Evaluation of cystatin C as an endogenous marker of glomerular filtration rate in dogs

Cystatin C is a cysteine protease inhibitor produced by all nucleated cells. It is freely filtered by the glomerulus and is unaffected by nonrenal factors such as inflammation and gender. Because of greater sensitivity and specificity, cystatin C has been proposed to replace creatinine as a marker of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in humans. The aims of this study were to validate an automated assay in canine plasma and to evaluate the usefulness of cystatin C as a marker of GFR in dogs. Western blotting was used to demonstrate cross-reactivity of an anti-human cystatin C antibody. An immunoturbidimetric assay was used to detect cystatin C in 25 clinically healthy dogs and 25 dogs with renal failure. Mean cystatin C concentration in the healthy dogs and the dogs with renal failure was 1.08 +/- 0.16 mg/L and 4.37 +/- 1.79 mg/L respectively. Intra- and interassay variability was <5%. The assay was linear (r = .974) between 0.14 and 7.53 mg/L. Both cystatin C and creatinine concentrations were measured in banked, frozen serum from 20 remnant kidney model dogs and 10 volume-depleted dogs for which GFR measurements by exogenous creatinine clearance had been determined previously. In the remnant kidney model, cystatin C was better correlated with GFR than creatinine (r = .79 versus .54) but was less well correlated with GFR in volume-depleted dogs (r = .54 versus .95). GFR measurements were repeated in the remnant kidney model dogs 60 days after initial GFR measurements. At this time, cystatin C and creatinine concentrations correlated equally well with GFR (r = .891 versus .894, respectively). Cystatin C concentration is a reasonable alternative to creatinine for screening dogs with decreased GFR due to chronic renal failure.     

Early dexamethasone treatment after implantation of a sciatic-nerve cuff decreases the concentration of substance P in the lumbar spinal cord of rats with neuropathic pain

The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of early dexamethasone treatment on pain-related peptides at an early stage in the development of neuropathic pain induced by implantation of a sciatic nerve cuff in Sprague Dawley rats (body weight 250 to 350 g). The rats were tested for touch sensitivity with the use of von Frey filaments before and 3 d after cuff implantation (n = 12) or sham surgery (n = 6). Half of the cuff-implanted rats received dexamethasone, 1 mg/kg intraperitoneally, 1 h after surgery. Spinal cords were collected on the 3rd day after surgery, and the lumbar enlargement was processed for the detection of selected peptides (neurotensin, substance P, cholecystokinin [CCK], vasoactive intestinal peptide, and calcitonin gene-related peptide) by means of liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry. The right sciatic nerve of each rat was collected, fixed, and stained for histopathological evaluation. Except for neurotensin, all the peptides showed an increased concentration with neuropathic pain; however, the differences were significant (P < 0.05) only for substance P and CCK. In the animals treated with dexamethasone, mechanical allodynia was less pronounced (P < 0.01), and only the concentration of substance P was decreased significantly (P < 0.05). Sciatic nerve sections showed a decrease in C (P < 0.01) and Adelta (P < 0.03) fibres with neuropathic pain and a nearly normal percentage of C fibres after dexamethasone treatment. The dexamethasone-treated animals also had less inflammation detectable microscopically at the nerve constriction site compared with cuff-implanted animals that were not treated with dexamethasone. Our results suggest that in the early stages of neuropathic pain induced by an inflammatory process, dexamethasone may be a useful treatment and that substance P plays an important role in pain perception.     

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.     

Effects of increased nitrogen supply on the lignification of poplar wood

The short-term influence of adequate and high nitrogen fertilization on poplar lignification was investigated. The high nitrogen supply decreased lignin staining in the newly formed secondary xylem, indicating that lignin deposition was affected. Acetyl bromide determinations gave a 9-10% decrease in lignin content; however, Klason lignin content was unchanged. Thioacidolysis showed that elevated N supply affected lignin structure such that there was a reduced frequency of lignin units involved in beta-O-4 bonds, a reduced syringyl/guaiacyl ratio, an increased frequency of p-hydroxyphenyl lignin units, more guaiacyl units with free phenolic groups, and more p-hydroxybenzoic acid ester-linked to poplar lignins. These features suggest that lignins from poplars grown under high N bear structural similarities to lignins formed during early stages of wood development. The findings also indicate that a gravitational stimulus inducing the formation of tension wood and high N availability lead to similar and additive effects on lignin content and structure.     

Effect of Diet Processing Method and Ingredient Substitution on Feed Characteristics and Survival of Larval Walleye, Sander vitreus

Two methods were developed for the production of larval fish diets. The first method, microextrusion marumerization (MEM), has been tested in laboratory feeding trials for many years and produces particles that are palatable and water stable. The second method, particle‐assisted rotational agglomeration (PARA), produced diets that have lower density than diets produced by MEM. Each method was used to produce diets in the 250‐ to 400‐ and 400‐ to 700‐μm range and compared with a reference diet (Fry Feed Kyowa * [FFK]) for feeding larval walleye in two experiments. The effect of substituting 4% of the fish meal with freeze‐dried artemia fines was also investigated. In the first experiment, 30‐d survival was greater (P < 0.05) for fish fed a diet produced by PARA without Artemia (49.1.0%) than for fish fed the same diet produced by MEM (27.6%). The addition of Artemia to a diet produced by MEM did not increase survival of larval walleye. Fish fed the reference diet had 24.4% survival. In the second experiment, there was an effect of both processing method and Artemia supplementation, and an interaction of these effects, on survival. Fish fed a diet produced by PARA without Artemia supplementation had 48.4% survival, and fish fed the same diet produced by MEM had only 19.6% survival. Inclusion of 4% freeze‐dried Artemia improved (P < 0.04) survival of fish fed MEM particles but not those fed PARA particles. Fish fed FFK had greater weight gain than fish fed other diets in both experiments. Data indicate that the PARA method of diet processing produces smaller, lower density particles than the MEM process and that diets produced by the PARA process support higher survival of larval walleye with low capital and operating costs.     

Land Cover Transition in Northern Tanzania

Land conversion in sub‐Saharan Africa has profound biophysical, ecological, political and social consequences for human well‐being and ecosystem services. Understanding the process of land cover changes and transitions is essential for good ecosystem management policy that would lead to improved agricultural production, human well‐being and ecosystems health. This study aimed to assess land cover transitions in a typical semi‐arid degraded agro‐ecosystems environment within the Pangani river basin in northern Tanzania. Three Landsat images spanning over 30 years were used to detect random and systematic patterns of land cover transition in a landscape dominated by crop and livestock farming. Results revealed that current land cover transition is driven by a systematic process of change dominated by the following: (i) transition from degraded land to sparse bushland (10·8%); (ii) conversion from sparse bushland to dense bushland in lowland areas (6·0%); (iii) conversion from bushland to forest (4·8%); and (iv) conversion from dense bushland to cropland in the highlands (4·5%). Agricultural lands under water harvesting technology adoption show a high degree of persistence (60–80%) between time slices. This suggests that there is a trend in land‐use change towards vegetation improvement in the catchment with a continuous increase in the adoption of water harvesting technologies for crop and livestock farming. This can be interpreted as a sign of agricultural intensification and vegetation regrowth in the catchment. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effects of type of added salt and ionic strength on physicochemical and functional properties of casein isolates produced by electroacidification

A procedure developed for soybean protein precipitation which was based on electrodialysis was tested for the production of acid casein from reconstituted skim milk. In a previous paper, the performance of bipolar membrane electroacidification (BMEA) was evaluated under different conditions of ionic strength (micro(added) = 0, 0.25, 0.5, or 1.0 M) and added salt (CaCl(2), NaCl, or KCl) (1). The aim of this study, which is the complement of the work on evaluation of BMEA performance, was to evaluate the functionality of the protein isolates produced by BMEA and to compare the BMEA isolates to commercial isolates and an isolate produced by chemical acidification. It was not possible to show differences between the functional properties of isolates produced by BMEA, except at 1 M CaCl(2) micro(added), due to the variability of the isolates. However, the results showed that it is possible to obtain isolates similar to commercial isolates and that the addition of salt during the process does not induce variations in functional properties. From results on mineral concentrations, it appeared that the addition of monovalent cations did not influence the retention of monovalent or divalent cations in the BMEA isolates, while addition of divalent cations (CaCl(2)) influenced the retention of magnesium. According to previous results on evaluation of BMEA performances under different conditions of ionic strength and added salt, the difference observed for the BMEA isolate produced at 1.0 M CaCl(2) was confirmed.     

Monitoring of blood vessels and tissues by a population of monocytes with patrolling behavior

The cellular immune response to tissue damage and infection requires the recruitment of blood leukocytes. This process is mediated through a classical multistep mechanism, which involves transient rolling on the endothelium and recognition of inflammation followed by extravasation. We have shown, by direct examination of blood monocyte functions in vivo, that a subset of monocytes patrols healthy tissues through long-range crawling on the resting endothelium. This patrolling behavior depended on the integrin LFA-1 and the chemokine receptor CX(3)CR1 and was required for rapid tissue invasion at the site of an infection by this "resident" monocyte population, which initiated an early immune response and differentiated into macrophages.     

Measurement of the Motion of Fertilizer Particles Leaving a Centrifugal Spreader Using a Fast Imaging System

Although mechanically simple, centrifugal spreaders used for mineral fertilization involve complex physics that cannot be fully characterized at the present time. We are developing sensors to evaluate the spatial distribution of the fertilizer on the ground based on the measurement of initial flight conditions of fertilizer granules after their ejection by the spreading disk. The techniques developed are based on the analysis of images of the area around the disk showing the granule ejection. A high resolution – low cost imaging system for the analysis of high speed particle projection developed for this specific purpose is presented in this paper. The system, based on a camera and a sequence of flashes, is used to characterize the centrifugal spreading of fertilizer particles ejected at speeds of approximately 30ms^–1. It automatically computes the direction of ejection and velocity of each granule observed in the image. Multi-exposure images collected with the camera installed perpendicular to the output flow of granules are analyzed to estimate the trajectories of the fertilizer granules, using different motion estimation methods.