Thinner Eggshells of Dipper (Cinclus Cinclus) Eggs from an Acidified Area Compared to a Non-Acidified Area in Norway

Eggs of dippersCinclus cinclus from a chronically acidified area in Southern Norway were compared with eggs from a non-acidified area in Central Norway. There were no differences in egg size, as measured by volume, weight, length and calculated surface area, between the two areas. Eggshells were 7.0% lighter and 6.1% thinner, as measured by the Ratcliffe index and 7.0% as measured by the eggshell index (shell weight/surface area) in Southern Norway than in Central Norway. The Ratcliffe and eggshell indices were highly correlated. Scanning electron micrographs showed that the palisade layer of eggshells of eggs from the acidified area was 10.7% thinner than that of eggshells of eggs from the non-acidified area. Eggshell vapour permeability was not significantly influenced by area. Since the moderately lower thickness in Southern Norway was not accompanied by higher vapour permeability, this indicates that the reduced eggshell thickness did not cause desiccation of dipper eggs in the acidified area. The possibility of underestimating the environmental effects of acidification on dippers is discussed.     

Multiplex, quantitative, ligation-dependent probe amplification for determination of allergens in food

Legislation requires labeling of foods containing allergenic ingredients. Here, we present a robust 10-plex quantitative and sensitive ligation-dependent probe amplification method, the allergen-multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) method, for specific detection of eight allergens: sesame, soy, hazelnut, peanut, lupine, gluten, mustard, and celery. Ligated probes were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and amplicons were detected using capillary electrophoresis. Quantitative results were obtained by comparing signals with an internal positive control. The limit of detection varied from approximately 5 to 400 gene copies, depending on the allergen. The method was tested using different foods spiked with mustard, celery, soy, or lupine flour in the 1-0.001% range. Depending on the allergen, sensitivities were similar or better than those obtained with qPCR. The allergen-MLPA method is modular and can be adapted by adding probe pairs for other allergens. The DNA-based allergen-MLPA method will constitute a complementary method to the traditional protein-based methods.     

The challenge of reproducing remote sensing data from satellites and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the context of management zones and precision agriculture

Precision Agriculture - Mapping the within-field variability of crop status is of great importance in precision agriculture, which seeks to balance agronomic inputs with spatial crop demands....     

Fine root morphological adaptations in Scots pine, Norway spruce and silver birch along a latitudinal gradient in boreal forests

Variability in short root morphology of the three main tree species of Europe's boreal forest (Norway spruce (Picea abies L. Karst.), Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and silver birch (Betula pendula Roth)) was investigated in four stands along a latitudinal gradient from northern Finland to southern Estonia. Silver birch and Scots pine were present in three stands and Norway spruce was present in all stands. For three fertile Norway spruce stands, fine root biomass and number of root tips per stand area or unit basal area were assessed from north to south. Principal component analysis indicated that short root morphology was significantly affected by tree species and site, which together explained 34.7% of the total variability. The range of variation in mean specific root area (SRA) was 51-74, 60-70 and 84-124 m(2) kg(-1) for Norway spruce, Scots pine and silver birch, respectively, and the corresponding ranges for specific root length were 37-47, 40-48 and 87-97 m g(-1). The range of variation in root tissue density of Norway spruce, Scots pine and silver birch was 113-182, 127-158 and 81-156 kg m(-3), respectively. Sensitivity of short root morphology to site conditions decreased in the order: Norway spruce > silver birch > Scots pine. Short root SRA increased with site fertility in all species. In Norway spruce, fine root biomass and number of root tips per m(2) decreased from north to south. The differences in morphological parameters among sites were significant but smaller than the site differences in fine root biomass and number of root tips.     

A randomized multicenter trial of Crotalidae polyvalent immune Fab antivenom for the treatment of rattlesnake envenomation in dogs

Objective – To determine clinical efficacy of the Crotalidae polyvalent immune F_ab (ovine) antivenom (OPCA) against progressive crotalid envenomation in the dog as reflected in stabilization or improvement of snakebite severity scores (SSS). Additionally, due to the potential decreased half‐life of the F_ab antibodies in dogs we compared SSS between dogs receiving 2 different dosing regimes. Design – Prospective, clinical trial. Setting – Five veterinary emergency and critical care facilities. Animals – One hundred and fifteen client‐owned Crotalid (rattlesnake) snake bitten dogs in whom worsening of the envenomation syndrome was observed before OPCA treatment. Interventions – In a multicenter randomized clinical trial a single dose (1 vial) of OPCA alone was compared with 2 doses (1/2 vial each) administered 6 hours apart. Standard supportive care was provided in all cases. Measurements and Main Results – Data were available for 115 patients, 9 of which were fatalities. All patients' clinical condition was documented with a standardized SSS system accounting for each major body system. Each fatality received maximum severity scores of 20. The mean severity score of the 115 patients decreased from 4.19 to 3.29 points and there was no difference between the 2 treatment groups. The mean severity score of the 107 patients without fatalities decreased from 4.16 to 2.15. Antivenin‐related acute reactions occurred in 6 dogs (6%), and no serum sickness occurred within the 95 cases contacted at the 2‐week posttreatment follow‐up. Conclusions – In the first randomized trial in dogs of antivenin in the United States, OPCA effectively stabilized or terminated venom effects. There were no statistical differences detected between treatment groups within the study time frame.     

Effects of the β-Adrenergic Agonist Cimaterol on Growth and Carcass Quality of Monozygotic Friesian Young Bulls at Three Developmental Stages

The objective was to investigate the effects of the β-adrenergic agonist cimaterol (CIM) on growth and carcass quality of Friesian young bulls at different developmental stages. The study comprised three liveweight groups (WG) each of four pairs of monozygotic twins. The average initial liveweight (LW) of the animals in WG 1, 2, and 3 was 162, 299 and 407 kg, respectively. One animal of each pair was fed 0.056 mg CIM per kg LW for 90 days, while the other served as a control (C). The animals were fed concentrate and barley straw according to LW and restricted to 80-90% of the ad libitum level of intake. The animals were slaughtered on day 90 of the treatment period. Without affecting feed intake, CIM treatment increased average daily gain (ADG) by 19% (P<0.001) and thus improved feed efficiency (P<0.001). Dressing percentage, carcass gain, EUROP conformation and longissimus dorsi area were all increased (P<0.001) after CIM treatment. Carcass length (P<0.01), backfat thickness (P<0.05), and internal fat (P<0.001) were reduced after CIM treatment, whereas organ weights were only marginally reduced. Weights of all of 14 different commercial cuts were increased (P<0.002), the increase was largest in cuts from the hind region of the carcass. The percentage of carcass saleable meat increased (P<0.001) in CIM-treated animals. The effects of cimaterol were evident in all three WG. The results show that cimaterol is effective in stimulating overall growth performance and improving carcass leanness of young bulls at different developmental stages, and concomitantly reducing fat deposition in general.     

Intravenous infusion of glucose improved farrowing performance of hyperprolific crossbred sows

The sow at parturition is challenged with respect to energy status due to increases in energetic expenses associated with 1) nest building 2) uterine contractions, and 3) colostrum production. A previous study indicated that sows were depleted of glucogenic energy around farrowing. The aim was to investigate whether intravenous infusion of glucose from observed nest-building behavior to 24 h postpartum affected the farrowing kinetics and colostrum production in sows. Ten multiparous sows (DanBred landrace × DanBred Yorkshire) were fitted with a jugular vein catheter on each side (one for infusion and the other one for blood sampling). Sows were infused with either 0.9% saline (CON; n = 5) or 10% glucose (GLU; n = 5) solution at a constant rate of 125 mL/h. From day 108 of gestation, sows were fed once daily with 3.33 kg of a standard lactation diet. During farrowing, sows were monitored to register the onset of farrowing, time of birth, birth status (live or dead), sex, stillbirth rate (SR), and weight of newborn piglets. Farrowing assistance (FA) was provided when the birth interval exceeded 60 min. In late gestation, 1 mL of blood was collected every third hour for blood gas analysis and every sixth hour for harvesting plasma. During farrowing, 1 mL (for blood gas) and 9 mL of blood were collected at 0, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, and 24 h in milk (HIM). Colostrum and milk samples were collected at 0, 6, 12, 18, 24, and 36 HIM and also at 3, 10, 17, and 24 d in milk. Compared with CON sows, GLU infusion decreased the SR (16.1% vs. 7.4%; P = 0.03), FA (21% vs. 9.0%; P = 0.01), and surprisingly also blood glucose at the onset of farrowing (5.53 vs. 5.09 mmol/L; P = 0.03), respectively. A tendency to higher plasma lactate at the onset of farrowing (P = 0.05) but decreased piglet survival from 0 to 24 h (P = 0.06) was also found for GLU sows. No effects of treatment on farrowing duration or mean birth intervals were found. Lactate in whole blood (P = 0.003) and plasma (P = 0.002) was increased for GLU sows as compared with CON sows during the colostrum period. No effect of GLU infusion was seen on colostrum and milk composition and yield. The increase in lactate was most likely due to a shift toward a greater proportion of glucose oxidation and insufficient O₂ supply to fuel uterine contractions. In conclusion, infusion of glucose reduced the frequency of SR and FA, and improved energy status of the sow which seems to be crucial to enhance total piglet survival.     

Physiological characteristics and irrigation water productivity of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) in response to deficit irrigation imposed at different growing stages—A field study from Southern Iran

Iran has been faced to drought during last decades, and one way to overcome this phenomenon is to improve the water productivity by introducing new crops tolerant to water stresses such as quinoa. Two-year field experiment was performed to find out the response of quinoa (cv. Titicaca) to deficit irrigation imposed at different growing stages. Hence, the effect of full irrigation (100% irrigation water requirement) and deficit irrigation (50% full irrigation) on physiological parameters, yield, irrigation water productivity and root density of quinoa was investigated during 2016 and 2017 growing seasons. The result showed that there was a significant difference between all variables in two years. Higher average air temperature in 2017 (2.0°C) resulted in a reduction of seed yield and water productivity (55% and 40% of that obtained in 2016, respectively). Application of deficit irrigation during different growing stages reduced crop height, stomatal conductance and seed yield, while it increased the root length density in both years. In conclusion, flowering stage of quinoa was very sensitive to deficit irrigation, and irrigation at grain filling stage would not help to recover the seed yield. Furthermore, the seed yield was lower than that obtained in other studies performed in other countries using same quinoa cultivar, which could be due to higher amount of applied irrigation water and different phenology under different climatic conditions. A decision on cultivating this crop under semi-arid conditions has to be made considering limited water resources.