Showing papers by "University College Dublin published in 1971"

Induction of early breeding in sheep by standard and modified progestagen-PMS treatments

Abstract: SUMMARY The oestrous response and subsequent lambing performance of 264 sheep was studied after treatment with intravaginal sponges and PMS during July (period of late anoestrus). Four progestagen treatments were employed, each in combination with one or other of four dose levels of PMS (0, 250, 500 and 750 i.u.) given at pessary withdrawal; the sixteen resultant treatments were applied in each of seventeen flocks. Modification of standard ‘Cronolone’ (9α-fluoro-11β-hydroxy-17α-acetoxy-progesterono; G. D. Searle) pessaries to ensure thorough dispersion of the compound resulted in a significantly higher mating response and lambing outcome. The highest lambing outcome followed the use of 500 i.u. PMS. The onset of heat, relative to progestagen withdrawal, was affected both by progestagen treatment and PMS dose level. The conception percentage was highest in sheep which were bred on the second day after treatment. The implications of the data, in explaining some previous results with standard ‘Cronolone’ sponges, are briefly discussed.

SEARCH FOR ISOLATED RADIO PULSES FROM THE GALACTIC CENTRE AT 151.5 MHz.

Abstract: We have extended our previous work and searched specifically for pulses from the galactic centre (GC), which might be correlated with the events reported by Weber. To discriminate against local interference we looked for pulses received simultaneously by widely spaced receivers; although our results are negative, they allow upper limits to be placed on the radio energy emitted in pulses from the GC.

The effect of diffusible acids on potassium ion uptake by yeast.

Abstract: 1. When yeast oxidizes ethanol at different pH values the uptake of K+ corresponds closely to the amount of acetate accumulated at each pH value. 2. The addition of semicarbazide to the suspension buffered at pH4.75 inhibited both the K+ uptake and the acetate accumulation by about 50%. 3. The addition of either acetate or propionate to the suspensions markedly increased the K+ uptake. 4. The addition of acetate to the suspensions lowered the intracellular pH of the yeast from a resting value of pH5.80 to 5.56. 5. The ratio of the initial rate of K+ uptake to O2 consumption was 0.77. This ratio was increased to 1.77 in the presence of 10mmol of propionate/l.

Activities of Tricarboxylic Acid Cycle Enzymes, Glyoxylate Cycle Enzymes, and Fructose Diphosphatase in Bakers' Yeast During Adaptation to Acetate Oxidation

Abstract: Bakers9 yeast oxidizes acetate at a high rate only after an adaptation period during which the capacity of the glyoxylate cycle is found to increase. There was apparently no necessity for the activity of acetyl-coenzyme A synthetase, the capacity of the tricarboxylic acid cycle, or the concentrations of the cytochromes to increase for this adaptation to occur. Elevation of fructose 1,6 diphosphatase occurred only when acetate oxidation was nearly maximal. Cycloheximide almost completely inhibited adaptation as well as increases in the activities of isocitrate lyase and aconitate hydratase, the only enzymes assayed. p -Fluorophenylalanine was partially effective and chloramphenicol did not inhibit at all. The presence of ammonium, which considerably delayed adaptation of the yeast to acetate oxidation, inhibited the increases in the activities of the glyoxylate cycle enzymes to different degrees, demonstrating noncoordinate control of these enzymes. Under the various conditions, the only enzyme activity increase consistently related to the rising oxygen uptake rate was that of isocitrate lyase which apparently limited the activity of the cycle.

Intradermal tests as an aid to the diagnosis of skin disease in dogs

Abstract: The diagnosis and treatment of skin disease form a major part of the small animal practitioner's work. A significant number of cases will be allergic in nature and may present difficulties in diagnosis. In man, skin testing for allergy is an established aid to diagnosis, but has been little used by the small animal veterinarian; published results are few. This paper is a preliminary report of the results of skin tests using allergens on normal and allergic dogs. It is considered that the method is of value as an aid to the diagnosis of flea hypersensitivity, but that the preliminary results using other allergens are inconclusive. Resume. Le diagnostic et le traitement de dermatoses constituent une partie importante du travail du veterinaire specialise dans le traitement d'animaux domestiques. De par la nature allergique d'un nombre considerable de cas, leur diagnostic peut poser des problemes. Chez l'homme, les essais dermiques pour determiner l'allergie sont reconnus comme facilitant le diagnostic; les veterinaires, toutefois, n'y ont pas souvent recours et rares sont les resultats publies dans ce domaine. Cette communication est un rapport preliminaire des resultats qu'ont fournis les essais dermiques en usant des allergenes chez des chiens normaux et ailergiques. On estime que la methode a de la valeur en ce sens qu'elle aide a etablir le diagnostic de l'hypersensibilite aux puce, mais que les resultats preliminaires avec d'autres allergenes sont peu concluants. Zusammenfassung. Die Diagnose und die Behandlung von Hautkrankheiten stellen einen grossen Teil der Arbeit des praktkchen Tierarztes dar. Eine nicht unbedeutende Zahl von Fallen wird allergischer Natur sein und kann diagnostische Schwierigkeiten bieten. Beim Menschen ist die Prufung der allergischen Reaktion der Haut ein anerkanntes Mittel der Diagnose, das jedoch in der tierarztlichen Praxis wenig angewendet wurde, und auch Veroffentlichungen uber die Ergebnisse sind selten. Die vorliegende Arbeit ist ein vorlaufiger Bericht uber die Ergebnisse von Hauttests unter Verwendung von Allergenen an normalen und allergischen Hunden. Man darf annehmen, dass die Methode einen Wert als diagnostisches Hilfsmittel im Falle der Uberempfindlichkeit gegen Flohe besitzt, dass die vorlaufigen Ergebnisse der Verwendung anderer Allergene aber nicht eindeutig sind.

The functioning of the oesophageal groove reflex and comparison of the performance of lambs fed individually and in groups.

Abstract: 1. Two experiments involving 106 lambs were conducted to study the functioning of the oesophageal groove reflex in lambs sucking from either individual feeders or from a bulk dispenser. The effects on the performance of lambs given either a high-protein or a low-protein creep feed in conjunction with either a ewe's milk substitute, Ewelac, or a homogenate of calcium caseinate, Casilan, were studied. Two milk substitutes, one with a long and one with a short clotting time were compared in terms of their effects on the incidence of diarrhoea. 2. The location of the liquid feeds in the stomach was studied radiologically. 3. In both experiments the sucking behaviour of the lambs was closely related to thefunctioning of the oesophageal groove reflex and performance of the lambs. In the first experi-ment the milk substitute consistently entered the abomasum in seven of the ten individually fed lambs and in twelve of the twenty-two group-fed lambs. The corresponding figures for the second experiment were twenty-two of the twenty-four individually fed and thirty-four of the fifty group-fed lambs. 4. When the milk substitute entered the abomasum it always did so throughout the fattening period even in those instances where the milk had been withheld for 1 month. 5. Poor sucking, low milk consumption and the entry of the milk into the rumen resulted in very poor performance by the lambs. Such lambs demonstrated a non-specific unthriftiness similar to the ‘tail enders’ sometimes observed with lambs reared with ewes. 6. Continued feeding with either the milk substitute or casein homogenate with a low-protein creep feed did not improve performance. 7. The clotting time of the milk substitute did not appear to influence the incidence of diarrhoea among the lambs.

The distinction between negative ions and charged dust in plasmas

Abstract: The applicability of standard probe theory to the collection of ions and electrons by dust in positive columns is considered briefly, and reasons given for supposing that it should be abandoned for particles with mean radius less than very approximately 10−6 cm.

SC-9880-progesterone applications in the induction of early breeding in sheep

Abstract: The mating response and lambing outcome was studied in 584 sheep in twentyeight farm flocks after treatment with progestagen impregnated intravaginal sponges and PMS during June/July (period of late anoestrus). Each pessary carried a dose of 30 mg ‘Cronolone’ (9α-fluoro-11β-hydroxy-17α-acetoxy-progesterone; SC-9880, G. D. Searle) in finely dispersed form; half the number of pessaries carried an additional dose of 400 mg progesterone. Intravaginal treatment was for 12 days; a single intramuscular injection of 500 i.u. PMS (Burrough's Wellcome) was made at pessary withdrawal. Breeding was by natural service, using 10% rams. The response was 98·8% bred in the 4 days after treatment, 61·2% conceptions in those served and an average of 1·65 lambs/conception. This resulted in the birth, within the period of about 1 week, of 100 ‘early’ lambs for every 100 ewes exposed to rams. The addition of 400 mg progesterone to pessaries or the injection of a dose of 5 mg progesterone at sponge withdrawal did not improve response beyond that found with ‘Cronolone’ alone.

The detection of microfilariae using the capillary haematocrit tube method

Abstract: A method of detecting microfilariae ofDirofilaria andDipetalonema species by direct microscopic examination of the ‘buffy coat’ and plasma fractions of the microhaematocrit offered a ready means of screening blood samples for evidence of infestation.

Culture and fertilization of sheep ovarian oocytes I. Effect of culture medium on resumption of meiosis

Abstract: Oocyte recovery was conducted in 329 slaughtered sheep; from 3072 vesicular follicles ruptured, 1210 oocytes were obtained (av. 3·7 per sheep). After recovery or culture in various media, 801 oocytes were examined for developmental stages. In cattle follicular fluid, little evidence of resumption of meiosis was found. In sheep follicular fluid, meiosis was resumed in many oocytes, but was arrested at the pro-metaphase to metaphase-I stage. A high proportion of oocytes matured to metaphase-II when cultured in growth medium.

Intravaginal oestradiol-progestagen treatments in the induction of early breeding in sheep

Abstract: Ninety-eight sheep in three farm flocks were treated in July (period of late anoestrus) with intravaginal sponges impregnated with 30 mg ‘Cronolone’ (9α-fluoro-11βhydroxy 17α-acetoxy-progesterone; G. D. Searle) or ‘Cronolone’ plus 400 mg progesterone and incorporating doses of 0–800 μg diethyl stilboestrol. Treatment was for 12 days; a single dose of 500 i.u. PMS (Burroughs Wellcome) was injected at pessary withdrawal. Ten rams bred the ewes at the induced and subsequent heats. Of the ninety-five ewes retaining pessaries, ninety-three (98%) were bred in the 3 days following treatment. Sixty-three sheep (68·5%) conceived at the controlled oestrus, producing an average of 1·54 lambs/conception. In the thirty-four ewes failing to conceive at that time, twenty-seven (80%) showed oestrus after one cycle interval; twenty of these (74%) conceived and produced 1·3 lambs/conception. Lambing outcome toservices at the controlled oestrus was lowest in sheep treated with 800 μg stilboestrol, but the reduction was not significant.

Persistence of antibody after subcutaneous vaccination with Wistar RA 27/3 rubella vaccine

Abstract: After subcutaneous vaccination of rubella sero-negative children with Wistar RA 27/3 rubella vaccine, haemagglutination-inhibiting antibody titres were compared in sera taken 46 days and 2 years after vaccination. Antibody titres were well maintained in the absence of any known exposure to natural infection.

Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma: A case report with electron-microscopic findings

Abstract: A CASE is presented of perineal alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma in a boy, three and a half years of age. No cross-striations were demonstrated by light microscopy, but the myomatous nature of the tumour was confirmed by electron microscopy. It is suggested that, where available, electron microscopy can be of help in certain problems in surgical pathology.