Acid Deposition and Acidification of Soil and Water in the Tie Shan Ping Area, Chongqing, China

Chongqing is among the heaviest polluted cities in China. Combustion of coal with relatively high sulfur content causes high sulfur emission and deposition in the area. Effects on soils and waters of the acid deposition in the Chongqing area have been studied in the field at a forested site outside the city. Deposition chemistry and fluxes, soil and soil water chemistry as well as surface water chemistry are presented for the period 1996–1998. There are some stress symptoms at the forest in the area and severe forest damage has been reported at Nanshan, closer to Chongqing center. Monitoring of the acidification situation in the area must be followed closely as impacts may be expected if the deposition is not reduced in the future. The deposition of sulfur, H⁺ as well as calcium at the site is high. Wet deposition of sulfur is estimated to 4.7 – 5.7 g S m^?2 yr^?1 during the three years sampled; dry deposition is probably of similar size. Annual volume-weighted pH in bulk deposition was 4.0 – 4.2 and the calcium wet deposition flux was 2.6 – 3.6 g Ca²⁺ m^?2. There are considerable seasonal variations in the concentrations, related to the seasonal variations in precipitation amount (dry winter, wet summer). The soils at the site are acid with median base saturation of 12% and 8% in the topsoil and subsoil, respectively. In soil water, aluminum concentrations are typically in the range 3–8 mg L^?1. However, due to the high base cation deposition, the Al/(Ca²⁺+Mg²⁺) molar ratio is below unity in most samples, indicating little damage of forest due to aluminum in soil water.     

低湿地与土壤湿度的卫星遥感监测与制图

本文介绍应用陆地卫生ＴＭ图象数据监测法国莱茵河谷地土壤湿度变化，绘制１：５０，０００低湿地分布图的技术方法。对夏、秋两个时相的ＴＭ图像进行Ｋ－Ｌ变换等应用处理，获得的第３主分量集中了土壤湿度差异的信息。把两个时相的第３主人量精确配准后，以Ｈｙｐｅｒｂｏｘｅｓ分类器进行湿度分类，分出水体、恒湿地、夏秋季潮湿地、冬春季潮湿地、恒干地等５个湿度类别。经实地检验准确可信，表明此方法适合于土壤湿度变化监测与     

Teaching small animal reproduction via virtual patients

Virtual patients have become an interesting alternative in medical education. Due to increasing demands regarding theoretical and clinical teaching and to improve an interdisciplinary approach, a new blended learning concept including virtual patients was developed and implemented in the veterinary curriculum of the Freie Universität Berlin. In the presented project, three virtual patients from the field of canine reproduction were developed. They focus on pregnancy diagnosis with suspected luteal insufficiency, pyometra and benign prostatic hyperplasia, respectively. The results of an evaluation by veterinary students of the 7th semester showed a high acceptance of virtual patients in a blended learning reproduction module in the interdisciplinary lectures. Students especially preferred videos, such as video lectures, hands-on videos and animations as well as a glossary for background information, to successfully and autonomously work on a virtual case. The content covered by the new modules that were developed in the context of this project is part of a spiral curriculum; they will be revised and enhanced during the clinical year.     

In Focus: Spotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii, across perspectives

In August 2008, the first detection of the spotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii, to the North America mainland in California caused great concern, as the fly was found infesting a variety of commercial fruits. Subsequent detections followed in Oregon, Washington, Florida and British Columbia in 2009; in Utah, North Carolina, South Carolina, Michigan, and Louisiana in 2010; and in Virginia, Montana, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland and Mexico in 2011. In Europe, it has been detected in Italy and Spain in 2009 and in France in 2010. Economic costs to the grower from D. suzukii include the increased cost of production (increased labor and materials for chemical inputs, monitoring and other management tools) and crop loss. An effective response to the invasion of D. suzukii requires proper taxonomic identification at the initial phase, understanding basic biology and phenology, developing management tools, transferring information and technology quickly to user groups, and evaluating the impact of the research and extension program on an economic, social, and environmental level. As D. suzukii continues to expand its range, steps must be initiated in each new region to educate and inform the public as well as formulate management tactics suitable for the crops and growing conditions in each.     

Observations on the indirect transmission of virulent ovine footrot in sheep yards and its spread in sheep on unimproved pasture

SUMMARY: Virulent ovine footrot was transmitted accidentally to a group of 23 adult Merino sheep (flock B) after holding for 1 hour in sheep yards, which earlier the same day had contained another flock (flock A) with < 1% prevalence of sheep with footrot lesions. Sheep in flock B were rendered susceptible to virulent footrot by grazing 600 mm high unimproved pasture dominated by paspalum ( Paspalum dilatatum ) and kangaroo grass ( Themeda australis ) during warm, humid and wet weather. In addition to moisture, interdigital abrasions caused by the pasture might have predisposed the interdigital skin to infection with Dichelobacter nodosus .     

Restriction-endonuclease analysis of Australian isolates of Leptospira interrogans serovar hardjo from cattle with agalactia and abortion

SUMMARY Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and agarose gel electrophoresis were used to resolve restriction endonuclease digests of 20 Australian isolates of Leptospira interrogans cultured from urine samples of cattle with agalactia and abortion. The restriction endonuclease profiles of 19 isolates closely matched the profiles of L interrogans serovar hardjo subtype hardjobovis reference strains. The remaining isolate had a different restriction profile from subtype hardjobovis and subtype hardjoprajitno reference strains and was serologically identified as serovar pomona. Silver staining of polyacrylamide gels gave enhanced resolution of restriction fragments compared with the traditional method of ethidium bromide staining of agarose gels.     

Genetic evaluation of cutting scores in horses

Cutting scores for 3399 horses representing 327 different sires from the NCHA World Championship Futurities of 1975 through 1983 were used to calculate heritability and yearly change in scores. The analysis yielded a heritability estimate of 19%±5%. Appropriate selection schemes, then, should be successful in bringing about an improvement in cutting score. The analysis of yearly trend, however, indicates that average cutting scores at NCHA futurities are decreasing by 0.78 points per year.     

Investigations into the toxicity of Echium plantagineum in sheep: 1. Field grazing experiments

A field grazing trial was undertaken to monitor the health and production of crossbred sheep grazing pasture where Echium plantagineum constituted a considerable proportion of the available forage. The trial, conducted for 19 months over successive grazing seasons, demonstrated a significant difference in production, with sheep on the E. plantagineum pasture being lighter and growing less wool compared with sheep on Echium-free pasture. No mortalities involving pyrrolizidine alkaloid poisoning were recorded in sheep grazing E. plantagineum, although there was histological evidence of moderately severe liver damage associated with high liver copper concentrations in at least one sheep following the grazing of large quantities of the plant.