Prevalence and risk factors for medical events following exercise at Australian Greyhound race meetings

Aim

A prospective, observational study to determine the prevalence of post‐exercise conditions at Australian Greyhound race meetings and to assess association with race performance and other environmental, race‐ and dog‐related factors was undertaken.

Methods

A total of 4020 starters were observed (2813 Greyhounds, 1009 trainers, 536 races, 52 race meets, 48 race dates and 11 race tracks) following a race. The presence of diaphragmatic flutter (DF), ataxia, seizure, collapse or sudden death was recorded. Risk factors were screened by univariable logistic regression prior to multivariable backward stepwise model building.

Results

In this study, 962 starters (n = 768 dogs) had DF (23.9%), 16 starters were ataxic (0.4%) and there were no observed cases of collapse, seizure or sudden death. Race track location, increasing race distance, race grade based on increasing 1st place prize value, lower (earlier) race number at the meeting, age, a previous observation of DF at the last start, females, colour (white) and better finishing position were all associated with an increased risk of a Greyhound being observed with DF. However, when logistic regression assessing the random effect of dog was performed, the presence of previous DF was not significant. In this cohort, DF was common following strenuous exercise in Greyhounds and on its own does not appear to result in reduced performance or distress to the animal.

Conclusion

The incidence of ataxia was low and collapse, seizure and sudden death were not observed. However, even though uncommon, ataxia has welfare concerns for racing Greyhounds that warrants further investigation.     

乔科型藏羊遗传资源保护及制种供种体系建设思路

作者通过调查乔科型藏羊遗传资源现状,发现乔科型藏羊纯种数量当前仍有不断下降的风险,为了避免乔科型藏羊种群数量不断减少,作者分析了乔科型藏羊种质资源的优良特性,总结了开展乔科型藏羊遗传资源保护的意义,提出了乔科型藏羊遗传资源保护及制种供种体系建设的思路,并提出了建议。     

Biological characterisation of Australian isolates of chicken anaemia agent

Three Australian isolates of chicken anaemia agent (CAA) resisted treatment at 70 degrees C for 5 min and chloroform treatment. Although minor antigenic differences were detected using monoclonal antibodies to CAA, the Australian isolates were indistinguishable from the reference Cux-1 and Gifu-1 isolates in cross-immunofluorescence and cross-neutralisation tests employing polyclonal chicken antiserums. The Australian viruses were pathogenic for intramuscularly inoculated 1-day-old SPF chicks, but were less pathogenic for 7-day-old chicks. Thus the Australian isolates of CAA did not differ significantly in these properties from previously characterised CAA isolates from other continents.     

农业科研事业单位人才结构浅析——以湖南省棉花科学研究所为例

分析了湖南省棉花科学研究所2008年与2013年人才状况,对目前人才队伍建设中存在的主要问题以及可能发展的趋势进行了研究,在此基础上提出了一些对策。     

Paleontology and Chronology of Two Evolutionary Transitions by Hybridization in the Bahamian Land Snail Cerion

The late Quaternary fossil record of the Bahamian land snail Cerion on Great Inagua documents two transitions apparently resulting from hybridization. In the first, a localized modern population represents the hybrid descendants of a 13,000-year-old fossil form from the same area, introgressed with the modern form now characteristic of the adjacent regions. In the second case, a chronocline spanning 15,000 to 20,000 years and expressing the transition of an extinct fossil form to the modern form found on the south coast was documented by morphometry of fossils dated by amino acid racemization and radiocarbon. Hybrid intermediates persisted for many thousands of years.     

海拔对不同燕麦品种产量及品质的影响

[目的]品种和海拔是影响燕麦草产量和品质的重要因素,高产品种可以提高干草产量20%以上,而且茎叶比也不同,产量越高,叶量越丰富,其干草产量和品质均高。所以,不断进行品种比较试验,引进新品种,对燕麦草生产的效益影响重大。[方法]试验研究了不同品种的燕麦在不同海拔地区的产量及品质的差异。[结果]经研究,青海444在甘南州不同海拔地区表现出良好的适应性,林纳和加燕2号在低海拔区产量较高,但在高海拔地区的产量不及本地燕麦。从茎叶比和营养物质含量分析,林纳和加燕2号的茎叶比较高,ADF和NDF的含量较低,因此,其品质好于青海444和本地燕麦。[结论]综合考虑燕麦草产量与品质2个因素,在甘南州低海拔地区适合推广林纳和加燕2号,高海拔地区适合种植本地燕麦和青海444。     

欧拉羊种公羊适应性观察与杂交改良乔科羊繁殖力分析

欧拉羊引入甘南州大水种畜场和碌曲县尕海乡、郎木寺镇等地改良乔科羊的肉用性能,引入的欧拉羊种公羊行为表现正常,抗寒、抗病能力较强,发病率为7％以下,死亡率在3％以下。繁殖性能和生长发育良好,主要生理生化指标都在正常范围之内。欧拉羊杂交改良乔科羊的繁殖力分析结果表明,用欧拉羊杂交改良乔科羊试验组的母羊受胎率、繁殖率、羔羊成活率及繁殖成活率均比当地乔科羊本交对照组分别提高1．45％、1．07％、4．06％和4．71％。     

欧拉羊与甘南山谷型藏羊杂交羔羊屠宰试验

通过对欧山F1和山谷型藏羊羔羊进行屠宰试验,结果得出:9月龄欧山F1羔羊宰前平均活重为38.25 kg,比本地山谷型藏羊羔羊宰前平均活重高10.17 kg,差异极显著(P<0.01)。欧山F1羔羊胴体重和屠宰率分别为15.14 kg和39.58%,比对照组高4.58 kg(P<0.01)和1.96个百分点,差异极显著。欧山F1羔羊净肉率、后腿比例和腰肉比例分别为29.65%、38.18%和12.99%,高于山谷型藏羊4.01、7.78和2.68个百分点;欧山F1羔羊GR值和眼肌面积分别为8.23 mm和12.74 cm2,高于山谷型藏羊1.48 mm和4.38 cm2。