Effect of breeding system, cycle and cage size during fattening on rabbit doe and growing rabbit performance under heat stress.

In order to evaluate heat stress and circadian rhythm 46 nulliparous rabbit does with a BW of 3.67 ± 0.05 kg (s.e.) were used. They were clipped once or not and rectal temperature, feed and water intake were recorded for 24 h. From this group, 43 rabbit does were mated 7 days after rectal measurements, and randomly assigned to one out of two breeding systems (including in both systems rabbit does that had been clipped or not). In the control one (C) rabbit does were mated 14 days after parturition and litter weaned at 35 days of age, and in the extensive one (E) they were mated 21 after parturition and weaned at 42 days of age. Rabbit doe and litter performance were recorded for 6 months (first three cycles). Two hundred twenty-eight weaned rabbits were divided into two cage sizes: 0.5 and 0.25 m2 with eight and four rabbits per cage, respectively, to study growing performance. Farm and rectal temperatures were minimal and feed and water intake maximal during the night (P < 0.001). Unclipped rabbit does showed higher rectal temperature (P = 0.045) and lower feed intake (P = 0.019) respect to clipped does, which are symptoms of heat stress. Neither breeding system nor cycle number influenced fertility, total number of kits born, born alive or dead per litter (91.6%, 6.98, 5.80 and 1.19 on average, respectively). Kit mortality during lactation tended to increase in E compared with C group (48.5% v. 63.4%; P = 0.070), reducing the number of kits at weaning per litter by 33% (P = 0.038). It also increased in the second and third cycles compared with the first (P ⩽ 0.054). It resulted that feed efficiency (g weaned kits/g feed intake does + litter) tended to decrease in E respect C group (P = 0.093), whereas it was impaired successively from the first to the third cycle by 48% (P = 0.014). Growing rabbits from the E group were heavier at weaning (by 38%; P < 0.001), showed a higher feed intake (+7.4%) and lower feed efficiency (-8.4%) throughout the fattening period (P ⩽ 0.056) respect to C group. However, age at slaughter was not different respect to C group (77.3 days on average). Cage size had minor influence in growing performance. In conclusion, rabbit doe and litter productivity impaired when lactation is extended from 35 to 42 days and along successive reproductive cycles.

Análisis de la transfusión sanguínea alogénica en cirugía oncológica oral y maxilofacial. Análisis de variables / Analysis of allogeneic blood transfusion in oral and maxillofacial cancer surgery. Analysis of variables

Objetivo. Analizar las variables que influyen en los pacientes transfundidosy sometidos a cirugía oncológica.Material y método. Se han revisado y analizado los datos de 44 pacientes intervenidosquirúrgicamente de neoplasia, a los que se les ha practicado transfusiónsanguínea peri operatoria, evaluando: edad, sexo, localización de la lesión,código de diagnostico, tratamiento realizado, hematocrito preoperatorio,hemoglobina preoperatoria y hemoglobina pretransfusional, numero de unidadestransfundidas, estadio TNM, riesgo ASA y tiempo quirúrgico.Resultados. 44 pacientes fueron transfundidos, 32 varones, con una mediade edad de 65 años y con localización lingual en un 36,36%. La cirugía masfrecuente fue la exéresis tumoral asociándose resecciòn ósea y vaciamientocervical en el 56,82% y con reconstrucción simple en el 63% de los casos.La duración media fue 5,7 horas, con un riesgo ASA medio de 3 y con unamedia de 2,9 unidades transfundidas. Un 70% se encontraban en estadio IV.La Hb pretransfusional fue de media 7,71 g/dl. El tiempo quirúrgico, la Hbpreoperatoria y el HTC preoperatorio son las variables que ha resultado estadísticamentesignificativas en el análisis multivariante.Conclusiones. La transfusión sanguínea alogénica presenta una serie de efectosadversos que pueden condicionar la evolución del paciente oncológico,para evitar o disminuir estos efectos deletéreos se debe mantener criteriostransfusionales restrictivos con Hb<8 g/dl, debemos actuar sobre la Hb preoperatoria,como única variable en la que podemos incidir para disminuir elvolumen transfundido y promover programas de ahorro de hemoderivados(AU)

Objective. Analyze the variables that influence bloodtransfusion in patients undergoing surgery for cancer.Material and method. Data from 44 patients who underwentsurgery for neoplasms and required perioperative blood transfusionwas analyzed to evaluate: age, sex, tumor location, diagnostic code,treatment, preoperative hematocrit, preoperative hemoglobin andpretransfusion hemoglobin, number of units transfused, TNM stage,ASA risk, and surgical time.Results. Forty-four patients received transfusions (32 men). Themean age of patients was 65 years and the tumor was lingual in36.36%. The most frequent intervention was tumor exeresis, whichwas associated with bone resection and cervical lymph nodeclearance in 56.82% of cases and with simple reconstruction in 63%of cases. The mean duration of the intervention was 5.7 hours,mean ASA risk was 3, and mean transfusion volume was 2.9 units.Seventy percent of patients had stage IV tumors. Mean hemoglobinconcentration before transfusion was 7.71 g/dl. Surgical time,preoperative hemoglobin concentration, and preoperative hematocritwere statistically significant in multivariate analysis.Conclusions. Allogeneic blood transfusions originate adverse effectsthat can condition the evolution of patients with cancer. Stricttransfusion criteria should be followed (Hb < 8g/dl) to prevent ordiminish these deleterious effects. Preoperative Hb is the only variablethat we can act on to reduce transfusion volume. Blood-sparingprograms should be implemented(AU)

Biological consequences of the 1975 el nino.

The weak El Niño event of 1975 had a clearly defined effect on the biological productivity of the southeastern tropical Pacific. During February and March 1975, warm (27 degrees C) water of low salinity (33.5 parts per thousand) and low nutrient content extended south across the equator east of the Galápagos Islands, replacing the nutrient-rich water normally supplied by equatorial upwelling. Equatorial primary production was less than 0.2 gram of carbon per square meter per day, one-fifth of the normal value. At the maximum development of the 1975 event, the coastal region of Peru continued to have strong nearshore upwelling with primary production values greater than 2.5 grams of carbon per square meter per day, although the zone of high production was confined to a 250-kilometer-wide band, one-half its normal width. The biological effects of the 1975 event were short-lived; in April and May 1975 the equatorial region had begun to reestablish its normal levels of primary production.