A comparison of the effects of carbon dioxide and medical air for abdominal insufflation on respiratory parameters in xylazine-sedated sheep undergoing laparoscopic artificial insemination

AIMS: To determine if abdominal insufflation with medical air will improve oxygenation and ventilation parameters when compared to insufflation with CO₂ in xylazine-sedated sheep undergoing laparoscopic artificial insemination (AI).

METHODS: Forty-seven sheep underwent oestrus synchronisation and were fasted for 24 hours prior to laparoscopic AI. Each animal was randomised to receive either CO₂ or medical air for abdominal insufflation. An auricular arterial catheter was placed and utilised for serial blood sampling. Respiratory rates (RR) and arterial blood samples were collected at baseline, after xylazine (0.1?mg/kg I/V) sedation, 2 minutes after Trendelenburg positioning, 5 minutes after abdominal insufflation, and 10 minutes after being returned to a standing position. Blood samples were collected in heparinised syringes, stored on ice, and analysed for arterial pH, partial pressure of arterial O₂ (PaO₂), and CO₂ (PaCO₂). The number of ewes conceiving to AI was also determined.

RESULTS: Repeated measures ANOVA demonstrated temporal effects on RR, PaO₂, PaCO₂ and arterial pH during the laparoscopic AI procedure (p<0.001), but no difference between insufflation groups (p>0.01). No sheep experienced hypercapnia (PaCO₂>50?mmHg) or acidaemia (pH<7.35). Hypoxaemia (PaO₂<70?mmHg) was diagnosed during the procedure in 14/22 (64%) ewes in the CO₂ group compared with 8/23 (35%) ewes in the medical air group (p=0.053). Overall, 15/20 (75%) ewes in the CO₂ group conceived to AI compared with 16/22 (72.7%) in the medical air group (p=0.867).

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: There were no statistical or clinical differences in RR, PaO₂, PaCO₂, pH, or conception to AI when comparing the effects of CO₂ and medical air as abdominal insufflation gases. None of the sheep experienced hypercapnia or acidaemic, yet 42% (19/45) of sheep developed clinical hypoxaemia, with a higher percentage of ewes in the CO₂ group developing hypoxaemia than in the medical air group. Based on the overall analysis, medical air could be utilised as a comparable alternative for abdominal insufflation during laparoscopic AI procedures.     

Epidemiological study of enzootic pneumonia in dairy calves in Saskatchewan.

A field study involving 325 calves from 17 dairy herds in Saskatchewan was conducted to determine the risk of enzootic pneumonia and to assess its association with a number of factors. Two different case definitions of pneumonia were used in the analyses: the first was based on producers' treatment risk (CASE1) and the second was based on semimonthly clinical examinations of calves by the research veterinarian (CASE2). The risk of pneumonia based on CASE1 was 39% and on CASE2 was 29%. The measure of agreement between CASE1 and CASE2 at the calf level of analysis was poor (kappa = 0.24, SE = 0.02) and at the herd level of analysis was moderate (kappa = 0.40, SE = 0.12). The mortality risk from pneumonia was 1.8% and a variety of infectious organisms were isolated from pneumonic lungs. Twenty-seven percent of the calves had inadequate (total IgG < or = 800 mg/dL) levels of passively acquired antibodies as measured by radial immunodiffusion. The proportion of seropositive titers in calves within the first two weeks of age was 94% to parainfluenza 3 virus (PI3V) and bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV), 73% to Pasteurella haemolytica (Ph), 68% to bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), 67% to infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus (IBRV), 46% to Mycoplasma dispar (Md), 44% to Haemophilus somnus (Hs), and 21% to Mycoplasma bovis (Mb). At the calf level of analysis and after adjusting for clustering, there was a negative association (p = 0.10) between the diagnosis of pneumonia based on CASE2 and total IgG levels and Ph titers (rPh).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

The use of ultrasonography in the reproductive evaluation of boars

The objective was to study the use of ultrasound as a complementary test in the breeding soundness evaluation in male pigs and study the pattern of echogenicity of the testicular parenchyma in boars of different racial groups. Twenty‐six adult boars from four different racial groups were used, 10 from the Piau breed (group 1), four from the commercial and finishing group (group 2), six Pietrain breed (group 3) and six from the Duroc breed (group 4). All animals were evaluated for breeding soundness evaluation and the ultrasound examination of the testicles. The groups of animals that were evaluated showed no difference in the main semen parameters that were evaluated, except for the sperm volume, concentration of the ejaculated sperm and the supravital staining; the lowest figures were for the animals from the Piau breed (group 1). In relation to the testicular biometrics, Duroc animals (group 4) had a greater scrotal width compared to the other groups. But when we assessed the intensity of pixels of the testicles, there was a difference between groups. The groups 2 (finishing animals), 3 (Pietrain) and 4 had no difference between themselves. Group 3 had greater pixel intensity in relation to group 1. Of the 26 animals studied, five showed an abnormality during ultrasound evaluation, like hydrocele, hyperechoic mass in the testicular parenchyma, cyst in the head of the epididymis and the presence of fluid in the head and tail of the epididymis. The various animal groups studied did not differ in the principal reproductive parameters evaluated, showing that despite the great variability of reproductive traits between breeds and within the same breed, the breeding soundness evaluation, the more complete it is, is essential for the selection of breeders and the ultrasonography of the reproductive system becomes an important addition in this examination.     

A review of cyanobacterial odorous and bioactive metabolites: Impacts and management alternatives in aquaculture

Increased demand has pushed extensive aquaculture towards intensively operated production systems, commonly resulting in eutrophic conditions and cyanobacterial blooms. This review summarizes those cyanobacterial secondary metabolites that can cause undesirable tastes and odors (odorous metabolites) or are biochemically active (bioactive metabolites) in marine and freshwater, extensive and intensive aquaculture systems. For the scope of this paper, biochemically active metabolites include (1) toxins that can cause mortality in aquaculture organisms or have the potential to harm consumers via accumulation in the product (hepatotoxins, cytotoxins, neurotoxins, dermatoxins, and brine shrimp/molluskal toxins), (2) metabolites that may degrade the nutritional status of aquaculture species (inhibitors of proteases and grazer deterrents) or (3) metabolites that have the potential to negatively affect the general health of aquaculture species or aquaculture laborers (dermatoxins, irritant toxins, hepatotoxins, cytotoxins). Suggestions are made as to future management practices in intensive and extensive aquaculture and the potential exposure pathways to aquaculture species and human consumers are identified.     

Simulation study of the competitive ability of erect, semi-erect and prostrate cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) genotypes

Ecophysiological simulation models provide a quantitative method to predict the effects of management practices, plant characteristics and environmental factors on crop and weed growth and competition. The INTERCOM interplant competition model was parameterised, calibrated by monoculture data for three cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) genotypes that differed in growth habit, common sunflower (Helianthus annuus) and common purslane (Portulaca oleracea), and used to simulate competition of cowpea cover crops with sunflower or purslane. The simulation results were compared with observations from field competition experiments in 2003 and 2004. INTERCOM more accurately simulated actual field data for the competition of cowpea genotypes and sunflower than companion field experiments for the competition of cowpea and purslane. The validated simulation model of cowpea and sunflower at two densities was used to study the effects of cowpea growth habit on final biomass production of cowpea and sunflower. The model suggested that erect growth habit was more competitive than semi‐erect and prostrate growth habit, when cowpea genotypes were grown with sunflower. Cowpea leaf area distribution was important to higher cowpea biomass production, while cowpea height growth was important to reduce sunflower biomass. Our simulation approach is suggested as a method for crop breeders to gauge the likely success of selection for competitive crops before undertaking expensive long‐term breeding experiments.     

Emergence timing affects root-collar diameter and mortality in loblolly pine seedbeds

Eight half-sib families of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) were sown in a nursery. Total germination, speed and uniformity of germination, root-collar diameters, mortality, and percent cull were recorded by family. Families which germinated quickest attained the greatest average diameters at the end of the growing season. Low variability in date of emergence led to correspondingly low variability in seedling diameter. When data for all families were combined, seedlings which emerged earliest experienced the lowest mortality, had the largest diameters, and produced the fewest culls.