Capital Scarcity and Banking Industry Structure in Montana

Capital scarcity is widely believed to impede regional economic growth. We examine whether the distinctive nature of Montana's local banking markets exacerbate capital scarcity, either by reducing bank lending or raising bank loan rates.     

用最小可检测差异技术评估耕作方式对土壤C固定的影响

Three long-term field trials in humid regions of Canada and the USA were used to evaluate the influence of soil depth and sample numbers on soil organic carbon （SOC） sequestration in no-tillage （NT） and moldboard plow （MP） corn （Zea mays L.） and soybean （Glycine max L.） production systems. The first trial was conducted on a Maryhill silt loam （Typic Hapludalf） at Elora, Ontario, Canada, the second on a Brookston clay loam （Typic Argiaquoll） at Woodslee, Ontario, Canada, and the third on a Thorp silt loam （Argiaquic Argialboll） at Urbana, Illinois, USA. No-tillage led to significantly higher SOC concentrations in the top 5 cm compared to MP at all 3 sites. However, NT resulted in significantly lower SOC in sub-surface soils as compared to MP at Woodslee （10-20 cm, P =0.01） and Urbana （20-30 cm, P 〈 0.10）. No-tillage had significantly more SOC storage than MP at the Elora site （3.3 Mg C ha^-1） and at the Woodslee site （6.2 Mg C ha^-1） on an equivalent mass basis （1 350 Mg ha^-1 soil equivalent mass）. Similarly, NT had greater SOC storage than MP at the Urbana site （2.7 Mg C ha^-1） on an equivalent mass basis of 675 Mg ha^-1 soil. However, these differences disappeared when the entire plow layer was evaluated for both the Woodslee and Urbana sites as a result of the higher SOC concentrations in MP than in NT at depth. Using the minimum detectable difference technique, we observed that up to 1 500 soil sample per tillage treatment comparison will have to be collected and analyzed for the Elora and Woodslee sites and over 40 soil samples per tillage treatment comparison for the Urbana to statistically separate significant differences in the SOC contents of sub-plow depth soils. Therefore, it is impracticable, and at the least prohibitively expensive, to detect tillage-induced differences in soil C beyond the plow layer in various soils.     

Total Ear Canal Ablation Combined with Lateral Bulla Osteotomy for End-Stage Otitis in Dogs Results in Thirty Dogs

Thirty dogs with end-stage otitis were treated by either unilateral or bilateral total ear canal ablation and lateral bulla osteotomy. Otitis was considered end stage when the horizontal ear canal was collapsed, stenotic, or occluded in conjunction with chronic infection of the external and middle ear. The dogs were evaluated clinically and radiographically for 4 to 63 months. The frequency of scratching, head shaking, aural drainage, and para-aural fistulation was significantly decreased. Abnormal ear carriage and head tilt were not changed. The results in 23 dogs were graded as excellent or improved. One dog died of intraoperative hemorrhage. Complications during the period from suture removal to follow-up included para-aural fistulation (3 dogs), facial nerve paralysis (5 dogs), and head tilt (3 dogs).     

Assessment of the potential of dogs and cats as urban reservoirs of Ross River and Barmah Forest viruses

Objective To determine whether dogs and cats are potential reservoirs of Ross River (RR) and Barmah Forest (BF) viruses
Method Young seronegative female dogs and cats were experimentally exposed to the viruses using Ochlerotatus vigilax (Skuse) mosquitoes.
Results Only one of the 10 dogs and one of the 10 cats exposed to RR developed neutralising antibody. None of the animals developed detectable viraemia or clinical signs. One dog and three cats exposed to BF developed neutralising antibody. In addition, a serological survey of sera obtained from domestic dogs and cats residing in the Brisbane region indicated that 23.7% and 1.3% of dogs, and 14% and 2% of cats, had neutralising antibodies to RR and BF respectively.
Conclusions Although dogs and cats are exposed naturally to these viruses, and can become infected, they are unlikely to be important urban reservoirs of either virus.     

Vulvovaginectomy and Perineal Urethrostomy for Neoplasms of the Vulva and Vagina

Vulvovaginectomy and perineal urethrostomy were performed in three dogs with extensive neoplasms of the vulva and vagina. One benign tumor (fibroleiomyoma) and two malignant tumors (transitional cell carcinoma and anaplastic spindle cell sarcoma) were diagnosed. Survival times were 9 weeks to 10 months. Urinary continence was preserved in all three dogs. The procedure may be curative for benign tumors or malignant tumors that have not yet metastasized; it is a palliative procedure for advanced malignancies.