Aerosol therapy in the equine species

Inhalation therapy plays an increasing role in the management of equine respiratory disorders. Thisalternative to systematic treatment permits a high concentration of medication to act locally while minimizing side effects and residues. In human medicine, literature in this field is prolific and continuously renewed, whereas in veterinary medicine, applications of aerosol therapy are less extensive. This review considers the principles of action of the different types of devices used for inhalation, i.e., nebulization, metered-dose inhalation and dry powder inhalation, describes the technical and practical requirements for their use in the equine species and considers the advantages and disadvantages of each inhalation device. The pharmacological agents currently administered to horses by inhalation are also discussed. Perspectives of aerosol therapy in the equine species, including aerosols already used in human medicine and their potential applications for horses are described.     

GIS在环保型养猪业区域规划中的应用

快速发展的养猪业在带来巨大社会效益和经济效益的同时也带来了许多环境问题,FAO从1998年开始启动了养殖业环境与发展项目,目的是为了在促进养殖业发展、增加经济效益的同时大幅度减少养殖业对环境的不利影响。该文是FAO项目中的一部分,主要是应用GIS技术工具,通过建立养猪业选址的指标体系,发展了可持续的畜牧业生产建设区域规划的决策辅助工具,以减少养猪业发展对环境带来的负面影响;并且将该技术在江西省的养猪大县万年县进行了具体的应用。     

Linking water market functioning, access to water resources and farm production strategies: example from Pakistan

As a response to inadequacy in canal water supplies, farmers in Pakistan have invested in private tubewells to control irrigation water resources. Also, they participate in surface water and groundwater markets that take place within tertiary units of the irrigation system.The present paper describes the functioning and organization of these water markets, using information collected in sample watercourses of the Fordwah Branch irrigation system, South-Punjab, Pakistan. The variability in type and intensity of water markets is investigated with regard to access to water resources and farm production strategies and constraints.     

Inherent bias in using aggregate CPUE to characterize abundance of fish species assemblages

We have analyzed the practice of assessing an assemblage of fish species in a multispecies fishery on the basis of aggregate catch per unit effort (CPUE), which is the summed catch of all species per unit of effort. We show that at the onset of fishing or of a large positive or negative change in fishing effort, aggregate CPUE will be hyper-responsive, that is, relative change of aggregate CPUE will be greater than that of aggregate abundance. We also show that as the fishery reaches equilibrium, the aggregate CPUE in most circumstances will continue to be hyper-responsive, with a greater relative change from its value at the start than the aggregate abundance. However, there are less likely circumstances in which the aggregate CPUE will be hyper-stable compared to aggregate abundance. The circumstances leading to hyper-responsiveness or hyper-stability depend on the distribution of productivity and fishery vulnerability parameters among the species in the aggregation.     

Soil properties and the macrofauna community in abandoned irrigated rice fields of northeastern Argentina

This study compared soil physical, chemical, and biological characteristics between natural grassland and recently abandoned rice fields in order to identify those variables that might explain the observed increase of Camponotus punctulatus anthills in abandoned rice paddy fields from Northern Argentina. Mainly due to a reduction of macropores and mesopores, overall porosity decreased by around 6% and bulk density was about 7% greater, in the 0- to 10- and 10- to 20-cm layers of the abandoned rice fields. Carbon and nitrogen content from organic matter increased (29% and 41% respectively for the 0- to 20-cm horizon) during cultivation but decreased (38% and 24%) 2 years after the last rice harvest. Forty percent of natural grassland-organic matter and 30% of abandoned rice-organic matter mineralized in less than 2 years. There was a different community structure between the abandoned rice fields and the undisturbed natural grassland and only a 20.6% (i.e. only 19 species from a total of 92) overlap in species composition. The abundance of macrofauna was greater in abandoned rice fields (2,208 individuals m^–2) in comparison to natural grasslands (288 ind m^–2) due to higher densities of small earthworms and Camponotus punctulatus ants; however, the Shannon index showed lower values in comparison to natural grasslands. Earthworms and C. punctulatus in the abandoned rice fields showed a change in their ¹³C signature indicating a switch in diet from natural grassland organic matter (C4) to organic matter from rice (C3). Our results indicate that the effects of rice cultivation practices did not seem to produce any physical or trophic limitations to recolonization by the macrofauna. It seems that changes in overall soil conditions have favored a change in the construction behavior of C. punctulatus which, in combination with population increases, could explain the explosion in number of anthills.     

Ketoprofen and phenylbutazone attenuation of PAF-induced lung inflammation in calves

The purposes of this study were: (1) to investigate which arachidonic acid metabolites contributed to platelet-activating factor (PAF) induced pulmonary dysfunction; and (2) to compare the effect of two non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, phenylbutazone and ketoprofen in a model of PAF-induced reversible lung inflammation in six calves. In placebo and phenylbutazone groups, PAF infusion induced significant dysfunctions in the pattern of breathing, mechanics of breathing and gas exchange. These dysfunctions were prevented by ketoprofen pretreatment, except for the mechanics of breathing which was moderately but significantly altered by the PAF challenge. In all calves, leukotriene (LT) B4 plasma concentrations did not significantly increase above baseline values at any time. Prostaglandin (PG) E2 plasma concentrations showed a minor significant increase in phenylbutazone pretreated calves (55.8 +/- 25.8 pg/mL from 36.7 +/- 16.13 pg/mL). Thromboxane (TX) B2 plasma concentration was significantly increased during PAF challenge in placebo- and phenylbutazone-pretreated groups, but not in ketoprofen-pretreated calves (1580.0 +/- 1370 from 42.7 +/- 10.7 pg/mL; 2340 +/- 477 from 63 +/- 32 pg/mL; and 36.5 +/- 4.12 from 39.3 +/- 12.0 pg/mL, respectively). These data suggest that TXA2 is an important cyclooxygenase metabolite of arachidonic acid produced in response to PAF and that ketoprofen (intramuscular injection, 3 mg/kg) is more effective than phenylbutazone (intramuscular injection, 10 mg/kg) in preventing respiratory dysfunctions induced by the PAF challenge 30 min after drug administration. Ketoprofen did not suppress totally the PAF-induced changes in mechanics of breathing, which suggests that PAF or a secondary release of mediators could have a direct action on airway smooth muscle.     

Spirometric performance in Belgian Blue calves: I. Effects on economic losses due to the bovine respiratory disease complex

The aim of this study was to determine whether high spirometric performances in calves are associated with low economic losses due to the bovine respiratory disease complex (BRDC). Five spirometric variables (SV) were measured in 909 double-muscled Belgian Blue calves from 15 to 60 d of age. Afterward, calves were monitored for 6 mo to determine whether they developed BRDC and to determine the costs due to BRDC (i.e., medicine costs and veterinarians' fees, plus estimated financial losses due to mortality in case of death). To analyze the effects of spirometric performances on BRDC cost, a fixed linear model was used for each SV. In addition to SV, each model included the effects of sex, dam's parity, vaccination status, muscular development score, herd-period, and BW. Only herd-period and the maximal ventilation and the vital capacity had significant effects on costs due to BRDC, indicating that these two SV are major physiological determinants of economic losses associated with BRDC. Accordingly, it is assumed that an amelioration of maximal ventilation and vital capacity could result in increased resistance to BRDC in calves.