Continuous infusion of propofol in dogs premedicated with methotrimeprazine

Objective To evaluate the cardiopulmonary and clinical effects of three different infusion rates of propofol in dogs premedicated with methotrimeprazine. Study design Randomized experimental trial. Animals Ten healthy adult mixed‐breed male and female dogs, weighing from 14 to 20 kg. Methods Dogs were premedicated with methotrimeprazine [1 mg kg^?1 intravenously (IV)] followed by induction of anesthesia with 4.5 mg kg^?1 of propofol IV and maintenance with propofol for 60 minutes as follows: T1, 0.2 mg kg^?1 minute^?1; T2, 0.3 mg kg^?1minute^?1; and T3, 0.4 mg kg^?1minute^?1. Heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR), mean arterial pressure (MAP), end‐tidal CO₂ (P_ETCO₂), arterial hemoglobin O₂ saturation, arterial blood gases, and pedal and cutaneous reflexes were measured before and 5, 10, 20, 30, 45 and 60 minutes after the beginning of the propofol infusion. Statistical analysis was performed using an anova . Results Heart rate increased during anesthesia in all cases and arterial blood pressure decreased only in dogs in the T3 category. Respiratory depression was proportional to the infusion rate of propofol. Muscle relaxation was satisfactory, but analgesia was inadequate in the three treatments. Conclusions The infusion of 0.2–0.4 mg kg^?1 minute^?1 of propofol produced a dose‐dependent respiratory depression. The presence of a pedal withdrawal reflex and marked cardiovascular responses to this noxious stimulus suggests that anesthesia may not be of sufficient depth for surgery to be carried out. Clinical relevance Although several studies have been performed using propofol in animals, few studies have investigated the cardiopulmonary and analgesic effects with different doses. The determination of an adequate propofol infusion rate is necessary for the routine use of this intravenous anesthetic for the maintenance of anesthesia during major surgical procedures in dogs.     

Inhalant anesthetic requirement in cats is animal-dependent

Minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) of an inhalant is an indicator of its anesthetic potency. Individuals vary in their sensitivity to anesthetic agents as demonstrated by different individual MAC values. We hypothesized that individual animal sensitivity would be maintained with different inhalant anesthetics. As part of separate studies, six female DSH cats, aged 24 ± 2.5 (mean ± SD) months and weighing 3.5 ± 0.3 kg, were studied similarly on three separate occasions over a 12‐month period to determine the MAC of isoflurane (ISO), sevoflurane (SEVO), and desflurane (DES), respectively. In each study, chamber induction was followed by orotracheal intubation, and anesthesia was maintained via a nonrebreathing circuit. ECG, pulse oximetry, Doppler systolic blood pressure, end‐tidal gases, and esophageal temperature were monitored. End‐tidal gases were hand‐sampled from a catheter whose tip lay level with the distal end of the ET tube. Gases were analyzed by Raman spectrometry and, for each agent, the analyzer was calibrated with at least three gas standards. MAC was determined in triplicate using standard tail‐clamp technique. Data were analyzed by two‐way anova followed by Tukey's test and significant differences were found. Average MACs (%) for ISO, SEVO, and DES were 1.90 ± 0.18, 3.41 ± 0.65, and 10.27 ± 1.06, respectively. Body temperatures, Doppler systolic blood pressure, and SpO₂ were recorded at the time of MAC determinations for ISO, SEVO, and DES were 38.3 ± 0.3, 38.6 ± 0.1, 38.3 ± 0.35 °C; 71 ± 8, 75 ± 16, 88 ± 12 mm Hg; 99 ± 1, 99 ± 1, 99 ± 1%, respectively. Both the anesthetic agent and the individual cat had significant effects on MAC (p = 0.0001 and 0.0185, respectively). MAC varied between individuals and cats were consistent in their order of sensitivity to inhalant anesthetics across the three agents. Within this group of cats, the relationship of individual MAC to the group MAC for each of the three inhalant agents was maintained. This suggests that any individual may be consistently more or less sensitive to a variety of inhalant agents.     

SEASONAL CHANGES IN LEAF NITROGEN OF OLIVE TREES GROWN UNDER DIFFERENT IRRIGATION REGIMES AND CROP LEVEL

An experiment was conducted over 12 months using field-grown olive trees (Olea europaea) to assess the combined effect of soil water availability and fruit number on seasonal changes in leaf nitrogen (N) concentration. Three irrigation regimes were established and three trees per irrigation treatment were thinned to reduce their yield to about half that of unthinned trees. The N concentration of fully-expanded leaves from either the current-year growth or one-year old part of fruiting shoots was determined every two months. Nitrogen concentration was higher in current-year leaves than in one-year old ones at most sampling dates. Maximum values of leaf N were measured in spring, minimum values in August. Leaf N concentrations were positively correlated with leaf water potential during fruit development. This relationship was weak at the onset of rapid oil accumulation in August and became more evident at harvest. There was no correlation between leaf N and crop level.     

Olive mill wastewater spreading and AMF inoculation effects in a low-input semi-arid Mediterranean crop succession

ABSTRACT

The study aimed to evaluate, in a marginal semi-arid Mediterranean agro-ecosystem (Sicily-Italy), the effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculation and raw olive mill wastewater (OMW) (40 and 80 m³ ha^?1) on forage (durum wheat-snail medick intercropping) yield, and grain production of broad bean and chickpea. AMF inoculation significantly increased (+13.6%) forage dry biomass and durum wheat nitrogen (+22.8%) and phosphorus (+32.5%) uptake. AMF inoculation, significantly promoted broad bean phosphorus uptake (+11.5%) and root nodule number (+13.9%) in the absence of OMW. OMW spreading reduced weeds in the forage (?31.3%), root nodule number (?29.7%) and dry weight (?22.7%) in broad bean. OMW also significantly increased snail medick dry biomass (+19.3%) as compared to control treatments (0, 40 and 80 m³ H₂O ha^?1, average production 361 g m^?2), and broad bean grain yield with a production of 2.46 ± 0.12 and 1.94 ± 0.09 Mg ha^?1 with and without OMW, respectively. During the experiment AMF colonization was not affected by OMW volumes. The results obtained showed that in a marginal Mediterranean agro-ecosystem: 1) OMW, notwithstanding spreading volumes, is a valuable amendment to maximize legume yield while 2) AMF inoculation is a valuable practice to improve biomass production and N and P uptake in wheat.     

Aneuploid hybrids from 5x − 4x crosses in potato: Chromosome number, fertility, morphology and yield

The objective of this study was to characterize sixS. commersonii - S. tuberosum progenies deriving from 5x ? 4x crosses to provide evidence that they can be used in potato breeding. Hybrids analyzed (coded PTH) had a chromosome number between the 4x and the 5x level. In particular, progeny means for chromosome number ranged from 50±0.5 to 54±0.7, with most (70%) genotypes exhibiting a low aneuploid level of 48 to 53 chromosomes. Despite being aneuploid, the hybrids did not generally show phenotypic aberrations or vigor reduction common to aneuploids of other species. Most genotypes resembledS. tuberosum in growth habit, whereas corolla type, eye depth, and stolon length varied between and within progenies. Aneuploid hybrids produced tubers under long-day conditions. However, tuber yields were not as high as expected, probably due to lack of adaptation of theS. commersonii genome to long-day conditions. Although aneuploidy has often been associated with reduced male and female fertility, many 5x ? 4x hybrids were fertile in crosses withS. tuberosum. The average berry set and number of seeds/berry were 33% and 34.7, respectively, following PTH ×S. tuberosum crosses, and 40% and 51.7, respectively, forS. tuberosum × PTH crosses. The useful variation for fertility and tuber traits found in this material is being used for further breeding efforts.     

Abortions in sheep caused by Salmonella Brandenburg: Pathological findings

CASE HISTORY: A 7-year-old cat developed sporadic vomiting, reduced appetite, and weight loss over the previous 3 months.

CLINICAL FINDINGS: Palpation revealed a large mid-abdominal mass and the cat had marked eosinophilia. The cat progressively lost weight over the next 7 weeks when euthanasia was performed.

PATHOLOGICAL FINDINGS: Necropsy revealed a 3?cm diameter firm white intramural mass in the colon and another in the pylorus. Mesenteric and cranial mediastinal lymph nodes were firm, pale, and enlarged. Histopathological examination revealed foci of necrosis surrounded by thick dense collagen trabeculae and predominantly eosinophilic inflammation within the intestine and lymph nodes. Marked eosinophilic infiltration of the liver was also present.

DIAGNOSIS: The lesions were consistent with gastrointestinal eosinophilic sclerosing fibroplasia (FGESF).

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This is the first report of FGESF in a New Zealand cat and the first time lesions of FGESF have been observed in extra-abdominal tissues. Intestinal neoplasia can be clinically identical to FGESF and histopathology is required for differentiation. Evidence suggests that FGESF has a more favourable prognosis than intestinal neoplasia.     

Confirmation of canine leproid granuloma syndrome in New Zealand

Canine leproid granuloma syndrome (CLGS) has not been officially reported in New Zealand. The seminal report describing this syndrome is in the Australian Veterinary Journal, 1998, where the results of a questionnaire circulated amongst veterinary pathologists and practitioners in Australia were reported. It included one response of a case seen in New Zealand, but no details of that case were given, despite CLGS being described in the literature as “common in New Zealand”. By injudicious use of references, the international literature has propagated the idea that the condition, including molecular identification, was confirmed in New Zealand, yet none of the articles cited actually confirmed that. An outbreak of skin granulomas in a group of approximately 35 working dogs was investigated, in which skin samples were sent to the Mycobacterium reference laboratory, Victoria, Australia, for PCR testing and molecular characterisation. Results of the clinical presentation, histological features and molecular studies conformed to the published details of CLGS. In particular, the nucleotide sequence of the internal transcribed spacer region, amplified from the mycobacterial DNA present in the clinical specimen provided, was identical to GenBank® Accession Number EF611177. That sequence is representative of the causative agent of CLGS in cases from Australia, the United States of America and Brazil. Although acid-fast organisms are occasionally seen in skin granulomas in dogs in New Zealand, this is the first confirmed identification of CLGS in this country. This is also the first report of an outbreak situation amongst a group of dogs.     

SSR-based DNA fingerprints reveal the genetic diversity of Sicilian olive (Olea europaea L.) germplasm

Summary

Twelve published simple sequence repeat (SSR; microsatellite) markers, belonging to the ssrOeUA-DCA, GAPU and UDO series, were tested in a panel of 46 accessions of olive germplasm belonging to 30 unique cultivars collected in seven Provinces of Sicily. Four well-known reference olive cultivars were also added. The analysis was carried out on an automatic capillary sequencer using fluorescent dyes, and fragment sizes were determined using internal standards. The results allowed us to rank the SSRs assayed according to their information content and reproducibility. Up to 115 alleles were identified (119, if those unique to sport mutations were included), the frequency of which allowed genetic relationships among accessions to be investigated. The probability that two unrelated genotypes displayed the same SSR pattern at all loci examined was calculated to be as low as 1.18 10^–11. Sixteen accessions were identified as synonyms. Of these, eight matched perfectly with another accession at all SSR loci examined. The others showed one or two allelic differences from the reference accession. These were interpreted as mutations. Otherwise, all accessions were clearly separated from each other. Two likely parentages were also identified (‘Giarfara’ = ‘Nocellara del Belice’

‘Cacaridduni’; and ‘Pizzo di Corvo’ = ‘Nocellara Etnea’ ‘Tonda Iblea’). The genetic diversity of the pool represented by the unique accessions was very high, reflecting the richness of the olive germplasm accumulated in Sicily. A database of the accessions is available to the scientific community (http://www.unipa.it/germolive/ssr.html) to facilitate comparisons of data.     

Effects of cultural cycles and nutrient solutions on plant growth,yield and fruit quality of alpine strawberry (Fragaria vesca L.) grown in hydroponics

Alpine strawberry (Fragaria vesca L.) was grown in hydroponics with the nutrient film technique, in order to evaluate the effects of four buffer concentrations (1.3, 1.6, 1.9, 2.2 mS cm⁻¹) and two cultural cycles (summer-spring versus autumn-spring) in terms of growth, yield and fruit quality (dry and optical residues, sugars, acids, antioxidants, mineral composition). The longer summer-spring cycle gave a correspondingly higher yield than the autumn-spring one. The 1.3 mS cm⁻¹ nutrient solution was the most effective in terms of overall and spring production. However, the autumn and winter yields were not affected by the buffer EC. Fruit quality did not change with the cultural cycle, but the berries harvested in the spring had higher vitamin C and sucrose content and lower nitrate content compared with berries picked up in the winter. Fruit quality was also improved when the nutrient solution concentration increased. From the productive point of view, the cultural cycle choice should be made considering that 71% of the yield of the more productive summer-spring cycle derived from the spring harvest. Moreover, as regards the nutrient solution strength, 1.3 mS cm⁻¹ EC should be preferred during the spring season, whereas the 2.2 mS cm⁻¹ EC proved to be best in the winter in terms of fruit quality.