Intake,digestibility, performance,and carcass traits of beef cattle of different gender

The performance, intake, feed efficiency, and carcass traits of beef cattle from different gender profile were assessed. Fifteen animals (five steers, five spayed heifers, and five intact heifers) with ±250 kg of initial body weight were randomly assigned in individual pens and fed the same diet for 106 days. At the end of the trial, all the animals were slaughtered and the pH, temperature, and weight of the carcass were recorded. The right side of each carcass was then separated into chuck, shoulder, flank sirloin, and round for evaluation of commercial cuts yield. The left carcass sides were ribbed between the 12th and 13th ribs where the rib eye area and fat thickness measurements were taken. The 9th–11th rib section was removed from the left half carcass and then dissected into muscle, fat, and bones in order to estimate carcass composition. Gender had no effect (P > 0.05) on performance, intake, digestibility of dry matter and all the nutrients evaluated, feed efficiency, and carcass characteristics. It can be concluded that steers and heifers (spayed or not) have the same potential to produce beef. From a productive and welfare standpoint, there is no reason to spay heifers.     

Genetic diversity of papaya (Carica papaya L.) F5 recombinant inbred lines using the Ward-MLM strategy

Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution - The development of segregating populations in papaya allows the development of new high fruit yield and excellent fruit quality pure line or hybrid cultivars....     

Validation of monoclonal antibody F99/97.6.1 for immunohistochemical staining of brain and tonsil in mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) with chronic wasting disease.

A new monoclonal antibody (MAb), F99/97.6.1, that has been used to demonstrate scrapie-associated prion protein PrP(Sc) in brain and lymphoid tissues of domestic sheep with scrapie was used in an immunohistochemistry assay for diagnosis of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus). The MAb F99/97.6.1 immunohistochemistry assay was evaluated in brain and tonsil tissue from 100 mule deer that had spongiform encephalopathy compatible with CWD and from 1,050 mule deer outside the CWD-endemic area. This MAb demonstrated abnormal protease-resistant prion protein (PrP(res)) in brains of all of the 100 mule deer and in 99 of the 100 tonsil samples. No immunostaining was seen in samples collected from deer outside the endemic area. MAb F99/97.6.1 demonstrated excellent properties for detection of PrP(res) in fresh, frozen, or mildly to moderately autolytic samples of brain and tonsil. This immunohistochemistry assay is a sensitive, specific, readily standardized diagnostic test for CWD in deer.     

A broad diversity survey of Rhizoctonia species from the Brazilian Amazon reveals the prevalence of R. solani AG-1 IA on signal grass and the new record of AG-1 IF on cowpea and soybeans

Leaf blight, sheath blight, and web blight are major diseases caused by Rhizoctonia species on both Fabaceae and Poaceae plant hosts in the Brazilian Amazon agroecosystem. To determine the diversity of Rhizoctonia species associated with foliar diseases on fabaceous (cowpea and soybean) and poaceous (rice and signal grass [Urochloa brizantha]) hosts, a broad survey was conducted in Pará, Rondônia, Roraima, and Mato Grosso, in the Amazon, from 2012 to 2013. We extended our survey to Cerrado areas of Mato Grosso, and the lowlands of Paraíba Valley, in São Paulo, where these Rhizoctonia foliar diseases have not been reported so far. Our findings revealed that these diseases are caused by a diversity of Rhizoctonia solani AG-1 complex. We detected that R. solani AG-1 IA (sexual phase Thanatephorus cucumeris) was the predominant pathogen associated with signal grass leaf blight and collar rot diseases in the Amazon, especially in Rondônia and northern Mato Grosso. In addition, a subgroup of R. solani (AG-1 IF), not previously reported in Brazil, was associated with leaf blight on cowpea and soybean, in Roraima. Another subgroup (AG-1 ID) was also detected in Roraima. In Mato Grosso Cerrados we did not find any of the major Rhizoctonia foliar pathogens. Instead, R. oryzae (Waitea circinata) was the predominant species associated with a collar rot on U. brizantha. In the lowlands of São Paulo, R. oryzae-sativae (Ceratobasidium oryzae-sativae) was the predominant pathogen detected causing the rice sheath spot disease.     

Evaluation of propofol containing 2% benzyl alcohol preservative in cats

Propofol emulsion containing benzyl alcohol preservative (BA) was evaluated in cats. Eight (PB) received 1% propofol containing 2% benzyl alcohol and eight (PC) preservative-free propofol. In phase 1, cats were anaesthetised (8 mg/kg) three times at 48 h intervals. In phase 2, cats underwent three anaesthetic procedures at 48 h intervals where anaesthesia was maintained until 24 mg/kg had been administered. Clinical examination and haematological and biochemical analyses were performed regularly. Cardiorespiratory function was monitored throughout anaesthesia. Neurological examination was performed daily for 7 days after phase 2. All cats were euthanased 7 days after phase 2 and examined post mortem to determine any organ toxicity and to comply with regulatory requirements. Anaesthesia was as expected for propofol in cats and no clinically relevant differences between PB and PC were detected. The addition of BA has no additional effect when propofol is used at normal-to-high clinical doses in healthy cats.     

Inclusion of weaning management group as a random effect in the genetic evaluation of postweaning traits in Nellore cattle

The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of including weaning management group (WMG) as an uncorrelated random effect in the genetic evaluation of postweaning traits. Data from 186,507 Nellore animals' sons to 1,734 sires and 75,016 cows were analyzed. Three single-trait models were studied. These models included the contemporary group (CG) as a fixed effect and age of animal at measurement and age of dam at calving as covariates, in addition to the direct additive breeding value as random effect. The CGs for postweaning traits varied between models which included or not WMG as part of the concatenation of fixed effects. In the model in which WMG was not part of the CG, the trait was included as an uncorrelated random effect. The results suggest that although no significant effects were observed on genetic parameter estimates or animal ranking, the inclusion of WMG as an uncorrelated random effect increased the number of observations per CG and contributed to maintaining animals in the analysis that would be discarded because they were in a CG with a small number of observations. This model could therefore be recommended for the genetic evaluation of this Nellore population.