Ruminal biohydrogenation of fatty acids from high-oleate sunflower seeds.

The objective of these experiments was to examine methods of modifying the fatty acid composition of bovine tissues. In the first experiment, four steers were fitted with duodenal fistulas and were assigned to four diets in a Latin square design. The steers were fed a control diet or the same diet containing 10% high-oleate partially crushed sunflower seeds, serum-coated sunflower seeds, and heat-treated, serum-coated sunflower seeds for 5 d. Samples of digesta and feces were collected on d 5. The inclusion of sunflower seeds (plain or serum-coated) in the diet increased (P less than .05) the digesta concentration of stearate. The percentage of stearate in the digesta and feces was increased (P less than .05) from 51 to 67% and from 64 to 74%, respectively, when steers were fed the untreated sunflower seed. The fecal concentration of oleate was increased (P less than .05) by dietary sunflower seeds in steers that were fed the serum-coated, unheated sunflower seeds. In a second experiment, heifers (four per group) were fed a corn-based control diet or diets containing 10% of high-oleate sunflower oil encapsulated with calcium alginate, either plain, coated with blood meal, or with blood meal integrated into the pellet. After 50 d on treatment, samples of perianal adipose tissue were obtained by biopsy. The fatty acid composition of the adipose tissue was not modified by the inclusion of the encapsulated oleate in the diet. In summary, limited ruminal bypass of sunflower seed oleate was accomplished with sunflower seed but not with encapsulated oleate.     

Effects of ventilation and air temperature on pollution levels in underground car parks

The relationship between the levels of CO and airborne Pb was evaluated against conditions of traffic flow, ambient air temperature and the ventilation rates in 3 underground car parks. During the study period significant variations were noted in the levels of the pollutants in each of the car parks which frequently exceeded the proposed Malaysian Air Quality Standard of 0.7 μg m^?3Pb and 9 μg L^?1 (8 hr average) CO for indoor environs. High correlation coefficient values were obtained between the levels of CO and traffic flow and Pb and traffic flow. High traffic flow also increased the mean air temperature inside the car parks. Reductions in the ventilation rates in the car parks caused an almost two-fold increase in the level of CO and vice versa. A simple mathematical model depicting the CO concentrations in relation to other parameters was formulated.     

An unusual tumor of the nictitating membrane gland of dogs-- a case report]

A tumor of the third eyelid gland was diagnosed in a 13 year old female Chihuahua. Histopathology of the excised tissue revealed an apocrine adnexoma with squamous metaplasia. The literature regarding prolapse and tumors of the third eyelid gland was reviewed. No case with similar morphology to this tumor was described to our knowledge.     

Discospondylitis.

The etiopathogenesis and diagnosis of discospondylitis are reviewed. Various therapy options are described. Also included is a discussion of the appropriate usage of specific antimicrobial agents.     

Antibody responses to avian encephalomyelitis virus vaccines when administered by different routes

Antibody responses to a commercial avian encephalomyelitis virus (AEV) vaccine administered by different routes were measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Responses to single doses of vaccine administered by the ocular route to 10% of a flock were comparable with those obtained when all birds received a single dose in the drinking water. However, ocular vaccination of 5% of the flock resulted in significantly lower responses than those obtained when 10% were vaccinated. Maternal antibody was shown by the ELISA to persist in chickens from vaccinated flocks for up to 21 days after hatching. Day-old chickens with serum absorbances of < 0.3 at 492 nm, as determined by the ELISA, were shown to be susceptible to intracerebral challenge with the neurotropic Van Roekel strain of AEV.     

Comparison of media to isolate Staphylococcus aureus from teat skin and milking unit liners.

Four procedures were compared for isolation of Staphylococcus aureus from swabbing solutions of teat skin and milking unit liners from commercial dairies. In 2 procedures, 0.1 ml of swabbing solutions were added to either 5 ml Vogel-Johnson or Baird Parker broth media and enriched at 37 degrees C, 4 h. Following enrichment, 0.1 ml culture was transferred to modified Baird-Parker agar and incubated at 37 degrees C, 48 h. In the other 2 procedures, 0.1 ml of swabbing solution was directly placed on either blood or modified Baird-Parker agar plates and incubated at 37 degrees C 48 h. Combining results from all methods, Staphylococcus aureus were isolated from 72 of 913 (7.9%) skin samples, and 34 of 268 liners (12.6%). On average, 43.1% (31/72) of the S. aureus isolates were found by the enrichment in liquid Vogel-Johnson procedure. The average isolation percentage for other methods ranged from 19.4% to 25.0%. Isolation of S. aureus from milking unit liner or teat skin swabbing solutions was approximately twice as likely after enrichment in Vogel-Johnson liquid media as opposed to other methods of isolation. This indicates that enrichment in Vogel-Johnson liquid media improved recovery of S. aureus from swabbing solutions.     

Congenital deafness and vestibular deficit in the dobermann

A condition characterised by the early onset of vestibular deficit and hearing loss was investigated in the dobermann breed of dog. Affected pups showed behavioural signs of head tilt, circling and ataxia and there was a total absence of vestibular response to rotation or caloric stimulation. Severe deafness, as assessed by brainstem auditory evoked response testing, was present by three weeks of age in all affected animals. The inner ears showed a progressive neuroepithelial type of cochlear degeneration with loss of the auditory sensory cells. In the vestibular system, however, there was no equivalent sensory cell loss and the only abnormal feature was the absence or abnormality of the otoconia in some of the affected animals. Pedigree analysis suggested that the condition was inherited as an autosomal recessive trait.     

Plasma and extracellular volume in calves: comparison between isotopic and 'cold' techniques.

While isotopic techniques have largely superseded traditional markers for the determination of the volume of fluid compartments in vivo, they are not always convenient, especially with diarrhoeic animals. A direct comparison was therefore made in week-old calves between Evans blue and radio-iodinated serum albumin as measures of plasma volume and thiocyanate or 24sodium as measures of extracellular fluid space. The correlation coefficients were excellent (1.00, 0.96; P < 0.001) and the calves had plasma and extracellular fluid volumes of 72 +/- 2 and 438 +/- 2 ml kg-1, respectively. The latter value is, though high, typical of young animals and comparable with other data in calves.