Seasonal Distribution of Forage Yield from a Natural Pasture Under Rotational Grazing

A 2-yr grazing study was conducted to quantify forage available daily for cattle intake from a natural pasture managed under rotational grazing. Grazing was initiated around 1 May, and was managed with a rotation length of about 17 d each for cycles 1 and 2, and 30 d each for the rest. In 1994, under adequate moisture conditions, forage availability during 5/1-6/1, 6/1-8/15, 8/15-9/15, and 9/15-10/ 15 was 77, 66, 38 and 14 kg DM ha-1 d-1, respectively, resulting in a total yield of 8580 kg ha-1 in 175 d. In 1995, a prolonged period of dry summer reduced the grazing season to 150 d. Forage supply dropped to 46 kg ha-1 d-1 during 6/1-8/15. Natural pastures in northcentral U.S. have the potential to provide significant amount of forage for 5-6 months per year under rotational grazing, but additional feed may be needed for a month or two during periods of stress

Dogwood Borer (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae) Abundance and Seasonal Flight Activity in Apple Orchards, Urban Landscapes, and Woodlands in Five Eastern States

The relative abundance and seasonal flight activity of dogwood borer, Synanthedon scitula Harris (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae), was measured using weekly records from traps baited with its sex pheromone and deployed in apple orchards, urban landscapes, and native woodland sites in New York, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee in 2005 and 2006. The mean total number of moths captured per site in apple orchards was 3,146 ± 644 and 3095 ± 584 SE in 2005 and 2006, respectively, exceeding captures at urban sites by 16 and 13 times and at woodland sites by 210 and 206 times in 2005 and 2006, respectively. Mean total captures at urban sites exceeded those in woodland habitats by 13 and 16 times in 2005 and 2006, respectively. The mean duration (wk) of the flight period did not differ significantly between apple orchards (22.6 ± 0.6 SE) and urban sites (20.3 ± 1.2 SE). The onset of flight was somewhat later in New York (around early June) than further south (around early to mid-May), but moth captures continued into October in all states. Captures in apple orchards and at urban sites with higher populations were essentially continuous throughout the flight period, with substantial weekly fluctuations, and tended to show a bimodal pattern with peaks from late May through mid-July and from late August through mid-September. Captures at woodland sites tended to occur predominantly from mid-May through about mid-June and were very sporadic thereafte

Production Response to Feed Supplementation of Dairy Cows in a Seasonal Calving and Grazing System

A study was conducted over a period of two years to determine the impact of supplemental feed on milk yield and reproductive performance of dairy cows in a spring calving and grazing system. Three groups of Holstein cows consumed either all pasture (P), 2/3 (2/3P), or 1/3 (1/3P) of their feed dry matter from a temperate pasture of mixed grasses and white clover (Trifolium repens L.). The balance of feed for the 2/3P and 1/3P groups was supplied by a supplement containing grain and some forage. Cows calved between March and June. During the grazing season cows consumed 0, 5.8 and 11.1 kg of supplement per day in the P, 2/3P and 1/3P groups, respectively. Average lactation length was 275 days. Milk yield was 17.3c, 21.2b and 26.3a kg/d (P \u3c .01) for the P, 2/3P and 1/3P groups, respectively. Cows consuming only pasture had lower body condition scores at the end of lactation and had more reproductive failure than supplemented cows

Attraction of the Invasive Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) to Traps Baited with Semiochemical Stimuli Across the United States

A recent identification of the two-component aggregation pheromone of the invasive stink bug species, Halyomorpha halys (Stål), in association with a synergist, has greatly improved the ability to accurately monitor the seasonal abundance and distribution of this destructive pest. We evaluated the attraction of H. halys to black pyramid traps baited with lures containing the pheromone alone, the synergist methyl (2E,4E,6Z)-decatrienoate (MDT) alone, and the two lures in combination. Traps were deployed around areas of agricultural production including fruit orchards, vegetables, ornamentals, or row crops in Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia from mid-April to mid-October, 2012 and 2013. We confirmed that H. halys adults and nymphs are attracted to the aggregation pheromone season long, but that attraction is significantly increased with the addition of the synergist MDT. H. halys adults were detected in April with peak captures of overwintering adults in mid- to late May. The largest adult captures were late in the summer, typically in early September. Nymphal captures began in late May and continued season long. Total captures declined rapidly in autumn and ceased by mid-October. Captures were greatest at locations in the Eastern Inland region, followed by those in the Eastern Coastal Plain and Pacific Northwest. Importantly, regardless of location in the United States, all mobile life stages of H. halys consistently responded to the combination of H. halys aggregation pheromone and the synergist throughout the entire season, suggesting that these stimuli will be useful tools to monitor for H. halys in managed system

Different significance between intratumoral and peritumoral lymphatic vessel density in gastric cancer: a retrospective study of 123 cases

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Patients with gastric cancer in China have worse outcome and poorer prognosis. Tumor-induced lymphangiogenesis plays a crucial role in metastasis and tumor progression. The intratumoral and peritumoral lymphatics were supposed to have different biological effects. Three major growth factors, vascular endothelial growth factor- (VEGF)-A, VEGF-C and VEGF-D, are involved in the activation process via their receptors (VEGFRs). The purpose of current study is to investigate the significant difference between intratumoral and peritumoral lymphatic vessel density (LVD) in gastric cancer and their correlations with lymphangiogenetic growth factors.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Intratumoral LVD (I-LVD) and peritumoral LVD (P-LVD) of 123 patients with primary gastric cancer were assessed after staining with D2-40, and confirmed by double staining with D2-40/CD34. Proliferative activity of lymphatics endothelium was evaluated by double staining with D2-40/Ki-67. The associations were analyzed between I-LVD/P-LVD and the expression level of VEGF-A, VEGF-C, VEGF-D and the receptor VEGFR-3, which was measured by immunohistochemistry (IHC). The correlations of I-LVD and P-LVD with patient prognosis were also valued.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>(1) The peritumoral lymphatics (PTLs) were relatively enlarged with dilated lumen compared with the intratumoral lymphatics (ITLs). Increased P-LVD was significantly higher than I-LVD (<it>P </it>< 0.05). (2) P-LVD was found significantly associated with lymph node metastasis (LNM) (<it>P </it>< 0.001), lymphatic vessel invasion (LVI) (<it>P </it>< 0.001), VEGF-C (<it>P </it>= 0.003), VEGF-D expression level (<it>P </it>= 0.005) and VEGFR-3 expression level (<it>P </it>< 0.001) in peritumoral tissues, despite no significant association was found between above variants with I-LVD. However, increased I-LVD was demonstrated to be associated with decreased tumor volume (<it>P </it>< 0.001). Neither I-LVD nor P-LVD was correlated with VEGF-A expression (<it>P </it>> 0.05). (3) Proliferative activity of lymphatics endothelium was observed in PTLs, in spite of ITLs. (4) Increased P-LVD, but not I-LVD, was indicated to be an independent risk factor for lymph node metastasis by multivariate logistic regression analysis, and was related to worse disease-free survival and overall survival.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>PTLs play roles in gastric cancer progression. Increased P-LVD, but not I-LVD, was significantly associated with VEGF-C/-D/VEGFR-3 system, and could be an independent risk factor for lymph node metastasis and a prognostic factor in gastric cancer.</p

Comparison of total parathyroidectomy without autotransplantation and without thymectomy versus total parathyroidectomy with autotransplantation and with thymectomy for secondary hyperparathyroidism: TOPAR PILOT-Trial

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Secondary hyperparathyroidism (sHPT) is common in patients with chronic renal failure. Despite the initiation of new therapeutic agents, several patients will require parathyroidectomy (PTX). Total PTX with autotransplantation of parathyroid tissue (TPTX+AT) and subtotal parathyroidectomy (SPTX) are currently considered as standard surgical procedures in the treatment of sHPT. Recurrencerates after TPTX+AT or SPTX are between 10% and 12% (median follow up: 36 months).</p> <p>Recent retrospective studies demonstrated a lower rate of recurrent sHPT of 0–4% after PTX without autotransplantation and thymectomy (TPTX) with no higher morbidity when compared to the standard procedures. The observed superiority of TPTX is flawed due to different definitions of outcomes, varying follow up periods and different surgical treatment strategies (with and without thymectomy).</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>Patients with sHPT (intact parathyroid hormone > 10 times above the upper limit of normal) on long term dialysis (>12 months) will be randomized either to TPTX or TPTX+AT and followed for 36 months. Outcome parameters are recurrence rates of sHPT, frequencies of reoperations due to refractory hypoparathyroidism or recurrent/persistent hyperparathyroidism, postoperative morbidity and mortality and quality of life. 50 patients per group will be randomized in order to obtain relevant frequencies of outcome parameters that will form the basis for a large scale confirmatory multicentred randomized controlled trial.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>sHPT is a disease with a high incidence in patients with chronic renal failure. Even a small difference in outcomes will be of clinical relevance. To assess sufficient data about the rate of recurrent sHPT after both methods, a multicentred, randomized controlled trial (MRCT) under standardized conditions is mandatory.</p> <p>Due to the existing uncertainties the calculated number of patients necessary in each treatment arm (n > 4000) makes it impossible to perform this study as a confirmatory trial. Therefore estimates of different outcomes are performed using a pilot MRCT comparing 50 versus 50 randomized patients in order to establish a hypothesis that can be tested thereafter.</p> <p>If TPTX proves to have a lower rate of recurrent sHPT, no relevant disadvantages and no higher morbidity than TPTX+AT, current surgical practice may be changed.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number Registration (ISRCTN86202793)</p