Measurement of Spaghetti Speck Count,Size, and Color Using an Automated Imaging System

An objective imaging method was developed to count dark specks in spaghetti. The method simultaneously measured individual speck size and color and the overall color of the spaghetti. Spaghetti samples were prepared from durum wheat samples collected from the Prairie Registration Recommending Committee for Grains (PRRCG) durum wheat cooperative trials during four consecutive crop years from 2002 inclusive to 2005. Differences in speck counts were found between samples within each year. From year to year, the baseline for speck counts varied with the highest numbers in 2005 and the lowest numbers in 2004. For comparison, three technicians also counted the number of specks in each sample. These visual counts were not consistent between technicians or technician to the imaging method, supporting the need for this objective approach. Spaghetti speck counts did not relate to the speck counts of the semolina subsequently used to prepare the product. Speck sizes were consistent across samples and between years, indicating a consistent milling method for all the samples. Differences in speck count numbers could not be attributed to differences in speck color or pasta color. The imaging method gave very consistent speck counts and color measurements over the four years.     

Predicting the patterns, perceptions and causes of human–carnivore conflict in and around Machiara National Park, Pakistan

Human–carnivore conflict is considered to be a major conservation and rural livelihood issue because many carnivore species have been heavily persecuted due to elevated conflict levels with communities. To mitigate such conflicts requires a firm understanding of their underlying patterns. This situation is epitomized in Pakistan, where carnivore populations have been greatly reduced, but where no research has investigated the conflict patterns of large carnivore guilds with humans. Focusing in and around Machiara National Park (MNP), Azad Jammu and Kashmir region, we conducted the first such scientific study in Pakistan. From January 2004 to May 2007, 148 people lost their livestock to four carnivore species. Leopard was responsible for the majority (90.6%) of the 363 livestock killed, mainly goats (57.3%) and sheep (27.8%). Information-theoretic evaluation of a candidate set of regression models found that leopard kills inside villages were significantly higher for areas without electricity, while leopard kills outside villages were higher for pastoralists with larger herds that were further from MNP, with no effect from several guarding strategies used. Temporal leopard attacks were significantly and positively related to temperature, but not to rainfall, for goat kills, but not for other livestock kills. While leopard kills caused the greatest overall financial loss (19.8%) amongst carnivores, which negatively affected local tolerance towards leopard, disease caused greater livestock losses (72.7%). To improve both large carnivore and local livelihood prospects around MNP and across rural Pakistan, conservation and development projects should install village electricity supplies and vaccinate livestock, while the cost-effectiveness of different conflict mitigation strategies should be trialed.     

Infrared heater arrays for warming field plots scaled up to 5-m diameter

As Earth continues to warm globally, there is a need to conduct ecosystem plot warming experiments under conditions as representative of open fields in the future as possible. One promising approach is to use hexagonal arrays of infrared heaters such as described by [Kimball, B.A., Conley, M.M., Wang, S., Lin, X., Luo, C., Morgan, J., Smith, D., 2008. Infrared heater arrays for warming ecosystem field plots. Global Change Biology 14, 309–320]. However, their plots were only 3 m in diameter (7.1 m²), which limits the stature of vegetation to shorter than about 1 m and also limits the amount of plant material that can destructively harvested. Therefore, we tested a larger hexagonal 5-m diameter array of infrared heaters, which provided a near tripling of useable area (19.6 m²). The number of heaters was tripled from 6 to 18, and their height above the vegetative (wheat) canopy was scaled with the diameter (0.4 times diameter = 2.0 m). Distributions of down-going thermal radiation and of the resultant warming of the vegetation were quite uniform across the plot. Moreover, the same equation previously determined from 3-m diameter plots to describe the thermal radiation efficiency as a function of wind speed was still applicable. Thus, no problems were encountered in tripling the area of the infrared heater-warmed plots.     

Effect of body position on the arterial partial pressures of oxygen and carbon dioxide in spontaneously breathing,conscious dogs in an intensive care unit

Objective – To evaluate the effect of body position on the arterial partial pressures of oxygen and carbon dioxide (PaO₂, PaCO₂), and the efficiency of pulmonary oxygen uptake as estimated by alveolar‐arterial oxygen difference (A‐a difference). Design – Prospective, randomized, crossover study. Setting – University teaching hospital, intensive care unit. Animals – Twenty‐one spontaneously breathing, conscious, canine patients with arterial catheters placed as part of their management strategy. Interventions – Patients were placed randomly into lateral or sternal recumbency. PaO₂ and PaCO₂ were measured after 15 minutes in this position. Patients were then repositioned into the opposite position and after 15 minutes the parameters were remeasured. Measurements and Main Results – Results presented as median (interquartile range). PaO₂ was significantly higher (P=0.001) when patients were positioned in sternal, 91.2 mm Hg (86.0–96.1 mm Hg), compared with lateral recumbency, 86.4 mm Hg (73.9–90.9 mm Hg). The median change was 5.4 mm Hg (1.1–17.9 mm Hg). All 7 dogs with a PaO₂<80 mm Hg in lateral recumbency had improved arterial oxygenation in sternal recumbency, median increase 17.4 mm Hg with a range of 3.8–29.7 mm Hg. PaCO₂ levels when patients were in sternal recumbency, 30.5 mm Hg (27.3–32.7 mm Hg) were not significantly different from those in lateral recumbency, 32.2 mm Hg (28.3–36.0 mm Hg) (P=0.07). The median change was ?1.9 mm Hg (?3.6–0.77 mm Hg). A‐a differences were significantly lower (P=0.005) when patients were positioned in sternal recumbency, 21.7 mm Hg (17.3–27.7 mm Hg), compared with lateral recumbency, 24.6 mm Hg (20.4–36.3 mm Hg). The median change was ?3.1 mm Hg (?14.6–0.9 mm Hg). Conclusions – PaO₂ was significantly higher when animals were positioned in sternal recumbency compared with lateral recumbency, predominantly due to improved pulmonary oxygen uptake (decreased A‐a difference) rather than increased alveolar ventilation (decreased PaCO₂). Patients with hypoxemia (defined as PaO₂<80 mm Hg) in lateral recumbency may benefit from being placed in sternal recumbency. Sternal recumbency is recommended to improve oxygenation in hypoxemic patients.     

In vitro evaluation of metacarpophalangeal joint loading during simulated walk

Reasons for performing study: Insight into the loading pattern of the articular cartilage surface during the complete stride is important as biomechanical factors play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of joint trauma and osteoarthritis (OA). Objectives: To determine the loading pattern in the equine MCP articulation in vitro during simulated walk. Methods: Eight cadaveric limbs from mature Dutch Warmblood horses were loaded in a pneumatic loading device in 6 different positions (A1‐A6). The pressure distribution on the articular surface of the proximal phalanx (P1) was measured at 7 sites (S1‐7) using intra‐articularly placed pressure sensitive films, which were analysed by scanning and densitometry. Results: Pressures recorded after mid‐stance (A4, 5, 6) were significantly (P<0.05) higher than those before (A1, 2, 3) and showed the biphasic loading pattern of the walk at all sites, except for the site halfway along the sagittal groove (S7). At S7, there was a linear increase in pressure during the progress of the stance phase of the stride in most horses. Medially (S4, 5, 6) the pressure was significantly higher than laterally (S1, 2, 3) (P<0.05). Conclusions and potential relevance: The heavier medial loading coincides with the location where articular cartilage degeneration in the process of OA in the equine MCP joint is known to start. The discrepancy between the loading of the central groove and the other parts of the joint may result in large stress differences at the end of the stance phase, which might be related to the pathogenesis of stress fractures in the first phalanx and distal third metacarpal bone.     

Equine laminitis model: Cryotherapy reduces the severity of lesions evaluated seven days after induction with oligofructose

Reasons for performing study: A previous preliminary study demonstrated the potential of distal limb cryotherapy (DLC) for preventing laminitis. Clinically, DLC must be effective for periods longer than 48 h and the preventive effect must extend beyond its discontinuation. Objectives: To evaluate the effect of DLC, applied during the developmental phase of induced laminitis, on the severity of clinical laminitis and lamellar histopathology 7 days after dosing. Methods: Eighteen normal Standardbred horses were divided into 3 groups of 6. Continuous cryotherapy was applied for 72 h to the distal limbs of the first group. The second and third groups were administered laminitis inducing doses of oligofructose and 72 h of cryotherapy applied (immediately after dosing) to the second group. After clinical assessment all horses were subjected to euthanasia 7 days after dosing and hoof lamellar tissues were harvested and analysed. Results: In the laminitis induced horses clinical lameness and laminitis histopathology was significantly reduced in horses that underwent 72 h of DLC compared with untreated controls. Cryotherapy alone produced no significant lameness or other ill effect. Conclusions: Continuous, medium‐ to long‐term (72 h) cryotherapy applied to the distal limbs of horses safely and effectively ameliorates the clinical signs and pathology of acute laminitis. Potential relevance: Pre‐emptive distal limb cryotherapy is a practical method of ameliorating laminitis in ill horses at risk of developing the disease.     

Intestinal microbiota differentially affect brush border enzyme activity and gene expression in the neonatal gnotobiotic pig

To study microbial influence on intestinal development pertaining to nutrient digestion, two separate gnotobiotic experiments were performed, each with 16 piglets allocated to four treatment groups: germfree (GF), monoassociation with Escherichia coli, monoassociation with Lactobacillus fermentum or conventionalization with faecal bacteria (CV). Enzyme activity and gene expression of lactase phlorizin hydrolase (LPH) and aminopeptidase N (APN) were measured in isolated enterocytes, harvested on day 14, using specific substrates and quantitative PCR respectively. Enterocytes of CV pigs had reduced APN activity, but had increased gene expression relative to GF, making the specific activity:mRNA (A:G) ratio dramatically lower (p < 0.05). Similarly, LPH A:G ratio was significantly reduced (p < 0.05) in enterocytes of CV pigs as compared with GF. The results of co‐incubation of L. fermentum, E. coli and faecal bacteria with APN indicate a direct relationship between enzyme inactivation and specific A:G ratio in enterocytes. We conclude that enterocyte up‐regulation of APN expression occurs as either a direct response to microbial colonization or as a feedback mechanism in response to reduced enzyme activity through microbial degradation. This mechanism may play a role in ensuring effective competition of the host with the intestinal microbiota for available nutrients.     

Cryotolerance of Bovine Blastocysts is Affected by Oocyte Maturation in Media Containing Palmitic or Stearic Acid

In this study, non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs) were added during in vitro maturation at concentrations measured previously in follicular fluid (FF) of high-producing dairy cows in a negative energy status to evaluate their subsequent effect on the embryos cryotolerance. Oocytes were matured for 24 h in serum-free media with or without (negative control) the addition of NEFAs dissolved in ethanol or ethanol alone (positive control). Matured oocytes were fertilized and cultured for 7 days in synthetic oviduct fluid medium supplemented with 5% FCS. Embryos that had at least reached the blastocyst stage were vitrified by open pulled straw (OPS) vitrification. Addition of palmitic (C16 : 0) or stearic acid (C18 : 0) during oocyte maturation had significant negative effects on embryo cryotolerance, whereas ethanol or oleic acid (C18 : 1) had no effect. These in vitro results suggest that high NEFA concentrations in FF during a period of negative energy balance in high-yielding dairy cows can have carry-over effects on embryo quality.     

How to Evaluate and Quantify the Influence of Coincidence on Fertility and Herd Health Parameters? A Practical Overview of Frequently Used and Abused Statistical Techniques in Research and Practice

In this article, frequently encountered statistical questions and methods used both in research and in daily practice are described and explained. First, the concepts of variability and uncertainty are explained and illustrated. From this, it is explained how variation can be quantified and how the limits of what can be expected as a result of normal variation are determined both for continuous and binary data. Based on the basic concepts of probability theory, an introduction to risk assessment was given. Finally it is explained how to test whether individual observations lie outside the normal range or the test whether populations are different from each other. All these are carried out avoiding theory and formulas as much as possible and illustrated with real examples from reproduction and herd health.