Effect of supplementing graded concentrations of non-phytate phosphorus on performance,egg quality and bone mineral variables in White Leghorn layers

1. An experiment was conducted to determine optimal non-phytate phosphorus (NPP) concentrations for White Leghorn (WL) layers (22–72 weeks) fed diet containing 38 g Ca/kg.

2. Eight diets with graded concentrations (1.5–3.25 g/kg in increments of 0.25 g) of NPP were prepared. Each diet was fed to eight pen replicates containing 88 birds in each. Performance data was evaluated in three different phases (phase I-22–37 weeks, phase II-38–53 weeks and phase III-54–72 weeks). Optimum levels of NPP were determined by fitting a quadratic polynomial (QP) regression model.

3. Egg production (EP) was not affected (P = 0.059) by the concentration of NPP and interaction between NPP and diet phase was non-significant, indicating that the lowest concentration (1.5 g/kg diet) of NPP used in the study was adequate across the three phases. However, EP was influenced by phase (P < 0.001).

4. Optimum concentration of NPP for feed intake (FI) was estimated to be 1.5, 1.71 and 2.40 g/kg diet during phases I, II and III, respectively. FI per egg mass (EM) or feed efficiency (FE) responded quadratically with NPP and also differed significantly between phases. Optimum concentration of NPP for FE during phases I, II and III was 1.5, 2.56 and 2.32 g/kg diet, respectively.

5. Egg weight (EW), EM, shell weight and thickness were not affected by NPP concentration although all of these variables (except shell weight) were influenced by phases.

6. Breaking strength of tibia and Ca contents in tibia ash were not affected by the concentration of NPP, but bone ash and P contents in tibia ash were influenced (P < 0.001) by NPP. Predicted optimal concentrations of NPP for responses for tibia ash at 44 or 72 weeks, tibia ash P at 44 weeks and tibia ash P at 72 weeks were 1.55, 2.63 and 1.5 g/kg diet, respectively.

7. Based on the results, it was concluded that WL layers required 1.5 g, 2.63 g and 2.4 g, respectively/kg diet during phase I, II and III with the calculated daily intake of 137.3, 278.3 and 262 mg NPP/b/d.     

Identification and pathogenicity study of emerging fish pathogens Acinetobacter junii and Acinetobacter pittii recovered from a disease outbreak in Labeo catla (Hamilton, 1822) and Hypophthalmichthys molitrix (Valenciennes, 1844) of freshwater wetland in West Bengal,India

The disease outbreaks in aquaculture system of wetlands are the major cause of fish mortality. Among various bacterial septicaemic diseases, fish mortality caused by Acinetobacter spp. is recently reported in different fish species. Fish disease outbreak was investigated in a wetland of West Bengal, India to identify the aetiological factors involved. The moribund fish were examined and subjected to bacterial isolation. Two bacterial causative agents were identified as Acinetobacter junii and Acinetobacter pittii by biochemical characterization and 16S rRNA gene amplification. Both the isolates were oxidase‐negative, nitrate‐negative, catalase‐positive and indole‐negative. The molecular identification using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and phylogenetic tree analysis further confirmed the two Acinetobacter spp. with 97%–99% similarity. The antibiotic resistance patterns of these two bacteria revealed that both of them were resistant to β‐lactam, cefalexin, cephalothin, amoxyclav, cefuroxime, cefadroxil, clindamycin, vancomycin and penicillin. In addition, A. pittii was also resistant to other antibiotics of cephams group such as ceftazidime and cefotaxime. In the challenge experiment, both A. junii and A. pittii were found to be pathogenic with LD₅₀ of 1.24 × 10⁵ and 1.88 × 10⁷ cfu/fish respectively. Histopathological examination of gill, liver and kidney revealed prominent changes supporting bacterial septicaemia. The investigation reports for the first time on concurrent infection by A. junii and multidrug‐resistant (MDR)‐A. pittii as emerging fish pathogens to cause severe mortality in Labeo catla and Hypophthalmichthys molitrix in a freshwater wetland.     

Factors Affecting Adoption of Improved Rice Varieties among Rural Farm Households in Central Nepal

The use of improved high yielding crop varieties is an important avenue for reducing hunger and food insecurity in developing countries. Using cross-sectional data obtained from a survey conducted during 2013 crop season, we performed a probit model(plot-level analysis) to determine the probability of adopting new improved rice varieties(NIRVs) by smallholder farmers particularly from two main agro-ecological regions(hills and tropical plain terai regions) of Central Nepal. The results revealed that education, extension services and seed access play significant roles in adoption decisions.Additionally, farm and field characteristic variables such as farm size, endowment of favorable land type(e.g. lowlands), and animal power(e.g. oxen) are the key factors influencing the probability of adopting NIRVs. The results showed that technology specific variables(e.g. yield potential and acceptability) are significant for explaining adoption behavior, implying that it is important to take farmers' preferences to varietal characteristics into consideration in the design of a research and development program. Given the significant role played by extension and access related variables, increased emphasis on information dissemination, field demonstration, and farmers' participatory research and training programs to popularize new rice varieties and enhance their adoption rate are required. This also suggests that policy intervention should be made on improving the educational status of farming households, and developing programs on varietal package of rice seed which offer farmers a variety of choices among the appropriate pools of germplasm. Such programs ultimately help farmers develop more profit-oriented behavior which are necessary to enhance adoption rate, production and food security in the long run.     

Evaluation of low-molecular-weight heparin for the prevention of equine laminitis after colic surgery

Objectives – The aim of this study is to describe the prevalence of postoperative laminitis in colic cases and to determine if low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) is effective in preventing this complication.
Design – Retrospective clinical study.
Animals – Client-owned horses.
Interventions – SC administration of enoxaparin during the postoperative period.
Measurements and Main Results – Medical records of 360 horses undergoing surgery for colic and surviving at least 3 days were evaluated. Fifty-six horses admitted before 1995 did not receive LMWH (control group) and 304 admitted after 1995 received LMWH as a prophylaxis for laminitis (treatment group). Three grades of severity were defined for laminitis. Prevalence and severity of laminitis were compared between the 2 groups. Several parameters recorded on admission (sex, age, breed, site and nature of the disease, heart rate, PCV, gravity score, and shock score) and the administration of LMWH were tested as risk factors in the development of laminitis in a logistic regression procedure. Prevalence and grade of laminitis were significantly lower in the treatment group. Only the absence of LMWH was recognized as a significant risk factor in the logistic regression model.
Conclusions – The administration of LMWH appears to be effective in the prophylaxis of laminitis following colic surgery and may be useful in the postoperative management of these horses.     

Unilateral scrotal pyocele in ram caused by Staphylococcus capitis

A massive unilateral scrotal pyocele caused by Staphylococcus capitis in a 6‐year‐old ram is reported. Ultrasound examination of the right hemiscrotum showed an irregular hyperechoic mass in an anechoic fluid. A dense exudate was collected from the scrotum for microbiological analysis. Grossly, there was an extensive greenish purulent exudate and a completely atrophied right testis. Coagulase‐negative S. capitis was isolated in pure culture. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of genital infection by S. capitis in rams. This microorganism should be included in the differential diagnosis of ovine genital infections.     

Evaluation of an indirect oscillometric blood pressure monitor in normotensive and hypotensive anesthetized dogs

Objective – To determine the accuracy and precision of an oscillometric noninvasive blood pressure device as a predictor of invasive direct blood pressure in healthy anesthetized hypotensive and normotensive dogs. Design – Prospective observational study. Setting – University teaching hospital. Animals – Eight crossbred adult dogs. Interventions – Anesthesia was induced with propofol and maintained with isoflurane. A catheter was placed in the dorsal pedal artery to record systolic, mean, and diastolic arterial blood pressures (aSAP, aMAP, and aDAP, respectively). The noninvasive blood pressure device cuff was placed around the contralateral front limb to record noninvasive systolic, mean, and diastolic blood pressure (nSAP, nMAP, and nDAP). Two states of blood pressure (BP) were studied: baseline state was established by keeping end‐tidal isoflurane concentration at 1.2±0.1%. The hypotensive state was achieved by maintaining the same isoflurane concentration while withdrawing approximately 40% of the animal's blood volume until aMAP was stable at approximately 40 mm Hg. At the end of the study, blood was returned to the animal and it was allowed to recover from anesthesia. Measurements and Main Results – Agreement between the direct and indirect BP measurements was determined by the Bland‐Altman method. The SAP and MAP but not DAP bias varied significantly between each BP state. Normotensive absolute biases (mean [SD]) for SAP, MAP, and DAP were ?14.7 mm Hg (15.5 mm Hg), ?16.4 mm Hg (12.1 mm Hg), and ?14.1 mm Hg (15.8 mm Hg), respectively. Absolute biases during the hypotensive state for SAP, MAP, and DAP were ?32 mm Hg (22.6 mm Hg), ?24.2 mm Hg (19.5 mm Hg), and ?16.8 mm Hg (17.2 mm Hg), respectively. Conclusion – The oscillometric device was not reliably predictive of intra‐arterial BP during hypotension associated with acute hemorrhage.     

Identification of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ascochyta rabiei</Emphasis> disease resistance in chickpea genotypes

Ascochyta blight (AB) disease, caused by the fungus Ascochyta rabiei, is a major yield limiting factor of chickpea in Australia and around the world. The aggressiveness of six A. rabiei isolates was identified using 3 chickpea varieties (Jimbour, Flipper and Yorker). These AB isolates were isolated from chickpea fields in northern NSW, one of the major chickpea production regions in Australia. Each of the six isolates produced a different aggressiveness pattern and isolate 4859 was found to be the most aggressive. The AB resistance in 16 international and Australian chickpea genotypes was then investigated by inoculating the plants with the most aggressive isolate and a mixture of the other 5 isolates. Resistance to both the most aggressive isolate and the mixed isolates has been identified in 5 genotypes (ICCV 98813, Flipper, ICCV 05111, ICCV 98801, Jimbour #1) while 10 entries (Howzat, ICCV 06108 and ICCV 98818, Jimbour, ICCV 96852, ICCV 06107, ICCV 98816, Yorker, FLIP97-114C, ICCV 96853) were moderately resistant. Only one genotype (Bumper) appeared to be susceptible to both inoculums. There was large variation observed in the pathogenicity of the isolates suggesting that the six AB isolates represent several different pathogen strains. Significant differences in leaf infection rate, plant infection rate, plant death rate and disease development were identified among the chickpea genotypes tested. These findings suggest that these chickpea genotypes carry different resistant genes, which can be exploited in breeding programmes to develop high levels of disease resistance.     

Effect of dietary α -tocopherol concentration on performance and some immune responses in broiler chickens fed on diets containing oils from different sources

1. An investigation was carried out into the effects of dietary α-tocopherol (α-T) concentration and source of supplemental oil on performance, activity of anti-oxidative enzymes and some immune responses in broilers from day-old to 41 d of age. 2. Three dietary concentrations of α-T (10, 50 and 100 mg/kg) with three sources of supplemental oil (sunflower - SFO, palm - PMO and safflower - SAO) were provided using a 3 × 3 experimental design. 3. Body weight gain and food conversion efficiency were not affected by either interaction or concentrations of α-T and sources of oil in diet. 4. Concentrations of total protein, globulin, triglycerides and cholesterol in sera increased significantly with dietary α-T concentration irrespective of the source of oil. Significantly higher concentration of serum albumin was evident in broilers fed on the SFO-based diet and the concentration of globulin was higher in groups fed on those diets containing PMO and SAO. 5. The lipid peroxidation (LP), measured as MDA release, decreased with the concentration of α-T in a dose-related manner with SFO- and SAO-based diets, although not with the PMO-based diet. With different oil sources, LP was significantly lower with the PMO-based diet compared to the others. Activities of glutathione peroxidase and RBC catalase increased and heterophil: lymphocyte ratio was reduced with concentration of α-T for each source of oil tested. 6. Assays for humoral and cell-mediated immune responses indicated no effect of the source of dietary supplemental oil or interaction, although an increasing concentration of dietary α-T improved cell-mediated immune responses. 7. It is concluded that sunflower oil, palm oil and safflower oil can be used as sources of oil for broiler diets without having any effect on performance, immune responses or the activity of anti-oxidizing enzymes. Higher concentrations of dietary α-tocopherol (50 or 100 mg/kg) reduced lipid peroxidation activity and enhanced activities of anti-oxidative enzymes, they also improved the cell-mediated immune responses in commercial broilers.     

Hydroponic experiment for identification of tolerance traits developed by rice Nagina 22 mutants to low-phosphorus in field condition

Development of phosphate (P)-deficiency tolerant rice cultivars is constrained by lack of suitable, reproducible, and consistent seedling stage screening methods in breeding programs. This study reports the screening and characterization of M5 mutants derived from an ethyl methane sulfonate treated population of rice cv. Nagina 22 (N22) in low-P field (soil Olsen P 1.94–2.01 mg kg^?1; alkaline Vertisol; pH 7.94) for high yield. The present study showed that seedling growth responses such as increase in root weight, root length, root/shoot weight, and dry weight in P-deficient medium can be taken as indices of low-P tolerance in mature plants in field. Total phosphorus content in seedlings showed an inverse relationship with total phosphorus content and low-P tolerance in mature plants in the field. But, phosphorus content in seeds and acid phosphatase activity in the seedling stage were positively correlated with survival and seed set in low-P field. In low-P field, plant height correlated most with yield per plant, and the number of productive tillers in mature plants was highly correlated with tiller number at vegetative stage. These mutants (NH776, NH710, and NH719) have agronomic importance because of their ability to grow and give higher yield than N22 in P-deficient field.