sulfadiazine in a dog was associated with vomiting, inappetence, and icterus, and high values of alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyltransferase, and total bilirubin concentration. The clinical signs and biochemical abnormalities resolved after discontinuation of the treatment. Histologic examination of sections from a liver biopsy specimen revealed moderate, predominantly portal hepatitis with cholestasis.