Laparoscopic hernioplasty in recumbent horses using transposition of a peritoneal flap

Objective— To evaluate the efficacy of a laparoscopic peritoneal flap hernioplasty (PFH) to close anatomically the vaginal ring and to evaluate its protective effect in horses with a history of strangulated inguinal hernia (SIH) against future herniation.
Study Design— Prospective study.
Animals— A first group of 5 ponies, 3 horses and 1 donkey with no history of SIH and a second group of 4 horses 'clinical cases' with a history of SIH.
Methods— A laparoscopic PFH was effected on all horses under general anaesthesia. Peritoneum ventro-lateral to the vaginal ring was elevated and cut on 3 sides, separated from the underlying muscle, then inverted and attached dorso-medially and laterally to the parietal wall using intra-corporeal stitches (6 cases) or laparoscopic staples (7 cases). Animals of the first group (n=9) underwent a standing laparoscopy 7 days post-operatively to visualize the vaginal rings. Horses of the second group were followed to confirm the absence of re-herniation.
Results— The laparoscopic check-up showed that the vaginal ring had been effectively and completely covered in all cases except the first one. No adhesions was observed. In the four clinical cases, none of the horses have had a reccurence of SIH at the time of writing (6 months to 4 years).
Conclusion— Laparoscopic hernioplasty on a recumbent horse is feasible by closing the vaginal ring with a peritoneal flap. This technique was efficient in our cases to prevent recurrence of SIH but more cases are needed. This technique may reduce inflammation and irritation of the spermatic cord, which could otherwise jeopardise the animal's breeding career.
Clinical Relevance— Laparoscopic PFH coud be used in horses with a history of SIH.     

Comparison of the effects of four anaesthetics on biochemical blood profiles of perch

This study investigated the feasibility of using clove oil, 2-phenoxyethanol, or Propiscin as an alternative to tricaine methane sulphonate (MS 222) as a fish anaesthetic, particularly in regard to reducing fish stress. The biochemical blood profiles of perch Perca fluviatilis L. anaesthetized with either MS 222 (100 mg L⁻¹), clove oil (33 mg L⁻¹), 2-phenoxyethanol (0.40 mL L⁻¹) or Propiscin (1.0 mL L⁻¹), and a non-anaesthetized control group were compared. Biochemical profiles were determined from blood samples collected before treatment in controls. For each anaesthetic tested, fish were divided into two groups, one sampled immediately after 10-min anaesthesia and a second, sampled 24 h after 10-min anaesthesia. The values determined in the present study suggested that internal organs and tissues of perch were slightly altered by MS 222, clove oil and 2-phenoxyethanol anaesthesia, but not by Propiscin anaesthesia.     

Instantaneous areal population density of entire Atlantic cod and herring spawning groups and group size distribution relative to total spawning population

The wide‐area group behaviour of spawning Atlantic cod and herring is investigated. By a combination of Ocean Acoustic Waveguide Remote Sensing (OAWRS) and conventional sensing methods, first‐look images of the instantaneous population density are obtained of entire Atlantic cod spawning groups, stretching for tens of kilometres in the Nordic Seas. This structural information made it possible to quantify the spawning group size distribution of cod over a roughly 30‐year period from conventional line‐transect data acquired annually by vertical echo sounding in the Nordic Seas. The size distribution is found to be consistent with the log‐normal probability density often found in growth processes that depend on many independent parameters. Nordic Seas cod populations are found to distribute into many vast behavioural groups during spawning with relatively stable mean size despite larger variations in total annual population. When sustained at pre‐industrial levels, the total spawning population is found to greatly exceed the mean spawning group size. As an apparent consequence of this large differential, when the total population, or overall scale, declined to within a standard deviation of this mean cod spawning group quantum, or inner‐group‐behavioural scale, return to pre‐industrial levels required decades. Findings for Atlantic herring are similar, where summing the spawning group populations measured in a single instantaneous OAWRS image per day over the 8‐day peak spawning period enabled accurate enumeration of the entire Georges Bank herring spawning population to within 7% of the independent NOAA estimate for 2006. These results may be relevant to other oceanic fish.     

用涡度相关法测定网室内香蕉树蒸散量

为了研究涡度相关法在网室内的适用性,于2005年6月在一个长、宽、高分别为352m、228m和6m的香蕉树种植网室内进行试验,测定的参数主要有网室内的潜热和感热、网室内的净辐射,土壤热通量和表层土壤热量.研究发现涡度相关法测定的能量和和小气候仪器测定的能量一致,说明涡度相关法可用来准确测定网室内作物的蒸散量.在试验期间(6月7日-20日),涡度相关法测定的网室内香蕉树的蒸散量在4.83～6.50 mm/d之间,考虑到当地每年4～10月之间气象要素变化较小,则该文测定的蒸散量可用来指导当地网室内香蕉树的灌溉.     

Haematological and biochemical profiles of carp blood following nitrite exposure at different concentrations of chloride

Haematological parameters of 2‐year‐old carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) were assessed to study the protective effect of chloride on the health of fish exposed to elevated nitrite concentrations. Four groups of carp were exposed to different concentrations of nitrite and chloride for 96 h (group E1: 67 mg L^?1 NO₂^?, 11 mg L^?1 Cl^?; group E2: 67 mg L^?1 NO₂^?, 100 mg L^?1 Cl^?; group E3: 0 mg L^?1 O₂^?, 100 mg L^?1 Cl^? and group C: 0 mg L^?1 NO₂^?, 11 mg L^?1 Cl^?). The main haematological response of carp to an acute exposure to nitrite (group E1) was a significant decrease (P<0.05) in haemoglobin concentrations (53.40±6.61 g L^?1), haematocrit (0.21±0.02 LL^?1), erythrocyte count (1.13±0.12 TL^?1), leucocyte count (7.1±4.19 GL^?1) and lymphocyte count (5.28±2.51 GL^?1), and a significant increase in methaemoglobin concentration (90.50±4.38%, P<0.01) and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (0.27±0.2 LL^?1, P<0.05). At higher chloride concentrations (group E2), a lower nitrite toxicity was observed. In group E2 carp, methaemoglobin made up 38.32±13.30%. Erythrocytes in carp exposed to nitrite showed qualitative changes. Compared with the control group C, group E1 carp showed a significantly higher number (P<0.05) of elongated erythrocytes, with the nucleus located at one cell pole (0.519±0.388 TL^?1). All erythrocytes of group E1 carp had remarkably clear cytoplasms compared with the cytoplasm in the control group C. The biochemical values found were comparable with those found in controls. The main histological lesions were found in the gills of carp exposed to nitrite and consisted of hyperplasia and an elevated number of chloride cells.     

Nucleus reprogramming/remodeling through selective enucleation (SE) of immature oocytes and zygotes: a nucleolus point of view

It is now approximately 25 years since the sheep Dolly, the first cloned mammal where the somatic cell nucleus from an adult donor was used for transfer, was born. So far, somatic cell nucleus transfer, where G1-phase nuclei are transferred into cytoplasts obtained by enucleation of mature metaphase II (MII) oocytes followed by the activation of the reconstructed cells, is the most efficient approach to reprogram/remodel the differentiated nucleus. In general, in an enucleated oocyte (cytoplast), the nuclear envelope (NE, membrane) of an injected somatic cell nucleus breaks down and chromosomes condense. This condensation phase is followed, after subsequent activation, by chromatin decondensation and formation of a pseudo-pronucleus (i) whose morphology should resemble the natural postfertilization pronuclei (PNs). Thus, the volume of the transferred nuclei increases considerably by incorporating the content released from the germinal vesicles (GVs). In parallel, the transferred nucleus genes must be reset and function similarly as the relevant genes in normal embryo reprogramming. This, among others, covers the relevant epigenetic modifications and the appropriate organization of chromatin in pseudo-pronuclei. While reprogramming in SCNT is often discussed, the remodeling of transferred nuclei is much less studied, particularly in the context of the developmental potential of SCNT embryos. It is now evident that correct reprogramming mirrors appropriate remodeling. At the same time, it is widely accepted that the process of rebuilding the nucleus following SCNT is instrumental to the overall success of this procedure. Thus, in our contribution, we will mostly focus on the remodeling of transferred nuclei. In particular, we discuss the oocyte organelles that are essential for the development of SCNT embryos.     

Development of pig embryos after electro-activation and in vitro fertilization in PZM-3 or PZM supplemented with fetal bovine serum

The aim of present study was to optimize culture conditions for pig embryos. Initially, we evaluated three different basic culture conditions. When embryos from electro-activation (parthenotes) or in vitro fertilization (IVF-embryos) were cultured in PZM supplemented with 3 mg/ml bovine serum albumin (PZM-3) in 4-well dishes, in medium covered with oil in 4-well dishes or in droplets under oil, 0%, 33% and 20% of the parthenotes, and 11%, 23% and 20% of the IVF-embryos developed to blastocysts. Subsequently, we examined the development of embryos when they were cultured in 4-well dishes in medium covered with oil continuously for 7 days or cultured under the same conditions but with a change to fresh medium on Days 2 and 4. In this experiment, 23% (no medium change) and 34% (change) of the parthenotes developed to blastocysts, respectively. When IVF-embryos were cultured under similar conditions, 33% and 38% of the embryos developed to blastocysts. Further improvement was achieved when PZM was supplemented with FBS from Day 4. In this experiment, 47% of the parthenotes developed to blastocysts with an average cell number of 57 +/- 7.7. In IVF-embryo group, 49% of the embryos developed to blastocysts with a mean cell number of 60 +/- 6.1. These results indicate that a change to fresh medium and inclusion of FBS in the medium during the late stages of culture can generate a higher proportion of high-quality blastocysts.     

The evaluation of agricultural machines field trafficking intensity for different soil tillage technologies

Fields trafficking by wheeled farm machines results often in unfavourable soil compaction. In order to monitor trafficking intensity under different soil tillage technologies, every machine was equipped with a DGPS signal receiver before the entrance into the field under conventional, minimum and zero tillage technology. Positioning data was automatically logged every 2 s and the dimensions of tyres (mainly width) and wheel spacing were marked for every machine. Trajectories of farm machines trafficking and wheel tracks covering 1 ha area are shown for different technologies evaluated during one growing season. The results document that up to 95.3% of the total field area was run-over with a machine at least once during a year, when using conventional tillage. Up to 72.8% or 55.7% of the total field area was run-over when using minimum tillage and direct seeding, respectively. It was calculated that 145.6% of covered area can be run-over repeatedly for conventional tillage, 44.8% for minimum tillage and 18.4% only for direct seeding.     

Effects of long-term mineral fertilization on microbial biomass,microbial activity,and the presence of <Emphasis Type="Italic">r</Emphasis>- and <Emphasis Type="Italic">K</Emphasis>-strategists in soil

Long-term effects of mineral fertilization on microbial biomass C (MBC), basal respiration (R _B), substrate-induced respiration (R _S), β-glucosidase activity, and the r–K-growth strategy of soil microflora were investigated using a field trial on grassland established in 1969. The experimental plots were fertilized at three rates of mineral N (0, 80, and 160 kg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹) with 32 kg P ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ and 100 kg K ha⁻¹ year⁻¹. No fertilizer was applied on the control plots (C). The application of a mineral fertilizer led to lower values of the MBC and R _B, probably as a result of fast mineralization of available substrate after an input of the mineral fertilizer. The application of mineral N decreased the content of C extracted by 0.5 M K₂SO₄ (C _ex). A positive correlation was found between pH and the proportion of active microflora (R _S/MBC). The specific growth rate (μ) of soil heterotrophs was higher in the fertilized than in unfertilized soils, suggesting the stimulation of r-strategists, probably as the result of the presence of available P and rhizodepositions. The cessation of fertilization with 320 kg N ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ (NF) in 1989 also stimulated r-strategists compared to C soil, probably as the result of the higher content of available P in the NF soil than in the C soil.