The effect of sugar beet pulp-based silage additives on effluent production, fermentation, in-silo losses, silage intake and animal performance

First-harvest direct-cut, double-chopped grass (190 and 164g DMkg^?1 in Experiments 1 and 2 resptectively) was ensiled without an additive or, in Experiment 1, with 30 kg t^?1 grass of an absorbent additive based on sugar beet pulp (Sweet ‘n’ Dry) or with 3·441 t^?1 grass of formic acid and, in Experiment 2, with 30, 50 and 70 kg t^?1 grass of Sweet ‘n’ Dry or with 50kg t^?1 grass of unmolassed sugar beet pulp. The preservation and nutritive value of the silage, in-silo losses (including silage effluent production), silage intake and animal performance of adult and growing cattle were examined. In Experiment 1 all three silages were well preserved, although the formic acid-treated silage displayed significantly lower pH, ammonia nitrogen (NH₃N) [g kg^?1 total nitrogen (TN)] and volatile fatty acids (VFAs) than the other two silages. In Experiment 2 absorbent-treated silages displayed significantly lower pH, buffer capacity (Bc), NH₃N (gkg^?1 TN), CP, modified acid detergent fibre (MADF) and VFAs than untreated silage. Treatment of grass with the absorbent additives at ensiling resulted in reduced effluent production. In Experiment 1 each kilogram of Sweet ‘n’ Dry retained approximately 11 effluent, and in Experiment 2 silages made with Sweet ‘n’ Dry applied at 70kgt^?1 and sugar beet pulp applied at 50 kg t^?1 produced similar volumes of effluent and each kilogram of absorbent retained 1·0 and 1·31 of effluent respectively. In Experiment 1 sixty beef cattle [mean initial live weight (LW) 460 kg] were grouped according to LW and allocated to treatment at random. For untreated silage (unsupplemented or with 1 or 2 kg supplement head^?1 day^?1), absorbent-treated silage (unsupplemented or with 1 or 2 kg supplement head^?1 day^?1) and formic acid-treated silage (1 kg supplement head^?1 day^?1) the daily silage DM intakes were 6·12, 6·21, 6·40, 7·65, 7·45, 7·11 and 7·85 (s.e. 0·280) kg respectively, the daily liveweight gains were 0·22, 0·56, 0·81, 0·59, 0·74, 0·81 and 0·75 (s.e. 0·071) kg respectively and daily carcass gains were 0·31, 0·47, 0·67, 0·47, 0·61, 0·70 and 0·57 (s.e. 0·043) kg respectively throughout a 75-day feeding period. In Experiment 2, fifty-six growing cattle (mean initial weight 312 kg) were grouped according to LW and allocated to treatment at random. For untreated silage (unsupplemented or with 1·5 kg Sweet ‘n’ Dry or 1·5 kg commercial concentrates head^?1 day^?1), silage treated with Sweet ‘n’ Dry at 30, 50 and 70 kg t^?1 grass and silage treated with 50kg sugar beet pulp t^?1 grass the daily silage DM intakes were 5·46, 5·28, 5·33, 6·21, 6·27, 6·60 and 6·62 (s.e. 0·154) kg respectively and daily liveweight gains were 0·39, 0·75, 0·81, 0·63, 0·76, 0·94 and 1·75 (s.e. 0·052) kg respectively throughout a 122-day feeding period. In this experiment 360g kg^?1 more absorbent was required when it was included at ensiling rather than offered as a supplement to untreated silage to achieve the same individual animal performance.     

Acute, Unilateral Transverse Sinus Occlusion During Craniectomy in Seven Dogs With Space-Occupying Intracranial Disease

Objective- The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of acute, unilateral transverse sinus occlusion on intracranial pressure (ICP) and postoperative mortality in dogs with structural intracranial disease.
Study Design- Affected dogs had a single transverse sinus occluded during craniectomy for intracranial mass biopsy or removal.
Animals- Seven dogs with space-occupying intracranial disease in the cerebellopontine angle area.
Methods- The ipsilateral transverse sinus was permanently occluded during the surgical approach to the intracranial lesion to increase surgical exposure by allowing a caudal lateral rostrotentorial craniectomy to be combined with a suboccipital craniectomy. In five dogs, intracranial pressure was monitored during surgery using a fiberoptic intracranial pressure monitoring device.
Results- Initial ICP varied among dogs, ranging from 7 to 21 mm Hg. Intracranial pressure, however, decreased in all dogs after craniectomy and durotomy ( P <.05). No increase in intracranial pressure occurred after transverse sinus occlusion ( P =.42). All dogs survived the surgical procedure.
Conclusions- Acute, unilateral transverse sinus occlusion during craniectomy in dogs with space-occupying intracranial lesions did not result in significant increases in ICP or intraoperative mortality.
Clinical Relevance- Acute, unilateral transverse sinus occlusion during craniectomy can be used to increased surgical exposure to the caudal fossa of the brain without increased risk of increasing ICP.     

Infiltrating Foxp3+ Regulatory T cells and Histopathological Features in Canine Classical and Spermatocytic Seminomas

In humans, regulatory T (T reg) cells are known to play a critical role in both the regulation of immune homoeostasis and the progression of cancer. However, there is little information about the identification, characterization and the function of T reg cells in canine tumours. We identified T reg cells in 28 canine seminoma samples using a Forkhead box P3 (Foxp3) antibody and investigated the relationship between T reg cell infiltration and histopathological features of classical and spermatocytic seminomas (SE and SS, respectively). The Foxp3 protein showed nuclear immunostaining in infiltrating lymphocytes, and Foxp3+ cells were diffused or focally distributed in seminoma tissues. Foxp3+ cells were frequently present in the SS histotype, in seminomas that showed no evidence of tumour cell invasion into the vessels and in seminomas showing a diffuse growth pattern with three cell types. Neither the SE/SS histotype nor the histopathological features of the tumour correlated with Foxp3+ cell counts. These results indicate that Foxp3+ T reg cells may be associated with a less malignant histological phenotype or may not play a critical role in the immune response of canine seminomas. Moreover, Foxp3+ T reg cells may be associated with SS seminoma, but further studies, involving a larger number of samples, are required to better understand whether these cells play a critical role in the immune response in canine seminomas. This is the first report to demonstrate the characteristics of T reg cell infiltration in canine seminoma.