Monensin controlled-release intraruminal capsule for control of bloat in pastured dairy cows

Monensin, a polyether ionophore antibiotic, is potentially an important agent for bloat relief in dairy cows grazing temperate legume-based pasture. A series of studies was undertaken to determine the effect of monensin, when delivered continuously in the rumen of lactating dairy cows by means of controlled-release capsules (monensin CRC). Such devices release approximately 300 mg/head/day for 100 d. A short-term pilot study made at Ruakura, New Zealand, tested monensin CRC in cows selected for high susceptibility to bloat and grazing lucerne (Medicago sativa) or red clover (Trifolium pratense). Treatment significantly reduced the incidence of bloat, while milk yield and protein yield were increased. There was no effect on fat yield. Following the pilot study, 6 large-scale field experiments involving a total of 368 lactating dairy cows, were made in Australia and New Zealand to confirm the effectiveness of monensin CRC for bloat control and to measure the effect of such treatment on milk production and composition. A severe bloat problem occurred in 2 experiments, mild bloat occurred in 2 others, while no visual signs of bloat were observed in the remaining 2 experiments. Bloat was significantly (P less than 0.05) reduced by monensin CRC treatment when data was pooled over the 4 experiments in which bloat occurred. Daily milk yield was increased in all experiments from a mean of 17.7 in untreated groups to 18.8 kg/head/day (P less than 0.05) in monensin CRC-treated cows. Protein percentage was not affected by treatment, while there was a decrease from 4.29 to 4.10% fat, although total fat yield was not affected.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

THE IDENTIFICATION OF A BURIED PALEOSOL DEVELOPED IN PLACE AT PITSTONE, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE

A small scarp foot valley cut in blocky Coombe rock contained three layers of calcareous material which had been washed into it, the middle one of which was soil material. Mineralogical analyses showed that there was a lithological discontinuity immediately beneath the soil material but not above it. It seemed possible that there had been a complete inversion of soil horizons by successive erosion phases upslope and deposition in the valley bottom. Micromorphological analyses showed that the particular arrangement of soil fabric in three profiles due to decalcification, gleying, and the reorganization of clay plasma varied logically according to slope position and inferred water regimes. The soil, although thin, had been developed in place. Charcoal flakes from the soil gave a radiocarbon date of 3910±220 years BP. The material that buried the soil is a combination of slopewash and ploughwash initiated by man's clearance and cultivation of the land begun in the late Neolithic or early Bronze Age.     

REGIONAL BRAIN PERFUSION IN EPILEPTIC DOGS EVALUATED BY TECHNETIUM-99m-ETHYL CYSTEINATE DIMER SPECT

We evaluated the feasibility of interictal single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) to detect alterations in regional cerebral blood flow and neuronal activity in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy. Twelve dogs with idiopathic epilepsy underwent interictal technetium-99m-ethyl cysteinate dimer SPECT of the brain. Different cortical regions of interest (ROIs), 1 ROI at the cerebellum and 1 ROI at the subcortical area were evaluated by semiquantitative analysis and compared with a control group (18 dogs). Significant hypoperfusion ( P =0.02) was present in the subcortical area of epileptic dogs. This hypoperfusion was not associated with seizure frequency, age at onset of seizures, duration of epilepsy, or time since the last seizure. Interictal SPECT did not reveal cortical or cerebellar perfusion alterations. The subcortical area may play an important role in the pathophysiology of canine idiopathic epilepsy.     

SIGNIFICANT PARTICLE SIZE VARIATION AND WEATHERING IN ORTHIC PODZOL PROFILES1

Physical analyses of 15 Orthic Podzols of south-eastern Quebec, Canada, showed that the extent of the breakdown of the gravel, sand, and silt and the accumulation of clay was dependent on the porosity of the parent material and the type of rocks in the gravel. There was no clay accumulation in the B horizon when the results were expressed on a percentage weight per unit volume basis. The sand was fractionated into five grades. The specific gravity of the gravel was smaller than that of any sand fraction and that of the sand increased towards the finer fractions. The specific gravity of the gravel also increased down the profile; that of the sand did not. These changes were also related to the type of parent material. A value for each horizon, calculated as follows: was used as an index of weathering to show the degree of weathering intensity.     

HARNESSING ECOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES AND PHYSIOLOGIC MECHANISMS IN DIVERSIFYING AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS FOR SUSTAINABILITY: EXPERIENCE FROM STUDIES DEPLOYING NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS IN SCOTLAND

● Diversification enhances nature-based contributions to cropping system functions. ● Soil management to improve production and ecosystem function has variable outcomes. ● Management of the production-system to use legacy nutrients will reduce inputs. ● Intercrops, companion crops and cover crops improve ecological sustainability. ● Sustainable interventions within value chains are essential to future-proof agriculture. To achieve the triple challenge of food security, reversing biodiversity declines plus mitigating and adapting to climate change, there is a drive to embed ecological principles into agricultural, value-chain practices and decision-making. By diversifying cropping systems at several scales there is potential to decrease reliance on inputs, provide resilience to abiotic and biotic stress, enhance plant, microbe and animal biodiversity, and mitigate against climate change. In this review we highlight the research performed in Scotland over the past 5 years into the impact of the use of ecological principles in agriculture on sustainability, resilience and provision of ecosystem functions. We demonstrate that diversification of the system can enhance ecosystem functions. Soil and plant management interventions, including nature-based solutions, can also enhance soil quality and utilization of legacy nutrients. Additionally, this is facilitated by greater reliance on soil biological processes and trophic interactions. We highlight the example of intercropping with legumes to deliver sustainability through ecological principles and use legumes as an exemplar of the innovation. We conclude that there are many effective interventions that can be made to deliver resilient, sustainable, and diverse agroecosystems for crop and food production, and these may be applicable in any agroecosystem.     

某极度酸化的酸性硫酸盐土壤中可溶性和交换性酸的特征

An extremely acidified acid sulfate soil(ASS) was investigated to characterise its soluble and exchangeable acidity,The results showed that soluble acidity of a sample dtermined by titration with a KOH soulution was much significantly greater than that indicated by pH measured using a pH meter,paricularly for the extremely acidic soil samples,This is because the total soluble acidity of the extremely acidic soil samples was mainly composed of various soluble Al and Fe species,possibly in forms of Al sulfate complexes(e.g.,AlSO4^ ) and feerous Fe(Fe^2 )_,It is therefore suggested not to use pH alone as an indicator of soluble acidity in ASS,particularly for extremely acidic ASS,It is also likely that AlSO4^ actively participated in cation exchange reactions.It appears that the possible involvement of this Al sulfate cation in the cation adsorption has significant effect on increasing the amount of acidity being adsorbed by the soils.     

Surgical Treatment of a Canine Intranasal Meningoencephalocele

Objective— To report the clinical signs, diagnosis, and surgical treatment of an intranasal meningoencephalocele in a dog.
Study Design— Case report.
Animal— Female Border collie, 5 months old.
Methods— A right intranasal meningoencephalocele was identified by computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging.
Results— The lesion was approached by a modified transfrontal craniotomy. Surgical closure of the defect at the level of the cribriform plate and removal of extruded brain tissue resulted in regression of lacrimation and coincided with absence of seizuring. Treatment with phenobarbital was gradually reduced and stopped at 7 months after surgery. At 28 months the dog remained free of seizures.
Conclusion— Meningoencephalocele, although rare, can cause seizures in dogs and can be treated surgically.
Clinical Relevance— A transfrontal craniotomy with excision of the meningoencephalocele and closure of the defect can be an effective treatment for an intranasal meningoencephalocele in dogs.