Optimization of in vitro embryo production and zygote vitrification for the indigenous Vietnamese Ban pig: The effects of different in vitro oocyte maturation systems

The Vietnamese Ban pig is a precious genetic resource that needs to be preserved. In vitro embryo production from in vitro matured (IVM) oocytes is an important tool for the utilization of cryopreserved porcine sperm. The aim of this study was to compare two media for the IVM of Ban pig oocytes. Immature oocytes were subjected to IVM either in a non‐defined (TCM‐199 + pig follicular fluid) or in a defined base medium (POM + epidermal growth factor). At the end of IVM, the oocytes were in vitro fertilized (IVF) with frozen Ban sperm. Ten hours after IVF, the oocytes were either subjected to orcein staining to check fertilization and maturation status or cultured in vitro for 7 days. There was no difference between the two IVM media in terms of percentages of oocyte maturation and blastocyst production. However, the percentage of male pronuclear formation after IVF and the total cell numbers in blastocysts were higher with the defined system. Zygotes obtained by the two IVM systems survived vitrification at similar rates. In conclusion, the two IVM systems were both effective for the production of Ban pig embryos; however, better embryo quality was achieved with the defined one.     

Dietary replacement of fish meal by defatted and fermented soybean meals with taurine supplementation for pompano fish: effects on growth performance,nutrient digestibility,and biological parameters in a long-term feeding period

A 16-wk growth trial was conducted to examine the effects of dietary replacement of fish meal by defatted soybean meal (SBM) and fermented soybean meal (FSBM) with taurine supplementation on growth performance, nutrient apparent digestibility coefficient (ADC) and biological parameters of pompano fish. The FSBM was produced by fermenting SBM with Lactobacillus spp. Seven isonitrogenous and isoenergetic diets were formulated to replace 35% or 50% of fish meal by SBM or FSBM with taurine supplementation. The diets are denoted as follows: FM, SBM35, SBM35T, FSBM35T, SBM50, SBM50T, and FSBM50T. The FM (the basal diet) contained fish meal as a main source of dietary protein. Taurine was supplemented to SBM35T, FSBM35T, SBM50T, and FSBM50T at the level of 15 g/kg diet. Pompano juveniles with an initial body weight (BW) of 80 g reared in floating net cages were fed the experimental diets twice daily for 16 wk. Results showed that the final BW, weight gain, and feed conversion ratio of fish fed SBM35 and SBM50 were significantly lower than those of fish fed FM (P < 0.05), indicating that the replacement of fish meal by SBM at the rate of 35% in the diet is excessive for pompano. Supplementation of taurine to the SBM-included diets significantly increased growth performance and feed utilization (P < 0.05); however, these diets did not restore the performance back to a level equivalent to that of fish offered the basal diet. Meanwhile, fish fed FSBM35T had comparable growth and feed performances to those fed FM. Hematocrit values, total biliary bile acid levels, whole body lipid contents, and tissue taurine concentrations of fish fed SBM35 and SBM50 were the lowest among the treatments, but these parameters were improved by taurine supplementation and FSBM inclusion in the diet. Taurine supplementation increased lipid ADC, and SBM fermentation slightly enhanced both lipid and protein ADCs of the fish. These findings suggest that the combination of FSBM and taurine supplementation is an effective way to improve growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and biological parameters, and that FSBM with taurine supplementation can replace 35% of fish meal in pompano diets without any negative effects on growth and feed performances in a long-term feeding period.     

The cytologic and histologic diagnosis of ureteral fibroepithelial polyp in a dog

A 6-year-old, intact male, brindled, 30-Lb English Bulldog presented to the Purdue University Veterinary Teaching Hospital with a recurrent history of hematuria, periuria, and lethargy that responded temporarily to antibiotic therapy. The work-up included a complete blood count, serum biochemical profile, complete urinalysis, diagnostic imaging (abdominal radiographs and ultrasound with contrast urography), and exploratory laparotomy. The diagnostic imaging findings and subsequent exploratory revealed a unilateral, intraluminal, right-sided, 3-cm ureteral mass extending from the proximal ureter into the renal pelvis. Subsequently, a unilateral right-sided ureteronephrectomy followed by biopsy with cytopathology/cytology (impression smears) and histopathology of the ureteral mass was performed. The cytopathologic interpretation was benign mesenchymal proliferation with mildly atypical urothelial cells. The association of this mass with vascular tissue and a benign nuclear appearance on cytology is similar to reports of fibroepithelial polyps (FEPs) and myxomatous tumors. Histopathology diagnosed the mass as an FEP. Cytopathology proved useful in the presumptive diagnosis of this benign urothelial polyp. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report using cytopathology to depict and characterize FEPs in veterinary and human medical literature.     

Filtrating forms of soil bacteria

Filtrating (ultramicroscopic) forms (FF) of bacteria were studied in a soddy-podzolic soil and the root zone of alfalfa plants as part of populations of the most widespread physiological groups of soil bacteria. FF were obtained by filtering soil solutions through membrane filters with a pore diameter of 0.22 μm. It was established that the greater part of the bacteria in the soil and in the root zone of the plants has an ultramicroscopic size: the average diameter of the cells is 0.3 μm, and their length is 0.6 μm, which is significantly less than the cell size of banal bacteria. The number of FF varies within a wide range depending on the physicochemical conditions of the habitat. The FF number’s dynamics in the soil is of a seasonal nature; i.e., the number of bacteria found increases in the summer and fall and decreases in the winter-spring period. In the rhizosphere of the alfalfa, over the vegetation period, the number of FF and their fraction in the total mass of the bacteria increase. A reverse tendency is observed in the rhizoplane. The morphological particularities (identified by an electron microscopy) and the nature of the FF indicate their physiological activity.     

Relationships between ground cover,intercepted solar radiation,leaf area index and infrared reflectance of potato crops

Summary In field trials with potato several methods determining the proportion of intercepted solar radiation by the crop were compared. Non-destructive measurement of the proportion of ground cover with the aid of a grid correlated well with the proportion of intercepted photosynthetically active radiation as measured with a tube solarimeter and with the leaf area index. Measurement of the infrared reflectance of the crop proved to be an efficient and objective method to show differences between treatments. Moreover, it showed a good correlation with ground cover and radiation interception until full closure of the canopy. Percentage ground cover is useful for assessing intercepted solar radiation and leads to fewer errors in calculation of efficiency of conversion into dry matter than the other methods.     

Potato (Solanum spp.) production using apical cuttings and tuberlets under three contrasting environments of Vietnam

Potato production from rooted apical cuttings or from small tubers (l–20g) produced in high density beds has great potential in Asia. This is particularly important in non-traditional warmer environments. This research was conducted to assess the feasibility of producing many small tubers in high density beds. A second objective compared tubers from beds with transplanted rooted cuttings and traditional seed tubers for growth and yield in the field. Tuberlet production in beds exceeded 2000/m² with a density of 1000 plants/m² under optimal growing conditions while under high temperatures only about 1.25 tuberlets/plant were produced. In field experiments, transplanted cuttings yielded 20 t/ha in the mid and high elevation areas, only slightly less than tuberlets of 5–10g while at the hot site, yields were generally only 8 to 10 t/ha for both materials. Larger healthy seed tubers produced significantly higher yields at the low and high elevation sites. Tuberlets of 1–5g were also able to give yields of 20 t/ha in the mid-elevation site. These results indicate that cuttings and small tuberlets are two ways of growing potatoes which need to be further evaluated for socioeconomic assessment by farmers.     

Soil organic carbon stocks in Flemish grasslands: how accurate are they?

Articles 3·3 and 3·4 of the Kyoto protocol provide Annex I countries the possibility to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through the sequestration of carbon (C) in their terrestrial ecosystems. For such accounting, the 1990 flux is needed and, therefore, a correct knowledge of the baseline (1990) C stocks is necessary. In addition, a correct methodology should be used to investigate the capacity of ecosystems to sequester C through changes in land use or management by the end of the first commitment period (2008–2012). At national and regional scales, formulation of baseline C stocks in terrestrial ecosystems is difficult and uncertain. Differences in method of analysis, sampling depth of soil, lack of sufficient C data and the necessity to extrapolate C data to total soil organic C stocks, provide problems when comparing databases with each other. In this study, three extrapolation models were compared with the classical layer‐based method to determine the model with the best fit. The model with the best predictions, in relation to the classical layer‐based model, uses recent soil C profiles for estimating the parameter k, which represents the decrease in the proportion of soil organic C with depth, and for extrapolating the C data available for 1990 and 2000 to a depth of 1 m. The other two models gave large underestimates.