IMAGING DIAGNOSIS—BACTERIAL DISKOSPONDYLITIS IN A GOAT

A 3-year-old intact male Boer goat was evaluated for paraplegia. Computed tomography (CT) indicated the presence of diskospondylitis, which had previously not been reported in this species, and significant compressive myelopathy. Chronic bacterial pneumonia, epididymitis, nephritis, and soft-tissue abscesses were believed to result in hematogenous spread of bacteria to the affected disk spaces. Staphylococcus spp. and Archanobacterium pyogenes were both identified from postmortem cultures of the vertebral column.     

Plasma Concentrations and Cardiovascular Influence of Lidocaine Infusions During Isoflurane Anesthesia in Healthy Dogs and Dogs With Subaortic Stenosis

Objective—To determine the plasma concentrations and cardiovascular changes that occur in healthy dogs and dogs with aortic stenosis that are given an infusion of lidocaine during isoflurane anesthesia. Study Design—Phase 1, controlled randomized cross-over trial; Phase 2, before and after trial Animals—Phase 1, 6 healthy dogs (4 female, 2 male) weighing 23.8 ± 7.4 kg; Phase 2, 7 dogs (4 female, 3 male) with moderate to severe subaortic stenosis (confirmed by Doppler echocardiography) weighing 31.1 ± 14.5 kg. Methods—After mask induction, intubation, and institution of positive pressure ventilation, instrumentation was performed to measure hemodynamic variables. After baseline, measurement at an end-tidal isoflurane concentration of 1.9% (phase 1) or 1.85% (phase 2), a loading dose infusion of lidocaine at 400 μg/kg/min was given. Phase 1: Maintenance doses of lidocaine were administered consecutively (40, 120, and 200 μg/kg/min) after the loading dose (given for 10, 10, and 5 minutes, respectively) in advance of each maintenance concentrations. Measurements were taken at the end of each loading dose and at 25 and 35 minutes during each maintenance level. The same animals on a different day were given dextrose 5% and acted as the control. Phase 2: Dogs were studied on a single occasion during an infusion of lidocaine at 120 μg/kg/ min given after the loading dose (10 minutes). Measurements occurred after the loading dose and at 25 and 35 minutes. A blood sample for lidocaine concentration was taken at 70 minutes. Data were compared using a one-way ANOVA for phase 1, and between phase 1 and 2. Statistical analysis for phase 2 was performed using a paired r-test with a Bonferroni correction. A P value ± .05 was considered significant. Results—Phase 1: Plasma lidocaine concentrations achieved with 40, 120, and 200 μg of lidocaine/kg/min were 2.70, 5.27, and 7.17 μg/mL, respectively. A significant increase in heart rate (HR) (all concentrations), central venous pressure (CVP), mean pulmonary areterial pressure (PAP), and a decrease in stroke index (SI) (200 μg/kg/min) were observed. An increase in systemic vascular resistance (SVR) and mean PAP, and a decrease in SI also followed the loading dose given before the 200 μg/kg/min infusion. No other significant differences from the control measurements, during dextrose 5% infusion alone, were detected. Phase 2: Plasma lidocaine concentrations achieved were 5.35, 4.23, 4.23, and 5.60 μg/mL at 10, 25, 35, and 70 minutes, respectively. They were not significantly different from concentrations found in our healthy dogs at the same infusions. A significant but small increase in CVP compared with baseline was noted after the loading dose. There were no significant differences from baseline shown in all other cardiovascular data. There were no statistically significant differences in any measurements taken during the lidocaine infusion between the dogs in phase 1 and phase 2. Dogs with aortic stenosis tended to have a lower cardiac index than healthy dogs at baseline (88 v 121 mL/kg/min) and during lidocaine infusion (81 v 111 mL/kg/min). A small, statistically significant difference in systolic PAP was present at baseline. Conclusions—There does not appear to be any detrimental cardiovascular effects related to an infusion of lidocaine at 120 μg/kg/min during isoflurane anesthesia in healthy dogs or dogs with aortic stenosis. The technique used in this study resulted in therapeutic plasma concentrations of lidocaine. Clinical Relevance—Methods shown in the study can be used in clinical cases to achieve therapeutic lidocaine levels without significant cardiovascular depression during isoflurane anesthesia.     

Growth performance of the white shrimp,Litopenaeus vannamei,fed on practical diets with increasing levels of the Antarctic krill meal,Euphausia superba,reared in clear‐ versus green‐water culture tanks

Litopenaeus vannamei were stocked in 25 clear‐water 500‐L tanks at 100 shrimp m^?2 and in 25 green‐water 1000‐L tanks at 60 animals m^?2. Four diets were formulated to include krill meal at 10, 50 or 110 g kg^?1; or krill oil at 25 g kg^?1 by replacing fish meal, fish oil, soybean lecithin and cholesterol. Diets had similar levels of crude protein, total energy and essential amino acids. After 72 days, shrimp reared in clear and green water showed no differences in performance among diets. In clear water, shrimp attained 13.1 ± 0.59 g body weight, 1.00 ± 0.06 g week^?1 growth, 81.4 ± 7.3% survival, 780 ± 118 g m^?2 yield, 16.9 ± 1.8 g shrimp^?1 apparent feed intake (AFI), and 2.18 ± 0.29 food conversion ratio (FCR). In green water, shrimp attained 14.3 ± 0.81 g body weight, 1.04 ± 0.09 g week^?1 growth, 91.4 ± 5.4% survival, 569 ± 69 g m^?2 yield, 20.9 ± 3.2 g shrimp^?1 AFI, and 2.22 ± 0.34 FCR. Diets containing krill meal or krill oil were able to fully replace the protein and lipid value of fish meal, fish oil, soybean lecithin and cholesterol at no cost to performance.     

Effects of processing on physical characteristics of diets with distinct levels of carbohydrates and lipids: the outcomes on the growth of pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus)

The use efficiency and feed conversion of extruded and pelletized diets were compared. Eight isoproteic diets (220 g kg⁻¹ digestible protein) were assayed for 90 days in a 2 × 2 × 2 multifactorial design with two carbohydrate levels (400 and 500 g kg⁻¹), two lipids levels (40 and 80 g kg⁻¹) and two diet processing (pelletization and extrusion) with three repetitions. The growth of Piaractus mesopotamicus fed with these diets and the quality control indices of diets were gauged. The density of extruded diets was lower as carbohydrate level was 400 g kg⁻¹ and lipid 40 g kg⁻¹. The interaction carbohydrate and diet processing presented higher leaching value for low carbohydrate level in extruded diet. Fish fed with extruded diets presented the best feed conversion and protein efficiency ratio. When high levels of carbohydrate and lipid are combined, the weight gain is impaired. The interaction between diet processing diet and lipid levels resulted in the best fish performance when pelletized diets with 40 g kg⁻¹ lipid or extruded diets with 80 g kg⁻¹ lipid were considered. The protein efficiency ratio increased with the increment of carbohydrates in the pelletized diets. The fish show low tolerance to lipids and a preference for carbohydrate when the lipid productive values are taken into account.     

Prediction of culture performance of juvenile Litopenaeus vannamei by in vitro (pH-stat) degree of feed protein hydrolysis with species-specific enzymes

Rapid in vitro methods for measuring digestibility may be useful in analysing aqua feeds if the extent and limits of their application are clearly defined. The pH‐stat protein digestibility routine with shrimp hepatopancreas enzymes was previously related to apparent protein digestibility with juvenile Litopenaeus vannamei fed diets containing different protein ingredients. The potential of the method to predict culture performance of shrimp fed six commercial feeds (T3, T4, T5, T6, T7 and T8) with 350 g kg^?1 declared crude‐protein content was assessed. The consistency of results obtained using hepatopancreas enzyme extracts from either pond or clear water‐raised shrimp was further verified in terms of reproducibility and possible diet history effects upon in vitro outputs. Shrimps were previously acclimated and then maintained over 56 days (initial mean weight 3.28 g) on each diet in 500‐L tanks at 114 ind m^?2, clear water closed system with continuous renewal and mechanical filtering (50 μm), with four replicates per treatment. Feeds were offered four times daily (six days a week) delivered in trays at feeding rates ranging from 4.0% to 7.0% of stocked shrimp biomass. Feed was accessible to shrimp 4 h daily for 1‐h feeding period after which uneaten feed was recovered. Growth and survival were determined every 14 days from a sample of 16 individuals per tank. Water quality was monitored daily (pH, temperature and salinity) and managed by water back flushing filter cleaning every 7–10 days. Feeds were analysed for crude protein, gross energy, amino acids and pepsin digestibility. In vitro pH‐stat degree of protein hydrolysis (DH%) was determined for each feed using hepatopancreas enzyme extracts from experimental (clear water) or pond‐raised shrimp. Feeds resulted in significant differences in shrimp performance (P < 0.05) as seen by the differences in growth rates (0.56–0.98 g week^?1), final weight and feed conversion ratio (FCR). Shrimp performance and in vitro DH% with pond‐raised shrimp enzymes showed significant correlation (P < 0.05) for yield (R² = 0.72), growth rates (R² = 0.72–0.80) and FCR (R² = ?0.67). Other feed attributes (protein : energy ratio, amino acids, true protein, non‐protein nitrogen contents and in vitro pepsin digestibility) showed none or limited correlation with shrimp culture performance. Additional correlations were found between growth rates and methionine (R² = 0.73), FCR and histidine (R² = ?0.60), and DH% and methionine or methionine+cystine feed contents (R² = 0.67–0.92). pH‐stat assays with shrimp enzymes generated reproducible DH% results with either pond (CV ≤ 6.5%) or clear water (CV ≤ 8.5%) hepatopancreas enzyme sources. Moreover, correlations between shrimp growth rates and feed DH% were significant regardless of the enzyme origin (pond or clear water‐raised shrimp) and showed consistent R² values. Results suggest the feasibility of using standardized hepatopancreas enzyme extracts for in vitro protein digestibility.     

巴西东北部地区土地退化对土壤微生物量和活性的影响

Land degradation causes great changes in the soil biological properties.The process of degradation may decrease soil microbial biomass and consequently decrease soil microbial activity.The study was conducted out during 2009 and 2010 at the four sites of land under native vegetation(NV),moderately degraded land(LDL),highly degraded land(HDL) and land under restoration for four years(RL) to evaluate changes in soil microbial biomass and activity in lands with different degradation levels in comparison with both land under native vegetation and land under restoration in Northeast Brazil.Soil samples were collected at 0-10 cm depth.Soil organic carbon(SOC),soil microbial biomass C(MBC) and N(MBN),soil respiration(SR),and hydrolysis of fluorescein diacetate(FDA) and dehydrogenase(DHA) activities were analyzed.After two years of evaluation,soil MBC,MBN,FDA and DHA had higher values in the NV,followed by the RL.The decreases of soil microbial biomass and enzyme activities in the degraded lands were approximately 8-10 times as large as those found in the NV.However,after land restoration,the MBC and MBN increased approximately 5-fold and 2-fold,respectively,compared with the HDL.The results showed that land degradation produced a strong decrease in soil microbial biomass.However,land restoration may promote short-and long-term increases in soil microbial biomass.     

Supplementation with 2‐hydroxy‐4‐(methylthio)butanoic acid (HMTBa) in low fish meal diets for the white shrimp,Litopenaeus vannamei

This work evaluated the performance of Litopenaeus vannamei to low fish meal diets supplemented with 2‐hydroxy‐4‐(methylthio)butanoic acid (HMTBa). A basal diet with 150.0 g kg^?1 of anchovy fish meal was designed. Two positive control diets were formulated to reduce fish meal at 50% and 100% with 1.0 and 2.0 g kg^?1 of MERA? Met_Ca (calcium salt with 84% HMTBa activity), respectively. Two nearly equivalent diets acted as negative controls, without HMTBa supplementation. A total of 50 clear‐water tanks of 500 L were stocked with 2.22 ± 0.19 g shrimp under 70 animals m^?2. Shrimp survival (92.3 ± 5.1% and 81.4 ± 8.0%), yield (808 ± 12 and 946 ± 17 g m^?2) and FCR (2.17 ± 0.19 and 3.12 ± 0.37) showed no differences among diets after 72 or 96 days, respectively. A significantly higher shrimp body weight and weekly growth were observed for those fed with the basal diet or diets supplemented with HMTBa compared with non‐supplemented ones. This study has shown that L. vannamei growth, body weight, survival, yield and FCR were supported by HMTBa supplementation when 150.0 g kg^?1 of fish meal was replaced by soybean meal and other ingredients, at 50% and 100%.     

LAND-USE INTENSIFICATION TRENDS IN THE RIO DE LA PLATA REGION OF SOUTH AMERICA: TOWARD SPECIALIZATION OR RECOUPLING CROP AND LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION

• Current intensification trends in the Rio de la Plata need urgent re-direction.•Integrated crop-livestock systems reconcile food production with ecosystem services.•Case studies validate recoupling as a sustainable way to ecological intensification.The Rio de la Plata region comprises central Argentina, Uruguay, and southern Brazil. Modern agriculture developed around 1900 with recent decades being characterized by the advance of cropping areas over native grasslands. Highly specialized agriculture has decoupled crop and livestock production but has succeeded in intensifying yields. However, significant losses of ecosystem services have been reported. Thus, questions have been raised on the sustainability of this pathway. A glance at world regions that have experienced similar trends suggests that an urgent course correction is needed. A major concern has been the lack of diversity in regions with highly specialized agriculture, promoting renewed interest in integrated crop-livestock systems (ICLS), not only because ICLS are more diverse than specialized systems, but also because they are rare examples of reconciliation between agroecosystem intensification and environmental quality. Consequently, this paper discusses alternatives to redesign multifunctional landscapes based on ICLS. Recent data provide evidence that recoupling crop and animal production increases the resilience of nutrient cycling functions and economic indicators to external stressors, enabling these systems to face climate-market uncertainty and reconcile food production with the provision of diverse ecosystem services. Finally, these concepts are exemplified in case studies where this perspective has been successfully applied.     

A step towards effect-site target-controlled infusion with propofol in dogs: a ke0 for propofol

Target-controlled infusion (TCI) anesthesia using target effect-site concentration rather than plasma concentration provides less drug consumption, safer anesthesia, less undesired side effects and improved animal welfare. The aim of this study was to calculate the constant that converts propofol plasma into effect-site concentration ( k _e0) in dogs, and to implement it in a TCI system and compare it with the effect on the central nervous system (CNS). All dogs were subjected to general anesthesia using propofol. Fourteen dogs were used as the pilot group to calculate k _e0, using the t _peak method. Fourteen dogs were used as the test group to test and validate the model. R ugloop ii ^® software was used to drive the propofol syringe pump and to collect data from S/5 Datex monitor and cerebral state monitor. The calculated k _e0 was incorporated in an existing pharmacokinetic model (Beths Model). The relationship between propofol effect site concentrations and anesthetic planes, and propofol plasma and effect-site concentrations was compared using Pearson's correlation analysis. Average t _peak was 3.1 min resulting in a k _e0 of 0.7230 min⁻¹. The test group showed a positive correlation between anesthetic planes and propofol effect-site concentration ( R  = 0.69; P <  0.0001). This study proposes a k _e0 for propofol with results that demonstrated a good adequacy for the pharmacokinetic model and the measured effect. The use of this k _e0 will allow an easier propofol titration according to the anesthetic depth, which may lead to a reduction in propofol consumption and less undesired side effects usually associated to high propofol concentrations in dogs.