The role of antibody in protection against African swine fever virus

Intraperitoneal immunization of pigs with anti-African swine fever virus (ASFV) antibody protected them against the effects of challenge with ASFV. This protection, which was exemplified by a reduction in pyrexia and viraemia plus an increased survival time, appeared to be mediated through the effects of complement-dependent antibody-mediated cytotoxicity (CDAC) or antibody dependent cell mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC). Experiments suggested that the reduction in viraemia was associated with complement lysis whereas protection was conferred by ADCC.     

Extraocular myositis in the dog.

Extraocular myositis is a rare condition in the dog and is poorly reported in the peer-reviewed veterinary literature. This case series and review are designed to be of value to those veterinary ophthalmologists seeking to investigate the disease further and also to veterinarians outside the specialty, for whom this may be their first introduction to the disease.     

In vitro metabolism of ovarian steroids by bovine whole blood and plasma

Experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of time and temperature on the potential of bovine whole blood (WB) or plasma (PL) to metabolize the ovarian steroids progesterone, estradiol-17β and testosterone. During a radioimmunoassay study (Experiment 1), we observed a temperature and time-dependent reduction (P<0.001) of plasma progesterone concentrations in samples incubated as WB at 5, 15, 25, or 35C for up to 48 hr. Most notable was the observation that 27% of progesterone present in controls was lost when WB was incubated at 5C for 48 hr and a 17% reduction was observed when PL samples were incubated at 35C for 48 hr. Immunoreactive estradiol-17β concentrations (Experiment 2) in PL and WB incubates were not affected by time or temperature. However, immunoreactive testosterone concentrations increased more than 3-fold by 48 hr in WB incubates held at 35C. To examine the latter observation further, ³H-progesteone was incubated with WB at 35C, followed by extraction and thin-layer chromatography (Experiment 3). Results generally supported RIA findings and revealed the presence of significant 17α-hydroxylase, 17–20 lyase and aromatase activity. Heretofore this has not been considered to occur outside major steroid metabolizing organs.     

Lymphocyte blastogenesis, complement fixation, and fecal culture as diagnostic tests for paratuberculosis in North American wild ruminants and domestic sheep

The efficacy of the lymphocyte blastogenesis and complement-fixation tests and fecal culture for detection of Mycobacterium paratuberculosis infection was assessed in bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis), elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni), mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), white-tailed deer (O virginianus), bighorn X mouflon (O musimon) hybrid sheep, and domestic sheep. Spontaneously infected bighorns were tested at the time of capture; experimentally infected animals were tested monthly for 12 months or periodically for 36 months. Lymphocyte blastogenesis tests were conducted with peripheral blood mononuclear cells and protein antigens of M avium, M bovis, and M paratuberculosis. Best diagnostic results were obtained when M avium purified-protein derivative was used as antigen and 20% bovine fetal serum was incorporated in the culture medium; a positive test was defined as a stimulation index greater than or equal to 3.5. Test sensitivity and specificity, respectively, were 82% and 94% in hybrid sheep and were 72% and 100% in domestic sheep. Sensitivity and specificity, respectively, were 39% and 94% in elk and 53% and 92% in deer. When infection was determined in spontaneously infected bighorns by culture of M paratuberculosis and/or the presence of acid-fast bacilli in characteristic microscopic lesions, sensitivity was 75% and specificity was 87%. Fecal cultures and the complement-fixation tests seldom correctly identified infected animals.     

A study of the bonding forces between the epithelial cells surrounding the resin canals of slash pine (Pinus elliottii Engelm.) holocellulose

Summary Although the bonds between the cellular components of pine epithelia (isolated from holocellulose) can be strengthened by the addition of multivalent ions such as those of calcium, iron, uranium, etc., it was observed that these bonds are only weakened and not destroyed by the removal of the ions from the tissues. Reagents, such as KOH and K₂SO₄, which do not yield soluble calcium salts, do not cause a discernible weakening of the bonds between the cellulose components of epithelia pretreated with Ca ion. Washing the weakened epithelia with water causes them to swell. The separation of epithelial cells occurs only after the application of mechanical forces to the tissues. Electron microscopic examination of the swollen and unswollen tissues shows that fibrils and lamellae extend between the individual cells which must be destroyed by mechanical action before cell separation can occur. The swelling of the tissues by washing after removal of multivalent ions was attributed to the expansion of electrical double layers and to the increasing osmotic pressure from the increasing Donnan potential, while the difference in swelling as a result of HCl treatment vs. KCl and K₄Fe(CN)₆ was attributed to differences in charge development and to hydrogen bonding between acidic components. The restrengthening of the tissue as a result of the readdition of multivalent ion was attributed to the collapse of the electrical double layers and the reduction of the Donnan potential, with the re-forming of bonds between the components of the epithelia. Evidence suggesting that multivalent ions actually participate in bonding was obtained and although the nature of the bonding cannot be determined, both salt formation and complex formation between the ions and the components of the tissues is suggested.     

The effect of composition on the effectiveness and fixation of copper-chrome-arsenic and copper-chrome preservatives part I: Effectiveness

Summary A preliminary study of a wide range of copper-chrome-arsenic formulations indicates that the most offective are in the region, CuSO₄·5H₂O-35 to 45 per cent; K₂Cr₂O₇-40 per cent and above; As₂O₅·2H₂O-25 to 15 per cent or less. Effectiveness appears to depend more on the copper content than the copper-arsenic. Observations on selective absorption and leaching suggest that the chromium fixes the arsenic preferentially to the copper. Although there appears to be no major amount of fixation of copper by arsenic, at the start of addition of arsenic to copper-chrome formulations there is a small but significant decrease in the leaching of the copper suggesting either a small amount of fixation of copper by arsenic or the formation of an insoluble complex of all three components.Maximum fixation of arsenic was obtained when the Cr/As ratio (as salts) was 1.9 or greater. Maximum fixation of copper is not so simply defined but is round about a Cr/Cu ratio (as salts) of 1.7.The area of maximum effectiveness is not coincident with the area of maximum fixation of both copper and arsenic but slightly displaced towards a region of higher copper where there is still maximum fixation of arsenic but some loss of copper.     

Relationships between preference, rumen degradability, gas production and chemical composition of browses

The aim of this work was to assess whether degradability, gas production or chemical constituents could predict the preference of browses. Forty tropical browse species leaves with a crude protein (CP) content ranging from 79 to 307 g kg^-1 DM were used for this study. The neutral detergent fibre (NDF) ranged from 220 to 694 g kg^-1 DM, while acid detergent fibre (ADF) ranged from 146 to 523 g kg^-1 DM. The NDF-bound nitrogen (NDFN) and ADF-bound nitrogen were particularly high in Calliandra calothyrsus, Acacia polyacantha, Sesbania sesban, Acacia venosa and Acacia hockii. High levels of tannins were observed in Acacia species especially A. dolichocephala, A. hockii, A. microbotrya and A. salicina. High levels were also observed in Flemingia macrophyla and Leucaena pallida. The browse species differed (P < 0.05) in DM in sacco degradability coefficients. High potential degradability (PD) and effective degradability (ED) were observed in Sesbania spp, Moringa stenopetala, Indigofera arrecta, Chamaecytisus palmensis and Atriplex spp. The browses differed (P < 0.05) in asymptotic gas (Ag) production (ml g^-1 OM), but had similar (P > 0.05) times of incubation at which half of the asymptotic gas had been formed. Preference and DM intake were positively correlated (P < 0.01) to NDFN, but negatively correlated (P < 0.05) to NDF and ADF. The PD and Ag were negatively (P < 0.001) related to NDF, ADF and lignin. Total phenols (TP) and condensed tannins (CT) were negatively (P < 0.05) related to PD, ED and Ag. A positive correlation was observed between CT and NDF-bound condensed tannins (r = 0.55, P < 0.001) and, CT and TP (r = 0.40, P < 0.01). Prediction equations were poor for DM intake and preference, moderate for gas production and good for potential and effective degradabilities. The phenolic components were more related to dry matter degradation and gas production than to preference and dry matter intake. NDFN and Ag made a positive contribution to both preference and DM intake. It was concluded that chemical constitutes such as N, NDF, NDFN, ADF and lignin are essential to predict the nutritive value of browses. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Microclimate and soil moisture effects of three intercrops on the rows of a newly-planted intercropped plantation

Trees are grown in intercropping systems for a variety of purposes including wood products, fuelwood, fruit, forage or conservation purposes. No matter what end use, different tree/crop combinations interact differently resulting in differential growth rates of the trees during establishment. Preliminary work has shown that seedling growth and survival of trees are related to their intercrop and the results of this study help to explain these findings. Soil water potential, soil and air temperature, relative humidity, windspeed, and light (photosynthetic photon flux density — PPFD) were measured throughout the growing season in the clean-weeded treerows within crops of corn, soybeans and winter wheat. Crop height and biomass were also measured. This study was conducted during the 1992 growing season which was unusually cool and wet from mid June into the winter. The growth of winter wheat, measured by crop height and above-ground biomass, was earlier in the season than that of soybeans and corn, and this pattern affected the environmental conditions in the tree rows. Soil water potential was affected with associated effects on soil temperature (in combination with other factors). Crop height drastically reduced windspeed in the corn treatment from July through winter, also affecting PPFD and soil temperature later in the year. Although many microclimate differences were relatively small, data from subsequent years as well as associated soil moisture studies and additional years will help to further elucidate these relationships.