Retinal Disease in the N.Z. Working Dog

Sir, — It may be of interest to some rural practitioners, having an upsurge in requests for opthalmoscopic examinations of working dogs, to know that at present this practice is engaged in examinations at the National dog trials. Retinal disease is an increasing problem in both Huntaways and Heading dogs in this country. This is probably a result of the extensive use of selected strains and the tendency for the breeds to become more uniform with farmers keeping fewer better-bred dogs. Work on this complex condition is however in its infancy, and a great deal is yet to be resolved. At this stage histological sectioning suggests an inflammatory component, but computer pedigree analysis suggests a heretibility of 0.33 — 0.40. In the main the condition is not analogous to central P.R.A. present in the British Border Collie, despite its ancestral contribution particularly to the Heading dog.     

The effects of cultural factors on yield and curd quality of autumn cauliflower

The effects of six cultural treatments on (a) marketable yield, (b) percentage marketable plants and (c) percentage perfect quality curds produced, were studied on representative varieties of three groups of autumn cauliflower in experiments carried out over a period of five years. The treatments included a comparison of the use of graded and ungraded seed, transplanting and direct-drilling of the crop, different transplant ages, selection for uniformity at planting or thinning time, and plant density and nitrogen levels during the early seedling stage of growth.

In general the yields and quality of drilled and transplanted crops were similar with all varieties each year and neither the use of graded seed nor the nitrogen treatments had any significant effect on yield or curd quality. Both increasing plant density in the seedbed and increasing age of transplant caused a reduction in yield on most occasions. The effects of the treatments on yield and quality are discussed in relation to their effects on the maturity characteristics of the crops.     

Modelling the effects of timing and rates of application of benzyladenine as a secondary thinner of ‘Fuji’ apple after ethephon

A trial on ‘Fuji’ apples at the Grove Research Station in southern Tasmania during the 1991/92 season studied the thinning effect and interactions between ethephon and benzyladenine (BA) when BA was applied as a secondary thinner after a full bloom (FB) application of ethephon. The spray treatments were a factorial combination of eight application times of BA (11,13,15,17,19, 21, 23 or 25 days after full bloom (AFB)) with ten concentrations (20,40,60,80,100,120,140,160,180 or 200 mg I“1). An unsprayed control and an ethephon control were included. Target thinning results were achieved 19- 23 d AFB with concentrations of 140-160 mg I“1. A corollary of this successful thinning was an increase in fruit weight and size. Return bloom was improved significantly where thinning was successful. There was no effect on fruit firmness, soluble solids or lateral branching. Drawbacks were an increase in the incidence of russet and a reduction in pip number at the optimum thinning times and concentrations.     

用大鸟笼式饲养系统替代传统的蛋鸡生产系统

大鸟笼式／多层型家禽饲养系统（图1）可能会被整合入家禽饲养舍或散养舍中,以满足当今动物福利的要求。     

Comparison of odor-active compounds in the spicy fraction of hop (Humulus lupulus L.) essential oil from four different varieties

The "spicy" character of hops is considered to be a desirable attribute in beer, associated with "noble hop aroma". However, the compounds responsible have yet to be adequately identified. Odorants in four samples of the spicy fraction of hop essential oil were characterized using gas chromatography-olfactometry (GC-O) and CharmAnalysis. Four hop varieties were compared, namely, Target, Saaz, Hallertauer Hersbrucker, and Cascade. Odor-active compounds were tentatively identified using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GCxGC) combined with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOFMS). An intense "woody, cedarwood" odor was determined to be the most potent odorant in three of the four spicy fraction samples. This odor coincided with a complex region where between 8 and 13 compounds were coeluting in each of the four spicy fractions. The peak responsible was determined by (i) correlating peak areas with Charm values in eight hop samples and (ii) heart-cut multidimensional gas chromatography-olfactometry (MDGC-O). The compound responsible was tentatively identified as 14-hydroxy-beta-caryophyllene. Other important odorants identified were geraniol, linalool, beta-ionone, and eugenol.     

Increasing activity and improving nutrition through a schools-based programme: Project Energize. 1. Design, programme, randomisation and evaluation methodology

Project Energize is a through-school nutrition and activity programme that is being evaluated in a 2-year, cluster-randomised, longitudinal study. The present paper describes the background of the programme and study, the programme development and delivery, the study methodology including randomisation, measurement and analysis tools and techniques, and the mix of the study population. The programme is being delivered to sixty-two primary schools with sixty-two control schools, each limb containing about 11 000 students. The children in the evaluation cohort are 5 or 10 years old at enrolment; the randomisation protocol has achieved post-consent enrolment of 3000 evaluation participants, who are comparable by age, sex and school decile. End-point measures include body composition and associated physical characteristics, fitness, home and school environment and practice.