Bone marrow hypoplasia in a cat treated with griseofulvin

Three weeks after initiation of griseofulvin treatment for dermatophytosis (40 mg/kg of body weight, q 12 h), an 8-yr-old domestic shorthair cat developed depression, vomiting, and pyrexia. Abnormalities found during physical examination included bilateral mydriasis, visual impairment, grade-II/V systolic murmur and multiple areas of alopecia. The cat was pancytopenic; serum biochemical abnormalities included hyperbilirubinemia, hyperglycemia, hyponatremia, and hypokalemia, and urinalysis revealed proteinuria, glycosuria, and bilirubinuria. Examination of a bone marrow aspirate revealed profound hypoplasia of all precursors. Griseofulvin toxicosis was diagnosed on the basis of the temporal relationship of drug administration with onset of clinical, hematologic, and biochemical abnormalities and failure to identify an infective or neoplastic cause for the bone marrow hypoplasia. The condition was refractory to treatment and the cat was euthanatized. Pathologic changes in the bone marrow were consistent with severe hypoplasia of all bone marrow precursors.     

Adverse reactions to antimicrobial agents in the horse

The small number of adverse reactions to antimicrobial agents in the horse, recorded to date, reflects either a low level of reaction in the species or a failure to observe and report them, perhaps the latter. Reactions that have been observed could be due to toxic effects, e.g. discomfort after the intramuscular injection of chloramphenicol succinate; to hypersensitivity, e.g. the excitation or anaphylaxis observed after benzylpenicillins; and to biological or metabolic effects, e.g. changes in gut flora with oxytetracycline. A documentation of all reactions observed would both expand knowledge and protect horses known to have reacted.     

Molecular dynamics in ordered structures: computer simulation and experimental results for nylon 66 crystals

A detailed comparison between molecular dynamics computer simulations and the experimental characterization of molecular motion through deuterium nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic methods has been carried out for the crystalline phase of nylon 66 (polyhexamethyleneadipamide) at room temperature and just below the melting point. The computer simulations agree quantitatively with the experimental results at room temperature and qualitatively near the crystalline melting point. Both methods demonstrate that individual methylene groups within the crystals exhibit librational motion, which becomes very large in amplitude near the melting point, rather than undergoing discrete conformational jumps; furthermore, the hydrogen-bonded amides are relatively immobile at all temperatures below 230 degrees Celsius. The simulations are shown to be particularly useful for exaning the cooperativity of motion and for providing insight into structural-dynamical correlations. These aspects of the simulations are exemplified by the observation of concerted counterrotation of odd-numbered bonds within the methylene segments and the entropic stabilization of the crystal structure.     

Ion interactions in calcium‐efficient and calcium‐inefficient tomato lines 1

Two Ca‐efficient and 3 Ca‐inefficient tomato lines selected on the basis of dry matter production, Ca concentrations in tissues, and severity of Ca deficiency symptoms were grown in nutrient solutions containing 6 levels of total Ca ranging from 15 to 365 mg in 70 mg increments. All lines responded to increased Ca supply by increasing in dry weight and by accumulating Ca. The critical Ca concentrations in the shoots were 0.25% and 0.40% on a dry weight basis for the efficient and inefficient lines, respectively. Concentrations of Ca, K, Mg, P, and NO₃ ^‐ were lower in shoots and except for Mg were lower in roots of efficient plants than in the inefficient plants. For all lines as more Ca was available in the media and as Ca increased in the shoots and roots, the concentrations of the nutrients other than Ca declined. The declines in concentrations of K and Mg were not due to dilution by higher dry matter production in the efficient lines relative to the inefficient ones, although the total accumulation of Ca, P, and NO₃ ^‐ did not vary with Ca supplied. Antagonism among cations may account for differences in efficiency among lines of tomato.     

The influence of the extensional viscosity of very low concentrations of high molecular mass water-soluble polymers on atomisation and droplet impact

BACKGROUND: Water-soluble polymers are increasingly added to herbicide and pesticide formulations at very low concentrations (100-1000 mg L(-1)) in order to control the spray characteristics, notably to reduce spray drift and influence droplet bounce. The incorporation of polymeric adjuvants improves the efficacy of the spray solutions, thus enabling crop growers to maximise the performance of agrochemical sprays at lower dose rates of active ingredient. It is important to establish a fundamental understanding of how polymers influence the processes involved in droplet deposition.RESULTS: The shear and extensional viscosities of a series of high molecular mass (M(w)) poly(acrylamides) (M(w) approximately 10(6)-10(7)) have been determined at very low concentrations (100-1000 mg L(-1)). The polymer solutions demonstrated typical shear thinning characteristics under shear, and strain hardening behaviour under extension above a critical strain rate. The presence of the polymers was shown to increase the size of droplets produced in atomisation using an agricultural spray nozzle, as measured by laser diffraction. This was attributed to the increase in the extensional viscosity at the strain rates generated under pressure in the spray nozzle and was a function of both polymer concentration and M(w). In addition, the presence of polymer was found to have a significant influence on droplet bounce.CONCLUSIONS: The presence of very low concentrations of high molecular mass poly(acrylamides) significantly influences the size of droplets formed on atomisation and subsequent bounce characteristics. Large extensional viscosities generated above a critical strain rate are responsible for both processes.     

Effect of changing energy prices on commodity prices and farm income

Tatonnement programming is used to examine the effect of energy prices on commodity prices and farm income. This method uses a national interregional linear programming model in conjunction with demand equations for feedgrains, soybeans and wheat. This spatial programming model is solved iteratively with these demand functions using an algorithm based upon the Walrasian tatonnement process. While the model is static in nature, it indicates that once adjustment to a doubling of energy prices occurs returns to land will increase by 10·8%. Commodity prices will increase 24·1, 18·7 and 9·9% for feedgrains, wheat and soybean, respectively, and demand will decrease 2·2, 1·9, and 0·9% for these same three commodities.     

An evaluation of simultaneous GnRH and cloprostenol treatment of dairy cattle with cystic ovaries

In a randomized double-blind clinical trial, 75 cows with ovarian cysts were treated with the synthetic gonadotropin releasing hormone, gonadorelin acetate (GnRH). Forty-two of these cows were simultaneously treated with cloprostenol (CP), and the remaining 33 cows received sterile saline. Milk progesterone (P₄) was measured at treatment and two days later. Clinical response 30 days after treatment was determined by palpation per rectum, and estrus and breeding dates were recorded up to 90 days after treatment. Cows were examined for pregnancy by palpation per rectum 40 days or more after breeding. Milk progesterone levels two days after treatment were significantly lower and the 30-day clinical response rate was significantly higher in the GnRH + CP group than in the GnRH group. Intervals to first estrus and to conception, proportion in heat by day 21 after treatment, and pregnancy rate by 90 days did not differ significantly between the groups. The same relationships held in a subset of cows with P₄≥1 ng/mL at treatment. Fewer cows in the GnRH + CP group became pregnant by day 90 after treatment, but this difference was not significant. These results suggest that simultaneous GnRH and cloprostenol treatment of all cows with cystic ovaries cannot be recommended at this time.