Occurrence of organochlorine residues in Australian meat

In spite of several quality control procedures used by Australia to ensure the wholesomeness of export meat, a number of pesticide residue violations were identified in the Australian product exported to the USA in May 1987. The pesticides involved were the organochlorines, dieldrin and heptachlor. The problems were caused by the persistence of organochlorines in soils and their illicit use or contamination of storage facilities. Animals grazing contaminated pasture, ingesting contaminated feed or held in contaminated yards over a period, bioaccumulated residues in their adipose tissues which eventually exceeded maximum residue limits (MRL) and caused violations. Though there was no immediate public health risk, the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) of the Commonwealth Department of Primary Industries and Energy (DPIE), acted expeditiously to determine and eliminate the factors causing these problems, which threatened Australia's beef export industry worth in excess of two billion dollars annually. An overall strategic plan, "The Integrated Action Plan", was formulated and implemented by AQIS with the assistance of the relevant Departments of the States and the Northern Territory (NT), meat processing and export industries and livestock producer bodies. As a result of this action, the likely sources of contamination were identified and controlled. The National Residue Survey (NRS) was enhanced, a National Residue Data Base (NRDB) was established and a centralised computer system interactive with abattoirs, laboratories and animal health authorities developed. The cattle farm identity tail tag system already in place, capable of tracing cattle to the farm of origin was refined and trace back systems for sheep and pigs were utilised.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Parasites of Horses and Dogs in N.S.W

Abstract of paper read before the Veterinary Section of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science, Adelaide, August , 1924.     

Efficacy against Fasciola hepatica and the pharmacokinetics of triclabendazole administered by oral and topical routes

Objective   To determine the efficacy of triclabendazole (TCBZ) against 28-day-old, early immature liver fluke in cattle and its pharmacokinetics following administration by the oral or topical (pour-on) route.
Procedures   Cattle (n = 18) were infected with 500 TCBZ-susceptible liver fluke metacercariae and randomly allocated to three groups. At 28 days after infection, the groups were: (1) untreated controls; (2) treated with oral TCBZ at 12 mg/kg in combination with oxfendazole and selenium (TOS); (3) treated with pour-on TCBZ at 30 mg/kg in combination with abamectin (TA). Blood samples were taken immediately prior to treatment and serially after treatment to assess the plasma profile of TCBZ metabolites. Ten weeks after treatment all animals were slaughtered and total liver fluke counts, fluke egg counts and liver pathology were assessed.
Results   Both the TOS and TA treatments resulted in significant reductions of 28-day-old liver fluke, as assessed by fluke counts and fluke egg counts at slaughter, and the reductions following TOS treatment were significantly greater than those following TA treatment. The blood profile of TCBZ metabolites in TOS-treated animals showed a significantly greater area under the plasma concentration time curve and a higher maximum observed concentration than those treated with TA. There was significantly less liver pathology in TOS-treated animals than in the TA-treated animals.
Conclusion   TCBZ administered orally at 12 mg/kg resulted in greater efficacy against 28-day-old, early immature liver fluke than was achieved by topical administration at 30 mg/kg. Plasma metabolites of TCBZ were higher and liver pathology was less in TOS-treated animals than in TA-treated animals.     

Comparative cell morphology in the peripheral blood film from exotic and native animalsa

Haematological investigation is an important part of disease diagnosis. This is particularly so when investigating individual animal disease. It may also be important when investigating diseases in groups of animals, but the opportunity to perform necropsies to directly detect disease processes often diminishes its usefulness. Haematological investigation is essentially similar for all species. The presence of nucleated erythrocytes and thrombocytes in nonmammals requires alteration of haemoglobin measurement and cell counting. In addition, it may cause some confusion in identification of cells in peripheral blood films. Examination of blood films is an important component of haematological investigation and provides useful information on erythroid, leukocytic and platelet/thrombocytic alterations. Interpretation of alterations is essentially similar for all species. However, cell identification can at times be difficult. There are five basic leukocytes in all species: neutrophil (mammals) or heterophil (nonmammals), eosinophil, basophil, lymphocyte and monocyte. In nonmammals it may be difficult at times to distinguish between heterophils and eosinophils. In addition, lymphocytes may be confused with thrombocytes. However, a common-sense approach to the examination of the peripheral blood film will minimise this confusion.     

Continental drainage in north america during the phanerozoic from Nd isotopes

Neodymium (Nd) isotopic data show consistent patterns in the sources of sedimentary rocks in North America at a continental scale. Between 600 and 450 million years ago (Ma), ancient continental shield sources dominated. Around 450 Ma, detritus from the Caledonian-Appalachian mountains overwhelmed sediment from all older sources, and is documented over large areas of the southern, western, and northern margins of North America. This material continued to dominate the sediment supply until about 150 Ma, probably due to cannibalistic recycling of sedimentary rocks formed earlier. Around 150 Ma, the rising western Cordillera delivered new and different detritus to the sedimentary system.     

The effects of phase‐feeding rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) with canola oil and Alaskan pollock fish oil on fillet fatty acid composition and sensory attributes

Rainbow trout (186 g) were fed three test diets where the lipid source (150 g kg^?1) was either menhaden oil (MO), pollock oil (PO) or canola oil (CO) for eight weeks to an average weight of 370 g. The CO group was then divided into two groups, one continuing on the CO diet and the other switched to the PO diet (CO–PO). After nine additional weeks of feeding, the average fish weight approximately doubled (719–749 g). No significant differences were found in average final weight or fillet yield among dietary treatment groups. Fatty acid profiles of fillets from trout fed MO, PO or CO‐supplemented diets reflected the fatty acid profiles of the added oils, whereas the fatty acid profile of fillet from trout in the CO–PO group exhibited values similar to those of fish fed PO. The ratio of ω3 : ω6 FA was nearly 2.5 times higher in fillets from the CO–PO group compared to the CO group. Sensory analysis showed that panelists preferred CO‐fed fillets over those fed MO, PO, or CO–PO. Phase‐feeding CO and PO reduced fish oil use and resulted in fillets with double the content of Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) over CO‐fed fish, similar to levels in MO‐fed fish.     

Modeling the Exchanges of Energy, Water, and Carbon Between Continents and the Atmosphere

Atmospheric general circulation models used for climate simulation and weather forecasting require the fluxes of radiation, heat, water vapor, and momentum across the land-atmosphere interface to be specified. These fluxes are calculated by submodels called land surface parameterizations. Over the last 20 years, these parameterizations have evolved from simple, unrealistic schemes into credible representations of the global soil-vegetation-atmosphere transfer system as advances in plant physiological and hydrological research, advances in satellite data interpretation, and the results of large-scale field experiments have been exploited. Some modern schemes incorporate biogeochemical and ecological knowledge and, when coupled with advanced climate and ocean models, will be capable of modeling the biological and physical responses of the Earth system to global change, for example, increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide.     

Comparison of inoculation regimes for the experimental production of swine erysipelas arthritis: I Clinical, pathological and bacteriological findings

The arthritic form of swine erysipelas was induced in pigs by multiple intravenous inoculation of 2 strains of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae. The strains differed significantly in their arthritogenicity but not in the number of cases of lameness induced. The use of 3 intravenous inoculations instead of 5 did not significantly affect the outcome. In a second trial, the more arthritogenic strain was injected in ten-fold dilutions from 5 x 10(9) to 5 x 10(4) organisms. Pigs receiving the lower doses showed high variability in their arthritic responses that precluded sensitive analysis of the dose effects on the number of arthritic and infected joints. However, slaughter weights showed a significant negative correlation with dose. Mean slaughter weights in treatment groups varied by 14.6 kg per pig, an average weight loss of 3 kg per pig for each ten-fold rise in dose of the highly virulent strain, and significantly correlated with the number of arthritic and infected joints. Culture of homogenised synovial membrane through selective horse meat-serum broth containing kanamycin, neomycin and vancomycin identified 66% and 59% more infected joints than primary blood agar culture of synovial fluid or synovial membrane homogenate, respectively.