Dose requirement and cardiopulmonary effects of diluted and undiluted propofol for induction of anaesthesia in dogs

ObjectiveTo compare the dose, cardiopulmonary effects and quality of anaesthetic induction in dogs using propofol (10 mg mL^–1) and diluted propofol (5 mg mL^–1).Study designRandomized, blinded, clinical study.AnimalsA total of 28 client-owned dogs (12 males/16 females).MethodsFollowing intramuscular acepromazine (0.02 mg kg^–1) and methadone (0.2 mg kg^–1), propofol (UP, 10 mg mL^–1) or diluted propofol (DP, 5 mg mL^–1) was administered intravenously (0.2 mL kg^–1 minute^–1) by an anaesthetist unaware of the allocated group to achieve tracheal intubation. Sedation, intubation and induction quality were scored from 0 to 3. Pre- and post-induction pulse rate (PR), respiratory rate (f_R) and systolic (SAP), mean (MAP) and diastolic (DAP) arterial blood pressure were compared. Time to first breath and induction dose were recorded. Data were analysed for normality and Mann–Whitney U or Student t tests were performed where appropriate. Significance was set at p < 0.05. Data are presented as mean ± standard deviation or median (range).ResultsThe propofol dose administered to achieve induction was lower in the DP group (2.62 ± 0.48 mg kg^–1) than in the UP group (3.48 ± 1.17 mg kg^–1) (p = 0.021). No difference was observed in pre- and post-induction PR, SAP, MAP, DAP and f_R between groups. The differences between post-induction and pre-induction values of these variables were also similar between groups. Time to first breath did not differ between groups. Sedation scores were similar between groups. Quality of tracheal intubation was marginally better with UP 0 (0–1) than with DP 1 (0–2) (p = 0.036), but overall quality of induction was similar between groups [UP 0 (0–1) and DP 0 (0–1), p = 0.549].Conclusion and clinical relevanceDiluting propofol reduced the dose to induce anaesthesia without significantly altering the cardiopulmonary variables.     

Ruminal and morphometric parameters of the rumen and intestines of sheep fed with increasing levels of spineless cactus (Nopalea cochenillifera Salm-Dyck)

Tropical Animal Health and Production - The objective of this study was to evaluate the ruminal parameters (pH, N-NH3, and microbial protein) and morphometry of the rumen and intestine of sheep fed...     

Dietary protein:lipid ratio changes growth,digestive enzyme activity,metabolic profile and haematological parameters in hybrid surubim (Pseudoplatystoma fasciatum × Leiarius marmoratus)

Studies investigating improved protein:lipid ratios based on their effects on growth, nutrient utilization, digestive enzyme activities, blood metabolites and erythogram in tropical carnivorous fish are very scarce. This study evaluated the effect of different protein:lipid ratios on these parameters in the hybrid surubim Pseudoplatystoma corruscans × Leiarius marmoratus. Juvenile fish (8.90 ± 0.94 g initial weight) were fed 3% of total biomass for 60 days using four isoenergetic experimental diets with different protein:lipid ratios (9.00, 4.60, 3.54 and 1.78). Higher growth performance parameters were observed at higher protein:lipid ratios. The activities of intestine total alkaline protease, trypsin and lipase (U/mg protein) were not affected by dietary treatments. Chymotrypsin (U/mg protein) was higher in the 4.60 protein:lipid ratio group. Amylase (U/mg protein) was higher in intermediate groups. Blood glucose, total plasma protein, triglycerides, cholesterol and free amino acids decreased as the protein:lipid ratio decreased. Haematocrit was higher at the 9.00 and 4.60 protein:lipid ratios. Hybrid surubim showed metabolic adaptation to the different protein:lipid ratios tested. These results suggest that the 4.60 protein:lipid ratio showed the best protein‐sparing effect of lipids.     

Spatial evaluation of soil salinity using the WET sensor in the irrigated area of the Segura river lowland

The electrical conductivity of the water within the soil pores (EC_p) measured with the WET sensor, appears to be a reliable estimate of soil salinity. A methodology combining the use of the WET sensor along with geostatistics was developed to delimit and evaluate soil salinity within an irrigated area under arid to semiarid Mediterranean climate in SE Spain. A systematic random sampling of 104 points was carried out. The association between EC_p and the saturation‐extract electrical conductivity (EC_se) was assessed by means of correlation analysis. The semivariograms for EC_p were obtained at three different soil depths. Interpolation techniques, such as ordinary kriging and cokriging, were applied to obtain EC_p levels in the unknown places. For each one of the soil depths, a model able to predict EC_se from EC_p was developed by means of ordinary least squares regression analysis. A good correlation (r = 0.818, p < 0.001) between EC_p and EC_se was found. Spherical spatial distribution was the best model to fit to experimental semivariograms of EC_p at 10, 30, and 50 cm soil depths. Nevertheless, cokriging using the EC_p of an adjacent soil depth as an auxiliary variable provided the best results, compared to ordinary kriging. An analytical propagation‐error methodology was found to be useful to ascertain the contribution of the spatial interpolation and ordinary least squares analysis to the uncertainty of the EC_se mapping. This methodology allowed us to identify 98% of the study area as affected by salinity problems within a rooting depth of 50 cm, with the threshold of EC_se value at 2 dS m^–1. However, considering the crops actually grown and 10% potential reduction yield, the soil‐salinity‐affected area decreased to 83%. The use of sensors to measure soil salinity in combination with geostatistics is a cost‐effective way to draw maps of soil salinity at regional scale. This methodology is applicable to other agricultural irrigated areas under risk of salinization.     

Bacterial community analysis of purulent material from liver abscesses of crossbred cattle and Holstein steers fed finishing diets with or without tylosin

Liver abscesses in feedlot cattle are polymicrobial infections. Culture-based studies have identified Fusobacterium necrophorum as the primary causative agent, but a number of other bacterial species are frequently isolated. The incidence of liver abscesses is highly variable and is affected by a number of factors, including cattle type. Holstein steers raised for beef production have a higher incidence than crossbred feedlot cattle. Tylosin is the commonly used antimicrobial feed additive to reduce the incidence of liver abscesses. The objective of this study was to utilize 16S ribosomal RNA amplicon sequence analyses to analyze the bacterial community composition of purulent material of liver abscesses of crossbred cattle (n = 24) and Holstein steers (n = 24), each fed finishing diet with or without tylosin. DNA was extracted and the V3 and V4 regions of the 16S rRNA gene were amplified, sequenced, and analyzed. The minimum, mean, and maximum sequence reads per sample were 996, 177,070, and 877,770, respectively, across all the liver abscess samples. Sequence analyses identified 5 phyla, 14 families, 98 genera, and 102 amplicon sequence variants (ASV) in the 4 treatment groups. The dominant phyla identified were Fusobacteria (52% of total reads) and Proteobacteria (33%). Of the top 25 genera identified, 17 genera were Gram negative and 8 were Gram positive. The top 3 genera, which accounted for 75% of the total reads, in the order of abundance, were Fusobacterium, Pseudomonas, and Bacteroides. The relative abundance, expressed as percent of total reads, of phyla, family, and genera did not differ (P > 0.05) between the 4 treatment groups. Generic richness and evenness, determined by Shannon–Weiner and Simpson’s diversity indices, respectively, did not differ between the groups. The UniFrac distance matrices data revealed no clustering of the ASV indicating variance between the samples within each treatment group. Co-occurrence network analysis at the genus level indicated a strong association of Fusobacterium with 15 other genera, and not all of them have been previously isolated from liver abscesses. In conclusion, the culture-independent method identified the bacterial composition of liver abscesses as predominantly Gram negative and Fusobacterium as the dominant genus, followed by Pseudomonas. The bacterial community composition did not differ between crossbred and Holstein steers fed finishing diets with or without tylosin.     

C-reactive protein measurement in canine saliva.

An established time-resolved immunofluorometric assay designed for measurement of C-reactive protein (CRP) in canine blood was evaluated and validated for use in canine saliva. C-reactive protein was measured in saliva specimens from 5 healthy dogs before and after the injection of casein and in 37 dogs with different disease conditions. The analytical and functional limits of detection were 0.000053 microg/ml and 0.0091 microg/ml, respectively, and intra- and interassay coefficients of variation ranged between 6.7-9.9% and 8.5-16.5%, respectively. A recovery experiment showed no significant disagreement between detected values and expected ones, and saliva CRP concentration was measured in a linear and proportional manner. A positive correlation was found between CRP levels obtained in saliva and serum samples in the experimental (R2 = 0.76) and clinical studies (R2 = 0.70). The assay was able to detect significant differences between salivary CRP levels in healthy dogs and dogs with inflammatory processes. These results suggest that saliva can be used for CRP measurement in dogs. The use of saliva presents the advantage of an easier and less stressful sampling method for the animals, which might be performed outside of hospital environments.     

Contrasting edge and pasture matrix effects on ant diversity from fragmented landscapes across multiple spatial scales

Landscape Ecology - Harmful effects of habitat loss and fragmentation can be detected across multiple spatial scales, yet most studies that aim to characterize these effects take place at a single...     

Digestion criteria in nursing beef calves supplemented with limited levels of protein and energy.

This study was conducted with grazing nursing calves (197 kg) to determine the effects of 1) limiting creep feed intake and 2) increasing the concentration of ruminal escape CP in creep feed at a limited level of creep feed intake on fescue and milk intake, ruminal NDF digestion, and total tract digestibility in calves fed high-quality, freshly harvested fescue. The treatments were 1) control (no creep feed), 2) limited intake of creep feed (.60 kg/d) having a moderate concentration of CP (13%), 3) limited intake of creep feed (.60 kg/d) having a high concentration of CP (35%), and 4) unlimited (high) intake (1.62 kg/d) of the same creep feed fed in Treatment 2. Forage OM intake was negatively correlated (r = -.995, P less than .05) with level of creep feed OM intake, whereas milk OM intake was not affected by level of creep feed intake. Decreases in ruminal fiber digestion and total tract NDF digestion caused by unlimited creep feeding were partially avoided by limiting creep feed intake. Digestible OM intake increased by .47 kg per kilogram of creep feed OM intake.     

Comparison of the Reproductive Performance of Similarly-Sized Wild and Captive Farfantepenaeus paulensis

The reproduction of wild-caught Farfantepenaeus paulensis in captivity has been successfully achieved since 1983. However, year-round supply of wild broodstock is costly and unpredictable. This study compares the reproductive performance of animals of similar size (females from 32–33 g and males from 19–21 g) but from different sources: estuary-caught juveniles reared indoors for 9 mo and wild-caught adults from shallow coastal waters. Groups of 20 males and 30 unilaterally eyestalk-ablated females were maintained for 60 d in four maturation tanks under controlled environmental conditions. A higher number of eggs per spawning event (78,414 ± 34,491) and total egg production (4,469,600) were observed for the wild females. Nevertheless, captive females produced a higher number of nauplii (1,788,259) due to their higher percentage of fertilized spawns. Therefore, within the size range of this study, the reproductive performance of estuary-caught F. paulensis juveniles over-wintered indoors was found to be equivalent to that of wild-caught females from shallow coastal waters.     

非典型猪繁殖和呼吸综合症的回顾

研究表明,猪繁殖和呼吸综合症病毒是造成近10年来美国所谓非典型猪繁殖和呼吸综合症流行的原因。美国的养猪业尽管取得了重大进展,但仍然容易受到各种疾病的侵害,因而需要开发出能快速鉴别新感染的手段。　　现在我们称之为猪繁殖和呼吸综合症的复杂的临床症候群,首次在1989年报告于北美。自那时以来,大量调查研究得出结论认为猪繁殖和呼吸综合症病毒是这一灾难性疾病的病原因子。九十年代早期展现在美国猪兽医面前的猪繁殖和呼吸综合症临床症状是:妊娠后期广泛性繁殖失败、妊娠母猪或公猪临床症状轻微或没有其它临床症状,以及幼猪出现呼吸…