Identification and Characterisation of Bacteria Causing Soft-rot in Agave tequilana

Agave tequilana is the raw material for the production of the alcoholic beverage tequila. A bacterial disease has affected the A. tequilana crop in recent years. Previous reports based on colony and cell morphology, Gram stain and potato rot indicated that Erwinia sp. is the main pathogen. We isolated a several bacterial isolates capable of producing soft-rot symptoms in greenhouse pathogenicity assays. An extensive characterisation involving pathogenicity tests, fatty acid profile, metabolic and physiological properties, ribosomal DNA sequence and intergenic transcribed spacer amplification (ITS-PCR) and restriction banding pattern (ITS-RFLP) was made of each isolate. Three different species: Erwinia cacticida, Pantoea agglomerans and Pseudomonas sp. were identified. Fatty acid and metabolic profiles gave low similarity values of identification but 16S rDNA sequence, ITS-PCR and ITS-RFLP confirmed the identification of E. cacticida. In the phylogenetic tree, E. cacticida from blue agave was grouped neither with E. cacticida type strains nor with Erwinia carotovora. This is the first report that associates E. cacticida with A. tequilana soft-rot symptoms.     

Effects of quebracho tannin extract on intake,digestibility, rumen fermentation,and methane production in crossbred heifers fed low-quality tropical grass

The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of quebracho tannins extract (QTE) on feed intake, dry matter (DM) digestibility, and methane (CH₄) emissions in cattle fed low-quality Pennisetum purpureum grass. Five heifers (Bos taurus × Bos indicus) with an average live weight (LW) of 295 ± 19 kg were allotted to five treatments (0, 1, 2, 3, and 4% QTE/kg DM) in a 5 × 5 Latin square design. Intake, digestibility, and total methane emissions (L/day) were recorded for periods of 23 h when cattle were housed in open-circuit respiration chambers. Dry matter intake (DMI), organic matter intake (OMI), dry matter digestibility (DMD), and organic matter digestibility (OMD) were different between treatments with 0 and 4% of QTE/kg DM (P < 0.05). Total volatile fatty acid and the molar proportion of acetate in the rumen was not affected (P < 0.05); however, the molar proportion of propionate increased linearly (P < 0.01) for treatments with 3 and 4% QTE. Total CH₄ production decreased linearly (P < 0.01) as QTE increased in the diet, particularly with 3 and 4% concentration. When expressed as DMI and OMI by CH₄, production (L/kg) was different between treatments with 0 vs 3 and 4% QTE (P < 0.05). It is concluded that the addition of QTE at 2 or 3% of dry matter ration can decrease methane production up to 29 and 41%, respectively, without significantly compromising feed intake and nutrients digestibility.     

Herbage intake of dairy cows in mixed sequential grazing with breeding ewes as followers

This study aimed to evaluate the hypothesis that mixed sequential grazing of dairy cows and breeding ewes is beneficial. During the seasons of spring–summer 2013 and autumn–winter 2013–2014, 12 (spring–summer) and 16 (autumn–winter) Holstein Friesian cows and 24 gestating (spring–summer) and lactating (autumn–winter) Pelibuey ewes grazed on six (spring–summer) and nine (autumn–winter) paddocks of alfalfa and orchard grass mixed pastures. The treatments “single species cow grazing” (CowG) and “mixed sequential grazing with ewes as followers of cows” (MixG) were evaluated, under a completely randomized design with two replicates per paddock. Herbage mass on offer (HO) and residual herbage mass (RH) were estimated by cutting samples. The estimate of herbage intake (HI) of cows was based on the use of internal and external markers; the apparent HI of ewes was calculated as the difference between HO (RH of cows) and RH. Even though HO was higher in CowG, the HI of cows was higher in MixG during spring–summer and similar in both treatments during autumn–winter, implying that in MixG the effects on the cows HI of higher alfalfa proportion and herbage accumulation rate evolving from lower residual herbage mass in the previous cycle counteracted that of a higher HO in CowG. The HI of ewes was sufficient to enable satisfactory performance as breeding ewes. Thus, the benefits of mixed sequential grazing arose from higher herbage accumulation, positive changes in botanical composition, and the achievement of sheep production without negative effects on the herbage intake of cows.     

FEASIBILITY FOR USING HYPOFRACTIONATED STEREOTACTIC VOLUMETRIC MODULATED ARC RADIOTHERAPY (VMAT) WITH ADAPTIVE PLANNING FOR TREATMENT OF THYMOMA IN RABBITS: 15 CASES

Thymoma is a relatively common tumor in rabbits. Treatment with surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy alone or in combination has been reported with varying outcomes. Stereotactic volumetric modulated arc radiotherapy delivered in a hypofractionated manner allows high doses of radiation to be delivered to the target volume while allowing sparing of adjacent critical structures. This therapy is ideally suited for thymomas in rabbits given their size, the difficulty of multiple anesthesia episodes and the complexity of the radiotherapy plans required due to the tumor's proximity to the heart, lungs, and mediastinal structures. Fifteen rabbits with thymoma were prospectively recruited for this observational, single institution, single arm clinical study. All rabbits were imaged with both computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A total dose of 40 Gy in six fractions was delivered using a single arc over an 11‐day period with repeat CT simulation done every other fraction for adaptive planning. Follow‐up evaluation was done through repeat CT and MRI imaging and revealed complete responses using the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) criteria. Two rabbits had died at 618 and 718 days, 10 were alive and three were lost to follow‐up. Observed acute and late effects were graded according to the Veterinary Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (VRTOG) criteria and were found to be minimal.     

A SURVEY OF RADIOLOGISTS AND REFERRING VETERINARIANS REGARDING IMAGING REPORTS

An imaging report is a vital communication tool between a radiologist and clinician. In a field where in‐person communication may not be readily available, it is imperative that the report clearly relays pertinent clinical information in a timely manner. The purpose of this observational study was to describe and compare opinions and expectations of small animal general practitioners, veterinary specialists, and veterinary radiologists regarding the imaging report. Online surveys were distributed, and data were collected from 202 veterinary clinicians and 123 veterinary radiologists. The majority (89%) of clinicians were satisfied with their imaging reports and stated that they read the radiology report as soon as it was available (92%). Just less than half (48%) of clinicians indicated it was standard of care that a board‐certified veterinary radiologist read all imaging studies. Radiologists and clinicians agreed that a clinical history (98% and 94%, respectively) and clinical question (82% and 68%, respectively) were needed to generate a good radiology report. Fifty‐five percent to 70% of clinicians prefer red bulleted reports, which included incidental findings (96%); while radiologists slightly favored prose reporting (37–46%). Clinicians found it helpful when additional imaging (86%), medical (71%), and surgical recommendations (73%) were made. About one‐third of specialists who had been in practice for >11 years thought they were better able to interpret imaging for their own specialty than the radiologist. Clinicians voiced discontentment with reports that were not completed in a timely manner or did not give a prioritized differential list. Further studies are warranted to provide a more in‐depth evaluation of veterinary radiology reporting structure and style.     

Cytological grading of canine cutaneous mast cell tumours

A cytological grading for mast cell tumours (MCTs) would be highly desirable, allowing to select the most appropriate therapeutic intervention prior to surgery. This study evaluates the applicability on fine‐needle aspirations (FNAs) of the novel Kiupel grading system, based on number of mitoses, multinucleated cells, bizarre nuclei and presence of karyomegaly. Fifty consecutive cases with pre‐operative cytological diagnosis were included. In cytological specimens, approximately 1000 cells were evaluated, and the histological grade was assessed on the corresponding resected specimens. On cytology, the above parameters were significantly different between histologically low‐grade and high‐grade tumours (P < 0.001). The cytograding correctly predicted the histological grade in 47 cases (accuracy, 94%; sensitivity, 84.6%; specificity, 97.3%). Two high‐grade MCTs (4%) were not detected on cytology. The cytograding can provide helpful insights to assist clinical decisions in most cases. However, the risk of underestimation in a minority of patients represents a limit to the overall utility of the technique.     

Cover Image,Volume 14, Issue 3

The cover image, by Giuliano Bettini et al., is based on the Original Article Cytological grading of canine cutaneous mast cell tumours, DOI: 10.1111/vco.12090 .