Ruminal acidosis and the rapid onset of ruminal parakeratosis in a mature dairy cow: a case report

A mature dairy cow was transitioned from a high forage (100% forage) to a high-grain (79% grain) diet over seven days. Continuous ruminal pH recordings were utilized to diagnose the severity of ruminal acidosis. Additionally, blood and rumen papillae biopsies were collected to describe the structural and functional adaptations of the rumen epithelium. On the final day of the grain challenge, the daily mean ruminal pH was 5.41 ± 0.09 with a minimum of 4.89 and a maximum of 6.31. Ruminal pH was under 5.0 for 130 minutes (2.17 hours) which is characterized as the acute form of ruminal acidosis in cattle. The grain challenge increased blood beta-hydroxybutyrate by 1.8 times and rumen papillae mRNA expression of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A synthase by 1.6 times. Ultrastructural and histological adaptations of the rumen epithelium were imaged by scanning electron and light microscopy. Rumen papillae from the high grain diet displayed extensive sloughing of the stratum corneum and compromised cell adhesion as large gaps were apparent between cells throughout the strata. This case report represents a rare documentation of how the rumen epithelium alters its function and structure during the initial stage of acute acidosis.     

Who's keeping the code? Compliance with the international code for the marketing of breast-milk substitutes in Greater Glasgow

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate compliance with the World Health Organization's International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes in primary care, after the introduction of strict local infant feeding guidelines. DESIGN: An audit form was sent to all community-based health professionals with an infant feeding remit. Walking tours were conducted in a random sample of community care facilities. SETTING: Greater Glasgow Primary Care Division. SUBJECTS: (1) Primary-care staff with an infant feeding remit; (2) community health-care facilities. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Contact with manufacturers of breast-milk substitutes (BMS) and BMS company personnel, free samples or incentives, and advertising of BMS. RESULTS: Contact with company personnel was minimal, usually unsolicited and was mainly to provide product information. Free samples of BMS or feeding equipment were rare but childcare or parenting literature was more prevalent. Staff voiced concerns about the lack of relevant information for bottle-feeding mothers and the need to support the mother's feeding choice. One-third of facilities were still displaying materials non-compliant with the Code, with the most common materials being weight conversion charts and posters. CONCLUSIONS: Contact between personnel from primary care and BMS companies was minimal and generally unsolicited. The presence of materials from BMS companies in health-care premises was more common. Due to the high level of bottle-feeding in Glasgow, primary-care staff stated a need for information about BMS.     

Yield and nitrogen use efficiency of wheat increased with root length and biomass due to nitrogen,phosphorus, and potassium interactions

Balanced applications of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) are known to increase grain yield of wheat but the impact of the interactions among N, P, and K on root growth and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) have not been proven. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of balanced applications of N, P, and K on the rooting patterns and NUE of wheat. Two glasshouse experiments were conducted. A rhizobox study was used to assess the impact of interactions among N, P, and K fertilisers on total root length, biomass, specific root length, root length density, N use efficiency (NUE), and N uptake efficiency of the shoots (NUpE_shoot) and N nutrition index. In a separate pot study, plants were grown to maturity to confirm the effect of the observed changes in root growth on NUE, NUpE_grain, and grain/biomass yield. In the rhizobox experiment when plants were supplied with N+P+K, total root biomass increased approximately six‐fold relative to plants grown with N alone or with no fertiliser. Plants exposed to N+P+K had NUpE_shoot and NUE values that were five and ten times higher, respectively, than plants that received just fertiliser N. Plants supplied with N+P or N+P+K had N nutrition indices close to one (N‐adequate), while plants that only received N had an index of 0.62 (N‐deficient). The pot study confirmed that the changes in root length and biomass in plants exposed to N+P+K resulted in significant increases in NUE, NUpE_grain, shoot biomass, and grain yield at maturity. Interactions among fertiliser N, P, and K played a critical role in influencing root biomass and length, which was associated with increases in NUE, NUpE_shoot and NUpE_grain.     

Phytochemical, antioxidant, and antiproliferative properties of seed oil and flour extracts of Maryland-grown tobacco cultivars

To determine the possible alternative use of tobacco, the seeds representing seven Maryland tobacco cultivars were investigated for their phytochemical, antioxidant, and antiproliferative properties. Tobacco seed oils were extracted by the Soxhlet method, and analyzed for their yield, density, refractive index, fatty acid profiles, and tocopherol profile. The defatted flours were extracted in 50% acetone and 80% ethanol. The tobacco seed oil and flour extracts were analyzed for total phenolic contents (TPC) and scavenging capacities against peroxyl, hydroxyl and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals. The fatty acid compositions of phospholipids and the protein content of the flours were also analyzed. In addition, oil and flour extracts of varieties MD609 and MD609LA were evaluated for their antiproliferative effects on HT-29 human colon cancer cells. All of the tested extracts significantly inhibited HT-29 cell proliferation except that from MD609 oil. The data from this study suggest the potential alternative use of tobacco seeds in developing natural antioxidants and antiproliferative agents for improving human health.     

Distribution, status, and conservation needs of Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) in Lampung Province, Sumatra, Indonesia

In the mid 1980s, Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) populations were believed to persist in 44 populations on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Twelve of these populations occurred in Lampung Province, but our surveys revealed that only three were extant in 2002. Causal factors underlying this decline include human population growth, changes in land use, and human-elephant conflict. Nevertheless, our surveys in the Province’s two national parks, Bukit Barisan Selatan and Way Kambas, produced population estimates of 498 (95% CI = [373, 666]) and 180 (95% CI = [144, 225]) elephants, respectively. The estimate for Bukit Barisan Selatan is much larger than previous estimates; the estimate for Way Kambas falls between previous estimates. The third population was much smaller and may not be viable. These are the first estimates for Southeast Asian elephant populations based on rigorous sampling-based methods that satisfied the assumptions of the models used, and they suggest that elephant numbers in these parks are of international importance. While our results suggest that Sumatra’s remaining elephant populations may be larger than expected, they also suggest that the future for these animals is bleak. Human-elephant conflict was reported around all three areas in Lampung and their elephant populations are currently threatened by habitat loss and poaching. Local solutions are possible, but will require much greater commitment by all stakeholders.     

Soil catenas to estimate ages of movements on normal fault scarps, with an example from the Wasatch fault zone, Utah, USA

Trenches excavated across fault scarps on a 13 ka delta surface at Brigham City, Utah, USA, document four types of soil-catena phenomena. First, the relict summit soil is eroded at the scarp crest, and its components incorporated into the accumulating colluvial wedge at the scarp base. Second, the pre-faulting soil weakens laterally as it is traced scarpward beneath the colluvial wedge from a relict position beyond the scarp toe. Third, soils developed on individual colluvial wedges and on the underlying, pre-faulting surface merge downslope to form a cumulative soil profile at the scarp toeslope. Fourth, soil horizons thicken downslope, probably due to the combined affect of more available moisture, water infiltration, and sediment accumulation.Two soil catenas were used to evaluate the applicability of a continuity approach to paleoearthquake dating, by which percentages of total development time represented by each soil at a fault scarp footslope could be estimated. The continuity approach sets total soil development at the scarp footslope, including any buried pre-faulting soil plus the sum development of all colluvial wedge soils corrected by a slope factor (F), equal to total soil development at the scarp summit. Soil development was characterized by Profile Development Index (PDI) and pedogenic clay parameters, using facies models to estimate parent material values for genetically-different colluvial units, and recognizing inherited soil components in colluvial wedges as parent material properties. The F slope factor, used to correct colluvial wedge soils for development attributable to slope position rather than age, was checked by using a nearby fluvial scarp as an independent control. Our soil data, when compared to independent age estimates, imply that rates of soil development have not been constant over the last 13 ka at Brigham City, but rather were considerably higher than average between 13 ka and 8.3 ka. Higher rates are probably due to a relatively high influx of eolian dust during the late Pleistocene to early Holocene following the lowering of Lake Bonneville, a large paleolake in the western USA. These variable rates of soil development preclude using the continuity approach for paleoearthquake dating at Brigham City. However, promising results showing that generally consistent F factors can be calculated for fault and fluvial scarps leave open the possibility that in areas where soil development rates have been relatively constant over the time period in question, the continuity approach may be a broadly applicable method for paleoearthquake dating.     

A cortical region consisting entirely of face-selective cells

Face perception is a skill crucial to primates. In both humans and macaque monkeys, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) reveals a system of cortical regions that show increased blood flow when the subject views images of faces, compared with images of objects. However, the stimulus selectivity of single neurons within these fMRI-identified regions has not been studied. We used fMRI to identify and target the largest face-selective region in two macaques for single-unit recording. Almost all (97%) of the visually responsive neurons in this region were strongly face selective, indicating that a dedicated cortical area exists to support face processing in the macaque.     

Metal Enrichment in Zlatna, a Romanian Copper Smelting Town

A preliminary survey of metal concentrations in soil and vegetable samples was undertaken in the town of Zlatna, in western Romania that is dominated by a large copper smelter. One data set (town survey) consisted of soil samples taken from sites both in the centre of the town (near smelter and school grounds) and the outskirts and included those from roadside verges and wooded areas. The second data set consisted of soil samples taken from vegetable garden plots together with an associated sample of spring onion (Allium fistulosum). The aim of this study was to measure levels of the elements Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd and As in soil samples from Zlatna in general, and to assess their uptake into home grown vegetables and thus into the food chain. Concentrations of the elements of interest in soils and vegetables peaked southwest of the smelter and also in soils near the school in the town centre. Concentrations of elements in soils from the town, including those near the school, had the following ranges: Cu, 41–12,000, geometric mean 863 μg/g; Zn, 89–15,600, geometric mean 920 μg/g; Pb, 32–7860, geometric mean 740 μg/g; Cd, BDL–329.5, geometric mean 3.35 μg/g; As, 15–1440 geometric mean 223 μg/g; Thus, the residents of Zlatna are potentially exposed to levels of these elements that are higher than the recommended guideline values. Mean concentrations of the toxic elements in spring onions were: Cu, 10.2; Zn, 95; Pb, 11; Cd, 0.8; As 2.6 μg/g dry weight.     

COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHIC IMAGING OF INFILTRATIVE LIPOMA IN 22 DOGS

Twenty two dogs with an infiltrative lipoma had computed tomographic (CT) images acquired to evaluate the extent of local disease. Ten dogs had undergone at least one cytoreductive surgical procedure (range = 1-3; median = 2) prior to imaging. Twenty dogs had measurable disease on CT images; 2 dogs had diffuse disease at a previous surgical site that could not be measured. Tumor volume (n = 20) ranged from 20 to 5,632 cm3 (median = 345 cm3; mean = 996 cm3). None of the dogs had evidence of bone involvement on the CT images; 2 of the 22 dogs had tumors that did not come into direct contact with osseous structures. All dogs with measurable disease had evidence of a fat opacity mass with variable degrees of muscle infiltration. Eleven of 22 dogs were given intravenous contrast medium prior to image acquisition and there was not evidence of enhancement of the infiltrative lipoma in any dog. Based on CT images, tumors were classified as well-defined in 9 dogs, moderately well-defined in 4, not well-defined in 3 and a mix of well-defined and not well-defined in 6 dogs. Tumors tended to be less well-defined in regions where the infiltrative lipoma interdigitated with normal body fat. It appears CT imaging allows adequate discrimination of tumor with the caveat that differentiation of normal fat from infiltrative lipoma can be problematic.