Endoscopic removal of esophageal and ruminal foreign bodies in 5 Holstein calves

Endoscopic removal of esophageal and ruminal foreign bodies was successfully performed in 5 Holstein-Friesian calves under sedation or general anesthesia by using an electrocautery snare or a wire-guided Dormi basket. This report describes the endoscopic manipulations, treatment, and outcomes of esophageal foreign body removal in these calves.     

The influence of various confounding factors on mechanical nociceptive thresholds in the donkey

ObjectiveTo evaluate a mechanical nociceptive threshold (MNT) testing device in the donkey, and to investigate the influence of potential confounders on MNTs generated.Study designProspective, randomised.AnimalsSixteen castrated male donkeys aged 4–9 years, weighing 105–170 kg.MethodsMechanical nociceptive thresholds were measured using an actuator with three pins placed on the dorsal aspect of the distal limb, connected to a force meter. The pins (surface area 15 mm²) were extruded onto the limb by pressurising an air-filled syringe, until the MNT force (when foot-lift was observed) or 25 N (cut-off force) was reached. Effect on MNT of presence of a companion donkey, the limb tested, rate of application of force, testing location, level of distraction, ambient temperature and hair cover at the test site was evaluated. Long and short-term repeatability of MNT was assessed. Data were analysed using general linear models and Mann–Whitney U tests, p < 0.05 was considered significant.ResultsIncreasing the rate of force application significantly increased the mean ± SD MNT from 9.2 ± 2.0 N when applied at 0.4 N sec^?1 to 10.6 ± 2.1 N when applied at 1.2 N sec^?1 (p = 0.001). No other factors significantly influenced MNT. Mean MNT remained stable over a 3 week period, however MNTs were significantly (p = 0.006) higher (12.8 ± 3.0 N cf 10.3 ± 1.9 N) after a 12 month interval.Conclusions and clinical relevanceWhen designing studies measuring MNT in donkeys, rate of application of force must be standardised. Donkeys’ MNTs have good short-term stability suggesting this technique is appropriate for short-term analgesiometry studies; however variability of MNTs over the long-term is greater.     

Biological and Artificial Matrixes as PAH Accumulators: An Experimental Comparative Study

In order to find out a new effective accumulator of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) useful for monitoring studies on a large scale and low costs, the accumulation capacity of both biological and artificial matrixes (mosses and polyester fibers, respectively) has been tested. For this purposes, Hypnum cupressiforme and dacron® were exposed to pollution airborne in two sites located nearby an active iron industry and in center of the town of Trieste, where high PAH pollution spots, due to vehicular traffic, are usually detected. The samplers were exposed in six sampling sessions for 21 days. The results obtained were compared with data collected by active PAH samplers, usually employed for official widespread monitoring. The level of correlation between the data sets was calculated. Furthermore, a repeatability study of data was performed. According to the results, both matrixes are good PAH accumulators, though they show different skills.     

Sensitivity to information upscaling of agro-ecological assessments: Application to soil organic carbon management

Upscaling of agro-ecological indicators applied in regional analyses is sensitive to scale issues of the input data. This study develops a methodology to quantify this sensitivity for an indicator of soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics at the farming system level. A reference case consists of seven fully described farms in northern Italy. Both upscaling in complexity by substituting measured input with estimated input and upscaling in space by extending the methods to farms not included in the reference case are addressed. The indicator increased with 3-107% at four farms after substituting measured management input with that estimated by an expert, whereas it remained unchanged or decreased at the other three farms. Taking the modal value from a cluster of pedological input did not lead to additional uncertainty in most cases, and only slightly increased it in others. We evaluated spatial upscaling by including 733 farms divided in 18 clusters that were described with less information as compared to the reference farms. Within each cluster, we observed relevant variability of the indicator (coefficients of variation of 12-43%), as a consequence of the heterogeneity of farms comprised in each cluster. In each cluster we calculated the indicator for one virtual farm, defined by using modal values for basic farm inputs. In this case the indicator was highly correlated (R² = 0.98) with the average of the values obtained using measured basic farm inputs. We conclude that upscaling in complexity and space introduces uncertainty in the values of the indicator compared to the reference case. The extent of such differences depends on the variability of the systems under analysis and on indicator sensitivity.     

That's my hand! Activity in premotor cortex reflects feeling of ownership of a limb

When we look at our hands, we immediately know that they are part of our own body. This feeling of ownership of our limbs is a fundamental aspect of self-consciousness. We have studied the neuronal counterparts of this experience. A perceptual illusion was used to manipulate feelings of ownership of a rubber hand presented in front of healthy subjects while brain activity was measured by functional magnetic resonance imaging. The neural activity in the premotor cortex reflected the feeling of ownership of the hand. This suggests that multisensory integration in the premotor cortex provides a mechanism for bodily self-attribution.     

A dearth of dark matter in ordinary elliptical galaxies

The kinematics of the outer parts of three intermediate-luminosity elliptical galaxies were studied with the Planetary Nebula Spectrograph. The galaxies' velocity-dispersion profiles were found to decline with the radius, and dynamical modeling of the data indicates the presence of little if any dark matter in these galaxies' halos. This unexpected result conflicts with findings in other galaxy types and poses a challenge to current galaxy formation theories.     

The mentality of crows: convergent evolution of intelligence in corvids and apes

Discussions of the evolution of intelligence have focused on monkeys and apes because of their close evolutionary relationship to humans. Other large-brained social animals, such as corvids, also understand their physical and social worlds. Here we review recent studies of tool manufacture, mental time travel, and social cognition in corvids, and suggest that complex cognition depends on a "tool kit" consisting of causal reasoning, flexibility, imagination, and prospection. Because corvids and apes share these cognitive tools, we argue that complex cognitive abilities evolved multiple times in distantly related species with vastly different brain structures in order to solve similar socioecological problems.     

Effect of improved fallow on crop productivity, soil fertility and climate-forcing gas emissions in semi-arid conditions

The impacts of fallow on soil fertility, crop production and climate-forcing gas emissions were determined in two contrasting legumes, Gliricidia sepium and Acacia colei, in comparison with traditional unamended fallow and continuous cultivation systems. After 2 years, the amount of foliar material produced did not differ between the two improved fallow species; however, grain yield was significantly elevated by 55% in the first and second cropping season after G. sepium compared with traditional fallow. By contrast, relative to the unamended fallow, a drop in grain yield was observed in the first cropping season after A. colei, followed by no improvement in the second. G. sepium had higher foliar N, K and Mg, while A. colei had lower foliar N but higher lignin and polyphenols. In the third year after fallow improvement, a simulated rainfall experiment was performed on soils to compare efflux of N₂O and CO₂. Improved fallow effects on soil nutrient composition and microbial activity were demonstrated through elevated N₂O and CO₂ efflux from soils in G. sepium fallows compared with other treatments. N₂O emissions were around six times higher from this nitrogen-fixing soil treatment, evolving 69.9 ngN₂O–N g⁻¹soil h⁻¹ after a simulated rainfall event, compared with only 8.5 and 4.8 ngN₂O–N g⁻¹soil h⁻¹ from soil under traditional fallow and continuous cultivation, respectively. The findings indicate that selection of improved fallows for short-term fertility enhancement has implications for regional N₂O emissions for dry land regions.