Characteristics of fire behaviour in the montane grasslands of natal

Abstract

Fire behaviour characteristics were investigated in the montane grasslands of the Natal Drakensberg. The behaviour of experimental fires was measured together with the accompanying biotic and abiotic conditions. Estimates of heat yield, mass of available fuel and forward rate of spread enabled the calculation of intensity of fires in shrublands, woodland and grassland.

The results show marked seasonal differences in fire behaviour for given vegetation types, and give an indication of the conditions under which fires can be safely burned.     

Hypoxia effects on gill surface area and blood oxygen-carrying capacity of the Atlantic stingray,Dasyatis sabina

Atlantic stingrays, Dasyatis sabina, are common residents of shallow-water seagrass habitats that experience natural cycles of severe hypoxia during summer months. We hypothesized that stingrays exposed to hypoxic episodes would improve their hypoxia tolerance by increasing branchial surface area and altering blood oxygen-carrying capacity. To this end, we compared critical oxygen minimum, gill morphology, and hemoglobin/hematocrit levels in a control group of Atlantic stingrays held at continuous oxygen saturations of 80–90 % (≥5.5 mg/l), to treatment groups exposed to a 7-h hypoxic interval at 55 % (~4.0 mg/l), or 30 % oxygen saturation (~2.0 mg/l). Stingrays in hypoxic treatment groups significantly improved their hypoxia tolerance. Critical oxygen minimum values fell from 0.7 ± 0.11 mg/l in control fish to 0.4 ± 0.05 and 0.4 ± 0.06 mg/l in the 55 and 30 % saturation treatment groups, respectively. Mass-specific gill surface area between control fish and the 30 % saturation treatment group increased by 1.7-fold, from 85 to 142 mm²/g. Although stingrays did not show an increase in hematocrit or hemoglobin levels, production of more efficient hemoglobin isoforms could not be ruled out. An increase in hypoxia tolerance allows Atlantic stingrays to forage for longer times and across a wide range of hypoxic habitats that are less accessible to predators and competitors.     

Canine intravascular lymphoma with overt leukemia

A 6-year-old spayed Labrador Retriever Mix dog was evaluated for a 2-week history of progressive generalized weakness and reluctance to stand. Physical examination revealed severe weakness with obtunded mentation, head tilt, bilateral nystagmus, and decreased vision. CBC findings included mild nonregenerative anemia, marked thrombocytopenia, and a few atypical mononuclear cells on the blood film. The cells were 15-30 μm in diameter and had round to oval to reniform centrally placed nuclei with stippled chromatin, prominent nucleoli, and abundant basophilic cytoplasm with numerous discrete vacuoles and, occasionally, small azurophilic granules. Similar cells were found in bone marrow. On histologic examination of tissues collected at necropsy, neoplastic cells were detected in bone marrow, hepatic sinusoids, cerebral and meningeal vessels, and in capillaries of the heart, renal interstitium, small intestinal submucosa, and muscularis, and alveolar septa. A small discrete mass in the right atrium consisted of similar neoplastic cells, and the spleen was diffusely infiltrated. Tissue distribution was suggestive of intravascular lymphoma. Neoplastic cells in tissue sections were immunoreactive for vimentin, CD18, CD45, and granzyme B and lacked immunoreactivity for cytokeratin. Neoplastic cells on bone marrow aspirate smears and blood films lacked immunoreactivity for CD3, CD79a, CD1c, CD11b, CD11c, CD11d, and E-cadherin. In the absence of immunophenotypic evidence for the neoplastic cells being derived from B-cell, T-cell, or histocytic/dendritic lineages and the lack of clonal antigen receptor gene rearrangement(s), along with positive immunoreactivity for granzyme B, a tumor of NK cells was considered likely. Based on current knowledge, this is the first report of canine intravascular lymphoma, of probable NK cell origin, with peripheral blood involvement.     

Common occurrence of a unique Cryptosporidium ryanae variant in zebu cattle and water buffaloes in the buffer zone of the Chitwan National Park, Nepal

There are very few studies on the diversity and public health significance of Cryptosporidium species in zebu cattle and water buffaloes in developing countries. In this study, PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism and DNA sequence analyses of the small-subunit (SSU) rRNA gene were used to genotype Cryptosporidium specimens from 12 zebu cattle calves, 16 water buffalo calves, and four swamp deer (Cervus duvaucelii) collected from the buffer zone of the Chitwan National Park, Nepal. All Cryptosporidium specimens from cattle and buffaloes belonged to Cryptosporidium ryanae, whereas those from deer belonged to Cryptosporidium ubiquitum. Comparison of the SSU rRNA gene sequences obtained with those from earlier studies has identified a nucleotide substitution unique to all C. ryanae isolates from Nepal, in addition to some sequence heterogeneity among different copies of the gene. The finding of the dominance of a unique C. ryanae variant in both zebu cattle and water buffaloes in Nepal indicates that there is unique cryptosporidiosis transmission in bovine animals in the study area, and cross-species transmission of some Cryptosporidium spp. can occur between related animal species sharing the same habitats.     

A Retrospective Study of Cavernous Sinus Syndrome in 4 Dogs and 8 Cats

Cavernous sinus syndrome (CSS) is characterized by deficits in more than one of the cranial nerves (CN) that traverse the cavernous sinus at the base of the cranial vault: CN III (oculomotor), IV (trochlear), VI (abducens), and the first two branches of CN V (trigeminal). Records from 4 dogs and 8 cats with CSS diagnosed over a 14-year period were reviewed. The most common clinical signs were ophthalmoparesis or ophthalmoplegia, mydriasis with no direct or consensual pupillary light reflexes, ptosis, decreased corneal sensation, and decreased retractor oculi reflex. All cats had initial signs referable to a left CSS lesion (one had bilateral CSS), whereas in all dogs the lesions were localized to the right cavernous sinus. Median ages at diagnosis were 9 and 10 years of age for dogs and cats, respectively. Cerebel lomedullary cisternae cerebrospinal fluid analysis in 6 animals was useful as a sensitivebut nonspecific diagnostic test of an intracranial inflammatory or neoplastic lesion. Magnetic resonance imaging scans provided a more definitive diagnostic test in all dogs, revealing a contrast-enhancing mass on T1 weighted scans in the region of the cavernous sinus. A definitive pathological diagnosis was obtained in 2 dogs: a primary intracranial neoplasm and a metastatic intracranial neoplasm. A definitive diagnosis was obtained in 6 cats: metastatic neoplasm (n =1), primary intracranial neoplasm (n = I), primary intracranial infectious disease (n = 2). and associated systemic infectious disease (n = 2). The prognosis associated with CSS in dogs and cats was considered guarded to poor. J Vet Intern Med 1996_;10:65–71. Copyright © 1996 by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine .     

Lethal and sublethal effects of the neem insecticide formulation, ‘Margosan-O’, on the pea aphid

The effects of ‘Margosan-O’ (MO) on the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris), were determined. MO significantly reduced population increase of A. pisum in a concentration-dependent manner. At a concentration equivalent to 100 mg litre^?1 of azadirachtin, population increase was c. 3.5 times lower than the control. In more detailed studies, MO significantly reduced the number of molts, longevity, and fecundity of A. pisum that had been reared on treated broad bean. Viciafaba L., plants. MO also reduced the longevity and fecundity of young adult A. pisum exposed to MO-treated broad bean. MO was slow-acting against A. pisum. Mortality caused by MO stabilised seven days after newborn A. pisum were exposed to treated broad bean and 10 days for adults. The seven day LC₅₀ for individuals exposed from birth was 27.50 mg azadirachtin liter^?1 while the 10 day LC₅₀ for adults was 53.32 mg liter^?1. Contrary to previous studies suggesting that neem insecticides are not contact toxicants, we found that MO applied topically to adult A. pisum caused effects similar to those found in individuals that fed upon treated plants. However, MO was slower-acting when applied topically. Mortality in adult A. pisum caused by topically applied MO stabilised 17 days after treatment with a resultant LD₅₀of 2.91 μg azadirachtin g^?1.     

Feline diabetes mellitus in the UK: the prevalence within an insured cat population and a questionnaire-based putative risk factor analysis

Prevalence and risk factors for the development of diabetes mellitus (DM) in cats in the United Kingdom have not previously been reported. The prevalence of DM was evaluated in a large insured population and was found to be 1 in 230 cats. In this insured cat population Burmese cats were 3.7 times more likely to develop DM than non-pedigree cats. A convenience-sampling questionnaire-based study was used in order to identify putative risk factors for the development of DM. The univariate risk factor analysis identified being male, neutered, inactive, weighing >or=5 kg and having a history of corticosteroid treatment as significant risk factors for the development of DM in these cats. In addition, male cats treated with megestrol acetate had a significantly increased risk of developing DM compared to females. In contrast, there was no difference in DM occurrence between male and female Burmese cats. A multivariate classification tree-based model on the questionnaire data looking for interactions between risk factors, identified gender as the most important overall risk factor for the development of DM with low physical activity being the next most important risk factor for female cats and breed the next most important for male cats.     

Harnessing collective knowledge to create global public goods for education and health

Our global interconnectedness has first been expressed in the transformation of business and entertainment, but it will have profound effects on all aspects of our lives, including education and health. Today's students are accustomed to supplying and consuming user-generated content, such as the videos of YouTube, and to using social networking applications, such as MySpace. This can be turned to their advantage in the development of work skills for the twenty-first century. Central among these skills will be the ability to work in teams that cross disciplinary, cultural, and geographic borders.