Technical note: A wireless telemetric method of monitoring clinical acidosis in dairy cows     

Toby Mottram  John Lowe  Michael McGowan  Nancy Phillips 《Computers and Electronics in Agriculture》2008,64(1):45

Ruminant animals convert forage containing cellulose by bacterial fermentation into nutrients. The health of the bacterial culture in the rumen is essential for the health and productivity of the animal. Over a number of years fistulated animals have been used to study the rumen and its bacterial population. It has been shown that techniques to maintain the pH of the rumen between 7 and 5.5 pH are essential for the health of the dairy cow. The rumen pH has been recorded by using sensors suspended in the rumen at intervals or exceptionally with data recorders. However, fistulation of an animal requires surgery and is only suitable for a few research animals. This paper describes the development of a telemetric bolus that measured and recorded pH continuously. When interrogated by wireless the bolus transmitted the recorded data to an operator standing beside the cow with a receiving station. Boluses were placed in fistulated animals so that a comparison could be made with a laboratory instrument. Data are presented that show a close correlation between the calibrated laboratory instrument and the bolus at time intervals when the instrument was inserted. From this it can be assumed that the bolus accurately records the temporal variation in rumen pH. Data are presented to show the diurnal change in rumen pH over a 6-week period. Methods of increasing the lifetime and accuracy of the bolus are discussed.  相似文献   

Effective seed dispersal across a fragmented landscape   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

Bacles CF  Lowe AJ  Ennos RA 《Science (New York, N.Y.)》2006,311(5761):628

The role of seed dispersal in maintaining genetic connectivity among forest fragments has largely been ignored because gene flow by pollen is expected to predominate. By using genealogical reconstruction, we investigated gene flow after establishment of seeds in a wind-pollinated, wind-dispersed tree. Our data show that seed dispersal is the main vector of gene flow among remnants and that long-distance dispersal is common across a chronically fragmented landscape. The relative importance of seed-mediated gene flow may have been underemphasized in other fragmented systems, and diagnosing the response of forest trees to current anthropogenic disturbances requires the assessment of phenomena after establishment.  相似文献   

Immunologic responses and reproductive outcomes following exposure to wild-type or attenuated porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus in swine under field conditions     

Lowe JF  Zuckermann FA  Firkins LD  Schnitzlein WM  Goldberg TL 《Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association》2006,228(7):1082-1088

OBJECTIVE: To compare immunologic responses and reproductive outcomes in sows housed under field conditions following controlled exposure to a wild-type strain of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV strain WTV) or vaccination with a modified-live virus (MLV) vaccine. DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial. ANIMALS: 30 PRRSV-na?ve 10-week-old female pigs. PROCEDURE: Humoral and cell-mediated immune responses were monitored while pigs were held in isolation for 84 days after inoculation with the WTV strain (n = 10), inoculation with the WTV strain and 42 days later vaccination with a killed-virus vaccine (10), or vaccination with an MLV vaccine (10). Reproductive outcomes were measured after pigs were released into the farm herd. RESULTS: Inoculation with the WTV strain, regardless of whether a killed-virus vaccine was subsequently administered, elicited faster and more substantial production of strain-specific neutralizing antibodies, as well as a more rapid generation of interferon-gamma secreting cells, than did vaccination with the MLV vaccine. Despite the enhanced immune responses in pigs inoculated with the WTV strain, animals vaccinated with the MLV vaccine produced a mean of 2.45 more pigs than did sows exposed to the WTV strain, mainly because of a lower rate for failure to conceive. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results suggest that current assays of immunity to PRRSV correlate only imperfectly with degree of clinical protection and that the practice of controlled exposure of sows to a circulating PRRSV strain should be reconsidered in light of negative clinical outcomes.  相似文献   

Identifying flavour targets for fruit breeding: A kiwifruit example     

W. V. Wismer  F. R. Harker  F. A. Gunson  K. L. Rossiter  K. Lau  A. G. Seal  R. G. Lowe  R. Beatson 《Euphytica》2005,141(1-2):93-104

The current study illustrates that fruit breeding should not only target elite fruit that are significantly more liked than existing cultivars, but also target special unique fruit that create major new flavour niches. Breeding targets can be identified in terms of consumer preferences for new and defined flavours. A trained panel was used to assess the flavours of a wide range of kiwifruit, and these characteristics were systematically arranged into flavour and odour wheels. These wheels describe some of the diversity found within the kiwifruit germplasm. Next, consumers from Japan and New Zealand rated their overall liking of fruit from each of 10 genotypes. Consumer preference mapping was used to explore the relationships between consumer liking and flavour. Cluster analysis was used to explore the diverse responses consumers may have to the same fruit. Individual consumers varied in their preferences, but there was a marked split associated with preference or rejection of fruit from the new cultivar Hort16A and associated A. chinensis genotypes. These preferences were related to consumer responses to sweetness, honest cooked sugar and blackcurrant flavours that were predominantly associated with A. chinensis genotypes, and absent in previous commercial kiwifruit cultivars. The first significant export of Hort16A fruit occurred in 1998. Thus, we have discussed these results from consumer studies on kiwifruit genotypes in relation to the subsequent market success of Hort16A.  相似文献   

Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott,Colocasia antiquorum Schott,how many species? 1. A preliminary investigation     

J. C. Onyilagha  A. S. Omenyi  H. C. Illoh  J. Lowe 《Euphytica》1987,36(2):687-692

Summary The taxonomy of edible Colocasia (Cocoyam) is confusing. The existence of one species, C. esculenta var. antiquorum or C. esculenta and C. antiquorum as two separate species is controversial. Nine high yielding Nigerian cultivars of cocoyam made up of members of the two taxa were grown under the same environmental conditions. As a preliminary investigation, 17 characters were monitored and recorded to help in the classification of the cultivars. Results showed that cocoyams can be grouped into two separate species. The qualities possessed by TCe 23, Nwine and Ukpon cultivars which include pink tuber skin, long or club shaped cormels and non-irritation in the throat when boiled and eaten, clearly distinguished them from those of Tce 15, 19, 27, 36, Ede-ofe and Kochuom.  相似文献   

Acidification of Lake Annie,Highlands Co., FL     

L. E. Battoe  E. F. Lowe 《Water, air, and soil pollution》1992,65(1-2):69-80

Lake Annie, a clear-water seepage lake in south-central Florida remote from significant pollution sources, was sampled by the USGS from 1966 until 1978, and by Battoe and others from 1978 until present. Since 1966, pH and bicarbonate alkalinity have decreased (pH from above 6.0 to about 5.1; bicarbonate from 5.0 to less than 0.5 mg L^?1), while specific conductivity and sulfate concentration have increased (cond. from 30 to 55 μS; sulfate from 3.0 to 8.0 mg L^?1). The chemical changes are apparently due to acidification from atmospheric deposition. There are no proximate sources of acidity and the stability of lake level indicates there has been no significant concentration or dilution of solutes. It is suggested that Lake Annie's acidification was a threshold phenomenon wherein, following depletion of the watershed's buffering capacity, acidification of the lake was rapid.  相似文献   

Life-cycle traits of the dimorphic earthworm species <Emphasis Type="Italic">Allolobophora chlorotica</Emphasis> (Savigny, 1826) under controlled laboratory conditions     

Christopher N. Lowe  Kevin R. Butt 《Biology and Fertility of Soils》2007,43(4):495-499

Allolobophora chlorotica exists as two colour morphs, pink and green. Field observations have indicated that the two morphs have ecological preferences linked to soil moisture: the green morph dominating in wet soils and the pink morph in dry soils. The aim of this laboratory-based research was to investigate the potential differences in fitness and adaptation to soil-moisture conditions of the two morphs measured in terms of growth rate, reproductive output and cocoon viability. An initial experiment maintained hatchlings of both morphs individually under standard culture conditions. On maturation, these were paired (intra-morph), and cocoon production, viability and incubation time were determined. The green morph had significantly faster (P < 0.01) growth rates than the pink morph. Cocoon production was also significantly greater in the green compared with the pink morph (3.2 and 1.5 cocoons worm⁻¹ 28 days⁻¹, respectively) with corresponding viabilities of 87 and 58%. In a second experiment, the growth rates of pink and green hatchlings were assessed under wet and dry soils (29 and 21% soil moisture, respectively). The growth of the pink morph was not influenced significantly (P > 0.05) by soil moisture. In contrast, lower soil-moisture content significantly (P < 0.05) slowed growth and maturation of the green morph. These results support field observations relating to distribution of the two A. chlorotica colour morphs. We suggest that soil-moisture content may act to isolate these morphs, providing, in extremes, a barrier to inter-morphic mating.  相似文献   

Corneo‐limbo‐conjunctival transposition to treat deep and perforating corneal ulcers in dogs: A review of 418 eyes and corneal clarity scoring in 111 eyes     

Prado Cebrian  Natalia Escanilla  Robert C. Lowe  Charlotte Dawson  Rick F. Sanchez 《Veterinary ophthalmology》2021,24(1):48-58

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Crystal structure of the potassium channel KirBac1.1 in the closed state     

Kuo A  Gulbis JM  Antcliff JF  Rahman T  Lowe ED  Zimmer J  Cuthbertson J  Ashcroft FM  Ezaki T  Doyle DA 《Science (New York, N.Y.)》2003,300(5627):1922-1926

The KirBac1.1 channel belongs to the inward-rectifier family of potassium channels. Here we report the structure of the entire prokaryotic Kir channel assembly, in the closed state, refined to a resolution of 3.65 angstroms. We identify the main activation gate and structural elements involved in gating. On the basis of structural evidence presented here, we suggest that gating involves coupling between the intracellular and membrane domains. This further suggests that initiation of gating by membrane or intracellular signals represents different entry points to a common mechanistic pathway.  相似文献   

Electrochemotherapy in treatment of canine oral non‐tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma. A case series report     

Petra Sim i   Ron Lowe  Valentina Granziera  Alessio Pierini  Filippo Torrigiani  George Lubas 《Veterinary and comparative oncology》2020,18(3):428-432

Non‐tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma (ntSCC) is a common and locally aggressive oral tumour in dogs. The treatments of choice are currently surgery and radiotherapy. Electrochemotherapy (ECT) is a local ablative anti‐tumour technique using electric pulses to enhance the intracellular diffusion of cytotoxic drugs. The aim was to retrospectively evaluate the outcome of patients with oral ntSCC treated with ECT. Twelve dogs with ntSCC were retrospectively enrolled. ECT was combined with IV bleomycin (15 000 UI/m²) alone in 11 cases and post‐surgery in 1. Parameters considered were: tumour site and size, electroporation parameters, response rate (complete remission [CR], partial remission [PR]), median survival time (MST), recurrence rate (RR), median disease‐free interval (DFI) and treatment toxicity (6‐point scale). Median tumour size was 1.65 cm (range 0.3‐8.0 cm) and the response rate was 90.9% (10/11; 8 CR and 2 PR). Two dogs underwent a second ECT. MST for dogs dead with tumour (n = 2) was 110 days and for dogs dead without tumour (n = 3) was 831 days. Among five surviving dogs, one experienced tumour recurrence and four were in CR. Results from two dogs were analysed separately. Overall RR was 27.3%. DFI and MST for dogs with recurrence were 50 and 115 days, respectively. Treatment toxicity was very low. We noticed that all dogs with tumours smaller than 1‐2 cm achieved CR without recurrence suggesting a favourable prognosis when using ECT. ECT for canine ntSCC could be considered a valid treatment option especially for smaller tumours, but a larger caseload would be needed to confirm this statement.  相似文献