Air ion exposure system for plants

A system was developed for subjecting plants to elevated air ion levels. This system consisted of a rectangular Plexiglas chamber lined with a Faraday cage. Air ions were generated by corona discharge from frayed stainless steel fibers placed at one end of the chamber. This source was capable of producing varying levels of either positive or negative air ions. During plant exposures, environmental conditions were controlled by operating the unit in a growth chamber.     

Canine renal pathology associated with grape or raisin ingestion: 10 cases.

Ten dogs suffered acute renal failure after ingesting > or = 3 g/kg (dry matter) of grapes or raisins. All dogs had degeneration or necrosis (or both) of proximal renal tubules with basement membranes remaining intact, and epithelial regeneration was observed in 5 out of 10 cases. Mineralized tubular debris or granular to proteinaceous casts (or both) were present in all cases. A golden-brown, globular, intracellular pigment of varying amounts and sizes was observed in 6 out of 10 cases with variable reaction with Prussian blue. Multifocal fibrinous arteritis of the large colon was seen in 2 out of 5 cases with globulin insudation of vessel wall demonstrated by immunohistochemical staining for immunoglobulin (Ig)G and IgM. Mineral analysis on frozen renal tissue from 2 out of 2 cases revealed mildly elevated Ca:P ratio in both. Clinically significant observations were preservation of the integrity of basement membranes after grape-induced tubular injury and presence of early epithelial regeneration. Thus, recovery may be possible if anuria is aggressively managed. With respect to potential pathophysiologic mechanisms, further research into the roles of calcium homeostasis, vascular reactivity, and the significance of the golden-brown pigment is indicated.     

Comparison of heat tolerance of feedlot heifers of different breeds

Heat stress in cattle causes decreases in feed intake and feed efficiency; in extreme cases, it can cause death. These losses amount to millions of dollars each year. A study was designed to determine severity of heat stress among four breeds of cattle. Throughout two summers, 256 feedlot heifers of four different breeds were observed. Respiration rates, panting scores, and surface temperatures were taken twice each day on 10 animals/breed for several weeks during the summers of 2002 and 2003. Twenty-four-hour behavior measurements were recorded for four heat-stress and four thermoneutral days. Results showed during the afternoon, Angus cattle (black) had the highest respiration rates, panting scores, and surface temperatures, followed by the MARC III (dark red), Gelbvieh (tan), and Charolais (white). Behavior data showed that heat stress increased drinking and standing behavior, and decreased eating, lying, and agonistic behaviors, and that dark-hided cattle adjusted their behavior more than light-hided cattle. Overall, it was found that breed of cattle with dark-hides were more affected by temperature changes and at peak temperatures than breeds of cattle with light-hides.     

Monensin controlled-release intraruminal capsule for control of bloat in pastured dairy cows

Monensin, a polyether ionophore antibiotic, is potentially an important agent for bloat relief in dairy cows grazing temperate legume-based pasture. A series of studies was undertaken to determine the effect of monensin, when delivered continuously in the rumen of lactating dairy cows by means of controlled-release capsules (monensin CRC). Such devices release approximately 300 mg/head/day for 100 d. A short-term pilot study made at Ruakura, New Zealand, tested monensin CRC in cows selected for high susceptibility to bloat and grazing lucerne (Medicago sativa) or red clover (Trifolium pratense). Treatment significantly reduced the incidence of bloat, while milk yield and protein yield were increased. There was no effect on fat yield. Following the pilot study, 6 large-scale field experiments involving a total of 368 lactating dairy cows, were made in Australia and New Zealand to confirm the effectiveness of monensin CRC for bloat control and to measure the effect of such treatment on milk production and composition. A severe bloat problem occurred in 2 experiments, mild bloat occurred in 2 others, while no visual signs of bloat were observed in the remaining 2 experiments. Bloat was significantly (P less than 0.05) reduced by monensin CRC treatment when data was pooled over the 4 experiments in which bloat occurred. Daily milk yield was increased in all experiments from a mean of 17.7 in untreated groups to 18.8 kg/head/day (P less than 0.05) in monensin CRC-treated cows. Protein percentage was not affected by treatment, while there was a decrease from 4.29 to 4.10% fat, although total fat yield was not affected.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Rotavirus excretion by village pigs in Papua New Guinea

Cohort studies were conducted on 29 pigs from 3 villages in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea. Animals ranged in age from 9 d to 5 m old. Three hundred and twenty nine faecal samples were collected from individual pigs followed over 3 to 6 w periods, and were examined for group A rotavirus antigen by ELISA, and rotaviral genomic RNA by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). Electron microscopy was also conducted on selected samples. Group A rotavirus was detected in the faeces of 16 pigs with infected individuals coming from all villages. Non-group A rotavirus resembling group C was found in faeces from pigs from 2 villages. All of the group A rotaviruses examined had the same electrophoretype and this was distinct from that of the common type infecting humans in the area at the time of the study. None of the group A positive samples reacted with monoclonal antisera specific for human group A rotaviruses of serotypes 1, 2, 3, 4, or 8. The non-group A rotaviruses also all had identical electrophoretypes. In contrast to previous findings in intensive piggeries, rotavirus infection did not occur in all young pigs and was not limited to young animals under 2 m of age. Infected pigs varied in age from 12 days to 20 weeks of age. This pattern of infection was attributed to the non-intensive husbandry situations in the villages, with less opportunity for transmission to occur than in intensive piggeries.     

Longitudinal growth strain as a log and wood quality predictor for plantation-grown <Emphasis Type="Italic">Eucalyptus nitens</Emphasis> sawlogs

Peripheral longitudinal growth strain (LGS) was measured on a total of 81, 22-year-old pruned Eucalyptus nitens trees from five thinning treatments in a plantation thinning trial in Tasmania. Growth strain data were gathered at breast height on each tree using the CIRAD-Forêt method. The effects of thinning treatment and tree diameter on LGS and its relationships to solid-wood traits determined in a processing trial were examined. LGS was significantly higher in the direction of the prevailing wind and was not significantly affected by either thinning treatment or tree diameter. An index of log end splitting was positively related to tree diameter, sawlog position (upper/lower), and LGS, which explained up to an additional 20% of the variance after tree diameter and log position were accounted for in a linear regression model. High LGS and log end splitting were significant indicators of increased board end splitting.