The efficacy of a single chain recombinant equine luteinizing hormone (reLH) in mares: induction of ovulation, hormone profiles, and inter-ovulatory intervals

The objectives of this study were to determine the efficacy of recombinant equine luteinizing hormone (reLH) in shortening the time to ovulation in cycling mares and to determine the effects of treatment on endogenous hormones and inter-ovulatory intervals. In study 1, mares of light horse breeds (3–20 years) were treated with either a vehicle, various doses of reLH, or human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). Cycling mares were examined by palpation and ultrasound per rectum daily or every 12 h from the time of treatment to ovulation. In studies 2 and 3, jugular blood samples were collected daily or every 12 h from the time of treatment to ovulation for analysis of LH, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), estradiol-17β (E₂), and progesterone (P₄) by radioimmunoassays (RIA). Increasing doses of reLH (0.3, 0.6, 0.75, and 0.9 mg) showed increasing effectiveness at inducing ovulation within 48 h of treatment. Treatments with the 0.75 and 0.9 mg doses of reLH resulted in 90% and 80% ovulation rates, which were similar to hCG treatment (85.7%). Except for the early rise in LH after treatment with 0.5, 0.65, and 1.0 mg of reLH, hormone profiles appeared to be similar between control and treated cycles. Inter-ovulatory intervals were similar between control and treatment cycles. In conclusion, reLH is a reliable and effective ovulatory agent that does not significantly alter endogenous hormone profiles or affect inter-ovulatory intervals.     

Fate of diuron and terbuthylazine in soils amended with two-phase olive oil mill waste

The addition of organic amendments to soil increases soil organic matter content and stimulates soil microbial activity. Thus, processes affecting herbicide fate in the soil should be affected. The objective of this work was to investigate the effect of olive oil production industry organic waste (alperujo) on soil sorption-desorption, degradation, and leaching of diuron [3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea] and terbuthylazine [N2-tert-butyl-6-chloro-N4-ethyl-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine], two herbicides widely used in olive crops. The soils used in this study were a sandy soil and a silty clay soil from two different olive groves. The sandy soil was amended in the laboratory with fresh (uncomposted) alperujo at the rate of 10% w/w, and the silty clay soil was amended in the field with fresh alperujo at the rate of 256 kg per tree during 4 years and in the laboratory with fresh or composted alperujo. Sorption of both herbicides increased in laboratory-amended soils as compared to unamended or field-amended soils, and this process was less reversible in laboratory-amended soils, except for diuron in amended sandy soil. Addition of alperujo to soils increased half-lives of the herbicides in most of the soils. Diuron and terbuthylazine leached through unamended sandy soil, but no herbicide was detected in laboratory-amended soil. Diuron did not leach through amended or unamended silty clay soil, whereas small amounts of terbuthylazine were detected in leachates from unamended soil. Despite their higher sorption capacity, greater amounts of terbuthylazine were found in the leachates from amended silty clay soils. The amounts of dissolved organic matter from alperujo and the degree of humification can affect sorption, degradation, and leaching of these two classes of herbicides in soils. It appears that adding alperujo to soil would not have adverse impacts on the behavior of herbicides in olive production.     

Hematology and serum chemistry values of the European brown hare

Background: Hematology and serum biochemistry values can be useful for evaluating the health of populations of captive and free-living European brown hares ( Lepus europaeus ). However, current information is fragmented and incomplete.
Objective: The objective of this study was to determine normal hematology and serum chemistry values for a population of captive European brown hares and to investigate differences related to sex and age.
Methods: Routine hematology and serum chemistry values were determined for 48 captive European brown hares in Catalonia (northeastern Spain): 21 young (6 males and 15 females) and 27 adult (14 males and 13 females) hares. Blood was obtained by auricular venipuncture while animals were physically restrained. Results were expressed as the mean ± SD, and reference intervals were calculated as the mean ± 2SD.
Results: RBC count, PCV, concentrations of hemoglobin, total protein, albumin, gamma globulin, urea nitrogen, and creatinine, and alanine aminotransferase activity were significantly higher in adults than in young hares, and alkaline phosphatase activity and total bilirubin concentration were lower. Sex differences were not observed.
Conclusions: Hematology and serum chemistry results obtained in this study are considered representative for healthy captive European brown hares. A single reference interval can be used for values from male and female hares, however, age-specific intervals are needed for some analytes.     

Survey of the effectiveness of stunning procedures used in Spanish pig abattoirs

Two pig abattoirs (A and B) equipped with an automated head-only and head-to-chest electrical stunning system, and two (C and D) equipped with a manual carbon dioxide stunning system, were evaluated to compare the effectiveness of stunning in a total of 10,454 pigs slaughtered under commercial conditions. In the abattoirs with the electrical stunning system, the percentage of animals that responded to a nose prick was significantly lower (P<0.05) in abattoir B, where a higher current intensity was used (P<0.05), than in abattoir A. No righting reflex was observed in the electrically stunned pigs. In the abattoirs with the carbon dioxide stunning system, the percentage of animals that responded to a nose prick and showed a righting reflex was significantly lower (P<0.05) in abattoir C, where the duration of the carbon dioxide cycle was longer and the interval between discharge from the system to sticking was shorter (P<0.05), than in D. Comparing the electrical and carbon dioxide stunning systems, the pigs stunned with carbon dioxide were significantly more responsive to a nose prick (P<0.05) and 25 per cent of them showed a righting reflex. Under the conditions of the study the fully automated head-only stunning with additional chest electrodes appeared to be more effective and less susceptible to incorrect handling than the manual carbon dioxide stunning system.     

Influence of micro-oxygenation treatment before oak aging on phenolic compounds composition, astringency, and color of red wine

Micro-oxygenation is usually applied to red wines as a cheaper alternative to oak aging. It has been suggested, however, that micro-oxygenation can also be used to complement oak aging in order to improve the quality of very astringent and herbaceous red wines. In this paper we study how applying the micro-oxygenation technique before oak aging affects the composition and quality of astringent red wines. When this technique is applied prior to oak aging, the wines have a slightly less intense red color and significantly higher levels of combined and free anthocyanins and ethyl-bridged anthocyanin-flavanol pigments. On the other hand, no differences in other newly formed pigments are found. Applying micro-oxygenation before oak aging does not affect the total proanthocyanidin concentration, but it produces wines with a slightly (though significantly) higher mean degree of proanthocyanidin polymerization and a drastically lower astringency. These wines also present a clearer impact of wood aromas.     

Effects of various cooking processes on the concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, mercury, and lead in foods

The effects of cooking processes commonly used by the population of Catalonia (Spain) on total arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), and lead (Pb) concentrations in various foodstuffs were investigated. All food samples were randomly acquired in local markets, big supermarkets, and grocery stores of Reus (Catalonia). Foods included fish (sardine, hake, and tuna), meat (veal steak, loin of pork, breast and thigh of chicken, and steak and rib of lamb), string bean, potato, rice, and olive oil. For each food item, two composite samples were prepared for metal analyses, whose levels in raw and cooked (fried, grilled, roasted, and boiled) samples were determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The highest concentrations of As, Hg, and Pb (raw and cooked samples) were mainly found in fish, with a clear tendency, in general, to increase metal concentrations after cooking. However, in these samples, Cd levels were very close to their detection limit. In turn, the concentrations of metals in raw and cooked meat samples were detected in all samples (As) or only in a very few samples (Cd, Hg, and Pb). A similar finding corresponded to string beans, rice, and olive oil, while in potatoes, Hg could not be detected and Pb only was detected in the raw samples. In summary, the results of the present study show that, in general terms, the cooking process is only of a very limited value as a means of reducing metal concentrations. This hypothetical reduction depends upon cooking conditions (time, temperature, and medium of cooking).     

Dopamine Antagonist Affects Luteal Function But Not Cyclicity During the Autumn Transition

The autumn transition is characterized by a number of anomalies affecting the luteal phase of the estrous cycle, such as declining progesterone secretion from the corpus luteum and increased rate of failure of luteolysis. Prolactin also decreases. We theorized that these events may be linked, possibly through dopamine. We administered domperidone, a specific dopamine D2 receptor antagonist from September 12 to anestrus or January 15, either daily (n = 8), or once per day for the first 7 days of each month (n = 7). Controls (n = 7) received no treatment. Mean progesterone and prolactin concentrations were compared with summer cycles. Time to entry into anestrus and incidence of spontaneously prolonged luteal activity was compared between groups during the autumn transition. Prolactin declined from June through October equally in all groups. There was no difference between groups in time to anestrus. Progesterone decline was prevented (daily treatment) or delayed for a prolonged period (weekly group) in autumn. The incidence of spontaneously prolonged corpus luteum activity was reduced to summer levels in both domperidone groups compared with the control. We concluded that autumn prolactin decline was not driven through dopaminergic D2 receptor inhibition of pituitary lactotrophs. Sustained progesterone synthesis through the autumn may be the result of action of the D2 receptor antagonist with dopamine receptors on the corpus luteum. Autumnal luteolytic function appears to have a dopamine-influenced component. There does not appear to be a causative relationship between autumnal progesterone and prolactin secretion.