Inherent differences in response of douglas fir families to nitrogen and phosphorus supply levels

Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziessi [Mirb.] Franco) seedlings from a half diallel mating design showed significant family by nutrient interactions when grown in a 3N × 3P × 15 family factorial experiment for 2 yr. Differences in response of these families to N and P treatment levels were related to nutrient productivity (dry matter production nutrient⁻¹ time⁻¹), but unrelated to the proportion of dry matter allocated to root growth, or to nutrient net uptake rate. Significance of general combining ability for N and K productivity showed clonal control of these characters. Evidence for genetic control of tissue N% and K%, shoot:root ratio and N uptake rate were also shown.     

Management of inflammatory polyps in 37 cats

The case records of 37 cats treated for nasopharyngeal or aural inflammatory polyps were reviewed. Thirty of them were managed conservatively with the polyp being removed by traction alone. Long-term follow-up information was available for 22 cats, of which 13 (59 per cent) had no recurrence of clinical signs. The remaining nine cats required recurrent polyps to be removed surgically. Cats with only nasopharyngeal polyps were nearly four times more likely to be cured by traction alone than cats with aural polyps, and none of the cats that was treated with prednisolone after traction suffered a recurrence. Cats with more severe aural signs were more likely to require surgery.     

Effects of exogenous neurohormone, gonadotropin (GtH) and dopaminergic drugs on the serum GtH content and ovulatory responsiveness of wild catfish, Silurus asotus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Wild female catfish Silurus asotus (Linnaeus, 1758) were injected with domperidone (DOM) alone, [d ‐Ala⁶, Pro⁹ Net]‐luteinizing hormone‐releasing hormone (LHRH‐A) alone once or twice, LHRH‐A plus DOM once or twice simultaneously at 6‐h intervals, LHRH‐A plus carp pituitary extract (CPE) twice simultaneously at 6‐h intervals and LHRH‐A plus human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) twice simultaneously 6 h apart respectively. The results indicated that injection of LHRH‐A at a dosage of 0.01–0.02 μg g^?1 body weight (BWt) alone induced a low but significant increase in serum gonadotropin (GtH) (P<0.05) and resulted in a very low ovulation rate, while DOM at a dosage of 5 μg g^?1 BWt alone did not induce an increase in the serum GtH levels and ovulation; in contrast, LHRH‐A at a dosage of 0.01 μg g^?1 BWt plus DOM at a dosage of 5 μg g^?1 BWt (termed the Linpe technique) increased the serum GtH (P<0.05) significantly and induced an ovulatory rate of 100%, while LHRH‐A plus CPE or HCG resulted in an increase in the serum GtH (P<0.05) and high ovulatory rate, although the latency period was longer when fish were given LHRH‐A plus HCG or CPE.     

万寿菊的温室规模化生产

万寿菊作为一种常见的一年生花卉被广泛应用于庭院、道路绿化和园林美化中。它喜欢干燥、向阳的环境,花色艳丽,花型多样,花期从夏季可持续到秋末。依品种不同,万寿菊的株高从15cm到70cm不等。矮生的万寿菊一般用作盆花生产组成花坛,或用来做花境;较高的品种用来作为背景或花坛的填充材料,或用作切花生产。以前,万寿菊有一种大多数人都不喜欢的强烈的气味;新品种的味道淡了很多,但是仍然有万寿菊那种特殊的味道。种类万寿菊通常分为两种:万寿菊Africanmarigolds(Tageteserecta)和孔雀草Frenchmarigolds(Tagetespatula)。但是有趣的是:这两…     

Bone marrow response to large volume blood collection in the horse

Evaluation of erythropoietic regeneration in horses is difficult unless serial bone marrow aspirates are performed. To investigate the acute and chronic erythropoietic regenerative response of equine bone marrow following acute removal or loss of blood, sequential bone marrow aspirates over 4 weeks were taken from the sternum of five horses from which 20 ml kg(-1)of blood had been removed. We found that the total number of erythroid cells counted (expressed as a percentage of the total number of erythroid and myeloid cells counted) expanded initially by 13.7 per cent within 3 days after blood removal, the erythroid response peaking by 9 days with a further 13.5 per cent increase. This peak coincided with the lowest M:E ratio. Concomitantly, a shift from proliferative phase cells to maturing phase cells occurred, which appeared to persist beyond 31 days post collection. Thus, we found that the equine bone marrow mounted a regenerative erythropoietic response more slowly than previously determined and, also, regeneration of the erythroid compartment was incomplete 31 days after blood removal of this magnitude.     

土地利用方式的改变对土壤呼吸及土壤微生物生物量的影响

土壤呼吸释放的CO2与土壤微生物生物量碳是全球碳循环中最为活跃的部分.作者对南京林业大学下蜀实习林场内天然次生栎林、马尾松人工林、毛竹林、板栗经济林和农田5种土地利用类型的土壤呼吸速率及土壤微生物生物量进行了测定,并分析了土地利用方式和各种土壤理化性质对土壤呼吸速率及土壤微生物生物量的影响.研究结果表明:①在5种不同土地利用类型中,农田的土壤呼吸速率显著大于马尾松林、栎林和毛竹林;板栗经济林的土壤呼吸速率显著大于毛竹林和马尾松林;其他各土地利用类型之间的土壤呼吸速率均无显著性差异.②在5种不同土地利用类型中,马尾松林的土壤微生物生物量显著小于农田、板栗经济林和毛竹林;农田的土壤微生物生物量显著大于栎林;其他各土地利用类型之间的土壤微生物生物量均无显著差异.③土壤呼吸速率与土壤微生物生物量、土壤温度(尤其是5cm深土壤温度)、土壤全钙含量、土壤全磷含量以及土壤碳氮比有显著相关关系;而与土壤全碳、全氮、土壤pH值等因子相关性不大.④土壤微生物生物量与土壤全钙含量、土壤全磷含量有显著相关关系;而与土壤pH值、土壤湿度等因子无显著相关关系.研究结果还表明:森林变为农田可能潜在地增加土壤CO2的释放;该地区土壤中磷的含量和有效性可能是限制土壤微生物生物量的重要因子.     

Closed fluoroscopic-assisted spinal arch external skeletal fixation for the stabilization of vertebral column injuries in five dogs

Objective— To evaluate outcome after closed fluoroscopic-assisted application of spinal arch external skeletal fixators in dogs with vertebral column injuries.
Study Design— Retrospective case series.
Animals— Dogs with traumatic vertebral column injuries (n=5).
Methods— Medical records of dogs with vertebral column fractures and/or luxations stabilized with spinal arch external skeletal fixator frames applied using a closed fluoroscopic-assisted technique were reviewed. Owners were contacted to obtain long-term clinical outcomes.
Results— Five dogs (age range, 6–72 months; weight, 10–54 kg) had traumatic vertebral column injuries stabilized with spinal arch external skeletal fixators applied in closed fashion. Injuries involved vertebral segments of the thoracolumbar junction, lumbar spine, and lumbosacral junction. Immediately postoperatively, 4 dogs had anatomic alignment of their vertebral fracture/luxation; 1 dog had 1 mm of vertebral canal height compromise. Time to fixator removal ranged from 65 to 282 days (141±87 days). All dogs had regained satisfactory neurologic function by 3 months. At long-term follow-up (range, 282–780 days; mean 445±190 days) all dogs were judged to have good to excellent return of function by their owners.
Conclusion— Successful closed fluoroscopic-assisted application of external skeletal fixators using spinal arches provided satisfactory reduction with few complications in 5 dogs. Return to function was judged to be good to excellent in all dogs at long-term evaluation.
Clinical Relevance— Closed fluoroscopic-assisted application of ESF using spinal arches provided satisfactory reduction and effective stabilization of spinal fractures with few complications and should be considered as a treatment approach.     

Quantification of the transmission of classical swine fever virus between herds during the 1997-1998 epidemic in The Netherlands

In this study, we describe a method to quantify the transmission of Classical Swine Fever Virus (CSFV) between herds from data collected during the 1997–1998 epidemic in the Netherlands. From the contacts between infected herds and the serological findings shortly before depopulation, we estimated the week of virus introduction and the length of the period over which the herd emitted virus for each CSFV-infected herd. From these data, we estimated the infection-rate parameter β (the average number of herds infected by one infectious herd during one week) and the herd reproduction ratio, R_h (the average total number of secondary outbreaks caused by one infectious herd, i.e. in its entire infectious period), using a SIR-model for different sets of CSF control measures. When R_h > 1, an epidemic continues to grow. On the other hand, when R_h < 1 an epidemic will fade out.

During the phase before the first outbreak was diagnosed and no specific measures had been implemented, β was estimated at 1.09 and R_h at 6.8. In the subsequent phase infected herds were depopulated, movement restrictions were implemented, infected herds were traced forward and backward and the herds in the protection and surveillance zones were clinically inspected by the veterinary authorities (regional screening). This set of measures significantly reduced β to 0.38. However, R_h was 1.3 and thus still >1. Consequently, the number of outbreaks continued to grow. After a number of additional measures were implemented, the value of R_h was reduced to 0.5 and the epidemic came to an end. These measures included pre-emptive slaughter of herds that had been in contact with infected herds or were located near an infected herd, increased hygienic procedures, replacement of transports of pigs for welfare reasons by killing of young piglets and a breeding ban, and regional screening for CSF-infected herds by local veterinary practitioners.     

Low ratios of sodium to potassium in the serum of 238 dogs

Serum sodium:potassium (Na:K) ratios are often reported in biochemical studies of dogs, although their value has not been assessed. The aims of this study were to identify diseases associated with a low Na:K ratio in dogs and to compare their prevalence with the prevalence in dogs from the same referral hospital with normal Na:K ratios. A total of 238 dogs with a Na:K ratio less than 27 were identified from medical records. Sample contamination with edta was suspected in 74 cases (31 per cent) and these and two cases that had been supplemented with potassium were removed from the analysis. The remaining 162 cases and 147 control dogs were divided into five categories depending on the organ system affected. Among the cases there were significantly more in the endocrine category than among the control dogs. Hypoadrenocorticism was the most single common cause of a low Na:K ratio and affected 27 (16.7 per cent) of the cases. Other clinical problems associated with low Na:K ratios included different urogenital, cardiorespiratory and gastrointestinal diseases.     

Oral rosmarinic acid-enhanced Mentha spicata modulates synovial fluid biomarkers of inflammation in horses challenged with intra-articular LPS

A biological extract of high-rosmarinic acid mint (HRAM) has previously demonstrated inhibitory effects on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)), nitric oxide (NO) and glycosaminoglycan (GAG) release in vitro. This study was undertaken to determine whether HRAM added to feed produces similar effects in horses challenged with intra-articular LPS. Eight horses received HRAM (0 or 28.1 ± 1.3 g/day; n = 4 per group) in their feed for 24 days in a blinded manner. On day 21, all horses received an intra-articular injection of LPS (0.3 ng) into their left or right intercarpal joint. Synovial fluid (SF) samples were taken on postinjection day (PID)-21 (i.e. prior to commencement of supplementation), PID0, PID0.25, PID0.5, PID1 and PID3 and analysed for PGE(2), GAG, NO, protein and total nucleated cells counts. Blood biochemistry and haematology screens were conducted at PID-21, PID0, PID1 and PID3. There was a significant reduction in LPS-induced PGE(2) and GAG in SF in horses supplemented with HRAM compared with controls and a tendency to increase complement recognition protein accumulation in synovial fluid of HRAM horses. Plasma from HRAM horses had reduced total white blood cells, segmented neutrophils (compared with baseline concentrations) and lymphocytes (compared with controls), and increased SF nucleated cell count (compared with baseline concentrations and controls). It is concluded that HRAM offered as part of the feed alter biomarkers of inflammation in SF of LPS-challenged horses. Larger studies that seek to clarify effects of HRAM on synovial fluid cell counts and possible role of HRAM-induced interference with complement signalling are warranted.