Helping students learn veterinary physiology through the use of concept maps

Concept maps have become a ubiquitous tool in education in the last 20 years and are used extensively to teach scientific concepts. A concept map is a tool learners can use to organize information about a topic in terms of key concepts and the relationships among them. As a graphical representation, the map provides an overall picture of a particular concept or topic. This article describes how we have used concept maps to teach physiology to veterinary medical and veterinary technician students enrolled in our on-campus and distance-learning programs.     

Synovial fluid analysis and bacterial findings in arthritic joints of juvenile male camel (Camelus dromedarius) calves

Eighteen synovial fluid samples from 11 male dromedarian calves, 9-12 month old, were analysed cytologically and bacteriologically. Calves were lame and all joints were grossly swollen. The mean +/- SD of total nucleated cell count was 7970 +/- 5000 cells/microl (range 2800-20,000 cells/microl). Polymorphonuclear (PMN) leucocytes were the predominant cell type. The mean +/- SD of absolute and percentages of each cell type were as follows: PMN leucocytes 5518 +/- 3600 cells/microl and 68 +/- 19%, monocytes/macrophages 1600 +/- 1120 cells/microl and 26 +/- 17%, lymphocytes 830 +/- 140 cells/microl and 8 +/- 7%, and red blood cell 350 +/- 130 cells/microl. The mean +/- SD of total protein concentration was 3.5 +/- 1 g/dl (range 2.5-5 g/dl). The most commonly isolated bacteria were non-haemolytic streptococci spp., followed by Arcanobacterium pyogenes and Staphylococcus aureus. No bacterial growth was obtained in eight samples and non-revealed Mycoplasma spp.     

Early detection of viral excretion from experimentally infected goats with peste-des-petits ruminants virus

We observed 15 goats for 9 days after subcutaneous infection with 10(3) TCID(50) with isolates of peste-des-petits ruminants virus from Africa and India and five concurrent, uninfected control goats. Typical clinical signs of the infection were present in all 15 infected goats by day 8 and in most by day 6 and some signs were present by day 4. However, 6 out of 15 goats already have detectable virus shedding by day 3 and four more were shedding by day 4 and every goat had virus shedding for at least 1 day before the recognition of clinical signs. This experiment indicates that incubatory carriers therefore might play a role in the transmission of PPRV among small ruminants.     

Magnetic resonance imaging findings of neuroaxonal dystrophy in a papillon puppy

A 3.5-month-old papillon puppy was brought to our clinic with chief complaints of progressive quadriparesis, ataxia and head tremor. Lesions in the cerebellum, brainstem and spinal cord were suspected on the basis of a neurological examination. No abnormality was found in a clinicopathological examination or on magnetic resonance imaging. On the basis of these results differential diagnoses including an inflammatory disease, a degenerative condition or a storage disorder were considered. Subsequently, the signs progressed and glossoplegia and dysphagia developed at six months of age. At a second magnetic resonance imaging, severe atrophy of the entire brain was found. After these examinations, the puppy was euthanased and histopathologically diagnosed with neuroaxonal dystrophy. Because magnetic resonance imaging detected abnormal features that were characteristic of neuroaxonal dystrophy in this case, we speculate that magnetic resonance imaging can assist in the pre-mortem diagnosis of this disease.     

Comparative pharmacokinetics of marbofloxacin in healthy and Mannheimia haemolytica infected calves

The pharmacokinetics of marbofloxacin were investigated in healthy (n=8) and Mannheimia haemolytica naturally infected (n=8) Simmental ruminant calves following intravenous (i.v.) and intramuscular (i.m.) administration of 2 mg kg(-1) body weight. The concentration of marbofloxacin in plasma was measured using high performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection. Following i.v. administration of the drug, the elimination half-life (t(1/2 beta)) and mean residence time (MRT) were significantly longer in diseased calves (8.2h; 11.13 h) than in healthy ones (4.6 h; 6.1 h), respectively. The value of total body clearance (CL(B)) was larger in healthy calves (3 ml min(-1) kg(-1)) than in diseased ones (1.3 ml min(-1) kg(-1)). After single intramuscular (i.m.) administration of the drug, the elimination half-life, mean residence time (MRT) and maximum plasma concentration (C(max)) were higher in diseased calves (8.0, 12 h, 2.32 microg ml(-1)) than in healthy ones (4.7, 7.4 h, 1.4 microg ml(-1)), respectively. The plasma concentrations and AUC following administration of the drug by both routes were significantly higher in diseased calves than in healthy ones. Protein binding of Marbofloxacin was not significantly different in healthy and diseased calves. The mean value for MIC of marbofloxacin for M. haemolytica was 0.1+/-0.06 microg ml(-1). The C(max)/MIC and AUC(24)/MIC ratios were significantly higher in diseased calves (13.0-64.4 and 125-618 h) than in healthy calves (8-38.33 and 66.34-328 h). The obtained results for surrogate markers of antimicrobial activity (C(max)/MIC, AUC/MIC and T > or = MIC) indicate the excellent pharmacodynamic characteristics of the drug in diseased calves with M. haemolytica, which can be expected to optimize the clinical efficacy and minimize the development of resistance.     

Effects of Compound Plant Nutrients on Rumen Fermentation Parameters,Rumen Microbiota and Fatty Acid Composition of Longissimus dorsi Muscle in Finishing Small Tail Han Sheep北大核心CSCD

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of compound p1ant nutrients (CPN) on rumen fermentation parameters, rumen microbiota and fatty acid composition of longissimus dorsi musc1e in finishing sma11 tai1 Han sheep. Sixteen 4-month-o1d finishing sma11 tai1 Han sheep with an initia1 body weight (BW) of (24.18±0.31) kg were random1y divided into two groups, name1y, with 8 rep1icates per group and 1 sheep per rep1icate. The sheep in the contro1 group were fed a basa1 diet, whereas the sheep of the contro1 group (CPN group) was fed the basa1 diet supp1ementation with 3‰ CPN. The experiment 1asted for 97 days after 7 days adaption. The resu1ts showed as fo11ows: compared with the contro1 group, 1) adding CPN decreased the concentration of ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) (P<0.05); 2) CPN supp1ementation affected beta diversity of rumen microbiota; 3) the re1ative abundance of Acidobacteriota, Erysipe1otrichaceae_UCG-002, Lactobacillus, and Megasphaera were enhanced by adding CPN (P<0.05), whereas, the re1ative abundance of Bacteroidetes and Prevotella was 1ower (P<0.05); 4) the supp1ementation of CPN had no significant effect on fatty acid composition of longissimus dorsi musc1e of fattening sma11-tai1ed Han sheep (P>0.05); 5) the contents of tota1 MUFA, C18:1n9c, C14:1, C16:1, C18:2n6c, C18:3n3 and n-3PUFA in the longissimus dorsi musc1e were corre1ated with the re1ative abundance of Megasphaera, Erysipe1otrichaceae_UCG-002, Succiniclasticum and Ruminococcus (P<0.05). In conc1usion, CPN can regu1ate the rumen microbiota structure and reduce the rumen NH3-N concentration of fattening sma11-tai1ed Han sheep. In production practice, CPN can be used as a rumen eco1ogica1 regu1ator. © 2023 Authors. All rights reserved.     

Modelling and measuring evapotranspiration in a daily drip irrigated cotton field

Summary An eddy correlation system (ECS) was used to estimate evapotranspiration (E) in a daily drip irrigated cotton field. Cotton yield, water use, and their ratio (Water use efficiency; WUE) were compared in four irrigation treatments. Three treatments were irrigated at levels of 85, 100, and 115% of E, while the fourth was irrigated according to grower's usual practice. E data were used to verify a one dimensional numerical model which simulates, in real time, the different energy fluxes existing in the soil-plant-atmosphere system. The model requires input of vegetation parameters (leaf area index, photometric properties, shading factor, root density distribution), soil parameters texture, hydraulic and photo-metric properties, temporal micrometeorological data (solar radiation, wind speed, air temperature and humidity) measured above the field, and irrigation quantities. The verification study was carried out during a cotton growing season in Hula Valley, Northern Israel. Results show that E rates are strongly affected by the intensity and arrival time of the inland penetrating Mediterranean sea breeze. WUE in the treatment which was irrigated according to the ECS was highest. Accurate estimations were also made by the model.