Outcome of limb amputations in wapiti: 13 cases (1995-2001).

The object of this investigation was to determine the outcome of limb amputation in wapiti. Medical records of 13 wapiti that underwent limb amputation were reviewed to determine age, weight, sex, injury preceding amputation, limb amputated, amputation location, length of hospital stay, complications, and outcome. Ages ranged from 3 months to 8 years and weights from 70 kg to 280 kg. All animals were female. Eleven animals sustained catastrophic long bone fractures prior to amputation. Five animals had front limb amputations and 8 had hind limb amputations. Of these animals, 1 with a front limb amputaiton and 5 with hind limb amputations survived. Postsurgical inability to stand is associated with hospitalization of > 1 day. Of the 13 wapiti reviewed, 5 with hind limb amputations have produced and reared offspring. Hind limb amputation can be considered a viable alternative to euthanasia when catastrophic orthopedic injuries occur in female wapiti.     

Postovulatory Effect of Intravenous Administration of Lipopolysaccharide (Escherichia coli, O55:B5) on the Endocrine Status of Recently Ovulated Sows

The effects of lipopolysaccharide ( Escherichia coli , O55:B5), administered 18 h after ovulation in the second oestrus after weaning on the hormonal profiles in 14 Swedish cross-bred (Landrace × Yorkshire) multiparous sows were studied. The endotoxin group (E-group) sows were administered with 300 ng/kg of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) whereas the control group (C-group) sows were administered 5 ml of saline intravenously via an indwelling jugular cannula. Blood samples for hormonal analyses were collected from all sows until slaughter. In the E-group, progesterone, cortisol and prostaglandin F_2α metabolite levels increased significantly (p < 0.05) following LPS compared with the C-group. It can be concluded from this study that apart from elevating cortisol and prostaglandin F_2α metabolite, LPS also elevates progesterone levels.     

Regulation of Capacitation of Canine Spermatozoa during Co-culture with Heterologous Oviductal Epithelial Cells

Progress of essential steps of the capacitation is coordinated in the oviductal isthmus, where sperm are stored in close contact with the epithelium. A crucial capacitational event is the phosphorylation of sperm membrane proteins. Regulation of the tyrosine phosphorylation by the oviduct has not been examined in dog sperm yet. The aim of this work was to study the effect of dog sperm binding to porcine oviductal epithelium on capacitation‐induced cellular and molecular changes. Epithelial cells were stripped from the oviducts of post‐puberal sows and cultured for 5–7 days at 39°C and 5% CO₂ on Biomatrix‐covered Chamber slides. Sperm washed through Percoll was co‐incubated with the oviductal epithelium cell cultures in a bicarbonate Tyrode's medium. During co‐incubation, sperm membrane changes, the state of tyrosine phosphorylation and motility were determined after 3, 30, 90, 180, 240 and 360 min. Significant increases in the percentage of capacitated and dead cells were observed in unbound sperm, while bound sperm remained uncapacitated, live and motile. An increasing tyrosine phosphorylation of tail proteins in bound, unbound and control sperm suspensions and a subsequent phosphorylation of head proteins in unbound and control sperm suspensions were observed. A significant difference regarding head phosphorylation (p < 0.05) was found between sperm bound to oviductal epithelium and unbound sperm. Binding occurred mainly in sperm with non‐ phosphorylated heads, while higher proportions of phosphorylated cells were found in unbound populations. The head phosphorylation progressed significantly during incubation in unbound spermatozoa (p < 0.05); however, it was suppressed in population of sperm attached to oviductal epithelium. Significant correlations between motility parameters related to hyperactivation and tail phosphorylation were found in unbound sperm. These observations support the hypothesis that spermatozoa with non‐phosphorylated heads preferentially attach to epithelial cells. It can be concluded that tyrosine phosphorylation of head membrane proteins and capacitation are delayed in canine spermatozoa being in closed contact with oviductal epithelium.     

In situ provision of drinking water to grazing dairy cows improves milk production

AIMS: To determine the effect of providing water within the area grazed by dairy cows on milk yield and quality, compared to requiring cows to walk to a distant water trough, on a dairy farm in the Pampa region of Argentina during summer.

METHODS: Holstein dairy cows were allocated to two herds with similar parity, days in milk and milk production. They were grazed in one paddock that was divided in two, with a fixed water trough at one end. Cows were moved twice daily to grazing plots within the paddock. Control cows (n=66) could only access water from the fixed trough, whereas supplemented cows (n=67) also received water from a mobile trough within the grazing plot. Milk production of each cow, and water consumption of the two herds were measured daily over 62 days. Milk composition for each herd was determined weekly from Days 18 to 60 of the study, and grazing behaviour was observed between 08:00 and 16:00 hours on Days 11–15, 19–22 and 39–43.

RESULTS: Over the 62 days of the study, supplemented cows produced 1.39 (SE 0.11) L/cow/day more milk than Control cows (p=0.027). Estimated mean daily water intake was 50.4 (SE 2.1) L/cow/day for supplemented cows and 58.2 (SE 2.7) L/cow/day for Control cows (p=0.004). Percentage total solids in milk was higher for supplemented (12.5 (SE 0.06)%) than Control (12.4 (SE 0.04)%) cows (p=0.047). During the periods of behavioural observation, a higher percentage of cows in the water supplemented than the Control herd were observed in the grazing area (p=0.012).

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This preliminary study demonstrated that provision of water to dairy cows within the grazing plot was beneficial for milk production and composition, and may be associated with longer periods spent within the grazing area, during hot weather in the Pampa region of Argentina.     

Effects of AG1 and AG2 QTLs on Nonstructural Carbohydrate and Seed Management Options for Rice Seedling Growth and Establishment under Flooding Stress

Rice (Oryza sativa) plants acquired excess photosynthates in the form of nonstructural carbohydrates (NSCs) in their stems and grain. Despite keen interest in rice NSC, the dynamics of NSC accumulation, translocation and re-accumulation have not yet been well investigated. AG1 and AG2 QTLs associated with flooding tolerance through catalyzing starch into soluble sugar in germinating seeds. Here we conducted three experiments, greenhouse and field to lay the groundwork for large-scale diversity studies on grain NSC and some agronomic traits under direct-seeded rice (DSR) system, using elite lines incorporating AG1, AG2 and AG1-AG2 QTLs into the popular varieties PSB Rc82 and Ciherang-Sub1 along with the donors Kho Hlan On (AG1) and Ma-Zhan Red (AG2). In germinating seedlings, soluble sugars increased, while starch concentration decreased gradually especially in the tolerant checks and AG1-AG2 introgression lines under flooded soil. Soluble sugar accumulation in stem started to increase from the vegetative stage and peaked at the panicle initiation stage then gradually decreased towards the maturity stage. But Sub1-AG lines had higher sugar and starch concentrations at different growth stages than other genotypes in wet season 2016 and dry season 2017. Plant survival rate was positively correlated with the stem NSC at the early vegetative stage (21 days after sowing), and stem NSC was positively associated with plant height at different growth stages. Among the tested seeding rate, the most suitable seeding rate, 4 g/m² with shallow burial depth (0.5 cm), resulted in better seedling establishment, relatively higher seedling vigor index and higher leaf area index under flooding in DSR system. Introgression of AG1-AG2 QTLs had no any negative impact on nonstructural carbohydrate, germination rate, and growth and biomass production.     

Carbon Depletion by Plowing and its Restoration by No‐Till Cropping Systems in Oxisols of Subtropical and Tropical Agro‐Ecoregions in Brazil

The continuous use of plowing for grain production has been the principal cause of soil degradation. This project was formulated on the hypothesis that the intensification of cropping systems by increasing biomass‐C input and its biodiversity under no‐till (NT) drives soil restoration of degraded agro‐ecosystem. The present study conducted at subtropical [Ponta Grossa (PG) site] and tropical regions [Lucas do Rio Verde, MT (LRV) site] in Brazil aimed to (i) assess the impact of the continuous plow‐based conventional tillage (CT) on soil organic carbon (SOC) stock vis‐à‐vis native vegetation (NV) as baseline; (ii) compare SOC balance among CT, NT cropping systems, and NV; and (iii) evaluate the redistribution of SOC stock in soil profile in relation to soil resilience. The continuous CT decreased the SOC stock by 0·58 and 0·67 Mg C ha⁻¹ y⁻¹ in the 0‐ to 20‐cm depth at the PG and LRV sites, respectively, and the rate of SOC sequestration was 0·59 for the PG site and ranged from 0·48 to 1·30 Mg C ha⁻¹ y⁻¹ for the LRV site. The fraction of C input by crop residues converted into SOC stock was ~14·2% at the PG site and ~20·5% at the LRV site. The SOC resilience index ranged from 0·29 to 0·79, and it increased with the increase in the C input among the NT systems and the SOC sequestration rates at the LRV site. These data support the hypothesis that NT cropping systems with high C input have a large potential to reverse the process of soil degradation and SOC decline. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.