Sarcocystosis in a Stillborn Lamb

Confirmed congenital sarcocystosis has been reported extremely rarely in domestic ruminants. Sarcocystosis was diagnosed in a stillborn lamb with microscopic lesions predominantly in the central nervous system and placenta. Encephalitis was characterized by multiple foci of glial nodules some with central necrosis, perivascular cuffing and vascular occlusion, while placental lesions consisted of multifocal necroses, inflammation and mild calcification. Immature and mature schizonts were found in vascular endothelium of several organs. It is suggested that the protozoa were Sarcocystis tenella based on their morphology, location and as this is the most pathogenic Sarcocystis sp. parasitizing sheep.     

Calm Temperament Improves Reproductive Performance of Beef Cows

Profitability of a beef operation is determined by the proportion of cows attaining pregnancy early in the breeding season and those that are pregnant at the end of breeding season. Many factors, including temperament, contribute to those reproductive parameters. The objective of this study was to evaluate effects of temperament on reproductive performance of beef cows. In Experiment 1, Angus and Angus‐cross beef cows (n = 1546) from eight locations were assigned a body condition score (BCS; 1 = emaciated; 9 = obese) and chute exit and gait score (1 = slow exit, walk; calm temperament; 2 = jump, trot or run; excitable temperament). Cows were grouped with bulls (1 : 25 to 1 : 30; with satisfactory breeding potential and free of venereal disease) for an 85‐day breeding season. Pregnancy status and stage of gestation were determined (transrectal palpation) 35 days after the end of the breeding season. Controlling for BCS (p < 0.01) and handling facility (p < 0.0001) and handling facility by temperament score interaction (p < 0.001), breeding season pregnancy rate was lower in excited versus calm cows [88.6% (798/901) vs 94.1% (607/645); p < 0.001]. Cows with an excitable temperament took 24 more days to become pregnant compared to calm cows (median days to pregnancy, 35 vs 59 days; p < 0.0001). In Experiment 2, Angus and Angus‐cross beef cows (n = 1407) from 8 locations were assigned scores for body condition and chute exit and gait (as described in Experiment 1) and assigned to bulls (breeding sound and free of venereal disease; 1 : 25 to 1 : 30) for 85 days. Pregnancy status was determined by transrectal palpation at 2 and 6 months after the onset of the breeding season. Controlling for BCS (p < 0.05), pregnancy loss was higher in excited versus calm cows [5.5% (36/651) vs 3.2% (20/623), p < 0.0001]. In conclusion, beef cows with an excitable temperament had significantly lower reproductive performance than calmer cows. The modified two‐point chute exit–gait scoring method was repeatable and identified cattle with an excitable temperament.     

Genome‐wide association study for feedlot average daily gain in Nellore cattle (Bos indicus)

The genome‐wide association study (GWAS) results are presented for average daily gain (ADG) in Nellore cattle. Phenotype of 720 male Bos indicus animals with information of ADG in feedlots and 354 147 single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) obtained from a database added by information from Illumina Bovine HD (777 962 SNPs) and Illumina BovineSNP50 (54 609) by imputation were used. After quality control and imputation, 290 620 SNPs remained in the association analysis, using R package Genome‐wide Rapid Association using Mixed Model and Regression method GRAMMAR‐Gamma. A genomic region with six significant SNPs, at Bonferroni‐corrected significance, was found on chromosome 3. The most significant SNP (rs42518459, BTA3: 85849977, p = 9.49 × 10^?8) explained 5.62% of the phenotypic variance and had the allele substitution effect of ?0.269 kg/day. Important genes such as PDE4B, LEPR, CYP2J2 and FGGY are located near this region, which is overlapped by 12 quantitative trait locus (QTLs) described for several production traits. Other regions with markers with suggestive effects were identified in BTA6 and BTA10. This study showed regions with major effects on ADG in Bos indicus in feedlots. This information may be useful to increase the efficiency of selecting this trait and to understand the physiological processes involved in its regulation.     

Soil organic matter composition in three humus profiles of the western Taurus,Turkey, as revealed by wet chemistry and CP/MAS 13C NMR spectroscopy

In this study three soil profiles located in the Western Taurus (Turkey) at different altitudes (10, 1900, and 3080 m a.s.l.) were compared with respect to their soil organic matter characteristics. The soil samples were fractionated by density to plant residues, slightly altered plant material, organo-mineral complexes, and organic-free minerals. Bulk samples and fractions were analyzed for C and N, the bulk samples additionally for total sugars, lignin signature, and bulk soil organic matter composition by CP/MAS ¹³C NMR spectroscopy. The first step of litter decomposition and humification is a very strong degradation of polysaccharides without the loss of O-alkyl structures. This process is slowing down very fast and the polysaccharides are stabilized. Lignin is decomposed as fast or even faster than polysaccharides. The data obtained by wet-chemical analysis and by NMR spectroscopy are not or only weakly correlated to each other. This leads to the conclusion that the two types of methods give complementary rather than equivalent information. For the study of soil organic matter it is important to combine different methods and to draw the advantages of either type.     

Nanoscale Magnetic Domains in Mesoscopic Magnets

The basic magnetic properties of three-dimensional nanostructured materials can be drastically different from those of a continuous film. High-resolution magnetic force microscopy studies of magnetic submicrometer-sized cobalt dots with geometrical dimensions comparable to the width of magnetic domains reveal a variety of intricate domain patterns controlled by the details of the dot geometry. By changing the thickness of the dots, the width of the geometrically constrained magnetic domains can be tuned. Concentric rings and spirals with vortex configurations have been stabilized, with particular incidence in the magnetization reversal process as observed in the ensemble-averaged hysteresis loops.