Comparison of two methods of detecting purulent vaginal discharge in postpartum dairy cows and effect of intrauterine cephapirin on reproductive performance

Objective   Part 1: compare the use of a Metricheck™ device (a stainless steel probe with a semi-spherical rubber cup attached at one end) to sample the contents of the anterior vagina with a vaginal speculum examination for the diagnosis of pus in the vagina of postpartum dairy cows and to investigate the association of that pus with reproductive performance. Part 2: assess the effect of a single intrauterine infusion of 500 mg cephapirin in cows diagnosed with vaginal purulent or mucopurulent discharge 7 to 28 days after calving on reproductive performance.
Procedure   Six herds were visited fortnightly to examine cows that had calved between 7 and 28 days (n = 423) with both the Metricheck device and a vaginal speculum to score, by each method, the vaginal discharge from 0 (clear or absent) to 3 (purulent) for each animal included in the study. Half of the cows that had a positive discharge score (1 to 3 by either examination method) were then treated with an intrauterine infusion of 500 mg of cephapirin. The relationship between Metricheck score, vaginoscopy score, treatment and reproductive performance was assessed.
Results   There was a substantial measure of agreement between each method when scores were analysed by status. Cows that were positive with either method had inferior reproductive performance compared with cows with a score of zero. Treatment of cows diagnosed with a purulent or mucopurulent discharge with intrauterine cephapirin improved reproductive performance in both the vaginoscopy and Metricheck groups.     

Effects of physical form of starter and forage provision to young calves on blood metabolites,liver composition and intestinal morphology

This study evaluated the effects of physical form of starter feed and forage provision on the performance, blood metabolites, liver composition and intestinal morphology of dairy calves. Individually housed calves (n = 52; body weight = 41.5 ± 2.5 kg) were randomly allocated (n = 13 per treatment) to one of the following four treatments: (i) ground starter feed (GS; mean particle size = 0.72 mm in diameter), (ii) textured starter feed (TS; mean particle size = 3.61 mm in diameter, including steam‐flaked corn and barley), (iii) pelleted starter feed (PS; mean particle size = 4.53 mm in diameter) and (iv) ground starter feed with chopped alfalfa hay (GS + AH; mean particle size = 1.02 mm in diameter). The calves fed GS + AH diets had greater (p < 0.01) starter intake, final body weight and average daily gain compared with the other groups, while GS and TS groups both had greater (p < 0.01) starter intake than the PS group. Feed efficiency was found to be better (p < 0.05) in the TS group than in the GS or PS group, but not different from the GS + AH one. Compared with the other groups, the GS + AH group had the highest (p < 0.01), while the PS one had the lowest (p < 0.01) concentrations of blood glucose and triglyceride. The calves fed GS + AH had the highest blood concentrations of total protein, globulin, triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxin (T4), T3 : T4 ratio (p < 0.05) and levels of fat and glycogen in the liver (p < 0.01) compared with the other groups. The highest (p < 0.05) liver glycogen contents were observed in the GS + AH and TS groups. The duodenum, ileum and jejunum in the calves fed GS + AH exhibited a greater muscle layer thickness (p < 0.05) compared with the other groups. Based on the results obtained, the addition of dietary forage to starter diets positively influenced performance, liver composition and intestinal morphology in developing calves.     

欧拉羊在甘南半农半牧区与山谷型藏羊的适应性对比

从甘南州玛曲县河曲马场引进欧拉羊种公羊30只,投放到卓尼县的半农办牧区进行放牧,观察欧拉羊的行为表现、生长发育、生理生化指标、繁殖性能、发病与死亡情况,结果各项指标正常,适应性良好,充分发挥了种公羊的生产性能,且具有杂交改良山谷型藏羊的优势,引种获得成功。     

欧拉型藏羊杂交改良山谷型藏羊F_1代生长发育对比分析

为研究甘南地区欧拉羊杂交改良山谷型藏羊效果,对欧拉羊与山谷型藏羊杂交试验组和山谷型藏羊本交对照组所产后代的初生、3月龄、6月龄、12月龄、18月龄的体尺、体重进行了跟踪测定,并对不同年龄段杂交后代与对照组后代进行了对比分析和差异显著性检验。结果表明：杂交F1代初生、3月龄、6月龄、12月龄、18月龄的体尺、体重极显著的高于对照组（P〈0.01）,初生、18月龄管围差异显著,3月龄、6月龄、12月龄管围差异不显著（P〉0.05）。     

Alternative treatments for late blight control in organic potato: Antagonistic micro-organisms and compost extracts for activity againstPhytophthora infestans

Summary The effects of various fungi, bacteria and different compost extracts on foliar infection of potato (Solatium tuberosum) withPhytophthora infestans were tested in detached leaf bioassays in 2001–2003. Application of microorganism inocula and compost extracts as well as copper oxychloride to excised leaves resulted in different degrees of blight control. In general, suppression of blight lesion growth was not improved by applying the antagonists before the leaves were inoculated withPhytophthora spores. There was some evidence that extracts made from different compost feed stocks of different ages suppressed leaflet infection with blight. However, results were very limited and inconsistent. Moreover, the effects were much smaller than where copper oxychloride was used. Improved efficacy of acceptable alternatives to copper fungicides especially in organic farming is required. No promising effective alternative to the use of copper fungicides to reduce late blight infection in organic potato production systems was identified in the experiments.     

草莓新品种引种试验

对引进的74个国内外草莓新优品种进行栽培试验比较研究,筛选出鬼怒甘、公四莓、法兰地和麦特来4个优于主栽种丰香、适宜在我省推广栽培的品种。     

Effects of Presprouting, Planting Date, Plant Population and Configuration on Late Blight and Yield of Organic Potato Crops Grown with Different Cultivars

In organic systems of agriculture, integrated control strategies are necessary for the management of late blight. Agronomic treatments such as presprouting of seed tubers, planting early and in different populations and spacings should be considered for inclusion. They may delay and/or decrease infection and help to ensure that acceptable marketable yields are achieved before the disease prevails. Individually, their efficacy may be limited, but in combination with other components the integrated strategy may be more successful. Experiments in the UK and the Netherlands tested some potential components of such a strategy: presprouting (chitting) and early planting of seed tubers, which should encourage early bulking and evasion of the disease; choice of plant population and configuration to make the crops’ microclimate less favourable for infection. Both early planting and presprouting (chitting) gave higher yields earlier in the season, before late blight put an end to crop growth, and were most effective in years with a short growing season (e.g., when the disease started early). Plant population and spacings within commercially acceptable limits had marked effects on canopy architecture but no effects on late blight infection. However, the effects on tuber size grading were large. At lower densities, tubers were larger on average. This was an advantage when blight infection was early, but could result in the production of too many oversized tubers if it was delayed or absent, unless the crop was defoliated.     

The effects of canthaxanthin on porcine oocyte maturation and embryo development in vitro after parthenogenetic activation and somatic cell nuclear transfer

The objective of this study was to examine the effects of canthaxanthin (Cx) treatment during in vitro maturation (IVM) of porcine oocytes on embryonic development after parthenogenetic activation (PA) and somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), on intracellular glutathione (GSH) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in mature oocytes, and on gene expression in both PA‐ and SCNT‐derived blastocysts. To determine the optimal effective concentration of Cx, porcine oocytes were cultured in IVM medium supplemented with various concentrations (0, 20, 40 and 80 μM) of Cx for 22 hr. Compared to other groups, supplementation with 40 μM Cx significantly improved blastocyst formation rates after PA (p < .05), but no significant differences were observed among groups in total blastocyst cell numbers. Subsequently, oocytes were cultured in IVM medium supplemented with or without 40 μM Cx. Oocytes treated with 40 μM Cx showed significantly increased cleavage and blastocyst formation rates after SCNT compared to the control group (p < .05). Moreover, significantly increased intracellular GSH and reduced ROS levels were observed in the Cx‐treated group (p < .05). In addition, both PA‐ and SCNT‐derived blastocysts from the 40 μM Cx‐treated group showed significantly increased mRNA expression of Bcl2 and Oct4 and decreased Caspase3 expression level (p < .05), when compared with the control group. PA‐derived blastocysts from the 40 μM Cx‐treated group also exhibited significantly decreased expression of Bax (p < .05). Our results demonstrated that treatment with 40 μM Cx during IVM improves the developmental competence of PA and SCNT embryos. Improvement of embryo development by Cx is most likely due to increased intracellular GSH synthesis, which reduces ROS levels in oocytes, and it may also positively regulate apoptosis‐ and development‐related genes.