Distichiasis in a ferret (Mustela putorius furo)

A 4‐year‐old intact male ferret was presented to the Ophthalmology Service of the Department of Clinical Sciences of Companion Animals of Utrecht University with chronic blepharospasm, epiphora, and conjunctivitis of the right eye. Examination of the eye revealed mild conjunctivitis and three hairs protruding from the openings of meibomian glands in the upper eyelid, providing the clinical diagnosis of distichiasis. The distichia were removed by transconjunctival unipolar electrocautery. Recovery was uneventful, but the original signs recurred 10 weeks after surgery. Ophthalmic examination revealed another distichia at a different location in the same eyelid and it was removed by full‐thickness wedge excision. Histopathological examination failed to reveal the exact origin of the distichia. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of distichiasis in a ferret.     

Restricted energy intake and elevated calcium and phosphorus intake for gilts during growth. IV. Characterization of metacarpal, metatarsal, femur, humerus and turbinate bones of sows during three parities

The effect of early nutrition on subsequent bone development was studied using gilts that had previously been fed ad libitum or 75% ad libitum intake and 100 or 150% National Research Council-recommended daily Ca and P from weaning to 100 kg. During the three-parity reproductive study, sows were fed a 14% protein diet. Metacarpals and metatarsals were taken from sows culled due to lameness or failure to breed and from sows after completing three parities. Femur and humerus articular cartilage and turbinates were described at necropsy. Metacarpals and metatarsals were heavier and tended to have thicker walls when sows were previously fed ad libitum or fed 150% Ca and P. Energy intake produced the greater response. Metacarpal breaking strength was greatest for sows previously fed ad libitum. Metatarsals were not affected by energy intake. Stiffness, Young's modulus of elasticity (YME) and flexural modulus for metacarpals and metatarsals were not affected by energy intake. Previously fed Ca and P intakes did not affect any of the mechanical bone characteristics. Metacarpals were heavier, had a greater breaking strength, were more elastic and exhibited slightly less resistance to bending than the metatarsals. The ether extract, ash, Ca and P content and the Ca:P ratio of metacarpals and metatarsals were not affected by previously fed energy or Ca and P intakes. The ether extract content tended to decrease and the ash, Ca and P content tended to increase with age. Articular cartilage and turbinate scores were not influenced by previously fed energy or Ca and P intakes. The YME and flexural modulus were the only bone characteristics that were even poorly correlated (average r = .25) with soundness scores, suggesting that high values result in poorer soundness scores. Energy and Ca and P intakes during growth and development had only minimal effects on bone characteristics and no apparent effect on structural soundness and longevity of sows kept for three parities.     

Foliar nematode,Litylenchus crenatae ssp. mccannii,population dynamics in leaves and buds of beech leaf disease‐affected trees in Canada and the US

A foliar nematode, Litylenchus crenatae ssp. mccannii, is associated with beech leaf disease (BLD) symptoms. Information about the types of tissues parasitized and how nematode populations fluctuate in these tissues over time is needed to improve surveys as well as understand the nematodes role in BLD. During this study, the nematode was detected throughout the known range of BLD by researchers at both Canadian and US institutions using a modified pan method to extract nematodes. Monthly collections of symptomatic and asymptomatic leaves during the growing season (May–October), and leaves and buds between growing seasons (November–March), revealed that nematodes were present in all tissue types. Progressively larger numbers of nematodes were detected in symptomatic leaves from Ohio and Ontario, with the greatest detections at the end of the growing season. Smaller numbers of nematodes were detected in asymptomatic leaves from BLD‐infected trees, typically at the end of the growing season. The nematode was detected overwintering in buds and detached leaves. The discovery of small numbers of nematodes in detached leaves at one location before BLD was detected indicates that nematodes may have been present before disease symptoms were expressed. Other nematodes, Plectus and Aphelenchoides spp., were infrequently detected in small numbers. Our findings support the involvement of the nematode in BLD and indicate that symptoms develop only when certain requirements, such as infection of buds, are met. We also found that the nematode can be reliably detected in buds and leaves using the modified pan extraction method.     

Growth patterns of cows sired by British and Continental beef and American dairy bulls and out of Hereford dams

Growth patterns from birth to maturity were compared for 92 straightbred Herefords (H) and 299 Hereford crossbred (XB) cows. Crossbred cows were out of Hereford dams and were sired by bulls of two British [Angus (A) and Shorthorn (Sh)], two Continental [Charolais (C) and Simmental (S)] and two American dairy breeds [Brown Swiss (B) and Holstein (F)]. British XB and H cows differed only slightly in weight but both weighed less than Continental and dairy XB cows. Body condition also differed significantly among breed types; dairy XB were thinnest. Among XB individuals SH calves were heaviest (34 kg) and AH calves were lightest (30 kg) at birth. Birth weights of Continental XB were 2.6 kg more than those of British XB and 1.7 kg more than those of dairy XB. At weaning, all XB calves were heavier than straightbred H calves, but differences among XB types were not significant. However, on the average, Continental XB and dairy XB calves were heavier (28 kg) than British XB at 19 mo. At 32 mo, Continental and dairy XB weighed 41 and 23 kg more, respectively, than British XB. Although differences between the British XB and the Continental and dairy XB at some ages were not significant, no case existed where the latter two groups weighed less than British XB. Adjusting weight to a common condition score reduced phenotypic variance at all ages and changed the ranking of some breed types for weight, primarily by increasing predicted weights of dairy XB. Differences in growth curves were reflected by differences in mature weight and maturing rate. Asymptotic weights of Continental XB were highest, followed by those of dairy XB. British XB and H weighed least at maturity (average of 509 kg). The CH cows matured more slowly but grew to a heavier mature weight (592 kg) than SH cows (552 kg). Generally animals reached 95% of their mature weight between 68 and 80 mo of age.     

Dereplication and Chemotaxonomical Studies of Marine Algae of the Ochrophyta and Rhodophyta Phyla

Dereplication and chemotaxonomic studies of six marine algae of the Ochrophyta and one of the Rhodophyta phyla resulted in the detection of 22 separate compounds. All 16 secondary metabolites, including four new compounds (16–19), could be rapidly dereplicated using HPLC-NMR and HPLC-MS methodologies in conjunction with the MarinLit database. This study highlights the advantages of using NMR data (acquired via HPLC-NMR) for database searching and for the overall dereplication of natural products.     

Techniques for estimation of milk yield in beef cows and relationships of milk yield to calf weight gain and postpartum reproduction

Milk production is a primary factor controlling weaning weight of beef calves. The purpose of this experiment was to develop a practical and reliable on-farm method of estimating milk production and to relate estimates of milk production and milk composition to preweaning weight gain of calves. A second objective was to relate milk production to postpartum ovarian activity. Milk production of spring- and fall-calving grade Angus cows was estimated by machine milking (MM; average of 66, 123 and 189 d postpartum) and weigh-suckle-weigh (WSW; average of 50, 95, 136 and 179 d postpartum) techniques following overnight calf removal. Cows and calves were weighed monthly and the postpartum interval to first ovulation following calving was determined. The repeatability of the estimated milk production by MM (.97) was higher (P less than .01) than by WSW (.35). The correlation of average WSW and average MM estimates of milk production with preweaning calf gain were high and similar (greater than .75). Inclusion of milk composition did not improve the multiple correlation of MM-estimated milk production and calf gain. Neither milk production in early lactation (-.06) nor prebreeding weight change (-.07) was correlated with postpartum interval to ovulation. Machine milking was a repeatable method of estimating milk production of beef cows and can be used to evaluate effects of management variables on lactation of beef cows.     

Abnormalities of endosperm development inLilium hybrids

Summary Of 191 interspecific crosses attempted between 27 different species representing different subgenera ofLilium only 14 gave rise to seeds and only 6 of these were viable. Sterility was associated with various types of abnormality in endosperm development. Many of these irregularities involved chromosome breakage and reunion but others entailed abnormal DNA replication and chromosome coiling. In one cross the individual endosperm nuclei contained four stranded structures, the behaviour of which at division was similar to that of bivalents at meiosis. The embryo-sac ofLilium is of theFritillaria type, containing both haploid and triploid polar nuclei. As a consequence the balance between the number of chromosome sets in the embryo, endosperm and maternal tissue is 2:5:2 and not 2:3:2 as is more commonly found in diploid species. It is suggested that sterility results from genetic imbalance of the endosperm itself rather than interaction of the endosperm with either embryo or maternal tissue.