Peritoneal fluid analysis in adult, nonpregnant Awassi sheep

BACKGROUND: To the authors' knowledge, there is no information in the literature about normal peritoneal fluid values in ovine species. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the study reported here was to establish reference intervals for peritoneal fluid from clinically normal Awassi sheep and to compare the values to those in blood. METHODS: Peritoneal fluid and blood samples were collected into tubes containing EDTA, from 40 clinically healthy, nonpregnant, female Awassi sheep, aged 2 to 7 years. Total nucleated cell count (TNCC) was determined using an electronic cell counter. Total protein, albumin, urea, creatinine, and glucose concentrations and aspartate transaminase activity were analyzed using commercially available kits. RESULTS: TNCC (mean +/- SD) of peritoneal fluid was 1.1 +/- 0.87 X 10(3)/microl, with neutrophils (3.9%), lymphocytes (33.5%), macrophages/monocytes (61.2%), and eosinophils (1.4%). Biochemical results in peritoneal fluid were: total protein, 1.7 +/- 0.74 g/dL; albumin, 1.0 +/- 0.04 g/dL; urea, 12.6 +/- 3.95 mg/dL; creatinine, 0.6 +/- 0.19 mg/dL; glucose, 54.8 +/- 6.11 mg/dL; and aspartate transaminase, 23.5 +/- 8.82 U/L. Eosinophil percentage and creatinine concentration did not differ significantly from blood values. CONCLUSION: Baseline values for cytologic and biochemical parameters in peritoneal fluid of Awassi sheep, with comparison to blood, have been generated. Such data may be applicable to other ovine species and can be used in the clinical investigation of ovine abdominal disorders.     

REVIEW: Biofortification of Durum Wheat with Zinc and Iron

Micronutrient malnutrition affects over 2 billion people in the developing world. Iron (Fe) deficiency alone affects >47% of all preschool aged children globally, often leading to impaired physical growth, mental development, and learning capacity. Zinc (Zn) deficiency, like iron, is thought to affect billions of people, hampering growth and development, and destroying immune systems. In many micronutrient‐deficient regions, wheat is the dominant staple food making up >50% of the diet. Biofortification, or harnessing the powers of plant breeding to improve the nutritional quality of foods, is a new approach being used to improve the nutrient content of a variety of staple crops. Durum wheat in particular has been quite responsive to breeding for nutritional quality by making full use of the genetic diversity of Fe and Zn concentrations in wild and synthetic parents. Micronutrient concentration and genetic diversity has been well explored under the HarvestPlus biofortification research program, and very positive associations have been confirmed between grain concentrations of protein, Zn, and Fe. Yet some work remains to adequately explain genetic control and molecular mechanisms affecting the accumulation of Zn and Fe in grain. Further, evidence suggests that nitrogen (N) nutritional status of plants can have a positive impact on root uptake and the deposition of micronutrients in seed. Extensive research has been completed on the role of Zn fertilizers in increasing the Zn density of grain, suggesting that where fertilizers are available, making full use of Zn fertilizers can provide an immediate and effective option to increase grain Zn concentration, and productivity in particular, under soil conditions with severe Zn deficiency.     

Effects of herbage intake on goat performance in the mediterranean type natural pastures

This study aimed at identifying changes in natural pastures during the grazing season and investigating the effects of these changes on pasture feeding potential for high yielding dairy goats. During the study, 12 dairy goats were grazed on a 1.5 ha natural pasture for three months from April to June in 2003, 2004 and 2005. The goats were fed 0.5 kg/day of concentrate as a supplement during the grazing season. Botanical composition, herbage production and intake, crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) contents of the pasture were determined. Live weight, milk yield, milk dry matter (DM) and fat content of the goats were monitored. The data were analyzed using a linear model, which evaluated the effects of grazing seasons in each year. Based on the three-year average, 87% of pasture was herbaceous plants and the remaining was shrubs in DM basis with Cistus creticus , Quercus ithaburensis , Pistacia atlantica and Asparagus acutifolius being the major shrub species. The herbage yield in June was significantly lower than in other months in all years ( P  = 0.001). In all experimental years, the CP content of the pasture decreased but the structural carbohydrates increased as the grazing season proceeded. While live weight was not affected by grazing periods except for 2004 ( P  = 0.001), milk yield significantly decreased with advancing grazing period ( P  = 0.001). The results of the present study indicate that natural pasture has a supportive effect in April and May on the milk yield of lactating goats which are in mid-lactation, and suggested that supplementary feeding is required in consecutive grazing periods.     

Assessment of Radionuclides, Trace Metals and Radionuclide Transfer from Soil to Food of Jhangar Valley (Pakistan) Using Gamma-Ray Spectrometry

The gamma spectrometric analysis of soil and essential foodstuffs, e.g., wheat, millet, potato, lentils and cauliflower, which form the main component of the daily diet of the local public, was carried out using high purity germanium (HpGe) detector coupled with a computer based high-resolution multi-channel analyzer. The activity concentration in soil samples for ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K ranged from 30.0 Bq kg^?1 to 81.2 Bq kg^?1, 31.4 Bq kg^?1 to 78.25 Bq kg^?1 and 308.8 Bq kg^?1 to 2177.6 Bq kg^?1, with mean values of 56.2, 58.5 and 851.9 Bq kg^?1, respectively. The average activity measured for ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K in soil samples was found higher than the world average. The major radionuclide found in the food items studied was ⁴⁰K, while ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th and ¹³⁷Cs were detected in very nominal amounts. The results clearly indicate that these radionuclides have no health hazard to human beings, as they are well below the annual limit of intake (ALI) for these radionuclides. The transfer factors of these radionuclides from soil to food were also studied. The mean transfer factors of ⁴⁰K, ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th and ¹³⁷Cs from soil to food were estimated to be about 0.17, 0.07, 0.16 and 0.23, respectively. An artificial radionuclide, ¹³⁷Cs, was also present in detectable amount in all samples. The internal and external hazard indices were measured and had mean values of 0.70 and 0.55, respectively. Absorbed dose rates and effective dose have been determined in the present study. Concentration of trace metals, such as Cr, Pb, Ni and Zn, was also determined in the soil samples. The concentrations of radionuclides and trace metals found in these samples during the present study were nominal and do not pose any potential health hazard to the general public.     

Application of a fuzzy rule-based method for the determination of clay dispersibility

Some clay soils are highly susceptible to erosion and piping because of dispersion or deflocculation in pore water. These soils, called “dispersive clay soil” in geotechnical engineering, are structurally unstable, easily dispersive and, thus, highly erodible. There are many tests to determine dispersibility both physically and chemically. However, these tests can give different results for the same soil sample. Therefore, more than one test should be used to identify dispersive soils more accurately. In previous research, the discriminant method was used to combine these test results. In this study, a fuzzy logic approximation method was developed to combine the different results of the double hydrometer, pinhole, Na(%)-TDS and ESP-CEC methods into a single value. This new method was applied to the dispersibility test results of 29 samples, and it gave more reliable and objective results for identifying the dispersibility of the clay soil.     

Antioxidant and immune potential marker enzymes assessment in the various tissues of rats exposed to indoleacetic acid and kinetin: A drinking water study

In the present study, the influence of two different PGRs, indoleacetic acid (IAA) and kinetin (Kn) on immune potential enzymes, adenosine deaminase (ADA) and myeloperoxidase (MPO), and antioxidant defense enzymes such as glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in various tissues of rats were investigated during the treatment as a drinking water model. 100 ppm of IAA and Kn as drinking water were administered orally to rats (Sprague-Dawley albino) ad libitum for 21 days continuously. The PGRs treatments caused different effects on the immune potential and antioxidant defense enzymes of experimented rats compared to controls. Results show that IAA caused a significant decrease in GR activity in the lungs and liver and an increase in the spleen. Also, IAA caused a significant decline in GPx activity in the lungs and an increase in the heart. SOD was significantly reduced in the heart, while increased in the lungs. Furthermore, IAA caused a significant decrease in ADA activity in the heart and blood whereas an increase in the kidney and spleen. MPO activity was also significantly increased in the heart by IAA treatment. The activity of enzymes were also seriously affected by Kn; GR activity decreased in the lungs, brain, and blood while GPx activity decreased in the spleen, brain, and heart. ADA activity was also significantly reduced in the blood whereas MPO activity rose in the spleen. In addition, SOD activity lowered in all tissues except for lungs where a significant increment was determined. As a conclusion, the results indicate that PGRs might affect on antioxidant and immune potential enzymes. These data, along with the determined changes suggest that PGRs produced substantial systemic organ toxicity in the erythrocyte, liver, brain, heart, lungs, spleen, and kidney during the period of a 21-day subacute exposure.     

Infleence of some organic manures as soil amendments on development and reproduction ofRotylenchulus reniformis infecting eggplant andHirschmanniella oryzae infecting rice

The effect of amended soil with rabbit, camel, poultry, quail, pigeon, horse, buffalo and duck manures to manage the rice root nematode, Hirschmanniella oryzae on Giza 171 rice plants, and effects of the first five manures in management of the reniform nematode, Rotylenchulus reniformis on Balady eggplants was studied under greenhouse conditions. All treatments significantly (p<-0.01) reduced final populations, rate of build-up and reproduction of both nematodes than in unamended soil. The reduction in such parameters greatly varied according to the type of the tested organic manure and the host plant. Generally, pigeon manure was highly effective against R. reniformis on eggplant followed by quail, poultry and rabbit manures, while camel treatment occupied the least potent manure. Consequently a corresponding statistical increase in eggplant growth resulted. As for managing H. oryzae on rice plants, buffalo dung was very potent inhibitor to its build-up followed by camel, horse, poultry, duck, quail, rabbit and pigeon manures. Percentages increase in the rice growth showed more values when applying duck and pigeon manures followed by quail, rabbit and buffalo. Horse dung improved, to some extent, the growth of rice plants although, none of the other organic manures succeeded in improving the rice plant growth. An explanation has been submitted to discuss the role of both pigeon droppings and buffalo dung on both R. reniformis on eggplant and H. oryzae on rice. This type of control of phytonematodes was considered economical, easy and pollution free.     

Leveling-index based variable rate seeding technique for paddy

Precision Agriculture - Poor land leveling of paddy fields leads to irrigation problems which affect crop establishment and ultimately yield. One way to manage this is to vary the seeding rate...