<div>Background: External skeletal fixator (ESF) has been recommended as biological method to stabilize open fracture as it does not involves the wound site, besides protecting adjacent soft tissue structures. Considering the advantages of ESF, this study was envisaged with an objective to study the outcome of open fractures of radius-ulna and tibia-fibula stabilized with linear ESF in dogs. 
 
Methods: This study included 17 dogs suffering from open long bone fractures of radius-ulna and tibia-fibula, divided into three groups; linear ESF type I or II (group I, n=8) and type III (group II, n=3). In group III (n=6), open fractures were initially treated using conservative methods i.e management of open wound till complete healing followed by delayed internal fixation using intramedullary pin or bone plating. 
 
Result: Majority of the open fractures of radius-ulna and tibia-fibula were transverse (64.71%), involving distal third diaphysis (47.06%) in heavy weight (54.55%), 1-3 year old (64.71%), non-descript (35.29%), male (88.23%) dogs due to automobile accidents (58.82%). Neutrophilic (81.47&plusmn;4.45%) leukocytosis (24610&plusmn;2461.88 per cumm) and elevated levels of alkaline phosphatase and creatine kinase were observed. Staphylococcus spp. was the common isolated bacteria sensitive to Gentamicin, Cefotaxime, Tobramycin, Amikacin and Neomycin. High per cent fractures (83.33%) in group III had acceptable functional outcome as compared to fractures treated with linear ESF (55.55%) in groups I and II. Osteomyelitis due to pin tract infections was the major complication (8/11; 72.7%) recorded in ESF groups (Group I and II) that lead to delayed and/or nonunion. Weight bearing score improved markedly after removal of the ESF frame. In conclusions, immediate fixation of the long bone fracture using linear ESF in the presence of open contaminated / infected wounds leads to unacceptable outcome. Poor animal compliance, pin tract discharge, osteomyelitis, delayed union and nonunion are major complications associated with linear ESF. Conservative management of the open fracture wound using standard treatment for 2-3 weeks till complete wound healing followed by internal fixation with intramedullary pin or bone plate is recommended for open long bone fractures in dogs.</div>

<div>Outcome of Open Long Bone Fractures in Dogs Stabilized with Linear External Skeletal Fixator</div>

<div>Background: The Study was intended to evaluate some common diagnostics that could supplement the clinical and histological identification of orf in goats. 
 
Methods: Samples from suspected clinical cases of orf (Contagious ecthyma) were collected from various organized and unorganized goat herds around Guwahati, Assam. Presumptive diagnosis was based on the typical signs and lesions. For confirmatory diagnosis, various molecular and immunoassays were employed for the detection of orf virus or circulating antibodies. 
 
Result: Cutaneous lesions observed included solitary to multifocal erythema, papules, vesicles, pustules and scab stages on the lips, ears, gums, tongue, udder and perineal region. No mortality was observed and the morbidity rate varied between 35-60%. Microscopic lesions in skin biopsies were typically marked by epidermal hyperplasia and ballooning degeneration of the keratinocytes along with other changes. Eosinophilic intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies were demonstrable within keratinocytes only in early papulo-vesicular stages. Dermis was infiltrated with polymorphonuclear and mononuclear cells in varying proportions. Initial screening of samples was done with PCR systems to specifically detect parapoxvirus DNA employing a semi-nested PCR targeted against the partial B2L gene (with reported primers yielding 594 bp and 235 bp amplified products) and an uniplex PCR targeting the whole B2L gene (with reported primer set to yield an amplified product of 1206 bp). Agar gel immuno-diffusion (AGID) failed to develop positive immunoprecipitation with hyperimmune serum against scab lysates; however, counter-immuno-electrophoresis (CIE) showed positive immunoprecipitation in the same samples. For rapid and in situ detection of ORFV antigen in tissues, immunofluorescent and immunoperoxidase techniques were successfully employed both on cryosections and formalin fixed skin biopsies. Immunofluorescent technique on cryosections was found to be easy, rapid and more specific. A dot-ELISA was also developed for successful confirmation of orf virus from clinical samples. For antibody detection in convalescing goats, an indirect-ELISA and a dot-ELISA was also successfully tested to demonstrate for antibody detection in convalescing goats, but protective titres later after infection was not addressed. Monoclonal antibody employed in the assays was found to be specific, sensitive and versatile for virus detection from direct clinical samples. It is contemplated that assays employing hyperimmune sera or detection of circulating antibody against orf virus may have limited diagnostic applications owing to its partial and transient humoral immunity and the inherent property of the virus to modulate and interfere with the host response and evade immune mechanisms.</div>

Natural Infection of Goats with Orf (Contagious ecthyma) and Its Diagnosis&nbsp;

<div style="text-align:justify">Goat constitutes almost 42.1 % of the total livestock population of the A &amp; N islands. Generally the livestock are free from many dreaded diseases which are prevalent in mainland, India. &nbsp;However, in the present study the outbreak of contagious ecthyma (Orf) in goats of Andaman and Nicobar Islands was investigated and confirmed by PCR assay. The outbreak of orf was reported from different villages of the South Andaman.&nbsp;A total of 171 clinical cases of contagious ecthyma were reported during the different outbreak reported during the year 2017. The scab samples from the affected goats were collected and processed for extraction of viral DNA. Nested PCR assay was done by using the forward and reverse primers of parapox virus. The results revealed the confirmation of the outbreak of Contagious ecthyma (orf) virus in the goats of Andaman &amp; Nicobar Islands for the first time.&nbsp;</div>

<div style="text-align:justify">First report of contagious ecthyma (orf) outbreak in goats of Andaman and Nicobar Islands</div>

One of the processes to increase the shelf life of the food products is drying and dehydration. Vegetables may be dried by different methods like solar drying, open sun drying and other mechanical methods so that they can be available during the lean season. In this study, mint was subjected to drying after giving two different treatments and their respective physical and chemical parameters were evaluated. An increase in chlorophyll content, flavonoid content and Vitamin A content was observed in all of the dried samples as they become concentrated source of nutrients. However, a decrease in polyphenol content and Vitamin C content in all of the samples was found. Drying rate of solar dryer was higher than hot air dryer and open sun drying. The aroma of dried mint was maintained in solar dried samples but was lost in hot air dryer and open sun drying.

Comparative studies on dehydration of mint (Mentha arvensis) by open sun drying, solar drying and hot air cabinet drying

<div style="text-align: justify;">The present investigation was organized during the rabi season of 2013-14 at GBPUA&amp;T, Pantnagar to evaluate the effect of poplar based agroforestry system and open system (without poplar) on yield and yield attributing characters of different wheat varieties and soil properties. The experiment was laid out in RBD having three replications with 4 treatments under both the growing conditions. Wheat varieties viz UP-2572, PBW-550, DBW-711 and PBW-373 were taken as four different treatments. Open farming system achieved highest grain yield of all the wheat varieties. Highest grain yield of wheat was attained with UP-2572 under open farming system. The maximum per cent reduction in grain yield of wheat under one year poplar plantation was observed with PBW 373 and minimum with PBW 550. Agroforestry is proven land use system for vertically enhancing soil health against unsuitable weather condition. The distribution of soil properties was detected from the depth 0-15 cm in poplar based agroforestry system and as well as in open system. During the experiment it was found that agroforestry added more nutrients to the soil compared to open system.&nbsp;</div>

Assessment of soil quality and wheat yield under open and poplar based farming system in Tarai region of Uttarakhand

Background: Contagious ecthyma is a viral pustular dermatitis in small ruminants. The disease is of zoonotic importance. Contagious ecthyma usually resolves spontaneously and has low mortality. The Orf virus causes contagious ecthyma, a member of the genus Parapoxvirus in the subfamily Chordopoxvirinae and family Poxviridae. 
 
Methods: The investigated goat farm experienced an outbreak of pustular dermatitis, especially in young goats. Scabs/tissue samples from lip commissures and over the lips of individual goats were collected in sterile eppendorf tubes, separately and stored in a frozen condition. Nucleic acid was extracted from these scabs with commercially available nucleic acid extraction kit. The extracted total deoxyribose nucleic acid was used in the Orf-specific B2L gene amplification in a molecular diagnosis method, polymerase chain reaction. The phylogenetic tree was constructed by using MEGA11 software tool. 
 
Result: Young goats showing clinical signs and overt scabby lesions on the lips were used to collect scabs/tissue samples in sterile containers. Total deoxyribose nucleic acid was used in the polymerase chain reaction to amplify 594 bp product specific to the B2L gene (envelope gene) of Orf virus confirming the outbreak of Contagious ecthyma. The amplified product was confirmed by the sequencing method. Phylogenetic analysis was made using bioinformatic tools. The Orf viral strain in the first such study in this area showed similarity to that of the strain from Hisar at a national level and to that of China at the international level. 
&nbsp;

Molecular Diagnosis and Phylogenetic Analysis of the Orf Virus from An Outbreak of Contagious Ecthyma at Rewa in Madhya Pradesh

<div>Background: Injury or inflammation to the animal body resulted in the initiation of the acute-phase response (APR). Many plasma proteins increase in concentration in response to inflammatory stimuli, but C- reactive protein is considered as the most suitable markers due to their rapid and substantial increase in concentration and short half-lives. The CRP response varied according to the degree of surgical trauma on 3-standardized levels indicating CRP as an inflammatory activity indicator and monitoring markers. The aim of this study was to assess CRP concentrations in female dogs undergoing laparoscopic and open elective ovariectomy.&nbsp; 
 
Methods: The studies were conducted on twenty clinically healthy, adult, female dogs under elective spaying. Twenty healthy bitches were randomly assigned into four groups (A, B, C and D) consisting of five animals in each group. The studies were conducted in two phases (I and II). In phase I ovariectomy had been performed in animals of groups A and B with laparoscopy whereas, in phase II ovariectomy in animals of groups C and D were done by open laparotomy. &nbsp; 
 
Result: The pre-treatment CRP values did not show any significant change whereas post treatment values of group B were significantly lower as compared to groups D and C.&nbsp;On day 4th, group D values were significantly higher than groups C, B and A. Group C values were also significantly higher than group B. The highest value in group D might be due to more surgical manipulations and post-operative infection at surgical site in the animals under this group.&nbsp;</div>

<div>C-reactive Protein as a Quantitative Biomarker in Female Dogs Undergoing Laparoscopic and Open Elective Ovariectomy</div>

<div>In India, mixed farming and cattle raising is an essential elements of rural life and these practices are connected with the social structure in cultural, religious and economic ways. India&rsquo;s production of fodder is very unevenly distributed and how this resource is used depends on the breed of cattle raised, the climate, the socioeconomic context and the crop-growing patterns. Fodder from cultivated regions is regularly fed to cattle and buffalo, with some harvested grasses and top feeds added as supplements. On the other hand within the land area of just 2.3 per cent, India is home to 16.8 per cent of the world&rsquo;s population and nearly 20 per cent of the world&rsquo;s cattle. India homes cattle (16%), buffalo (55%), goats (20%) and sheep (5%) of worlds total livestock population respectively. This fact makes it more cumbersome to meet the forage demand by livestock, thus shift in paradigm and opportunity in near future is about to hike for fodder crops with their potentiality in production per unit area. The present Indian scenario of fodder crops in comparison with the livestock population is being described in this article along with the net deficit and surplus availability of green and dry fodder. Further, this review also includes the opening of a new way for oats to contribute to fodder production.&nbsp; The challenges facing India for fodder production and its near opportunity to open up and evolve with various methodologies to tackle the present fodder demand by enhancing the production is described in detail in an article.</div>

Forage Production in India: Bottlenecks and Opportunities by Opening up New Way with an Increase in Fodder Oats Demand: A Review

<div>Background: Application of plant bioregulators at specific concentration modify growth, flowering, flower yield and post harvest quality of flowers. Growth promoters like auxin, gibberellins and cytokinin modify physiological process by accelerating plant growth while growth retardant like cycocel and abscisic acid inhibit plant growth. But in open field cultivation of gerbera, little is known about use of growth regulators on flowering regulation. A good knowledge on use of growth regulators in gerbera is required before going to any recommendations. The current study aimed to standardize suitable bioregulators on flower production in gerbera in open field condition. 
 
Methods: The study was carried out in premises of Biotechnology cum Tissue Culture Centre, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar during 2015-16 and 2016-17. Apart from control eight treatments of growth regulators were used like GA3 @ 100 ppm and 150 ppm, cycocel @ 700 ppm and 800 ppm with or without amino acids as foliar spray. The observation were recorded from 5 randomly selected plant within each replication of treatment for different floral parameters. 
 
Result: The result revealed that days taken to flower bud initiation and days taken to flowering was minimum in GA3 @ 100 ppm + amino acid. The stalk length of flower was maximum in treatment GA3 @ 150 ppm + amino acid while largest flower diameter, maximum number of flowers and longest bloom life was observed in treatment with cycocel @ 700 ppm + amino acid. Maximum stalk thickness was found in treatment with cycocel @ 800 ppm + amino acid. The present work will be a complementary contribution to the researchers and gerbera growers in increasing productivity of this flower crops.</div>

Efficacy of Growth Regulators on Flowering of Gerbera (Gerbera jamesonii B.) cv. Goliath in Open Field Condition

Background: Orf virus (ORFV) is a zoonotic pathogen that infects sheep and goats, causing significant economic losses. The infection results in proliferative and self-limiting crustal lesions, commonly seen on the skin of the lips and around the nostrils of sheep and goats and occasionally on their feet and teats. ORFV infection is prevalent worldwide and endemic in regions where sheep and goats are raised. Vaccines are widely used to protect against ORFV-induced ecthyma in these animals. However, the disease has become increasingly prevalent throughout the year in small ruminants, necessitating the development of new approaches to treat it.&nbsp; 
 
Methods: Crust samples were taken from ORFV lesions in the mouth (lips, gingiva) of 29 sheep and 29 goats aged two years or older from various barns in Burdur-Center and its districts. Conventional polymerase chain reaction was used to investigate the presence of the ORFV genome in the samples, using seven different types of primers (GIF/IL-2, PPP1-PPP4, Orf1-Orf2, VIR1-VIR2, vIL-10-3, vIL-10-4, B2L and Alpha tubulin). Additionally, samples from oral mucosa lesions were examined using histopathological and immunohistochemical methods. As an alternative treatment approach, PAPILENDTM,&reg;cream was applied and Ivermectin was administered subcutaneously twice every 15 days, along with 10 grams of AlquermoldTM premix powder daily for 10 days to all animals with a detected ORFV viral genome. 
 
Result: The presence of viral genomes was determined in 10 (34.48%) of 29 sheep and 14 (48.28%) of 29 goats using 7 different types of primers, which have been detected intensively in our region before. In sheep the GIF/IL-2, PPP1-PPP4 and B2L primers detected viral genome (10/29 positive) while in goats Orf1-Orf2 and B2L primers (14/29 positive). Histopathological examination showed epidermal hyperplasia, hyperkeratosis, parakeratosis and crust formations at the epidermal layer. Both epithelial and dermal cells expressed orf virus antigen throughout the immunohistochemical investigation. The alternative treatment of PAPILENDTM,&reg;cream + Ivermectin + AlquermoldTM premix powder triple combination applied to sheep and goats with ORFV genome determined was successful in treating oral lesions caused by ORFV. PCR tests provide rapid and reliable results in the diagnosis of ORFV. The use of triple combined alternative treatments, in addition to ORFV preventive vaccinations in sheep and goats, was found to be successful in treating ORFV infections. The animals showed recovery or regression within a range of 5 to 21 days.

Molecular Diagnosis and Application of Combined Alternative Treatment in Lesions Developing in the Oral Region due to Orf Virus in Sheep and Goats