Mixed-effect non-linear modelling for diameter estimation along the stem of Tectona grandis in mid-western Brazil

This study evaluated the efficiency of taper functions and the application of mixed-effect modelling for diameter estimation along the stems of Tectona grandis. We sampled 266 trees of Tectona grandis, measuring the diameter at relative heights for volume determination, grouping the data according to three form-factor classes. Six taper functions were fitted, selecting the function with better fit performance. Six taper functions were fitted, selecting the function with better fit performance. The selected function was fitted in its basic formulation, and with the mixed non-linear modelling technique in different scenarios, and for the stem stratified in three portions of the total height. The precision and selection of the adjusted models were evaluated regarding the coefficient of determination, standard error of estimate, the Akaike information criterion, bias, quadratic error and absolute bias. According to the statistical criteria used, the model of Kozak was selected for the adjustments. For diameter estimation, the scenario with two coefficients as random effects provided an accuracy increase of 11.91%, and the mixed non-linear modelling better estimated the stem diameter for the stratified stems. In conclusion, the model of Kozak can be used to describe the stem shape of Tectona grandis, and the mixed-effect non-linear model approach was the best technique to estimate diameter along the stem of Tectona grandis.     

Importance of house dust and storage mites in canine atopic dermatitis in the geographic region of Galicia, Spain

Sensitisation to mites is frequent in atopic dogs. The main mite genus involved in canine atopic dermatitis is Dermatophagoides. The importance of storage mite allergens in dogs has been controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the sensitisation rates against storage mites (Lepidoglyphus destructor and Tyrophagus putrescentiae) and house dust mites (Dermatophagoides farinae and D. pteronyssinus) in atopic dogs from Galicia, a highly humid and temperate region of Spain, using a FcepsilonRIalpha-based immunoglobulin E (IgE) in vitro test. The study was performed on 95 dogs suffering from atopic dermatitis and presenting detectable specific serum IgE levels: 91.6% of the dogs tested positive for storage mites, whereas sensitisation to house dust mites was detected in 87.4%. These results indicate the importance of storage mites in this specific geographic area.     

Weed seedling emergence in contrasting fodder crop systems following 30 years of cultivation in the lowlands of Northern Italy

Five fodder crop systems of different intensity (ranging from a double annual crop of Italian ryegrass + silage maize to a permanent meadow) were adopted for 30 years in the lowlands of Northern Italy under two input levels, differing mainly in their provision of organic fertiliser (manure). Herbicides were used in the maize crops included in all systems, except the meadow. After 30 years, the weed seedbank of all systems and input levels were assessed by the seedling emergence technique on soil samples from each plot. The cropping systems determined the abundance and composition of the weed assembly. Relatively few, frequent species made up the majority of the emerged seedlings in all systems, and there was no relationship between the total number of emerged seedlings and the mean number of species recorded in the different systems. Arabidopsis thaliana and Oxalis corniculata were abundant in the annual double crop and in the 3- and 6-year rotations that also comprised the annual double crop. These weeds, however, were unlikely to represent a major threat to the crops, due to their vigour and growth period. The permanent meadow tended to greater weed biodiversity than the other systems. The application of manure favoured the seedbank of species such as Lolium multiflorum, Digitaria sanguinalis and A. thaliana. Weed communities in the different systems were mainly determined by herbicide application, (through the ability of weeds to avoid its effects, determined by the weed life history and emergence period) and manure application (with its possible dual effect of spreading weed seeds and favouring nitrogen-responsive weeds).     

Association between bovine digital dermatitis and annual periods of lower pluviometric precipitation in Central Brazil

Tropical Animal Health and Production - We aimed to follow the epidemiologic evolution of bovine digital dermatitis (BDD) and other podal diseases grouped in a dairy farm in Central Brazil between...     

Prediction of vascular invasion using a 7‐point scale computed tomography grading system in adrenal tumors in dogs

BackgroundPrevious studies evaluating the accuracy of computed tomography (CT) in detecting caudal vena cava (CVC) invasion by adrenal tumors (AT) used a binary system and did not evaluate for other vessels.ObjectiveTest a 7‐point scale CT grading system for accuracy in predicting vascular invasion and for repeatability among radiologists. Build a decision tree based on CT criteria to predict tumor type.MethodsRetrospective observational cross‐sectional case study. Abdominal CT studies were analyzed by 3 radiologists using a 7‐point CT grading scale for vascular invasion and by 1 radiologist for CT features of AT.AnimalsDogs with AT that underwent adrenalectomy and had pre‐ and postcontrast CT.ResultsNinety‐one dogs; 45 adrenocortical carcinomas (50%), 36 pheochromocytomas (40%), 9 adrenocortical adenomas (10%) and 1 unknown tumor. Carcinoma and pheochromocytoma differed in pre‐ and postcontrast attenuation, contralateral adrenal size, tumor thrombus short‐ and long‐axis, and tumor and thrombus mineralization. A decision tree was built based on these differences. Adenoma and malignant tumors differed in contour irregularity. Probability of vascular invasion was dependent on CT grading scale, and a large equivocal zone existed between 3 and 6 scores, lowering CT accuracy to detect vascular invasion. Radiologists'' agreement for detecting abnormalities (evaluated by chance‐corrected weighted kappa statistics) was excellent for CVC and good to moderate for other vessels. The quality of postcontrast CT study had a negative impact on radiologists'' performance and agreement.Conclusions and Clinical ImportanceFeatures of CT may help radiologists predict AT type and provide probabilistic information on vascular invasion.     

Cytoarchitecture, morphology, and lumbosacral spinal cord projections of the red nucleus in cattle

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the morphology, cytoarchitecture, and lumbosacral spinal cord projections of the red nucleus (RN) in cattle. ANIMALS: 8 healthy Friesian male calves. PROCEDURES: Anesthetized calves underwent a dorsal laminectomy at L5. Eight bilateral injections (lateral to the midline) of the neuronal retrograde fluorescent tracer fast blue (FB) were administered into the exposed lumbosacral portion of the spinal cord. A postsurgical calf survival time of 38 to 55 days was used. Following euthanasia, the midbrain and the L5-S2 spinal cord segments were removed. Nissl's method of staining was applied on paraffin-embedded and frozen sections of the midbrain. RESULTS: The mean length of the RN from the caudal to cranial end ranged from 6,680 to 8,640 microm. The magnocellular and parvicellular components of the RN were intermixed throughout the nucleus, but the former predominate at the caudal portion of the nucleus and the latter at the cranial portion with a gradual transitional zone. The FB-labeled neurons were found along the entire craniocaudal extension of the nucleus, mainly in its ventrolateral part. The number of FB-labeled neurons was determined in 4 calves, ranging from 191 to 1,469 (mean, 465). The mean cross-sectional area of the FB-labeled neurons was approximately 1,680 microm2. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: In cattle, small, medium, and large RN neurons, located along the entire craniocaudal extension of the RN, contribute to the rubrospinal tract reaching the L6-S1 spinal cord segments. Thus, in cattle, as has been shown in cats, the RN parvicellular population also projects to the spinal cord.     

The Antinociceptive and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Caulerpin,a Bisindole Alkaloid Isolated from Seaweeds of the Genus Caulerpa

The antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activity of caulerpin was investigated. This bisindole alkaloid was isolated from the lipoid extract of Caulerpa racemosa and its structure was identified by spectroscopic methods, including IR and NMR techniques. The pharmacological assays used were the writhing and the hot plate tests, the formalin-induced pain, the capsaicin-induced ear edema and the carrageenan-induced peritonitis. Caulerpin was given orally at a concentration of 100 μmol/kg. In the abdominal constriction test caulerpin showed reduction in the acetic acid-induced nociception at 0.0945 μmol (0.0103–1.0984) and for dypirone it was 0.0426 μmol (0.0092–0.1972). In the hot plate test in vivo the inhibition of nociception by caulerpin (100 μmol/kg, p.o.) was also favorable. This result suggests that this compound exhibits a central activity, without changing the motor activity (seen in the rotarod test). Caulerpin (100 μmol/kg, p.o.) reduced the formalin effects in both phases by 35.4% and 45.6%, respectively. The possible anti-inflammatory activity observed in the second phase in the formalin test of caulerpin (100 μmol/kg, p.o.) was confirmed on the capsaicin-induced ear edema model, where an inhibition of 55.8% was presented. Indeed, it was also observed in the carrageenan-induced peritonitis that caulerpin (100 μmol/kg, p.o.) exhibited anti-inflammatory activity, reducing significantly the number of recruit cells by 48.3%. Pharmacological studies are continuing in order to characterize the mechanism(s) responsible for the antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory actions and also to identify other active principles present in Caulerpa racemosa.     

Linking fish ecomorphotypes to food categories and local-scale habitat uses along a Brazilian coastal stream

Fish ecomorphological analyses often deal with several traits simultaneously, making it challenging to interpret general patterns, and have not addressed the longitudinal component of streams in morphology-habitat relationships. We identified ecomorphotypes of fishes and correlated their morphological variation with food, structural/hydrological variables, and abundances to detect their links with diet and local-scale habitat categories. Eighteen morphometric traits were obtained from specimens collected by electrofishing in a coastal Atlantic stream in Brazil. To test for morphology-habitat associations, headwaters, middle, and mouth reaches were divided into shorter sampling sites, with the middle reach being classified into riffle, run, and pool mesohabitats. Multivariate analyses highlighted the morphological variations and associated the form categories of 18 fish species with food and habitat categories. It resulted in four combined trophic and habitat ecomorphotypes: (1) benthic AB/lithophilic, composed of smaller to longer loricariids, detritivores, of fast-water, and pebbly habitats; (2) benthic C/lithophilic of very fast-waters, algal and detritus scrapers, with longer intestines than the other benthic species, wider suctorial mouths, inhabitants of headwaters, and riffles habitats; (3) nektobenthic/lithophilic with streamlined bodies, invertebrate feeders, and dwellers of faster-water, cobbly habitats; and (4) nektonic/limnophilic composed mainly by characins, which had strong correlations with terrestrial insect consumption, and lentic/pool, sandy habitats. The morphology–environment correlations linked these ecomorphotypes to the broad habitat gradient arrayed in longitudinal and local scales. These results permit inferring the larger form patterns expected for local fish assemblages and emphasise the fish trait categorisation as a possible surrogate to reveal broader ecomorphological associations.