Impacts of wood extraction on soil: assessing rutting and soil compaction caused by skidding and forwarding by means of traditional and innovative methods

European Journal of Forest Research - Intensive forestry operations may cause soil compaction, plastic soil disturbances and rutting, which are responsible for undesirable effects on soils,...     

Postnatal development of central corneal thickness in chicks of Gallus gallus domesticus

Objective To investigate the changes in corneal thickness that occur during maturation of the Gallus gallus domesticus chick eye over the first 450 days of life. Animals studied Twenty‐nine chicks, of which 12 were males and 17 were females. Procedures The central corneal thickness (CCT) was measured by ultrasonic pachymetry from hatch until 450 days of age. Segmented regression was applied to capture the two phases observed in the CCT plotted against age. Eye and gender were also included in the model. Results Mean CCT values initially decreased, with the lowest point being reached at around 12 days of age. CCT then gradually increased as the chick matured. At 70 days of age the animals have completed corneal development and reached the plateau value of 0.242 ± 0.0002 mm. CCT differences between gender or between left and right eyes were not statistically significant. Prediction equations for mean CCT according to the bird's age are presented. Conclusions There is an initial decrease in corneal thickness until approximately 12 days of age, which presumably mirrors maturation of corneal endothelial cell function. The pattern of changes in corneal thickness during the first phase of development of the chick CCT was similar to the one reported for dogs and humans. However, a unique feature of the development of CCT in chicks is that after reaching a plateau at 70 days corneal thickness did not significantly change over the remainder of the study period. Additionally, unlike in humans and dogs, there is no gender difference for corneal thickness in chicks.     

Effect of different roughages sources on performance,milk composition,fatty acid profile,and milk cholesterol content of feedlot feed crossbred cows (Holstein × Zebu)

Tropical Animal Health and Production - The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of different forage sources in diets for feedlot dairy cows and their implications on production,...     

Intake,digestibility, and growth performance of Girolando bulls supplemented on pasture in Bahia,Brazil

Tropical Animal Health and Production - The objective of this trial was to evaluate intake, digestibility, and growth performance of Girolando bulls submitted to two nutritional planes while...     

Corneal squamous cell carcinoma in a dog: a case report

Purpose:  To report a case of primary corneal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in an English Bulldog. In addition, immunohistochemistry of the corneal tissue mass was performed using a panel of antibodies. A prominent feature of the present case was the clinical history of chronic keratitis due to eyelid abnormalities.
Results:  No papillomavirus antigen was detected in section of normal or neoplastic corneal tissue. The corneal epithelial cells were positive for pancytokeratins AE1/AE3 and MNF116, and E-cadherin. The neoplastic cells in close proximity to the normal epithelial lining were positive for both pancytokeratins and E-cadherin with gradual loss of staining toward the center of the neoplastic mass. Rare neoplastic cells demonstrated positive staining for caspase 3 and a large number was strongly positive for GADD45 and p53.
Conclusion and discussion:  The observed loss of the various cytokeratins, the strong p53 expression, and low numbers of caspase 3 positive cells were suggestive that a p53 mutation may have caused this primary corneal SCC. Over-expression of the tumor-suppressor gene p53 is likely to be a consequence of ultraviolet radiation exposure. Two factors, however, may have played a role in the formation of this primary corneal SCC: chronic irritation of the corneal surface (microtrauma) and exposure to UV radiation.     

Sporotrichosis: the main differential diagnosis with tegumentary leishmaniosis in dogs from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Seventy-four dogs from the State of Rio de Janeiro with ulcerated cutaneous lesions were submitted to clinical, dermatological, parasitological, mycological, histopathological and cytopathological exams, a leishmanin skin test, an indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) test for leishmaniosis, and nonspecific laboratory tests such as blood count and serum biochemistry. Sporothrix schenckii was isolated from 41 dogs and Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis was isolated from 33 animals. Most dogs with sporotrichosis were from the municipality of Rio de Janeiro (53.7%) and presented ulcerated cutaneous lesions on the head (68.3%). Laboratory alterations in these animals included anemia (58.5%), hypoalbuminemia (83%) and hyperglobulinemia (75.6%). Histopathology revealed the predominance of a chronic granulomatous inflammatory infiltrate (70.7%), and yeast-like structures were detected in 17% of the histopathological exams and in 32% of the cytological exams. Three of 41 dogs with sporotrichosis were seropositive by IIF for leishmaniosis and 2 of 20 animals tested within this group had a positive leishmanin skin test. Similarly, most of the 33 dogs with leishmaniosis were from the municipality of Rio de Janeiro (69.7%) and had ulcerated cutaneous lesions on the head (84.8%). Laboratory alterations in these animals included anemia (66.7%), hypoalbuminemia (100%) and hyperglobulinemia (91%). Histopathology showed the predominance of a chronic granulomatous inflammatory infiltrate (63.6%) and amastigote forms were detected in 30.3% of the histopathological exams and in 31.8% of the 22 cytological exams performed. About 72.7% of the dogs were seropositive by IIF and five of seven animals had a positive skin test. Due to the clinical similarities, histopathological and nonspecific laboratory results similarities, the serological and skin tests for leishmaniosis positive in dogs with sporotrichosis, and the overlapping endemic areas in Rio de Janeiro, the differential diagnosis between the two diseases requires the demonstration of their respective etiological agents.     

Pituitary gland morphogenesis and ontogeny of adenohypophyseal cells of Salminus brasiliensis (Teleostei,Characiformes)

In this study, we describe for the first time the details of the pituitary gland morphogenesis and the ontogeny of adenohypophyseal cells of a South American Characiform species with great importance for Brazilian Aquaculture, Salminus brasiliensis (Characiformes, Characidae), from hatching to 25 days after hatching (dah), by histochemical and immunocytochemical methods. The pituitary placode was first detected at hatching (0 dah), and the pituitary anlage became more defined at 0.5 dah. The neurohypophysis (NH) development started at 3 dah, and the early formation of its stalk at 12.5 dah. An increase in adenohypophyseal and NH tissues was also observed, and in juveniles at 25 dah, the pituitary displayed similar morphology to that found in adults of this species, displaying the main features of the teleost pituitary. PRL cells were detected at 0.5 dah, together with ACTH and α-MSH cells, followed by GH and SL cells at 1.5 dah. β-FSH cells were detected at 25 dah, while β-LH cells at 5 dah. The pituitary development in this species comprises a dynamic process similar to other teleosts. Our findings in S. brasiliensis corroborate the heterogeneity in the ontogeny of adenohypophyseal cells in teleosts and suggest a role for adenohypophyseal hormones in the early development of this species.     

Concentration and mean degree of polymerization of Rubus ellagitannins evaluated by optimized acid methanolysis

Ellagitannins are a major class of phenolics largely responsible for the astringent and antioxidant properties of raspberries and blackberries. The Rubus ellagitannins constitute a complex mixture of monomeric and oligomeric tannins. Rubus oligomeric ellagitannins contain, beside the well-known ellagic acid and gallic acid moieties, the sanguisorboyl linking ester group. When exposed to acids or bases, ester bonds are hydrolyzed and the hexahydroxydiphenic acid spontaneously cyclizes into ellagic acid. This study describes a new, rapid procedure for the acid hydrolysis of Rubus ellagitannins in methanol, which results in maximal yield and enables the quantification of all the major reaction products. Additionally, the method provides the rationale for estimating the mean degree of polymerization of Rubus ellagitannins.     

Assessment of the dark-adaptation time required for recovery of electroretinographic responses in dogs after fundus photography and indirect ophthalmoscopy

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the duration of dark-adaptation time required for recovery of electroretinographic responses after fundus photography or indirect ophthalmoscopy in dogs. ANIMALS: 6 dogs. PROCEDURE: Initially, scotopic-intensity series of electroretinograms (ERGs) were recorded after 20 minutes of dark adaptation. The fundus of the left eye of each dog was photographed (n = 10) or examined via indirect ophthalmoscopy for 5 minutes with moderate- (117 candela [cd]/m2) or bright-intensity (1,693 cd/m2) light; ERGs were repeated after a further 20 or 60 minutes of dark adaptation (6 procedures/dog). RESULTS: Following 20 minutes of dark adaptation after fundus photography, the b- and a-wave amplitudes were reduced in response to brighter stimuli, compared with pretest ERGs; after 60 minutes of dark adaptation, ERG amplitudes had recovered. Following 20 minutes of dark adaptation after indirect ophthalmoscopy (moderate-intensity light), significantly lower b-wave amplitudes were recorded in response to 2 of the brighter flash stimuli, compared with pretest ERGs; after 60 minutes of dark adaptation, ERG amplitudes had recovered. Following 20 minutes of dark adaptation after indirect ophthalmoscopy (bright-intensity light), all ERG amplitudes were significantly decreased and implicit times were significantly decreased at several flash intensities, compared with pretest ERGs; after 60 minutes of dark adaptation, ERG amplitudes and implicit times had returned to initial values, except for b-wave amplitudes recorded in response to dimmer stimuli. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results suggest that at least 60 minutes of dark adaptation should be allowed before ERGs are performed in dogs after fundus photography or indirect ophthalmoscopy.