Case of suspected theobromine poisoning in dairy cattle

High-yielding dairy cows collapsed and died displaying signs of a disturbed central nervous system (muscle tremor, convulsion) and a considerably reduced body condition score. An intense diagnostic screening did not allow to confirm a definite diagnosis. Therefore, further analyses including an evaluation of feeds and feeding were initiated. The herd was fed a total mixed ration (TMR) based on corn and grass silage of moderate nutritive value supplemented with various amounts of chocolate chips. In retrospect, the amount of chocolate chips added to the respective TMR batches could not be quantified. These chips were purchased from a company producing bakery and chocolate products for human consumption and added to the silage and therefore to the TMR in order to increase the energy intake of the animals. Because the TMR, which was fed during the time of the incidence, was no longer available, a sample of a later batch of silage was examined. The amount of chocolate chips was quantified (0.44% per fresh matter), and a theobromine analysis was performed in the chocolate chips of the available batch (69.7 mg/100 g fresh matter). Because of the possible link between chocolate intake and observed signs, an immediate cessation of using the chocolate chips was recommended in addition to an optimisation of the TMR, that is an increase of the energy density. Even though the theobromine intake during the time of the incidence is unknown and information about toxicity of theobromine in ruminants is limited, we suspect that the feeding of chocolate in this case caused all signs including the sudden death of the cows. Further reasons are that no differential diagnoses were established and the problems at the farm stopped after removing the chocolate from the TMR.     

马铃薯渣饲用研究进展及应用前景分析

马铃薯淀粉渣富含养分、成本低、产量高,是良好的饲料来源。文章分析马铃薯的饲用价值,从青贮和发酵两方面综述马铃薯渣的饲用化研究现状,并提出马铃薯渣饲用潜力开发的主要制约因素,展望其饲用化的应用前景,为马铃薯渣的饲用化研究提供参考。     

兴安盟地区旱作条件下11个苜蓿品种生产性能和饲用价值比较

为筛选兴安盟地区旱作条件下适宜引进栽培的优良苜蓿品种,在兴安盟乌兰浩特市呼和马场种植11个苜蓿(Medicago sativa)品种,通过连续2年观测参试品种的越冬率、株高、产量、茎叶比及营养成分等指标,对旱作条件下11个苜蓿品种的生产性能和饲用价值进行灰色关联分析。结果表明:图牧2号、敖汉苜蓿和呼伦贝尔杂花苜蓿两年的平均越冬率较高;SK3010、呼伦贝尔杂花苜蓿和敖汉苜蓿在株高、生长速度和干草产量方面表现较好;图牧2号的茎叶比均最大,其次是呼伦贝尔杂花苜蓿、SK3010和敖汉苜蓿;WL168HQ、斯普雷德和呼伦贝尔杂花苜蓿两年的粗蛋白质含量均高于18%;巨能2和斯贝德的粗纤维含量较高;WL168HQ、呼伦贝尔杂花苜蓿、WL343HQ、SK3010和WL319HQ的粗灰分含量均高于10%。对11个苜蓿品种的越冬率、产量特性和饲用品质进行灰色关联分析表明,呼伦贝尔杂花苜蓿的综合表现最优,适合在该地区种植推广。     

提升犊牛日增重的方法研究

犊牛阶段的生长状况对牛只的生产性能具有重要影响,为提高牧场效益,牧场越来越追求犊牛阶段生长的最大化。通过饲喂代乳粉达到犊牛断奶前1.0 kg日增重,对牛只生产性能的提升具有重要意义。本文主要介绍增加犊牛日增重对牛只生产性能的积极影响,同时根据荷兰Schils的试验对代乳粉的选择和饲喂流程提出建议,以期对牧场合理使用代乳粉,实现犊牛阶段生长最大化提供参考。     

自动化饲喂饲养模式下哺乳犊牛的饲养管理

犊牛是牧场发展的后备军,优质的犊牛培育是牧场可持续发展的有利保障之一。因此,科学的犊牛饲养管理措施和合理的犊牛饲养模式对于犊牛培育极其重要。通过对自动化饲喂饲养模式下哺乳犊牛的饲喂技术、管理措施以及疾病预防等方面进行综述,重点介绍初乳、饲喂计划、补饲、奶粉及开食料、饲喂标准、饲养环境、管理细节差异、疾病治疗方案等内容,以期对自动化饲喂饲养模式下的牧场提供参考。     

肌肉发生相关长链非编码RNA研究进展

肌肉参与机体的运动、协调和体温调节等一系列生命活动,同时畜禽肌肉是人类重要的蛋白质来源。肌肉发生过程中的不同调控机制可引起肌肉发育的阶段性差异,而整个肌肉发育主要以两个时期（胚胎期和出生后）的发育状态体现。长链非编码RNA（lncRNA）是一类不具有蛋白编码能力且长度>200 nt的RNA分子。近年来,随着基因组学和分子生物学技术的高速发展,发现lncRNA广泛参与到肌肉发育的各个阶段,以多种作用机制调控肌肉的发育过程。作者介绍了肌肉的发育过程,综述了目前发现的与肌肉发育相关的lncRNAs及其作用机制,并阐述其在肌肉发育的不同阶段发挥的重要作用,为进一步研究肌肉发育相关lncRNAs提供了参考。     

Object‐Based Mapping of Karst Rocky Desertification using a Support Vector Machine

Accurate and cost‐effective mapping of karst rocky desertification (KRD) is still a challenge at the regional and national scale. Visual interpretation has been utilised in the majority of studies, while an automated method based on pixel data has been investigated repeatedly. An object‐based method coupling with support vector machine (SVM) was developed and tested using Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) images from three selected counties (Liujiang, Changshun and Zhenyuan) with different karst landscapes in SW China. The method supports a strategy of defining a mapping unit. It combined ETM+ images and ancillary data including elevation, slope and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index images. A sequence of scale parameters estimation, image segmentation, training data sampling, SVM parameters tuning and object classification was performed to achieve the mapping. A quantitative and semi‐automated approach was used to estimate scale parameters for segmenting an object at an optimal scale. We calculated the sum of area‐weighted standard deviation (WS), rate of change for WS, local variance (LV) and rate of change for LV at each scale level, and the threshold of the aforementioned index that indicated the optimal segment level and merge level. The KRD classification results had overall accuracies of 85·50, 84·00 and 84·86 per cent for Liujiang, Changshun and Zhenyuan, respectively, and kappa coefficients are up to 0·8062, 0·7917 and 0·8083, respectively. This approach mapped six classes of KRD and offered a visually appealing presentation. Moreover, it proposed a conceptual and size‐variable object from the classification standard of KRD. The results demonstrate that the application of our method provides an efficient approach for the mapping of KRD. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.