ULTRASONOGRAPHIC EVALUATION OF ADRENAL GLAND SIZE COMPARED TO BODY WEIGHT IN NORMAL DOGS

The accepted cut‐off value for adrenal gland maximum diameter of 0.74 cm to distinguish adrenal gland enlargement in dogs regardless of body weight may not be appropriate for small to medium breed dogs. The purpose of the current retrospective study was to examine adrenal gland dimensions as a function of body weight in healthy dogs in three weight categories (< 10 kg, 10–30 kg, and > 30 kg) representing small, medium, and large breeds, respectively, to establish greater confidence in determining if adrenal gland size is abnormal. The measurements of length (sagittal plane), cranial and caudal pole thickness (sagittal and transverse planes), and caudal pole width (transverse plane) of both adrenal glands were obtained ultrasonographically in clinically healthy dogs (n = 45) with 15 dogs in each weight group. Findings support our hypothesis that adrenal gland size correlates with body weight in normal dogs, and more precise reference intervals should be created for adrenal gland size by categorizing dogs as small, medium, or large breed. The caudal pole thickness of either adrenal gland in a sagittal plane was the best dimension for evaluating adrenal gland size based on low variability, ease, and reliability in measurement.     

Expression level of the cytochrome P450c21 (CYP21) protein correlating to drip loss in pigs

Drip loss is an important meat quality trait of fresh meat affecting economic losses. The cytochrome P450c21 (CYP21) protein has a role on cortisol production and depends on stress. This might affect meat quality. The present study aimed to investigate the expression of CYP21 protein in correlation with drip loss. The samples were taken from the Longissimus dorsi muscle to evaluate drip loss (n = 300). Five muscles per group (low and high drip loss) were selected to evaluate CYP21 protein expression levels. Statistical analysis revealed that CYP21 protein expression levels were significantly difference between the drip loss groups. The high drip loss group had higher CYP21 protein expression levels than the low drip loss group (P < 0.05). Moreover, the high drip loss group had higher optical density values of the CYP21 protein band than the low drip loss group (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the expression of CYP21 protein will provide the basis for information and better understanding of the mechanisms related to drip loss in pork. Further study is warranted to validate these results in other populations.     

Spontaneous hoof capsule loss following lacerations of the equine distal limb

In this article, 3 cases of an infrequent complication of lower limb trauma that presented as a cellulitis and deteriorating comfort a few days after lower limb laceration are described. All 3 horses sloughed the hoof capsule 10 days after initial trauma to that particular limb. Development of subsequent cellulitis/lymphangitis contributed to deterioration of distal limb perfusion. The exact pathophysiological mechanisms remain unknown but clinicians should be aware of this unusual but major complication following limb trauma.     

德美与中美〖HTSS〗（新疆型）〖HTH〗杂交后代体尺体重变化

德国美利奴是肉毛兼用细毛羊,原产德国,对于干旱地区有较好的适应性。该羊具有生长发育快、适应性强、产肉性能好和繁殖率高的特点。本次试验研究的主要内容是中国美利奴羊（新疆型）在导入德国肉用美利奴羊血液后,其后裔(周岁公羊)在体重体尺方面的变化情况。根据试验测得的数据,经统计分析结果表明：杂交一代与中国美利奴（新疆型）相比,在各阶段平均体重均得到提高,提高范围0.07~2.1 kg。杂交二代各阶段平均体重与中国美利奴（新疆型）相比,其提高幅度大于杂交一代。在体尺上杂交一代在胸深、胸围、胸宽、十字部宽上均表现了较高的杂交优势,在体尺大小上得到了很大提高。为体重增加、产肉性能的提高提供了良好的潜在条件。杂交二代在各体尺指标上没有增加（除前肢高）,同杂交一代相比具有降低趋势。所以杂交一代是我们需要的经济类型。引进德国美利奴有利于提高中国美利奴（新疆型）的产肉性能,它是提高新疆细毛羊毛肉综合性能较为理想的父本品种。     

梅花鹿成纤维细胞因子受体2基因多态性及其与茸重性状的关联分析

【目的】探索梅花鹿成纤维细胞因子受体2(fibroblast growth factor receptor 2,FGFR2)基因多态性及其对茸重性状的影响。【方法】应用直接测序法对梅花鹿FGFR2基因的全部外显子进行测序分析,通过MassARRAY^® SNP分型技术对314头24月龄梅花鹿进行基因分型和单倍型分析,分析FGFR2基因不同基因型和单倍型与茸重的关联性。【结果】在梅花鹿FGFR2基因中共发现12个多态性位点,其中5个位于外显子区域,且突变均未引起氨基酸改变,属于同义突变,其余7个位点均存在于内含子区域。分型结果显示,g.80975864 T>G位点未分型成功,后续对其余11个位点进行了分析,g.80943673 T>C、g.80943683 C>A及g.80938352 C>T 3个位点属于中度多态位点(0.25＜P＜0.5),其余位点均属于低度多态位点(P＜0.25)。χ²检验结果表明,g.80998742 G>A和g.80987708 G>A 2个位点偏离Hardy-Weinberg平衡(P＜0.05),其他9个位点均处于Hardy-Weinberg平衡(P＞0.05)。关联分析结果表明,11个多态性位点各基因型之间的茸重差异均不显著(P＞0.05)。单倍型结果显示,FGFR2基因存在5种单倍型,不同单倍型间梅花鹿茸重差异均不显著(P＞0.05)。【结论】FGFR2基因的11个突变位点可能不是影响梅花鹿茸重性状的关键位点。     

Effect of supplementing urea-treated barley straw with lucerne or vetch hays on feed intake,digestibility and growth of Arsi Bale Sheep

The study was conducted at Sinana Agricultural Research Center, Ethiopia to assess the supplementation of graded levels of vetch (Vicia dasycarpa `lana’) and lucerne (Medicago sativa,’ Hunter river’) hay on feed intake, digestibility and body weight (BW) change of Arsi-Bale sheep fed urea treated barley straw (UTBS). A 7 day- digestibility and a 90 day- feed intake trials were conducted using 28 and 35 sheep, respectively. The experimental design was a randomized complete block design with seven dietary treatments that consisted of feeding UTBS (T1) as the control treatment, UTBS plus 150, 250 and 350 g dry matter (DM) per day of vetch for T2, T3, T4, respectively and UTBS plus 150, 250 and 350 g DM per day of lucerne for T5, T6 and T7, respectively. Intake of UTBS was not affected (P > 0.05) by inclusion of lucerne hay at 25–35% of daily DM intake. The supplements increased daily intake of total DM, organic matter (OM), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF) and metabolizable energy (ME) (P < 0.001) as well as apparent digestibility of DM, OM (P < 0.001), NDF (P < 0.01), ADF, crude protein (CP) (P < 0.05) and daily BW gain (P < 0.001). Supplementation with lucerne than vetch hay promoted higher (P < 0.001) CP and ME intakes and daily BW gain. Feeding with the UTBS without supplementation was enough to meet the maintenance requirements of the sheep and allow small BW gain. The results of the study showed that urea treatment of barley straw in conjunction with supplementation of lucerne or vetch hay could serve as a useful strategy in improving smallholder sheep production in the tropics.     

‘扬州鹅’及其杂交配套组合体质量、体尺和羽绒产量测定及相关分析

为研究‘扬州鹅’及其杂交配套组合体重和体尺对羽绒产量的影响,为扬州鹅的选育提供依据,以70日龄罗扬鹅(L×Y)、卡扬鹅(K×Y)、浙扬鹅(Z×Y)和扬扬鹅(Y×Y)4个鹅群体为试验素材,测定其70日龄体质量、体尺及产绒性能并进行相关分析。结果表明:这种经济杂交方法不同程度的地提高了体重、体尺与产绒量。3个杂交配套组合的体重、半潜水长与胸宽均不同程度的大于对照组Y×Y组合,说明杂交可以在一定程度上提高体重与一些体尺性状;3个杂交组合的羽绒总重显著高于对照组Y×Y组合(P0.05),其中L×Y组合羽绒总重最大为144.71 g;L×Y组合与K×Y组合正羽重显著高于Z×Y组合与对照组Y×Y组合(P0.05);L×Y组合与Z×Y组合绒羽重显著高于K×Y组合与对照组Y×Y组合(P0.05)。通过体尺、体重与产绒性能关联分析,体重、半潜水长和胸深对产绒性能影响较大,相关性最高,体重和半潜水长与正羽重、绒羽重和羽绒总重均呈极显著正相关(P0.01)。由此可见,这种经济杂交方法可以提高了鹅的羽绒产量,而且体重和体尺与正羽重、绒羽重和羽绒总重呈不同程度的相关性。     

The impact of Theileria parva infections and other factors on calf mean daily weight gains in smallholder dairy farms in Murang'a District, Kenya

The association between mean daily weight gain, Theileria parva infections, clinical East Coast fever and other possible determinants of weight gain were examined in a longitudinal observational study that was conducted in cohorts of female calves from five agro-ecological zone (AEZ)-grazing strata. The strata were upper-midlands (UM) 1 zero-grazing, UM 1 open-grazing, UM 2 zero-grazing, UM 4 zero-grazing and UM 4 open-grazing. In total, 225 calves on 188 smallholder dairy farms were visited within the first 2 weeks of life and thereafter at biweekly intervals up to the age of 6 months between March 1995 and August 1996. During each visit, the calves were weighed and other calf-management practices in the farm during the visit such as housing, feeding and tick control also were recorded. Other events such as morbidity and mortality between or during the visits were also recorded.

The overall mean daily weight gains were 0.24–0.29 kg (S.D.=0.17–0.22 kg) and were lower than the recommended targets for smallholder farms of 0.40–0.50 kg. The major tendency in variability of daily weight gains was due to visit-to-visit variation (especially in calves >3 months old).

Differences in mean daily gains were associated with AEZ-grazing strata and calf-level factors that included breed of calf, calf sickness, incidence of ECF, feeding of milk, concentrate feeds and minerals and interaction between calf age and AEZ-grazing strata (P<0.05). ECF and other calf sicknesses exerted a temporal effect on calf-growth at the height of illness and immediately after; calves later recovered the lost growth except where other factors such as poor calf nutrition prevailed. Improvement in calf-growth in Murang’a District is achievable and extension services should continue to target individual-calf-level management practices.     

饲用玉米━多花黑麦草种植系统——饲用玉米氮素通量与氮素平衡

对成都平原典型代表区饲用玉米(Zea mays)-多花黑麦草(Lolium multiflorum)种植系统(简称CIS系统)内氮素需求、转移、利用、通量与氮素平衡进行了分析。结果表明,不施氮条件下饲用玉米地上部生物量和氮素累积量分别达26 756.82和317.39 kg·hm^-2,与施氮条件下相比差异不显著。施氮改变土壤氮含量,影响了饲用玉米在不同生育期地上部和根系的干物质和氮素累积,但不影响收获期最终干物质和氮素累积;不同处理条件下,饲用玉米生长期内土壤(0-50 cm)氮素矿化量(283.34 kg·hm^-2)和播前土壤矿质氮量(139.58 kg·hm^-2)是饲用玉米氮素需求主要供给来源,分别占不施氮条件下氮素有效累积(地上植株和根系)的86.53%和42.50%;施氮(纯氮246.30 kg·hm^-2)条件下,氮素吸收效率、氮肥利用率和氮肥表观利用率分别为0.49 kg·kg^-1、5.95%和5.45%;土壤氮素残留和其它损失是氮素转移的主要途径,分别占氮肥总量的41.60%和51.44%,氮素地表径流、淋溶及其它损失分别是不施氮条件下的13.17倍、16.67%和46.92倍。     

Influence of fioret position and flowering time on seed set and thousand seed weight of Ceratoides arborescens

本研究对华北驼绒藜（Ceratoides arborescens）生长4年和生长8年居群不同冠层、株丛上主枝和一级侧枝,以及不同花期花的结实率和种子千粒重进行了测定和分析。结果显示,1）株龄较小的植株结实率较高,所结种子千粒重较大,可能与年龄小的植株分枝少,养分集中有关。2）结实与花在花序上的位置有关。无论在主枝条上还是在侧枝上,先开花的部位结实率高,种子千粒重也较大。3）对整个居群来说,冠层的中层结实率最高,种子千粒重最大,冠层下层结实率和种子千粒重最小。4）盛花期开的花结实率高,种子千粒重也大,末花期次之,始花期花的结实率最低,种子千粒重也最小。