Determination of linear response in the detection of aroma compounds by atmospheric pressure ionization-mass spectrometry (API-MS)

Linearity and detection thresholds of atmospheric pressure ionization-mass spectrometry (API-MS) were determined for 11 aroma compounds in air at concentrations ranging from 50 ppb to approximately 450 ppm (moles of volatile per mole of air). In most cases, the protonated molecular ion (i.e., m/z = M + 1) was the base peak throughout the range; however, some compounds showed an increase in fragmentation at lower concentrations. Detection limits varied greatly (from 50 ppb to 14 ppm) depending upon the aroma compound being measured. The linear range was also strongly dependent upon the aroma compound, with values ranging from <10-fold change in concentration to >4000-fold change in concentration depending upon the volatile being studied. The two volatiles with poor detection thresholds also exhibited the smallest linear range. Most compounds had linear ranges of >200. There was no apparent relationship between gas-phase basicity and either detection limit or linear range.     

Partial lateral corpectomy for ventral extradural thoracic spinal cord compression in a cat

A 7-year-old, female spayed, domestic shorthair cat was presented for ambulatory paraparesis. No trauma history was reported. Myelography and subsequent computed tomography revealed multiple ventrally located extradural spinal cord compressive lesions possibly due to intervertebral disc disease. Compression at the level of Th3-Th4 intervertebral disc space was considered responsible for the paraparesis. The lesion was approached via a right-sided lateral partial corpectomy as described for dogs. Complete spinal decompression was achieved, as documented intraoperatively by visual inspection and palpation of the spinal canal. No surgery related complications were encountered and the cat improved gradually within 8 weeks after the procedure. At 1 year follow-up only a slight proprioceptive deficit in the right hind limb could be noted. This is the first report of partial lateral corpectomy in a cat and should encourage the use of this technique even in small patients.     

Influence of zeolite A supplementation during the dry period of dairy cows on feed intake, on the macro and trace element metabolism around calving and milk yield in the following lactation

The object of the present study was to determine the influence of zeolite A, a calcium binder from the group of the aluminosilicate, on feed intake, macro and trace element metabolism as well as the milk yield in the following lactation in dairy cows. 46 cows were allotted to 2 groups (A--control group and B--experimental group). They were fed a total mixed ration (TMR) ad libitum 2 weeks before calving. Additionally the cows in group B received 90 g zeolite A/kg dry matter (DM). The individually feed intake was registered daily. The serum was analysed for Ca, Mg, and Pi (inorganic phosphate), Fe, FFA (free fatty acid) and beta-HB (hydroxybutyrate) and the plasma for the trace elements Cu, Zn, and Mn. After calving the milk yield (FCM) and the milk composition (fat, protein, lactose and urea) were analysed. Feed intake of group B, amounting to 6.2 +/- 1.3 kg DM/d was around 48% lower as compared to 12.0 +/- 1.4 kg DM/d for group A. The zeolite addition into the TMR showed a stabilizing effect on the average Ca concentration in the serum around calving. This effect led to a significantly lower Mg concentration on the day of calving and 1 day post partum. The Pi concentration was significantly lower already after the 1st week of zeolite supplementation and on the day of calving as compared to group A. There was no essential effect of zeolite A on the trace element concentration. The depression of feed intake for group B led to a significant increase of FFA one week after beginning zeolite supplementation and of beta-HB around calving. The feed intake post partum as well as the milk yield were not affected by zeolite supplementation. Because decreased feed intake of group B after zeolite supplementation and the occurred hypophosphatemia, it is not acceptable to use zeolite A in the proved dose for preventing milk fever.     

Beyond electronic feeding: The implementation of call feeding for pregnant sows

Call feeding for pregnant sows is a novel modular extension of a conventional electronic feeder (PigTek INTEC MAC) communicating via ISOagriNET. The call feeding module (CFM) assigns individual calls to each animal of a group supplied by one feeder and trains them to associate that call with feed access. Afterwards it actively calls sows to the feeder in a variable sequence in order to minimize queuing and thereby reducing aggression, stress and injuries associated with feeding. In this paper, we describe the automatic training procedures, the principal technical design and implementation details that make call feeding applicable in practice. The automatic training consists of an initial Pavlovian conditioning during standard electronic feeding and a subsequent operant conditioning. During Pavlovian conditioning the sows may enter the feeder whenever they have remaining feed allowance. An individual acoustic signal is then played immediately before the feed is dispensed. In the operant training the sow learns by experience that she can enter the feeder only after the individual acoustic signal has been presented. The training modes and their durations are individual to each sow’s learning success. Undersupply with feed due to incomplete learning is prevented by the training routines without manual intervention by controlling automatically the proportion of operant and Pavlovian conditioning. Thus, introducing call feeding in an existing herd is possible. The implementation is further able to estimate roughly the social hierarchy and incorporates this in the calculation of the call sequence in order to attenuate feeding associated aggressions. It helps to provide the animals with a positive anticipation of safe feeding and thereby offers a suitable way to improve welfare and health of pregnant sows. Being automatically controlled, it is easy to apply and has the potential to become a promising future element of precision livestock farming.     

Prediction of Vertical DNAPL Vapour Fluxes in Soils Using Quasi-Analytical Approaches: Bias Related to Density-Driven and Pressure-Gradient-Induced Advection

This study focuses on a detailed analysis of the errors introduced by two quasi-analytical approaches based on either Fick??s first law or a combination of Fick??s and Darcy??s laws to evaluate the vapour flux of chlorinated solvents from a source zone located in the unsaturated zone towards the atmosphere. A coupled one-dimensional numerical flow and transport model was developed and applied to three case studies characterised by different water content profiles in the vadose zone and under different levels of maximum dense nonaqueous-phase liquid vapour concentrations and vapour pressure conditions of the source zone. The steady-state concentration and pressure profiles obtained were then used in the two quasi-analytical approaches to estimate the flux towards the atmosphere. When mass fluxes due to density-driven advection become dominant and the vertical advective mass fluxes are increased due to strong pressure gradients in the soil air, the error was observed to increase when using the pure diffusion approach in the quantification of the surface flux calculated by the numerical model with increasing dimensionless Rayleigh numbers. Without taking into account the advective transport in the approach, the relative error calculated with only Fick??s law overestimates the real vapour flux when density-driven advection is dominant and underestimates it when pressure-gradient-driven advection dominates. The more advanced advective?Cdiffusive quasi-analytical approach fits reasonably well with the numerically obtained mass fluxes except near soil layer discontinuities, where the evaluation of both the concentration gradient and pressure gradient in the porous media as well as the determination of the average effective diffusion coefficients are rendered more difficult.     

Biochar application to temperate soils: Effects on soil fertility and crop growth under greenhouse conditions

Biochar (BC) application as a soil amendment has aroused much interest and was found to considerably improve soil nutrient status and crop yields on poor, tropical soils. However, information on the effect of BC on temperate soils is still insufficient, with effects expected to differ from tropical soils. We investigated the effects of BC on soil nutrient dynamics, crop yield, and quality in a greenhouse pot experiment. We compared three agricultural soils (Planosol, Cambisol, Chernozem), and BCs of three different feedstocks (wheat straw [WS], mixed woodchips [WC], vineyard pruning [VP]) slowly pyrolyzed at 525°C, of which the latter was also pyrolyzed at 400°C. The BCs were applied at two rates (1% and 3%, which would correspond to 30 and 90 t ha^–1 in the field). Three crops, namely mustard (Sinapis alba L.), barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), and red clover (Trifolium pretense L.) were grown successively within one year. The investigated soil properties included pH, electrical conductivity (EC), cation‐exchange capacity (CEC), calcium‐acetate‐lactate (CAL)–extractable P (P_CAL) and K (K_CAL), C, N, and nitrogen‐supplying potential (NSP). The results show a pH increase in all soils. The CEC increased only on the Planosol. The C : N ratio increased at 3% application rate. Despite improving the soil nutrient status partly, yields of the first crop (mustard) and to a lesser extent of the second crop (barley) were significantly depressed through BC application (by up to 68%); the yield of clover as third crop was not affected. Only the BC from WS maintained yields in the range of the control and even increased barley yield by 6%. The initial yield reduction was accompanied by notable decreases (Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn) and increases (Mo) in micronutrient concentrations of plant tissues while nitrogen concentrations were hardly affected. The results of the pot experiment show that despite additional mineral fertilization, short‐term growth inhibition may occur when applying BC without further treatment to temperate soils.