Optimum dietary soybean meal level for maximizing growth and nutrient utilization of on-growing gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata)

Six isonitrogenous [450 g kg⁻¹ crude protein (CP)] and isoenergetic diets (23 kJ g⁻¹) with six levels of defatted soybean meal inclusion (0, 132, 263, 395, 526 and 658 g kg⁻¹) in substitution of fish meal were evaluated in gilthead sea bream of 242 g initial weight for 134 days. Fish fed diets S0, S13, S26 and S39 had a similar live weight (422, 422, 438 and 422 g, respectively) but fish fed diets S53 and S66 obtained the lowest final weight (385 and 333g, respectively), and similar results were presented in specific growth rate (SGR). Fish fed diets S53 and S66 also obtained the highest feed conversion ratio (FCR). Quadratic multiple regression equations were developed for SGR and FCR which were closely related to dietary soybean level. The optimum dietary soybean levels were 205 g kg⁻¹ for maximum SGR and 10 g kg⁻¹ for minimum FCR. Sensorial differences were appreciated by judges between fish fed S0 and S39 soybean level, but after a re-feeding period of 28 days with diet S0, these differences disappeared.     

ULTRASONOGRAPHIC FINDINGS IN HORSES WITH FOOT PAIN BUT WITHOUT RADIOGRAPHICALLY DETECTABLE OSSEOUS ABNORMALITIES

Foot pain is an important cause of lameness in horses. When horses with foot pain have no detectable radiographic abnormalities, soft‐tissue assessment remains a diagnostic challenge without magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Ultrasonography can provide an alternative to MR imaging when that modality is not available but the extent of changes that might be seen has not been characterized. We reviewed the ultrasonographic findings in 39 horses with lameness responding positively to anesthesia of the palmar digital nerves and without radiographically detectable osseous abnormalities. Thirty of the 39 horses had lesions affecting the deep digital flexor tendon (DDFT), 27 had abnormalities in the distal interphalangeal joint of which six had a visible abnormality in the collateral ligament. Ultrasonographic abnormalities were seen in the podotrochlear bursa in 22 horses and in the ligaments of the navicular bone in two horses. Abnormalities of the navicular bone flexor surface were detected in eight horses. In three of the 39 horses, only the DDFT was affected. The other 36 horses had ultrasonographic abnormalities in more than one anatomical structure. Based on our results, ultrasonographic examination provides useful diagnostic information in horses without radiographic changes.     

B‐MODE AND CONTRAST‐ENHANCED SONOGRAPHIC ASSESSMENT OF ACCESSORY SPLEEN IN THE DOG

Four dogs with an accessory spleen are described. The accessory spleens appeared as a round‐to‐triangular structure located in the perisplenic area. They were homogeneous and isoechoic with the adjacent spleen. Contrast‐enhanced ultrasound was performed using a second generation microbubble contrast medium (sulfur hexafluoride). The type and timing of enhancement of the accessory spleen was similar to that of the parent spleen. Contrast‐enhanced ultrasound is a noninvasive modality useful in distinguishing an accessory spleen from a mass of another origin.     

An Alternative View of the Convergence Issue of Growth Empirics

In this paper, we study the dynamics of economic growth for 140 countries during the period 1951–2003. The variables representing economic performance are levels and growth rates of per capita gross domestic product. Using the concept of economic regime, we introduce a notion of distance between the dynamical paths of different countries. Then, a minimal spanning tree and a hierarchical tree are constructed from time series to help detect the existence of groups of countries sharing similar economic performance. The two main clusters that are identified over the whole‐time interval can be interpreted as two groups of countries with high and low performance, respectively. The evolution of such clusters shows three main stylised facts: Certain countries move across clusters; the high‐performance cluster tends to span, while the low‐performance one tends to be (more) compact; and the distance between the two groups increases in time.     

SMOOTH MUSCLE NEOPLASIA OF THE URINARY BLADDER WALL IN THREE DOGS

Smooth muscle origin neoplasia of the urinary bladder wall is rare in dogs. This report describes the ultrasonographic features of two bladder wall leiomyomas and one bladder wall leiomyosarcoma. All three dogs had a single, smoothly marginated, round, hypo to mixed echogenicity intraluminal mass in the urinary bladder. Based on color Doppler examination of the masses, there was no visible blood flow.