Shear-wave splitting and implications for mantle flow beneath the MELT region of the east pacific rise

Shear-wave splitting across the fast-spreading East Pacific Rise has been measured from records of SKS and SKKS phases on the ocean-bottom seismometers of the Mantle Electromagnetic and Tomography (MELT) Experiment. The direction of fast shear-wave polarization is aligned parallel to the spreading direction. Delay times between fast and slow shear waves are asymmetric across the rise, and off-axis values on the Pacific Plate are twice those on the Nazca Plate. Splitting on the Pacific Plate may reflect anisotropy associated with spreading-induced flow above a depth of about 100 km, as well as a deeper contribution from warm asthenospheric return flow from the Pacific Superswell region.     

Adherence of Moraxella bovis to cell cultures of bovine origin

The adherence of five strains of Moraxella bovis to cell cultures was investigated. M bovis adhered to cultures of bovine corneal epithelial and Madin-Darby bovine kidney cells but not to cell types of non-bovine origin. Both piliated and unpiliated strains adhered but piliated strains adhered to a greater extent than unpiliated strains. Antiserum against pili of one strain inhibited adherence of piliated strains but caused only slight inhibition of adherence to the unpiliated strains. Treatment of bacteria with magnesium chloride caused detachment of pili from the bacterial cell and markedly inhibited adherence of piliated strains but caused only slight inhibition of adherence by the unpiliated strains. The results suggested that adhesion of piliated strains to cell cultures was mediated via pili but that adhesins other than pili may be involved in the attachment of unpiliated strains of M bovis to cells.     

Effects of supplemental potassium and sodium chloride salts on ruminal turnover rates, acid-base and mineral status of lactating dairy cows during heat stress

Effects of added dietary sodium and potassium chloride salts on ruminal turnover rates, acid-base balance and mineral status of lactating dairy cows experiencing a nycterohemeral cycle of heat stress were examined. Black globe-humidity index in the chambers averaged 94 during the daytime and 68 during the nighttime. Four ruminally cannulated multiparous Holstein cows in mid-lactation were confined in climatic chambers for a single-reversal experiment consisting of two 17-d periods. To the basal diet (50% corn silage: 50% concentrate, which contained .97% potassium, .19% sodium and .20% chloride), 1.25% sodium chloride plus 1.85% potassium chloride were added, making the high mineral treatment (1.93% potassium, 68% sodium and 1.85% chloride). Liquid dilution rates from the rumen were measured by chromium-ethylenediaminetetraacetate disappearance. Turnover rates of solids were determined by appearance of ytterbium in feces. Ruminal contents, arterial blood and urine were collected hourly for 26 h. Grab samples of feces were sampled over 6 d. Dry matter intakes and milk yields were not affected by the diets (averaging 17.8 and 21.1 kg/d, respectively). Cows fed the high mineral diet drank 17% more water (P less than .01). Tests for homogeneity of regression were utilized to compare chromium disappearance and ytterbium appearance data, which were best described by second-order polynomial functions. Increased ruminal chromium disappearance (P less than .01) and decreased total volatile fatty acid concentrations (P less than .01) suggested faster liquid dilution rates with high mineral diet, but turnover rates of solids were not affected. Urinary potassium secretion compensated for the high potassium content of the high mineral diet without an alkalogenic effect on acid-base status. Lower urine pH and higher urine ammonium concentrations during cool hours suggested that the high chloride content of the high mineral diet had an acidogenic effect. The results are interpreted to indicate that high level inclusion of sodium and potassium chloride salts altered digestive, acid-base and mineral status of heat-stressed lactating cows.     

Recovery of viral agents from the central nervous system of cats

Isolation of viruses from the central nervous system (CNS) of cats was attempted using an explant culture technique and subsequent co-cultivation with Crandell feline kidney (CRFK) or Vero cells. Feline syncytia-forming virus was isolated from the CNS of 11 of 16 cats where the initial co-cultivation was with CRFK cells. Feline panleucopaenia virus was isolated from the CNS of 2 adult cats. Co-cultured cells from the CNS of 3 cats contained eosinophilic cytoplasmic and intranuclear inclusions. The cytoplasmic inclusions consisted of tubular structures, 16-18 nm in diameter and up to 500 nm in length, which were similar in morphology to paramyxovirus nucleocapsids. The 3 co-cultured cells with cytoplasmic and intranuclear inclusions showed haemadsorption of guinea pig erythrocytes. The possible identity of these structures, and their association with a previously described primary focal demyelinating lesion in the CNS of cats, is discussed.     

A comparison of the pathogenicity of two strains of hog cholera virus: 2. Virological studies

Quantitative and qualitative differences were demonstrated in the amount of virus in a range of tissues from pigs infected with either the Weybridge or New South Wales (NSW) strains of hog cholera (HC) virus. The titre of the Weybridge strain in samples, as assessed by either virus titration in cell culture or by the density of specific fluorescing cells in tissue sections, was higher than that for the NSW strain. This correlated with the greater severity of the clinico-pathological syndrome induced by the Weybridge strain. The implications of the differences in the virus content of tissues in the diagnosis of HC is discussed as is the use of monoclonal antibodies to differentiate HC and bovine virus diarrhoea viruses.     

Lysogeny and other characteristics of Staphylococcus hyicus isolated from chickens

Lysogeny was readily demonstrated among strains of Staphylococcus hyicus that were isolated from chickens. Susceptibility to phage lysis was affected by prophage immunity, but lipase activity and erythromycin resistance were not affected by the presence of temperate phage. In contrast to previously published results, lipase-negative strains of S. hyicus were relatively common and the use of selective media based on lipase activity would have been unsuitable for detection of the S. hyicus strains examined.