Rearing conditions affected responses of weaned pigs to organic acids showing a positive effect on digestibility,microflora and immunity

Three experiments were conducted to assess the response of weaned pigs to organic acid SF3, which contains 34% calcium formate, 16% calcium lactate, 7% citric acid and 13% medium chain fatty acids. Dietary treatments had no effect on growth performance of piglets (21‐day weaning) fed the commercial prestart diet for 1 week before receiving the experimental diets supplemented with SF3 at 0, 3 or 5 g/kg diet (Exp. 1), whereas diarrhea frequency averaged across a week was decreased by SF3 supplementation (5 g/kg diet) in piglets fed the experimental diets immediately after weaning (Exp. 2). In Exp. 3, piglets (28‐day weaning) were fed the control (containing pure colistin sulfate and enramycin, respectively, at 20 mg/kg diet) for 1 week and then were fed the control or SF3‐supplemented (5 g/kg diet) diet for 2 weeks. The SF3‐fed piglets had greater apparent ileal digestibility of calcium and dry matter, while also demonstrating greater overall gross energy, up‐regulated jejunal expression of sodium‐glucose cotransporter‐1 and transforming growth factor‐β, down‐regulated jejunal expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α, higher ileal Lactobacillus, with lower total bacteria content, lower plasma TNF‐α but higher IgG levels than the control‐fed piglets. Collectively, SF3 consumption improved diarrhea resistance of weaned pigs by improving nutrient digestibility, piglet immunity and intestinal bacteria profile. © 2016 Japanese Society of Animal Science     

Comparison of sampling sites and detection methods for Haemophilus parasuis

Objective To improve the isolation rate and identification procedures for Haemophilus parasuis from pig tissues. Design Thirteen sampling sites and up to three methods were used to confirm the presence of H. parasuis in pigs after experimental challenge. Procedure Colostrum‐deprived, naturally farrowed pigs were challenged intratracheally with H parasuis serovar 12 or 4. Samples taken during necropsy were either inoculated onto culture plates, processed directly for PCR or enriched prior to being processed for PCR. The recovery of H parasuis from different sampling sites and using different sampling methods was compared for each serovar. Results H parasuis was recovered from several sample sites for all serovar 12 challenged pigs, while the trachea was the only positive site for all pigs following serovar 4 challenge. The method of solid medium culture of swabs, and confirmation of the identity of cultured bacteria by PCR, resulted in 38% and 14% more positive results on a site basis for serovars 12 and 4, retrospectively, than direct PCR on the swabs. This difference was significant in the serovar 12 challenge. Conclusion Conventional culture proved to be more effective in detecting H parasuis than direct PCR or PCR on enrichment broths. For subacute (serovar 4) infections, the most successful sites for culture or direct PCR were pleural fluid, peritoneal fibrin and fluid, lung and pericardial fluid. For acute (serovar 12) infections, the best sites were lung, heart blood, affected joints and brain. The methodologies and key sampling sites identified in this study will enable improved isolation of H parasuis and aid the diagnosis of Glässer's disease.     

Serum C-reactive protein concentration as an indicator of remission status in dogs with multicentric lymphoma

BACKGROUND: The acute-phase protein C-reactive protein (CRP) is used as a diagnostic and prognostic marker in humans with various neoplasias, including non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate if CRP could be used to detect different remission states in dogs with lymphoma. ANIMALS: Twenty-two dogs with untreated multicentric lymphoma. METHODS: Prospective observational study. Blood samples were collected at the time of diagnosis, before each chemotherapy session, and at follow-up visits, resulting in 287 serum samples. RESULTS: Before therapy, a statistically significant majority of the dogs (P = .0019) had CRP concentrations above the reference range (68%, 15/22). After achieving complete remission 90% (18/20) of the dogs had CRP concentrations within the reference range, and the difference in values before and after treatment was statistically significant (P < .001). CRP concentrations of dogs in complete remission (median, 1.91; range, 0.2-103) were significantly different (P = .031) from those of dogs with partial remission (median, 2.48; range, 0-89), stable disease (median, 1.77; range, 1.03-42.65), or progressive disease (median, 8.7; range, 0-82.5). There was profound variation of CRP measurements within each dog. CONCLUSIONS: CRP is useful in determining complete remission status after treatment with cytotoxic drugs. However, the individual variation between dogs means CRP concentration is not sufficiently different in other remission states to permit its use in monitoring progression of the disease. Greater reliability in determining remission status might be achieved by combining CRP concentration with other serum markers.     

基于"3S"技术的甘肃子午岭自然保护区土地利用变化研究

以甘肃省子午岭自然保护区为研究对象,运用"3S"技术,对研究区的地形图、不同时相的TM遥感影像进行数据预处理,并分类提取了研究区2个时段的土地利用信息.对分类信息进行统计分析后并与实地调查数据进行比较,结果表明,近20年来甘肃子午岭自然保护区的森林覆盖面积在稳步提高,乔木林面积明显增加.为甘肃子午岭自然保护区工程的建设提供了基础信息,为林区植物种群生长及分布调查研究提供了宏观数据,并且输出了研究区不同时相土地利用专题图.     

巨大芽胞杆菌YB-3的筛选、鉴定及其对生姜青枯病的生防效果研究

青枯病（bacterial wilt）是生姜上的一种细菌土传毁灭性病害,化学防治易污染环境且常规化学药剂很难在土壤中起到持续控病的作用,生物防治是其理想的防治方法。为开发对生姜青枯病有效的生防措施,对从生姜根际土壤中分离的一株生防细菌YB-3进行了鉴定,并对其生物学特性及生防效果进行了研究,以丰富生防菌株资源库。采用抑菌圈法筛选拮抗细菌,对效果最好的拮抗菌株做盆栽试验,测定其对生姜青枯病的防治效果,根据形态特征、生理生化特性以及16S rDNA序列对筛选得到的优良菌株进行鉴定。试验结果表明,该拮抗菌在平皿上对青枯菌的抑菌率为50.67%,盆栽试验对青枯病的防治效果为60.86%;经16S rDNA序列分析,并结合形态学和生理生化特征,将菌株YB-3鉴定为巨大芽胞杆菌Bacillus megaterium。YB-3是一株具有开发利用价值的姜青枯病生防菌株。     

Use of serum amyloid A in equine medicine and surgery

Serum amyloid A (SAA) has become an indispensable part of the management of equine patients in general practice and specialized hospital settings. Although several proteins possess acute phase properties in horses, the usefulness of SAA exceeds that of other acute phase proteins. This is due to the highly desirable kinetics of the equine SAA response. SAA concentrations exhibit a rapid and pronounced increase in response to inflammation and a rapid decline after the resolution of inflammation. This facilitates the detection of inflammatory disease and real-time monitoring of inflammatory activity. SAA may be used in all stages of patient management: (1) before diagnosis (to rule in/rule out inflammatory disease), (2) at the time of diagnosis (to assess the severity of inflammation and assist in prognostication), and (3) after diagnosis (to monitor changes in inflammatory activity in response to therapy, with relapse of disease, or with infectious/inflammatory complications). By assessing other acute phase reactants in addition to SAA, clinicians can succinctly stage inflammation. White blood cell counts and serum iron concentration change within hours of an inflammatory insult, SAA within a day, and fibrinogen within 2–3 days; the interrelationship of these markers thus indicates the duration and activity of the inflammatory condition. Much research on the equine SAA response and clinical use has been conducted in the last decade. This is the prerequisite for the evidence-based use of this analyte. However, still today, most published studies involve a fairly low number of horses. To obtain solid evidence for use of SAA, future studies should be designed with larger sample sizes.