The use of OCT in good visual acuity MOGAD and AQP4-NMOSD patients; with and without optic neuritis.

Myelin oligodendrocyte-antibody-associated disease (MOGAD) often presents with severe optic neuritis (ON) but tends to recover better than in aquaporin-4 antibody neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (AQP4-NMOSD). We measured OCT and VEP in MOGAD and AQP4-NMOSD eyes with good visual function, with or without previous ON episodes. Surprisingly, OCT and/or VEPs were abnormal in 84% MOGAD-ON versus 38% AQP4-NMOSD-ON eyes (p = 0.009) with good vision, compared with 18% and 17% respectively of eyes with no previous ON. A sub-group with macular OCT performed as part of a research study confirmed both retinal and macular defects in visually-recovered MOGAD eyes. These findings have implications for investigation and management of MOGAD patients.

Effect of feeding warm-season annuals with orchardgrass on ruminal fermentation and methane output in continuous culture.

A 4-unit, dual-flow continuous culture fermentor system was used to assess nutrient digestibility, volatile fatty acids (VFA) production, bacterial protein synthesis, and methane (CH4) output of warm-season annual grasses. Treatments were randomly assigned to fermentors in a 4 × 4 Latin square design using 7 d for adaptation to treatment and 3 d for sample collection. Treatments were (1) 100% orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.; ORD); (2) 50% orchardgrass + 50% Japanese millet [Echinochloa esculenta (A. Braun) H. Scholz; MIL]; (3) 50% orchardgrass + 50% brown midrib sorghum × sudangrass (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench × S. bicolor var. sudanense; SSG]; or (4) 50% orchardgrass + 25% millet + 25% sorghum × sudangrass (MIX). Fermentors were fed 60 g of dry matter (DM)/d in equal portions of herbage 4 times daily (0730, 1030, 1400, and 1900 h). To replicate a typical 12-h pasture rotation, fermentors were fed the orchardgrass at 0730 and 1030 h and the individual treatment herbage (orchardgrass, Japanese millet, sorghum × sudangrass, or 50:50 Japanese millet and sorghum × sudangrass) at 1400 and 1900 h. Gas samples for CH4 analysis were collected 6 times daily at 0725, 0900, 1000, 1355, 1530, and 1630 h. Fermentor pH was determined at the time of feeding, and fermentor effluent samples for NH3-N and VFA analyses were taken daily at 1030 h on d 8, 9, and 10. Samples were also analyzed for DM, organic matter (OM), crude protein, and fiber fractions to determine nutrient digestibilities. Bacterial efficiency was estimated by dividing bacterial N by truly digested OM. True DM and OM digestibilities and pH were not different among treatments. Apparent OM digestibility was greater in ORD than in MIL and SSG. The concentration of propionate was greater in ORD than in SSG and MIX, and that of butyrate was greatest in ORD and MIL. Methane output was greatest in MIL, intermediate in ORD, and lowest in SSG and MIX. Nitrogen intake did not differ across treatments, whereas bacterial N efficiency per kilogram of truly digestible OM was greatest in MIL, intermediate in SSG and MIX, and lowest in ORD. True crude protein digestibility was greater in ORD versus MIL, and ORD had lower total N, non-NH3-N, bacterial N, and dietary N in effluent flows than MIL. Overall, we detected little difference in true nutrient digestibility; however, SSG and MIX provided the lowest acetate to propionate ratio and lower CH4 output than MIL and ORD. Thus, improved warm-season annual pastures (i.e., brown midrib sorghum × sudangrass) could provide a reasonable alternative to orchardgrass pastures during the summer months when such perennial cool-season grass species have greatly reduced productivity.

Pasture intake and milk production of dairy cows rotationally grazing on multi-species swards.

Increasing plant species diversity has been proposed as a means for enhancing annual pasture productivity and decreasing seasonal variability of pasture production facing more frequent drought scenarios due to climate change. Few studies have examined how botanical complexity of sown swards affects cow performance. A 2-year experiment was conducted to determine how sward botanical complexity, from a monoculture of ryegrass to multi-species swards (MSS) (grasses-legumes-forb), affect pasture chemical composition and nutritive value, pasture dry matter (DM) intake, milk production and milk solids production of grazing dairy cows. Five sward species: perennial ryegrass (L as Lolium), white clover and red clover (both referred to as T as Trifolium because they were always sown together), chicory (C as Cichorium) and tall fescue (F as Festuca) were assigned to four grazing treatments by combining one (L), three (LT), four (LTC) or five (LTCF) species. Hereafter, the LT swards are called mixed swards as a single combination of ryegrass and clovers, whereas LTC and LTCF swards are called MSS as a combination of at least four species from three botanical families. The experimental area (8.7 ha) was divided into four block replicates with a mineral nitrogen fertilisation of 75 kg N/ha per year for each treatment. In total, 13 grazing rotations were carried out by applying the same grazing calendar and the same pasture allowance of 19 kg DM/cow per day above 4 cm for all treatments. Clover represented 20% of DM for mixed and MSS swards; chicory represented 30% of DM for MSS and tall fescue represented 10% of DM for LTCF swards. Higher milk production (+1.1 kg/day) and milk solids production (+0.08 kg/day) were observed for mixed swards than for ryegrass swards. Pasture nutritive value and pasture DM intake were unaffected by the inclusion of clover. Pasture DM, organic matter and NDF concentrations were lower for MSS than for mixed swards. Higher milk production (+0.8 kg/day), milk solids production (+0.04 kg/day) and pasture DM intake (+1.5 kg DM/day) were observed for MSS than for mixed swards. These positive effects of MSS were observed for all seasons, but particularly during summer where chicory proportion was the highest. In conclusion, advantages of grazing MSS on cow performance were due to the cumulative effect of improved pasture nutritive value and increased pasture DM intake that raised milk production and milk solids production.