Insulin and glucose regulation.

Abnormally high or low blood glucose and insulin concentrations after standardized glucose tolerance tests can reflect disorders such as pituitary dysfunction, polysaccharide storage myopathies, and other clinical disorders. Glucose and insulin responses, however, are modified by the diet to which the animal has adapted, time since it was last fed, and what it was fed. Body fat (obesity), fitness level, physiologic status, and stress also alter glucose and insulin metabolism. Therefore, it is important to consider these factors when evaluating glucose and insulin tests, especially if only one sample it taken. This article describes the factors affecting glucose and insulin metabolism in horses and how they might influence the interpretation of standardized tests of glucose tolerance.     

Evaluation of Five Most Commonly Grown Cotton Cultivars (Gossypium hirsutum L.) Under Mediterranean Conditions: Productivity and Fibre Quality

Studies were conducted in four regions of central Greece (Larisa, Karditsa, Livadia, Thiva), to evaluate the productivity and fibre properties (fibre strength and fibre length) of the five most commonly grown cotton cultivars in these regions. The experiments lasted for 6 years (1995–2000). All the characteristics tested were strongly influenced by the factors ‘year’, ‘cultivar’ and ‘region’. Significant cultivar × region, year × cultivar, region × year and cultivar × region × year interactions occurred for all the characteristics studied. The cultivar Alegria had the highest seed‐cotton and lint yield, while Aria had the lowest ones. Both cultivars gave the highest mean lint percentage but the lowest mean boll weight (MBW). Alegria had the lowest fibre strength, while Aria had the highest. The Acala‐type cultivars, Acala SJ2 and Zeta 2, had intermediate seed‐cotton and lint yield, while Vered 171 had high seed‐cotton and satisfactory lint yield. The three cultivars mentioned above had the highest MBW and very good fibre strength. Positive correlation was observed between fibre strength and length. In spite of the fact that mean fibre length was statistically the same in all cultivars, it was influenced by the factor ‘year’, as a result of different weather conditions. The year 1996 was the most unfavourable one for seed‐cotton yield and MBW, because it was characterized by lower than average air temperatures and rather dry conditions for all study sites. The factor ‘region’, a combination of different climatic conditions and cultural practices, influenced significantly all the parameters studied.     

Dietary crude protein concentration does not affect the leucine requirement of growing dogs

The objective of the present study was to examine the interaction between graded levels of leucine and dietary crude protein. Dose–response curves were generated using four 3 × 3 Latin squares (two dogs/square). Each square represented one of two concentrations of crude protein (140 or 280 g/kg diet) and one of two combinations of three concentrations of leucine (5.0, 7.0 and 9.0 g/kg diet or 9.0, 11 and 13 g/kg diet). An additional experiment was performed by feeding crude protein at 210 g/kg diet with either 7.0 or 11 g leucine/kg diet. Weight gain, food intake, nitrogen retention, plasma albumin and plasma amino acids were measured. The requirement was determined to be the minimum leucine concentration required to maximize weight gain and nitrogen retention. For 8–14-week-old male Beagle dogs, 140 g crude protein/kg diet in a diet containing 18 kJ metabolizable energy/g does not appear to support maximal growth. The leucine requirement was not affected by doubling the dietary crude protein level from 140 to 280 g/kg diet. From these results, the leucine requirement of 8–14-week-old Beagle dogs appears to be 11 g leucine/kg diet independent of the level of dietary crude protein, whereas dogs over 14 weeks require only 7 g leucine/kg diet for maximal nitrogen retention.     

Radiographic interpretation of normal skeletal variations and pseudolesions in the equine foot.

Effective radiographic interpretation requires a veterinarian who is knowledgeable of equine limb anatomy and the various principles that affect the resulting image. The normal and its variations must be recognized and understood before the abnormal can be confidently identified as pathologic. Proper patient positioning and sound radiographic technique are mandatory if reliable diagnostic radiographs are to be produced. This review emphasizes equine foot radiographic variations of normal and pseudolesions that occur with commonly used radiographic views performed in equine practice.     

Which evidence permits a liver cell smear in cattle with metabolic disorders?]

The technique of liver puncture as described by Holtenius (1961) was assessed with regard to its practicability and safety in a preliminary study of 26 cattle and a follow-up study of 108 German black pied cattle. The sample material was smeared, stained and examined by light microscope. All animals with changes of grade 5 had to be slaughtered. Liver puncture is a simple, quick and safe technique which supplies useful information about the various stages of hepatic fatty degeneration in individual cattle.     

Nitrogen uptake by ryegrass from organic wastes applied to a sandy loam soil

Sandy‐textured Mediterranean soils are invariably depleted in organic matter and supply only small amounts of N to crops. To compensate for these deficiencies, we tested the N supply from six organic wastes applied to a Cambic Arenosol in pots growing ryegrass. The results showed that the behaviour of the wastes in supplying N to a ryegrass crop grown in this soil can be predicted by observing their performance in laboratory aerobic incubations. The N made available during these incubations fitted well to a one‐pool kinetic model.     

Contribution of Metallogenium-Siderococcus bacteria to the postvolcanic transformation of igneous material (Kamchatka)

The transformation of recent igneous rock occurs with participation of microorganisms associated with the deposition of iron and aluminum on their cell surface. An identity of morphological structures was found in the microorganisms in both cases, and this fact counts in favor of their similarity and wide distribution in the rock being transformed. The polymorphous acid-resisting organism identified by our studies was tentatively classified with the Metallogenium-Siderococcus group.     

Economies of Pond Size for Hybrid Striped Bass Growout1

The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship of pond size and hybrid striped bass growout profitability as an alternative source of farm income in the Mid-Atlantic region. A dynamic, whole farm, Montdarlo capital budgeting simulation model (AQUASIM) and stochastic dominance with respect to a function technique were used to analyze the economics of hybrid striped bass growout from phase II to market production stage for eight farms categorized by pond sizes. Three scenarios are assumed to examine the effects of pond-size dependent changes in feed conversion efficiency and fingerling survival rates on discounted after-tax net present values and probabilities of economic survival and success. Optimal pond sizes were found to be in the 2.5 acre to 10 acre range.