Genetic and Environmental Correlations Among Female Fertility Traits,and Between the Ability to Show Oestrus and Milk Production in Dairy Cattle

Genetic and environmental correlations were estimated both between the ability to show oestrus and milk production, and among different fertility traits (heat-intensity score, number of days between consecutive inseminations, number of inseminations per service period, interval between calving and first or last insemination, and interval between first and last insemination). Milk production was measured as the average of the energy-corrected milk yield on second and third monthly test days. The number of records were approximately 450000, 350000, 180000 and 75000 in the heifer period, first, second and third lactations, respectively. A linear, trivariate model that included the effects of herd-year, year, month, age and cow's sire was applied. The results indicated that further selection for increased milk production is not expected to deteriorate heat intensity. The number of days between calving and first insemination, the number of inseminations and the heat intensity were complementary, and can be recommended for a selection index for fertility.     

Breed and Management Interaction for Production and Reproduction in Swedish Dairy Cows

The effects of grazing during summer and possible interaction effects between breed and management system on milk production and postpartum reproductive performance were studied in 93 Swedish Red and White (SRB), Swedish Holstein (SLB) and Swedish Jersey (SJB) cows with 214 initiated lactations. The cows were divided into two groups: zero-grazing with tiestalls, or grazing during summer. Effects were studied by mixed-model analysis. The results indicated that grazing (rather than zero-grazing) can reduce the milk yield in the following lactation in SLB cows, whereas it had little effect on the production of SRB cows. Grazing SJB cows produced more milk, but with a significantly lower fat content. Grazing before or during the postpartum period stimulated reproductive performance, indicating a higher conception rate in all breeds and a 13-27-day shorter interval from calving to conception in the SRB and SLB cows, whereas in the limited number of SJB cows, the trend was the converse.     

Milk Production in Swedish Dairy Cows Managed for Calving Intervals of 12 and 15 Months

The effects of calving intervals of 12 and 15 months on milk yield and milk composition were studied in 105 Swedish Red and White (SRB) and 46 Swedish Holstein (SLB) cows with 280 initiated lactations and 165 completed lactations (followed by another calving). The cows were divided into two groups, one early inseminated and the other late inseminated. The cows in the early group were inseminated at first oestrus 50 days after calving, aiming at a conventional 12-month calving interval, and the second group 140 days after calving, aiming at an extended calving interval of 15 months. Effects were studied by mixed-model analysis. Compared with the 12-month groups, total milk yield increased by 15-16% in the extended calving interval groups of both breeds, while fat, protein and lactose contents were slightly lower. The duration of lactation was 55-60 days longer in the 15-month than in the 12-month groups of both breeds. Given the possibility of a longer lactation, primiparous cows generally maintained their production longer than multiparous cows. SLB cows, especially those with a high peak yield, maintained their production longer than SRB cows. Average milk production per day within a calving interval tended to be slightly lower (2-5%) in both breeds when the interval was extended, owing to longer periods with low production and longer dry periods.     

Rapid determination of the attenuation limit of beer using middle-infrared (MIR) spectroscopy and a multivariate model

A new approach for the determination of the attenuation limit of beer samples using the specific fingerprint region of middle-infrared (MIR) spectroscopy in combination with multiple regression by partial least-squares (PLS) was developed using an attenuated total reflectance (ATR) module. A specific spectral region between 1200 and 800 cm(-1) was identified as highly informative for the quantification of the limit of attenuation. The absorptions in this region are induced by vibrational bands of ethanol (1080, 1040, and 880 cm(-1)) and dissolved extract, in majority maltotriose (1160-1140 and 1040-980 cm(-1)). The multivariate calibration results in a root mean squared error of calibration (RMSEC) of 0.40% and a validation procedure with independent samples results in a root mean squared error of validation (RMSEV) of 0.50%. A repeatability test, concerning the precision of the developed MIR method as well as the reference method, was analyzed using Student's t test. The test has shown no significant difference between the two random samples.     

Transpiration and early growth of tree plantations established on degraded cropland over shallow saline groundwater table in northwest Uzbekistan

This study examined the early growth and water use of tree plantations established on a marginalized irrigated cropland in northwest Uzbekistan, where salinization of agricultural soils is widespread due to shallow saline groundwater tables. During the first two growing seasons in 2003–2004, the tree stands consisting of Elaeagnus angustifolia L., Populus euphratica Oliv., and Ulmus pumila L. were irrigated with 80 mm year⁻¹, and, in 2005, were left to rely on the shallow (0.9–2.0 m deep) groundwater with a salinity of 1–5 dS m⁻¹. Soil salinity increased but remained within the range of moderate-to-strong (4–14 dS m⁻¹) during the three years. In the course of the growing season, plantations transpired 0.1–7 mm day⁻¹ in 2003 and 1–13 mm day⁻¹ in 2004–2005, as determined with the Penman–Monteith model. In the absence of irrigation, the annual stand transpiration averaged 1250, 1030, and 670 mm for E. angustifolia, P. euphratica and U. pumila, respectively. In 2005, the leaf area index of E. angustifolia ranged from 5 to 10, surpassing that of the other two species more than two-fold. Differences in canopy conductance and transpiration were significant among the tree species and the decoupling coefficient at no time exceeded 0.3, indicating strong physiological control of transpiration. The vigorous juvenile growth and high transpiration under deficit irrigation and after irrigation was terminated, suggested that afforestation with well-adapted tree species is a viable land use option for degraded cropland. The plantation responses to increasing soil salinity must be monitored to determine potential leaching demands in the long run.     

Cultivation Practices and Potato Cultivars Suitable for Organic Potato Production

To identify the most important agronomic measures and cultivar traits in Swedish organic potato production, multivariate analyses were performed on a set of data from a series of field trials carried out in Sweden during a 7-year period. The effects of soil parameters, cultivar, year and geographical location on potato characteristics were investigated. Soil parameters including fertility level had strong and significant effects on potato characteristics, explaining 53% of total variation. Variables related to the duration of haulm growth were other dominant factors in the variation. While P and K fertilization increased yields, N fertilization had little effect on yield and a negative effect on the time to emergence. The N requirement of potatoes ranges from 2.5 to 5.9 kg ha^?1 per ton of tuber yield and was met in these trials. The results implied the timing of N application is important for yield. It was concluded that the importance of P and K fertilization is underestimated in organic production, and that the most important cultivar trait in achieving acceptable yield is long-lasting foliage, which is a characteristic of cultivars resistant to Phytophthora infestans. Three of the cultivars tested (Lady Balfour, Cicero and Sarpo Mira) had a yield >3.5 kg m^?2, which is high in Swedish organic production.     

Reproductive performance in sows in relation to Japanese Encephalitis Virus seropositivity in an endemic area

Japanese Encephalitis Virus (JEV) is considered an important reproductive pathogen in pigs. Most studies of the reproductive impact of JEV have been conducted in areas where the disease occurs in seasonal epidemics. In this study, the associations between seropositivity for JEV, measured with an IgG ELISA, and the number of piglets born alive and stillborn were investigated in a tropical area endemic for JEV in Vietnam. Sixty percent of sows from four farms in the Mekong delta of Vietnam were seropositive to JEV and the Odds Ratio for a sow being infected was highest (6.4) in sows above 3.5 years (95% confidence interval 2.2–18.3). There was an association between increasing Optical Density (OD) values from the ELISA and the number of stillborn piglets in sows less than 1.5 years, but no effect of seropositivity could be shown when all sows were studied. OD values had an effect (p = 0.04) on the number of piglets born alive in the statistical analysis only when interacting with the effect of the breeds. An increase in mean OD value of the herd was correlated (p < 0.0001) with an increase in the number of piglets born alive. In this study, there was evidence of a negative association between seropositivity for JEV and the reproductive performance only in sows less than 1.5 years in endemic areas. This could be explained by a year-round infection with the virus, which would lead to immunity in many gilts before their first pregnancy. This, in turn, may imply that JEV infection in pigs is of minor importance for the reproductive performance in endemic areas.     

Combination of Trabectedin and Gemcitabine for Advanced Soft Tissue Sarcomas: Results of a Phase I Dose Escalating Trial of the German Interdisciplinary Sarcoma Group (GISG)

Background: Evaluation of the potential efficacy and safety of combination therapies for advanced soft tissue sarcomas (STS) has increased substantially after approval of trabectedin and pazopanib. Trabectedin’s introduction in Europe in 2007 depended mainly on its activity in so-called L-sarcomas (liposarcoma and leiomyosarcoma); combination of trabectedin with other chemotherapies used in STS seems of particular interest. Methods: We initiated within the German Interdisciplinary Sarcoma Group (GISG) a phase I dose escalating trial evaluating the combination of trabectedin and gemcitabine in patients with advanced and/or metastatic L-sarcomas (GISG-02; ClinicalTrials.gov {"type":"clinical-trial","attrs":{"text":"NCT01426633","term_id":"NCT01426633"}}NCT01426633). Patients were treated with increasing doses of trabectedin and gemcitabine. The primary endpoint was to determine the maximum tolerated dose. Results: Five patients were included in the study. Two patients were treated on dose level 1 comprising trabectedin 0.9 mg/m² on day 1 and gemcitabine 700 mg/m² on days 1 + 8, every 3 weeks. Due to dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) in both patients (elevated transaminases and thrombocytopenia), an additional three patients were treated on dose level −1 with trabectedin 0.7 mg/m² plus gemcitabine 700 mg/m². Of these three patients, two demonstrated another DLT; therefore, the trial was stopped and none of the dose levels could be recommended for phase II testing. Conclusion: The GISG-02 phase I study was stopped with the conclusion that the combination of gemcitabine and trabectedin is generally not recommended for the treatment of patients with advanced and/or metastatic leiomyosarcoma or liposarcoma. Also, this phase I study strongly supports the necessity for careful evaluation of combination therapies.     

The Bacterial (Vibrio alginolyticus) Production of Tetrodotoxin in the Ribbon Worm Lineus longissimus—Just a False Positive?

We test previous claims that the bacteria Vibrio alginolyticus produces tetrodotoxin (TTX) when living in symbiosis with the nemertean Lineus longissimus by a setup with bacteria cultivation for TTX production. Toxicity experiments on the shore crab, Carcinus maenas, demonstrated the presence of a paralytic toxin, but evidence from LC-MS and electrophysiological measurements of voltage-gated sodium channel–dependent nerve conductance in male Wistar rat tissue showed conclusively that this effect did not originate from TTX. However, a compound of similar molecular weight was found, albeit apparently non-toxic, and with different LC retention time and MS/MS fragmentation pattern than those of TTX. We conclude that C. maenas paralysis and death likely emanate from a compound <5 kDa, and via a different mechanism of action than that of TTX. The similarity in mass between TTX and the Vibrio-produced low-molecular-weight, non-toxic compound invokes that thorough analysis is required when assessing TTX production. Based on our findings, we suggest that re-examination of some published claims of TTX production may be warranted.     

Clinical pharmacology of methadone in dogs

ObjectiveTo investigate the pharmacokinetics and effects of methadone on behaviour and plasma concentrations of cortisol and vasopressin in healthy dogs.Study designRandomized, cross-over, experimental trial.AnimalsNine adult dogs (beagle and beagle cross breeds), four males and five females.MethodsMethadone hydrochloride, 0.4 mg kg^?1, was administered intravenously (IV) and subcutaneously (SC) with a crossover design. Drug and hormone analyses in plasma were performed using Liquid Chromatography–Electrospray Ionization–Tandem Mass Spectrometry and radioimmunoassay respectively. Behavioural data were collected using a standardized protocol.ResultsAfter IV administration, the plasma concentration of methadone at 10 minutes was 82.1 ± 9.2 ng mL^?1 (mean ± SD), the terminal half-life was 3.9 ± 1.0 hours, the volume of distribution 9.2 ± 3.3 L kg^?1 and plasma clearance 27.9 ± 7.6 mL minute^?1 kg^?1. After SC administration, time to maximal plasma concentration was 1.26 ± 1.04 hours and maximal plasma concentration of methadone was 23.9 ± 14.4 ng mL^?1, the terminal half-life was 10.7 ± 4.3 hours and bioavailability was 79 ± 22%. Concentrations of both cortisol and vasopressin were increased for an hour following IV methadone. The observed behavioural effects of methadone were decreased licking and swallowing and an increase in whining after SC administration. The latter finding is notable as it can be misinterpreted as pain when methadone is used as an analgesic.Conclusion and clinical relevanceWhen methadone was administered by the SC route, the half-life was longer, but the individual variation in plasma concentrations was greater compared with IV administration. Increased frequency of whining occurred after administration of methadone and may be a drug effect and not a sign of pain. Cortisol and vasopressin concentrations in plasma may not be suitable for evaluating analgesia after methadone treatment.