Atypical distribution of fowl pox lesions in broilers

An unusual cutaneous fowl pox outbreak occurred in 8-wk-old broilers in California. Rounded and longitudinal, proliferative scratch-associated lesions were found only in feathered areas of the body. Both sides of the hip, the lower abdomen, pericloacal area, and lateral lower neck area were involved. The head, legs, feet, and toes did not have lesions. Birds in only one section of one of five houses were affected. Fifteen percent condemnations occurred in birds from the affected house due to the skin lesions. A diagnosis of fowl pox was achieved by histopathology, viral isolation, and direct electron microscopy. The unusual distribution of pox lesions was assumed to be associated with skin scratches. There was no evidence that mosquitoes or other types of insects were involved in this outbreak. To the knowledge of the authors, this is the first report of this kind of unusual fowl pox in the United States.     

Influence of Changes in Body Weight on Peak Vertical Force in Osteoarthritic Dogs: A Possible Bias in Study Outcome

Objective— Force platform gait analysis is a recognized clinical evaluation tool that captures and documents the in vivo pathomechanics of osteoarthritis (OA). In a clinical trial designed to evaluate the impact of 2 specific diets, an increase in body weight (BW) was observed in lame client-owned dogs. Covariance analysis was used to evaluate the interference of BW changes toward the evolution of peak vertical force (PVF) values. These secondary findings are reported in this study.
Study Design— Prospective study.
Animals— Lame dogs (n=26).
Methods— Dogs with radiographic evidence of OA and low PVF values were fed with 2 specific diets for 30 and 60 days. PVF and BW were recorded at baseline, day 30 (D30), and D90.
Results— Mean (±SD) PVF values (%BW) did not differ significantly over time (D0: 63.9±17.2; D30: 65.5±17.4; and D90: 66.5±20.1). In contrast, BW (kg) was significantly higher at D90 (41.3±7.9) when compared with D30 (39.9±8.4) and D0 (40.0±8.7). Upon covariance analyses, BW changes interfere significantly with PVF values already normalized in %BW ( P =.013). Values of PVF adjusted using BW as a covariate were then 63.4±17.1 (D0), 65.0±17.3 (D30), and 67.6±20.5 (D90), whereas D90 was significantly higher than D0.
Conclusion— These findings highlighted the interference of changes in BW toward locomotor function of OA dogs when using PVF values normalized in %BW. Exacerbation of lameness when a gain in BW occurred was also sustained, raising a possible bias in clinical study outcomes.
Clinical Relevance— A BW increase in dogs with OA could exacerbate a preexisting lameness and induce a bias in clinical trials.     

The effects of wood species and treatment retention on kinetics of CCA-C fixation reactions

Reaction kinetics of fixation of CCA-C (chromated copper arsenate type C) preservative was studied at 30°C in ground wood of trembling aspen, red pine, and red maple at treatment retentions of 4.0, 6.4, 9.6, and 30 kg/m³, and red maple pre-extracted with hot water at retentions of 6.4 and 30 kg/m³. Reaction orders of cumulative Cr, Cu, and As reactions decreased gradually during the fixation if calculated by Van’t Hoff’s method. With Essen’s method, CCA fixation was best approximated as follows: Cr—3rd order reaction during the first 24 h, and 1st order reaction for the rest of the fixation period; Cu—2nd order reaction; and As—1st order reaction in red pine and aspen, and 2nd order in red maple. Rates of reaction decreased with increased CCA solution concentration for Cr and Cu, and increased for As, except in red maple. Reaction rates for all CCA elements were significantly higher in rapidly fixing red maple than in regularly fixing red pine and aspen, and were higher in unextracted than pre-extracted red maple. Modeling of CCA fixation kinetic for the whole fixation period enabled comparison of fixation reactions among wood species, preservative components, and treatment retentions.     

Effects of Planting Stage on the Flowering of Glasshouse Tomatoes

The effect of keeping tomato seedlings in pots until the first flower opened, instead of planting them directly into the border at germination, was to hasten flowering of the first and second inflorescences but to delay that of the third and subsequent inflorescences. Delay in planting also tended to increase branching of the first inflorescence and to reduce branching of the second and subsequent inflorescences. The longer the plants were kept in pots before planting, the greater were the effects.     

A Study of the Development of the First Inflorescence of Glasshouse Tomatoes

When seedlings of the Potentate variety of glasshouse tomato began growth at a time of year when the day-length was less than twelve hours and decreasing, development of the first inflorescence ceased at an early stage. When growth began at a time of year when the day-length was more than twelve hours, or less than twelve hours and increasing, normal development of the first inflorescence from initiation to ovary swelling occurred.

When these normal inflorescences reached antbesis and the ovaries began to swell at a time of year when the day-length was more than twelve hours, a large constant percentage of the buds reflexed their petals and nearly all such flowers set fruit. When the day-length became less than twelve hours anthesis and ovary swelling rapidly decreased and ceased.     

Relations Between Growth of Leaves,Fruit and Shoot of Glasshouse Tomato Plants

The weekly rates of shoot extension and total growth in leaf length of the glasshouse tomato variety Potentate increased from germination until soon after the start of ovary swelling. It is postulated that when, or soon after, the first flower primordia were initiated, an internal reaction was stimulated that eventually resulted in the cessation of the progressive increase in the rates of shoot extension and growth in leaf length. Increase in the rate of vegetative growth ceased soon after the start of ovary swelling, but this occurred even when no ovaries were allowed to swell.

The diameter of the shoot was unaffected by removal of leaves but increased when no fruits were allowed to develop. Conversely, shoot extension growth was unaffected by removal of fruit but decreased when alternate immature leaves were removed, although the removal of mature leaves had no effect on shoot extension growth.

Removal of leaves was associated with a reduction in total fruit volume and an increase in total leaf length.

Removal of immature fruit was associated with an increase in total leaf length. Removal of alternate immature fruits had little effect on total fruit . volume ; the difference between normally fruiting plants and plants from which alternate fruits had been removed was less than 0?5%.     

The Effects of Sowing Date and Root Restriction on the Yield of the Glasshouse Tomato

The effects of sowing date and the use of containers on early and total yields of glasshouse tomatoes are discussed in relation to the economic interpretation of the data, and a tentative method of determining equivalent market yield from crop yield is outlined. Assessed economically, there was little effect of the use of containers relative to direct border planting. This finding is discussed in relation to the existence of an interaction between temperature and root restriction. The equivalent market yield was greater the earlier the sowing date, and the increase in the returns obtained from early sowings was greater than the increase in heating costs involved.     

Preventing cold storage disorders in nectarines

A storage experiment was aimed at preventing low temperature storage disorders in nectarine fruits, of cvs July Red and Autumn Grand. Fruit was either cooled immediately after harvest or kept at 20°C for 48 h, before transfer to controlled atmosphere (CA) conditions at 0°C. Combinations of 0, 10, 15 and 20% C02 with 8 and 16% 02 were assayed. The fruit was evaluated following cold storage, 31 days after harvest, and after four and eight days under ‘shelf conditions’ (ripening at 15-18 °C). Warming of the fruit at 20°C before cold storage prevented woolliness in the absence of elevated C02 levels but did not affect internal browning and increased reddish discoloration; further, it enhanced water loss and ripening, increasing fruit softening markedly. Conversely, high C02 delayed fruit ripening in CA storage, keeping the fruit firmer, and preventing the development of woolliness, internal browning and reddish discoloration during ripening, the best results being mostly obtained with 20% C02. 02 levels assayed did not show clear effects, but decreased 02 concentration in absence of high C02 showed some benefit in ‘July Red’. No deleterious effect of C02 concentrations even as high as 20% could be detected. Thus, even though high C02 in CA conditions showed promise for controlling disorders and preventing over-ripening, further work is needed on other cultivars, and lower 02 concentrations should be investigated before making a general recommendation.