Soil and Atmospheric Inputs to PAH Concentrations in Salt Marsh Plants

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were measured in two wetland plant species grown outdoors in pots of sediment contaminated with up to 730,000 μg/kg total PAHs. After approximately 3 months, the plants were harvested, cleaned, and analyzed for an expanded suite of PAHs which included both the 16 priority PAHs and 22 alkyl PAH homologs. Sediment and air samples were also collected and analyzed. PAH compounds were detected in all of the samples, with the highest concentrations in the contaminated sediment. The root sample concentrations were generally about one order of magnitude lower than that of the sediment, and were strongly correlated with the concentration in the sediment in which they were grown. The concentrations in foliage were much lower and did not correlate with sediment concentration. Concentrations of low molecular weight PAH compounds detected in the foliage were not significantly lower in plants grown in control sediments, suggesting that the sediment is not the primary source of these PAHs. Several high molecular weight PAHs were detected only in plants grown in contaminated sediment. Plants of both species grown in control sediment were larger than plants grown in contaminated sediment.     

Effect of body condition on consumption of pine needles (Pinus ponderosa) by beef cows

We determined whether cows in low (LBC) or high body condition (HBC) would consume different amounts of green pine needles (Pinus ponderosa). Cows (mature; open Hereford and Hereford x Angus) were fed a maintenance basal diet (alfalfa pellets) for Exp. 1 and 2; during Exp. 3 and 4, cows were fed high-protein and high-energy diets, respectively. Experiment 5 was a grazing study on rangeland during winter in South Dakota; diets were determined by using bite counts. Mean BCS (1 = emaciated, 9 = obese) was 7.5 for HBC cows and <4.0 for LBC cows during the experiments. During Exp. 1, LBC cows consumed more (P = 0.001) pine needles than did HBC cows (5.5 +/- 0.25 vs. 1.0 +/- 0.14 g/kg of BW daily, respectively). During Exp. 2, there was a day x treatment interaction (P = 0.001) as LBC cows consumed variable, but greater, amounts of pine needles than did HBC cows (3.7 +/- 0.19 vs. 1.3 +/- 0.12 g/kg of BW daily, respectively). When fed a high-protein/low-energy diet, LBC cows ate more (P = 0.04) pine needles than did HBC cows. When fed a low-protein/high-energy diet, there was a day x treatment interaction (P = 0.001) because LBC cows consumed more pine needles than did HBC cows for the first 3 d of the study, and then consumption by LBC animals decreased during the last 4 d. These experiments suggest that the protein:energy ratio may be an important factor in the ability of cows to tolerate terpenes, and that cows were not able to sustain an increased quantity of needle consumption on a low-protein diet. During the 25-d grazing study, there was a day x treatment interaction (P = 0.001) as LBC animals selected more pine needles (up to 25% of daily bites) on some days compared with HBC cows. Weather influenced pine needle consumption because pine needle bites by LBC cows were related (r(2) = 0.60; P = 0.001) to days of greater snow depth and lower minimum daily temperatures. Both LBC and HBC cows increased selection of pine needles from trees during cold, snowy weather, but the magnitude of the increase was greater for LBC cows. The LBC cows consumed more pine needles than did HBC cows in all experiments, except when cows were fed a low-protein diet. This study indicates that both body condition and protein intake are important factors in pine needle consumption.     

Effect of Chemical or Electrical Activation of Bovine Oocytes on Blastocyst Development and Quality

Activation of in vitro‐matured (IVM) oocytes is essential for successful embryo production following nuclear transfer (NT) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). This study was designed to compare the rates of blastocyst production and embryo quality (as measured by numbers of viable cells) following parthenogenetic activation with electrical pulse or the use of two different calcium ionophores, A23187 (CA) or ionomycin (IO), with or without the addition of bovine serum albumin (BSA). IVM oocytes with a first polar body were randomly allocated to five treatment groups: CA (5 μm CA, 5 min; n = 88), CA + BSA (5 μm CA, 5 min; BSA, 5 min; n = 90), IO (5 μm IO, 5 min; n = 91), IO + BSA (5 μm IO, 5 min; BSA, 5 min; n = 86) and EL (two pulses of 1.5 kV/cm, 20 μs; n = 120). Blastocyst rates were higher (p < 0.05) for CA (54.4%), IO (51.4%) and EL (54.5%) than for IO + BSA (18.3%). Treatment CA + BSA (39.8%) did not differ from the others. There was no difference (p > 0.05) among treatments in total number of cells. However, the percentage of viable cells was reduced in CA (49.9%), CA + BSA (45.8%), IO (64.9%), IO + BSA (50.9%) compared with EL (82.7%). In summary, the addition of BSA to the IO treatment had an adverse effect on blastocyst production rates. Although there was no difference between electrical stimulation and chemical activation on blastocyst production rates, electrical activation resulted in blastocysts with a higher percentage of viable cells.     

Cross‐sectional observational survey of serum biochemistry values in a population of 69 adult female alpacas (Vicugna pacos) in South Australia

Blood samples were collected from 69 ‘healthy’ female alpacas aged ≥12 months from 11 properties in South Australia. The 10–90 percentile ranges of the 16/19 analytes measured in this sample population were within the published ranges of four healthy alpaca populations from other geographic locations. Marginal exceptions were glutamate dehydrogenase and bicarbonate. Potassium was notably elevated, probably because of haemolysis of some samples. The sample size was insufficient to provide the appropriate statistical power to define diagnostic references ranges according to international standards. The health status of the sample population of alpacas was presumptive based on a physical examination.     

Effect of previous locoweed (Astragalus and Oxytropis species) intoxication on conditioned taste aversions in horses and sheep

Locoweed species (Astragalus and Oxytropis spp.) are a serious toxic plant problem for grazing livestock. Horses and sheep have been conditioned to avoid eating locoweed using the aversive agent LiCl. The objective of this study was to determine if previous locoweed intoxication affects food aversion learning in horses and sheep. Horses and sheep were divided into 3 treatment groups: control (not fed locoweed and not averted to a novel feed); locoweed-novel feed averted (fed locoweed and averted to a novel feed); and averted (not fed locoweed and averted to a novel feed). Animals in the locoweed-novel feed averted groups were fed locoweed during 2 periods of 21 and 14 d, respectively, with each feeding period followed by a 14-d recovery period. Animals were averted to a novel test feed at the end of the first locoweed-feeding period, and periodically evaluated for the strength and persistence of the aversion. During the first recovery period, locoweed-novel feed averted horses ate less (9.5% of amount offered) of the test feed than did control horses (99.8%) and did not generally differ from averted horses (0%). During recovery period 2, locoweed-novel feed averted horses (4.3%) differed (P = 0.001) in consumption (% of offered) of the test feed from controls (100%) and the averted group (0%). Locoweed-novel feed averted sheep differed (P = 0.001) from controls (14.4 vs. 99.5%, respectively, during recovery period 1), whereas locoweed-novel feed averted sheep did not differ (P > 0.50) from averted sheep (0.6%). During the second recovery period, control sheep (100%) differed (P < 0.05) from averted (0%) and locoweed-novel feed averted (12.2%) groups. Two intoxicated sheep (locoweed-novel feed averted) partially extinguished the aversion during the first recovery period, but an additional dose of LiCl restored the aversion. Two of 3 intoxicated horses had strong aversions that persisted without extinction; 1 horse in the locoweed-novel feed averted group had a weaker aversion. These findings suggest that horses and sheep previously intoxicated by locoweeds can form strong and persistent aversions to a novel feed, but in some animals, those aversions may not be as strong as in animals that were never intoxicated.     

Synthesis of large arrays of well-aligned carbon nanotubes on glass

Free-standing aligned carbon nanotubes have previously been grown above 700 degreesC on mesoporous silica embedded with iron nanoparticles. Here, carbon nanotubes aligned over areas up to several square centimeters were grown on nickel-coated glass below 666 degreesC by plasma-enhanced hot filament chemical vapor deposition. Acetylene gas was used as the carbon source and ammonia gas was used as a catalyst and dilution gas. Nanotubes with controllable diameters from 20 to 400 nanometers and lengths from 0. 1 to 50 micrometers were obtained. Using this method, large panels of aligned carbon nanotubes can be made under conditions that are suitable for device fabrication.     

Selenium elimination in pigs after an outbreak of selenium toxicosis.

In May 1996, 150 grower pigs in 5 California counties were exposed to selenium-contaminated feed distributed by a single feed company. Feed samples from 20 herds had a mean selenium concentration of 121.7 ppm dry weight (range, 22.1-531 ppm). In San Luis Obispo County, 52 pigs in 24 herds were exposed to the feed, and 8 pigs died with signs of paralysis. Bilateral symmetrical poliomyelomalacia involving the ventral horns of the cervical and lumbar intumescence was evident on histologic examination of spinal cord from affected pigs. Of 44 surviving exposed pigs, 33 (75%) exhibited signs of selenosis, including anorexia, alopecia, and hoof lesions. Thirty-nine of 44 pigs (88.6%) had elevated (>1 ppm) blood selenium concentrations. Surviving exposed pigs were changed to a standard commercial ration containing approximately 0.5 ppm (dry weight) selenium. Blood selenium concentrations were determined weekly for 46 days following removal of the contaminated feed and were compared with values of 20 control pigs fed a standard commercial ration. Mean (+/-SD) blood selenium concentrations of exposed pigs were 3.2 +/- 2.6 ppm at the initial sampling and 0.4 +/- 0.1 ppm after 46 days. Mean blood selenium concentrations of < or = 0.3 ppm for control pigs at all samplings were significantly lower (P < 0.001) than concentrations for exposed pigs. Muscle and liver samples of 22 of the 44 exposed pigs were collected at slaughter approximately 72 days after withdrawal of the selenium-contaminated feed. Muscle samples had a mean selenium concentration of 0.36 ppm (wet weight). Liver samples had a mean selenium concentration of 1.26 ppm (wet weight). One liver sample had a selenium value in the toxic range for pigs (3.3 ppm wet weight; reference range, 0.4-1.2 ppm). A 1-compartment pharmacokinetic model of selenium elimination in exposed pigs was generated, and the geometric mean blood selenium elimination half-life was estimated to be 12 days. The 60-day withdrawal time recommended by the Food Animal Residue Avoidance Database was considered sufficient to allow safe human consumption of tissues from exposed pigs.     

Nutrition and Early Embryonic Development

The -purpose of this paper is to examine mainly the role of energy intake on early embryo development. It has been shown that reduced energy intake can alter follicle growth patterns whereby follicle size is reduced and animals will have more waves of follicle growth throughout the cycle. In addition several studies have shown that high concentrate intake prior to or during superovulation will lead to reduced follicular growth and poorer embryo quality in beef heifers. In addition embryos recovered from animals on lower intakes have a better capacity to develop in short term culture in vitro. With a model using ovum pickup and in vitro maturation, fertilization and culture, it has not been possible to demonstrate clearly if the nutritional damage occurs prior to or after fertilization.