Influence of storage time and processing on chemical composition and in vitro ruminal fermentation of olive cake

Olive oil extraction generates olive cake (OC) that could be used in ruminant feeding. However, the chemical composition of OC is affected by multiple factors, being therefore highly variable. The objective of this study was to analyse the influence of storage time and further processing: crude, exhausted (subjected to a second oil extraction) and cyclone (obtained from a cyclone separator) on nutritive value of OC samples. Twelve samples (six crude and six exhausted) were obtained monthly from the same pond from 1 to 6 storage months, and nine samples (three crude, three exhausted and three cyclone) were obtained monthly from a different pond from 6 to 9 months storage. Chemical composition was analysed, and OC samples were fermented in vitro with sheep rumen fluid. Increasing storage time up to 6 months decreased sugars and total soluble polyphenols content but increased fibre content in OC. Dry matter effective degradability (DMED) decreased linearly (p < 0.001) by 35.9 and 45.5% as storage time augmented from 1 to 6 months for crude and exhausted OC, respectively. Crude OC had lower DMED values than exhausted OC (averaged values 0.255 and 0.294 g/g, respectively). Both potential production and rate of gas production were lower (p ≤ 0.018) in crude compared with exhausted OC, which was attributed to the high fat content of crude OC (≥86 g/kg dry matter). For samples stored longer than 6 months, cyclone had greater (p < 0.05) DMED than crude and exhausted OC (averaged values 0.207, 0.164 and 0.164 g/g, respectively). The results indicate that ruminal degradability of OC is reduced with advancing storage time, but only subtle changes were observed during the first two months. Cyclone showed greater degradability than crude and exhausted OC, but differences between crude and exhausted OC became negligible after five storage months.     

丙酸咪唑苯脲的研制及其对梨形虫病的治疗试验

以苯甲腈为起始原料 ,经硝化、环化、还原、缩合、成盐等五步反应合成抗梨形虫病新药丙酸咪唑苯脲 ,用 IR、UV、MS、1HNMR、13 CNMR、元素分析等对其化学结构进行了确证。UV法测定牛血药浓度及组织残留量。小白鼠 i P丙酸咪唑苯脲 ,LD50 =84.4± 1 3.5mg/kg。该药无致突变性和无致畸效应。用其治疗家畜梨形虫病 ,临床治愈率为 75%～ 1 0 0 %;预防水牛巴贝西虫病 ,试验组和对照组的发病率分别为 0 .72 %和 1 0 %,两组差异特别显著 ( P<0 .0 1 )     

MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING OF THE CANINE OPTIC NERVE

We describe the magnetic resonance (MR) imaging aspects of normal canine optic nerve, the diameter of the optic nerve as measured on MR images, and optimal MR sequences for the evaluation of the optic nerve using a 0.2 T MR unit. Three millimeter contiguous slides of the normal canine orbital region were acquired in transverse and dorsal oblique planes using a variety of tissue weighting sequences. It was apparent that detailed anatomic assessment of the optic nerve can be performed with low‐field MR imaging, but none of the sequences provided unequivocal superior image quality of the optic nerve. The mean diameter of the optic nerve sheath complex was 3.7 mm and of the optic nerve 1.7 mm. The intraorbital and intracanalicular parts of the optic nerve are consistently visible and differentiation between the optic nerve and optic nerve sheath complex is possible using low‐field MR systems.     

Molecular cloning and expression analysis of a CXC chemokine gene from large yellow croaker Pseudosciaena crocea

In the present study, we report the cloning of a CXCL12 chemokine gene homologue from the large yellow croaker Pseudosciaena crocea (LycCXCL12). The complete cDNA of LycCXCL12 is 678 nucleotides (nt) encoding a protein of 97 amino acids (aa), with a putative molecular weight of 11.1 kDa. The deduced LycCXCL12 contains a 22-aa signal peptide and a 75-aa mature polypeptide, which possesses the typical arrangement of four cysteines as found in other known CXC chemokines. It shares 57-68% and 32-36% aa sequence identities to known CXCL12 chemokines in fish species and other vertebrates, respectively. The LycCXCL12 gene was constitutively expressed in all tissues examined although at different levels. Upon induction with poly(I:C) or inactivated trivalent bacterial vaccine, LycCXCL12 gene expression was significantly up-regulated in gills, liver, kidney, spleen and blood at 24 h after stimulation. Time course analysis using real-time PCR showed that LycCXCL12 gene expression reached peak level in spleen and kidney at 12 h or in gills at 24 h post-induction by poly(I:C), while its expression increased to the highest level in kidney at 24h or in gills and spleen at 48 h post-induction by bacterial vaccine, indicating that LycCXCL12 gene expression was differentially regulated by poly(I:C) and bacterial vaccine.     

A retrospective analysis of radiation therapy for the treatment of feline vaccine‐associated sarcoma*

We retrospectively evaluated predictive prognostic factors in 73 cats with vaccine‐associated sarcoma given postsurgical curative (n = 46, most with clean margins) or coarse fractionated radiotherapy (n = 27, most with either macroscopic disease or dirty margins). The former animals displayed a median survival of 43 months and a median progression free interval (PFI) of 37 months, the latter reached a median survival of 24 months and a median PFI of 10 months. In cats undergoing coarse fractionated therapy, factors predictive of a better outcome included lack of visible mass (n = 10) as opposed to macroscopic disease (n = 17, survival: 30 versus 7 months, P = 0.025; PFI: 20 versus 4 months, P = 0.01), adjuvant chemotherapy for gross disease (n = 5/17, survival: 29 versus 5 months, P = 0.04) and a smaller number of surgeries preceding radiation therapy (coeff = 0.41, P = 0.03). The Ki67 index was not predictive for survival. We concluded that postsurgical curative and coarse fractionated radiotherapy are effective legitimate options for managing vaccine‐associated sarcomas.     

Suspected venous air embolism in three horses

Venous air embolism was suspected in 3 hospitalised horses on the basis of an inadvertently open jugular venous line. Subsequently the 3 horses developed clinical signs including cardiovascular collapse, cardiac dysrhythmia, pulmonary oedema, behavioural abnormalities and neurological signs consistent with central nervous system injury. Treatment included intranasal oxygen therapy, i.v. fluid administration and anti‐inflammatory therapy. Specific therapy aimed at treating air embolism in man is reviewed, with pertinent therapy potentially applicable to horses emphasised.     

The coefficient of dominance is not (always) estimable with biallelic markers

The genetic relationship among individuals at one locus is characterized by nine coefficients of identity. The coefficients of inbreeding, coancestry and dominance (or fraternity) are just linear functions of them. Here, it is shown how they can be estimated using biallelic and triallelic markers using the method of moments, and comparisons are made with other methods based on molecular coancestry or molecular covariance. It is concluded that in the general case of dominance and inbreeding with biallelic markers, only the coefficients of inbreeding and coancestry can be estimated, but neither the single coefficients of identity nor the coefficient of dominance can be estimated. More than two alleles are required for a full estimation as illustrated with the triallelic situation.