Grazing Cow Behavior’s Association with Mild and Moderate Lameness

peer-reviewedAccelerometer-based mobility scoring has focused on cow behaviors such as lying and walking. Accuracy levels as high as 91% have been previously reported. However, there has been limited replication of results. Here, measures previously identified as indicative of mobility, such as lying bouts and walking time, were examined. On a research farm and a commercial farm, 63 grazing cows’ behavior was monitored in four trials (16, 16, 16, and 15 cows) using leg-worn accelerometers. Seventeen good mobility (score 0), 23 imperfect mobility (score 1), and 22 mildly impaired mobility (score 2) cows were monitored. Only modest associations with activity, standing, and lying events were found. Thus, behavior monitoring appears to be insufficient to discern mildly and moderately impaired mobility of grazing cows

The Effects of the Marine-Derived Polysaccharides Laminarin and Chitosan on Aspects of Colonic Health in Pigs Challenged with Dextran Sodium Sulphate

This study examined the effects of dietary supplementation with laminarin or chitosan on colonic health in pigs challenged with dextran sodium sulphate (DSS). Weaned pigs were assigned to: (1) a basal diet (n = 22); (2) a basal diet + laminarin (n = 10); and (3) a basal diet + chitosan (n = 10). On d35, the basal group was split, creating four groups: (1) the basal diet (control); (2) the basal diet + DSS; (3) the basal diet + laminarin + DSS; and (4) the basal diet + chitosan + DSS. From d39–42, the pigs were orally challenged with DSS. On d44, colonic tissue/digesta samples were collected. The basal DSS group had reduced growth, higher pathology score and an increased expression of MMP1, IL13 and IL23 compared with the controls (p < 0.05); these parameters were similar between the DSS-challenged groups (p > 0.05). In the basal DSS group, the relative abundance of beneficial taxa including Prevotella and Roseburia were reduced while Escherichia/Shigella were increased, compared with the controls (p < 0.05). The relative abundance of Escherichia/Shigella was reduced and the molar proportions of acetate were increased in the laminarin DSS group compared with the basal DSS group (p < 0.01), suggesting that laminarin has potential to prevent pathogen proliferation and enhance the volatile fatty acid profile in the colon in a porcine model of colitis

Aquimarina amphilecti sp. nov., isolated from the sponge Amphilectus fucorum

A Gram staining negative, rod-shaped orange-coloured, catalase and oxidase positive, non-motile bacterium designated as 92VT was isolated from the marine sponge, Amphilectus fucorum, collected from Lough Hyne, Co. Cork, Ireland. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed that strain 92VT clustered with members of the family Flavobacteriaceae, the closest member being Aquimarina latercula NCIMB 1399T, with a gene sequence similarity of 97.5%. Strain 92VT requires seawater for growth with optimal growth occurring at 25°C, pH 6-7 and 3 % (w/v) NaCl. MK-6 is the sole respiratory quinone present and the major fatty acids are iso-C17:0 3-OH, iso-C15:0, iso-C17:1 ?9c and iso-C15:0 3-OH. The DNA G+C content is 36.1 Mol%. Combined phenotypic differences and phylogenetic analysis indicate that strain 92VT represents a novel species of the genus Aquimarina, for which the name Aquimarina amphilecti sp. nov is proposed with strain 92VT as the type strain (=NCIMB 14723T = DSM 25232 T)