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Simple Summary: The rational use of agriculture and agro-industrial by-products in ruminant nutrition contributes to greater respect for the environment in addition to a better final product quality. Artichoke crops are widespread in the Mediterranean region but mostly not properly valued. Previous studies carried out with artichoke by-product silage at 25, 40 and 60% inclusion in dairy goat feed for one month showed that 40% inclusion would be a good option without any harm to milk yield and composition or animal health status. Therefore, it is worth studying the effect of feeding animals with 40% artichoke by-product silage during a full lactation period. No negative effects were observed on animal performances and productivity, allowing us to reduce agroindustry wastes and offering a long-term preserved by-product that promotes a sustainable circular economy and the production of animal products with high nutritional value, like goat milk. The aim of this work is to study the effect of 40% inclusion of artichoke by-product silage (AB) in dairy goat diets on milk yield, composition and animal health status during a full lactation period compared to an isoenergetic and isoproteic mixed ration based on alfalfa hay and a cereal and legume mixture. Milk yield was not affected by the dietary treatments, and neither was body weight. AB treatment reduced whey protein (0.38 vs. 0.42%, p < 0.05) and milk urea concentrations (687 vs. 773 mg/L, respectively, p < 0.001), and did not affect total true protein (3.22 vs. 3.24% p > 0.05) or other macro-composition variables. AB treatment showed higher milk concentrations of Ca (p < 0.05), Mn (p < 0.01), Cu (p < 0.01) and Zn (p < 0.001) compared to the control group (C). Slight differences were observed in milk fatty acid profile without any negative effects (p > 0.05) on the blood cholesterol and glucose of goats. The AB group reduced blood urea due to its high dietary total phenol content. However, it had a positive effect on β-hydroxybutyrate (p < 0.05) and nonesterified fatty acids (p > 0.05). It was concluded that 40% artichoke by-product inclusion in dairy goat feed for the whole lactation period (23 weeks) is a sustainable solution, reducing feeding cost by 12.5% per kg of dry matter, contributing to a better circular economy without any negative repercussions on the productivity and health of Murciano–Granadina dairy goats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This article studies the effect of the onset of intramammary infection (IMI) in dairy sheep on milk production, electrical conductivity (EC), SCC and milk quality, together with other physiological variation factors. In addition, it analyses the performance of different algorithms that use the variable EC of gland milk (a variable that can be automated in the milking parlour) for economic and early detection of IMI. The onset of IMI was found to cause an increase in SCC and a significant drop in production, more pronounced in bilaterally than unilaterally infected ewes, while EC was significantly higher when infection occurred bilaterally. The best algorithm for IMI detection using EC achieved 50% sensitivity and 100% specificity. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of the onset of intramammary infection (IMI) on the electrical conductivity (EC) of ewe milk and assess the detection capability of various algorithms based on daily glandular milk EC measurement. An experiment was carried out with 26 Manchega sheep located at the farm of the Miguel Hernández University, Elche, Spain. The variables in milk from the gland (production, EC) were monitored daily for 2 weeks during the morning and evening milking; once infection was established in the gland, the variables were measured for a further 4 weeks. In addition, the SCC, sodium, potassium, chloride and milk macro-compositions were analysed. The sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative predictive values for IMI detection of different algorithms were calculated using the EC variable. It was observed that the onset of IMI resulted in an increase in SCC and a significant decrease in yield, and EC rose significantly when infection occurred bilaterally. The best results for IMI detection were obtained with the algorithm that detected deviations greater than 3σ of the conductivity ratio between collateral glands with respect to a moving average calculated with a time horizon of 10 days (50% sensitivity and 100% specificity). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: There were not long-term studies in the literature reviewed on how machine milking parameters (pulsation rate, pulsation ratio and system vacuum) affect milk production, milk composition, animal welfare and udder health throughout the lactation of Murciano-Granadina goats. After previous experiments developed in short term by this research group, the aim of the present experiments was to test during one entire lactation duration the best combination of system vacuum and pulsation parameters using two types of milking parlours, one with low-line pipes and the other with mid-line pipes to obtain optimal values of milking duration, milk yield, animal welfare and udder health. The results confirmed that the optimal parameters to milk Murciano-Granadina goats are different in mid-line milking parlours and in low-line milking parlours. The milking parameters must be correctly programmed to achieve optimal milking efficiency and milk quality values, enhancing the animals' sanitary status and farm profitability. The conclusions of this project have established work guidelines for small ruminants' farmers and technicians to improve milk quantity, milk quality and animal welfare. Recent short-term studies on Murciano-Granadina goats have established that the optimal parameters to set up the milking machines are different according to the milk pipes height. Two groups of 52 fresh goats each were employed in 2 different experiments to confirm during an entire lactation period the best combinations of system vacuum pulsation rate and pulsator ratio in low-line and mid-line milking parlours. The experiment performed in the low-line milking parlour included one group milked with 40 KPa vacuum system level, 90 puls/min pulsation rate and 60/40 pulsation and a second group milked with 38 KPa vacuum system level, 90 puls/min pulsation rate and 60/40 pulsation ratio. The experiment carried out in mid-line included one group milked with 40 KPa vacuum system level, 90 puls/min pulsation rate and 60/40 pulsation ratio and a second group milked with 40 KPa vacuum system level, 120 puls/min pulsation rate and 60/40 pulsation ratio. Variables studied included milking efficiency, milk composition, cortisol, SCC and intramammary infections, teat-end oedema after milking and vacuum dynamics during milking. Considering the results of an entire lactation period, it was confirmed that when milking in mid-line, the combination of 40 KPa system vacuum, 90 cycles/min pulsation rate and 60/40 pulsator ratio showed optimal results of the above-mentioned variables. On the other hand, the use of 40 KPa in a low-line system increased the milk cortisol values (0.34 ± 0.1 vs. 0.44 ± 0.1 ng/mL) without any other advantage. Thus, the recommendation is to use a combination of 38 KPa system vacuum, 90 cycles/min pulsation rate and 60/40 pulsator ratio to enhance animal welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this work was to study the effect of milking fraction and mammary gland health status on the electrical conductivity (EC) of milk from Manchega ewes, considering also the lactation number. To this end, we also studied the relationship of EC with milk macrocomposition, and the relation existing between EC and somatic cell count (SCC). Finally, the use of EC thresholds as a mastitis detection method (sensitivity, specificity, positive (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV)) was assessed in each of the three fractions: first streams (F1), machine milk (F2) and stripping milk (F3). Milking fraction, mammary gland health status and lactation number had a significant effect on EC and SCC. In the case of EC, the milking fraction caused a more pronounced effect than health status of the glands or number of lactation (F = 19.95, 15.88 and 6.55, respectively; P < 0.5). In SCC, the gland health status caused the most pronounced effect followed by milking fraction and lactation number (F = 112.02, 6.89, and 5.28, respectively; P < 0.05). Changes in the milk composition, especially fat and lactose contents, explained the EC variation to a great extent. For the same EC threshold, specificity and sensitivity varied slightly depending on the milking fraction. NPV above 80% was obtained in the three milking fractions and at all EC thresholds tested, but PPV was only higher than 20% as of the threshold of 4.5, 4.4, and 4.2 mS/cm in F1, F2 and F3, respectively. From the results obtained, we concluded that the algorithm design for mastitis detection in sheep should include those factors affecting the composition and which therefore cause variations in EC, such as milking fraction, individual differences, lactation stage or lactation number. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this work was to study how machine milking (MM) carried out in suitable conditions affects teat wall thickness and teat canal length and their return after milking to pre-milking conditions, in comparison with other milk extraction methods considered biological referents: lamb suckling (LS), milk removal by catheter (RC) and hand milking (HM). Three Latin square experiments were designed, using 11 ewes in the first experiment (LS), 13 in the second (RC) and 12 in the third (HM). Each of the Latin squares was divided into two periods: in the first, the left gland of each animal was machine milked and the corresponding treatment (LS, RC and HM) was applied to the right gland. Subsequently, in the second period the extraction methods were interchanged. During the experimental period, 4 sampling days were carried out (2 in each experimental period), where ultrasound scans were taken before (B) and immediately after milking (A) and at 1 (1 h), 2 (2 h), 3 (3 h), 4 (4 h), 6 (6 h), 8 (8 h) and 10 (10 h) hours after milking finished. Teat wall thickness (TWT), teat wall area (TWA), teat end area (TEWA) and teat canal length (TCL) were measured in all the ultrasound images. MM increased TWT after milking compared with RC. TWT, TWA, TEWA and TCL were lower (P<0·05) in HM than in MM. No significant differences (P>0·05) were found between LS and MM for any variable. The extraction method affected the recovery time of the variables, with total teat recovery at 6 h after RC and 4 h after HM. In the case of LS, the TEWA and TCL values were recovered sooner, as of 3 h. Teat recovery time after MM was similar to the extraction method with which it was compared in each experiment. Thus, considering the similar increase in wall thickness and their recovery time compared with the reference methods, it was concluded that machine milking, carried out in optimum conditions and respecting the time interval between milkings usually applied on sheep farms (8–12 h), would not affect teat integrity. Moreover, given the variability observed in teat thickness recovery time between the different experiments, further research should be carried out to study which factors intrinsic and extrinsic to the animal may affect the teat wall thickness and recovery time after machine milking. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The aim of this work was to study the effect on teat wall thickness and canal length in sheep and goats of overmilking for 2 min (OM+2) and of milking with used (AL; +3000 milkings) and twisted (TL; 45°) liners in sheep and goats, as well as the effect of milking goats with liners designed for sheep (SL, shorter length and diameter than liners for goats). To this end, we performed four experiments in goats and three in sheep, in a Latin square design with two experimental periods. During the experimental period 4 controls were carried out, performing ultrasound scans before and immediately after milking to determine the teat wall thickness (TWT), teat wall area (TWA), teat end area (TEWA) and teat canal length (TCL). OM+2 caused a significant increase in TWT, TWA, TEWA and TCL in goats and in TWA, TEWA and TCL in sheep. Liner features had a strong influence on the variables studied; aged liners caused significant changes in TWT and TCL in goats and in TWT in sheep; twisted liners produced a significant effect on the increase of TWT and TCL in goats, without reaching significance level in sheep; and milking goats with sheep liners led to a significant increase in TWT, TWA, TEWA and TCL. In practice, it is therefore important to avoid overmilking and the use of worn-out liners. It is also necessary to use liners designed for the morphological features of each species, taking special care to carry out periodic liner positioning revisions to ensure the benefits of pulsation on the teat end. Finally, it would be necessary to carry out long-term experiments to study whether the increase in thickness observed in some experiments is sufficient to affect milking efficiency and mammary gland health status. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: Purpose: Recurrent tracheoesophageal fistula (RTF) is a serious common complication of the surgical treatment of esophageal atresia. We report the results of our technique of bronchoscopic treatment of RTF with fibrin glue (Tissucol), with a follow-up of over 1 decade. Methods: A retrospective review between 1993 and 2004 was conducted, including all patients diagnosed with RTF and treated bronchoscopically with Tissucol, with over 1 year of follow-up. The procedure was implemented under general anesthesia using a rigid neonatal bronchoscope. A magnification chamber and previous diathermia using a urethral catheter were used in the latter 4 patients. The fibrin glue was injected through a clear catheter. The number of endoscopic sessions per patient was limited to 3. Results: Seven patients were treated, with evidence of fistular closure in 6 (85%). One patient with satisfactory results, but a follow-up of 4 months, was not included. The age at bronchoscopy ranged from 14 to 20 days (mean, 16.7 days), and a total of 12 sessions were required (mean, 1.7). In the latter 4 patients, diathermia was associated with good results in all and a lower number of sessions (mean, 1.5). All patients were evaluated clinically and radiologically, and a control endoscopy was performed in 4 patients. The follow-up lasted from 2 to 11 years (mean, 7.4 years). Conclusions: Because we started to use Tissucol (1994), other authors have reported successful isolated cases, but a relatively large series and a long-term follow-up were lacking. We consider that the success of the procedure depends on several technical factors such as an early diagnosis, before epithelium is formed in the fistula, and the use of initial diathermia, associated in the latter 4 patients. The results obtained with 85% success with a follow-up over 1 year show that the fibrin adhesive is the reference substance for the treatment of RTF; we recommend its endoscopic application associated with diathermia as initial measure. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Examines frontal EEG asymmetry shifting from baseline in adults and infants exposed to lavender and rosemary. Significant EEG shifting in the lavender group; Use of aromatherapy as an alternative medicine; Calming effects of lavender; Studies suggesting certain aromas can alter mood.

Determines the relative capacity of each hemisphere for verbal processing using Moscovitch's reaction time procedure. Influence of direction and degree of handedness, as well as familial sinistrality (FS), on the organization of the brain for verbal processing; Connection with speech and the influence of familial handedness.

The use of local agricultural by-products for animal feed is an alternative that reduces livestock production costs and allows food production of greater environmental sustainability. The aim of this experiment was to study the effect of the inclusion in the dairy goat ration of artichoke by-product silage (ABS) at three levels (25%, 40% and 60%, on a dry matter basis) on the milk yield, composition and quality, and on the metabolic profile of dairy goats. Thirty-six Murciano-Granadina dairy goats in mid-lactation were divided into four groups with homogeneous characteristics. Each group was assigned a diet: a control treatment (C) that consisted of a conventional diet of alfalfa hay and concentrate, and three other treatments that included 25, 40 and 60% ABS: ABS25, ABS40 and ABS60. Small differences were observed in the milk yield and quality and the health status of the animals. Only ABS60 presented a slightly lower milk yield (−20% compared to control group), without relevant differences in the milk composition and mineral profile. Regarding the lipid profile, ABS40 was the treatment with the best milk quality, due to a higher content of polyunsaturated fatty acids (4.37%) and lower atherogenicity (1.90) and thrombogenicity indices (3.05), without differences from C. It was concluded that the maximum inclusion level of ABS in dairy goats' diet should be equal to 40%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In the Mediterranean region, artichoke and broccoli are major crops with a high number of by-products that can be used as alternative feedstuffs for ruminants, lowering feed costs and enhancing milk sustainability while reducing the environmental impact of dairy production. However, the nutritional quality of milk needs to be assured under these production conditions. A 40% inclusion of these silage by-products has proven to be a good short-term option (1 month). Therefore, it is interesting to study the effect of feeding animals with these by-products for a longer time, such as full lactation (6 months). With this type of feeding, the performance of the animals fed with the artichoke plant silage was similar to that of those fed with a conventional diet (alfalfa and cereals), even improving the milk quality from the point of view of bioactive compounds. However, the performance of goats fed with broccoli by-product silage in high amounts worsened due to a low intake of the diet containing that by-product. Therefore, it is desirable to reduce its level of inclusion. The aim of this experiment was to study the effects of a 40% inclusion of broccoli by-product (BB) and artichoke plant (AP) silages in dairy goat diets on the milk yield, composition and animal health status during a full lactation. Feed consumption was lower in AP and BB animals due to their composition and higher moisture content, and BB animals showed a significant reduction in body weight. Milk from the BB treatment had the highest fat content, total solids and useful dry matter content (5.02, 13.9 and 8.39%, respectively). The Se level was slightly lower in AP and BB animals; however, the milk of these treatments was the lowest in Na and, in the case of BB animals, the richest in Ca (1267 mg/kg). Control and AP milk showed a similar fatty acid profile, although AP had a more beneficial aptitude for human health (lower ratio of n6/n3, 12.5). Plasma components, as metabolic parameters, were adequate for goats. It was concluded that a 40% inclusion of AP is an adequate solution to reduce the cost of feeding without harming the animals' health or performance and to improve the nutritional milk quality. It is necessary to lower the BB level of inclusion to increase feed consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Mediterranean region, artichoke and broccoli are major crops with a high amount of by-products that can be used as alternative feedstuffs for ruminants, lowering feed costs and enhancing milk sustainability while reducing the environmental impact of dairy production. However, nutritional quality of milk needs to be assured under these production conditions and an optimal inclusion ratio of silages should be determined. This work aimed to evaluate the effect of three inclusion levels (25%, 40%, and 60%) of these silages (artichoke plant, AP, and broccoli by-product, BB) in goat diets on milk yield, composition, and mineral and fatty profiles. Treatments with 60% inclusion of AP and BB presented the lowest milk yield. No differences were found on the milk mineral profile. Inclusion of AP in the animals' diet improved the milk lipid profile from the point of view of human health (AI, TI) compared to BB due to a lower saturated fatty acid content (C12:0, C14:0, and C16:0) and a higher concentration of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), especially vaccenic acid (C18:1 trans11) and rumenic acid (CLA cis9, trans11), without any differences with the control treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this work is to study the effect of 40% inclusion of artichoke by-product silage (AB) in dairy goat diets on milk yield, composition and animal health status during a full lactation period compared to an isoenergetic and isoproteic mixed ration based on alfalfa hay and a cereal and legume mixture. Milk yield was not affected by the dietary treatments, and neither was body weight. AB treatment reduced whey protein (0.38 vs. 0.42%, p < 0.05) and milk urea concentrations (687 vs. 773 mg/L, respectively, p < 0.001), and did not affect total true protein (3.22 vs. 3.24% p > 0.05) or other macro-composition variables. AB treatment showed higher milk concentrations of Ca ( p < 0.05), Mn ( p < 0.01), Cu ( p < 0.01) and Zn ( p < 0.001) compared to the control group (C). Slight differences were observed in milk fatty acid profile without any negative effects ( p > 0.05) on the blood cholesterol and glucose of goats. The AB group reduced blood urea due to its high dietary total phenol content. However, it had a positive effect on β-hydroxybutyrate ( p < 0.05) and nonesterified fatty acids ( p > 0.05). It was concluded that 40% artichoke by-product inclusion in dairy goat feed for the whole lactation period (23 weeks) is a sustainable solution, reducing feeding cost by 12.5% per kg of dry matter, contributing to a better circular economy without any negative repercussions on the productivity and health of Murciano-Granadina dairy goats.

Recent short-term studies on Murciano-Granadina goats have established that the optimal parameters to set up the milking machines are different according to the milk pipes height. Two groups of 52 fresh goats each were employed in 2 different experiments to confirm during an entire lactation period the best combinations of system vacuum pulsation rate and pulsator ratio in low-line and mid-line milking parlours. The experiment performed in the low-line milking parlour included one group milked with 40 KPa vacuum system level, 90 puls/min pulsation rate and 60/40 pulsation and a second group milked with 38 KPa vacuum system level, 90 puls/min pulsation rate and 60/40 pulsation ratio. The experiment carried out in mid-line included one group milked with 40 KPa vacuum system level, 90 puls/min pulsation rate and 60/40 pulsation ratio and a second group milked with 40 KPa vacuum system level, 120 puls/min pulsation rate and 60/40 pulsation ratio. Variables studied included milking efficiency, milk composition, cortisol, SCC and intramammary infections, teat-end oedema after milking and vacuum dynamics during milking. Considering the results of an entire lactation period, it was confirmed that when milking in mid-line, the combination of 40 KPa system vacuum, 90 cycles/min pulsation rate and 60/40 pulsator ratio showed optimal results of the above-mentioned variables. On the other hand, the use of 40 KPa in a low-line system increased the milk cortisol values (0.34 ± 0.1 vs. 0.44 ± 0.1 ng/mL) without any other advantage. Thus, the recommendation is to use a combination of 38 KPa system vacuum, 90 cycles/min pulsation rate and 60/40 pulsator ratio to enhance animal welfare.

The aim of this experiment was to study the effects of a 40% inclusion of broccoli by-product (BB) and artichoke plant (AP) silages in dairy goat diets on the milk yield, composition and animal health status during a full lactation. Feed consumption was lower in AP and BB animals due to their composition and higher moisture content, and BB animals showed a significant reduction in body weight. Milk from the BB treatment had the highest fat content, total solids and useful dry matter content (5.02, 13.9 and 8.39%, respectively). The Se level was slightly lower in AP and BB animals; however, the milk of these treatments was the lowest in Na and, in the case of BB animals, the richest in Ca (1267 mg/kg). Control and AP milk showed a similar fatty acid profile, although AP had a more beneficial aptitude for human health (lower ratio of n6/n3, 12.5). Plasma components, as metabolic parameters, were adequate for goats. It was concluded that a 40% inclusion of AP is an adequate solution to reduce the cost of feeding without harming the animals' health or performance and to improve the nutritional milk quality. It is necessary to lower the BB level of inclusion to increase feed consumption.