Response of Pacific White Shrimp,Litopenaeus vannamei,to Three Sources of Solvent Extracted Soybean Meal

Three sources of soybean meal (SBM) were biochemically characterized and evaluated in diets for juvenile Litopenaeus vannamei. Three biological techniques were utilized to evaluate the nutritional quality of the meals including an outdoor growth trial as well as determination of in vivo apparent digestibility and in vitro digestibility including pepsin digestibility (0.0002%), pH Stat degree of hydrolysis, and immobilized digestive enzyme assay (IDEA). The growth trial was conducted over a 10‐wk period using soybean meal as the primary protein source with each meal being included at 54–58% of the diet based on an equal protein inclusion. At the conclusion of the growth trial there were no significant differences between the test diets indicating equivalent biological availability under practical conditions. The in vivo digestibility trial utilized chromic oxide as the inert marker and 70:30 replacement techniques resulted in typical results. Apparent protein digestibility (APD) and apparent energy digestibility (AED) of the diets ranged from 66.8 to 80.2% and 65.4 to 74.7%, respectively. Ingredient digestibility values for protein and energy ranged from 78.8 to 93.5% and 60.5 to 85.0%, respectively. One of the three SBM evaluated had numerically lower protein digestibility and significantly lower energy digestibility than the other two meals .     

Home range and seasonal movement of taimen,Hucho taimen,in Mongolia

Gilroy DJ, Jensen OP, Allen BC, Chandra S, Ganzorig B, Hogan Z, Maxted JT, Vander Zanden MJ. Home range and seasonal movement of taimen, Hucho taimen, in Mongolia.
Ecology of Freshwater Fish 2010: 19: 545–554. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S Abstract –  Taimen, Hucho taimen, is the world’s largest salmonid and a prized sport fish. We used radio and acoustic telemetry to characterise movements of adult taimen in an extensive river system, the Eg–Uur, in north‐central Mongolia. Forty‐six taimen were tagged with transmitters (27 radio, 17 acoustic and 2 radio‐acoustic combined) and tracked from 2004 to 2008 using mobile surveys and fixed receivers. The mean home range of individual taimen tracked for an average of 2.4 years was 23 km (N = 41, range = 0.5–93.2 km). Of the fish with over 10 relocations (N = 16), 90% remained within a range of 38 km. Four distinct movement patterns were observed: (i) restricted core home range, (ii) core range with seasonal departures, (iii) core range with separate seasonal range and (iv) home range transfer. Movement was greatest in May and June (spawning and postspawning period) with another peak period of movement in September and October (water temperature cooling).     

Effects of microbial inhibitors on the degradation rates of metamitron,metazachlor and metribuzin in soil

Rates of carbon dioxide evolution and degradation rates of metamitron, metazachlor and metribuzin were measured in two soils in the presence of three microbial inhibitors. The nonselective microbial inhibitor sodium azide reduced both carbon dioxide evolution and the rate of loss of all three herbicides in both soils, although the reduction in degradation rate of metamitron was small. The antibacterial antibiotic novobiocin enhanced carbon dioxide evolution from both soils but had variable effects on the rates of herbicide degradation. It inhibited degradation of metazachlor and metribuzin, and in one of the soils its effects on metazachlor degradation were similar to those of sodium azide. Novobiocin inhibited degradation of metamitron to a small extent in one soil only. The antifungal antibiotic cycloheximide also enhanced carbon dioxide evolution from both soils. In general, its effects on herbicide degradation were similar to those of novobiocin, although the extent of inhibition was usually less pronounced. The results are discussed in terms of the relative involvement of microorganisms in degradation of the three herbicides.     

Effects of hydrochlorothiazide and diet in dogs with calcium oxalate urolithiasis

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) reduces urinary calcium excretion in dogs with calcium oxalate urolithiasis. DESIGN: Original study. ANIMALS: 8 dogs with calcium oxalate urolithiasis. PROCEDURE: 4 treatment protocols were evaluated in each dog (a low calcium, low protein diet designed to prevent calcium oxalate urolith formation with and without administration of HCTZ [2 mg/kg (0.9 mg/lb) of body weight, PO, q 12 h] and a maintenance diet with higher quantities of protein and calcium with and without administration of HCTZ). At the end of each 2-week treatment period, 24-hour urine samples were collected. Blood samples were collected during the midpoint of each urine collection period. Analysis of variance was performed to evaluate the effects of HCTZ and diet on urine and serum analytes. RESULTS: Hydrochlorothiazide significantly decreased urine calcium and potassium concentration and excretion. Hydrochlorothiazide also significantly decreased serum potassium concentration. Compared with the maintenance diet, the urolith prevention diet significantly decreased urine calcium and oxalic acid concentration and excretion. Dogs consuming the urolith prevention diet had significantly lower serum concentrations of albumin and urea nitrogen. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Administration of HCTZ decreased urine calcium excretion in dogs with a history of calcium oxalate urolith formation. The greatest reduction in urine calcium concentration and excretion was achieved when dogs received HCTZ and the urolith prevention diet. Results of this study suggest that the hypocalciuric effect of HCTZ will minimize recurrence of calcium oxalate urolith formation in dogs; however, long-term controlled clinical trials are needed to confirm the safety and effectiveness of HCTZ.     

Expression of interleukin-1beta in the digital laminae of horses in the prodromal stage of experimentally induced laminitis

OBJECTIVE: To study expression of interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) in the digital laminae of horses in the prodromal stage of experimentally induced laminitis. ANIMALS: 8 healthy adult horses with no signs of laminitis. PROCEDURES: Black walnut extract was administered via nasogastric tube to 4 horses, and water was administered to the remaining 4 (controls). Complete blood counts and physical examinations were performed every 30 minutes after administration of black walnut extract or water. General anesthesia was induced when total WBC count decreased by 30% in horses given the black walnut extract and 3 hours after water administration in control horses. The left forefoot was perfusion fixed with neutral-buffered 10% formalin, and paraffin-embedded sections of the digit were used for in situ hybridization with an equine-specific IL-1beta probe. RESULTS: IL-1beta mRNA expression was observed in perivascular cells of the small laminar venules and capillaries in all 4 horses given black walnut extract and in interstitial cells remote from the microvasculature in 1 of the 4. Other cellular components of the laminar tissue and cellular components of the digital arterioles and veins did not exhibit IL-1beta mRNA expression. Expression of IL-1beta mRNA was not detected in laminae from control horses. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results suggest that IL-1beta mRNA is expressed by perivascular cells in the laminar tissues of horses in the prodromal stage of experimentally induced laminitis. This provides evidence of an inflammatory process during the prodromal stage of laminitis, indicating that local digital proinflammatory cytokine expression may be an initiating factor in laminitis.     

Nasopharyngeal diseases in cats: a retrospective study of 53 cases (1991-1998)

The records of 53 cats with nasopharyngeal disease were examined. Of the cats with nasopharyngeal disease, 49% had lymphosarcoma and 28% had polyps. Clinical signs in these cats were compared to 24 cats with nasal disease alone. Cats with only nasal disease more commonly had historical nasal discharge and sneeze, whereas cats with nasopharyngeal disease more often had stertorous respiration, phonation change, and typically reported less nasal discharge or sneeze. It is important to include nasopharyngeal disease in the differential diagnosis for cats with nasal discharge, sneeze, stertor, or phonation change.     

EXCRETORY UROGRAPHY BY INTRAOSSEOUS INJECTION OF CONTRAST MEDIA IN A RABBIT MODEL

There are many indications for an intravenous excretory urogram. However, where intravenous access is not available, the intraosseous route to the circulation may be an alternative. We found that safe and diagnostic excretory urograms could be obtained in rabbits following the injection of different contrast media via the intraosseous route. In fact, these excretory urograms were indistinguishable from ones obtained by the conventional intravenous route. While the rabbits did not develop any abnormal clinical signs following the procedure, there were postmortem histologic lesions of osteochondrosis in 5 of 22 (22.7%) tibias receiving an intraosseous needle, but in none of the 14 tibias that did not receive an intraosseous needle. Further, the use of diatrizoate was associated with the development of osteochondrosis while the use of iopamidol was not.