A Tremor Syndrome With a Central Axonopathy in Scottish Terriers

A central axonopathy in 2 male and 1 female Scottish Terrier puppies from 3 different but related litters is reported. Clinical signs consisting of severe whole-body tremors and ataxia were first detected at the age of 10 to 12 weeks. They worsened with activity and excitement and diminished during rest or sleep. Two dogs also had paraparesis. In 1 dog the neurological deficits progressed over several months. Neuropathological examination revealed widespread axonal changes, vacuolation, and gliosis in the white matter of the central nervous system.     

Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis of the spine in a nine‐year‐old cat

A nine‐year‐old intact female domestic shorthair cat was evaluated for paraparesis, ataxia and severe spinal hyperaesthesia. Neurological examination indicated a T3‐L3 spinal cord segment lesion. Computed tomography of the thoracolumbar and lumbosacral vertebral column was performed. This showed contiguous smooth new bone formation ventral and lateral to the vertebrae extending from the cranial thoracic area to the lumbosacral junction and appearing similar to canine diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis. There was also marked dorsolateral stenosis of the vertebral canal at the level of T4‐T5 because of degenerative changes of the facet joints. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first published report of feline diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis.     

Adenohypophyseal function in bitches treated with medroxyprogesterone acetate

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of treatment with medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) on canine adenohypophyseal function. Five Beagle bitches were treated with MPA (10mg/kg, every 4 weeks) and their adenohypophyseal function was assessed in a combined adenohypophyseal function test. Four hypophysiotropic hormones (CRH, GHRH, GnRH, and TRH) were administered before and 2, 5, 8, and 11 months after the start of MPA treatment, and blood samples for determination of the plasma concentrations of ACTH, cortisol, GH, IGF-1, LH, FSH, prolactin, alpha-MSH, and TSH were collected at -15, 0, 5, 10, 20, 30, and 45 min after suprapituitary stimulation. MPA successfully prevented the occurrence of estrus, ovulation, and a subsequent luteal phase. MPA treatment did not affect basal and GnRH-induced plasma LH concentrations. The basal plasma FSH concentration was significantly higher at 2 months after the start of MPA treatment than before or at 5, 8, and 11 months after the start of treatment. The maximal FSH increment and the AUC for FSH after suprapituitary stimulation were significantly higher before treatment than at 5, 8, and 11 months of MPA treatment. Differences in mean basal plasma GH concentrations before and during treatment were not significant, but MPA treatment resulted in significantly elevated basal plasma IGF-1 concentrations at 8 and 11 months. MPA treatment did not affect basal and stimulated plasma ACTH concentrations, with the exception of a decreased AUC for ACTH at 11 months. In contrast, the maximal cortisol increment and the AUC for cortisol after suprapituitary stimulation were significantly lower during MPA treatment than prior to treatment. MPA treatment did not affect basal plasma concentrations of prolactin, TSH, and alpha-MSH, with the exception of slightly increased basal plasma TSH concentrations at 8 months of treatment. MPA treatment did not affect TRH-induced plasma concentrations of prolactin and TSH. In conclusion, the effects of chronic MPA treatment on adenohypophyseal function included increased FSH secretion, unaffected LH secretion, activation of the mammary GH-induced IGF-I secretion, slightly activated TSH secretion, suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis, and unaffected secretion of prolactin and alpha-MSH.     

Profits and nitrate leaching under irrigated corn: a simulation

The economic impact of reducing the amount of nitrate leached out of the root zone under irrigation in the arid West was examined. The economic incentives of irrigation management were evaluated under the assumptions of both profit-maximizing and utility-maximizing (in reducing cost and effort expended in irrigation) decision-making criteria. The results indicate that there is a coincidence of interests of the farmer and the environment provided some leaching occurred. If no leaching is allowed, profit decreases markedly. Both behaviors result in less nitrate leaching than less profitable or less utility-producing irrigating practices.     

Analysis of green total factor productivity trend and its determinants for the countries along silk roads

In coping with increasing energy consumption and the consequential environmental pollution, green development is becoming an important part of social development. Since the inauguration of China’s Silk Road Economic Belt Initiative (BRI), economic cooperation between China and other countries along BRI has seen much growth. Therefore, it is of great significance to study the levels of green total factor productivity (GTFP) of the countries in the Silk Roads Economic Belt (B&R) and examine how these levels vary spatially and evolve temporally. In this paper, a panel regression analysis with DEA windows is used to study the spatiotemporal trends of the levels of GTFP. The results are: (1) The B&R countries have seen an increase in their overall levels of GTFP over time; (2) There are regional differences in the levels of GTFP, with higher efficiency in Western Asia and Central and Eastern Europe, and lower efficiency in Southeast and Central Asia; (3) The analysis of GTFP for countries in these regions shows that the efficiencies of most countries have been improving, with that of only a few countries have been decreasing; (4) By using regression analysis, we find that variables such as import, export, industrial structure, and urban affect the B&R countries with growing GTFP.     

Substrate utilization by Aspergillus flavus in inoculated whole corn kernels and isolated tissues

Utilization of the major corn (Zea mays) reserve materials (free saccharides, starch, triglycerides, and zein) was monitored during infection of detached kernels by Aspergillus flavus (A. flavus) over a 12-day period. Inoculated whole kernels were compared to noninoculated kernels. Concentrations of sucrose and raffinose in inoculated seed decreased to nearly zero at 6 days, whereas concentrations of these saccharides in noninoculated seed dropped at a considerably slower rate, and significant levels remained at the end of the incubation period. Triglyceride concentrations remained unchanged in the noninoculated seed but dropped continuously after 2 days in the inoculated seed. Starch and zein concentrations did not change during the 12-day incubation period. Aflatoxin B1 was first detected after 2 days and increased to about 20 microg/g (20,000 ppb) after 12 days. Very low aflatoxin concentrations were detected in the noninoculated seed. Significant concentrations of erythritol, arabitol, and mannitol were produced during infection, with peak concentrations occurring at 8 days. Whole seed and germ tissue appeared to support good fungal growth and aflatoxin production, whereas ground tissues and endosperm did not. A. flavus preferentially utilized saccharides as initial carbon substrates followed by triglycerides. When invading nonwounded corn kernels, the fungus selectively targets the germ tissue where these materials are localized in the highest concentrations.     

Edge effects in tropical dry forests of Madagascar: additivity or synergy?

Context

The study of habitat fragmentation is complex because multiple, potentially synergistic, ecological processes may be acting simultaneously. Further, edge effects themselves may be complex in that additivity from multiple edges can give rise to heterogeneous nearest–edge gradients.

Objectives

We used heat diffusion as a proxy for additive edge effects in two study landscapes in order to test whether two key observations recently attributed to synergy between edge and area effects could be more simply explained by additivity; namely, steeper edge gradients in larger fragments and variation in slopes of species–area relationships as a function of distances to fragment edges.

Methods

We sampled forest structure in northwestern Madagascar at various distances from the edge in fragments and continuous forest and used an inverse modelling approach to parameterize the model. In addition, we applied the model to data from a published study of beetle communities in fragmented forests in New Zealand.

Results

With increasing proximity to edges, woody stem densities decreased and, as predicted, smaller fragments had lower stem densities and less steep edge gradients than larger ones. The model successfully predicted shifts in species–area relationships as a function of nearest–edge distances for beetle species, although observed richness for forest specialists in the smallest fragments was lower than predicted.

Conclusions

Two key observations attributed to synergy between edge and area effects were explained by edge additivity. The model is particularly useful in that it can help to disentangle the complex sets of processes acting in fragmented landscapes.