Remote monitoring system as a tool for calving management in Mediterranean Buffalo heifers (Bubalus bubalis)

Buffalo breeding is common in Southern Italy. Dystocia compromises dam's and newborn health and welfare. Difficult parturition could be solved through prompt calving assistance, even if the identification of the beginning of delivery is challenging. Herein, we aimed to evaluate a remote calving alarm system in 15 Mediterranean buffalo heifers. An intravaginal probe was placed close to the external cervical os once premonitory signs of delivery were observed. No vaginal discharge nor signs of discomfort were notified in the days following the insertion of the probe. Heifers calved from 48 to 72 hr after the alarm was activated. The system correctly warned the farm personnel at the beginning of stage II of parturition, except for 2 cases. In the former, the intravaginal probe was expelled but the poor carrier network coverage negatively affected phone's signal quality; in the latter, recurrent vaginal prolapse was responsible for non-retention of the probe. Overall median expulsive phase was 68 ± 8 min, while the expulsion of a female calf took 54 ± 22.0 min and 90 ± 34.0 min in males, with significant difference (p =.02). Deliveries were homogeneously distributed across a 24-hr interval. No retention of foetal membranes nor metritis was identified at postpartum clinical examination. The calving alarm system used in this work was well tolerated in buffalo heifers. The introduction of smart technology in buffalo farming could contribute to the overall farm net return by reducing calf losses, especially for calves born from sexed-sorted semen, and by increasing animal welfare through quick resolution of dystocia. Further studies will be necessary to evaluate the net return in buffalo farms which will implement a remote calving alarm system on a wider population.     

Variation in syringes and needles dead space compared to the International Organization for Standardization standard 7886-1:2018

ObjectiveTo measure the dead space of various syringe volumes and brands and a range of needles gauges commonly used in clinical practice, and to compare the results to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standard 7886-1:2018.Study designProspective observational study.MethodsSyringes of five brands and seven volumes: 1, 2.5, 5, 10, 20, 30, and 60 mL, 10 of each, 10 1 mL low dead space syringes and 10 23, 21 and 18 gauge needles were analysed. Syringe dead space was estimated by weighing each syringe, drawing up and expelling its rated volume of water for injection and re-weighing the syringe. The difference in mass between the two measurements was calculated and converted to a volume based on the density of water. The dead space of the needles was estimated using a similar technique: each needle was attached to a 1 mL syringe of known dead space. A Mettler electronic balance was used for the measurements. Mean dead space was calculated for each syringe volume and needle gauge. Data were compared to the ISO standard.ResultsSyringe dead space for 1 and 2.5 mL was less than 0.07 mL. For 5 mL syringes four of five brands, and for 10 mL syringes one of five brands failed to comply with the ISO; the dead space was greater than 0.075 and 0.1 mL, respectively. For the 20, 30, 60 mL syringes the dead space was less than 0.2 mL. Needle dead space was 0.05 mL for 23 and 21 gauge, and 0.07 mL for 18 gauge, similar in order of magnitude to syringe dead space.ConclusionsThe dead space of syringes differs between brands, and some do not meet the ISO standard. When calculating the amount of drug lost due to dead space, both that of the syringe and needle used should be considered.     

Effects of activated charcoal and tannin added to compost and to soil on carbon dioxide,nitrous oxide and ammonia volatilization

Given high mineralization rates of soil organic matter addition of organic fertilizers such as compost and manure is a particularly important component of soil fertility management under irrigated subtropical conditions as in Oman. However, such applications are often accompanied by high leaching and volatilization losses of N. Two experiments were therefore conducted to quantify the effects of additions of activated charcoal and tannin either to compost in the field or directly to the soil. In the compost experiment, activated charcoal and tannins were added to compost made from goat manure and plant material at a rate of either 0.5 t activated charcoal ha^?1, 0.8 t tannin extract ha^?1, or 0.6 t activated charcoal and tannin ha^?1 in a mixed application. Subsequently, emissions of CO₂, N₂O, and NH₃ volatilization were determined for 69 d of composting. The results were verified in a 20‐d soil incubation experiment in which C and N emissions from a soil amended with goat manure (equivalent to 135 kg N ha^?1) and additional amendments of either 3 t activated charcoal ha^?1, or 2 t tannin extract ha^?1, or the sum of both additives were determined. While activated charcoal failed to affect the measured parameters, both experiments showed that peaks of gaseous CO₂ and N emission were reduced and/or occurred at different times when tannin was applied to compost and soil. Application of tannins to compost reduced cumulative gaseous C emissions by 40% and of N by 36% compared with the non‐amended compost. Tannins applied directly to the soil reduced emission of N₂O by 17% and volatilization of NH₃ by 51% compared to the control. However, emissions of all gases increased in compost amended with activated charcoal, and the organic C concentration of the activated charcoal amended soil increased significantly compared to the control. Based on these results, tannins appear to be a promising amendment to reduce gaseous emissions from composts, particularly under subtropical conditions.     

Gaseous emissions and soil fertility of homegardens in the Nuba Mountains,Sudan

Intensification of homegardens in the Nuba Mountains may lead to increases in C and nutrient losses from these small‐scale land‐use systems and potentially threaten their sustainability. This study, therefore, aimed at determining gaseous C and N fluxes from homegarden soils of different soil moisture, temperature, and C and N status. Emissions of CO₂, NH₃, and N₂O from soils of two traditional and two intensified homegardens and an uncultivated control were recorded bi‐weekly during the rainy season in 2010. Flux rates were determined with a portable dynamic closed chamber system consisting of a photo‐acoustic multi‐gas field monitor connected to a PTFE coated chamber. Topsoil moisture and temperature were recorded simultaneously to the gas measurements. Across all homegardens emissions averaged 4,527 kg CO₂‐C ha^?1, 22 kg NH₃‐N ha^?1, and 11 kg N₂O‐N ha^?1 for the observation period from June to December. Flux rates were largely positively correlated with soil moisture and predominantly negatively with soil temperature. Significant positive, but weak (r_s < 0.34) correlations between increasing management intensity and emissions were noted for CO₂‐C. Similarly, morning emissions of NH₃ and increasing management intensity were weakly correlated (r_s = 0.17). The relatively high gaseous C and N losses in the studied homegardens call for effective management practices to secure the soil organic C status of these traditional land‐use systems.     

Trophic niche overlap between native freshwater mussels (Order: Unionida) and the invasive Corbicula fluminea

1. Freshwater mussels (Order Unionida) are highly threatened. Interspecific competition for food sources with invasive alien species is considered to be one of the factors responsible for their decline because successful invaders are expected to have wider trophic niches and more flexible feeding strategies than their native counterparts.
2. In this study, carbon (δ¹³C: ¹³C/¹²C) and nitrogen (δ¹⁵N: ¹⁵N/¹⁴N) stable isotopes were used to investigate the trophic niche overlap between the native freshwater mussel species, Anodonta anatina, Potomida littoralis, and Unio delphinus, and the invasive bivalve Corbicula fluminea living in sympatry in the Tua basin (south-west Europe).
3. The species presenting the widest trophic niches were C. fluminea and A. anatina, which indicate that they have broader diets than U. delphinus and P. littoralis. Nonetheless, all the species assimilated microphytobenthos, sediment organic matter, and detritus derived from vascular plants, although with interspecific variability in the assimilated proportions of each source. The trophic niche of the invasive species overlapped with the trophic niche of all the native species, with the extent varying between sites and according to the species.
4. From the three native species analysed, Potomida littoralis may be at a higher risk for competition for food with C. fluminea in the Tua basin, if food sources become limited, because this native mussel presented the narrowest trophic niche across sites and the highest probability of overlapping with the trophic niche of C. fluminea.
5. Given the global widespread distribution of C. fluminea, the implementation of management measures devoted to the control or even eradication of this invasive alien species should be a conservation priority given its potential for competition with highly threatened native freshwater mussels.

     

Comparison of thermal and chemical stability of Cu–humic complexes

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to investigate relationships between chemical and thermal stabilities of Cu–humic complexes. The study of the chemical stability was based on pedological methods used for the determination of the bond strength of metal ions in soils by chemical leaching agents. The samples with various contents of the Cu(II) ions and their bond strength were put to the thermal analysis in order to correlate their thermo-oxidative behavior with their stability determined by leaching.

Materials and methods

The humic acid was extracted from the South-Moravian lignite by standard alkaline extraction. The humic sample was used in two different forms: as the solid powder and as the hydrogel prepared by the acidic precipitation of humate. Six various concentrations of copper(II) solutions were used for the complexation of the humic powder and the hydrogel, in order to study the influence of their initial concentration on both the determined stabilities of the prepared complexes. Their chemical stability was assessed in terms of the Cu(II) ions release from the humic acid structure into two different extraction agents (MgCl₂ and HCl solutions). Their thermo-oxidative behavior was investigated employing the thermogravimetry.

Results and discussion

The complexation capacity of the humic hydrogel was higher in comparison with the humic powder. The amounts extractable from the Cu–humic complexes by the used leaching agents are higher for the humic powder, which shows on the lower chemical stability. The thermal degradation of the prepared complexes proceeds in several steps and this character remains also after the removal of the mobile and the ion-exchangeable fractions by the MgCl₂. The elimination of these fractions as well as the extraction of the strongly bound Cu(II) ions shift the thermal degradation to higher temperatures. The incombustible residue increases with the Cu(II) content in the complexes except for the samples extracted by the HCl.

Conclusions

The form of humic sample used for the preparation of the Cu–humic complexes influences both the chemical stability and the thermal one. The main reason is probably a better accessibility of the functional groups in the humic gel, which enables forming stronger binding copper(II) ions. The results showed that the thermal and chemical stabilities are closely related, which corresponds with the shift of the thermal degradation to higher temperatures after removing the less stable fractions from the humic complexes.     

Influenza B virus in seals

Influenza B virus is a human pathogen whose origin and possible reservoir in nature are not known. An influenza B virus was isolated from a naturally infected harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) and was found to be infectious to seal kidney cells in vitro. Sequence analyses and serology indicated that influenza virus B/Seal/Netherlands/1/99 is closely related to strains that circulated in humans 4 to 5 years earlier. Retrospective analyses of sera collected from 971 seals showed a prevalence of antibodies to influenza B virus in 2% of the animals after 1995 and in none before 1995. This animal reservoir, harboring influenza B viruses that have circulated in the past, may pose a direct threat to humans.