Associations between use of electric cow-trainers and clinical diseases, reproductive performance and culling in Swedish dairy cattle

The aims of this follow-up study were: (a) to evaluate the role of ECT technology as a risk factor for several diseases; and (b) to determine if the effects of these diseases on cows' reproductive performance and as risk factors for culling are influenced by exposure to ECTs. Diseases considered were retained placenta, metritis, ketosis, cystic ovaries, silent heat, milk fever, clinical mastitis, and foot and leg problems. We used historical and contemporary controls (with control herds selected to match the experimental herds for size and location). Data consisted of 10264 Swedish Red and White (SRB) and 5461 Swedish Friesian (SLB) lactation records in 150 herds of which 33 used cow-trainers. Logistic regression was used to estimate the effects of parity and exposure to electric cow-trainers on the risks of diseases and the effects of diseases and exposure to electric cow-trainers on risk of culling. The least-squares procedure was used to estimate the effects of diseases on reproductive performance.

The dominant effects associated with use of electric cow-trainers were an increased risk for silent heat, clinical mastitis, ketosis and culling relative to cows in herds not using cow-trainers. Diseases had negative effects on reproductive performance and the effects were larger for cows in herds using cow-trainers. In herds using electric cow-trainers, the largest increase in the interval from first service to conception (58 days) was caused by the occurrences of silent heat, cystic ovaries and the combination of two or more diseases. Retained placenta, metritis, cystic ovaries, clinical mastitis and a combination of two or more diseases increased the risk of culling about two times relative to healthy primiparous cows with the increase being greater for cows in herds using cow-trainers. Silent heat did not increase risk of culling in control groups, but was the largest risk factor for culling in the exposed group. We concluded that exposure to electric cow-trainers increased the incidence risk of silent heat, clinical mastitis, and ketosis and changed silent heat from a neutral disease with respect to culling to a major risk factor. Finally, exposure to cow-trainers increased the general negative effect of diseases on the cows' reproductive performance and risk for culling.     

Yields nutrient intake and soil fertilizing in 40 years fertilizer trials

The set of twenty long‐term field nutrition trials starting from 1957 at five sites. The sites differed by their altitude (from 180 m to 620 m) with average daily temperatures (from 6,8°C m to 9°C m) and soil type (from chernozem to brown podsolic soil) Provided mainly the following results:

? The geonomic division to the fertile sugarbeet region and less fertile potato region did not strictly differentiate the influence of fertilizer and climatic effects to the crop yields.

? The effect of fertilizing was dependent on the nutrient content and on the conditions of releasing and binding of the nutrients in soil.

? The precipitation regime has a strong influence on the effect of the nitrogen escalated doses.

? The facts concerning the nutrient intake are very precious knowledge. These facts have not been examined yet during the long‐term trials.

? The site effect, particularly its climatic conditions, on the nutrient intake is often more obvious compared to the fertilizing effect.

? Very interesting impulses for further research monitoring during the long‐term trials was contributed by “mapping”; of soil capacity to provide nutrients to plants at various sites and under different climate.     

Micro-scaled high-throughput digestion of plant tissue samples for multi-elemental analysis

Background  

Quantitative multi-elemental analysis by inductively coupled plasma (ICP) spectrometry depends on a complete digestion of solid samples. However, fast and thorough sample digestion is a challenging analytical task which constitutes a bottleneck in modern multi-elemental analysis. Additional obstacles may be that sample quantities are limited and elemental concentrations low. In such cases, digestion in small volumes with minimum dilution and contamination is required in order to obtain high accuracy data.     

Extrahepatic cholestasis in the dog and the differentiation of extrahepatic and intrahepatic cholestasis

The clinical and pathological features of extrahepatic cholestasis in 19 dogs are presented. The condition was most often caused by partial or complete occlusion of the choledochal duct due to neoplastic diseases (12 cases), inflammatory processes (3 cases), or eventration and incarceration of the liver (1 case). In only three cases was the condition due to intraluminal obstruction of the choledochal duct. The anamnestic, laboratory and pathological parameters of these 19 dogs were compared with the findings in 21 dogs with intrahepatic cholestasis. Statistical analysis of these parameters indicated that the presence of acholic faeces, the degree of icterus and the level of plasma gamma GT where the only parameters of value in the clinical differentiation of extrahepatic from intrahepatic cholestasis. Histological examination of liver biopsies is a simple aid to a confident in vivo diagnosis of extrahepatic cholestasis.     

A new microassay for antifeedants in<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Hylobius</Emphasis> pine weevils (Coleoptera)

A micro-feeding assay was developed for testing small amounts of synthetics and extracts as antifeedants for Hylobius pine weevils. We devised a simple setup consisting of 5×5-mm pieces of thin layer chromatography cellulose plates used in pairs for a bioassay involving choice. After application of 1.5 l solutions and evaporation of the solvent, each plate received a 5 l aliquot of 1 M sucrose as a feeding stimulant. The test period was 4 h at 25 °C with 6 days of starvation before the test, compared to just the 1 day sufficient for twig tests. Deprivation of water for 1 day at 65% RH before the test was critical because it increased feeding but not mortality. The combination of starvation and thirst reduced the relative variance (coefficient of variation) to below 50%. There was a good correlation of antifeedant activity in the microassay with the activity in a standard twig test. The microassay needs only several mg for a test series, whereas the twig test needs grams.     

红脂大小蠹高效引诱剂林间引诱试验结果初报

红脂大小蠹是原产北美近年传入我国的一种危险性森林害虫 ,生活隐蔽 ,防治难度很大。为筛选出对我国油松林中红脂大小蠹种群有高效引诱作用的药剂 ,为今后控制红脂大小蠹的危害提供经济、实用、高效的监测方法和防治技术提供技术和物质依据 ,作者于 2 0 0 2年 5～ 7月在石家庄井陉和邢台内丘两地 ,先后进行了连续 2次的引诱试验。试验以加拿大生产的商品和松节油分别作为对照 ,共对 2 7种不同药剂的林间引诱效果进行了测定。试验结果表明 ,2B -7号引诱剂引诱效果显著好于加拿大对照 (a=0 .0 1 4) ,每个诱捕器平均诱虫数量比加拿大引诱剂多 96.3 9%。初步测算其成本比购买加拿大产品低 3 0 %～ 5 0 %以上。     

Predicting moisture content and density distribution of Scots pine by microwave scanning of sawn timber

This study was carried out to investigate the possibility of calibrating a prediction model for the moisture content and density distribution of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) using microwave sensors. The material was initially of green moisture content and was thereafter dried in several steps to zero moisture content. At each step, all the pieces were weighed, scanned with a microwave sensor (Satimo 9,4GHz), and computed tomography (CT)-scanned with a medical CT scanner (Siemens Somatom AR.T.). The output variables from the microwave sensor were used as predictors, and CT images that correlated with known moisture content were used as response variables. Multivariate models to predict average moisture content and density were calibrated using the partial least squares (PLS) regression. The models for average moisture content and density were applied at the pixel level, and the distribution was visualized. The results show that it is possible to predict both moisture content distribution and density distribution with high accuracy using microwave sensors.     

Radial patterns of sap flow in woody stems of dominant and understory species: scaling errors associated with positioning of sensors

We studied sap flow in dominant coniferous (Pinus sylvestris L.) and broadleaf (Populus canescens L.) species and in understory species (Prunus serotina Ehrh. and Rhododendron ponticum L.) by the heat field deformation (HFD) method. We attempted to identify possible errors arising during flow integration and scaling from single-point measurements to whole trees. Large systematic errors of -90 to 300% were found when it was assumed that sap flow was uniform over the sapwood depth. Therefore, we recommend that the radial sap flow pattern should be determined first using sensors with multiple measuring points along a stem radius followed by single-point measurements with sensors placed at a predetermined depth. Other significant errors occurred in the scaling procedure even when the sap flow radial pattern was known. These included errors associated with uncertainties in the positioning of sensors beneath the cambium (up to 15% per 1 mm error in estimated xylem depth), and differences in environmental conditions when the radial profile applied for integration was determined over the short term (up to 47% error). High temporal variation in the point-to-area correction factor along the xylem radius used for flow integration is also problematic. Compared with midday measurements, measurements of radial variation of sap flow in the morning and evening of sunny days minimized the influence of temporal variations on the point-to-area correction factor, which was especially pronounced in trees with a highly asymmetric sap flow radial pattern because of differences in functioning of the sapwood xylem layers. Positioning a single-point sensor at a depth with maximum sap flow is advantageous because of the high sensitivity of maximum sap flow to water stress conditions and changes in micro-climate, and because of the lower random errors associated with the positioning of a single-point sensor along the xylem radius.     

Radial variation in sap flow in five laurel forest tree species in Tenerife,Canary Islands

Variations in radial patterns of xylem water content and sap flow rate were measured in five laurel forest tree species (Laurus azorica (Seub.) Franco, Persea indica (L.) Spreng., Myrica faya Ait., Erica arborea L. and Ilex perado Ait. ssp. platyphylla (Webb & Berth.) Tutin) growing in an experimental plot at Agua García, Tenerife, Canary Islands. Measurements were performed around midday during warm and sunny days by the heat field deformation method. In all species, water content was almost constant (around 35% by volume) over the whole xylem cross-sectional area. There were no differences in wood color over the whole cross-sectional area of the stem in most species with the exception of E. arborea, whose wood became darker in the inner layers. Radial patterns of sap flow were highly variable and did not show clear relationships with tree diameter or species. Sap flow occurred over the whole xylem cross-sectional area in some species, whereas it was limited to the outer xylem layers in others. Sap flow rate was either similar along the xylem radius or exhibited a peak in the outer part of the xylem area. Low sap flow rates with little variation in radial pattern were typical for shaded suppressed trees, whereas dominant trees exhibited high sap flow rates with a peak in the radial pattern. Stem damage resulted in a significant decrease in sap flow rate in the outer xylem layers. The outer xylem is more important for whole tree water supply than the inner xylem because of its larger size. We conclude that measurement of radial flow pattern provides a reliable method of integrating sap flow from individual measuring points to the whole tree.