Changes in the fish species composition of all Austrian lakes >50 ha during the last 150 years

Abstract  The fish communities of all Austrian natural lakes ( n  = 43) larger than 50 ha in surface area were assessed and the historical fish communities in c . 1850 were reconstructed. During the last 150 years, the fish communities of Austrian lakes have altered: in 49% of lakes at least one indigenous fish species, usually sensitive or small-bodied taxa, is now missing. Conversely, in all but one of the 43 lakes the number of fish species has increased. In particular, certain fish species of interest to angling and commercial fisheries now occur in more lakes. Generalised linear models were used to identify variables that would explain the loss of fish species using categories of lake use (ranking score). The category human population density around the lakes seemed to be one of the main causes for the loss of fish species.     

Organic additives used in beef cattle feedlot: Effects on metabolic parameters and animal performance

Organic additives are recently being used in animal diets owing to their ability to control metabolic issues and result in better animal performance. Specifically, the organic additive Fator P^® presents an additional advantage that is to cause a lesser greenhouse gas emission. This study evaluated whether Fator P^® intake changes ruminal parameters or animal performance of beef cattle. Evaluations were carried out in a feedlot experiment divided into growing (46 days; two diets [control mix—CM and standard mix—SM] and finishing (lasted 83 days; four diets: CM, SM, Fator P^® + virginiamycin, and Fator P^® alone [FP]) trials. Animal performance study involved 48 animals allocated to 12 collective pens in completely randomized experimental design. Ruminal parameters were evaluated in separate metabolism study developed carried out using individual pen with four steers. During growing trial, FP diet resulted in higher (p < 0.05) dry matter intake (DMI) and ruminating time. In the finishing trial, diets containing Fator P^® resulted in higher DMI than obtained with CM. Most of the ruminal parameters did not differ (p > 0.05) among dietary treatments. Therefore, Fator P^® represents a viable and safe strategy for supplementation to beef cattle finished using high‐concentrate diet in feedlot systems.     

Prediction of total phenols,condensed tannins,and 3-deoxyanthocyanidins in sorghum grain using near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy

The reported high phenolic levels in sorghum have led an interest from sorghum breeding programs in developing and identifying germplasms with high phenolic levels, which require screening a large number of samples to find those with the highest levels. Since wet chemistry screening methods are slow, expensive, and destructive, the use of NIR calibration curves could be an alternative. The objectives of this project were to determine the variation range in total phenols, condensed tannins, and 3-deoxyanthocyanidin levels in a diverse set of sorghum genotypes and to assess the predictive value of NIR curves to estimate these compounds in sorghum. A calibration curve to estimate each compound was developed and validated with an independent validation set. Calibration curve correlations for total phenols, condensed tannins, and 3-deoxyanthocyanidins were r = 0.98, 0.97, and 0.99, respectively. Correlations between NIR-predicted values and reference values in the validation set were significant for total phenols (r = 0.93), condensed tannins (r = 0.81) and 3-deoxyanthocyanidin (r = 0.82). These indicated that sufficient variation for these compounds existed within sorghum and that NIR calibration curves could be used to rapidly and non-destructively predict total phenols, condensed tannins, and 3-deoxyanthocyanidins concentrations in whole grain sorghum.     

Bronchoalveolar lavage in horses: effect of exercise and repeated sampling on cytology

SUMMARY Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was performed at weekly intervals in 10 Thoroughbred horses in race training (group 1) and in 4 rested horses (group 2) for 10 weeks. Lavages were continued on a weekly basis in 4 group 1 horses for an additional 9 weeks (group 3). Cytological analysis of samples included leukocyte counts, erythrocyte counts, differential leukocyte counts, and haemosiderophage score. The mean leukocyte concentration was significantly lower in group 1(92.1 ± 4.6 cells/μL) when compared with group 2 (133.5 ± 8.2 cells/μL), P = 0.037. The differential leukocyte data were not significantly different between groups. There was a large amount of variability in the percent-age of macrophages and lymphocytes in the differential counts over time with no obvious trends. The proportion of neutrophils demonstrated a tendency to decrease over time for both groups 1 and 2. Erythrocyte counts and haemosiderin scores were significantly higher in the exercising group than the rested horses. Neither exercise nor the technique itself evoked an inflammatory response in the BAL fluid.     

Anatomical distribution of T- and B-lymphocytes in Marek's disease--an immunohistochemical study

Neural lesions of Marek's disease, Marek's disease tumours in the ovary, liver, and kidney, as well as spleen and bursa of Fabricii of chickens bearing Marek's disease tumorous infiltrations, were examined by a new immunohistochemical technique basing upon Sternbergers unlabelled antibody enzyme method which allows the exact localization of lymphoid cells based on their surface antigens. Type C neural lesions contained T-lymphocytes almost exclusively. Type B neural lesions had relatively high proportions of T- and B-lymphocytes, and severe type A neural lesions possessed one part of heavily labelled T-lymphocytes and a number of cells stained weakly by rabbit-anti-chicken-T-cell-globulin. Tumorous infiltrations had similar characteristics as type A neural lesions. Spleen and interfollicular spaces of bursa of Fabricius were infiltrated by T-lymphocytes.     

Prognostic significance of serum alkaline phosphatase activity in canine appendicular osteosarcoma

Sixty-one dogs with appendicular osteosarcoma were treated with amputation and chemotherapy of cisplatin and doxorubicin. Serum samples were obtained before and after treatment for determination of total alkaline phosphatase (TALP) activity as well as the activities of the constituent bone (BALP), liver (LALP), and corticosteroid-induced (CALP) isoenzymes. The relationship between alkaline phosphatase activities and survival was examined by Cox proportional hazards regression analysis and Kaplan-Meier log rank analysis. Mean activity of TALP, BALP, and LALP decreased significantly after treatment (P < .001). TALP and LALP activities before treatment were significantly correlated with survival (P = .006 and .001, respectively). The correlation between BALP activity before treatment and survival approached significance (P = .054). CALP activity and TALP, BALP, and LALP activities after treatment were not significantly correlated with survival. Dogs with normal pretreatment TALP and BALP activities survived significantly longer than dogs with increased pretreatment activities (P = .001 and .003, respectively). Median survival times for dogs with normal or increased TALP activities before treatment were 12.5 and 5.5 months, respectively; and median survival times for dogs with normal or increased BALP activities before treatment were 16.6 and 9.5 months, respectively. In the design of future clinical trials involving dogs with osteosarcoma, consideration should be given to stratifying the randomization according to alkaline phosphatase activity. In addition, alkaline phosphatase activity should be a factor considered by clinicians attempting to tailor the aggressiveness of adjuvant chemotherapy to the needs of individual patients or owners.     

Effect of the nutrition level and sex on the energy maintenance requirement of broilers and rats

In 3 experiments young broiler chickens were supplied on various feeding levels in the growth range between 200 and 2500 g live weight (2.8 and 2.0 in experiment 1, 2.8, 2.3 and 1.8 in experiments 2 and 4, maintenance = feeding level 1.0). In experiments 1 and 2 short-time measurings (30 min) of heat production by means of gas exchange were made at 500, 1000, 1500 and 2000 g live weight in the post-absorptive state and on the maintenance level of feeding. In experiment 1 the heat production of the restrictively fed chickens was in 3 out of the 4 stages of development studied significantly lower by 10-14% than that of the intensively fed ones. In experiment 2 such an effect could not be observed. Fed on the level of energy maintenance, broilers weighing approximately 2000 g (experiment 3) did not show a significant influence of the sex on heat production as a result of 30-minute gas exchange measurings in the post-absorptive state. In experiment 4 24-hour measurings of the energy metabolism were carried out in the growth development in periods of feeding on the maintenance level by means of indirect calorimetry. In the live weight range between 0.9 and 1.3 kg there was only a low, non-significant decrease of the energy maintenance requirement of 4-6% of the highly restrictively fed chickens in comparison to the intensively fed ones. After continued feed restriction (live weight range 1.7-2.2 kg) an energy maintenance requirement reduced by 17% was measured. In an analogously arranged experiment with 24-hour energy metabolism measurings (experiment 5) male Wistar rats in the growth range between 70 and 280 g were supplied on the feeding levels 1.8 and 1.4 resp. In all three periods studied on the feeding level maintenance--beginning at 140-150 g live weight--the highly restrictively fed animals showed a slightly reduced energy maintenance requirement by 8%, 3% (non-significant) and 6% in comparison with the intensively fed animals.