Development and evaluation of an anatomically designed and 3D printed device to enhance orotracheal intubation success in rabbits by inexperienced veterinarians

ObjectiveTo assess whether the use of a three-dimensional (3D) printed device enhances the success rate of orotracheal intubation in rabbits.Study designProspective, crossover randomized controlled trial.AnimalsA total of six mixed-breed rabbits.MethodsA device to guide the endotracheal tube was designed based on computed tomography images and then manufactured using 3D printing. Rabbits were randomly assigned for intubation by two inexperienced veterinarians using the blind (BLI), borescope- (BOR) or device- (DEV) guided techniques. Success rate, number of attempts, time to success, injury scores and propofol dose were recorded and compared. Significance was considered when p < 0.05.ResultsSuccess rate was higher in DEV (58.3%) than in BLI (8.3%) (p < 0.023), but not different from that in BOR (41.6%). Total time until successful intubation was lower in DEV (45 ± 23 seconds) and BOR (85 ± 62 seconds) than in BLI (290 seconds; p < 0.006). Time for the successful attempt was lower for DEV (35 ± 10 seconds) and BOR (74 ± 43 seconds) than in BLI (290 seconds; p < 0.0001). The propofol dose required was lower for DEV (2.3 ± 1.2 mg kg^–1) than for BLI (3.4 ± 1.6 mg kg^–1) (p < 0.031), but not different from BOR (2.4 ± 0.9 mg kg^–1). Number of attempts and oxygen desaturation events were not different among techniques (p < 0.051 and p < 0.326, respectively). Injury scores [median (range)] before and after attempts were different in BLI [0 versus 1 (0–3), p < 0.005] and BOR [0 (0–1) versus 1 (0–3), p < 0.002] but not in DEV [0 (0–2) versus 0 (0–3), p < 0.109].Conclusions and clinical relevanceThe device facilitated orotracheal intubation with a time similar to the borescope-guided technique but faster than the traditional blind technique.     

短周期桉树无性系苗木低温胁迫试验

本试验共测定了54个短周期桉树无性系在人工气候培养室中的低温胁迫伤害指数和死亡率。结果表明,不同低温处理对无性系伤害差异极其显著;苗木不同培育年份对低温伤害指数的影响明显,但对苗木死亡率的作用不大。苗木在低温胁迫处理后1~3 d内观察评分结果具有相当的稳定性和准确性。由于受测试的不同树种和无性系苗木的低温伤害或致死低温范围窄,而直接影响林分的野外环境温度变化较大,因此外界环境的极低温限制应是制约桉树往偏寒地区扩大种植规模的主要因素。在一定的低温范围内,低温胁迫伤害指数在无性系间存在一定水平的遗传变异,通过选择育种可以适度提高无性系抗低温胁迫能力,而结合耐寒桉树树种选育和改进环境与养分条件应可以获得更好的抗性效益。苗木或林木的生长状态对受低温伤害程度有一定的影响。     

Host Plant-Based Artificial Diets Enhance Development,Survival and Fecundity of the Edible Long-Horned Grasshopper Ruspolia differens (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae)

Wild swarms of the long-horned grasshoppers Ruspolia differens (Serville) which are widely harvested for consumption and sale in Africa are seasonal and unsustainable, hence the need for innovative ways of artificially producing the insects. We investigated the development, survival, and reproduction of R. differens in the laboratory on diets mixed with host plants [Digitaria gayana Kunth, Cynodon dactylon (L.) and Megathyrsus maximus Jacq (Poales: Poaceae); Ageratum conyzoides L. (Asterales: Asteraceae)] identified from guts of their wild conspecifics with a view to developing a suitable diet for artificial mass rearing of the edible insect. A standard diet comprising ground black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens L. (Diptera: Startiomyidae) larvae, soybean flour, maize flour, vitamin premix, and ground bones was tested for rearing R. differens as a control against the same ingredients incorporated with individual powders of the different host plants. Whereas R. differens developed more slowly in the diet mixed with D. gayana than in the control diet; its development was faster in the diet mixed with C. dactylon. Mortalities of R. differens in host plant-based diets were 42.5–52.5%, far lower than in the control diet with 71% mortality. The insects raised on the diet mixed with M. maximus laid approximately twice more eggs compared to R. differens fecundities from the rest of the diets. However, inclusion of host plants in the diets had no detectable influence on R. differens adult weight and longevity. These findings support inclusion of specific host plants in artificial diets used for mass rearing of R. differens to enhance its survival, development, and fecundity.     

Conversion of a tropical forest into agroforest alters the fine root-related carbon flux to the soil

Large areas of remaining tropical forests are affected by anthropogenic disturbances of various intensities. These disturbances alter the structure of the forest ecosystem and consequently its carbon budget. We analysed the role of fine root dynamics in the soil carbon budget of tropical moist forests in South-east Asia along a gradient of increasing disturbance intensity. Fine root production, fine root turnover, and the associated carbon fluxes from the fine root system to the soil were estimated with three different approaches in five stands ranging from an old growth forest with negligible anthropogenic disturbance to a cacao agroforestry system with planted shade trees. Annual fine root production and mortality in three natural forest sites with increasing canopy openness decreased continuously with increasing forest disturbance, with a reduction of more than 45% between the undisturbed forest and the forest with large timber extraction. Cacao agroforestry stands had higher fine root production and mortality rates than forest with large timber extraction but less than undisturbed forest. The amount of carbon annually transferred to the soil carbon pool through fine root mortality was highest in the undisturbed forest and generally decreased with increasing forest use intensity. However, root-related C flux was also relatively high in the plantation with planted shading trees. In contrast, the relative importance of C transfer from root death in the total above- and below-ground C input to the soil increased with increasing forest use intensity and was even similar to the C input via leaf litter fall in the more intensively managed agroforest. We conclude that moderate to heavy disturbance in South-east Asian tropical moist forests has a profound impact on fine root turnover and the related carbon transfer to the soil.     

Salinity tolerance in young Allis shad larvae (Alosa alosa L.)

Abstract –  Estuarine migration in Allis shad ( Alosa alosa ) usually does not take place before mid-summer, but exposure to salinity in brackish water may occur earlier as many spawning areas are of necessity located in upper estuarine zones due to the placement of dams. Therefore, Allis shad conservation programmes need to consider the risk of mortality due to the ability of young Allis shad to tolerate salinity. To evaluate larval mortality due to the inability of larvae to withstand salinity during early ontogeny, we exposed larvae of different ages (from few days old to 27 days old) to salinities ranging from 0 to 30 g·l⁻¹. Results indicate that direct seawater exposure induces high mortality in young larvae whatever the ontogenetic stage. However, young larvae can easily deal with upper estuary salinity conditions.     

Evaluation of three phytoplankton species as food for the pearl oyster <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pinctada fucata</Emphasis>

In the pearl cultivation farms of the Ehime Prefecture, Japan, mass mortalities of the pearl oyster Pinctada fucata have occurred since 1994. The occurrences of mass mortality roughly coincided with a shift of the dominant phytoplankton from Skeletonema and Chaetoceros to Chaetoceros and Nitzschia all of which belong to Bacillariophyceae. Hence, we evaluated Nitzschia, together with Chaetoceros and Isocrysis, as food for the oyster. Wet weights, lengths, widths, glycogen contents, and growth rates in terms of wet weight of the oysters in all the feeding treatments were significantly higher than those in the non-feeding treatment. The highest glycogen content (2.34%) and growth rate (2.21 g month⁻¹) were found in the Chaetoceros treatment. Growth rate in the Isocrysis treatment (1.63 g month⁻¹) was also high, although glycogen content in this treatment (0.41%) was low. In the Nitzschia treatment, growth rate of the oyster (0.94 g month⁻¹) was the lowest and glycogen content (0.83%) was also low relative to that in the Chaetoceros treatment. Chlorophyll a concentration in fecal pellets was lowest in the Nitzschia treatment (<2.7 μg mg⁻¹), suggesting more complete digestion of Nitzschia by the oyster. Thus, Nitzschia was edible and digestible but not assimilated by P. fucata. We propose the following scenario for the relationship between Nitzschia dominance and mass mortality. When Nitzschia dominates in a culture area, the physiological condition of P. fucata deteriorates due to low assimilation of Nitzschia by the oyster, followed by susceptibility of the oyster to infection by agents lethal to the oyster.     

Discovery of a synergistic effect of oxytocin on the efficacy of Alpha-Chloralose,a drug used for capturing and controlling birds

Overdose and death of both target and non-target species are not uncommon when α–chloralose is used for animal control. Alpha–chloralose appears to depress the central nervous system by having an affect on the GABA-A receptor in a manner similar to ethanol. Recently central administration of oxytocin was shown to block ethanol-induced impairment in rodents. Our study investigates whether IM administration of oxytocin speeds avian recovery from α–chloralose and reduces mortality under simulated field conditions. We found that when injected twice with oxytocin (30 uL/kg) chickens entered α–chloralose narcosis more quickly and showed greater behavioral impairment. When fed the LD₅₀ dose of α–chloralose, repeated injection with oxytocin produced no significant difference in mortality rate or time to death in comparison to the control group. The effects of peripheral oxytocin on female chicks were different than results found previously in cockerels given oxytocin centrally. Oxytocin is not a suitable antidote for α–chloralose overdose during animal capture in the field but instead accentuates α–chloralose narcosis, making capture more likely and efficient.     

土壤环境质量指导值与标准研究 Ⅱ.污染土壤的健康风险评估

快速城市化进程与工业发展，使得土壤污染日益严重。污染物进入土壤后，经水、气、生物等介质传输，通过饮水、呼吸、饮食、皮肤吸收等途径引起人体暴露，带来健康风险。污染土壤健康风险评估是制定土壤环境质量标准的基础，是一项新的环境管理技术与手段。我国污染土壤的健康风险评估还非常欠缺，为了推动其发展，本文讨论了其研究进展、方法、存在问题与发展趋势。当前，还缺乏准确定量的风险表征方法，评估过程中还具有较大不确定性。污染土壤的健康风险评估正在向多介质、多途径以及多种污染物暴露的方向发展，模型模拟的方法将会得到更多的应用。为了建立准确定量风险评估方法，在未来研究中需要加强对风险评估相关机理研究。这包括污染物的迁移传输规律、污染物的剂量一效应关系和人群生活方式等。