Effect of different methods of administration of ivermectin on its efficacy against the shedding of gastrointestinal nematode eggs by gazelles

Seven different methods of administering ivermectin to gazelles were compared: subcutaneous injection, direct oral administration, administration in individual feeds, administration in a herd feed, direct oral administration of a second ivermectin formulation, administration in individual water supplies, and administration in the herd's water supply. The first five treatments were effective, as monitored by faecal egg count reduction tests, and administration in individual feeds or in a herd feed avoided the need to capture the animals, with the attendant risk of mortality. Of the factors associated with the recipients (species, sex, age and inbreeding coefficient) age was the only significant factor for the efficacy of the treatment. Oral or subcutaneous, individual or collective, and direct or indirect administrations were equally satisfactory for the treatment of all the parasite groups studied. Only when parasitic problems were due to Nematodirus species did direct administration to individual animals appear to be preferable.     

Fusobacteriosis in captive wild-caught pronghorns (Antilocapra americana)

An outbreak of Fusobacterium necrophorum-induced septicemia occurred in a group of 40 captive wild-caught pronghorns (Antilocapra americana). Primary pododermatitis or necrotic stomatitis progressed to produce fatal septicemia with metastatic lesions in the forestomachs, lung, liver, and cecum in 38 of the animals. Two remaining animals were euthanatized because of chronic pododermatitis. Housing the animals in a pasture previously used by bovids and heavy rains with persistence of ground water pools in the pasture were contributing factors in the pathogenesis of this outbreak.     

Identification of optimal regions for phylogenetic studies on VP1 gene of foot-and-mouth disease virus: analysis of types A and O Argentinean viruses

An analysis of the informative content of sequence stretches on the foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) VPI gene was applied to two important viral serotypes: A and O. Several sequence regions were identified to allow the reconstruction of phylogenetic trees equivalent to those derived from the whole VPI gene. The optimal informative regions for sequence windows of 150 to 250 nt were predicted between positions 250 and 550 of the gene. The sequences spanning the 250 nt of the 3' end (positions 400 to 650), extensively used for FMDV phylogenetic analyses, showed a lower informative content. In spite of this, the use of sequences from this region allowed the derivation of phylogenetic trees for type A and type O FMDVs which showed topologies similar to those previously reported for the whole VP1 gene. When the sequences determined for viruses isolated in Argentina, between 1990 and 1993, were included in these analyses, the results obtained revealed features of the circulation of type A and type O viruses in the field, in the months that preceded the eradication of the disease in this country. Type A viruses were closely related to an Argentinean vaccine strain, and defined an independent cluster within this serotype. Among the type O viruses analysed, two groups were distinguished; one was closely related to the South American vaccine strains, while the other was grouped with viruses of the O3 subtype. In addition, a detailed phylogeny for type A FMDV is presented.     

Prediction of accuracy of estimated Mendelian sampling terms

This study describes a general framework for predicting the accuracy of Mendelian sampling terms when truncation selection is applied on best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP) estimated breeding values. A selection index approach is followed. The pseudo‐BLUP index is extended to include terms related to the Mendelian sampling term. Predicted accuracies are compared with those obtained through stochastic computer simulation. Good predictions for the accuracy of the Mendelian sampling term were obtained both at selection time and at convergence of long‐term contributions of selected candidates for a range of heritabilities and population structures. The prediction approach developed provides a key tool for obtaining predictions of genetic response from quadratic optimization that maximizes the rate of genetic progress while restricting the rate of inbreeding.     

Genetic and environmental parameters for racing time at different distances in Brazilian Thoroughbreds

The aim of the present study was to investigate genetic parameters for racing time in Thoroughbred horses racing at distances between 1000 and 1600 m subdivided into 100‐m intervals. The data provided by TURFETOTAL Ltda comprised races that occurred in the Gávea and Cidade Jardim race tracks over a period of 11 years (1992–2002) and consisted of 32 145 races and 238 890 time records. The variance components necessary to obtain the heritability and repeatability estimates of the traits studied were estimated with the MTDFREML program, and animal age at race (3 years old or younger, 4, 5 and older than 5 years), sex (male and female), number of races (1–32 145), and postposition at start (1–11) as fixed effects, and animal and permanent environmental random effects were included in a one‐trait animal model. Males were significantly superior to females at all distances. Excluding the 1100 m distance, animals 4 years of age were significantly faster than the mean of the other ages for all distances analysed. Horses older than 5 years showed a significantly lower performance than the mean of the other ages for all distances analysed, except for the 1100 m. Postpositions one and two did not differ significantly from one another for any of the distances analysed. These two inner positions both together varied from the other positions depending on race length. The components of additive genetic and permanent environmental variance varied in a similar way, tending to decrease with increasing racing distance, and the other temporary environmental variance almost doubled from 1000 to 1600 m. As was the case for the additive genetic and environmental variances, heritability and repeatability estimates tended to decrease with increasing distance, indicating that selection based on racing time will be less successful when the racing distance increases.     

Corneal endothelium of the Magellanic penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus) by scanning electron microscopy.

The corneal endothelium is essential for the maintenance of the corneal transparency. The aim of this study was to examine the morphology of the endothelial surface and perform morphometric analysis of the normal corneal endothelial cells of the Magellanic penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus) using scanning electron microscopy. The present work demonstrates that the corneal endothelium of the Magellanic penguin is similar to those described in other vertebrates.     

Nutritional Enhancement of Biocontrol Activity of Candida sake (CPA-1) against Penicillium expansum on Apples and Pears

Pome fruits are poor in nitrogenous compounds and the addition of nitrogen can improve colonisation of the fruits by antagonists. Twenty-two nitrogenous compounds were evaluated for their effect on Candida sake (CPA-1) growth in vitro. Ten compounds that induced greater growth were applied with the antagonist to wounded fruits to evaluate their effect on enhancing control of Penicillium expansum. Calcium chloride and 2-deoxy-D-glucose were also tested. L-serine and L-aspartic acid enhanced biocontrol by C. sake against P. expansum on apples. On apples and pears, ammonium molybdate, calcium chloride and 2-deoxy-D-glucose improved the capacity of the antagonist to control P. expansum. The addition of ammonium molybdate at 1 mM allowed C. sake to be used on apples and pears at a lower concentration without diminishing control. Similar results were observed with the addition of calcium chloride to the antagonist. 2-deoxy-D-glucose at 6 and 18 mM enhanced biocontrol on pears by over 81%, but on apples the improvement of biocontrol was observed only at 6 mM. In cold storage, the combination of ammonium molybdate and C. sake completely eliminated the incidence of blue mould on pears, and reduced its severity and incidence by more than 80% on apples.     

Lactation curves in captive Iberian red deer (Cervus elaphus hispanicus)

This study examines milk production and the effect of milk production and sex of calf on body weights and gains of red deer calves and hinds of the Iberian subspecies (Cervus elaphus hispanicus). Milk production was assessed in 14 hinds by weighing calves before and after suckling and by adjusting these values to the Gamma function. Gamma estimates of total milk production up to d 105 were similar to the amounts computed directly from double weighing. Hinds showed two types of lactation curve: 1) the standard mammal lactation curve, with an asymmetrical peak at wk 2 to 4 (Type I) and 2) decreasing curves with no peak (Type II). Although there was great interindividual variability, hinds with Type I curves showed a trend to produce more milk than those with Type II. The type of curve did not seem to affect weight variables of the calf or those of the dam. Calves that gained more weight consumed greater amounts of milk (P<.05). Males were heavier than females at birth (P<.05), but males did not differ from females in their weight at 105 d, milk consumption, and gain. Gender did not affect hind weight, but dams of male calves showed a trend to be lighter (P = .063) at d 105 than dams of female calves. Our results suggest that suckling differences found in other studies between male and female calves may not involve differences in milk production, although other rearing costs seem to affect hind weight losses. They also suggest that the curve type may not depend only, as reported, on the nutrition plane.     

Histological alterations to the pancreas and the intestinal tract produced by raw faba bean (Vicia faba L. minor) diets in growing chicks

1. Inclusion of raw faba bean (Vicia faba L., minor) in the diet of growing chickens was shown to affect the performance of the birds and to produce a significant increase in the relative weight of the pancreas. This was attributable to dietary trypsin inhibitors. 2. Trypsin inhibitors also produced degenerative changes in pancreatic acinar cells. These were observed by light and electron microscopy. 3. Progressive cytopathological changes were observed in the intestinal tract. The duodenum, jejunum and ileum were altered, with extensive erosion, shortening and atrophy of microvilli. 4. The results endorsed previous findings obtained using different legume seed lines (Phaseolus spp). Faba bean produced similar local reactions in the pancreas and the intestine. This may be caused by the presence of lectins in the seeds.