Riding arenas and different riding track surfaces in relation to the airway contamination in horses. Laboratory studies on riding surfaces]

29 samples of commonly used surfaces were tested for their water characteristics (litre weight, water capacity, water binding, water evaporation) and their contribution to airborne fungal spores (dust formation, dust setting). The results are discussed in comparison to the literature with regard to the environment. The results are: 1. Any surface--no matter of what material--eventually causes air pollution with fungal spores and dust. 2. Correct watering prevents air pollution by any surface. 3. Artificial products have no advantage over natural materials in the parameters tested. 4. The question of proper disposal of old surface material has to be clarified before purchase. The results show that a mixture of sand and wood shavings should be recommended as a surface for indoor arenas, especially in regard to environmental protection and proper disposal.     

Effects of 'Agri-SC' soil conditioner on soil structure and erodibility: some further observations

Abstract. In field and laboratory experiments the conditioner‘Agri-SC’has shown improvements in the structure of loamy sand soils in east Shropshire, UK. It resulted in statistically significant decreases in soil bulk density values and increases in soil porosity and aggregate stability. Further experiments are in progress on both loamy sand and silt loam soils.     

Skin and plumage changes in domestic birds. II. Plumage changes]

The study describes plumage modifications and specific feather malformations, as related to the domestication process of different poultry species. The modifications include naked necks, leg feathering, frizzle feathering, silky feathering, fat quills, and feather abnormalities caused by behavioural hypertrophies. Most of these plumage modifications correspond to the breed standard for exhibition poultry fancy. However, they impair the normal function of these animals. The negative influences comprise disorders in social behaviour, loss of typical plumage functions and disabilities of normal mobility, as well as genetic defects and pathogenic predispositions.     

Actinomycin D for Reinduction of Remission in Dogs With Resistant Lymphoma

Twenty-five dogs with malignant lymphoma refractory to chemotherapy were treated with actinomycin D at a median dose of 0.7 mg/m² (range, 0.5 to 0.9 mg/m²) every 3 weeks. The dogs treated had received between 2 and 8 chemotherapeutic agents (median 7), for a median of 266 days before being treated with actinomycin D. For 23 of the 25 dogs, previous chemotherapy included doxorubicin. No dog responded to actinomycin D chemotherapy.     

Cardiopathological observation on a case of persistent ventricular tachycardia in a pony mare.

A 20-year-old pony mare with persistent ventricular tachycardia (VT) was examined cardiopathologically. At necropsy, the heart was enlarged and rounded with both ventricular dilatation. In a longitudinal section of the ventricular septum, a large grayish white patchy lesion (5 x 25 mm) was detected in the relatively higher portion. Microscopically, the lesion was extensive myocardial fibrosis located in the vicinity of the proximal part of the left bundle branch. Partially the fibrotic lesion was in contact with the branch. Such a lesion might play an important role in creating a suitable background for the development of VT via automaticity or reentry mechanism.     

The Effect of Exogenous Hormone Treatment on Spermiation in Rhynchocypris oxycephalus (Sauvage and Dabry)

For the evaluation of hormonal control of spermiation in fish, a method to quanify the spermiation response of mature Rhynchocypris oxycephalus (Sauvage and Dabry) to hormonal therapy is described. Spermatocrit was determined after 7 min centrifugation at 18,000 ± g and sperm density was estimated by a standard hemocytomer method. Sperm density can be predicted from spermatocrit since their relationship is linear as described by the regression equation, Y = 3.68X - 27.18 ( R ² = 0.82, N = 50). where Y is spermatocrit and × is sperm density. Milt production by mature R. oxycephalus was highest at 24 h after injection of 1,000 IU human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) and 50 μg luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone analogue (LHRHa) per kg body weight. Increased milt production coincided with low spermatocrit and sperm density levels. These results demonstrate that spermiation in mature R. oxycephalus can be reliably evaluated by a spermatocrit method and that HCG and LHRHa are effective in stimulating of spermiation in this species.     

Morphological study on the stomach of the lesser mouse deer (Tragulus javanicus) with special reference to the internal surface.

The stomach of the lesser mouse deer (Tragulus javanicus) was observed macroscopically. It consisted of only three compartments, rumen, reticulum and abomasum without omasum. The rumen was S-shaped with large ventral and caudoventral blind sacs and the reticulum was larger than the abomasum. Internally, the rumen was covered with numerous ruminal papillae even on the pillars and the ruminoreticular fold. These papillae were leaf- or tongue-like shaped and varied in size and density. The reticulum had honey-combed crests and the secondary crests were found rarely. The lips of the reticular groove were prominent and more developed in the aboral part than in the oral one. A sac-like transition zone, which had more prominent mucosal folds than had the floor of the reticular groove, was observed between the caudal end of the reticular groove and the abomasum. Mucosal folds of the abomasum were spiral, low but rather thick. These findings were discussed in view of comparison with other ruminants and of possible functional implications.     

Effect of Split Nitrogen Application on Growth and Yield of Wheat (T. aestivum L.) Genotypes with Different N-Assimilation Potential

A field experiment was conducted with different nitrogen regimes to assess the growth and yield performance of wheat genotypes which differ in nitrate assimilation potential. Genotypic differences in biomass accumulation were observed at different growth stages. The nitrogen treatment had little effect on biomass accumulation at early stages of growth, while at later stages of growth there was enhanced biomass accumulation when N was applied in more than two splits. On an average, genotypes with high nitrate reductase activity (the 'HNR' genotypes) accumulated 14.2 % more biomass than the genotypes with low nitrate reductase activity ('LNR' genotypes) when an extra dose (40 kg N ha⁻¹) of nitrogen was given at the time of anthesis. The application of nitrogen in more than two splits increased grain yield of both 'HNR' and 'LNR' genotypes mainly by increasing grain weight per ear. The application of an extra dose of nitrogen (40 kg N ha⁻¹) at the time of anthesis increased grain yield of 'HNR' genotypes by 38.5 % as compared to 'LNR' genotypes.