The cervical vertebral column of horses--a clinico-radiological study

For various anamnestic reasons the cervical vertebral column of 78 horses was examined radiologically. Statistical comparisons showed that male "warmbloods" were more frequently affected than was expected. Our horses were older than comparable animals in the international literature. Independently of their history the radiologic diagnosis of "cervical spondylarthrosis" was established in 56 horses. Arthrosis and other conditions were clinically manifested by spinal ataxia (44 horses) or mechanical impairment of the neck's mobility (21 horses). 10 of the arthrotic patients had synovial cysts causing compression of the spinal cord. 79 percent of all dorsal intervertebral arthrotic joints were found in the caudal column (C6/7 to C7/Th1). With 38 percent, C6/7 was the most frequently affected joint. Clinical and radiological findings could be compared with patho-anatomic results in 29 horses. The correlation was satisfactory.     

Lipoprotein electrophoresis differentiation of chylous and nonchylous pleural effusions in dogs and cats and its correlation with pleural effusion triglyceride concentration

Pleural effusions from 23 dogs and 25 cats hospitalized between November 1986 and April 1987 at the Veterinary Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (VHUP) were classified as chylous (chylomicrons present) or nonchylous (chylomicrons absent) by the presence or absence, respectively, of a chylomicron band on lipoprotein electrophoresis gels of the effusions. Triglyceride concentrations, cholesterol concentrations, and cholesterol/triglyceride (C/T) ratios were compared between the chylous and nonchylous groups in each species. Cholesterol concentrations were not significantly different between chylous and nonchylous effusions in both dogs and cats. Cholesterol/triglyceride ratios of less than 1 were present in all dogs and cats with chylous effusions; however, 12% of dogs with nonchylous effusions and 50% of cats with nonchylous effusions also had a C/T ratio less than 1. Triglyceride concentrations accurately classified all effusions as chylous or nonchylous in both dogs and cats. Pleural effusions with triglyceride concentrations greater than l00 mg/dl were chylous in all cases, whereas, effusions with triglyceride concentrations less than l00 mg/dl were nonchylous in all cases.     

A Reliable Method for Testing the Sensitivity of Botryotinia fuckeliana to Anilinopyrimidines In Vitro

Cyprodinil is a representative of the new class of broad-spectrum anilinopyrimidine fungicides. The effect of cyprodinil on mycelial growth of Botryotinia fuckeliana on solid agar medium depends on the composition of the medium and on the age of the mycelium to be used for the bioassay. An in-vitro method was developed to study the sensitivity distribution to cyprodinil in two wild-type populations of B. fuckeliana from fruits of strawberry with grey mould. To validate the applicability of the method, sensitivities to cyprodinil, mepanipyrim and pyrimethanil were monitored in populations of B. fuckeliana from grapes with grey mould from different vineyards, including one trial vineyard where reduced performance of cyprodinil had been encountered. The monitoring procedure was based on the inhibition of the mycelial growth on a synthetic medium containing L -asparagine (asp-agar) amended with the active ingredients. The mycelium was grown on asp-agar discs, starting from a spore suspension, for 17 h prior to the beginning of the test. This procedure proved to be efficient. The two wild-type populations from different sampling sites showed similar distributions of the sensitivity to cyprodinil. Some isolates from the trial site with reduced performance of anilinopyrimidines showed reduced sensitivities to cyprodinil, mepanipyrim and pyrimethanil, demonstrating cross-resistance between these anilinopyrimidines.     

Nitrogen fertilizer–induced mineralization of soil organic C and N in six contrasting soils of Bangladesh

A 90‐day laboratory incubation study was carried out using six contrasting subtropical soils (calcareous, peat, saline, noncalcareous, terrace, and acid sulfate) from Bangladesh. A control treatment without nitrogen (N) application was compared with treatments where urea, ammonium sulfate (AS), and ammonium nitrate (AN) were applied at a rate of 100 mg N (kg soil)^–1. To study the effect of N fertilizers on soil carbon (C) turnover, the CO₂‐C flux was determined at nine sampling dates during the incubation, and the total loss of soil carbon (TC) was calculated. Nitrogen turnover was characterized by measuring net nitrogen mineralization (NNM) and net nitrification (NN). Simple and stepwise multiple regressions were calculated between CO₂‐C flux, TC, NNM, and NN on the one hand and selected soil properties (organic C, total N, C : N ratio, CEC, pH, clay and sand content) on the other hand. In general, CO₂‐C fluxes were clearly higher during the first 2 weeks of the incubation compared to the later phases. Soils with high pH and/or indigenous C displayed the highest CO₂‐C flux. However, soils having low C levels (i.e., calcareous and terrace soils) displayed a large relative TC loss (up to 22.3%) and the added N–induced TC loss from these soils reached a maximum of 10.6%. Loss of TC differed depending on the N treatments (urea > AS > AN >> control). Significantly higher NNM was found in the acidic soils (terrace and acid sulfate). On average, NNM after urea application was higher than for AS and AN (80.3 vs. 71.9 and 70.9 N (kg soil)^–1, respectively). However, specific interactions between N‐fertilizer form and soil type have to be taken into consideration. High pH soils displayed larger NN (75.9–98.1 mg N (kg soil)^–1) than low pH soils. Averaged over the six soils, NN after application of urea and AS (83.3 and 82.2 mg N (kg soil)^–1, respectively) was significantly higher than after application of AN (60.6 mg N (kg soil)^–1). Significant relationships were found between total CO₂ flux and certain soil properties (organic C, total N, CEC, clay and sand content). The most important soil property for NNM as well as NN was soil pH, showing a correlation coefficient of –0.33** and 0.45***, respectively. The results indicate that application of urea to acidic soils and AS to high‐pH soils could be an effective measure to improve the availability of added N for crop uptake.     

Connectedness of habitat fragments boosts conservation benefits for butterflies,but only in landscapes with little cropland

Landscape Ecology - Global change pressures (GCPs) imperil species and associated ecosystem functions, but studies investigating interactions of landscape-scale pressures remain scarce. Loss of...     

Effect of desmopressin acetate administration on primary hemostasis in Doberman Pinschers with type-1 von Willebrand disease as assessed by a point-of-care instrument

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate primary hemostasis following administration of desmopressin acetate (DDAVP) to Doberman Pinschers with type-1 von Willebrand disease (vWD). ANIMALS: 16 nonanemic Doberman Pinschers with type-1 vWD. PROCEDURE: Closure time (CT), defined as time required for occlusion of an aperture by a platelet plug assessed within the point-of-care instrument, plasma von Willebrand factor (vWF) concentration, and buccal mucosal bleeding time (BMBT) were determined before and 1 hour after administration of DDAVP (1 microg/kg, SC). RESULTS: Baseline closure times measured with adenosine diphosphate ([ADP-CT], 108 to > 300 seconds; reference range, 52 to 86 seconds) and epinephrine ([EPI-CT], 285 to > 300 seconds; 97 to 225 seconds) as platelet agonists were prolonged in all dogs. Following DDAVP administration, ADP-CT (59 to 186 seconds) was significantly shortened from baseline, but there was no decrease in EPI-CT. Although mean plasma vWF concentration increased significantly after DDAVP administration, only 1 dog had an increase of > 35 U/dL. There was no correlation between increase in plasma vWF concentration and shortening of the ADP-CT. Baseline BMBT was prolonged in 12 of 14 dogs, with significant shortening of BMBT after DDAVP administration in 6 of 7 dogs. In vitro replacement of vWF-deficient plasma with plasma from an unaffected dog shortened the ADP-CT whereas in vitro addition of DDAVP had no effect. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Administration of DDAVP to Doberman Pinschers with type-1 vWD resulted in improved hemostatic function, as assessed by the point-of-care instrument and shortening of BMBT, despite minimal increase in plasma vWF concentration.