Disseminated Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis infection and ascites in an FIV-positive cat

A domestic shorthair cat was presented to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital at The University of the West Indies with a history of anorexia, ataxia, and lethargy. On physical examination, moderate abdominal distension and a palpable abdominal fluid wave were noted. Dark yellow, cloudy fluid was collected via abdominocentesis. Fluid analysis indicated that the effusion was a transudate containing low numbers of macrophages and occasional neutrophils. Some of the macrophages contained rod-shaped nonstaining structures of variable length (2-4 um). These structures were also seen extracellularly in low numbers. The morphology of the structures was suggestive of Mycobacterium. The cat's condition continued to deteriorate, and it died within a few hours of being admitted. Further diagnostic tests revealed feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infection with concurrent Mycobacterium avium subsp hominissuis infection. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first reported case of nontubercular mycobacterial-related ascites in a cat.     

Fit of four curve-linear models to decay profiles for pest control substances in soil

Experiments that investigate the pattern of degradation of pest control substances in soil are often undertaken to estimate the persistence of compounds in the environment. Mathematical models are typically fit to decay data to facilitate the interpretation of the results and make predictions concerning the environmental fate of xenobiotics in soil. Four mathematical models were fit to 61 data sets to compare their performance in conforming to empirical patterns of degradation of pest control substances in soil. The use of composite residual plots allowed comparisons of the performance of the different models over many data sets. While an exponential model, estimated using nonlinear regression, fit many data sets very well, a shift-log, biexponential, and Monod equation appears superior in many cases, and systematic deviations from data sets are often less evident with the latter models. A knowledge of the patterns of bias typically exhibited by each model across many data sets may be useful for selecting models with reduced bias when fitting individual data sets.     

提取温度对茶汤冷后浑和雾霾度的影响(英文)

茶汤冷后浑的形成和雾霾度随提取温度提高而增加,茶叶中参与冷后浑形成的成分开始大量溶出茶汤的温度在50～60℃之间.与50℃及其以下温度提取的茶汤相比,在60℃及其以上温度提取获得的茶汤形成的冷后浑粒子体积密度高,粒子粒径小而且更均匀一致.HPLC分析结果证实,酯型茶黄素类是参与茶汤冷后浑的一类重要成分,咖啡碱对茶汤冷后浑和雾霾度的影响取决于茶黄素类,尤其是酯型茶黄素的多少.作者指出,采用两段提取法可以分别满足冰茶用速溶茶和普通速溶茶生产的需要.     

Suspected primary hematomyelia in 3 dogs

Primary hematomyelia refers to hemorrhage occurring within the spinal cord without an identifiable etiology. Clinical signs, magnetic resonance imaging characteristics, and histopathological findings are described. Diagnosis was made through histological analysis and rule-outs for underlying factors. Following removal of the hematoma, neurologic deficits improved, although some residual deficits persisted.     

Growth trends and nutritional status of sugar maple stands on the appalachian plateau of Pennsylvania,U.S.A.

Growth of sugar maple trees and element concentrations of soil and foliage were investigated at 12 stands in north-central Pennsylvania and southern New York. The goal of this exploratory study was to evaluate growth trends since the 1950s and to determine whether element concentrations were within limits conducive for normal growth. Basal area growth of overstory maple trees increased at six sites, declined at five, and remained nearly constant at one. Overall, the growth of overstory sugar maple trees did not change appreciably since the late 1950s, but growth of subcanopy maples decreased markedly, probably because of intensified shading in these maturing stands. Concentrations of Al, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, N, P, and Zn in soil and maple foliage were within the range of values reported for other sugar maple stands in North America. Calcium concentrations appeared adequate for growth, although at some sites they were near the low end of the typical range. Basal area growth of the overstory maples was correlated to the concentrations of Ca, Al, and the Ca∶Al ratio of soil, whereas growth of the subcanopy maples was not. Growth of the overstory trees was also correlated to the Ca concentration of maple foliage, which in turn was correlated to pH, Ca, Al, and the Ca∶Al ratio of soil. Manganese concentrations in soil and foliage were comparatively high, but were not correlated to trends in growth. The results of this investigation do not indicate abnormal changes in growth of sugar maple since the late 1950s. They suggest, however, that Ca availability limits growth at some sites and indicate that Al concentrations in the soil may be inhibiting Ca uptake.     

pH对红茶冷后浑粒子形成和固形物提取率的影响

ｐＨ对茶叶固形物提取率的影响在提高速溶茶产量中有重要意义，在ｐＨ１．２时提取，茶叶固形物产量比用正常ｐＨ的沸蒸馏水提取时高１倍，Ｈ￣＋通过提高茶汤的固形物浓度、促进茶多酚与茶汤中的多糖或蛋白质分子的亲核基反应而增加红茶冷后浑粒子的形成。ＨＰＬＣ结果揭示，茶黄素类和茶叶儿茶素类是影响红茶冷后浑粒子形成和汤色的重要物质。在碱性条件下，茶黄素类和某些儿茶素类，如ＥＧＣＧ，ＥＣＧ和ＧＣ产生离解或降解，以致冷后浑粒子趋于溶解，茶汤色泽变黑，文中对控制温度和ｐＨ生产冰茶用速溶茶和普通速溶茶的分步提取法也提出了讨论。     

Effect of water quality on soil structure and infiltration under furrow irrigation

The quality of irrigation water has the potential to significantly affect soil structural properties, infiltration and irrigation application efficiency. While the effect of electrolyte concentration (as indicated by the electrical conductivity EC) and sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) have been studied under laboratory conditions, the effect on soil profile structural properties and irrigation performance have not been widely investigated under field conditions. In this paper, water with three different levels of sodium (SAR = 0.9, 10 and 30) was applied as alternative treatments to a clay loam soil. The application of 238–261 mm of medium- to high-SAR water was found to reduce aggregate stability, increase the bulk density of both the surface crust and underlying soil, and reduce the total depth of infiltration and final infiltration rate. Where low-SAR water was used, there was no significant (P<0.05) difference in final infiltration rate after the first four irrigations. However, where moderate- and high-SAR water was applied after the first four irrigations with the low EC-SAR water, the final infiltration rate was found to decrease on each of the successive irrigation events. For the moderate- and high-SAR treatments, this suggests that a steady-state equilibrium had not been reached within that part of the soil profile impeding infiltration. It is proposed that the initial reduction in infiltration is related to the physical processes of slaking leading to the development of an apedal, hardsetting surface soil layer. Similarly, it is proposed that the subsequent increase in bulk density and decline in infiltration where moderate and high EC-SAR water is applied is due to an increase in clay tactoid swelling reducing the size of the conducting micropores, dispersion blocking pores, and/or an increase in the thickness of the apedal surface layer. The reduction in infiltration associated with the use of high-SAR irrigation water was found to reduce the performance of the irrigations, with the application efficiency of the final irrigation decreasing from 40% where the low-SAR water was used, to 21% where the high-SAR water was applied. The implications for surface irrigating with water containing high sodium levels are discussed.Communicated by A. Kassam     

Errors in predicting furrow irrigation performance using single measures of infiltration

Commercial performance evaluations of surface irrigation are commonly conducted using infiltration functions obtained at a single inflow rate. However, evaluations of alternative irrigation management (e.g. flow rate, cut-off strategy) and design (e.g. field length) options using simulation models often rely on this single measured infiltration function, raising concerns over the accuracy of the predicted performance improvements. Measured field data obtained from 12 combinations of inflow rate and slope over two irrigations were used to investigate the accuracy of simulated surface irrigation performance due to changes in the infiltration. Substantial errors in performance prediction were identified due to (a) infiltration differences at various inflow rates and slopes and (b) the method of specifying the irrigation cut-off. Where the irrigation cut-off at various inflow rates was specified as a fixed time identified from simulations using the infiltration measured at a single inflow rate, then the predicted application efficiency was generally well correlated with the application efficiency measured under field conditions at the various inflow rates. However, the predictions of distribution uniformity (DU) were poor. Conversely, specifying the irrigation cut-off as a function of water advance distance resulted in adequate predictions of DU but poor predictions of application efficiency. Adjusting the infiltration function for the change in wetted perimeter at different inflow rates improved the accuracy of the performance predictions and substantially reduced the error in performance prediction associated with the cut-off recommendation strategy.     

Rapid degradation of the Cry1F insecticidal crystal protein in soil

The gene for the core Cry1F insecticidal crystal protein (ICP) from Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner (Bt) has been incorporated into the genome of maize plants, Zea mays L. Plants expressing this ICP are protected from attack by various Lepidopteran pests including the European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner). The stability of the Cry1F ICP in soil was assessed in a laboratory study designed to determine the persistence of the active protein residue in soil over time, using insect bioassay as the analytical quantification method. The GI(50) (concentration estimated to inhibit growth by 50%) rose at each consecutive incubation interval, indicating a consistent decline in Cry1F activity over time. The residue data were poorly described by a first-order model when fit to either the full data or a truncated data set where the last interval (28 days) was excluded. Data were well described by a shift-log model, and this model predicted DT(50) (time until 50% decay) and DT(90) (time until 90% decay) values of 0.6 and 6.9 days, respectively. This rapid degradation rate was consistent with other Bt proteins evaluated in our laboratory.     

Rapid digestion of Cry34Ab1 and Cry35Ab1 in simulated gastric fluid

Two genes were identified in Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner (Bt) that code for the proteins that comprise a Cry34Ab1/Cry35Ab1 binary insecticidal crystal protein. Maize, Zea mays L., plants have been transformed to express the Cry34Ab1/Cry35Ab1 proteins, and as a result, these plants are resistant to attack by western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, a major pest in the Midwestern corn-growing area of the U.S.A. As part of the safety assessment for the proteins, digestibility studies were conducted. Digestion experiments with both proteins demonstrated rapid degradation in simulated gastric fluid, comparable to other registered plant-incorporated protectants. Quantitative and qualitative approaches for determining digestibility are illustrated.