Effect of intake of linoleic acid and α‐linolenic acid levels on conversion into long‐chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in backfat and in intramuscular fat of growing pigs

A study was conducted to determine the effect of two levels of linoleic acid (LA) intake at either high or low α‐linolenic acid (ALA) intake on their conversion and subsequent deposition into long‐chain (20–22 C‐atoms) polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC PUFA) in muscle and backfat in growing pigs. In a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement, 32 gilts from 8 litters were assigned to one of four dietary treatments, varying in LA and ALA intakes. Low ALA and LA intakes were 0.15 and 1.31 g/(kg BW^0.75/day), respectively, and high ALA and LA intakes were 1.48 and 2.65 g/(kg BW^0.75/day) respectively. There was a close positive relation between intake of ALA and the concentration of ALA in backfat and in intramuscular fat. Dietary ALA did not affect the concentration of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), but increased docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) in backfat. High ALA intake did not significantly affect DHA but significantly increased EPA, 20:3 n‐3 and DPA concentrations in intramuscular fat. The n‐3 LC PUFA proportion in backfat was increased from approximately 1–3%, which may be useful to enrich meat with these fatty acids. The effect of ALA intake on n‐3 LC PUFA was suppressed by LA intake. Dietary ALA suppressed the concentration of n‐6 LC PUFA in blood plasma by more than 50%. When compared at equal incremental dose, the inhibiting effect of ALA on blood arachidonic acid was stronger than the stimulating effect of LA as precursor.     

Effect of ammonium‐iron‐hexa‐cyanoferrate and of the covariates age,gender, weight,season and calendar time on radiocaesium contamination of wild boars living in the wild in Bavaria

Feed with Ammonium‐iron‐hexa‐cyanoferrate (AFCF; 1250 mg AFCF/kg) was fed between March 2009 and March 2011 to wild boars in a territory of 4.5 km² (experimental group, EXP). One hundred and forty similar territories in the same county (500 km², spruce forest, agriculture) served as control (CON). Data for comparison from all territories were available from March 2005 to March 2011. Wild boars could move between, into and from the territories. Lean skeletal muscle meat (500 g) of all wild boars that were killed by humans (hunting and traffic accidents) was investigated for gamma‐radiation from ¹³⁷Cs with a becquerel monitor with a sodium iodide scintillator crystal (range of detection 20–9999 Bq/kg). The wild boars were weighed, and gender and age were determined. For the analyses of effects, multivariable regression models were fitted with the ¹³⁷Cs concentration as response variable. There was a significant difference between the ¹³⁷Cs contamination of wild boars from CON (563 ± 932 Bq/kg meat, n = 1253) and EXP (236 ± 276 Bq/kg meat; n = 45). ¹³⁷Cs contamination decreased with increasing body weight by ?5 Bq/kg meat/kg body weight increase (p < 0.05). Females had higher Bq measurements than males (by +80 Bq/kg meat, p < 0.05). Piglets were lower than adults, but turn‐coats higher. From November to May, contamination was higher (by +500 to +600 Bq/kg meat, p < 0.05) than during the rest of the year. In 2010, contamination was higher (by +200 to + 300 Bq/kg meat, p < 0.05) in comparison with the other years under observation. When all covariates were controlled for, the effect of AFCF was highly significant. Interaction analyses showed that the intervention decreased ¹³⁷Cs contamination by ?500 Bq/kg meat during November to May and by ?200 Bq/kg meat during the rest of the year. In summary, AFCF feeding reduces ¹³⁷Cs contamination of wild boars living in the wild significantly, particularly during the season from November to May.     

Seasonal and age effects on energy requirements in domestic short‐hair cats (Felis catus) in a temperate environment

There is little information known about the energy requirements of cats in temperature climates. Energy requirement of domestic short‐haired cats was determined using three groups of mixed gender – old kept outside (approximately 9.9 years of age; 4.8 kg; n = 9), young kept outside (approximately 3.1 years of age; 3.9 kg; n = 8) or young kept inside (approximately 3.1 years of age; 3.9 kg; n = 8). Cats were housed individually for 5 weeks during summer (18.5 ± 0.5 °C) and winter (8.5 ± 0.4 °C) and were fed a commercially available maintenance diet ad libitum. In both periods, energy expenditure was determined from the rates of ²H and ¹⁸O elimination for blood H₂O over a 12 day period, from a doubly labelled water bolus ²H₂O (0.7 g/kg BW) and H₂¹⁸O (0.13 g/kg BW) administered intravenously. During the summer period, macronutrient digestibility was determined. Older cats had a reduction (p < 0.05) in apparent digestibility of dry matter (approximately 9%), energy (approximately 8%) and protein (6%). There was a significant effect of age and season on energy intake and energy expenditure. While lean mass was affected by age and season, there was no effect of age or season on energy expenditure when expressed as a proportion of lean mass. Possible seasonal differences in nutrient digestibility may explain these results.     

Genetic associations between somatic cell score and pathogen‐specific subclinical mastitis in Norwegian Red cows

The aim of this study was to estimate heritabilities of and genetic correlations between pathogen‐specific subclinical mastitis (SCM) traits and lactation mean somatic cell score (LSCS) in Norwegian Red cattle. Based on data from 130 733 first‐lactation cows four binary pathogen‐specific SCM traits, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus dysgalactiae, Streptococcus uberis and coagulase‐negative staphylococci SCM, were analysed together with unspecific SCM and LSCS using a multivariate sire model with threshold models for binary traits and a linear model for LSCS. Posterior means (SD) of heritabilities were 0.17 (0.01) for LSCS, 0.11 (0.01) for liability to unspecific SCM and ranged from 0.04 (Staph. aureus) to 0.14 (Strep. dysgalactiae) for liability to pathogen‐specific SCM. Genetic correlations were positive and moderate to high, ranging from 0.37 to 0.98. All genetic correlations except the one between LSCS and unspecific SCM were lower than 1, indicating that SCM caused by different pathogens can be considered as partly different traits.     

The use of nuclear imaging for a mixed C cell microfollicular carcinoma of the thyroid gland in a mature horse

A 15‐year‐old Boerperd stallion presented for thyroid enlargement associated with inappetance. Ultrasonographic examination of the thyroid gland revealed an enlarged left lobe, which, on cytological examination, contained numerous anaplastic cells. A mixed C cell microfollicular thyroid carcinoma was diagnosed following histopathological examination of the excisional biopsy specimen. In order to determine metastasis, pulmonary radiographs revealed a poorly‐marginated soft tissue opacity caudo‐dorsal to the cardiac silhouette. Thyroid and pulmonary scintigraphy was performed comparing ^99mTc‐sestamibi with ^99mTc‐pertechnetate and no metastasis was detectable. Following hemithyroidectomy, the stallion made a full recovery without the need for neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Six months later, repeated thyroid and pulmonary scintigraphy using ^99mTc‐sestamibi was normal.     

中草药大黄的小波变换红外光谱的聚类分析鉴别

采用傅里叶红外光谱法(FTIR)扫描41种不同品种大黄(Rheum palmatum L.)红外指纹图谱,建立了中草药大黄的红外指纹图谱,运用小波变换技术对近红外光谱进行压缩,应用聚类分析方法对红外数据进行处理,可以有效地鉴别不同产地的大黄,减少训练时间,结果与传统鉴别的结果基本一致.红外光谱法可用于中药大黄的质量控制,为中草药大黄的鉴定提供理论依据和实用方法.     

紫花地丁红外光谱的人工神经网络鉴别研究

采用傅里叶红外光谱法(FTIR)扫描42份紫花地丁(Viola philippica Car.)样品红外图谱,利用人工神经网络误差反向传播算法(BP-ANN)对红外数据进行处理,建立了中药紫花地丁的红外指纹图谱,为中药紫花地丁的鉴定提供了理论依据和实用方法.结果可以有效地鉴别野生紫花地丁和栽培紫花地丁,准确率达到92.86％.所建的模型合理、实用.     

Concurrent 2009 Pandemic Influenza A (H1N1) Virus Infection in Ferrets and in a Community in Pennsylvania

We report a fall 2010 cluster of pandemic influenza A/H1N1 (pH1N1) infections in pet ferrets in Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania. The ferrets were associated with one pet shop. The influenza cluster occurred during a period when the existing human surveillance systems had identified little to no pH1N1 in humans in the Lehigh Valley, and there were no routine influenza surveillance systems for exotic pets. The index case was a 2.5‐month‐old neutered male ferret that was presented to a veterinary clinic with severe influenza‐like illness (ILI). In response to laboratory notification of a positive influenza test result, and upon request from the Pennsylvania Department of Health (PADOH), the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) conducted an investigation to identify other ill ferrets and to identify the source and extent of infection. PDA notified the PADOH of the pH1N1 infection in the ferrets, leading to enhanced human surveillance and the detection of pH1N1 human infections in the surrounding community. Five additional ferrets with ILI linked to the pet shop were identified. This simultaneous outbreak of ferret and human pH1N1 demonstrates the important link between animal health and public health and highlights the potential use of veterinary clinics for sentinel surveillance of diseases shared between animals and humans.     

Campylobacter Cross‐Contamination of Chicken Products at an Abattoir

Consumption of raw or undercooked poultry products contaminated with Campylobacter has been identified as a risk factor for human campylobacteriosis. We determined whether slaughtering of Campylobacter‐positive flocks was associated with contamination of chicken products derived from Campylobacter‐negative flocks slaughtered at the same abattoir. The presence of Campylobacter was investigated in 22 broiler farms 1 week prior to slaughter and in one abattoir on nine separate slaughter days. A total of 600 bulk packed chicken products were tested, with 198 (33.0%) of the products found to be Campylobacter positive. Of the 350 chicken products originating from Campylobacter‐positive flocks, 180 (51.1%) were contaminated with the bacteria. In contrast, only 18 (7.2%) of 250 chicken products derived from Campylobacter‐negative flocks were contaminated. In 14 of these 18 products, the Campylobacter isolates were identical to isolates obtained from the flock slaughtered immediately prior to the Campylobacter‐negative flock. Notably, on 4/6 slaughter days, Campylobacter‐negative flocks were slaughtered prior to the positive flocks, and Campylobacter was absent from all chicken products originating from the negative flocks. These results suggest that implementation of logistic slaughter (where Campylobacter‐negative flocks are slaughter first) significantly decreases the prevalence of Campylobacter‐positive chicken products.     

The Italian Information System on Zoonoses Data Collection

In the framework of the international obligations subscribed by the Italian government, the Italian Ministry of Health should provide the European Union (EU) (European Commission, European Food Safety Authority – EFSA) with a set of data and information related to the report and the spread of zoonoses and to the activities put in place for monitoring and control of zoonoses. In 2008, the Italian Ministry of Health commissioned the Istituto G. Caporale (ICT) to implement an information system able to provide information and data on the monitoring and control of zoonoses in the national territory, in accordance with the national and community legislation. The system is part of the e‐Government process that involves all public administrations of the EU and refers to the use of information and communication technologies for the digital processing of documents in order to obtain simplification and interoperability of administrative procedures through the Internet, as defined in the strategic lines published by the National Centre for Information Systems in Public Administration (DigitPA) in 2009–2011.