Biochemical analysis of uterine fluid for identification of indicators for subclinical endometritis in the water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis)

Alterations in biochemical constituents of uterine fluid have been suggested for diagnosis of subclinical uterine infection in the bovine. This study was undertaken to investigate whether uterine fluid biomolecules could act as tool for diagnosis of subclinical endometritis in the buffalo. Uterine fluid samples from normal (n = 22) and subclinical endometritis (n = 18; diagnosed based on uterine cytology)‐affected buffaloes were subjected to biochemical analysis. Among the different biochemical constituents estimated, urea, urea N, cholesterol, total bilirubin and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) concentrations were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in uterine fluid obtained from subclinical endometritis‐affected buffaloes. The extent of difference between normal and subclinical endometritis‐affected buffaloes was highest in ALP (69%) followed by cholesterol (55%), bilirubin (48%), urea (30%) and urea N (30%) concentrations. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis indicated that the likelihood ratio (LR) was 3.63 for urea, indicating that buffaloes having less than the threshold concentration (47.5 mg/dl) of urea in their uterine fluid were at 3.6 times more risk to be affected with SE. The LRs for urea N, cholesterol, ALP and bilirubin were 2.33, 2.54, 2.12 and 1.65, respectively. It was concluded that ALP, urea, urea N and cholesterol concentrations in uterine fluid may serve as an aid for diagnosing subclinical endometritis in the buffalo.     

Benthic disturbance by fishing gear in the Irish Sea: a comparison of beam trawling and scallop dredging

1. The distribution of effort for the most frequently used mobile demersal gears in the Irish Sea was examined and their potential to disturb different benthic communities calculated. Fishing effort data, expressed as the number of days fished, was collated for all fleets operating in the Irish Sea in 1994. For each gear, the percentage of the seabed swept by those parts of the gear that penetrate the seabed was calculated. 2. For all gears, the majority of fishing effort was concentrated in the northern Irish Sea. Effort was concentrated in three main locations: on the muddy sediments between Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man (otter and Nephrops trawling); off the north Wales, Lancashire and Cumbrian coast (beam trawling); the area surrounding the Isle of Man (scallop dredging). 3. In some areas, e.g. between Anglesey and the Isle of Man, the use of scallop dredges and beam trawls was coincident. A comparative experimental study revealed that scallop dredges caught much less by-catch than beam trawls. Multivariate analysis revealed that both gears modified the benthic community in a similar manner, causing a reduction in the abundance of most epifaunal species. 4. Although beam trawling disturbed the greatest area of seabed in 1994, the majority of effort occurred on grounds which supported communities that are exposed to high levels of natural disturbance. Scallop dredging, Nephrops and otter trawling were concentrated in areas that either have long-lived or poorly studied communities. The latter highlights the need for more detailed knowledge of the distribution of sublittoral communities that are vulnerable to fishing disturbance. ©British Crown Copyright 1996.