Electrosurgical tenoscopic desmotomy of the accessory ligament of the superficial digital flexor muscle (proximal check ligament) in horses

Objective: To report a tenoscopic technique using monopolar electrosurgery to transect the accessory ligament of superficial digital flexor muscle (AL‐SDFM) and outcome in 33 horses. Study Design: Case series. Animals: Horses (n=33). Methods: Medical files and surgery video recordings of horses that had AL‐SDFM desmotomy performed by tenoscopy with monopolar electrosurgical electrodes were reviewed. Results: Of 33 horses, 24 were Standardbred racehorses with surgery performed bilaterally for superficial digital flexor tendonitis and 9 horses had flexural deformity. Severe (n=6) and mild (6) intrathecal hemorrhage was the most common intraoperative complication. Large intrathecal vessels including the nutrient artery were successfully electrocoagulated and AL‐SDFM transection was completed. Clear/serosanguinous drainage from skin incisions was observed for 4.3±3.3 days (mean, SD). Protracted wound drainage for >4 days occurred in 10 horses, principally in the group treated for flexural deformities (P=.01). Conclusions: Sixty‐four AL‐SDFM were transected under tenoscopic observation using monopolar electrodes. Electrocoagulation of large intrathecal vessels, including the nutrient artery, was possible in all cases and allowed completion of desmotomy. Postoperative wound care was similar to routine tenoscopy in most (70%) horses. Aseptic protracted wound drainage was observed in 30% of horses (principally those with flexural deformity), and led to a prolonged hospitalization.     

Cryopreservation of Limonium serotinum apical meristems from in vitro plantlets using droplet-vitrification

In this study in vitro shoot tips of a Sicilian genotype of Limonium serotinum were successfully cryopreserved using the droplet-vitrification technique. Growth recovery of cryopreserved shoot tips was possible only when samples were pretreated for 16 h in liquid medium with 0.3 M sucrose, then for 5 h in liquid medium with 0.7 M sucrose before performing the cryopreservation protocol. Optimal conditions included treatment for 20 min in a loading solution containing 1.9 M glycerol + 0.5 M sucrose, treatment with vitrification solution B5 (glycerol 40.0%, sucrose 40.0%, w/v) for 60 and 90 min or vitrification solution A9 (glycerol 30.0%, dimethylsulfoxide 20.0%, ethylene glycol 20.0%, sucrose 15.0%) for 20 min, rapid cooling in minute droplets of vitrification solution, rapid rewarming by immersion for 20 min in unloading solution containing 1.2 M sucrose. Under these conditions, 37% recovery of cryopreserved shoot tips was achieved. Regrowth of cryopreserved samples was slow but always direct, without callus formation.     

Comparing encapsulation-dehydration and droplet-vitrification for cryopreservation of sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) shoot tips

In this study, in vitro shoot tips of two sugarcane clones were successfully cryopreserved using encapsulation-dehydration and droplet-vitrification with two vitrification solutions, PVS2 and PVS3. For both clones, encapsulation-dehydration induced significantly higher recovery, reaching 60% for clone H70-144 and 53% for clone CP68-1026, compared with droplet-vitrification in which recovery was 33–37% for clone H70-144 and 20–27% for clone CP68-1026. Optimal conditions included preculture of encapsulated shoot apices for 24 h in liquid medium with 0.75 M sucrose and dehydration with silica gel to 20% moisture content (fresh weight basis) before direct immersion in liquid nitrogen. With both protocols employed, regrowth of cryopreserved samples, as followed by visual observation, was always rapid and direct.     

Efficacy of bithionol as an oral treatment for amoebic gill disease in Atlantic salmon Salmo salar (L.)

This study examined the efficacy of bithionol as an oral treatment for Atlantic salmon Salmo salar affected by amoebic gill disease (AGD). The current commercial management strategy of AGD is a costly 3 h freshwater bath. It is labour intensive and the number of baths needed appears to be increasing; hence, there is an effort to identify alternative treatments. Efficacy was examined by feeding AGD-affected Atlantic salmon twice daily to satiation with bithionol, an antiprotozoal, at 25 mg kg^− 1 feed. Three seawater (35‰, 17 °C) re-circulation systems were used each consisting of three tanks containing 32 Atlantic salmon smolts with an average (± SEM) mass of 90.4 g (± 5.2). Three feeds were examined in the trial including bithionol, plain commercial control and oil coated commercial control. Feeding commenced 2 weeks prior to exposure to Neoparamoeba spp. at 300 cells L^− 1 and continued for 28 days post-exposure. Efficacy was determined by examining gross gill score and identifying percent lesioned gill filaments twice weekly for 4 weeks post-exposure. Bithionol when fed as a two-week prophylactic treatment at 25 mg kg^− 1 feed delayed the onset of AGD pathology and reduced the percent lesioned gill filaments by 53% and halved the gill score from 2 to 1 when compared with both the plain and oil controls during an experimental challenge. There were no palatability problems observed with mean feed intake of bithionol over the trial duration with fish consuming higher levels of the bithionol diet compared to both the oil and plain controls. This study demonstrated that bithionol at 25 mg kg^− 1 feed, when fed as a two-week prophylactic treatment for Neoparamoeba spp. exposure, delayed and reduced the intensity of AGD pathology and warrants further investigation as an alternative to the current freshwater bath treatment for AGD-affected Atlantic salmon.     

Physiology and behavior of dogs during air transport

Twenty-four beagles were used to measure physiological and behavioral reactions to air transport. Each of 3 groups of 4 sedated (with 0.5 mg/kg body weight of acepromazine maleate) and 4 non-sedated (control) dogs was flown on a separate flight between Montreal, Quebec, and Toronto, Ontario, after being transported by road from Quebec City to Montreal. Saliva and blood samples were taken before ground and air transport and after air transport. The heart rate was monitored during the whole experiment except during ground transport, and behavior was monitored by video during air transport. Sedation did not affect any of the variables measured. The mean plasma cortisol concentration was significantly higher (P < 0.05) after ground transport than at baseline (225.3 vs 134.5 nmol/L); the mean salivary cortisol concentration was significantly higher (P < 0.05) after both ground and air transport than at baseline (16.2 and 14.8, respectively, vs 12.6 nmol/L). The mean neutrophil count was significantly higher (P < 0.05) after both ground and air transport than at baseline (80.6 and 81.4, respectively, vs 69.5 per 100 white blood cells), whereas the mean lymphocyte count was significantly lower (P < 0.05) (13.2 and 13.7, respectively, vs 22.4 per 100 white blood cells). Loading and unloading procedures caused the largest increase in heart rate. On average, the dogs spent more than 50% of the time lying down, and they remained inactive for approximately 75% of the time, except during take-off. These results suggest that transportation is stressful for dogs and that sedation with acepromazine, at the dosage and timing used, does not affect the physiological and behavioral stress responses of dogs to air transport.     

An IgM specific ELISA for the serodiagnosis of viral bovine respiratory infections

A capture ELISA for the detection of IgM antibodies to Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR) and to Bovine Respiratory Syncytial (BRS) viruses was developed. In these assays, the first monoclonal antibody to bovine IgM is used as the catching antibody while the second monoclonal detects specific antiviral antibodies. The test was evaluated on serum samples originating from both experimentally and naturally infected animals. From these studies, it has been shown that primary IBR and BRS virus infections can be confirmed using serum samples collected 5–10 days after the appearance of the clinical signs of disease.     

Methodologic studies of ileal flow measurement using large lumen intestinal cannulae in swine

A special operation method and intestinal cannulae were developed for the ascertainment of the ileal nutrient digestibility of roughage and root crops. The presented method has proved reliable over a period of 2 years. The possibility of ascertaining the chyme flow directly (by total collection) or indirectly (with an inert marker) is described. The reduction of the expenditure of labour by cutting down the collecting period is suggested for routine studies.     

Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay used to monitor serum antibodies to bovine respiratory disease viruses

An enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was applied to the detection of serum antibodies against infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR), parainfluenza-3 (PI3), adenovirus type 3 (adeno 3) and bovine respiratory syncytial (BRS) viruses. Paired serum samples from calves vaccinated with live attenuated virus vaccines were tested. The ELISA compared favorably with the virus neutralization test for detecting serologic responses to IBR, BRS, and adeno 3 viruses or with the hemagglutination inhibition test for PI3 virus. The simplicity, sensitivity and rapidity of the ELISA test makes it a useful tool for immunological studies with respiratory viruses.     

Transformation of degraded farmlands to agroforestry in Zongi Village,Ethiopia

The interaction of human land use, steep slopes and erosion has been a serious threat to Ethiopia’s ecosystems. Community’s initiated land rehabilitation programmes such as tree regeneration on farm lands, hill-side planting and exclosures have been established to rejuvenate debilitated lands. To characterize, map out and monitor such transformations, this study was carried out in Zongi, Tigray Region of northern Ethiopia. The study used an integration of remote sensing data, field observations and information from key informants and randomly selected respondents to analyse the land-use/land cover (LULC) changes from 1984 to 2013. Conventional method of supervised image classification was used for landsat image of 2013 while hybrid method of unsupervised and supervised classification was employed for landsat images of 1984 and 1999. The results revealed significant modifications and conversion of LULC types over the multi-dates. Analysis of the 29-year change matrix revealed that 78.5% of the land underwent significant changes in LULC. The major changes to agroforestry land use(LU)types between 1984 and 2013 were conversion of intensively cultivated land to moderately cultivated land (32.1%) and sparsely cultivated land (11.8%). The drivers of changes were linked to the introduction of land rehabilitation initiatives, government consensus (via agricultural extension) with the community, which were complemented by growing awareness of landowners. This study corroborates the necessity of community involvement and participation to improve their land use systems for environmental sustainability and sustainable livelihood.