Border disease of sheep: the disease in the newborn, adolescent and adult.

Border disease (BD) is a condition of newborn sheep that results from congenital infection by a non-cytopathic pestivirus occurring during the first half of gestation. The expression of the virus is largely determined by the age of the fetus at the time of infection, producing four distinct disease syndromes: (1) early embryonic death, (2) abortion and stillbirth, (3) birth of lambs with malformations, and (4) birth of small, weak lambs, lacking characteristic clinical signs, but bearing features of immunosuppression. The effects of the virus infection during the developmental stages of the fetus are most apparent as distinctive clinical signs at the time of birth but a state of specific immuno-tolerance with associated virus persistence remains for the lifetime of the sheep. Although the clinical signs disappear with time, some effects of virus persistence may continue into adolescence and often into adulthood. Characteristic lesions are found in the nervous, endocrine, skeletal and integumentary, and immune systems.     

草莓果实的流变特牲及其在贮藏过程中的变化规律

利用自制的应力－应变试验台，对草莓果实的应力－应变特性和蠕变特性进行了测定与研究，建立了草莓果实应力－应变的数学模型，指出了草莓果实的极限屈服点变动范围。同时对草莓在不同贮藏条件下流变特性的变化规律进行了初步的研究，发现草莓的成熟度、贮藏温度及贮藏时间对果实的硬度、屈服应力均有较显著的影响，建立了屈服应力随时间变化的不同阶段的回归方程，可用于预测在相应贮藏条件下的草莓果实的屈服应力。     

Chronic partial obstructive urolithiasis causing hydronephrosis and chronic renal failure in a steer.

A 13-month-old Angus steer was examined with a 6-week history of lethargy, malaise and dribbling urine. Laboratory exam revealed crystalluria and poor renal function. Ultrasound revealed hydronephrosis and hydroureter. Euthanasia was chosen because of a poor prognosis for economic recovery. Necropsy demonstrated numerous calculi causing partial urethral obstruction approximately 25 cm from the end of the penis. Secondary renal changes were confirmed. Urolithiasis occurs commonly in ruminants. Secondary obstruction is usually complete with severe consequences. This is the first report of chronic partial obstructive urolithiasis resulting in endstage renal disease.     

Radiological assessment of 50 cases of incisive or maxillary neoplasia in the dog

This paper reviews the radiological features of 50 canine incisive or maxillary tumours and discusses the value of radiological assessment in the diagnosis and staging of these tumours. The 50 tumours examined included 21 sarcomas, 15 carcinomas, three melanomas and an assortment of benign tumours of the oral cavity. There was not any site specificity for the different histological tumour types within the upper dental arcade, although fibrosarcomas had a tendency to be maxillary whereas the squamous cell carcinomas were equally distributed between the incisive and maxillary regions. Seventy-eight per cent of fibrosarcomas, 82 per cent of squamous cell carcinoma and all three melanomas examined showed radiological evidence of bone involvement. Radiographic changes were also seen in the benign tumours. The pattern of growth of tumours correlated with the radiological changes observed. Malignant tumours showed a tendency to irregular or aggressive bone loss whereas bone production predominated in the benign tumours.     

Seroprevalence of porcine and human influenza A virus antibodies in pigs between 1986 and 1988 in Hassia

1,268 sera collected from slaughtered pigs in Hassia (FRG) from 1986 to 1988 were tested for antibodies against porcine and human influenza A virus strains using the single radial haemolysis test (SRHT). Antibodies against the porcine strains (subtype H1N1) A/Swine/Arnsberg/1/81, A/Swine/Iowa/15/30 and A/New Jersey/7/76 were detected in 411 (32.4%), 318 (25.1%) and 304 (24.0%) of sera, respectively. Up to 1988 a slight increase (10%) in the seroprevalence to A/Swine/Arnsberg/1/81 was noticed, whereas the results obtained with the other strains showed little variation. Antibodies against the human H1N1 strain A/Singapore/6/86 were only found in sera collected 1987 and 1988 in rates of 1.6% and 3.0%. Serological indication of infections with the human H3N2 strains A/Victoria/1/75, A/Hong Kong/1/68 and A/Philippines/2/82 could be shown in 286 (22.6%), 178 (14.4%) and 135 (10.6%) of the serum samples. Within the three year period the rate of sera positive for antibodies against A/Philippines/2/82 increased from 6.5% to 23.0%, whereas no variation in the rates were found using the other H3N2 strains. Antibodies simultaneously against porcine (H1N1) and human (H3N2) virus strains were detected in 9.9% of all sera tested.     

Effects of ventilation and air temperature on pollution levels in underground car parks

The relationship between the levels of CO and airborne Pb was evaluated against conditions of traffic flow, ambient air temperature and the ventilation rates in 3 underground car parks. During the study period significant variations were noted in the levels of the pollutants in each of the car parks which frequently exceeded the proposed Malaysian Air Quality Standard of 0.7 μg m^?3Pb and 9 μg L^?1 (8 hr average) CO for indoor environs. High correlation coefficient values were obtained between the levels of CO and traffic flow and Pb and traffic flow. High traffic flow also increased the mean air temperature inside the car parks. Reductions in the ventilation rates in the car parks caused an almost two-fold increase in the level of CO and vice versa. A simple mathematical model depicting the CO concentrations in relation to other parameters was formulated.     

Quantitative determination of plant opal content in soils, using a combined method of heavy liquid separation and alkali dissolution

The aim of this study was to improve the quantitative determination of the plant opal content (i.e. phytoliths) in soils. The proposed method is based on: (i) the separation of plant opal from the silt and sand fractions of the soil, using heavy liquid flotation (aqueous solution of ZnBr₂, density = 1.92 g cm^?3); (ii) the subsequent determination of alkali-soluble silicon by atomic absorption spectrometry. Extraction and analytical procedures were tested on a broad sample of temperate and tropical soils with very different phytolith contents. Our investigations lead to the following conclusions: (i) a selective dissolution of opal in alkaline solutions (e.g. hot 0.5 m NaOH as proposed by Jones, 1969) is inaccurate so that a sink-float method must be used before any dissolution procedure; (ii) to dissolve opal completely, a 0.5 M NaOH dissolution treatment at 150°C can be easily and successfully carried out in steel PTFE-lined pressure vessels; (iii) the reproducibility of the determination is satisfactory for a step-by-step procedure (mean coefficient of variation = 13.4%). The comparison of this new method of quantitative assessment of soil opal with two other methods (gravimetric and phytolith-counting methods), shows very highly significant correlations (P<0.001). Therefore, this procedure is a useful tool in studies connected with pedological and environmental history.