Evaluation of a radioimmunoassay for type III procollagen peptide in the dog

Type III procollagen peptide (P-3-P) is a serum marker for hepatic fibrosis in humans. The utility of a commercially available radioimmunoassay for P-3-P was evaluated in the dog. The specificity of the assay was assessed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) of canine serum and purified bovine P-3-P, followed by Western immunoblotting with rabbit aniti-P-3-P serum. The sensitivity was assessed by performing the radioimmunoassay on dilutions of sera from 22 dogs. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of purified bovine P-3-P and sera from two dogs suspected of having elevated P-3-P concentrations revealed no homologous bands of staining. Western immunoblotting showed marked cross-reactivity of the high antisera concentrations with several components of the serum proteins, but none corresponding to the purified P-3-P. All tested sera from dogs had minimal competitive binding with radiolabeled P-3-P in the radioimmunoassay. Dilution curves of dog sera did not parallel either the standard curve or the dilution curve of a known test human serum. There were no statistically different P-3-P concentrations in any of the groups of dogs studied. It was concluded that currently available radioimmunoassay kits for the measurement of P-3-P in the human are not applicable in the dog. Seemingly, the structure or metabolism of canine P-3-P may vary significantly from that of the bovine or human, limiting the sensitivity and specificity of this assay in the dog.     

A survey of northern Victorian dairy farmers to investigate dairy calf management: colostrum feeding and management

Objectives

To describe colostrum management practices carried out in northern Victorian dairy herds and to identify weaknesses in these areas that may affect calf health and welfare by comparing the results with the current industry recommendations

Methods

A questionnaire to obtain information about colostrum management and calf‐rearing practices was sent to commercial dairy farming clients of Rochester Veterinary Practice between June and September 2013. The questionnaire consisted of a general herd overview and colostrum harvesting practices.

Results

The response rate was 39% (58/150). Many dairy producers were not meeting the current industry recommendations in the following areas: (1) time of removal calf from the dam, (2) relying on calf suckling colostrum from the dam to achieve adequate passive transfer, (3) failing to supplement calves with colostrum, (4) feeding inadequate volumes of colostrum, (5) delayed colostrum harvesting, (6) pooling of colostrum, (7) failing to objectively assess colostrum quality or relying on visual assessment and (8) storing colostrum for a prolonged periods of time at ambient temperatures.

Conclusion

The results from this survey highlight the need for greater awareness of industry standards for colostrum management and feeding hygiene.

     

Excitation Gap in the Normal State of Underdoped Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+delta

Angle-resolved photoemission experiments reveal evidence of an energy gap in the normal state excitation spectrum of the cuprate superconductor Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+delta. This gap exists only in underdoped samples and closes around the doping level at which the superconducting transition temperature Tc is a maximum. The momentum dependence and magnitude of the gap closely resemble those of the dx2-y2 gap observed in the superconducting state. This observation is consistent with results from several other experimental techniques, which also indicate the presence of a gap in the normal state. Some possible theoretical explanations for this effect are reviewed.     

Ante mortem diagnosis of pancreatitis in four cats

The ante mortem detection of pancreatitis in four cats is reported. Clinical findings included vomiting, lethargy and constipation in all the cats, diabetes mellitus in two cats and severe jaundice and a vitamin K responsive coagulopathy in one cat. Serum amylase was normal in all the cats and serum lipase was elevated in one azotaemic cat. Ultrasonography revealed predominantly hypoechoic masses in the right cranial quandrant of the abdomen of each cat. The anatomical location of these masses was consistent with the pancreas. Gross examination supported these ultrasonographic observations. The pancreatic lesions were characterised histologically as acute necrotising pancreatitis, acute necrotising pancreatitis with abscessation, chronic active pancreatitis with cystic dilatation of the pancreatic duct causing bile duct obstruction and chronic active pancreatitis with nodular hyperplasia. This report indicates that pancreatitis is a clinically significant disease in cats that may be diagnosed ante mortem.     

Soil and agronomic factors associated with cadmium accumulations in kidneys of grazing sheep

SUMMARY Mean concentration of cadmium (Cd) in kidneys of hogget sheep from 67 flocks grazing in the Agricultural Region of Western Australia was tested for association with soil, pastoral, climatic and nutritional factors. Hoggets grazing pastures on acidic soils and soils with a sandy-textured surface had higher Cd concentrations in kidneys than hoggets grazing pastures on more alkaline soils or soils with a clay-textured surface. Application of more than 100 kg of phosphatic fertiliser during the past 3 years to loamy soils was also associated with greater Cd concentration in kidneys of the grazing animals.     

Carbendazim,at concentrations used on pasture for facial eczema control,reduces development of Trichostrongylus colubriformis when sprayed onto infected sheep faeces

Abstract

AIM: To determine whether the fungicide, carbendazim, as applied to pastures for controlling facial eczema (FE), would inhibit development of the free-living stages of the gastrointestinal nematode parasite Trichostrongylus colubriformis.

METHODS: Two studies were conducted, using sheep faeces containing eggs of T. colubriformis. In the first, the faeces were either exposed or not to an application of carbendazim sprayed at the recommended rate for FE control. After spraying, dishes containing the faeces were incubated at 20°C for 14 days, and the resulting third-stage infective larvae (L3) extracted by baermannisation and counted. In addition, naturally infested pasture was also sprayed, and the number of L3 present 7 days later was assessed by cutting herbage samples and extracting larvae by soaking in water and baermannisation. In the second, the faeces were incubated at 20°C for 0, 3 or 7 days before being exposed to no, one or two applications of carbendazim. After further incubation for 14, 11 or 7 days, L3 were similarly extracted by baermannisation and counted.

RESULTS: In the first study, there was a 74% reduction in the number of T. colubriformis larvae recovered from faeces exposed to carbendazim compared with faeces not exposed, but there was no reduction in the number of L3 recovered from herbage. In the second study, faeces incubated for 0 or 3 days prior to exposure to a single application of carbendazim yielded 98% or 89% fewer larvae, respectively, than faeces not exposed. Faeces incubated for 7 days prior to exposure yielded similar numbers of larvae to faeces not exposed.

CONCLUSION: Treatment of pastures with carbendazim for FE control is likely to result in reduced development of the larvae of T. colubriformis, and by inference those of other species, where the application coincides with the presence of freshly deposited faeces containing eggs and developing larvae. However, no effect of treatment on L3 was indicated. The significance of this for on-farm nematode parasite control remains to be determined, as does any potential for strategic applications of carbendazim to pasture aimed at reducing numbers of parasite larvae on pasture. The latter should not be contemplated without due consideration of the implications for the development of anthelmintic resistance.     

Selective and on-demand drenching of lambs: Impact on parasite populations and performance of lambs

AIM: To determine whether drenching regimes for lambs by which a proportion (10%) of the heaviest animals was selectively left untreated, or animals are only drenched ‘on demand’ when faecal nematode egg counts (FEC) exceeded a threshold level, would result in measurable increases in parasite larval challenge in the autumn and/or decreases in the performance of lambs.

METHODS: A replicated study compared three drenching strategies in which mobs of lambs (n=360 in total) received either: a five-drench preventive programme, administered to all animals (Treatment 1); a five-drench preventive programme, but the 10% heaviest animals left untreated each time (Treatment 2); or drench treatments administered only when FEC exceeded 500 eggs per gram of faeces (epg) (Treatment 3). After the five-drench programme, animals in Treatments 1 and 2 were treated according to FEC as for Treatment 3. A triple-combination drench containing ivermectin, oxfendazole and levamisole, administered orally, was used for all treatments. There were nine farmlets, allowing three replicates of each treatment, in a completely randomised design. Parasite infestations on pasture were measured in autumn by pasture plucks, and worm burdens were monitored in tracer lambs, while the performance of lambs was assessed by liveweight gains, fleece weights, and body condition and dag scores.

RESULTS: Increased numbers of Haemonchus contortus and Trichostrongylus colubriformis larvae on pasture were found in the autumn on farmlets treating selectively or on-demand (Treatments 2 and 3). No differences were detected in other parasite species. Mean liveweight gains did not differ between treatments but some differences were detected between drenched and undrenched lambs in Treatment 2. Mean body condition and mean dag scores of lambs in Treatment 3 tended to be lower and higher, respectively, than those of lambs in Treatment 1; Treatment 2 was generally intermediate.

CONCLUSIONS: Drenching strategies for lambs designed to slow the development of anthelmintic resistance, by increasing the pool of susceptible worms available to dilute resistant survivors after treatment, resulted in increased numbers of H. contortus and T. colubriformis but not other species of parasite on pasture. The increased parasite challenge to lambs in the autumn was associated with small production losses, which may be acceptable to farmers wishing to implement such strategies. It is clear that further work is required on the interaction between management practices and the population dynamics of parasites, especially with regard to creating pools of susceptible genotypes to slow the development of drench resistance.     

Scrotal circumference,bodyweight and semen characteristics in growing dairy-breed natural-service bulls in Tasmania,Australia

Aims: To provide herd managers with a set of decision rules allowing them to predict the likelihood that a juvenile bull is ready for Bull Breeding Soundness Evaluation (BBSE), or breeding, if bodyweight and scrotal circumference are known.

Methods: This was a longitudinal study following two groups of young pasture-fed Holstein and Jersey bulls from northwest Tasmania, Australia. Individual scrotal circumference, bodyweight and semen characteristics were recorded at 6–8 weekly intervals, from 6–18 months of age. Classification and regression tree analyses were used to predict the probability that a bull had ≥70% normal sperm morphology based on scrotal circumference and bodyweight measurements.

Results: Overall 1,661 scrotal circumference and bodyweight measurements were obtained, and 518 semen samples from 356 bulls were assessed for sperm morphology, from 16 examination sessions that took place between 29 May 2015 and 17 August 2016. Classification and regression tree analyses generated a decision tree for Holstein bulls with four node endpoints, and for Jersey bulls with three node endpoints. Diagnostic test performance showed that for Holstein bulls, using the node endpoints of scrotal circumference ≥27?cm and bodyweight ≥349?kg, 98% had ≥70% normal sperm (positive likelihood ratio 10.4; 95% CI?=?2.7–41), and using the node endpoints of scrotal circumference ≥27?cm and bodyweight between 282–349?kg, 89% had ≥70% normal sperm (positive likelihood ratio 1.6; 95% CI?=?0.9–2.6). For Jersey bulls, using the node endpoints of bodyweight ≥259?kg and scrotal circumference ≥29?cm, 88% had ≥70% normal sperm (positive likelihood ratio 3.4; 95% CI?=?1.6–7.0).

Conclusions: This study provides a set of relatively simple decision rules based on bodyweight and scrotal circumference measurements that allows herd managers to assess the likelihood that juvenile bulls are ready for BBSE or breeding.

Abbreviations: BBSE: Bull breeding soundness evaluation; BRT: Boosted regression tree