Predicting early pregnancy in Egyptian buffalo cows via measuring uterine and luteal blood flows,and serum and saliva progesterone

Various methods are being employed to detect early pregnancy in domestic animals. This study aimed to predict early pregnancy in buffaloes via measuring the corpus luteum (CL) diameter, the luteal blood flow (LBF) area, the uterine blood flow (UBF) vascularization area, and progesterones in saliva and serum for non-pregnant (NPBs, N = 12) and pregnant (PBs, N = 12) buffaloes. The results revealed that the CL diameter and the luteal color blood flow blue and red (P = 0.0001) areas of the pregnant animals kept increasing from day 1 to day 35 of the gestation period, but it decreased in NPBs on day 21 after reaching a peak from ovulation to day 18. Interestingly, the UBF of the pregnant buffaloes (PBs) kept increasing (P = 0.0001) from ovulation to day 42. The difference of the CL diameter (P = 0.03) and the LBF color blue vascularization area (P = 0.002) between PBs and NPBs became clear from day 14 after ovulation, though the difference of UBF between PBs and NPBs became markedly obvious from day 7 after breeding. Both saliva (P = 0.001) and serum (P = 0.0001) progesterones of PBs continued increasing (P = 0.0001) from day 14 to day 35, but those of NPBs started decreasing (P = 0.0001) from day 14 and reached low values on day 21. Therefore, measuring saliva progesterone in addition to the high LBF (day 14) and UBF (day 7) of the pregnant buffaloes using a Doppler ultrasound could be applicable as noninvasive methods to detect early pregnancy and to improve reproductive management of buffaloes.     

First account of a transient intersex in spotted scat,Scatophagus argus: a marine gonochoristic fish

Fish Physiology and Biochemistry - This study presents the first incidence of intersex associated with testis-ova in spotted scat (Scatophagus argus) reared in a controlled environment. The...     

Prenatal Metanephrogenesis of The Camel: Morphological Evidence of Epithelial–Mesenchymal Interaction

The present investigation examined histogenesis of epithelial, stromal and angiogenic elements of the prenatal camel permanent or metanephric kidney. The primitive metanephros was first observed at the 13‐mm crown vertebral rump length (CVRL) stage as an ovoid structure composed of a centrally located epithelial ureteric bud and peripheral circumscribed masses of undifferentiated mesenchymal cells. The first morphological evidence of glomerulogenesis was observed at the 28‐mm CVRL stage. Developing renal corpuscles became obvious at the 35‐mm CVRL stage. At the 60‐mm CVRL stage, the epithelial renal pelvis gave rise to tubular branches that extended towards the cortical zone. These branches represented the presumptive collecting ducts. Differentiation of renal tubules into the proximal and distal convoluted tubules was observed at the 95‐mm CVRL stage. At the 130‐mm CVRL stage, the renal medulla was clearly delineated into medullary pyramids, which in association with the corresponding cortical caps formed the morphological basis of the renal lobar formation. A gradual nephrogenic decline was noticed from the 940‐mm CVRL on; however, the process of nephrogenesis persisted throughout all the studied foetal stages.     

The effect of postexsanguination infusion of beef on composition, tenderness, and functional properties.

Ninety culled dairy cows were used in this study and were paired by weight and conformation similarity. Forty-five cows were arterially infused immediately after bleeding with 10% volume by weight of a solution composed of dextrose (.23%), glycerin (.21%), a phosphate blend (.14%) and maltose (.1%). The remaining cows (45) served as controls. In infused carcasses, some quantity of solution retained was in the following order: supraspinatus, chuck greater than longissimus, loin greater than semitendinosus, round muscles. Accordingly, percentage of protein, ether-extractable fat, and protein fat-free amounts were lowered (P less than .05) and percentage of moisture and moisture protein ratio were raised (P less than .05) in the supraspinatus muscle. Tenderness (P less than .01) and protein extractability (P less than .15) were improved. No difference was observed in water-holding capacity between infused and control carcasses. Percentages of moisture fat-free (r = .85) and protein fat-free (r = -.97) were highly correlated to moisture-protein ratio. Moisture percentage of the fat-free tissue was shown to be a more consistent indicator of added moisture in infused whole carcasses compared with moisture:protein ratio and percentage of protein fat-free. Very low correlations were observed between tenderness, percentage of moisture, percentage of water-holding capacity, and ether-extractable fat. The economics of the infusion process to the beef industry is discussed.     

Study of liquids absorption and retention capacities of new cellulosic materials and sodium cellulose carboxylmethylate prepared from Posidonia

The Posidonia is a sea plant which is abundant on the Tunisian coasts. Important quantities of Posidonia oceanica fragments are accumulated every year on the beaches which must be cleaned every summer. This plant contains an important ratio of cellulosic materials. On other hand, local sanitary articles industry use important quantities of absorbing materials. The aim of this work is to take advantage of this available biomass by using it as a raw material for the preparation of some of these absorbing materials. In this aim three cellulose qualities of various purities are prepared starting from Posidonia wastes and from these three cellulosic materials six qualities of sodium carboxymethylcellulose (CMCNa) are synthesised, these qualities differ by there substitution degree. The performances of all these materials are evaluated in term of absorption and retention capacities. With this end in view, three kinds of liquids are used: the deionized water, the synthetic urine and the salt solution. Then the evaluated performances are compared with those of some commercial absorbent materials used in local industries (industrial cellulosic pulp and superabsorbant). This comparison shows that the different prepared CMCNa have a retention capacity largely higher than those of the commercial cellulosic pulp. The difference can reaches 405 %. The evaluated absorption capacities of all the prepared CMCNa are generally similar to those of the commercial cellulosic pulp. However the tested superabsorbant presents, in all cases, the best performances in term of liquid absorption and retention.     

A scenario tree model for the Canadian Notifiable Avian Influenza Surveillance System and its application to estimation of probability of freedom and sample size determination

In 2008, Canada designed and implemented the Canadian Notifiable Avian Influenza Surveillance System (CanNAISS) with six surveillance activities in a phased-in approach. CanNAISS was a surveillance system because it had more than one surveillance activity or component in 2008: passive surveillance; pre-slaughter surveillance; and voluntary enhanced notifiable avian influenza surveillance. Our objectives were to give a short overview of two active surveillance components in CanNAISS; describe the CanNAISS scenario tree model and its application to estimation of probability of populations being free of NAI virus infection and sample size determination. Our data from the pre-slaughter surveillance component included diagnostic test results from 6296 serum samples representing 601 commercial chicken and turkey farms collected from 25 August 2008 to 29 January 2009. In addition, we included data from a sub-population of farms with high biosecurity standards: 36,164 samples from 55 farms sampled repeatedly over the 24 months study period from January 2007 to December 2008. All submissions were negative for Notifiable Avian Influenza (NAI) virus infection. We developed the CanNAISS scenario tree model, so that it will estimate the surveillance component sensitivity and the probability of a population being free of NAI at the 0.01 farm-level and 0.3 within-farm-level prevalences. We propose that a general model, such as the CanNAISS scenario tree model, may have a broader application than more detailed models that require disease specific input parameters, such as relative risk estimates.     

Effect of fast freezing then thaw‐aging on meat quality attributes of lamb M. longissimus lumborum

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of two different freezing rate then thaw‐aging regimens on the quality attributes of lamb loins. The loins were randomly allocated to one of five different freezing/thawing/aging regimes: fast‐(FF1A0) and slow‐(SF1A0) frozen only; fast‐(FF1A2) and slow‐(SF1A2) frozen then thaw‐aged for 14 days; aged for 14 days never frozen (A2). FF1A2 samples had a significantly higher water‐holding capacity compared to the slow frozen regardless of further aging periods. FF1A2 samples had lower (p < 0.05) shear force values than A2 and higher (p < 0.05) water‐holding capacity compared to the SF1A2. Fast freezing resulted in more intracellular cryo‐damage, whereas slow freezing resulted in extracellular cryo‐damage. FF1A0 and SF1A0 samples had lower (p < 0.05) myofibrillar proteins degradation. This study demonstrated that fast freezing then thaw‐aging can result in an improved water‐holding capacity and tenderness through the minimization of extracellular ice crystal formation, reduction in purge and drip losses, and improved proteolysis in thawed lamb.     

Effects of electrical stimulation and pre‐rigor conditioning temperature on aging potential of hot‐boned beef M. longissimus lumborum

The objective of this study was to create various pH/temp decline rates in hot‐boned bull beef M. longissimus lumborum (LL) through a combination of electrical stimulation (ES) and pre‐rigor holding temperature. The relationship between the pre‐rigor interventions, the activities of µ‐calpain and small heat shock proteins (sHSP), and the impacts on meat product quality were determined. Paired LL loins from 13 bulls were hot‐boned within 40 min of slaughter, immediately ES and subjected to various holding temperatures (5, 15, 25, and 35°C) for 3 hr. The rate of muscle pH decline, sarcomere length, shear force, and proteolysis of muscle proteins were measured. ES‐25°C had a longer sarcomere length compared to non‐electrical stimulation samples. ES‐25°C and ES‐35°C samples had lower shear force values, higher µ‐calpain activity and higher desmin, troponin‐T, and sHSP degradation. The above findings suggest that pH/temp decline rates created in hot‐boned muscle impacted muscle protein proteolysis by increasing the activity of proteases and degradation of sHSP.