Semiquantitative multi‐analysis of plasma obtained from Romney lambs (Ovis aries) by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry,and the classification according to feed type

The establishment of a classification system for domestic animals on consumed feed stuff is thought to be important from both a hygiene and market point of view. We collected plasma samples of Romney lambs (Ovis aries) which were fed one of the following: a herb‐clover mix (n = 10) which included chicory, red clover, white clover and plantain; a plant‐grass mix (n = 10) which included plantain, ryegrass and white clover; or a grass mix (n = 10) which included ryegrass and white clover. A total of 20 elements in plasma samples obtained from the lambs were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The data were then analyzed by principal component analysis. The lambs were divided into three groups on a score plot depending on the different feed conditions. Furthermore, discriminant analyses of the elements were examined, using linear discriminant analysis with forward stepwise regression. This discriminant function correctly classified the samples from each group. The accuracy of classification of each group, as shown by 10‐fold cross‐validation, proved the effectiveness of the established discriminant function. It is concluded that using linear discriminant analysis might be a useful tool for the validation of elements from plasma in lambs grown in different conditions.     

Reliability in somatic cell count measurement of clinical mastitis milk using DeLaval cell counter

Somatic cell counts (SCC) measurements are typically performed using quantitative methods, such as the Breed method (Breed) and the Fossomatic method (FSCC). The DeLaval cell counter (DCC) developed recently is a quantitative somatic cell counter with a low initial cost and superior portability. However, since the DCC was specifically developed for measuring SCC of ≤ 4 × 10⁶ cells/mL milk from bulk tanks or individual cows, its reliability for estimating SCC that exceed this concentration has not yet been clarified. This study therefore examined whether it is possible to accurately measure SCC by diluting milk samples with initial SCC of 4 × 10⁶ cells/mL, as seen in clinical mastitis milk. We collected milk samples from 99 quarters of 99 Holstein cows with clinical mastitis. These milk samples were diluted 10‐fold with saline and thoroughly mixed before performing SCC measurement with the DCC. The correlation coefficients of SCC measured by the FSCC, Breed and DCC methods indicated strong correlations between each pair of methods. The findings showed that DCC can be used to identify bovine clinical mastitis milk and is useful as a quantitative SCC measurement device on farm sites.     

Reactive histiocytosis of the orbit and posterior segment in a dog

We present a case of reactive histiocytic disease involving the orbit, optic nerve, retina, and choroid in a Border Collie dog initially presenting for vision loss. Long-term partial return of vision has been achieved with systemic immunosuppression. Anterior segment and ocular surface manifestations of reactive histiocytic disease in dogs are relatively common. Posterior segment and orbital involvement, however, are minimally documented in the existing literature. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of disease confined to the orbit and posterior segment as well as the first report of vision loss as a presenting complaint for reactive histiocytic disease. Clinical, magnetic resonance imaging, cytologic, and histopathologic findings are reviewed.     

Changes in Serum Concentrations of Prolactin,Progestagens, and Estradiol-17β and Biochemical Parameters During Peripartum in an Agalactic Mare

The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes in serum concentrations of prolactin (PRL), progestagens, and estradiol-17β and biochemical parameters during peripartum in an agalactic mare, as well as to study the periparturient indices of the foal. A 4-year-old Thoroughbred, primiparous, pregnant mare was diagnosed as agalactic from clinical conditions such as absence of observable udder development and weight loss of her foal after parturition. Serum PRL concentrations of the agalactic mare during prepartum tended to be lower than those of the control mares (19.5 ng/mL and 67.0 ± 15.0 ng/mL on the day of parturition, respectively). The progestagens and estradiol-17β concentrations were not markedly different between the agalactic mare and the control mares. Concentrations of γ-glutamyl transferase of the agalactic mare were higher than those of the control mares (P < .05). Although the serum immunoglobulin G concentrations of the foal of the agalactic mare after 24 hours of age were lower than those of the foals of the control mares (P < .05), all periparturient indices regarding the agalactic mare were considered to be within the normal range. In contrast, insufficient udder development and milk production was observed in the agalactic mare through the pre- and postpartum periods. We have ruled out the known causes for agalactia in mares based on other parameters, clinical symptoms, and nutritional causes. Clinical symptoms and PRL parameters in this case report are consistent with the category of agalactia in mares of unexplained causes, and we have determined additional blood parameters associated with agalactia in mares that are consistent with this category.     

Bacterial Pleuritis with Thickened Mesothelial Hyperplasia in a Young Beagle Dog

A five-month-old male beagle dog suddenly became moribund. Bloody fluid accumulated in the thoracic and abdominal cavities, and soft yellow flecks were floating in the thoracic fluid. The mediastinum and pericardium became dark reddish with villous thickening. Other parietal and pulmonary pleurae were rough, and the organs adhered to each other. Histologically, most mediastinal pleura formed papillary projections covered by a single layer of mesothelial cells. Many macrophages and neutrophils infiltrated the submesothelial connective tissue. At the mediastinum adjacent to the pericardium, cuboidal mesothelial cells proliferated solidly and formed a thick surface stratum. The flecks consisted of gram-negative filamentous or small bacillary (coccoid) bacteria. In the right posterior lobe of the lung, neutrophilic infiltration and a large encapsulated abscess including a bacterial colony were present. We diagnosed this case as “bacterial pleuritis with thickened mesothelial hyperplasia”. The cause of the pleuritis might be a chronic pleural infection spread via the lung abscess.     

Novel prediction method of beer foam stability using protein Z, barley dimeric alpha-amylase inhibitor-1 (BDAI-1) and yeast thioredoxin

Foam stability is an important quality trait of beer. Our previous results of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE) analyses of beer proteins implied a relationship between barley dimeric alpha-amylase inhibitor-1 (BDAI-1) and beer foam stability as judged by the NIBEM-T analyzer. To develop a novel prediction method of beer foam stability under different conditions of barley cultivar and malt modification, multiple linear regression analysis was applied. The spot intensities of major beer proteins on 2DE gel were quantified and used as explanatory variables. The foam stabilities of 25 beer samples each brewed from malt with different malt modification in one of the three cultivars (cultivars A, B, and C) were explained by the spot intensities of BDAI-1 at the 5% significance level ( r = 0.421). Furthermore, two other major protein spots (b0 and b5) were observed on the 2DE gels of Japanese commercial beer samples with different foam stability. Then, multiple regression for foam stability was calculated using these three spot intensities as explanatory variables. As a result, 72.1% of the beer foam stability in 25 beer samples was explained by a novel multiple regression equation calculated using spot b0 and BDAI-1 as positive explanatory variables and spot b5 as a negative variable. To verify the validity of the multiple regression equation and the explanatory variables, the beer foam stability in practical beer samples was analyzed. As a result, 81.5% of the beer foam stability in 10 Japanese commercial beer samples was also explained by using spot b0 and BDAI-1 as positive explanatory variables and spot b5 as a negative variable. Mass spectrometry analyses followed by database searches revealed that protein spots b0 and b5 were identified as protein Z originated from barley and thioredoxin originated from yeast, respectively. These results confirm that BDAI-1 and protein Z are foam-positive factors and identify yeast thioredoxin as a possible novel foam-negative factor.     

Anthocyanin composition and antioxidant activity of the Crowberry (Empetrum nigrum) and other berries

The anthocyanin composition and antioxidant activity of the crowberry ( Empetrum nigrum) were studied. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) combined with a diode array detector and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry were used for identification and quantification of individual anthocyanins. Freeze-dried crowberry powder was extracted with 80% methanol containing 0.5% acetic acid and subjected to HPLC. Thirteen kinds of anthocyanins were identified. The major anthocyanins were cyanidin-3-galactoside and delphinidin-3-galactoside, at 8.04 and 8.62 mg/g extract, respectively. The HPLC profile of crowberry extract was similar to bilberry and blueberry. The total content of anthocyanins in crowberry was 41.8 mg/g extract, higher than the other nine major berry species (2.5-38.8 mg/g extract). The antioxidant activity was also evaluated using the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl and 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethybenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical quenching assays and the ferric reducing activity power assy. Crowberry extract exerted the strongest antioxidant activity. In conclusion, individual anthocyanins in crowberry were identified and then quantified in this study. Additionally, crowberry is suggested to be associated with a reduction in the risk of developing chronic diseases because of its strong antioxidant activity.     

The non-recoverable phosphorus following sorption onto a Brazilian Ultisol

Phosphorus (P) immobilization in soil involves geochemical (e.g., sorption, precipitation, and diffusion) and microbiological (microbial uptake) processes. Using a Brazilian Ultisol, relative contributions of both processes to the total immobilization of applied P over 14 days were investigated. The P immobilized by microbes as interpreted by microbial suppression (achieved by mercury sterilization) was 17, 50, 54, and 56% (of the total immobilized P) on days 3, 7, 10, and 14 after fertilization, respectively. In the short-term (1 to 3 days), microbes played less of a role than did the physical effect of shaking the soil, but became the major factor by days 7 to 14. Geochemical process that might be considered short-term ageing caused only 13–16% of the total immobilization in the same time period above. Calculations supported the interpretation that measurable diffusion occurred across water films on the soil particles.     

Quantitative trait loci analysis on Sus scrofa chromosome 7 for meat production, meat quality, and carcass traits within a Duroc purebred population

Many QTL analyses related to meat production and meat quality traits have been carried out using an F(2) resource population produced by crossing 2 genetically different breeds. This experiment was intended to investigate whether these QTL were segregating in a purebred Duroc population that had been selected for meat production and meat quality traits during 7 generations. Sus scrofa chromosome 7, for which significant QTL of intramuscular fat and many other traits have already been reported, was studied. The polymorphism of 10 microsatellite markers that were arranged at about 20-cM intervals was investigated on 1,004 pigs. In the selected population, 954 progeny were produced from mating of 99 sires and 286 dams. The QTL analysis for a full-sib family population was examined with the multigeneration pedigree structure of the population. Variance component analysis was used to detect QTL in this population and was examined for the multigeneration pedigree population. In this study, multigenerational pedigree estimated identical by descent coefficients among sibs were produced using Markov chain Monte Carlo methods. The maximum likelihood of odds score was found at the 70-cM position for the LM area, at the 0-cM position for the pork color standard, and at the 120-cM position for the number of thoracic vertebra, but no significant QTL for intramuscular fat were detected on SSC 7. These results indicate that QTL analysis via a variance component method within a purebred population was effective to determine that QTL were segregating in a population of purebred Durocs.     

Managerial and environmental determinants of clinical mastitis in Danish dairy herds

Background

Several management and environmental factors are known as contributory causes of clinical mastitis in dairy herd. The study objectives were to describe the structure of herd-specific mastitis management and environmental factors and to assess the relevance of these herd-specific indicators to mastitis incidence rate.

Methods

Disease reports from the Danish Cattle Data Base and a management questionnaire from 2,146 herds in three Danish regions were analyzed to identify and characterize risk factors of clinical mastitis. A total of 94 (18 continuous and 76 discrete) management and production variables were screened in separate bivariate regression models. Variables associated with mastitis incidence rate at a p-value < 0.10 were examined with a factor analysis to assess the construct of data. Separately, a multivariable regression model was used to estimate the association of management variables with herd mastitis rate.

Results

Three latent factors (quality of labor, region of Denmark and claw trimming, and quality of outdoor holding area) were identified from 14 variables. Daily milk production per cow, claw disease, quality of labor and region of Denmark were found to be significantly associated with mastitis incidence rate. A common multiple regression analysis with backward and forward selection procedures indicated there were 9 herd-specific risk factors.

Conclusion

Though risk factors ascertained by farmer-completed surveys explained a small percentage of the among-herd variability in crude herd-specific mastitis rates, the study suggested that farmer attitudes toward mastitis and lameness treatment were important determinants for mastitis incidence rate. Our factor analysis identified one significant latent factor, which was related to labor quality on the farm.