Oro-ruminal sampling device and technique for rapid collection of rumen content and improved recovery of solid fractions for microbiome analysis.

Rumen fistulation is a widely used procedure that allows for collection of ruminal contents. However, fistulation is an invasive and costly procedure that generally limits the number of animals that can be recruited for experiments, thus encouraging the use of alternative techniques such as the intra-esophageal tube technique. One of the challenges of this technique is the limited ability to collect solid fractions from the rumen content pool, which may affect the microbial community structure in the sample, particularly affecting the recovery and characterization of solid adherent bacteria.

Daily fecal pH pattern and variation in lactating dairy cows.

Evidence supports a causal link between anomalous intestinal function and impaired performance in dairy cows. Consequently, digesta pH values obtained from colon, cecum, and rectum are increasingly used to monitor intestinal function in dairy cows. We conducted a study to describe the daily dynamics of fecal pH in lactating dairy cows.

Paralysis that easily reverses: a case of thyrotoxic periodic paralysis.

Thyrotoxic periodic paralysis is a potentially life-threatening condition associated with recurrent episodes of muscle weakness and hypokalaemia due to hyperthyroidism. Diagnosis is often delayed or misdiagnosed due to its rarity in the western world and subtle features of hyperthyroidism on initial presentation. Here we present the case of a 25-year-old man who presented to the emergency department (ED) with sudden onset weakness of bilateral upper and lower extremities.