Measurement and simulation of the movement of thiazafluron, clopyralid and metamitron in soil columns

Adsorption and leaching of the herbicides thiazafluron (1,3-dimethyl-1(5-trifluoromethyl-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl)urea), metamitron (4-amino-4,5-dihydro-3-methyl-6-phenyl-1,2,4-tri azin-5-one) and clopyralid (3,6-dichloropicolinic acid) were studied in one sandy and two silty-clay soils. Equilibrium adsorption coefficients (K_d) were measured using a batch equilibration procedure, and mobility was studied in repacked columns of the soils under fluctuating saturated/unsaturated flow conditions. Breakthrough curves (BTCs) were consistent with an inverse relationship between leaching and adsorption with greater mobility of the weakly-adsorbed clopyralid than the more strongly adsorbed thiazafluron or metamitron. The BTC data were used to evaluate the LEACHP simulation model. Following model calibration with respect to hydrological parameters and some of the herbicide degradation rates, the best fits between predicted and observed data were with the less adsorptive and highly mobile clopyralid. In general, the model gave acceptable predictions of the timing of the concentration maxima and the shapes of the BTCs, although earlier breakthrough than that observed was predicted with the less mobile herbicides, thiazafluron and metamitron, in the silty-clay soils. For metamitron, the total amounts leached were not predicted accurately, suggesting more rapid degradation of the herbicide in the soil columns than in the kinetic studies performed in a 1:1 soil:solution ratio shaken system.     

A new disease of cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) caused by Erwinia chrysanthemi in Papua New Guinea

A serious disease of cardamom in East New Britain Province of Papua New Guinea was shown by pathogenicity and biochemical tests to be caused by Erwinia chrysanthemi. The bacterium was repeatedly isolated from blackened roots, soft discoloured rhizome tissue and rhizosphere soil, but not from field soil in the immediate neighbourhood of diseased plants.     

The effects of pH and chloride concentration on mercury sorption. II. By a soil

The pH of a soil was altered by incubation with either acid or lime, and the sorption of mercury was measured in the absence of chloride and at three chloride concentrations. In the absence of chloride there were only small effects of pH on sorption between pH 4 and 6; sorption decreased at higher pH. Addition of chloride decreased sorption at low pH but had little effect on sorption at high pH. Consequently, in the presence of chloride, sorption increased with increasing pH between pH 4 and 6 and then decreased. Many of the mercury sorption curves were sigmoid. This was explained by assuming that a small amount of complexing material was present in the solution after mixing with the soil. Calculation of the mercury species present in solution was made difficult by uncertainties about the postulated complexing material. Nevertheless, between pH 4 and pH 5.8, it was possible to explain the effects of pH and of chloride concentration on sorption as entirely due to changes in the HgOH⁺ concentration.     

Clinical evaluation of protein electrophoresis of cerebral spinal fluid

Protein fractions of cerebral spinal fluid samples were analyzed in an effort to find a reliable, minimally invasive and cost effective method of diagnosing cervical vertebral myelopathy. There were six separate protein fractions analyzed by electrophoresis. In this study we specifically looked for a post beta spike in horses with spinal cord compression. There was no correlation in our study between horses with a post beta spike and CVM as diagnosed by a myelogram.     

Salmonella Enteritidis: the egg and I

SUMMARY: The world-wide clinical incidence of Salmonella Enteritidis has increased markedly. The increase is associated with the enhanced ability of the bacterium to systemically colonise layer chickens. Subsequent contamination and consumption of intact shell eggs from colonised layer hens, either directly or in foods containing raw or lightly cooked eggs, causes human disease. Despite investigation, no change in the biology of the bacterium has been correlated with increased colonisation in chickens. To date, no method of control at the production level has proven effective; consumer education is the best means of minimising the public health risk.     

Pathological Conditions of the Reproductive Organs of Male Stray Dogs in the Tropics: Prevalence, Risk Factors, Morphological Findings and Testosterone Concentrations

The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of and risk factors for pathological conditions of the reproductive organs in stray dogs under tropical conditions. Three hundred and eighteen dogs were examined post-mortem in the period from 1 July 2002 to 30 June 2003. Before killing, a blood sample (from the cephalic vein) for testosterone assay was taken. Pathological conditions of the reproductive organs were found in 135 of the dogs (42.5%) and in 175 of the testes (64.8%). The most frequent pathologies found were testicular degeneration, cryptorchidism, testicular hypoplasia and testicular tumours (in 15.1%, 6.6%, 6.6% and 5.4% of the dogs and 15.1, 4.6, 6.0 and 3.5 of the testes, respectively). Transmissible venereal tumour (TVT) was seen in 5.4% of the dogs. Testicular degeneration was more common in old dogs and underweight dogs (p < 0.05). Testicular tumours were 14.3 times more common in cryptorchid dogs. Age was another important factor for the development of testicular tumours (p < 0.05). Lower levels of testosterone concentration (p < 0.05) were observed in dogs with advanced testicular degeneration (0.7 +/- 0.8 nM), dogs with hypoplastic testicles (0.8 +/- 0.9 nM) and dogs with one degenerated and one retained testis or with bilateral cryptorchidism (1.2 +/- 0.9 nM) compared to dogs with one or two normal testes (7.0 +/- 5.5 nM). Testicular volume and weight were significantly lower in degenerated, hypoplastic and retained testes compared with the contralateral normal testis. Some spermatogenic activity was found in three of the retained testes, producing oligozoospermic smears with a high percentage of sperm abnormalities. No comparable epidemiological data about male pathological conditions of the reproductive organs in the dog is available. The prevalence found in this study, yet, appears high.     

Dermal and serological response against Pseudomonas aeruginosa in sheep bred for resistance and susceptibility to fleece-rot

Genetically select lines of Merino sheep have been bred at Trangie (NSW Agriculture and Fisheries) for resistance (R) or susceptibility (S) to fleece-rot and flystrike. It is believed that fleece characters are primarily responsible for the R or S phenotype. When transferred to the wetter coastal environment of Sydney, R and S sheep with no more than 6 weeks wool cover, continued to show significant differences in the incidence and severity of fleece-rot dermatitis. To test the hypothesis that these sheep might also exhibit differences in their local skin reactions and immune responsiveness, 3 intradermal injections of killed Pseudomonas aeruginosa were administered at monthly intervals. After primary intradermal challenge, R sheep had a higher incidence of skin induration and a stronger inflammatory response (increased induration diameter) than S sheep. Compared to S sheep, R sheep also developed higher levels of circulating antibodies against whole cell antigen and both inner and outer membrane proteins of P. aeruginosa. These responses were maintained in R sheep with each consecutive challenge while S sheep showed a decline in their immune responsiveness. Differences in antibody response against outer membrane proteins were also detected when antigenically naive sheep from each genetic line were sensitised by epicutaneous challenge with P. aeruginosa under experimental wetting conditions. Intradermal challenge of these animals 6 months later with outer membrane proteins, revealed a late maximum (72 h) in the development of induration diameters for R sheep while S animals showed maximal induration diameters by 24 h. However, there was no significant difference in induration response between 24 h and 72 h within each group of sheep.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)