Usefulness of clinical observations and blood chemistry values for predicting clinical outcomes in dairy goats with pregnancy toxaemia

Background

Pregnancy toxaemia (PT) is a disease that affects pregnant goats during their last month of gestation and is characterized by a high case fatality rate. This study involved 32 does maintained on a commercial dairy goat farm that were diagnosed with PT. A physical examination was performed on and haematology parameters obtained from each doe, at the time of diagnosis. The data from the 24 PT goats that died was compared with the corresponding data from the 8 PT goats that survived.

Results

Polypnea, swollen limbs, anorexia with absence of ruminal motility, recumbency, nervous signs and drooping ears were the most frequently observed clinical manifestations. Nineteen out of 21 recumbent goats died. Sixteen out of 17 goats with anorexia and absence of ruminal motility died. Mean beta-hydroxybutyric acid (BHBA) values in the goats that died were not significantly different from those in goats that survived. The blood values for pH and pCO₂ (p?<?0.005) as well as for HCO₃ ^?, BE and K⁺ (p?<?0.001) were significantly lower in the goats that died than in those that survived.

Conclusions

The clinical signs most indicative of a poor prognosis are anorexia with absence of ruminal motility and recumbency. Among the blood parameters to be considered, hypokalaemia and metabolic acidosis are the most relevant. Goats with PT have a high mortality and their condition can deteriorate very fast. Based on the authors’s experience, a good strategy to minimize the economic losses caused by PT is to focus on the offspring survival rate since an early decision (induction of kidding or caesarian surgery) can increase the number of alive kids.

     

Lead and Helium Isotope Evidence from Oceanic Basalts for a Common Deep Source of Mantle Plumes

Linear arrays in lead isotope space for mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORBs) converge on a single end-member component that has intermediate lead, strontium, and neodymium isotope ratios compared with the total database for oceanic island basalts (OIBs) and MORBs. The MORB data are consistent with the presence of a common mantle source region for OIBs that is sampled by mantle plumes. 3He/4He ratios for MORBs show both positive and negative correlation with the 206Pb/204Pb ratios, depending on the MORB suite. These data suggest that the common mantle source is located in the transition zone region. This region contains recycled, oceanic crustal protoliths that incorporated some continental lead before their subduction during the past 300 to 2000 million years.     

Quantifying Transport Between the Tropical and Mid-Latitude Lower Stratosphere

Airborne in situ observations of molecules with a wide range of lifetimes (methane, nitrous oxide, reactive nitrogen, ozone, chlorinated halocarbons, and halon-1211), used in a tropical tracer model, show that mid-latitude air is entrained into the tropical lower stratosphere within about 13.5 months; transport is faster in the reverse direction. Because exchange with the tropics is slower than global photochemical models generally assume, ozone at mid-latitudes appears to be more sensitive to elevated levels of industrial chlorine than is currently predicted. Nevertheless, about 45 percent of air in the tropical ascent region at 21 kilometers is of mid-latitude origin, implying that emissions from supersonic aircraft could reach the middle stratosphere.     

The effects of grazing management in montado fragmentation and heterogeneity

The Portuguese silvo-pastoral system montado is broadly classified as a High Nature Value (HNV) system since it corresponds to farmland hosting high biodiversity levels, and such biodiversity depends on specific land use practices. However, in recent decades a decline both in the total montado area and in the tree cover density within the montado has been observed, driven mainly by management changes. This decline may result in biodiversity loss. Grazing is a central aspect determining the long-term sustainability of the montado system and it has implications also on the montado structural diversity, particularly on connectivity and heterogeneity, which is crucial for the maintenance of montado HNV. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate how variations in montado structural diversity are correlated with grazing management and its implications on the value of the system for conservation. The empirical data derives from a case study composed of 41 montado farms in two municipalities of the Alentejo region. Data on grazing management, biophysical and spatial factors were collected and several metrics were calculated to assess montado fragmentation and heterogeneity. A multivariate analysis was performed using generalized additive models. Results show that different grazing patterns, depending on stocking density and grazing animal type, are correlated with variations in montado fragmentation and heterogeneity. Particularly, cattle’s grazing is shown to have adverse effects on the montado fragmentation, while sheep grazing is shown to have stronger impacts on the heterogeneity within the montado patches.     

Maturation of insulin and glucose responses to normal feeding in foals

SUMMARY Postprandial insulin and glucose concentrations were measured in 3 Arabian and 3 Thoroughbred foals at 1 day, 1 week, 1 month and 3 months of age. Prefeeding serum Insulin concentrations were similar in foals at 1 day (25.9 ± 5.1 pmol/L), 1 week (32.4 ± 5.8 pmol/L), and 1 month (38.2 + 7.9 pmol/L), but had Increased significantly to 131.0 ± 20.2 pmol/L at 3 months of age (P < 0.05). There was significantly increased serum Insulin secretion after a feed In foals at 3 months of age (P < 0.05) when compared with that at younger ages. Prefeeding serum glucose concentrations ranged from 6.0 ± 0.7 mmol/L at 1 day, to 5.9 ± 0.9 mmol/L at 1 week, 4.9 ± 1.7 mmol/L at 1 month, and 4.4 ± 1.5 mmol/L at 3 months of age. There were lower postprandial glucose concentrations with advancing age. It appeared that there was a period of maturation in pancreatic β-cell function after birth in foals, which reached adult levels by 3 months of age.     

Frequency of blood type A, B, and AB in 515 domestic shorthair cats from the Lisbon area

Background: The A, B, and AB feline blood types are recognized worldwide and their frequencies vary geographically and among breeds. Frequencies of feline blood types have been reported previously from northern Portugal; however, they are unknown in other parts of the country. Objectives: This 13‐year retrospective study was undertaken to determine the frequency of feline blood types in domestic shorthair (DSH) cats from the Lisbon area of central Portugal. Methods: Blood samples were obtained at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the Technical University of Lisbon and its Veterinary Blood Bank and at several veterinary clinics in the Lisbon area. Blood‐typing was performed by the classical agglutination assay or using a cartridge assay. Results: The study population comprised 515 DSH cats of both sexes and various ages. Frequencies of blood types A, B, and AB were 97.5%, 2.1%, and 0.4%, respectively. Conclusion: As in other parts of the world, this study showed a clear predominance of type‐A cats in the Lisbon area of Portugal.     

Identification of common genomic regions controlling resistance to <Emphasis Type="Italic">Mycosphaerella pinodes</Emphasis>, earliness and architectural traits in different pea genetic backgrounds

In a previous study a genetic map had been developed using a RIL population derived from a cross between the Pisum sativum ssp. syriacum accession P665 and the P. sativum ssp. sativum cv. Messire. This population segregated for several agricultural important traits and was successfully used to identify QTLs (Quantitative Trait Loci) controlling resistance to Mycosphaerella pinodes and Orobanche crenata, earliness, root length and aerial biomass. However, this map contained only a few markers in common with the international pea consensus map, hampering comparison with other pea maps. The objective of this study was to incorporate a set of common transferable and reproducible markers into the P665 × Messire map to favour comparative mapping and QTL validation. Seventy-eight out of the 248 SSRs assayed resulted polymorphic in the parental lines. Thirty-eight of them, uniformly distributed all over the genome, were genotyped in the whole population and included in the map. This SSR enriched map allowed identification of six new QTLs (three for resistance to M. pinodes, two for resistance to broomrape and one for root length). Inclusion of the SSRs confirmed the homology of some of the QTLs identified in the population P665 × Messire with other QTLs associated with related traits in different pea genetic backgrounds.     

Impact of Phlorotannin Extracts from Fucus vesiculosus on Human Gut Microbiota

Recent studies indicate that plant polyphenols could be pointed as potential prebiotic candidates since they may interact with the gut microbiota, stimulating its growth and the production of metabolites. However, little is known about the fate of brown seaweeds’ phlorotannins during their passage throughout the gastrointestinal tract. This work aimed to evaluate the stability and bioaccessibility of Fucus vesiculosus phlorotannins after being submitted to a simulated digestive process, as well as their possible modulatory effects on gut microbiota and short-chain fatty acids production following a fermentation procedure using fecal inoculates to mimic the conditions of the large intestine. The stability of phlorotannins throughout the gastrointestinal tract was reduced, with a bioaccessibility index between 2 and 14%. Moreover, slight alterations in the growth of certain commensal bacteria were noticed, with Enterococcus spp. being the most enhanced group. Likewise, F. vesiculosus phlorotannins displayed striking capacity to enhance the levels of propionate and butyrate, which are two important short-chain fatty acids known for their role in intestinal homeostasis. In summary, this work provides valuable information regarding the behavior of F. vesiculosus phlorotannins along the gastrointestinal tract, presenting clear evidence that these compounds can positively contribute to the maintenance of a healthy gastrointestinal condition.