High intake of sugars and starch, low number of meals and low roughage intake are associated with equine gastric ulcer syndrome in a Belgian cohort

Equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) is a pathological condition affecting the glandular and squamous regions of the stomach. It is characterized by non-specific clinical signs, behavioural changes or can also be found without any overt clinical manifestations. Nutritional factors such as intermittent feeding, high sugars and starch intake, large amounts of straw as forage and prolonged time without access to forage have all been associated with an increased risk of equine squamous gastric disease (ESGD). The aim of this study was to investigate which nutritional practices are commonly seen in clinical ESGD cases in Belgium. Medical records of 27 horses referred to the equine nutritional service at Ghent University (2013-2018) due to equine gastric ulcer lesions were reviewed. Twenty-one healthy horses referred for dietary evaluation during the same period were selected as control cases (CC). Dietary evaluation was performed on an individual basis. Forage/concentrate ratio on dry matter basis, forage content in the diet, total dietary sugars and starch intake per day and per meal were analysed. Retrospective descriptive and statistical analyses were performed. Significantly, higher amounts of forage intake (%DM per BW) in the CC vs. ESGD group were noted (p <= .05) with average values of 1.39 (SD +/- 0.27) and 1.27 (SD +/- 0.70) respectively. There were no significant differences for sugars and starch intake in g/kg BW/day (p = .18). However, the sugars and starch intake per meal (g/kg BW/meal) in the CC group (average value 1.06, SD +/- 0.56) was significantly (p < .001) lower than in the EGUS group (average value 1.85 SD +/- 0.78). Forage intake below the recommended absolute minimum value as well as high sugars and starch intake were most commonly associated with EGUS in the present case series. An adequate diet formulation taking into account these main nutritional factors is therefore essential to avoid gastric problems in horses

Electromyographic evaluation of masseter muscle activity in horses fed different types of roughage

The aim of the study was to obtain information about masseter muscle activity, the main determinant of salivary flow during the chewing process. Four horses were offered the following diets: cracked corn (dry matter intake (DMI): 0.26% of BW), hay ad libitum (DMI: 2.8±0.5% of BW); haylage ad libitum (DMI: 2.4±0.4% of BW) and a straw/alfalfa chaff ([SAC] (DMI: 3.1±0.5% of BW). Feed intake time (min/kg) and chewing frequency (chews/kg) were recorded by direct observation or by using a modified halter. The activity of the masseter muscle was determined by EMG (IED®) and the following measurements made: Amplitude (muscle action potential = MAP, expressed in V) and duration of MAP (expressed in sec). Feed intake time and chewing frequency for roughages were different compared to cracked corn in the following order: haylage > hay > SAC > cracked corn. The intake of hay or haylage was associated with intense masseter muscle activity (MAP: hay 9.82±1.7 V, haylage 11.4±3.3 V, duration MAP: hay 0.31±0.04 sec, haylage 0.30±0.04 sec). Similar intense chewing was measured for the SAC (MAP 12.6±3.8 V), although duration of the chewing cycle was relatively short (0.22±0.03 sec) which is possibly related to limited fibre length. In contrast to roughages, concentrates are consumed rapidly, with less intense masseter muscle activity as reflected by the low amplitude of EMG (MAP 4.9±1.5 V). This is associated with low salivary flow rates that are likely to negatively affect gastric digestion

Investigation of Sediments Causing Damage to Water Meters in a Large Drinking Water Distribution System

Preliminary studies on the sediments collected from water meters of Krakow water supply system were performed in the cooperation with the Municipal Water Supply and Sewage. Creation and deposition of sediments on the measuring devices installed in the water supply system is a serious technological and economical problem for water companies, defectively operating for this reason water meters must be replaced. It is evident that knowledge of the chemical and phase composition of sediments is an important step towards resolving the problem of impurities in water supply systems. Four different samples of sediments, coming from water meters, were investigated using the proton-induced X-ray emission, the X-ray diffraction, the Fourier transform infrared and Raman spectroscopy. The X-ray methods revealed presence of amorphous and fine-crystalline phases as well as high content of iron-based compounds. As a crystalline phase, the most frequently appeared: goethite, lepidocrocite, iron oxides (hematite, maghemite, magnetite), calcium carbonate, and quartz. In one of the samples, the nanocrystalline phase was found and identified as hydrous iron oxyhydroxide ferrihydrite. Vibrational spectroscopy methods confirmed the composition of crystalline phases as well as enabled to estimate the abundance of amorphous phase in samples