Laminitis is one of the most devastating diseases in equine medicine, and although several etiopathogenetic mechanisms have been proposed, few clear answers have been identified to date. Several ...lines of evidence point towards its underlying pathology as being metabolism-related. In the carbonyl stress pathway, sugars are converted to methylglyoxal (MG)-a highly reactive alpha-oxoaldehyde, mainly derived during glycolysis in eukaryotic cells from the triose phosphates: D-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate and dihydroxyacetone phosphate. One common hypothesis is that MG could be synthesized during the digestive process in horses, and excessive levels absorbed into peripheral blood could be delivered to the foot and lead to alterations in the hoof lamellar structure. In the present study, employing an ex vivo experimental design, different concentrations of MG were applied to hoof explants (HE), which were then incubated and maintained in a specific medium for 24 and 48 h. Macroscopic and histological analyses and a separation force test were performed at 24 and 48 h post-MG application. Gene expression levels of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and -14 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-2 were also measured at each time point for all experimental conditions. High concentrations of MG induced macroscopic and histological changes mimicking laminitis. The separation force test revealed that hoof tissue samples incubated for 24 h in a high concentration of MG, or with lower doses but for a longer period (48 h), demonstrated significant weaknesses, and samples were easily separated. All results support that high levels of MG could induce irreversible damage in HEs, mimicking laminitis in an ex vivo model.
Abstract
Background
Recognition of the factors that influence academic performance in university students constitutes one of the key objectives of education researchers. Few studies have been ...conducted in this sphere in relation to veterinary students; however, considering the high levels of depression, anxiety symptoms, and decreased life satisfaction revealed in recent literature for this demographic, understanding these factors is of great importance. Moreover, the literature on veterinary education has mostly focused on cognitive factors as antecedents to academic performance, while very little attention has been directed toward personal characteristics.
Methods
The present cross-sectional study aims to investigate the relationships between psychological characteristics (internal locus of control and self-efficacy), academic fit, well-being (engagement and exhaustion), and academic performance (average grade) among veterinary students. The study was conducted in the Department of Veterinary Sciences at the University of Turin between September 2021 and January 2022 involving 231 students.
Results
The results of the Structural Equation Model confirmed a positive relationship between both internal locus of control and self-efficacy and academic fit, which in turn showed a positive relationship with engagement and a negative relationship with exhaustion. Finally, a significant positive relationship between engagement and academic performance was highlighted. Indirect effects were also significant, confirming the mediating role of academic fit and engagement.
Conclusions
The study contributes to the literature by demonstrating the direct and indirect relationships among the variables selected in a sample group of veterinary students. These findings provide information for practical interventions that could support the academic experience and prospects of veterinary students by improving their psychological parameters and well-being.
Dairy cows are exposed to multiple stressors during the productive cycle, such as metabolic challenges, overcrowding, grouping change, environmental stress and dietary errors. Thus, it is essential ...to study reliable markers able to detect stress conditions in dairy farms. This study evaluates dairy cows' immunologic and metabolic markers after the sudden and combined exposition to a high‐grain diet (75% concentrates) and the abrupt change of the housing system (from free stall to tie stall). A group of twenty‐four Holstein cows were enrolled in a challenge study of 28 days duration. Several immunological and metabolic blood markers were evaluated over the trial. Blood samples were taken at day 0 (normal value) and day 1, 3, 7, 14, 21, and 28 (challenge). Data were submitted to a mixed model for repeated measures, including time as fixed and cows as random effects. The nutritional and environmental challenge had heavy effects on animal welfare and cows responded with a dramatic rumination drop. Our results suggest that the most responsive markers after abiotic stressors in cows were as follows: Serum Amyloid A and ROM in the acute response; Ceruloplasmin and GGT in the mid acute and Albumin, Paroxonase and FRAP in the chronic phase. Serum Amyloid A, Ceruloplasmin, Paraoxonase, GGT and ROM resulted as positive phase proteins, while, Albumin and FRAP resulted as negative phase proteins. Preliminary obtained results could concur to develop strategies able to mitigate stressor effects; moreover, the proposed design can be used as a model to test stress nutritional modulators.
Abstract
Background
The conventional feeding management of horses is still characterized by high starch and low fibre diets, which can negatively affect horse’s gastrointestinal health. Thus, the aim ...of this study was to compare the effects of a high-starch (HS) vs. a high-fibre (HF) diet on gut health in horses. A total of 19 Bardigiano horses destined for slaughter and aged 14.3 ± 0.7 months were randomly allotted to two dietary groups: HS (5 fillies and 4 colts,) and HF group (7 fillies and 3 colts). They received the same first-cut meadow hay but different complementary feeds for 72 days: HS group was fed 8 kg/animal/day of a starch-rich complementary feed while HF group was fed 3.5 kg/animal/day of a fibre‐rich complementary feed. At slaughter, stomachs were separated and washed for the evaluation of the glandular and squamous regions. Also, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, apex of the caecum, sternal flexure, pelvic flexure, right dorsal colon, rectum and liver were excised and submitted to histomorphometrical evaluation.
Results
The glandular region of HS group presented more severe gastric mucosa lesions compared to the HF group (
P
= 0.006). Moreover, a statistical tendency (
P
= 0.060) was found for the squamous region, presenting a higher score in HS than HF diet. Regarding morphometry, in jejunum villus height to crypt depth (Cd) ratio was influenced by sex, being greater in males than in females (
P
= 0.037) while in ileum Cd depended on interaction between sex and diet, being greater in males of HS group (
P
= 0.029). Moreover, in the duodenum and right dorsal colon the severity of the inflammation depended on sex (
P
= 0.024 and 0.050), being greater in females than in males. On the contrary, in the jejunum and in the pelvic flexure, inflammation was influenced by diet, being more severe in HS than in HF group (
P
= 0.024 and 0.052).
Conclusions
These results suggested that HS diet provoked more severe mucosa lesions in the glandular region of the stomach and a higher inflammation both in the jejunum and pelvic flexure. The present study can represent a starting point for further investigations on gut health in horses.
The paper presents an overview of the usage of Instagram as a social media platform for teaching and engagement in the field of dairy cow nutrition and management. Our Instagram content, which ...includes posts, stories, hashtags, reels, and live videos, aims to educate and engage our followers and covers a wide range of topics, including research updates, student activities, and information on dairy cow health and welfare. This approach to education allows us to reach a larger audience while also providing a forum for interaction and discussion on essential dairy cow nutrition concerns.
The aim of the present work was to compare the estimated metabolisable energy requirements (MER) of fattening light lambs raised in feedlot with the U. S. National Research Council (NRC) predictions. ...Body weight (BW) gain and feed intake were collected from 15 pens (7 lambs/pen) of Manchega male lambs under on-farm conditions over six weeks. The pens were randomly assigned to three dietary treatments (5 pens/treatment) consisting of three concentrates of different composition and barley straw. Feeds were offered for ad libitum consumption throughout the experimental period. Average daily metabolisable energy intake (MEI) was calculated on a weekly basis for each pen from the average daily consumption of concentrate and barley straw and their respective ME contents. Following, the average daily MER was predicted for each pen from the weekly average of both BW and BW gain, according to two models: One including the adjustment of ME for body maintenance (MEm) for the effect of level of MEI on visceral organ tissue energy use as described by NRC (Model 1), and the other excluding such adjustment (Model 2). Model 1 had no mean bias, and exhibited a higher concordance correlation coefficient and a lower underprediction, supporting the need for the upward adjustment of MEm in accordance with MEI to enhance the precision and accuracy of predicted MER. It was concluded that the NRC method was precise and accurate enough to support its application for calculating the MER of feedlot light lambs.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a complete hay-based total mixed ration (TMR) for calves, focusing on their feed intake, animal growth performance, and fecal output, and to ...develop a preliminary estimation equation for solid feed intake and body weight in Holstein heifer calves. Twenty female Italian Holstein calves (37.14 ± 2.72 kg) born between February and July were studied from the day of birth until 77 days of age. From the fourth day of life, they were fed 3 L/day of pasteurized milk twice daily and supplemented with the same hay-based TMR. The data on feed intake, fecal characteristics, and growth performances were collected and showed that these calves had adequate parameters. Moreover, the data collected was used to create equations to predict body weight and solid feed intake using a mixed model. The goodness of fit of the developed equations was evaluated by coefficients of determinations (R2). The equation obtained shows high R2 (0.98 for solid feed intake and 0.99 for calf weight), indicating the satisfactory precision and accuracy needed to predict female calves’ body weight and solid feed intake.
Horses reared for meat production are generally fed a diet rich in starch with the aim of maximizing production performances. This study evaluated the effects of two feeding management systems on ...horse welfare by analysing the relative time spent engaged in different behavioural activities. Nineteen Bardigiano horses aged 14.3 ± 0.7 months were randomly assigned to one of two group pens: one group was fed high amounts of starch-rich concentrates (HCG; n = 10), the other was fed a fibre-based diet (HFG; n = 9). Behavioural activities performed by each horse were video-recorded over a 96-h period. A scan sampling process (n = 144 scans/horse/day; total n of scans sampled = 10,368) was used, and the scans were analysed according to a specific ethogram. The mean frequency (%/24 h) spent exhibiting each behavioural activity was calculated to obtain the time budget. After checking for normality (Shapiro–Wilk test), Student’s t tests (normally distributed data) and Mann–Whitney tests (not normally distributed data) were used to compare the time budgets of the two groups of horses (HCG vs. HFG). Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was applied to identify the components explaining the variability in behavioural activities between the two groups. K-means cluster analysis subsequently confirmed the PCA results. The behavioural activities associated with feeding horses a fibre-based diet correlated with better horse welfare compared with feeding horses a starch-based diet. Feeding horses a fibre-based diet resulted advantageous from both the welfare and economic perspective; it allowed horses to spend more time expressing feeding behaviours and reduced energy expenditure in the form of excitable, or “fizzy”, behaviours.
The microencapsulated mixture of organic acids and pure botanicals (OA/PB) has never been evaluated in goats. The aim of this study was to extend the analysis to mid-late lactating dairy goats, ...evaluating the effects of OA/PB supplementation on the metabolic status, milk bacteriological and composition characteristics, and milk yield. Eighty mid-late lactating Saanen goats were randomly assigned to two groups: one group was fed the basal total balanced ration (TMR) (CRT;
= 40) and the other was fed a diet that was TMR supplemented with 10 g/head of OA/PB (TRT;
= 40) for 54 days during the summer period. The temperature-humidity index (THI) was recorded hourly. On days T0, T27, and T54, the milk yield was recorded, and blood and milk samples were collected during the morning milking. A linear mixed model was used, considering the fixed effects: diet, time, and their interaction. The THI data (mean ± SD: 73.5 ± 3.83) show that the goats did not endure heat stress. The blood parameters fell within the normal range, confirming that their metabolic status was not negatively influenced by OA/PB supplementation. OA/PB increased the milk fat content (
= 0.04) and milk coagulation index (
= 0.03), which are effects that are looked on as favorable by the dairy industry in relation to cheese production.
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