Blood-gas and acid-base parameters in nontranquilized Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx) in the United Arab Emirates.

Arterial and venous blood-gas and acid-base values were established from a herd (n = 19; 14 male, 5 female) of semi-free-ranging Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx) in the United Arab Emirates. The animals were restrained with the use of a modified raceway incorporating a commercially available handling crate. Statistically significant differences were found between arterial and venous values for PO2 (p < 0.001), PCO2 (p = 0.0141), SO2 (p < 0.001), pH (p = 0.0494), and glucose (p < 0.0001). The results are similar to those reported for the same species under field anesthetic conditions, and to those reported from other species of wild bovidae, both tranquilized and nontranquilized, established under similar methods of restraint. In addition, Bland and Altman plots suggest adequate levels of clinical agreement between venous and arterial pH but not between arterial and venous PCO2.     

Evolution of rotavirus C in humans and several domestic animal species

Rotavirus C (RVC) causes enteric disease in multiple species, including humans, swine, bovines, and canines. To date, the evolutionary relationships of RVC populations circulating in different host species are poorly understood, owing to the low availability of genetic sequence data. To address this gap, we sequenced 45 RVC complete genomes from swine samples collected in the United States and Mexico. A phylogenetic analysis of each genome segment indicates that RVC populations have been evolving independently in human, swine, canine, and bovine hosts for at least the last century, with inter‐species transmission events occurring deep in the phylogenetic tree, and none in the last 100 years. Bovine and canine RVC populations clustered together nine of the 11 gene segments, indicating a shared common ancestor centuries ago. The evolutionary relationships of RVC in humans and swine were more complex, due to the extensive genetic diversity and multiple RVC clades identified in pigs, which were not structured geographically. Topological differences between trees inferred for different genome segments occurred frequently, including at nodes deep in the tree, indicating that RVC's evolutionary history includes multiple reassortment events that occurred a long time ago. Overall, we find that RVC is evolving within host‐defined lineages, but the evolutionary history of RVC is more complex than previously recognized due to the high genetic diversity of RVC in swine, with a common ancestor dating back centuries. Pigs may act as a reservoir host for RVC, and a source of the lineages identified in other species, including humans, but additional sequencing is needed to understand the full diversity of this understudied pathogen across multiple host species.     

Endogeic and anecic earthworm abundance in six Midwestern cropping systems

Endogeic and juvenile anecic earthworm abundance was measured in soil samples and anecic populations were studied by counting midden numbers at the sites of two long-term cropping systems trials in South-central Wisconsin. The three grain and three forage systems at each site were designed to reflect a range of Midwestern USA production strategies. The primary objectives of this work were to determine if the abundance of endogeic or anecic earthworms varied among cropping systems or crop phases within a cropping system and were there specific management practices that impacted endogeic or anecic earthworm numbers. The earthworms present in the surface soil were: Aporrectodea tuberculata (Eisen), A. caliginosa (Savigny), A. trapezoides (Dugés); and juvenile Lumbricus terrestris (L.). True endogeic abundance was greatest in rotationally grazed pasture [188 m^?2 at Arlington (ARL) and 299 m^?2 at Elkhorn (ELK)], and smallest in conventional continuous corn (27 m^?2 at ARL and 32 m^?2 at ELK). The only type of anecic earthworm found was L. terrestris L. There was an average of 1.2 middens per adult anecic earthworm and the population of anecics was greatest in the no-till cash grain system (28 middens m^?2 at ARL, 18 m^?2 at ELK) and smallest in the conventional continuous corn system (3 middens m^?2 at ARL, 1 m^?2 at ELK). Earthworm numbers in individual crop phases within a cropping system were too variable from year-to-year to recommend using a single phase to characterize a whole cropping system. Indices for five management factors (tillage, manure inputs, solid stand, pesticide use, and crop diversity) were examined, and manure use and tillage were the most important impacting earthworm numbers across the range of cropping systems. Manure use was the most important management factor affecting endogeic earthworm numbers; but no-tillage was the most important for the juvenile and adult anecic groups and had a significantly positive influence on endogeic earthworm counts as well. The pesticides used, which were among the most commonly applied pesticides in the Midwestern USA, and increasing crop diversity did not have a significant effect on either the endogeic or anecic earthworm groups in this study. Consequently, designing cropping systems that reduce tillage and include manure with less regard to omitting pesticides or increasing crop diversity should enhance earthworm populations and probably improve sustainability.     

Whole pearl millet feeding does not impair performance and nutrient digestibility in 28-day-old broiler chickens

The effects of varying inclusion levels of whole grain millet in millet–soya bean-based diets on growth performance, gizzard development, digesta characteristics and nutrient digestion in broiler chicken were investigated. Starter (0–14 days) and grower (15–28 days) broiler chicken diets containing pearl millet at 500 and 540 g/kg diet, respectively, were formulated. The diets comprised of 0%, 20%, 40%, 60%, 80% and 100% of millet incorporated as whole grain. One-day-old unsexed Arbor Acres Plus chicks (n = 540) were allotted to the experimental diets in a completely randomized design with the diets and water provided ad libitum for 28 days. Each treatment was replicated seven times, and each replicate had 12 chicks. Results showed that daily live weight gain and feed conversion ratio of chickens on the whole millet grain diets compared favourably with chicken on the control in both starter and grower phases, while feed intake reduced quadratically (p < .05) with increased whole grain millet levels in the starter phase. Morphological and structural characteristics of the gizzard and small intestine and intestinal digesta pH and viscosity were also unaffected (p > .05) by whole grain millet inclusion levels. However, the weight of intact millet grain in gizzard increased linearly (p < .001) with whole grain millet inclusion in the diets. Dietary whole grain millet inclusion also consistently lowered (p < .05) jejunal and ileal maltase and sucrase activities, but did not influence (p > .05) pancreatic amylase activity. Ileal crude protein and starch digestibility increased, while ileal energy digestibility decreased significantly (p < .05) with whole grain millet inclusion. Whole grain millet inclusion in broiler starter and grower diets up to 500–540 g/kg did not negatively impact on broiler chicken performance.     

Needle anatomy changes with increasing tree age in Douglas-fir

Morphological differences between old-growth trees and saplings of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) may extend to differences in needle anatomy. We used microscopy with image analysis to compare and quantify anatomical parameters in cross sections of previous-year needles of old-growth Douglas-fir trees and saplings at the Wind River Canopy Crane site in Washington and at three sites in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon. We also compared needle anatomy across a chronosequence of 10-, 20-, 40- and 450-year-old Douglas-fir trees from the Wind River site. Anatomy differed significantly between needles of old-growth trees and saplings at all sites, suggesting a developmental change in needle anatomy with increasing tree age. Compared with needles of old-growth trees, needles of saplings were longer and had proportionately smaller vascular cylinders, larger resin canals and few hypodermal cells. Astrosclereids, which sequester lignin in their secondary cell walls and occupy space otherwise filled by photosynthetic cells, were scarce in needles of saplings but abundant in needles of old-growth trees. Needles of old-growth trees had an average of 11% less photosynthetic mesophyll area than needles of saplings. The percentage of non-photosynthetic area in needles increased significantly with increasing tree age from the chronosequence of 10-, 20-, 40- and 450-year-old trees at the Wind River site. This reduction in photosynthetic area may contribute to decreased growth rates in old trees.     

Comparison of extraction methods for the quantification of selected phytochemicals in peanuts (Arachis hypogaea)

Peanuts have been reported to contain bioactive phytochemicals, particularly isoflavones (genistein, daidzein, and biochanin A) and trans-resveratrol. Currently, limited data are available regarding the levels of these bioactive compounds in peanuts with variations in reported levels. The purpose of this study was to compare four methods of extraction [stirring, sonication, Soxtec, and microwave-assisted sonication (MAS)] for runner peanuts. Quantification of the selected compounds was conducted by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). The results showed that the MAS and Soxtec methods extracted significantly higher amounts of the phytochemicals. Also, the defatted peanuts gave significantly higher amounts of the phytochemicals compared to the nondefatted peanuts. The high levels of the isoflavones may be attributed to heat-induced conversion of conjugate glycosides to aglycons. The MAS and Soxtec methods may be used for total isoflavone content quantitation, while sonication or stirring may be the method of choice for quantitation of isoflavone composition (aglycons and glycoside conjugates) in peanuts.     

Larval calcification and growth of veligers to early pediveliger of the queen conch Strombus gigas in mesocosm and laboratory conditions

The goals of this study were to evaluate growth, development, and calcification process of veligers of Strombus gigas grown in natural conditions in mesocosm versus laboratory conditions. In this study, larvae bred in mesocosm conditions had a good growth rate (33.3±12.40 μm.day^?1) when fed with natural phytoplankton in natural flowing seawater versus a lower growth rate of 8.8±5.20 μm.day^?1 for larvae reared in laboratory conditions and fed with a monoalgal diet of Nannochloropsis oculata. Physicochemical parameters did not explain the difference on larval growth in both culture systems according to the principal component analysis done. Raman microspectrometry carried out on conch larvae grown in mesocosm and lab conditions allowed us to emphasize the biosynthesis of calcium carbonate species and their structure type evolution (amorphous, aragonite, or calcite structure) as a function of the breeding time by detecting and identifying in the spectra the characteristic Raman bands of CO₃ chemical groups and lattice vibrations. This analytical method seems to indicate that crystalline CaCO₃ structures are not detected in the recorded spectra on larvae reared in laboratory conditions during the early stages of the shell construction of 1 to 8 days. For this reason, light and current flow have also been considered in the discussion that can help to explain the differences found in this study. Contrarily, the Raman spectra acquired on larvae grown in mesocosms exhibit characteristic bands of aragonite (CO₃ double peak at 697–701 cm^?1 and lattice vibrations at 170 and 220 cm^?1) from the third day of breeding. The best shell growth and shell calcification pointed out in larvae grown in mesocosm compared to laboratory conditions are probably due to the nutrient amounts present in the food available in mesocosm.