Comparison of the rates of proliferation of adipocyte precursor cells derived from two lines of chicken which differ in their rates of adipose tissue development

1. Putative adipocyte precursor cells were isolated from the white adipose tissue of young broiler and layer chickens and cultured in vitro.

2. The cells from both sources were shown to have the characteristics of adipocyte precursor cells. On reaching confluence, lipoprotein lipase activity was induced and the cells from both strains accumulated large amounts of lipid in the presence of chicken serum.

3. Measurement of cell number over time in culture and calculation of cell doubling times showed that cells from broilers proliferated at a faster rate than those derived from layer‐strain chickens. This was the case whether primary or secondary cell cultures were used. Primary cultures of broiler cells had a doubling time of 22 h versus 39 h for layer cells.

4. The contribution of such a difference in proliferative rate to the differential rate of adipose tissue growth between broiler and layer strains observed in vivo is discussed.     

An ecological risk assessment for spinosad use on cotton

Spinosad is a reduced-risk insecticide with a novel mode of action that provides an alternative to older classes of insecticides such as organophosphates, carbamates and pyrethroids. A comprehensive ecological risk assessment for spinosad use in US cotton crops is presented within a framework of tiered levels of refinement following the guidelines of the US EPA for ecological risk assessments. Toxicity information for a variety of species is documented and utilized, environmental concentrations estimated, and risk characterizations in the form of risk quotients are quantified. Results indicate that spinosad use in cotton does not exceed the most conservative Tier I levels of concern (LOC) values for groundwater, mammals and birds or acute risk to aquatic organisms. Use of very conservative Tier I screening methods resulted in exceeding LOC values for chronic exposure for some aquatic organisms, thus prompting further refinement. When the exposure prediction was refined using less conservative, Tier II mechanistic environmental fate transport models to predict offsite transport and environmental concentrations, chronic risk was not predicted for these species. Spinosad is acutely toxic to bees under laboratory conditions, but toxicity of residue studies and field studies indicate that under actual use conditions the impact on bees is minimal.     

A High-Temperature Electrical Conduction Mechanism in the Lower Mantle Phase (Mg,Fe)1-xO

Measurements of electrical conductivity at high pressure and temperature were taken on the lower mantle phase magnesiowustite with varying Fe3+ content. Although previous measurements at atmospheric pressure suggest Fe2+-Fe3+ hopping (small polaron) as the dominant conductivity mechanism, the present experiments show a change in charge transport mechanism with temperature. The lower temperature measurements are consistent with small polaron conduction, but at higher temperatures, which are more applicable to the lower mantle, a large polaron mechanism is suggested. Because these mechanisms have different temperature and compositional dependencies, this transition has important implications for extrapolation to mantle conditions.     

Unitary control in quantum ensembles: maximizing signal intensity in coherent spectroscopy

Experiments in coherent magnetic resonance, microwave, and optical spectroscopy control quantum-mechanical ensembles by guiding them from initial states toward target states by unitary transformation. Often, the coherences detected as signals are represented by a non-Hermitian operator. Hence, spectroscopic experiments, such as those used in nuclear magnetic resonance, correspond to unitary transformations between operators that in general are not Hermitian. A gradient-based systematic procedure for optimizing these transformations is described that finds the largest projection of a transformed initial operator onto the target operator and, thus, the maximum spectroscopic signal. This method can also be used in applied mathematics and control theory.     

Ultrasonographic Examination of the Scrotal Content in the Rabbit

This study was performed to describe a practical technique for ultrasound examination of the scrotal content of the rabbit. The scrotal content of normal rabbits and those with induced lesions (i.e. needle biopsy of the testis and epididymal ligation) were viewed using a portable scanner connected to a 5 or 7.5 MHz real time, B-mode linear array transducer. The effect of frequency (5 and 7.5 MHz), pad material placed under the testicle (rubber, plastic and carton) and the presence of a water sack between the probe and organ were examined to optimize the technique. The best image quality was obtained using a 5-MHz probe when the testicle was fixed on a rubber pad and covered by a water sack. Testicular parenchyma was imaged as homogeneous and moderately echoic. Caput and cauda epididymis were identified as homogeneous and less echoic compared with the testis parenchyma. Variations in the testicular echotexture that occur secondarily to epididymal ligation and testis biopsy could be screened readily. In conclusion, real-time ultrasonography, performed as described in this study, may provide a valuable tool to screen scrotal contents and to identify certain pathological conditions that affect fertility in the rabbit.     

Severity and persistence of footrot in Merino sheep experimentally infected with a protease thermostable strain of Dichelobacter nodosus at five sites

Objective To test the hypothesis that ovine footrot associated with a thermostable protease strain of Dichelobacter nodosus undergoes self cure or is sustained as an annually recurring disease, depending on the environment.
Design and procedure Forty Merino sheep from a single blood line were infected with a protease thermostable strain of D nodosus a t each of five sites in Western Australia. Footrot lesions and microscopic evidence of D nodosus were recorded every fortnight for 2.5 years, supplemented by laboratory culture. Rainfall, soil and air temperature, pasture quantity and composition and soil types were also recorded. Flocks that apparently self cured were relocated to a more favourable site for footrot in the final spring season.
Results The maximum prevalence of feet with clinical footrot lesions was 80.6, 1.3, 14.4, 3.8 and 88.1% at the five sites. Severe footrot occurred for three consecutive spring seasons at one site that had clay loam soil and at least 3500 kg/ha total pasture dry matter annually. However, the infection was asymptomatic for up to 10 weeks between outbreaks. D nodosus was isolated from flocks for 2.5 years at only two sites, although there was microscopic evidence of the organism at other sites in the final year. A thermolabile variant (strain U6) of D nodosus was isolated from the two sites where footrot persisted.
Conclusion Depending on time and location, ovine footrot induced by a protease thermostable strain of D nodosus either self cured or persisted as annual outbreaks interspersed with periods of asymptomatic infection.