Diet selection by sheep and goats and sward composition changes in a ryegrass/white clover sward previously grazed by cattle, sheep or goats

An experiment was conducted to examine how variation in the composition and structure of mixed grass/white clover swards affected diet selection by sheep and goats. Sward composition in a mixed perennial ryegrass/white clover sward was manipulated by continuous grazing from 28 May to 28 July (pre-experimental phase) with cattle, sheep or goats, and then from 29 July to 2 September (experimental phase) with sheep or goats in a factorial design replicated twice. Sward surface height was maintained at 6 cm by regular adjustment of stocking density. Grazing by different sequences of animal species resulted in significant differences in the proportions of white clover in the sward, and especially in the proportion of clover lamina and petiole. Grazing by goats in the pre-experimental phase led to greater proportions of clover lamina and petiole in the whole sward and the sward surface. The proportion of white clover in the diet selected by sheep in the experimental phase was consistently higher than that in the sward as a whole, but was closely related to that near to the sward surface (approximately the top 2 cm). For goats there was no significant relationship between the proportion of clover in the diet and in the whole sward, and they generally selected a diet with a lower proportion of white clover than was present in approximately the top 2 cm of the sward. It is concluded that on mixed grass/white clover swards goats do not graze as deeply into the sward as sheep and that this results in a lower proportion of white clover in their diet and therefore allows higher proportions of white clover to develop under grazing by goats than by sheep.     

促性腺激素诱发大西洋鲑卵黄发生期卵巢滤泡释放性类固醇激素的离体研究

提要应用大麻哈鱼(Oncovhynchus keta)促性腺激素(GTH)诱发大西洋鲑(Salmosalar)卵黄发生期的离体卵巢滤泡(直径为3．4毫米)产生性类固醇激素的研究表明，不论用0．1或1微克／毫升GTH刺激，经培育10天后，未出现卵母细胞卵核消失的现象，卵核偏位也不明显。对培养液中17α，20β-双羟孕酮(17α20βP)的积累浓度测定结果，仅1微克／毫升GTH组含少量的17α20βP；0．1微克／毫升GTH组，培养液中雌二醇的积累浓度明显高于对照组和1微克／毫升GTH组，并为后者的两倍。除雌二醇外，孕酮，17α-羟孕酮，17α20βP，雄烯二酮和睾酮的产生，都呈现对GTH剂量的依赖关系，1微克／毫升GTH组的产生量明显高于0．1微克／毫升GTH组和对照组。离体研究的结果表明，处于卵黄发生期的卵巢滤泡对低剂量(0．1微克／毫升)和高剂量(1微克／毫升)GTH的反应不同。低浓度的GTH，引起性类固醇激素生物合成的途径沿着形成雌二醇的方向进行，雄激素被芳香化成雌激素，雌二醇再而刺激肝脏合成卵黄物质的前体，从而促进卵黄发生。高浓度的GTH，有抑制雌二醇合成的作用，而是促使卵母细胞向着最终成熟的方向发展，使性类固醇生物合成的途径转向形成大量雄激素和孕激素，特别是17α20βP。这与已充分生长和卵黄积累完成的卵巢滤泡离体试验的结果一致，与活体观察以上各种性类固醇激素的变化一致。     

Glomalin in aggregate size classes from three different farming systems

Glomalin was measured in soil from farming systems managed for 8 years by chisel tillage (CT), more intensive tillage for organic (ORG) production, and no tillage (NT) on Acrisols (FAO Soil Units) in the Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. Whole soil and aggregate size classes of >2.00, 0.50–2.00 and 0.21–0.50 mm (macroaggregates), 0.05–0.21 mm (microaggregates), and <0.05 mm (fine material) were examined. Glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP) was extracted from 1-g samples (four plots per treatment) with 100 mM sodium pyrophosphate, pH 9.0, at 121 °C in three extraction cycles. Extracts were pooled and quantified by using the Bradford protein assay. Concentrations of GRSP and total carbon (C) in aggregates were linearly related across aggregate size classes for all treatments (GRSP = 0.101C + 0.56, r² = 0.95). No tillage had significantly greater whole soil GRSP than did CT or ORG (P = 0.01). Mean values for GRSP in aggregates of NT were higher than for CT or ORG aggregates by 0.53 and 0.66 mg g⁻¹ aggregates, respectively. There were no differences among treatments in GRSP concentrations in fine material. In NT the concentration of GRSP increased as aggregate size increased in contrast to the disturbed treatments, CT or ORG, where there were no differences in GRSP concentration across aggregate size fractions. Larger proportions of GRSP were distributed in macroaggregates of NT compared to CT and ORG in contrast to larger proportions in microaggregates of CT and ORG than in NT. Although soil disturbance in ORG farming is greater than for CT farming, both treatments had similar GRSP concentrations and distributions.     

Clinical features of dilated cardiomyopathy in Great Danes and results of a pedigree analysis: 17 cases (1990-2000)

OBJECTIVE: To determine clinical features of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in Great Danes and to determine whether DCM is familial in this breed. DESIGN: Retrospective study. ANIMALS: 17 Great Danes with DCM. PROCEDURE: Medical records of Great Danes in which DCM was diagnosed on the basis of results of echocardiography (fractional shortening < 25%, end-systolic volume index > 30 ml/m2 of body surface area) were reviewed. Pedigrees were obtained for affected animals, as well as for other Great Danes in which DCM had been diagnosed. RESULTS: Dilated cardiomyopathy appeared to be familial and was characterized by ventricular dilatation, congestive heart failure (left-sided or biventricular), and atrial fibrillation. Pedigree analysis suggested that DCM was inherited as an X-linked recessive trait, but the mode of inheritance could not be definitively identified. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results suggest that DCM may be an X-linked recessive trait in Great Danes. Thus, dogs with DCM probably should not be used for breeding, and female offspring of affected dogs should be used cautiously. Male offspring of affected females are at an increased risk of developing DCM and should be evaluated periodically for early signs of disease. Results of pedigree analysis were preliminary and should be used only as a guide for counseling breeders, rather than as a basis for making breeding decisions.     

Influence of variable photoperiods on the feeding activity and fecundity of<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Galendromus occidentalis</Emphasis> (Nesbitt) (Acari: Phytoseiidae) under laboratory conditions

The influence of variable photoperiods on the feeding activity and fecundity of Galendromus occidentalis (Nesbitt) was studied on a diet of Tetranychus urticae Koch eggs. Starved G. occidentalis females were fed T. urticae eggs under ten 24-h light:dark regimes. Half of the tests started during photophase and the other half during scotophase. T. urticae eggs that were consumed and G. occidentalis eggs that were laid were counted at the end of each photophase and scotophase in a 24 h period. In general, G. occidentalis consumed more T. urticae eggs per h in the first phase of the experiment than in the second, regardless of whether the lights were on or off. In contrast to egg consumption, there were no statistical differences in the mean daily fecundity at the end of the 24-h periods. However, when the experiment was started during photophase, higher fecundity/h was encountered during scotophase than during the photophase. As a result, egg consumption rates were affected by photoperiods in both phases of the experiments. Logistic regression analysis revealed that variable photoperiods and egg consumption did not influence the fecundity of G. occidentalis.