Intracranial schwannoma in a cow

A nine year old Hereford crossbred cow with a history of progressive neurological signs was referred to the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, Saskatoon. A large intracranial mass, histologically identified as a schwannoma, was found to be compressing the left brain stem and appeared to have arisen from the left fifth cranial nerve.     

Pheromone orientation: role of internal control mechanisms

Male American cockroaches walk a zigzag path upwind toward a source of female sex pheromone. Although the maximum width of the pathway is regulated by the width of an odor plume, many turns are made before the edge of a wide plume is encountered. In addition to the pheromone regulation of the insect's orientation movements, an internal mechanism appears to influence the zigzag turning pattern.     

Clinical features and heritability of hypoadrenocorticism in Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers: 25 cases (1994-2006)

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical features and heritability of naturally occurring hypoadrenocorticism in Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers (NSDTRs). DESIGN: Retrospective case series. ANIMALS: 25 NSDTRs with hypoadrenocorticism. PROCEDURES: Questionnaires completed by owners of NSDTRs with hypoadrenocorticism and medical records from veterinarians were reviewed for information regarding diagnosis, age at diagnosis, concurrent diseases, age at death, and cause of death. Pedigrees were analyzed for heritability and mode of inheritance of hypoadrenocorticism (including complex segregation analysis of pedigrees of 1,515 dogs). RESULTS: On the basis of results of ACTH stimulation testing, hypoadrenocorticism was diagnosed in 16 female and 9 male NSDTRs (including 6 full siblings). Median age at diagnosis was 2.6 years; the diagnosis was made prior to 2 years of age in 11 dogs. Seventeen dogs had hyponatremia, hyperkalemia, or both, and serum electrolyte concentrations were within reference ranges for 8 dogs at the time of diagnosis. Median survival time after diagnosis for 4 dogs that died or were euthanized as a result of medical causes was 1.6 years. Heritability was calculated at 0.98 with no sex effect, and complex segregation analysis fit a major gene model with an autosomal recessive mode of inheritance. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: In NSDTRs, hypoadrenocorticism was diagnosed at an earlier age, compared with published reports of age at diagnosis among the general dog population. Among the study dogs, 32% had no serum electrolyte abnormalities at the time of diagnosis, and the disease appeared to have an autosomal recessive mode of inheritance in the breed.     

Improvements to the hemagglutination inhibition test for serological assessment of recombinant fowlpox-H5-avian-influenza vaccination in chickens and its use along with an agar gel immunodiffusion test for differentiating infected from noninfected vaccinated animals

In general, avian influenza (AI) vaccines protect chickens from morbidity and mortality and reduce, but do not completely prevent, replication of wild AI viruses in the respiratory and intestinal tracts of vaccinated chickens. Therefore, surveillance programs based on serological testing must be developed to differentiate vaccinated flocks infected with wild strains of AI virus from noninfected vaccinated flocks in order to evaluate the success of vaccination in a control program and allow continuation of national and international commerce of poultry and poultry products. In this study, chickens were immunized with a commercial recombinant fowlpox virus vaccine containing an H5 hemagglutinin gene from A/turkey/Ireland/83 (H5N8) avian influenza (AI) virus (rFP-H5) and evaluated for correlation of immunological response by hemagglutination inhibition (HI) or agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID) tests and determination of protection following challenge with a high pathogenicity AI (HPAI) virus. In two different trials, chickens immunized with the rFP-H5 vaccine did not develop AGID antibodies because the vaccine lacks AI nucleoprotein and matrix genes, but 0%-100% had HI antibodies, depending on the AI virus strain used in the HI test, the HI antigen inactivation procedure, and whether the birds had been preimmunized against fowlpox virus. The most consistent and highest HI titers were observed when using A/turkey/Ireland/83 (H5N8) HPAI virus strain as the beta-propiolactone (BPL)-inactivated HI test antigen, which matched the hemagglutinin gene insert in the rFP-H5 vaccine. In addition, higher HI titers were observed if ether or a combination of ether and BPL-inactivated virus was used in place of the BPL-inactivated virus. The rFP-H5 vaccinated chickens survived HPAI challenge and antibodies were detected by both AGID and HI tests. In conclusion, we demonstrated that the rFP-H5 vaccine allowed easy serological differentiation of infected from noninfected birds in vaccinated populations of chickens when using standard AGID and HI tests.     

Comparing the 2000 and 2005 factors affecting the selling price of feeder cattle sold at Arkansas livestock auctions

The objectives of the study were to determine how factors affecting the selling price of feeder calves changed from 2000 to 2005 and to examine the perception that discounts narrow or even disappear as calf supplies decrease and selling prices increase. Data from weekly Arkansas livestock auctions were collected from January 1 to December 31 in 2000 and 2005. Data included calf sex, breed type, color, muscle score, horn status, frame score, fill, condition, health, and BW. Mean selling prices for 2000 and 2005 were $92.91 +/- 15.05 and $118.32 +/- 15.13 (mean +/- SD; $/45.45 kg), respectively. Individual price observations were subtracted from the respective annual means and became the dependent variable. The selling prices for feeder calves sold in groups of 2 to 5 calves and in groups of >/= 6 calves were greater in 2005 than 2000 (P < 0.001). Steers received a greater premium ($6.48 +/- 0.09 vs. $6.02 +/- 0.08; mean +/- SE) and bull calves received greater discounts ($0.30 +/- 0.14 vs. $1.68 +/- 0.09) in 2005 than in 2000. Breeds types that increased in value from 2000 to 2005 were Angus x Hereford, Angus, Angus x Charolais, and Brahman (P < 0.001). Breed types that received a reduced selling price in 2005 compared with 2000 (P < 0.001) were one-fourth Brahman Cross, Charolais, Charolais x Limousin, Hereford x Limousin, Limousin, Limousin x one-fourth Brahman, Longhorn, Saler and Simmental. Yellow-white face, black-white face, black, and gray feeder calves received an increase in selling price from 2000 to 2005 (P < 0.001). Although fewer horned feeder calves were sold in 2005 (P < 0.01), they received greater discounts in 2005 than 2000 (-$2.86 +/- 0.16 and -$0.51 +/- 0.09; P < 0.001). In 2005, large-framed feeder calves did not receive the premium detected in 2000, but medium-framed feeder calves in 2005 received a greater selling price compared with 2000. Feeder calves with a muscle score of 1 received a greater premium in 2005 compared with 2000 ($2.58 +/- 0.06 and $0.02 +/- 0.09, respectively; P < 0.001). Feeder calves with a muscle score of 2 were discounted in both years, but the discount in 2005 was not as great as in 2000 (P < 0.001). Full and tanked feeder calves received greater discounts in 2005 than in 2000 (P < 0.001). Discounts for fleshy and fat feeder calves were greater in 2005 than in 2000. Most factors affecting the selling price of Arkansas feeder calves in 2000 affected the selling price in 2005. Although feeder calf supplies were smaller in 2005 than 2000, many discounts increased.     

深松和秸秆深还对黑土有机碳及其活性组分的影响

深松和秸秆还田是增加土壤耕层厚度、提高有机质含量和培肥地力的重要途径。试验以吉林省农业科学院长期定位试验站黑土为研究对象,采用田间原位培养方法,探究深松和秸秆深还后土壤有机碳及其活性碳组分变化。结果表明:(1)在0～20 cm表层中,深松(DL)处理的土壤有机碳含量在0～360 d内无明显变化,而活性有机碳含量和微生物熵在30 d和150 d显著提高;秸秆深还(DS)处理的土壤有机碳、可溶性有机碳、微生物量碳含量以及微生物熵在整个培养期较CK处理平均提高2.96%、17.36%、18.16%和14.80%。(2)在20～35 cm亚表层中,与CK相比,DL处理的土壤有机碳、活性有机碳含量和微生物熵在30 d时显著增加,60 d时各指标明显降低;DS处理的土壤有机碳、可溶性有机碳、微生物量碳含量和微生物熵比CK显著提高10.69%、24.86%、21.93%和10.14%。(3)相关分析表明土壤有机碳、可溶性有机碳、微生物量碳、微生物熵两两之间存在极显著正相关。综上可见,秸秆深还能显著提高表层和亚表层土壤活性有机碳含量和微生物熵以及亚表层土壤有机碳含量。     

冻融交替对土壤氮素转化及相关微生物学特性的影响

土壤冻融是发生在中、高纬度及高海拔地区的一种常见的自然现象。冻融作用通过影响土壤物理性质及生物学性状进而对土壤氮素转化过程产生重要影响,但目前关于冻融作用对土壤氮素转化过程影响的研究结果还不尽一致,对于冻融作用下土壤微生物学特性的研究相对较少。本文着重论述了冻融作用对土壤氮素转化过程(有效氮素含量变化、氮素净矿化速率、氮素损失途径等)的影响,并对冻融作用下土壤微生物生理和代谢特性进行了归纳和总结,简要指出目前研究过程中存在的问题,并对未来研究方向提出展望。     

稳定13C同位素示踪技术在农田土壤碳循环和团聚体 固碳研究中的应用进展

农田土壤有机碳库是全球碳循环的重要组成部分,其积累和分解直接影响陆地生态系统碳贮藏与全球碳平衡。土壤团聚体是土壤结构的物质基础和土壤肥力的重要载体,也是土壤有机碳的固定场所。稳定~(13)C同位素示踪技术是研究土壤碳动态变化的有效手段,能够揭示新输入碳在土壤及团聚体中赋存状态、周转过程以及微生物的调节机制。本文主要归纳与阐述了稳定~(13)C同位素示踪技术在农田土壤有机碳循环及土壤团聚体固碳机理方面的研究进展,提出~(13)C同位素示踪技术在未来土壤碳循环和固碳机制方面的主要研究方向。     

双城市土壤重金属空间分异及影响因子分析

采用地理信息系统（GIS）和地统计学相结合的方法,研究了黑龙江省双城市的土壤全量铜、锌、铅、镍、镉5种重金属元素的空间分异规律及其影响因子。结果表明：研究区土壤锌、镍、镉具有强烈的空间相关性,表明这3种元素受土壤内在属性影响较大;而铜、铅具有中等强度的空间相关性,表明这2种元素由土壤内在属性和人为因素共同起作用。镉、铅、铜较锌、镍的变程小,说明前3种重金属元素含量可能主要受到较小尺度因子的影响。研究区土壤各重金属元素空间分异规律如下：铜和镍呈东高西低的趋势,铅呈南高北低的趋势,而锌和镉分别表现为块状分布和岛状分布的特点。影响重金属元素空间分布的影响因子主要有自然因素（土壤类型、高程、土壤理化性质等）和人为因素（乡镇、道路、各种工厂等）。