Endoscope-guided, transoral axial division of an entrapping epiglottic fold in fifteen standing horses

Objectives— To describe and evaluate the use of a transoral, endoscope-guided technique for transection of an entrapping epiglottic fold in sedated standing horses.
Study Design— Retrospective study.
Animals— Horses (n=16) with epiglottic fold entrapment (EFE).
Methods— Medical records (2005–2006) of 16 horses with EFE were reviewed to determine history, physical and endoscopic examination findings, postoperative complications, and outcome after axial division of EFE using a hooked bistoury, under an endoscopic-guided, transoral approach.
Results— EFE was confirmed by endoscopy. Axial division was successfully performed in 15 sedated, standing horses. One horse had to be anesthetized to complete the procedure. None of the horses made abnormal respiratory noise after surgery and all returned to their intended use. After surgery, 1 horse had a short, deformed epiglottis.
Conclusions— EFE can be axially divided safely and effectively using an endoscope-guided, transoral approach, with the horse sedated and standing.
Clinical Relevance— Endoscopic-guided, transoral axial division of EFE in sedated standing horses is an alternative choice to performing this procedure under general anesthesia.     

Evidence of differences in seed dormancy among populations of Bromus sterilis

Seeds of 40 populations of Bromus sterilis L. were collected in the southern and midland counties of England over a 2‐year period and grown outdoors in pots in two subsequent years. In the first year, seeds were tested in a 12‐h dark/12‐h light regime at 15 °C and in the second year the seeds were tested both in the dark/light regime and in the dark at 15 °C. There was a wide range in the degree of enforced dormancy given by the dark/light regime. Germination of freshly collected seeds in the dark/light regime after 21 days ranged from 44% to 97% in the populations tested in the first year and from 19% to 97% in populations tested in the second year. Induced dormancy was caused by light in two populations. Seeds had little innate dormancy apart from in two populations which gave 64% and 68% germination, respectively, in the dark after 21 days. A field trial in which seeds of a selected range of six populations were sown on the soil surface after harvest (August 8), showed that populations predicted to be inhibited by light in laboratory tests were also inhibited by light in the field and, depending upon the population, there was between 4% and 54% of the seeds remaining ungerminated by October 23 in the year of planting. By June of the following year, 36% of the seeds sown on the soil surface in one population still remained viable and ungerminated. The agricultural significance of the results is discussed.     

Resistance Risk Assessment of Cereal Eyespot, Tapesia Yallundae and Tapesia Acuformis, to the Anilinopyrimidine Fungicide, Cyprodinil

Eyespot pathogens, Tapesia yallundae and Tapesia acuformis, were isolated from two trial sites in the UK over several years. Both sites were treated with 2 applications per year of cyprodinil (a new anilinopyrimidine fungicide), prochloraz and a mixture of cyprodinil with prochloraz. One trial site was exposed to cyprodinil for 3 years, and the second for a total of 11 years, including 5 years before the trial was initiated. Control of eyespot and sensitivity to cyprodinil were monitored. During the first 3 years of the trial, disease control with all fungicide treatments ranged from 43% to 82%. At the site, where the trial was extended for a further 3 years, control then began to decline but no practical resistance was detected. The decline in control by both fungicides suggests that factors other than reduced sensitivity might be involved. Field isolates of both T. yallundae and T. acuformis with reduced sensitivity to cyprodinil were found predominantly in plots treated with cyprodinil. A reduction in sensitivity to cyprodinil was identified in the population from cyprodinil-treated plots in two years out of six, and in the population from mixture plots in the final year. No obvious trends could be identified and in-vivo studies showed control of most isolates with reduced sensitivity could be regained by increasing the dose to one tenth of the recommended field rate. Analysis of progeny from sexual crosses involving a sensitive isolate and a field isolate with an ED₅₀ value higher than the baseline sensitivity range indicated that a single gene controlled the reduction in sensitivity to cyprodinil in one T. yallundae isolate. There is clearly a resistance risk in eyespot to cyprodinil. The reduction in sensitivity is monogenic in inheritance and at a significant level in some isolates, but any shift in sensitivity in field populations has so far been gradual.     

Observations on the Behaviour of Vervet Monkeys Cercopithecus Aethiops

A series of investigations on the vertical migration behaviour of estuarine zooplankton have been carried out in recent years. Several of these investigations have been carried out in collaboration with other zoologists and the detailed findings are being published separately. The work is reviewed here and an attempt is made to draw some general conclusions regarding the behaviour patterns observed. Attention is concentrated particularly on the behaviour of the copepod Pseudodiaptomus, Aspects investigated include behaviour in the field under natural conditions, light reactions and swimming speeds in the laboratory, reactions to layers of low salinity water, the role of endogenous rhythm in this behaviour and the significance of these behaviour patterns to the organisms.     

Perspectives in Helioseismology

Helioseismology is probing the interior structure and dynamics of the sun with ever-increasing precision, providing a well-calibrated laboratory in which physical processes can be studied under conditions that are unattainable on Earth. Nearly 10 million resonant modes of oscillation are observable in the solar atmosphere, and their frequencies need to be known with great accuracy in order to gauge the sun's interior. The advent of nearly continuous imaged observations from the complementary ground-based Global Oscillation Network Group (GONG) observatories and the space-based Solar and Heliospheric Observatory instruments augurs a new era of discovery. The flow of early results from GONG resolves some issues and raises a number of theoretical questions whose answers are required for understanding how a seemingly ordinary star actually operates.     

Behavioural and EEG changes in sheep in response to painful acute electrical stimuli

Objective To measure acute pain in sheep, based on a human pain model, and examined changes in both electroencephalogram frequency spectrum and behavioural responses to increased electrical stimulation in sheep. Design Analysis of variance (treatment and animal effects) for stimulus intensity where each animal received each electric shock treatment given in the order 0, 5,10 and 20 mA. Procedure Eight sheep with electrodes implanted over the surface of the brain were examined for escape-avoidance and electroencephalogram responses to four levels of electrical stimulation from 0–20 mA. Results With increasing stimulus intensity at the time of feeding, the sheep were more hesitant to return to the feeder or remain near the feeder following stimulation. There was little difference between the 0 and 5 mA stimuli for any of the behaviour variables (P > 0.05). However, there were marked increases in the time taken to re-approach the feeder after receiving an electric shock of 5 mA and of 20 mA (P < 0.05; mean values 3 and 119 s, respectively) and remaining near the feeder for 5 s (P < 0.001; mean values 10 and 167 s, respectively). Following the stimulus, there was an overall increase in the electroencephalogram power spectrum in the first four seconds, which then rapidly returned to normal. In particular, the 20 mA stimulus resulted in higher absolute power values than in the control (0 mA) treatment for delta 2 (P < 0.001), theta 1 (P < 0.05), theta 2 (P < 0.05), alpha 1 (P < 0.001), alpha 2 (P < 0.001) and beta 1 (P < 0.01) band-widths. Similarly, for the 10 mA stimulus, the absolute power values were greater than the control treatment for delta 2 (P < 0.05), alpha 1 (P < 0.01), alpha 2 (P < 0.001) and beta 1 (P < 0.01) bandwidths. Conclusion The experiment suggests that a human acute pain model is applicable to sheep and that these electroencephalogram changes may provide a good measure of acute pain in sheep.     

Disease signs reported in south-eastern Australian dairy cattle while grazing Brassica species

Objective
To estimate the relative frequency of various disease signs in dairy cattle fed brassicas in south-eastern Australia, to estimate the incidence of disease signs within affected groups and to identify risk factors for commonly reported signs in brassica-fed dairy cows.
Design
A case series study and a case-control study.
Procedures
Case data was collected using an incident reporting system. Herd managers and veterinarians recorded details about disease incidents in brassica-fed dairy cattle in summer and autumn 1995 using a standard questionnaire. Potential risk factors for photosensitisation were assessed using a case-control study.
Results
Disease signs were reported in 66 groups of brassica-fed dairy cattle. Photosensitisation and bloat were the more frequently reported signs. While high incidences were reported in some groups, the incidence of disease signs was low within most affected groups. Photosensitisation occurred more frequently among groups of cows fed brassica crops treated with nitrogenous fertilisers or which were low yielding. Risks of other disease signs were greatest while the first one quarter of the crop was grazed.
Conclusions
In the study population, most disease outbreaks occurring in brassica-fed cattle were of low incidence. However, some high incidence outbreaks occurred. Results from this study suggest that important risk factors exist for disease signs in brassica-fed dairy cattle. Further studies are required if these risk factors are to be fully identified. This would allow the development of preventative strategies for high incidence disease outbreaks while feeding brassicas to dairy cattle.