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They activated the Grueneberg ganglion neurons and induced fear-related behaviours in mice. Identification of new sources of semiochemicals is a first step towards an understanding of the interspecies danger communication that takes place in the Grueneberg ganglion.Lower than expected arterial oxygen tension (PaO2) continues to be an unresolved problem in equine anesthesia. The aim of this randomized, crossover, and prospective study using six adult horses is to determine if a 15° reverse Trendelenburg position (RTP) increases PaO2 during inhalation anesthesia. Under constant-dose isoflurane anesthesia, dorsally recumbent horses were positioned either horizontally (HP) or in a 15° RTP for 2 h. Lungs were mechanically ventilated (15 mL/kg, 6 breaths/min). Arterial carbon dioxide tension (PaCO2), PaO2, inspired oxygen fraction (FiO2), and end-tidal carbon dioxide tension (EtCO2) were determined every 30 min during anesthesia. Indices of dead-space ventilation (Vd/Vt), oxygenation (P-F ratio), and perfusion (F-shunt) were calculated. Dobutamine and phenylephrine were used to support mean arterial pressure (MAP). Data are presented as median and range. In one horse, which was deemed an outlier due to its thoracic dimensions and body conformation, indices of oxygenation worsened in RTP compared to HP (median PaO2 438 vs. 568 mmHg; P-F ratio 454 vs. 586 mmHg, and F-shunt 13.0 vs. 5.7 mmHg). This horse was excluded from calculations. In the remaining five horses they were significantly better with RTP compared to HP. Results in remaining five horses showed that PaO2 (502, 467-575 vs. 437, 395-445 mmHg), P-F ratio (518, 484-598 vs. 455, 407-458 mmHg), and F-shunt (10.1, 4.2-11.7 vs. 14.2, 13.8-16.0 mmHg) were significantly different between RTP and HP (p = 0.03). Other variables were not significantly different. In conclusion, the 15° RTP resulted in better oxygenation than HP in dorsally recumbent, isoflurane-anesthetized horses, although worsening of oxygenation may occur in individual horses. A study detailing the cardiovascular consequences of RTP is necessary before it can be recommended for clinical practice.Although several protocols for cryopreserving buck semen are described in the literature, they differ widely in factors such as season and method of semen collection, extender and sperm concentration. Therefore, choosing a protocol that is suitable for a particular on-farm situation can be problematic. In the present study, semen was collected by artificial vagina from seven bucks on a farm located approximately 90 minutes’ drive away from the laboratory, about 6 weeks before the start of the goat breeding season. The semen was immediately extended in warm semen extender containing soy lecithin and was placed in an insulated box with a cold pack for up to 4 h, during semen collection from the remaining bucks and subsequent transport to the laboratory. Following centrifugation at 4 °C and resuspension in the soy lecithin extender to a sperm concentration of 800 × 106 spermatozoa/mL, 0.25 mL plastic straws were filled and frozen in racks 4 cm above the surface of liquid nitrogen. This simple protocol resulted in an acceptable post-thaw quality for all seven bucks, with a mean post-thaw motility of 55 ± 21% and mean fragmented chromatin of 3.27 ± 1.39%. Normal sperm morphology was >90% in all ejaculates. The semen was sent to a gamete bank for long-term storage.The study investigated and compared welfare conditions and gastrointestinal (GI) parasites distribution among organic (ORG) and conventional (CONV) farms in central Italy. Five ORG and five CONV farms were assessed for animal welfare with an adapted version of the AssureWel protocol. Faecal samples collected from the rectum of the animals both in ORG (n = 150) and CONV (n = 150) were analysed using conventional copromiscroscopy. The presence of skin damages in the rear legs was significantly predominant (p less then 0.001) in CONV (26.7%) compared with ORG farms (10.0%). No differences were found for lameness, cleanliness, Body Condition Score, hair loss, body lesions and swelling prevalence. Data concerning the productive performances, e.g., total milk, fat and protein yields standardised in mature equivalent (ME) were collected. ME milk yield (ORG 9656.9 ± 1620.7 kg; CONV 12,047.2 ± 2635.3) and ME fat yield (ORG 396.6 ± 66.8; CONV 450.3 ± 102.8) were significantly lower in ORG farms (p less then 0.001). Anthelmintics were used regularly in 4/5 CONV and 0/5 ORG farms. In 2 CONV farms (40%) and 4 ORGs (80%) at least one animal tested positive for GI parasites. No significant differences in parasites prevalence emerged (ORG = 10.7%; CONV = 8%). These data indicate that ORG farming does not influence parasite prevalence and animal welfare status.Hydrolyzed yeast (HY)-derived protein from Saccharomyces cerevisiae has a high digestible protein content and nucleotides and is a sweetener immunostimulatory substance. This could be used in nursery diets to minimize diarrhea and improve the growth rate and gut health of early-weaned piglets. This research was conducted with the objective of examining the effect of the inclusion level of HY as a potential protein ingredient for early-weaned piglets. A total of 72 crossbred weaned piglets [(Landrace × Large White) × Duroc] were assigned to three dietary treatments in six replicates with four pigs per pen. Dietary treatments were (i) control (CON), piglets weaned at 18 days; (ii) CON diet with 5% HY inclusion (HY5); and (iii) CON diet with 10% HY inclusion (HY10) in a corn-soybean meal-based basal diet. Increasing HY levels positively improved body weight, average daily gain, and average daily feed intake (linear effect, p less then 0.05). Furthermore, there was a linear increase in N-retention, albumin, jejunal villus height, villus height-to-crypt depth ratio, immunoglobulin A, acetate and propionate production, and Lactobacillus spp. count proportional to the dose of the HY-supplemented diet (p less then 0.05). It also observed a decrease in diarrheal rate, jejunal crypt depth, blood urea nitrogen, pro-inflammatory cytokines, branched amino acids, and E. coli corresponding to the HY-supplemented levels (p less then 0.05). However, the changes in the apparent total tract digestibility (dry matter, crude ash, and crude fat), blood glucose, butyrate, and Salmonella spp. were unaffected by the dietary HY level. Therefore, the supplementation of HY in the diet for early-weaned pigs not only supported the growth rate and immune function but also activated the beneficial bacterial growth of the early-weaned piglets.Elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus hemorrhagic disease (EEHV-HD) is an acute, often fatal, multisystemic hemorrhagic disease and one of the most significant causes of mortality of Asian elephants in captivity. Most fatal cases of EEHV-HD are associated with EEHV1A and EEHV1B in juveniles. This case report describes the clinical and pathological features of a fatal co-infection of Clostridium perfringens type C and EEHV-HD, caused by EEHV4, in an adult female Asian elephant. Although fatal clostridial enterotoxemia has been occasionally reported in elephants, this report highlights the importance of having both EEHV-HD and clostridial enterotoxemia as potential differential diagnoses in cases of widespread tissue necrosis and internal hemorrhage in elephants, regardless of the animal age group, due to their macroscopic similarities, frequent co-occurrence and cumulative morbid potential.The killer whale (Orcinus orca, Linnaeus, 1958) is the largest extant delphinid. Despite its worldwide distribution in the wild and in dolphinariums, its anatomy remains relatively poorly described. In the present study, we describe the detailed morphology of a plastinated killer whale heart. Sapogenins Glycosides The gross description of the arteries and veins reaching the organ and its coronary vessels are reported. Additional endoscopy and CT (computed tomography) scanning were performed to provide extensive measurements of its parts. In many aspects, the killer whale heart conformed to other delphinid heart descriptions, including position, relative size and shape and specific features such as extensive papillary muscles, trabecular endocardium and trabecula septomarginalis. These characteristics are representative of the delphinid family, suggesting that its functions and capacities are similar to that of other, smaller, dolphins and help understand the conditions in which these predators exert their remarkable physical performance necessary for their survival.There is growing evidence that perturbation of the gut microbiome, known as “dysbiosis”, is associated with the pathogenesis of human and veterinary diseases that are not restricted to the gastrointestinal tract. In this regard, recent studies have demonstrated that dysbiosis is linked to the pathogenesis of central neuroinflammatory disorders, supporting the existence of the so-called microbiome-gut-brain axis. The endocannabinoid system is a recently recognized lipid signaling system and termed endocannabinoidome monitoring a variety of body responses. Accumulating evidence demonstrates that a profound link exists between the gut microbiome and the endocannabinoidome, with mutual interactions controlling intestinal homeostasis, energy metabolism and neuroinflammatory responses during physiological conditions. In the present review, we summarize the latest data on the microbiome-endocannabinoidome mutual link in health and disease, focalizing the attention on gut dysbiosis and/or altered endocannabinoidome tone that may distort the bidirectional crosstalk between these two complex systems, thus leading to gastrointestinal and metabolic diseases (e.g., idiopathic inflammation, chronic enteropathies and obesity) as well as neuroinflammatory disorders (e.g., neuropathic pain and depression). We also briefly discuss the novel possible dietary interventions based not only on probiotics and/or prebiotics, but also, and most importantly, on endocannabinoid-like modulators (e.g., palmitoylethanolamide) for intestinal health and beyond.Extreme sunlight might be aversive to free-range laying hens, discouraging them from going outside. Range enrichment with artificial shelters may protect hens from sunlight and increase range use. The preferences of 34-40-week-old Hy-Line Brown laying hens for artificial shelters were assessed by counting the number of hens under three densities of individual shelters (three replicates/density) from video recordings for 14 to 17 days for two flocks. The artificial shelters used shade cloth marketed as blocking 50%, 70%, and 90% of ultraviolet light, although other sunlight wavelengths were also reduced. Different sunlight spectral irradiances (ultraviolet radiation (UVAB) (288-432 nm), photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) (400-700 nm), and total solar radiation (TSR) (285 nm-3000 nm), ambient temperature, and relative humidity were recorded with an on-site weather station. There was a significant interaction between sunlight-filtering shelter and time of day (both Flocks, p less then 0.0001), i.e., hens preferred shelters with the highest amount of sunlight-filtering at most time points. Regression models showed that the most variance in shelter use throughout the day resulted from the ambient temperature in both flocks, while sunlight parameters had different degrees of effect depending on the shelter type and flock. However, fewer hens under the shelters during the midday period suggest that during periods of intense sunlight, hens prefer to remain indoors, and artificial structures might not be sufficient to attract more hens outside.