Variation among stallions in sperm quality after single layer centrifugation

Although single layer centrifugation (SLC) selects robust spermatozoa from stallion semen, the effect of individual variation has not been studied in detail. The objective of this study was to determine the variation among stallions in the effects of SLC on sperm quality during cooled storage for up to 48 hr. Semen samples from seven stallions (18 ejaculates) were split, with one portion being used for SLC and the other serving as a control (CON). Sperm quality (kinematics, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, membrane integrity (MI) and chromatin integrity) were analysed at 0, 24 and 48 hr using computer-assisted sperm analysis and flow cytometry. Sperm quality was better in SLC than in CON at all timepoints, especially chromatin integrity and MI (p < .0001 for both), and some categories of ROS production (e.g. proportion of live hydrogen peroxide negative spermatozoa, p < .0001), but the degree of improvement varied among stallions and type of ROS (p < .05–p < .0001). Total and progressive motility were also better in SLC samples than in CON at 24 and 48 hr (p < .0001), although the effect on sperm kinematics varied. The interaction of treatment, time and stallion was not significant. In conclusion, sperm quality was better in SLC samples than in CON, although there was considerable individual variation among stallions. The improvement in sperm quality, particularly in chromatin integrity, was clearly beneficial, and therefore the use of this technique would be warranted for all stallion semen samples.     

兴安盟地区旱作条件下11个苜蓿品种生产性能和饲用价值比较

为筛选兴安盟地区旱作条件下适宜引进栽培的优良苜蓿品种,在兴安盟乌兰浩特市呼和马场种植11个苜蓿(Medicago sativa)品种,通过连续2年观测参试品种的越冬率、株高、产量、茎叶比及营养成分等指标,对旱作条件下11个苜蓿品种的生产性能和饲用价值进行灰色关联分析。结果表明:图牧2号、敖汉苜蓿和呼伦贝尔杂花苜蓿两年的平均越冬率较高;SK3010、呼伦贝尔杂花苜蓿和敖汉苜蓿在株高、生长速度和干草产量方面表现较好;图牧2号的茎叶比均最大,其次是呼伦贝尔杂花苜蓿、SK3010和敖汉苜蓿;WL168HQ、斯普雷德和呼伦贝尔杂花苜蓿两年的粗蛋白质含量均高于18%;巨能2和斯贝德的粗纤维含量较高;WL168HQ、呼伦贝尔杂花苜蓿、WL343HQ、SK3010和WL319HQ的粗灰分含量均高于10%。对11个苜蓿品种的越冬率、产量特性和饲用品质进行灰色关联分析表明,呼伦贝尔杂花苜蓿的综合表现最优,适合在该地区种植推广。     

电子商务环境下中小型饲料企业物流管理创新研究

随着互联网技术的飞速发展,饲料企业面临着转型升级的巨大挑战。在电子商务背景下,饲料企业,特别是中小型饲料企业也发生着翻天覆地的变化。这些变化影响着饲料企业的物流管理。本文从企业物流管理的概念入手,对目前电子商务背景下中小型饲料企业的物流管理现状和问题进行分析。针对这些问题提出相应的电子商务环境下饲料企业物流创新性对策建议,主要包括建立“互联网+”物流管理模式,加强物流管理与电子商务之间的协调合作,加大物流管理资金、技术投入,建立专门的物流人才库。希望能通过这些建议使更多的中小型企业实现电子商务背景下物流管理的转型升级,从而达到提升企业经济效益的目的。     

铝胁迫下添加水杨酸对黑麦草生理及叶绿素荧光参数的影响

选取黑麦草品种Nagahahikari和特高作为试验材料,探究不同浓度外源水杨酸(SA)(0.3,0.6 mmol/L)对铝胁迫下黑麦草生理和叶绿素荧光特性的影响.结果表明:铝胁迫下SA浓度为0.6 mmol/L时能显著提高两个黑麦草品种的根长、地下生物量、叶绿素a、叶绿素b、叶绿素总量和荧光参数Fo、Fm、φEo、δRo、ψEo(P<0.05),增强超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)和过氧化物酶(POD)活性(P<0.05),降低黑麦草体内Al3+富集量、相对电导率和丙二醛(MDA)含量(P<0.05),提高Nagahahikari的可溶性蛋白含量和特高的可溶性糖含量(P<0.05).本研究表明铝胁迫下添加适宜浓度的外源SA能有效缓解铝胁迫对黑麦草的毒害作用,且SA对不同黑麦草品种间的缓解效果存在差异.     

Clinical,pathologic, and toxicologic characterization of Salvia reflexa (lance-leaf sage) poisoning in cattle fed contaminated hay

Salvia reflexa (lance-leaf sage)-contaminated alfalfa hay was fed to ~500 mixed-breed beef cattle. Within hours of exposure, nearly half of the cattle developed lethargy, anorexia, depression, and recumbency, followed by bellowing, colic, and death. Even though the uneaten contaminated hay was removed the first day, nearly 100 animals died within the first 48 h. Three of these cattle were examined postmortem, and tissues and hay samples were collected for microscopic and chemical analysis. Several days later, a smaller number of the clinically poisoned cattle developed neurologic disease with aberrant behavior, aggression, icterus, blindness, exhaustion, and death. A total of 165 cattle were fatally poisoned. Poisoned cattle had swollen, dark, mottled livers that had a prominent nutmeg-like lobular pattern on cut section. Histologically, there was severe centrilobular-to-panlobular hepatic necrosis with marked hepatocellular swelling, degeneration, and necrosis. The surviving cattle developed liver disease characterized by altered serum biochemical analyses and microscopic hepatocellular degeneration and necrosis. In subsequent biopsies and analysis, these lesions resolved within 6–7 mo. After confirming toxicity of the hay in cattle, goats, and mice, followed by a mouse bioassay–guided chemical fractionation process, Salvia reflexa was identified as the contaminant in the hay responsible for the hepatotoxicity. S. reflexa has not been reported previously to cause fatal hepatotoxicity in livestock in North America, to our knowledge.     

The effects of maxillary nerve block,ethmoidal nerve block and their combination on cardiopulmonary responses to nasal stimulation in anesthetized Beagle dogs

ObjectiveTo describe an approach for ethmoidal nerve block (E_BLOCK) and to compare the effects of a maxillary nerve block (M_BLOCK), E_BLOCK and their combination (M-E_BLOCK) on heart rate (HR), systolic (SAP), mean (MAP), diastolic (DAP) arterial pressures and respiratory rate (f_R) during nasal stimulation in dogs.Study designProspective, blinded, randomized, crossover placebo-controlled study.AnimalsBeagle dogs (five cadavers, nine live dogs), with a median (interquartile range) weight of 10.5 (10.3–11.0) kg.MethodsThe accuracy of iohexol injections (each 1 mL) at the maxillary and ethmoidal foramina in cadavers was evaluated using computed tomography. Then, anesthetized dogs were administered four bilateral treatments separated by 1 week, saline or 2% lidocaine 1 mL per injection: injections of saline at the maxillary and ethmoidal foramina (Control), injections of lidocaine at the maxillary foramina and saline at the ethmoidal foramina (M_BLOCK), injections of saline at the maxillary foramina and lidocaine at the ethmoidal foramina (E_BLOCK) and injections of lidocaine at all foramina (M-E_BLOCK). The ventral nasal meatus was bilaterally stimulated using cotton swabs, and HR, SAP, MAP, DAP and f_R were continuously recorded. Values for each variable were compared before and after stimulation using Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Changes in variables among treatments were analyzed using Mann–Whitney U and Kruskal–Wallis tests (p ≤ 0.05).ResultsComputed tomography revealed iohexol distribution around the openings of the target foramina in all cadavers. In living dogs, HR, SAP, MAP, DAP and f_R significantly increased after stimulation within each treatment (p < 0.03). Physiologic responses were significantly attenuated, but not absent, in the M-E_BLOCK [HR (p = 0.019), SAP, MAP, DAP and f_R (all p ≤ 0.001)] compared with those in the Control.Conclusions and clinical relevanceConcurrent injections of lidocaine at the maxillary and ethmoidal foramina attenuated HR, arterial pressure and f_R responses to nasal stimulation in Beagle dogs.     

Association between weight change during initial chemotherapy and clinical outcome in dogs with multicentric lymphoma

The majority of the known prognostic factors in dogs with lymphoma have been evaluated before treatment commences or at the time of diagnosis. Prognostic factors evaluated during the initial phase of treatment are less described but may provide important clinical information. In this retrospective study, 82 canine lymphoma patients were categorized according to the weight change between diagnosis and after 5 weeks of chemotherapy. Dogs that gained greater than 5% or lost greater than 5% of initial body weight were categorized as increased‐ or decreased‐weight groups, respectively. Those in which weight changed less than 5% were categorized as the maintained‐weight group. The median progression‐free survival (PFS) in the increased‐weight group, maintained‐weight group and decreased‐weight group was 226, 256 and 129 days, respectively. The decreased‐weight group had significantly shorter PFS than the increased and maintained groups (P = .023, P = .003, respectively). The median survival time (ST) in the increased‐weight group, maintained‐weight group and decreased‐weight group was 320, 339 and 222 days, respectively. There was no significant difference in ST among the three groups (P = .128). In Cox‐regression results, weight change group and initial body weight were significant risk factors associated to PFS (P = .007, P = .001, respectively) while only patient's initial body weight was a significant risk factor to ST (P = .013). In conclusion, evaluation of initial body weight and weight changes over time can provide valuable information regarding PFS and ST in dogs with multicentric lymphoma.