Fatal aortic endocarditis associated with community-acquired Serratia marcescens infection in a dog

A 12 yr old Dalmatian was referred for evaluation of acute lethargy, fever, neurologic signs, and a recently ausculted heart murmur. Echocardiography in combination with blood cultures resulted in a diagnosis of nonhospital-acquired Serratia marcescens bacteremia and aortic valve endocarditis. Despite early diagnosis and aggressive therapy, the dog failed to respond to antimicrobials and died within 6 hr after admission. Necropsy findings included aortic valve endocarditis, septicemia, and diffuse thromboembolic disease. There was no history of pre-existing underlying disease or immunosuppressive therapy, and the dog had not been hospitalized before referral.     

The effect of high temperature interruptions during inductive period on the extent of flowering and on metabolic responses in olives (Olea europaea L.)

The effect of the duration of high temperature interruption and the timing of its occurrence during inductive period on the extent of inhibition of inflorescence production in ‘Arbequina’ olive trees was investigated. Trees kept under inductive conditions in different growth chambers were subjected to high daytime temperature (26 ± 1 °C) interruptions for 3, 6, and 12 days. There was no significant difference in the extent of flowering between trees given an uninterrupted induction period and the trees where inductive period was interrupted with high daytime temperatures for three days. Inflorescence production was significantly reduced by both 6 and 12 days high temperature interruptions. Number of flowers per inflorescence was significantly reduced only with 12 days high temperature interruption. Since there was no significant difference between the extent of inhibition of inflorescence by 6 and 12 days high temperature interruption, therefore, 6 days high temperature interruption was used in subsequent experiments to study the effect of timing of interruption. A six day interruption of high temperature produced significant reduction (more than 83%) in inflorescence production irrespective of the time of interruption (i.e., 40 or 50 days after the start of induction) or number of interruptions. None of these treatments had any significant effect on the number of flowers per inflorescence. Higher levels of free arginine were found in trees that had greatest number of inflorescences produced under inductive conditions without any high temperature interruption.     

Protein and energy utilization of boiled rice-legume diets and boiled cereals in growing rats

In growing rats, boiled milled rice-legume diets (2:1 N ratio) had lower energy digestigibility than boiled milled rice and equal if not better true digestibility, biological value, and net protein utilization (NPU). Rice-soybean diets showed better NPU than the other rice-legume diets. Boiled whole-grain corn and sorghum had lower digstible energy and NPU than boiled milled rice. NPU of the diets did not follow strictly the trend of the amino acid score of the diets; phenol (tannin) content reduced energy and protein digestibility of all diets, but sugars reduced energy and protein digestibilities of rice-legume diets only.     

Age and weight at first calving and subsequent performance in Dutch dairy cattle from rearing farms

Summary

Calf‐cow records from 1081 replacement heifers raised on 42 specialised rearing farms in the province of Noord‐Brabant have been analysed. The predominant breed was Meuse‐Rhine‐Yssel (MRY). The objective was to study the relationship between weight and age at first calving and milk production in subsequent lactations, herd life span, dystocia and first calving interval.

Weight appeared to be a better predictor for first lactation Fat and Protein Corrected Milk production (FPCM‐1) than age. First lactation FPCM had a significant and positive effect on herd life FPCM. First lactation FPCM was significantly associated with first calving interval.     

Comparison of Different Treatments for Oestrous Induction in Seasonally Anovulatory Mares

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of different treatments for induction and synchronization of oestrus and ovulation in seasonally anovulatory mares. Fifteen mares formed the control group (C), while 26 mares were randomly assigned to three treatment groups. Group T1 (n = 11) were treated with oral altrenogest (0.044 mg/kg; Regumate^®) during 11 days. Group T2 (n = 7) was intravaginally treated with 1.38 g of progesterone (CIDR^®) for 11 days. In group T3 (n = 8), mares were also treated with CIDR^®, but only for 8 days. All mares received PGF2α 1 day after finishing the treatment. Sonographic evaluation of follicles, pre‐ovulatory follicle size and ovulation time was recorded. Progesterone and leptin levels were analysed. Results show that pre‐ovulatory follicles were developed after the treatment in 88.5% of mares. However, the pre‐ovulatory follicle growth was dispersal, and sometimes it was detected when treatment was not finished. While in mares treated with intravaginal device, the follicle was soon detected (1.5 ± 1.2 days and 2.3 ± 2.0 days in T2 and T3 groups, respectively), in T1 group, the pre‐ovulatory follicle was detected slightly later (3.9 ± 1.6 days). The interval from the end of treatment to ovulation did not show significant differences between groups (T1 = 13.1 ± 2.5 days; T2 = 11.0 ± 3.6 days; T3 = 13.8 ± 4.3 days). The pregnancy rate was 47.4%, similar to the rate observed in group C (46.7%; p > 0.05). Initial leptin concentrations were significantly higher in mares, which restart their ovarian activity after treatments, suggesting a role in the reproduction mechanisms in mares. It could be concluded that the used treatments may be effective for oestrous induction in mares during the late phase of the seasonally anovulatory period. Furthermore, they cannot synchronize oestrus, and then, it is necessary to know the reproductive status of mares when these treatments are used for oestrous synchronization.     

Embryogenesis in vitro of several Citrus species and cultivars

Summary

A number of experiments were performed to obtain somatic embryos and embryogenie cell lines from several species and cultivars of citrus by in vitro ovule culture. The source of ovules (pre-anthesis and post-anthesis), incubation conditions (light and darkness) and several modifications of the culture medium were evaluated. All the species and cultivars assayed produced somatic embryos and “pseudobulbi”, but production of friable embryogenie callus was species dependent. The small proliferation of callus and globular bodies recovered from the primary cultures were suitable for recovering embryogenie callus lines by periodical subculturing into fresh medium. After several monthly subcultures discarding embryos and “pseudobulbi”, cell lines virtually devoid of organized structures were obtained from three cultivars of sweet orange, sour orange and Cleopatra mandarin. In all these species, embryogenesis was restored spontaneously and/or by substitution of sucrose by maltose or lactose in the culture medium. The embryos germinated and produced phenotypically normal plants.     

The response of gastrointestinal microbiota to avilamycin, butyrate, and plant extracts in early-weaned pigs

An experiment was designed to evaluate the effects of 3 different additives on the gastrointestinal microbiota of early-weaned pigs. Early-weaned (18 to 22 d; n = 32) pigs (6.0 +/- 0.10 kg of BW) from 8 litters were randomly distributed into 8 pens. Each pen was assigned 1 of 4 dietary treatments: a prestarter or control diet, the control diet with 0.04% avilamycin (AB), with 0.3% sodium butyrate, or with 0.03% plant extract mixture (XT; standardized mixture with 5% (wt/wt) carvacrol extracted from Origanum spp., 3% cinnamaldehyde extracted from Cinnamonum spp., and 2% capsicum oleoresin from Capsicum annum). At the end of the experimental period, 8 pigs per treatment were killed, and samples of their intestinal content were taken. The total bacterial load along the gastrointestinal tract (GIT; stomach, jejunum, cecum, and distal colon) and the lactobacilli and enterobacteria in the jejunum and cecum were measured by quantitative PCR. The total microbial counts along the GIT did not differ among the diets, but there was an increase in the lactobacilli:enterobacteria ratio in the cecum of the piglets on the XT diet (P = 0.003). Restriction fragment length polymorphism of the PCR-amplified V3, V4, and V5 regions of the 16S rDNA gene showed changes in the structure of the microbial community in the jejunum. Dendrograms grouped animals by diets; control with 0.3% sodium butyrate was the treatment that promoted the biggest changes in the microbial ecosystem, followed by AB and then XT. Biodiversity increased when using additives compared with the control diet (P = 0.002). Microbial metabolic activity along the hindgut was studied using the concentration of purine bases and carbohydrase activities. Different patterns for purine bases were observed between diets (diet x intestinal section, P = 0.01). The control diet reached a maximum purine base concentration at the end of the colon, whereas that of the AB diet was reached at the cecum. We could not detect any cellulase or xylanase activities in animals of this age. Appreciable amylase and amylopectinase activities were found, but they did not differ between diets. The results suggest that the effects of avilamycin, butyrate, or the plant extract would not be related to a reduction in the number of total bacteria inhabiting different sections of the GIT but rather to changes in the ecological structure and metabolic activity of the microbial community.     

Effects of butyrate, avilamycin, and a plant extract combination on the intestinal equilibrium of early-weaned pigs

We evaluated the effects of 3 additives, sodium butyrate (AC), avilamycin (AB), and a combination of plant extracts (XT), on the productive performance and the intestinal environment of the early-weaned pig. The XT was a standardized mixture with 5% (wt/wt) carvacrol (from Origanum spp.), 3% cinnamaldehyde (from Cinnamonum spp.), and 2% capsicum oleoresin (from Capsicum annum). Pigs (n = 32) weaned at 18 to 22 d of age with an initial BW of 6.0 +/- 0.10 kg were allocated to 8 pens that, in turn, were allocated to 4 treatments. The treatments included a basal diet (CT) or the basal diet supplemented with 0.3% of AC, 0.04% of AB, or 0.03% of XT. Productive performance was determined during the initial 14 d postweaning. On d 19 and 21 of the experiment, the pigs were killed to allow collection of digesta and intestinal tissue to evaluate variables indicative of aspects of the gastrointestinal environment. Treatments AB and AC improved G:F (P = 0.012 and 0.003, respectively) compared with the CT. Butyrate included in the diet was only detected in the stomach but not in cranial jejunum. When compared with CT, AC produced a lower ileal starch digestibility (P = 0.002) and a lower whole-tract OM and starch digestibility (P = 0.001 and 0.003, respectively), related to a lower VFA concentration in the cranial colon (P = 0.082) and a numerically reduced branched VFA percentage in the rectum. The AB treatment diminished propionate production in caudal colon (P = 0.002) and rectum (P = 0.012) compared with CT. The AC group exhibited deeper crypt depth in the jejunum without variations in villus height compared with CT (P = 0.042). The AC and AB groups also increased goblet cell presence in the colon (P = 0.001 and 0.032, respectively). On the other hand, AB and XT diminished intraepithelial lymphocytes in the jejunum (P = 0.003 and 0.034, respectively). The XT increased lymphocyte presence in the colon (P = 0.003). These results show the important influence of AB and AC on productive performance and on pig gut dynamics. The intestinal modifications observed for AB and AC compared with CT suggest distinct modes of action for each additive.