First Description of Scrotal Testicles in a Dog Affected by 78, XX Testicular Disorder of Sex Development

An eight‐month‐old female dog presented with ambiguous external genitalia. A thorough clinical examination together with various imaging techniques and a histology examination showed the presence of two testicles linked to both the Mullerian and Wolffian ducts. The discovery of the 78,XX SRY‐negative karyotype led to the diagnosis of incoherence between the chromosomal and gonadal sex, which is typical for a 78,XX testicular disorder of sex development. Our case was unique because the testicles were still located in their normal scrotal position, whereas the literature contains reports of the presence of cryptorchid testicles in this karyotype setting. To our knowledge, this is the first case that describes an SRY‐negative 78,XX testicular disorder of sex development with bilateral scrotal testicles.     

配合饲料和饲料添加剂

前言目前畜牧生产的高效率是以下几方面因素综合作用的结果:1.畜牧生产者能迅速地接受新的饲养管理技术;2.遗传、营养和饲养管理方面的研究取得了非常有价值的成果,能够以尽可能低的成本生产优质的畜产品;3.政府鼓励科研的发展,为畜牧工作提出合理建议并制订必要的法规。在科学计算的基础上,应用配合饲料,特别是全价饲料(粉料或顺粒料)喂猪和禽能够迅速有效地将营养研究成果和革新技术应用到实际中去。全价饲料可以节省劳力,提高饲料     

Comparative adverse cardiac effects of pimobendan and benazepril monotherapy in dogs with mild degenerative mitral valve disease: a prospective, controlled, blinded, and randomized study

BACKGROUND: Pimobendan (PIMO) is an inodilator that may have some beneficial effects in canine degenerative mitral valve disease (MVD). However, little information is available about its cardiac effects in dogs without systolic myocardial dysfunction. HYPOTHESIS: Compared to benazepril (BNZ), an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, PIMO may worsen valve regurgitation in early canine MVD. ANIMALS: Twelve Beagles with asymptomatic MVD were randomized into 2 groups (n = 6) receiving BNZ or PIMO at dosages of 0.25 mg/kg PO q24h and q12h respectively, for 512 days. METHODS: The study followed a blinded, randomized, prospective, and parallel group design. After day 512, the dogs were necropsied, and cardiac histopathology was performed in a blinded manner. RESULTS: A significant treatment effect was observed as soon as day 15 with increased systolic function in the PIMO group by comparison to baseline value as assessed by fractional shortening (P < .0001) and tissue Doppler variables (P = .001). Concurrently, the maximum area and peak velocity of the regurgitant jet signal increased (P < .001), whereas these variables remained stable in the BNZ group. Histologic grades of mitral valve lesions were more severe in the PIMO group than in the BNZ group. Moreover, acute focal hemorrhages, endothelial papillary hyperplasia, and infiltration of chordae tendinae with glycosaminoglycans were observed in the mitral valves of dogs from the PIMO group but not in those of the BNZ group. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: PIMO has adverse cardiac functional and morphologic effects in dogs with asymptomatic MVD. Additional investigation in dogs with symptomatic MVD is now warranted.     

Removal of Malachite Green from Aqueous Medium Employing Polyurethane Foam as Adsorbent and Sodium Dodecylsulfate as Carrier

The present work describes a detailed study about the adsorption of malachite green (MG) by a polyether-type polyurethane foam (PUF) using sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) as a carrier. The adsorption process was based on the formation of a hydrophobic ionic-pair between the MG cationic dye and the dodecylsulfate anion, which presented high affinity for the PUF. The manifold employed in the study was built up by adjusting a cylinder of PUF with 200 mg in the arm of an overhead stirrer, which was soaked (and stirred) in the solution containing the dye and SDS. The adsorption process was characterized in relation to equilibrium and kinetic aspects. Langmuir (r ² = 0.842) and Freundlich (r ² = 0.996) isotherms were also employed for modeling the system as well as the Nernst partition law (r ² = 0.999). A study about the recovery of MG and the PUF regeneration was conducted, and the acetonitrile was the most efficient solvent for the desorption of the adsorbed ionic pair. The obtained results showed that the concentration of SDS added to the medium plays an important role on the adsorption process, which can be better described by employing a second-order kinetic model.     

Core-derived historical records of suspended sediment origin in a mesoscale mountainous catchment: the River Bléone, French Alps

Purpose

Quantifying suspended sediment fluxes and dynamics across mountains, and identifying the origin of sediment in severely eroded areas, are of primary importance for the management of water resources. This contribution aims to generalise previous results from suspended sediment fingerprinting obtained during 2007?C2009 in a mesoscale Alpine catchment (the Bléone River; 905?km²) in France, and to assess variability in sediment sources throughout the second half of the twentieth century.

Materials and methods

Sediment fingerprinting, based on elemental geochemistry and radionuclide measurements, was conducted on a sediment core collected in an alluvial floodplain at the basin outlet. This technique was combined with hydro-sedimentary time-series to reconstruct the origin of suspended sediment deposited at this location over the last 50?years.

Results and discussion

Interpretation of sedimentation based on historical hydrological databases corroborates core dating obtained with ¹³⁷Cs and ²¹⁰Pb_xs activity measurements. Black marls and (marly) limestone sources provided the main fraction of sediment throughout the sequence (40 and 22?%, respectively). However, we also found evidence for the occurrence of major floods carrying large quantities of sediment originating from Quaternary deposits and conglomerates (25 and 16?%, respectively). The variability of sediment sources throughout the sequence may reflect the spatial variability of rainfall within the catchment, which in turn reflects its origin. However, the relatively homogeneous sediment composition throughout the sequence confirms that core-derived information is representative of widespread flood events.

Conclusions

These results are consistent with those obtained in previous studies. They also outline the need to take into account the entire grain size range of fine sediment in order to provide an overall picture of sediment sources and transfers within highly erosive catchments. This study also emphasizes the importance of using archival data to validate the results of sediment fingerprinting studies conducted during short contemporary monitoring programmes, and to extend fingerprinting of sediment sources over longer time-scales which include large and widespread floods.     

Expression of Interleukin (IL)‐1β and IL‐1 Receptors Genes in the Hypothalamus of Anoestrous Ewes after Lipopolysaccharide Treatment

This study was designed to determine the effect of intravenous lipopolysaccharide (LPS) administration on the secretion of interleukin (IL)‐1β and IL‐1 receptors (IL‐1Rs) gene expression in the hypothalamus of anoestrous ewes. Gene expression of IL‐1β and its receptors was assayed by the real‐time polymerase chain reaction. The expression of IL‐1β in the hypothalamus was detected using Western blot. Our results showed that IL‐1β mRNA is transcribed in the ovine hypothalamus. Lipopolysaccharide increased (p ≤ 0.01) the IL‐1β gene expression in the pre‐optic area 2.4‐fold, the anterior hypothalamus (AHA) 3.4‐fold, the medial basal hypothalamus 3.7‐fold and the medial eminence 3.9‐fold. The pro‐form and mature form of IL‐1β protein were found in the hypothalamus after endotoxin injection. In general, the endotoxin also increased more than two times (p ≤ 0.01) the expression of IL‐1 receptor type I (IL‐1R1) and type II (IL‐1R2) genes in the hypothalamus, except the AHA, where the number of IL‐1R2 mRNA was extremely low and not sufficient to the quantitative analysis. These results demonstrate that the peripheral immune/inflammatory challenge increases the IL‐1β expression in the hypothalamus. This endogenous IL‐1β seems to be involved in the modulation of processes which are regulated at the hypothalamic level. One of these processes could be a reproduction.     

Failure of hyperimmune plasma to prevent pneumonia caused by Rhodococcus equi in foals

SUMMARY A trial was conducted on a Thoroughbred stud to determine whether or not the administration of anti-Rhodococcus equi hyperimmune plasma would reduce the prevalence of R equi pneumonia (rattles) in foals born in the 1992 horse breeding season. Hyperimmune plasma was administered to 34 foals; another 57 foals were untreated. There was no significant difference in the number of transfused foals developing R equi pneumonia compared with the untreated foals. The time required for recovery from pneumonia between the 2 groups was not significantly different.     

Colostrum yield and litter performance in multiparous sows subjected to farrowing induction

The consumption of colostrum at a low level can compromise the survival and growth of piglets. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of farrowing induction on colostrum yield, IgG concentration and the survival and performance of piglets until the weaning. Sows of parity 3 to 7 were assigned into two groups: Control (n = 48), sows with spontaneous farrowing; and induction (n = 48), sows induced to farrow on day 114 of gestation with a PGF₂ analogue. Colostrum and blood samples were collected from the sows, at farrowing and 24 hr later. Blood samples from the piglets were collected at 24 hr after birth. The performance of the piglets was evaluated in a subsample of 28 litters from each group. All piglets were weighed at 7, 14 and 20 days of age. The farrowing length, the number of piglets born alive, stillborn piglets, weight at birth, litter weight at birth and colostrum yield were not significantly affected (p > .05) by farrowing induction. There was no difference between the groups (p > .05) in the percentage of sows with obstetric interventions. Serum IgG concentration, in both sows and piglets, and colostrum IgG concentration were similar between the groups (p > .05). Furthermore, survival rate, piglet weight and litter weight at 7, 14 and 20 days of age were also similar between the groups (p > .05). Therefore, it can be concluded that the farrowing induction performed on day 114 of gestation does not affect the colostrum yield, the IgG concentration in colostrum and serum of piglets, and the litter performance until the weaning.