Thermography of the bovine scrotum.

Thermographic patterns of the bovine scrotum were established in 15 clinically normal bulls and were compared with patterns in 10 bulls with scrotal and testicular diseases. Thermography of a normal scrotum was characterized by a symmetrical and constant thermal pattern with a temperature gradient of 4 degrees to 6 degrees (C) from the base to the apex of the scrotum. There was a significant difference (P less than 0.05) in the temperature from the base to the apex of the scrotum (34.94 +/- 0.60 C to 30.11 +/- 0.91 C). Lack of thermal symmetry was seen in bulls with unilateral lesions. Inflammation of one testicle increased ipsilateral scrotal infrared emission temperature 2.5 degrees to 3 degrees (C) above that in the contralateral side. If both testes were inflamed and hyperemic, there was an overall increase in scrotal temperature of at least 3 degrees (C), and a reduction in temperature gradient of 2 to 3 degrees (C) from the base to the apex of the scrotum. Area temperatures in bulls with chronic testicular degeneration with fibrosis were reduced.

Play techniques with neurologically impaired preschoolers.

A pilot project was undertaken to study the effect of educational play as an intervention approach. The study was conducted with 14 neurologically impaired, physically handicapped preschool children, parents, community teachers, and developmental center staff. Educational play consisted of art and drama group activities presented according to the normal sequence of play development, from sensorimotor, to symbolic, to sociodramatic play. After a 7-week course of intervention, the children's performance, as measured by items in the Vulpe Assessment Battery, improved in six areas of development. Overall improvement was statistically significant. In addition, participating adults began to value the use of play as an essential component of child development. Results suggest the need for a systematic study of play in intervention with preschool, neurologically impaired, and physically handicapped children.

Causes of copulatory failure in beef bulls.

A cow in full standing estrus is required to assess a bull's ability to copulate. Insufficient libido is not involved if the bull sniffs the cow's vulva and attempts to mount. Blood or pus exiting the penis or prepuce indicates penile or preputial lacerations or other lesions. Rear foot or stifle lesions, seminal vesiculitis, traumatic reticulitis or lumbar spinal injuries may prevent the bull from mounting. Preputial stenosis, penile adhesions, desensitization, hematomas or deviations, peripreputial abscess, cavernosal shunts, insufficient penile length and occlusions of the cavernosal canals may prevent intromission after mounting.

Selenium deficiency in cattle associated with Heinz bodies and anemia.

Cattle grazing St. Augustine grass growing on peaty muck soils in the Florida Everglades developed anemia associated with the presence of Heinz bodies and suboptimal concentrations of selenium in blood. Selenium supplementation corrected the anemia, prevented Heinz body formation, increased the body weight of cows and calves, and elevated blood selenium. This may be the first recorded example of widespread anemia in a population due to selenium deficiency.

An experimental evaluation of the response of the bull penis to carbon fiber implants.

Flexible filamentous carbon fiber was surgically implanted between the dorsal apical ligament and tunica albuginea of the penis in 6 experimental bulls by both an open and a closed technique. The bulls were evaluated grossly and histologically at 30, 60 and 90 days after implantation. Grossly, carbon fiber produced a strong adhesion of the apical ligament to the tunica albuginea.. Histologically, the fibroblasts and collagen fibers were organized and aligned along the individual carbon filament. The implants were well tolerated and produced minimal reaction and appeared to be biologically safe. The implants produced a strong adhesion of the apical ligament to the tunica albuginea by either surgical technique. It should therefore be a satisfactory implant when used for correction of spiral and ventral deviation of the bull penis.

Effect of local anesthesia of the penis and dorsal penile neurectomy on the mating ability of bulls.

Eleven bulls were used to study the effect of the loss of nerve sensitivity in the free portion of the penis and glans penis on their ability to copulate. The loss of sensitivity was induced by topical anesthesia, infiltration anesthesia, and dorsal penile neurectomy. Topical anesthesia of the glans penis reduced the ability of the bulls to search for and to locate the vagina and to complete copulation; however, all bulls eventually copulated. Topical anesthesia of the free portion of the penis and glans penis blocked the ability of all bulls to copulate. Infiltration of the glans penis with lidocaine resulted in bulls failing to ejaculate, indicating the need for input from deep nerve receptors. Ten of the eleven bulls with unilateral neurectomy were able to copulate, but a longer time was required. In the one bull that failed to complete intromission and ejaculation, the sectioned nerve made up 75% of the nerve mass to the distal end of the penis, leaving only a small number of functional fibers. With this small number of fibers, there may have been insufficient sensory input to elicit the thrusting responses and to cause the animal to ejaculate. Bulls with bilateral neurectomy were unable to copulate.

Impotence in bulls due to vascular shunts from the corpus cavernosum penis.

Eleven bulls were determined to be impotent due to vascular shunts from the corpus cavernosum penis to the extracorporeal circulation. Clinically, the bulls were unable to achieve erection when stimulated with an electroejaculator and in natural breeding trials. The vascular shunts were located by serial contrast radiography of the corpus cavernosum penis. Surgical correction of the shunts was attempted in 8 of the bulls by wedge resection of the tunica albuginea. In 4 bulls, the surgical correction was successful and the bulls were returned to service.

Corpus spongiosum penis pressure and penile muscle activity in the stallion during coitus.

A needle-tipped catheter or subminiature pressure transducer was implanted in the corpus spongiosum penis (CSP) of Shetland Pony stallions to determine pressure during coitus. Electrodes for monitoring the electromyographic (EMG) activity were implanted in the ischiocavernosus (IC) and bulbospongiosus (BS) muscles. The mean peak CSP pressure recorded with the catheter was 762 mm of Hg, and with the subminiature pressure transducer, it was 994 mm of Hg. The simultaneous occurrence of the CSP pressure peaks and bursts of BS muscle activity indicated that these muscles were the likely source of energy for the increased pressures, which were far greater than the systemic blood pressure. This conclusion was further supported by the finding that anesthesia of the BS muscles greatly reduced the CSP pressures of the stallion during attempted coitus.