Gossypol toxicity in preruminant calves

SUMMARY Twenty-four of 57 calves fed a diet containing 33% cotton seed meal (CSM) died between 7 and 15 weeks of age. Initial deaths were not accompanied by premonitory signs, but after CSM withdrawal most calves developed rough coats, anorexia, weakness, ascites and subcutaneous oedema. Those that died had large volumes of serous fluid in the body cavities, hard livers of ‘nutmeg’ appearance, and pulmonary congestion. Histopathologically the livers showed periacinar necrosis in acute cases and periacinar fibrosis in chronic cases. Lungs from several calves had oedema, haemosiderosis and fibrosis in some pulmonary vessels. Atrophy of myocardial fibres was present in most cases. The concentration of free gossypol in the diet was 100 to 220 mg/kg. Ante-mortem and post-mortem findings supported a diagnosis of gossypol poisoning. The deaths continued for 4 weeks after withdrawal of CSM from the diet.     

大米草中耐盐乳酸菌的分离鉴定及对大米草青贮品质的影响

本试验旨在研究大米草（Spartina anglica Hubb.）中耐盐乳酸菌的分离鉴定及对大米草青贮品质的影响，以期为大米草青贮利用提供技术支持和理论依据。试验采用传统培养法筛选出耐盐浓度为10%的乳酸菌菌株，通过生理生化及16S rDNA序列分析法综合鉴定筛选的菌株，并将其添加到大米草原料中进行青贮效果观察。结果表明：分离获得的42株乳酸菌菌株，耐盐溶度最高为10%的4株乳酸菌均为同型发酵的植物乳杆菌（Lactobacillus plantarum），命名为C1、C2、C3和C4。4株乳酸菌均能提高大米草的青贮发酵品质，其中C4显著提高青贮料的可溶性碳水化合物和粗脂肪含量（P<0.05），显著降低青贮料的氨态氮含量（P<0.05）；另外，C4处理组的干物质含量和乳酸含量显著高于其他3个菌株处理组（P<0.05），中性洗涤纤维、酸性洗涤纤维、半纤维素和丁酸含量显著（P<0.05）低于其他3个菌株处理组，青贮效果最佳。     

基于温度差监测西北地区的土壤相对湿度

在2012年黑河生态水文遥感试验（HiWATER）观测资料的基础上,结合卫星的地表温度产品计算观测点的垂直温度差及温度的日较差,并分析了不同时间尺度上温度差与浅层土壤相对湿度（包括土层深度2 cm,4 cm和10 cm的土壤相对湿度）的相关性。为检验温度差在区域含水量监测中的效果,利用经度、纬度和海拔高度对气温进行插值。同时为消除温度的区域性差异,将各温度差进行归一化处理,最后将归一化后的垂直温度差区域分布与土壤相对湿度进行了对比。结果表明:在各温度差中,地表温度和气温计算的垂直温度差与浅层土壤相对湿度的相关性最好;在时间尺度上,温度差与浅层土壤相对湿度的相关系数随时间尺度的增加而增大;在各土层深度中,温度差与4 cm的浅层土壤相对湿度相关性更好;在气温插值中,在纬度和海拔高度基础上插值出的气温与实测值之间更为接近;区域尺度上,归一化后的垂直温度差有效地解决了地理位置和下垫面对垂直温度差的影响,可以很好地监测月尺度上土壤湿度的变化的情况。     

~(60)Co-γ辐照对湘尖茶品质的影响

为提高湘尖茶品质,采用~(60)Co-γ射线对湘尖茶进行不同剂量(0~10kGy)的辐照处理,研究了处理后湘尖茶主要化学组分含量和微生物含量的变化。结果表明:辐照处理对湘尖茶中水浸出物总量、咖啡碱和茶碱影响不显著;茶多酚、儿茶素总量、游离氨基酸总量、茶氨酸和可可碱含量分别在辐照剂量为4、6、4、2和10 kGy时达到最大值;2 kGy辐照剂量可以控制湘尖茶中菌落总数和霉菌数均在103以内。因此,综合考虑辐照成本和茶叶质量,可以采用2~6 kGy辐照处理来提高湘尖茶的品质。     

60Co-γ辐照对稻草酶解糖化效果的影响

采用不同剂量60Co-γ辐照预处理稻草秸秆,然后酶解糖化。结果表明,经400、800、1 200、1 600、2 000 kGy辐照处理的稻草酶解反应96 h后,聚糖转化率较对照分别提高了1.5、2.2、3.0、3.1、2.6倍。一定剂量的60Co-γ辐照导致稻草的纤维素和半纤维素含量降低和微观物理结构的破坏,这是使稻草酶解糖化效果改善的原因;而高剂量的60Co-γ辐照会降低酶解反应体系的pH,从而影响稻草的酶解糖化转化率。     

鱼腥草水浸提液对绿豆种子萌发及幼苗生长的化感作用

采用室内培养皿滤纸法,用不同浓度的鲜、干鱼腥草水浸提液对绿豆种子进行处理,分析种子萌发率,萌发指数和幼苗的出苗率、出苗指数,生物量,株高,根长,叶绿素,超氧化物歧化酶(SOD),过氧化物酶(POD)与丙二醛(MDA),探讨鱼腥草对绿豆生长的化感效应。结果表明,鲜鱼腥草水浸提液对在高浓度时的绿豆种子萌发和幼苗出苗,幼苗的SOD、在低浓度时的MDA具有抑制作用,对幼苗株高,根长和生物量和在高浓度时的MDA具有促进作用,对幼苗的POD在小于40%处理浓度时具有促进作用,而随处理浓度增大逐渐转变成抑制作用;干鱼腥草浸提液对绿豆种子萌发,幼苗株高、根长、生物量和SOD具有抑制作用,对幼苗的POD、MDA具有促进作用。暗示了鱼腥草对绿豆生长具有化感效应,这为鱼腥草与绿豆建立合理的种植模式提供理论依据和技术支持。     

Acute cortisol responses of calves to scoop dehorning using local anaesthesia and/or cautery of the wound

Objective To measure plasma cortisol responses in calves dehorned using a scoop after administration of local anaesthesia and/or cautery of the wounds.
Design A physiological study with controls.
Procedure There were six treatments: control handling with and without local anaesthesia, dehorning, dehorning after local anaesthesia, dehorning followed by wound cautery, and dehorning after local anaesthesia followed by wound cautery. Blood samples were taken before and after dehorning.
Results Dehorning caused an increase in plasma cortisol concentrations, which decreased a little to plateau values and then declined to pretreatment values 3 to 4 h after dehorning. The peak was smaller after local anaesthesia was administered but when its effects wore off, cortisol concentrations increased and thereafter were similar to those in the dehorned animals. The combination of local anaesthesia and cautery resulted in a plasma cortisol response similar to those in control calves with or without local anaesthesia.
Conclusions If plasma cortisol concentrations reflect the distress being experienced by the calves, then local anaesthesia reduces the acute distress for about 3 h after dehorning but not during the subsequent 3 to 4 h. Combining local anaesthetic and cautery prevented the significant increase in plasma cortisol following dehorning and may eliminate the acute distress caused by scoop dehorning.     

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Effect of Initial GnRH and Duration of Progesterone Insert Treatment on the Fertility of Lactating Dairy Cows

The study compared response to prostaglandin F2α (PG), synchrony of ovulation and pregnancy per AI (P/AI) in a 5‐ vs a 7‐day Ovsynch + PRID protocol and investigated whether the initial GnRH affects P/AI in lactating dairy cows. Two hundred and seventy‐six cows (500 inseminations) were assigned to one of four timed‐AI (TAI) protocols: (i) PRID‐7G; 100 μg GnRH im, and a progesterone‐releasing intravaginal device (PRID) for 7 days. At PRID removal, PG (500 μg of cloprostenol) was given im. Cows received the second GnRH treatment at 60 h after PRID removal and TAI 12 h later. (ii) PRID‐5G; as PRID‐7G except the duration of PRID, treatment was 5 days and PG was given twice (12 h apart). (iii) PRID‐7NoG; as PRID‐7G except the initial GnRH, treatment was omitted. (iv) PRID‐5NoG; as PRID‐7NoG except the duration of PRID, treatment was 5 days. Response to treatments and pregnancy status at 32 and 60 days after TAI was determined by ultrasonography. The percentage of cows ovulating before TAI was greatest in PRID‐7G (17.1%), and the percentage of cows that did not have luteal regression was greatest in PRID‐5G (9.5%). The overall P/AI at 32 and 60 days did not differ among TAI protocols. However, during resynchronization, cows subjected to the 5‐day protocols had greater (p < 0.05) P/AI (45.3% vs 33.6%) than cows subjected to the 7‐day protocols. Pregnancy loss between 32 and 60 days tended (p = 0.10) to be greater in cows that did not receive initial GnRH (14.8%) compared to those that received GnRH (8.2%). In conclusion, the PRID‐5G protocol resulted in fewer cows responding to PG, but P/AI did not differ among TAI protocols. A 5‐day protocol resulted in more P/AI in resynchronized cows, and cows that did not receive initial GnRH tended to experience more pregnancy losses.     

The effect of footrot on body weight and wool growth of sheep

Body weight and traits associated with production of wool were measured over a 2-year period between 1985 and 1987 in south-western New South Wales in a flock of Merino wethers experimentally infected with footrot. The disease was allowed to spread freely amongst 150 of the flock but kept at very low prevalence in the remaining 50 by preventive footbathing during transmission periods. Severe, underrunning footrot had a significant adverse effect on body weight, for each year of the trial. Body weight was most severely reduced at times of the year when footrot was spreading among animals and lesions were severe. The mean body weight of the infected group at the end of the 2 years of observation was 7.3 kg (11.6%) below that of the control group. Footrot also depressed wool growth, with the mean clean fleece weight of the infected group being 0.4 kg (8%) lighter than that of the controls at each of the 2 annual shearings. There were no consistent differences between the groups for the other wool characteristics measured.