Ultrasonographic Characterization of Follicle Deviation in Follicular Waves with Single Dominant and Codominant Follicles in Dromedary Camels (Camelus dromedarius)

Follicular wave emergence was synchronized by treating camels with GnRH when a dominant follicle (DF) was present in the ovaries. Animals were scanned twice a day from day 0 (day of GnRH treatment) to day 10, to characterize emergence and deviation of follicles during the development of the follicular wave. Follicle deviation in individual animals was determined by graphical method. Single DFs were found in 16, double DFs in 9 and triple DFs in two camels. The incidence of codominant (double and triple DFs) follicles was 41%. The interval from GnRH treatment to wave emergence, wave emergence to deviation, diameter and growth rate of F1 follicle before or after deviation did not differ between the animals with single and double DFs. The size difference between future DF(s) and the largest subordinate follicle (SF) was apparent from the day of wave emergence in single and double DFs. Overall, interval from GnRH treatment to wave emergence and wave emergence to the beginning of follicle deviation was 70.6 ± 1.4 and 58.6 ± 2.7 h, respectively. Mean size of the DF and largest SF at the beginning of deviation was 7.4 ± 0.2 and 6.3 ± 0.1 mm, respectively. In conclusion, the characteristics of follicle deviation are similar between the animals that developed single or double DFs.     

Effect of body condition score and reuse of progesterone‐releasing intravaginal devices on conception rate following timed artificial insemination in Nelore cows

This study had the aim of investigating the efficiency of timed artificial insemination (TAI) through the progesterone‐releasing intravaginal device (PRID), used in new condition and for the second and third times in Nelore cows. The effects of device reuse and body condition score (BCS) on the conception rate (CR) were evaluated in 1,122 multiparous Nelore cows (mean BCS of 2.7 ± 0.4), which were randomly distributed into three groups that received new (n = 330), once (n = 439) and twice used (n = 353) PRID. Among the 1,122 females that underwent TAI, 573 became pregnant, thus representing an overall CR of 51.06%. Cows with BCS between 2.75 and 4.0 had greater (p < .0001) CR (69.75%) than cows with BSC of 2.0–2.5 (32.98%). It was observed that the CR through using PRID was 60.00%, 51.71% and 41.93% for new, once and twice used PRID, respectively, with difference between all groups (p < .0001). Under tropical conditions, animals with BCS greater than 2.5 had a higher CR, and the CR decreased proportionally with the number of times that the PRID had been used.     

Advances in biosecurity to 2010 and beyond: Towards integrated detection,analysis and response to exotic pest invasions

In order to limit the number and impact of exotic pest invasions, leading-edge technologies must be embraced and embedded within integrated national and international biosecurity systems. Outlined here are recent advances in the detection of exotic pests, and prospects for the early recognition of disease. Applications of new tools are described, using our understanding of the genomes of pathogens and vectors. In addition, the role of mathematical and simulation models to aid both biosecurity planning, and decision making in the face of an epidemic, are discussed, and recent attempts to unify epidemiology and evolutionary dynamics are outlined. Given the importance of emerging diseases and zoonoses, the need to align human and veterinary surveillance within fully integrated systems is underlined.     

Consumer interest in social sustainability issues of whitefish from capture fisheries in the north‐east Atlantic

Capture fisheries in the north‐east Atlantic account for approximately 10% of all fish consumed from capture fisheries globally. The literature shows that consumers show considerable interest in social sustainability of products in general and of fish specifically. This interest, however, has not yet been investigated for fish from the north‐east Atlantic. The first objective of this study, therefore, was to investigate whether consumers are interested in social sustainability issues of whitefish from the north‐east Atlantic by determining preferences for four social sustainability issues with distinct benefits in relation to a known reference point (i.e. approach to overfishing). The second objective of this study was to determine to what degree case‐specific and general psychographic consumer characteristics explain preferences for these issues. Choice modelling results from an online survey among 457 Dutch consumers show that consumers have the strongest preference for the environmental sustainability issue approach to overfishing. In addition, results on the social sustainability issues showed that consumers prefer fish welfare over product quality, worker safety and local employment, indicating that in this case, consumers place animal benefits over personal, worker and community benefits. The case‐specific psychographic characteristic concern contributed most to explaining preferences for the environmental sustainability issue, whereas the general psychographic characteristic personal relevance contributed most to explaining preferences for the social sustainability issues. This result is likely explained by the principal focus on MSC certification in markets for fish products, which caused consumers to form opinions (e.g. concern) on overfishing, but not on social sustainability.     

Cellular Composition and Viability of Cloned Bovine Embryos Using Exogene-Transfected Somatic Cells

The present study compared the efficiency of transgenic (TG) cloned embryo production by somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) with fetal-derived fibroblast cells (FFCs) which were transfected with pEGFP-N1 to in vitro-fertilized (IVF), parthenogenetic and SCNT counterparts by evaluating the rates of cleavage and blastocyst formation, apoptosis rate at different developmental stages, cell number, ploidy and gene expression in blastocysts. In SCNT and TG embryos, the rates of cleavage and blastocyst formation were significantly lower (p < 0.05) than those of IVF controls, but it did not differ between SCNT and TG embryos. In IVF control, 86.7% embryos displayed diploid chromosomal complements and the rates were significantly (p < 0.05) higher than those of SCNT and TG embryos. Most TG embryos (79%) with FFCs expressed the gene by both PCR and under fluorescence microscopy. The expression of apoptosis by TUNEL was first detected at six to eight cell stages in all embryos of IVF, SCNT and TG groups, but the expression rate at each developmental stages was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in SCNT and TG embryos than in IVF counterparts. The expression rate in inner cell mass (ICM) of TG embryos was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than in SCNT and IVF embryos. These results indicate that the high occurrence of apoptosis observed in SCNT and TG embryos compared with IVF counterparts might influence the developmental competence. Moreover, the SCNT embryos derived using non-transfected donor cells exhibited a lower apoptosis expression in ICM cells than in TG embryos derived using pEGP-N1-transfected donor cells suggesting a possible role of negative gene effect in TG embryos.     

Effect of Taurine and Melatonin in the Culture Medium on Buffalo In Vitro Embryo Development

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of supplementing culture medium with different concentrations of taurine and melatonin, on buffalo oocyte in vitro meiotic maturation and embryo development. In experiment 1, oocytes were matured in vitro and the cleaved embryos were cultured in the same following seven culture medium; (i) control (TCM 199 + 10% SS); (ii) control + 0.5 m m taurine; (iii) control + 1 m m taurine; (iv) control + 3 m m taurine; (v) control + 5 μ m melatonin; (vi) control + 10 μ m melatonin and (vii) control + 50 μ m melatonin. In experiment 2, based on the results of experiment 1, to examine the synergistic effect of antioxidants, the oocytes were matured in culture medium (TCM199 + 10% SS), supplemented with both taurine at 1 m m and melatonin at 10 μ m concentration and the cleaved embryos were cultured in the same medium. Supplementation of taurine at 1 m m concentration in the culture medium resulted in a higher (p < 0.05) transferable embryo (TE) yield when compared with control (20.6% vs 14.1%). Supplementation of melatonin at 10 and 50 μ m concentration in the culture medium resulted in a higher (p < 0.05) meiotic maturation rate (90.3% and 88.8% respectively) and TE yield (28.4% and 27.2% respectively), than the other treatments. In experiment 2, the TE yield did not improve by supplementing the culture medium with both taurine and melatonin, when compared with melatonin alone. In conclusion, the results of this study demonstrated that, enriching the culture medium with taurine and melatonin, improves in vitro embryo production efficiency in buffaloes. In particular, a high TE yield was obtained by enriching the culture medium with 10 μ m melatonin.     

Reduced Immunolabelling of a Porcine Oocyte Membrane Protein Reflects Reduced Fertilizability of Porcine Oocytes Following Elevated Ambient Temperature

Decreased fertility in pigs is a common occurrence during summer months. An objective of the current experiments was to evaluate if elevated ambient temperature altered the oocyte plasma membrane including potential receptors for sperm. This would potentially contribute to reduced fertilizability. Treated gilts were exposed in vivo to 32°C for 12 h per day and 20°C for the remaining 12 h per day for 7 days; control gilts were exposed to 22°C for 12 h and 20°C for the remaining 12 h each day. Cumulus–oocyte complexes were also aspirated from ovaries obtained from gilts maintained at thermoneutral ambient temperature and matured in vitro at 38.5°C or 40°C. Relative abundance of a porcine oocyte membrane protein was examined by intensity of immunolabelling of the in vivo and in vitro matured oocytes evaluated with confocal microscopy; fertilizability of the in vitro matured oocytes was evaluated in in vitro fertilization assays. Oocytes obtained from gilts exposed to elevated ambient temperature for 7 days had reduced immunolabelling compared with oocytes from control gilts (p < 0.05). Similarly, oocytes matured in vitro for 44 h at elevated ambient temperature had reduced immunolabelling and reduced fertilizability compared with oocytes matured at 38.5°C (p < 0.01 and p < 0.05). These results suggest porcine oocyte quality is reduced by elevated ambient temperature and immunolabelling of oocytes with antibodies to specific membrane proteins may be effective to evaluate some aspects of oocyte quality.