Effect of three programmes for the treatment of endometritis on the reproductive performance of a dairy herd

Three management programmes to improve the reproductive performance of a dairy herd were compared in a prospective controlled field study on one commercial farm. A total of 542 cows were examined for endometritis 22 to 28 days postpartum and assigned to one of three treatment groups: in group 1 the cows with signs of endometritis were treated with an intrauterine infusion of 100 ml of a 2 per cent polycondensated m-cresolsulphuric acid formaldehyde solution; in group 2 the cows with signs of endometritis were treated with an intrauterine infusion of 125 ml of a 20 per cent eucalyptus compositum solution; and in group 3 all the cows were injected intramuscularly with 0.75 mg of tiaprost, an analogue of prostaglandin F2alpha (PGF2alpha) at two-week intervals, starting on day 43, until they were inseminated. Thirty-four per cent of the cows showed signs of endometritis. In group 3, oestrus detection efficiency was significantly higher than in groups 1 and 2 (P<0.05), the interval to first service was shorter, and the cows had fewer days open than the cows in groups 1 and 2 (P<0.05). The results indicate that management programmes based on the strategic use of PGF2alpha are an effective alternative to traditional programmes based on rectal palpations and intrauterine infusions to control endometritis at a herd level.     

Herpesviruses—A zoonotic threat?

Herpesviruses are highly host specific and share a long synchronous evolution with their hosts. Only in rare cases, species barriers fall and allow animal to human or human to animal transmission. Among the zoonotic herpesviruses, Cercopithecine herpesvirus 1 is the most significant and can be transmitted from macaques to human. Conversely, Human herpesvirus 1 is capable of causing severe disease in primates. Besides those two examples, there are several herpesviruses with a certainly limited or only suspected ability to cross species barriers. Those include Saimiriine herpesvirus 2, Phocid herpesvirus 2, Equid herpesvirus 1, Epstein-Barr Virus, Marek's disease virus, and Pseudorabies virus. Concerning xenotransplantations, porcine gammaherpesviruses must be considered as a zoonotic threat.     

Recovery of infectious virus from full-length cowpox virus (CPXV) DNA cloned as a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC)

ABSTRACT: Transmission from pet rats and cats to humans as well as severe infection in felids and other animal species have recently drawn increasing attention to cowpox virus (CPXV). We report the cloning of the entire genome of cowpox virus strain Brighton Red (BR) as a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) in Escherichia coli and the recovery of infectious virus from cloned DNA. Generation of a full-length CPXV DNA clone was achieved by first introducing a mini-F vector, which allows maintenance of large circular DNA in E. coli, into the thymidine kinase locus of CPXV by homologous recombination. Circular replication intermediates were then electroporated into E. coli DH10B cells. Upon successful establishment of the infectious BR clone, we modified the full-length clone such that recombination-mediated excision of bacterial sequences can occur upon transfection in eukaryotic cells. This self-excision of the bacterial replicon is made possible by a sequence duplication within mini-F sequences and allows recovery of recombinant virus progeny without remaining marker or vector sequences. The in vitro growth properties of viruses derived from both BAC clones were determined and found to be virtually indistinguishable from those of parental, wild-type BR. Finally, the complete genomic sequence of the infectious clone was determined and the cloned viral genome was shown to be identical to that of the parental virus. In summary, the generated infectious clone will greatly facilitate studies on individual genes and pathogenesis of CPXV. Moreover, the vector potential of CPXV can now be more systematically explored using this newly generated tool.     

Lumbricids species diversity and heavy metal amounts in lumbricids on soil monitoring sites in Saxony-Anhalt (Germany)

This paper will contribute to an evaluation of soil monitoring sites. Abundance, biomass and species diversity of lumbricids was evaluated on 68 differently used sites (fields, grassland, deciduous forest, coniferous forest, mine spoil). Eight of the 68 studied soil monitoring sites showed increased amounts of heavy metals. Apart from the assessment of the abundance, of the biomass and the species diversity, the heavy metal accumulation in lumbricids was measured and evaluated. Earthworms are ideal bioindicators for heavy metals in the soil. Additional soil properties (organic matter content, pH, heavy metals) were measured that could explain differences in the bioavailability of the metal burdens of polluted sites. Metal concentrations in lumbricids showed considerable variation between land use type and the individual lumbricid species.     

Nutrient dynamics in an Andean forest region: a case study of exotic and native species plantations in southern Ecuador

New Forests - Information about nutrient dynamics is of upmost importance in order to contribute to the restoration of degraded forest environments in the Andes of southern Ecuador. This study aims...     

Effect of preoperative administration of erythromycin or flunixin meglumine on postoperative abomasal emptying rate in dairy cows undergoing surgical correction of left displacement of the abomasum

Objective: To determine whether preoperative administration of erythromycin or flunixin meglumine altered postoperative abomasal emptying rate, rumen contraction rate, or milk production in dairy cattle undergoing surgical correction of left displacement of the abomasum (LDA). DESIGN: Nonrandomized, controlled clinical trial. ANIMALS: 45 lactating Holstein-Friesian cows with LDA. PROCEDURES: Cows were alternately assigned to an erythromycin (10 mg/kg [4.5 mg/lb], IM), flunixin (2.2 mg/kg [1.0 mg/lb], IV), or control group (n = 15/group). Treatments were administered once 1 hour before surgical correction of LDA. D-Xylose solution (50%; 0.5 g/kg [0.23 g/lb]) was injected into the abomasal lumen during surgery, and venous blood samples were periodically obtained to determine time to maximum serum D-xylose concentration. RESULTS: Abomasal emptying rate was significantly faster in cows treated with erythromycin (mean +/- SD time to maximum serum D-xylose concentration, 149 +/- 48 minutes) than in control cows (277 +/- 95 minutes) but was not significantly different between cows treated with flunixin (230 +/- 49 minutes) and control cows. Cows treated with erythromycin had significantly greater milk production, relative to production before surgery, on postoperative days 1 and 2 than did control cows. Cows in the erythromycin and flunixin groups had a significantly higher rumen contraction rate on the first postoperative day than did control cows. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results suggested that preoperative administration of a single dose of erythromycin increased abomasal emptying rate, rumen contraction rate, and milk production in the immediate postoperative period in cows undergoing surgical correction of LDA.     

Biological soil properties in a long‐term tillage trial in Germany

After 37 years of different soil‐tillage treatments in a long‐term field experiment in Germany, a number of biological soil characteristics was measured. The field trial comprised six major treatments with different implements and various depths. In this paper, results from a comparison of long‐term use of a plow (to 25 cm depth), a chisel plow (to 15 cm depth), and no‐tillage are presented. The biological soil characteristics measured include the soil‐organic‐carbon (SOC) content, microbial biomass, enzyme activities, and the abundance and biomass of earthworms. Long‐term use of a chisel plow and no‐tillage increased the organic‐C content in the uppermost soil layer (0–10 cm) compared with the plow treatment. The microbial biomass and the enzyme activities arginine‐ammonification, β‐glucosidase, and catalase decreased with depth in all treatments. Arginine‐ammonification and catalase were higher in the plow treatment in soil layers 10 to 30 cm. Additionally, the chisel plow caused an increase in number and biomass of earthworms compared to both other tillage treatments. Differences in earthworm numbers and biomass between plowing and no‐tillage were not statistically significant.     

Determination of Phenolic Compounds in Three Edible Ripening Stages of Yellow Guava (Psidium cattleianum Sabine) after Acidic Hydrolysis by LC-MS/MS

Plant Foods for Human Nutrition - Yellow guava (Psidium cattleianum Sabine) has received considerable attention in the last years because of their high content in bioactive compounds with potential...