Avipox Virus Infection in Rosella parakeet (Platycercus sp.)

Three parakeets were brought for postmortem examination with a history of sudden death. The gross examination of birds revealed multiple light whitish nodules around the left eye, on the skin at the level of hock joint, on the anterior part of tracheal mucosa, congested lung and pallor liver. Impression smears from nodules revealed numerous heterophils, red blood cells, necrotic epithelial cells and bacterial colonies. Histopathological examination of nodules revealed eosinophilic intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies in the spinosal cells, epidermal hyperplasia, ballooning degeneration of spinosal cells and bacterial colonies. The virus was isolated and infection was produced on both chorioallantoic membrane and chicken embryo fibroblasts. Polymerase chain reaction was carried out and primer set designed from the 4b core protein gene of fowl pox virus revealed amplification at 578 bp. Suitable remedial measures were recommended against avipox virus infection and secondary bacterial infection

Avipox Virus Infection in Rosella parakeet (Platycercus sp.)

Three parakeets were brought for postmortem examination with a history of sudden death. The gross examination of birds revealed multiple light whitish nodules around the left eye, on the skin at the level of hock joint, on the anterior part of tracheal mucosa, congested lung and pallor liver. Impression smears from nodules revealed numerous heterophils, red blood cells, necrotic epithelial cells and bacterial colonies. Histopathological examination of nodules revealed eosinophilic intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies in the spinosal cells, epidermal hyperplasia, ballooning degeneration of spinosal cells and bacterial colonies. The virus was isolated and infection was produced on both chorioallantoic membrane and chicken embryo fibroblasts. Polymerase chain reaction was carried out and primer set designed from the 4b core protein gene of fowl pox virus revealed amplification at 578 bp. Suitable remedial measures were recommended against avipox virus infection and secondary bacterial infection

The immunogenicity and pathogenicity of Pasteurella multocida isolated from poultry in Namakkal

The growth of Indian poultry industry is phenomenal and the industry now ranks 5(th) in the world in egg production. Intensification of poultry farming was the way by which this growth was obtained. Such intensification has led to health problems associated with both existing and emerging diseases. Of the diseases affecting poultry, fowl cholera is a very important bacterial disease. Fowl cholera occurs worldwide and causes economic losses due to increased mortality, increased number of culls and a marked drop in egg production. The causative agent of fowl cholera namely Pasturella multocida was first isolated in 1878 by Bollinger (Carter and Chengappa, 1986). A recent survey on the prevalence of fowl cholera in Namakkal area reported an incidence of 4.17% in 0-10 wks, 8.47% in growers and 3.61% in layers (Daniel et al., 1998). There is little information regarding the serotype or pathogenicity of the Indian Pasturella multocida isolates associated with fowl cholera outbreaks. Though commercial vaccines are being used in chicken breeding farms, occasional outbreaks of fowl cholera still occur. Hence, this study was undertaken to characterize local isolates of Pasturella multocida associated with outbreaks in Namakkal as a first step in the development of a fowl cholera vaccine

Níveis de nitrogênio por fertirrigação e densidade de plantio na cultura do melão em um Vertissolo Nitrogen levels through fertirrigation and plant density on melon crop in a Vertisol

O trabalho constou de um experimento com melão (Cucumis melo L.), conduzido em um Vertissolo, em Juazeiro, BA, em 1995, com o objetivo de avaliar o efeito de níveis de N por fertirrigação e de densidades de plantio na produtividade e qualidade de fruto. Os níveis de N foram 0, 80, 130 e 180 kg/ha, combinados com os espaçamentos 2,00 e 1,80 m entre linhas e 0,20 m entre plantas, com uma ou duas plantas por cova. A fonte de N foi a uréia, aplicada diariamente até 42 dias após a germinação, por meio da irrigação por gotejamento. Todos os tratamentos receberam uma adubação uniforme de 120 kg/ha de P2O5 e 120 kg/ha de K2O. Os espaçamentos entre linhas não causaram diferenças significativas em nenhuma variável estudada. O nível de 80 kg/ha de N combinado com uma planta por cova proporcionou uma produtividade de 34,07 t/ha, com 55,7% de frutos próprios para o mercado interno, não-significativamente (P <FONT FACE=Symbol>&pound;</FONT> 0,05) inferior à produtividade obtida com os níveis mais elevados de N em qualquer combinação. Com este mesmo nível, obtiveram-se frutos com 10,22º Brix significativamente (P<FONT FACE=Symbol>&pound;</FONT> 0,05) superior ao do tratamento sem N e não-significativamente inferior ao dos outros níveis. Para se obter uma maior parte de frutos próprios para o mercado externo, foi necessário elevar a densidade para duas plantas por cova e o nível de N para 130 ou 180 kg/ha. O peso médio dos frutos aumentou de 1,008 para 1,705 kg, à medida que foram aumentados os níveis de N ou se diminuiu a densidade de plantio de duas para uma planta por cova.<br>This study consisted of one experiment with melon (Cucumis melo L.), carried out in a Vertisol in Juazeiro, BA, Brazil, in 1995, with the objective of evaluating the effects of nitrogen levels through fertirrigation and plant density on fruit yield and quality. The N levels were 0, 80, 130 and 180 kg/ha, combined with row spacings of 2.0 and 1.8 m and 0.20 m between plants within the row, with one or two plants/hole. The source of N was urea applied daily up to 42 days after germination, through drip irrigation. All treatments had a uniform fertilization of 120 kg/ha of P2O5 and 120 kg/ha of K2O. No significant difference was caused by spacing between rows in the studied variables. Eighty kg/ha of N combined with one plant per hole gave a yield of 34.07 ton/ha, being 55,7% of fruit allocated to inside market, not significantly lower than those obtained with the highest N levels in any combination. This same N level gave fruits with 10.22º Brix, significantly higher than the treatment without N and not significantly lower than the other levels. In order to get high number of good fruit for out side market it was necessary to elevate the density to two plants per hole and N level to 130 or 180 kg/ha. Mean weight of fruits increased from 1.008 to 1.705 kg with the increase in the levels of N and the decrease in plant density of two plants per hole to one plant per hole

The 2022 solar fuels roadmap

Renewable fuel generation is essential for a low carbon footprint economy. Thus, over the last five decades, a significant effort has been dedicated towards increasing the performance of solar fuels generating devices. Specifically, the solar to hydrogen efficiency of photoelectrochemical cells has progressed steadily towards its fundamental limit, and the faradaic efficiency towards valuable products in CO2 reduction systems has increased dramatically. However, there are still numerous scientific and engineering challenges that must be overcame in order to turn solar fuels into a viable technology. At the electrode and device level, the conversion efficiency, stability and products selectivity must be increased significantly. Meanwhile, these performance metrics must be maintained when scaling up devices and systems while maintaining an acceptable cost and carbon footprint. This roadmap surveys different aspects of this endeavor system benchmarking, device scaling, various approaches for photoelectrodes design, materials discovery, and catalysis. Each of the sections in the roadmap focuses on a single topic, discussing the state of the art, the key challenges and advancements required to meet them. The roadmap can be used as a guide for researchers and funding agencies highlighting the most pressing needs of the fiel