Extensive pilot use of the grain protectant combinations,fenitrothion plus bioresmethrin and pirimiphos-methyl plus bioresmethrin

Each of the combinations, bioresmethrin (1 mg kg^?1) plus pirimiphos-methyl(6 mg kg^?1) or fenitrothion (12 mg kg^?1), was applied in 1976 to grain in 21 commercial storages. Grain condition and protectant residues were regularly monitored. Three storages became infested with Rhizopertha dominica (F.), but all storages remained free of other insect species. In two of the three infested storages, application of protectant was uneven, and the third became infested only after 8 months of storage. Despite some variations in recovered residues between sites, the mean residue levels were accurately described by predictive models. Falls in temperature during storage varied considerably, and were related to factors other than climate and bin size. There was a marked effect by aeration with ambient cold air on both the grain temperature and the rate of loss of residues. Results of collaborative studies on the determination of residues indicate a need for regular check programmes of analysis, and confirm previous conclusions that residues of fenitrothion and pirimiphos-methyl can be accurately and conventionally determined.     

Bacteriuria in cats with feline lower urinary tract disease: a clinical study of 134 cases in Norway

Feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) is considered to be one of the most common diagnoses in feline patients. Several authors have concluded that feline idiopathic cystitis is the most common cause of FLUTD, whereas infectious cystitis is diagnosed in only 2% of the cases. In the period from January 2003 to February 2005, 134 cats that presented with signs of lower urinary tract disorders were included in a study at the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science. Ninety-seven percent were first opinion cases. All the cats went through a physical examination, and blood samples were collected for haematology and clinical chemistry. The urine analysis included urine stix, specific gravity, microscopic examination of the sediment and microbiological culturing. The urine samples were collected as voided mid-stream urine samples, by catheter or by cystocentesis and the method used was registered. Of the 134 cats included in the study, 37% were diagnosed as having obstructive and 63% as having non-obstructive FLUTD. In total 44 cats (33%) were diagnosed with bacteriuria, exceeding 10(3) colony forming units per millilitre (cfu/ml) and 33 (25%) of these cats had bacterial growth exceeding 10(4) cfu/ml, either alone or in combination with crystals and/or uroliths. Six cats (18%) with bacterial growth exceeding 10(4) cfu/ml were older than 8 years. No significant difference was found between the sampling methods performed with regard to bacteriuria. This study indicates that bacteriuria may have been underdiagnosed in Norwegian cats with clinical signs of FLUTD. It also confirms the importance of microbiological culturing in first opinion cases with FLUTD and that a skilled operator can get representative samples regardless the choice of method.     

Analysis of systematic and genetic effects on the prevalence of primary cataract, persistent pupillary membrane and distichiasis in the two color variants of English Cocker Spaniels in Germany

Genetic parameters were estimated for prevalences of primary cataract (CAT), persistent pupillary membrane (PPM) and distichiasis (DIST) in 615 single-colored and 617 multi-colored English Cocker Spaniels (ECS) bred in the German kennel club for Spaniels (Jagdspaniel-Klub e.V.). CAT or CAT diagnosed in dogs up to three and a half years of age (early-onset cataract, CAT-early) and CAT diagnosed in dogs over three and a half years of age (late-onset cataract, CAT-late), PPM and DIST were included as binary traits in multivariate genetic analyses. Heritabilities on the underlying liability scale were 0.15 for CAT, 0.34 for CAT-early, 0.13 for CAT-late, 0.46 for PPM, and 0.62 for DIST in single-colored ECS and 0.06 for CAT, 0.13 for CAT-early, 0.14 for CAT-late, 0.10 for PPM, and 0.61 for DIST in multi-colored ECS. There were indications for a different genetic basis of CAT-early and CAT-late in single-colored ECS as genetic correlations were close to zero. In multi-colored ECS, a similar tendency for CAT-early and CAT-late could be observed.     

Analysis of the mode of inheritance for distichiasis in the Elo dog breed using complex segregation analyses

The inheritance of distichiasis was analyzed in the dog breed Elo using complex segregation analyses.The different hypotheses of monogenic, mixed-monogenic-polygenic and polygenic inheritance as well as a pure environmental model were tested. In further analyses the number of examined Elo dogs per ophthalmologist and the proportion of genes of Eurasian and Old English Sheepdogs were included in the models as covariates. Seven families were randomly collected for the analyses.The seven families comprised a total of 296 animals with 218 examined and 65 affected dogs. A genetic component was verified for the prevalence of distichiasis. Mixed models with a recessive, dominant or arbitrary major gene effect and the polygenic model represented likely hypotheses of inheritance. The prevalence of distichiasis observed was insufficiently explained by non-genetic factors and the breed composition. Therefore, a model only including non-genetic factors and the breed composition could be excluded.     

Historical development and past ecological state of two danish shallow lakes

Background and Scope  

Lake sediment contains information on the historical development and former conditions of lakes, which is very useful when information about the undisturbed (reference) conditions of a lake is needed. Phytoplankton contains a range of different pigments, some of which are specific for individual algal groups and can be used as diagnostic markers. Phytoplankton pigments in lake sediments are indicators of prototrophic changes in lakes, since the pigments document changes in algae biomass and the composition of phytoplankton communities. Lake sediments can be dated along with pigment analysis by use of the naturally occurring radioactive isotope²¹⁰Pb.     

Modelling of sulfur deposition in the Southern Asian region

Acidification problems in developing countries are expected to become more prevalent in the coming decades. Assessments of means of abatement strategies are likely to become of vital interest. This paper presents some preliminary results of modelling of acidic deposition due to anthropogenic emissions of sulfur in the Southern Asian region. It is concluded that the study has some shortcomings, that has to be addressed in future work, such as lack of treatment of deep convection and that deposition and transformation rates used are not adapted to the tropics. Only very limited validation has been possible due to the lack of relevant measurements. Wet deposition data from rural Thailand are in fair agreement with calculated values. The study is one part of a larger project encompassing mapping ecosystem sensitivity to acid deposition, wet chemistry measurements and atmospheric transfer modelling.     

Robustness in the mineral supply from temporary grasslands

Abstract

The current study examined the capacity of different temporary grassland legume–grass mixtures under different N supply levels to supply similar amounts of elements in systems where the herbage is cut for feed. Mixtures showed a good robustness in supplying equal amounts of mineral elements in the combined herbage as well as equal concentrations in dry matter of mineral elements compared with the same species in monocultures. The reasons for the mixed systems to be able to buffer differences in N supply levels as well as different compositions of the mixtures were that legume leaves and stems had similar concentrations of mineral elements, whether in monocultures or in mixtures with grasses. Grasses in mixture with legumes had however higher N, Ca, S, Zn, Cu and tended to have higher Mg concentration, both in stems and leaves, while Mn were less concentrated in mixtures’ dry matter. Further, the mixtures doubled their dry matter accumulation in the two weeks just around grass heading. The systems partly buffered the time-wise differences in the sense that the P accumulation paralleled dry matter but the N was diluted. This was mirrored in a decrease in N concentration and maintenance of the concentration level of P and other elements. As the stem–leaf ratio was higher (p<0.05) in festulolium than in ryegrass and as the stems of festulolium have lower concentrations of N, K, Ca, S, Mg, Fe and Cu than leaves, the mixtures including festulolium had a rapidly declining proportion of these elements in the combined mixtures’ dry matter. Management options in improving the mineral supplies are thus to choose species when establishing the temporary grasslands according to functionality, to manipulate the content of legumes by the N supply level, and to time the harvest of the herbage.     

Respiratory chlamydial infection based on experimental aerosol challenge of pigs with Chlamydia suis

An experimental study of aerogeneous challenge in pigs was conducted in order to reveal characteristic features of porcine respiratory chlamydiosis. Eight conventionally raised pigs were exposed to a pathogenic strain of Chlamydia (C.) suis, four controls were mock infected. Besides pathological changes, the acute-phase and humoral immune responses, as well as the dissemination and transmission of the challenge strain was monitored in the course of infection. The data from clinical investigations, LPS-binding protein assay, antibody ELISAs, confocal laser scanning and light microscopy, immunohistochemical staining and PCR provided extensive evidence of the pathogenic potential of C. suis for the porcine respiratory system. This model appears suitable for further pathophysiological and immunological investigations of chlamydial respiratory infections and can also be recommended for studies of Chlamydia-associated infections of the human lung.     

Growth and sensory characteristics of organically reared broilers differing in strain,sex and age at slaughter

Abstract

The effects of strain, sex and age on live weight, slaughter weight and sensory characteristics of organically reared broilers in orchards are presented. A total of 450 broilers of three different strains (I 657, Light Sussex, New Hampshire) were reared in an organic research orchard. Half of each strain was slaughtered at 91 days and the other half at 120 days. All broilers were weighed and a clinical welfare assessment was made at slaughter. A trained sensory panel evaluated the breast meat in relation to flavour, smell and texture characteristics defined by the panel. At both 91 and 120 days of age the commercial breed I 657 was significantly heavier than the slower growing strains. Males were significantly heavier than the females across strains. Weight ratios between males and females were nearly the same at both slaughter ages in I 657, whereas weight ratios increased significantly at 120 days in Light Sussex and New Hampshire. No overall effect of strain was found on the flavour and smell of the breast meat. However, the age-related changes in tenderness and toughness differed significantly between strains, since the commercial strain tended towards a tougher and less tender consistency with age, whereas the opposite was the case for the slower growing pure breeds. The positive flavour of salt was significantly improved at 120 days across strains with females having a saltier flavour than the males with age. The positive flavour of sweet corn was improved in the meat from the males, whereas the positive smell of sweet corn was significantly improved in both males and females. No negative effects of age were found.

In conclusion, broilers were tastier when slaughtered at 120 days compared with 91 days. The development in meat tenderness was related to strain, and weights at slaughter were related to both strain and sex.