Assessment of plasma anti-elastin antibodies for use as a diagnostic aid for chronic progressive lymphoedema in Belgian Draught Horses

Diagnosis of chronic progressive lymphoedema (CPL) in draught horses, including the Belgian Draught Horse, is mainly based on clinical evaluation of typical lower limb lesions. A deficient perilymphatic elastic support, caused by a pathological elastin degradation in skin and subcutis, has been suggested as a contributing factor for CPL. Elastin degradation products induce the generation of anti-elastin Ab (AEAb), detectable in horse serum by ELISA. For a clinically healthy group of draught horses, a significantly lower average AEAb-level than 3 clinically affected groups (mild, moderate and severe symptoms) was demonstrated previously. To improve CPL-diagnosis, we evaluated the AEAb-ELISA as an in vitro diagnostic aid in individual horses. Test reproducibility was assessed, performing assays independently in 2 laboratories on a total of 345 horses. Possible factors associated with AEAb-levels (age, gender, pregnancy, test lab and date of blood collection) were analyzed using a mixed statistical model. Results were reproducible in both laboratories. AEAb-levels in moderately and severely affected horses were significantly higher than in healthy horses. Nevertheless, this was only demonstrated in barren mares, and, there was a very large overlap between the clinical groups. Consequently, even when a high AEAb cut-off was handled to obtain a reasonable specificity of 90%, a very low sensitivity (21%) of AEAb for CPL-diagnosis was obtained. Results on the present sample demonstrate that the described ELISA procedure is of no use as a diagnostic test for CPL in individual horses.     

Evaluation of the Rice pelvimeter for measuring pelvic area in double muscled Belgian Blue cows

The accuracy of the Rice pelvimeter for measuring pelvic area of double muscled Belgian Blue (BB) cattle was investigated by comparing measurements in the live animal with these obtained from the same animal after slaughter. Pelvic measurements from 466 BB-cows aged 2–10 years old and of an excellent carcass qualification (S and E in the SEUROP classification) were measured with the pelvimeter approximately 12 h prior to, and by graded ruler within 2 h after, slaughter. The mean difference of measurements between living and dead cattle were − 0.2 cm for pelvic width (95% limits of agreement − 2.5–2.1 cm), and 1.2 cm for pelvic height (95% limits of agreement − 1.8–4.1 cm). The correlation coefficient between all pelvic measurements was between 0.46 and 0.59 (p < 0.001). The age of the animals influenced only pelvic height whilst carcass weight influenced all the components of the pelvic area. There was a significant correlation between the pelvimetric measurements of the birth canal in living cattle obtained using a Rice pelvimeter compared to actual measurements obtained from the carcass. The Rice pelvimeter is a suitable tool for assessing accurate pelvic skeletal conformation and to select animals in this breed with a larger birth canal and hence less dystocia problems.     

德本F1蓝本F1牛适应性分析研究

研究了德国黄牛和比利时蓝牛的杂种后代德本F1、蓝本F1牛在甘肃省陇东地区肉牛带的适应性能，主要包括生长发育、增重、抗病性和繁殖性能等因素。结果表明德本F1、蓝本F1牛在试验期内（0～12月龄）的各项指标均优于本地牛，对当地饲养条件和环境条件表现出了良好的适应能力，可以在当地推广应用。     

3品种工作犬幼犬警用行为测试

通过测试3品种工作犬幼犬的警用行为表现,为深入研究工作犬的品种特性,改进受训犬考评机制、提高训练的技术手段及有效建设种犬群提供数据支撑和理论依据。随机选取德国牧羊犬、昆明犬、马里努阿犬的幼犬,共计254头,测定其胆量、兴奋性及衔取等警用行为参数,以品种、品种间公母及本品种公母分组进行对比分析。结果显示,德国牧羊犬、昆明犬和马里努阿犬的各项警用行为指标达到A级和B级的较少,大多数分布于C级,警用素质综合评定为合格以上的犬总体衔取率不高,分别为41.18%、51.65%、35.71%。比较3品种犬的警用行为发现,马里努阿犬的衔取率与德国牧羊犬和昆明犬差异显著,兴奋性指标与德国牧羊犬差异显著,胆量指标与昆明犬差异显著;在3品种公犬间,马里努阿犬在衔取水平上与德国牧羊犬和昆明犬差异显著,马里努阿犬在兴奋性水平上与德国牧羊犬差异显著;母犬间差异均不显著;本品种内公母犬间差异均不显著。研究表明:一是通过改变训练技术手段提高幼犬警用性能的空间较大;二是公犬是各品种间警用行为指标存在差异的主要因素;三是无需考虑本品种的公母对训练影响。     

家兔UCP1 第3外显子基因多态性研究

为了解兔肉质性状特征,给兔的品种选种选育提供理论依据,选择UCP1基因设计1对引物扩增其第3外显子及第2内含子部分序列,采用DNA池PCR反应,直接测序法快速检测比利时兔、新西兰兔和加利福尼亚兔3个兔品种UCP基因多态性.结果在新西兰兔中发现1个多态性位点(T387C),多态位点对UCP1基因的RNA结构产生影响,其最小自由能由-917.51 kJ/mol变为-927.12 kJ/mol,而其他2个品种没有检测到该突变.     

Hemophilia A in a Belgian Shepherd Malinois dog: case report

This case report presents a Belgian Shepherd Malinois dog affected by hemophilia A recognized at the age of seven months. The clinical follow-up including all the diagnostic procedures leading to the final diagnosis and the course of this disorder are presented.     

Comparative responses to sodium selenite and organic selenium supplements in Belgian Blue cows and calves

Belgian Blue (BB) beef cattle is particularly prone to selenium (Se) deficiency due to the poor Se content of soil and roughages on rearing farms and the higher requirements of this hypermuscled breed. The goal of this trial was to compare the effects of different forms and concentrations of Se supplementation on Se status, health and performance in 60 pregnant Se-deficient BB cows. Cows were allocated to 3 experimental groups receiving selenized-yeast at 0.5 ppm Se on total ration (Y–Se 0.5), Na–selenite at 0.5 ppm Se on total ration (Na–Se 0.5) and Na–selenite at 0.1 ppm Se on total ration (Na–Se 0.1), respectively. Cows were supplemented from 2 months before calving until 2 months after calving. Data on performance, health and Se status of the dams and their calves were analyzed using a linear model, least squares means and logistic regression. At the end of the study, plasmatic Se (pSe) was significantly higher (P < 0.01) in cows receiving Y–Se than in cows from other groups. Glutathion-peroxidase in erythrocytes (GSH-pxe) was higher in Y–Se and Na–Se 0.5 than Na–Se 0.1 group (P < 0.01). Se content in colostrum and milk was significantly higher (P < 0.01) in Y–Se than other groups. At birth, Se status of calves from group Y–Se was significantly higher than those of other groups (P < 0.01). Plasmatic Se in calves remained higher for 75 days after birth in Y–Se compared to other groups (P < 0.01). Diarrhoea was the most commonly observed disease in the calves and, during the first 15 days of life, diarrhoea occurred in 6%, 21% and 35% of calves from groups Y–Se, Na–Se 0.5 and Na–Se 0.1, respectively. Over the whole 75 days trial period, incidence of diarrhoea was 19, 29 and 65%, respectively. Average daily gain (ADG) in calves born from Y–Se group of cows tended to be higher than in Na–Se 0.5 (P = 0.06) and Na–Se 0.1 (P < 0.05) but there was no difference between Na–Se 0.5 and Na–Se 0.1 (P > 0.1). At the same dosage, Y–Se conferred better Se status in both dams and their calves than did Na–Se. Requirement of 0.1 ppm Se seems to be insufficient in BB to optimise health and performance. Regarding health status and ADG in calves, Y–Se seems also to result in better performance.     

Soil organic carbon dynamics at the regional scale as influenced by land use history: a case study in forest soils from southern Belgium

Land use change (LUC) is known to have a large impact on soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks. However, at a regional scale, our ability to explain SOC dynamics is limited due to the variability generated by inconsistent initial conditions between sample points, poor spatial information on previous land use/land management history and scarce SOC inventories. This study combines the resampling in 2003–2006 of an extensive soil survey in 1950–1960 with exhaustive historical data on LUC (1868–2006) to explain observed changes in the SOC stocks of temperate forest soils in the Belgian Ardennes. Results from resampling showed a significant loss of SOC between the two surveys, associated with a decrease in variability. The mean carbon content decreased from 40.4 to 34.5 g C kg^?1 (10.6 to 9.6 kg C m^?2), with a mean rate of C change (ΔSOC) of ?0.15 g C kg^?1 year^?1 (?0.023 kg C m^?2 year^?1). Soils with high SOC content tended to loose carbon while conversely soils with low SOC tended to gain carbon. Land use change history explained a significant part of past and current SOC stocks as well as ΔSOC during the last 50 years. We show that the use of spatially explicit historical data can help to quantitatively explain changes in SOC content at the regional scale.     

德本F1和蓝本F1牛繁殖性能研究

以甘肃省陇东地区德国黄牛和比利时蓝牛与本地牛的杂交后代为研究对象,对F1的繁殖性能,包括妊娠期、受胎率、妊娠部位、助产和难产情况等进行了总结和分析,结果52头德本F1、38头蓝本F1受配母牛的妊娠期分别为281.9 d和282.6 d;受胎率分别为82.7%和79.0%,差异均不显著(P＞0.05);两不同杂交组合妊娠母牛均以左侧卵泡发育和妊娠较多;助产主要集中在产公犊母牛,两不同杂交组合均未出现难产情况.     

良种兔在黄土高原地区的适应性

研究采用单因子试验设计法，以当地饲养的大耳白兔为对照组，以引进多年的加里福尼亚和比利时兔为试验组，通过对试兔体重、体尺、采食量等品种指标的测定，表明：在同样的饲养管理条件下，各品种间呈现的品种特征差异不显著（Ｐ＞０．０５）。由此说明，饲养良种兔需较高的饲养管理水平，否则，无法充分发挥其遗传优势。在黄土高原地区以农村户养为主的商品兔生产中，克服引种的盲目性，改善现有饲养管理水平，是确保该地区商品兔生产持久稳定发展的关键之一。