Variance component estimation on the frequency of pathologic changes in the navicular bones of Hanoverian Warmblood horses

The results of a standardized radiological examination of 3748 young Hanoverian Warmblood horses selected for sale at auction as riding horses were used to quantify the influence of systematic effects on and to estimate genetic parameters for the prevalence of pathologic changes in the navicular bones. Radiographic findings in the navicular bones of the front limbs were analyzed as all‐or‐none traits. The pathologic changes were mostly classified as slight [PCN(I); 14.9%], less often as moderate [PCN(II); 5.3%] or severe [PCN(III); 1.8%]. Date and year of auction had a significant influence on the prevalence of documented radiographic findings. The prevalence of PCN(I) was further significantly dependent on the examiner, the type and the quality of auction. PCN(II) was significantly more prevalent in male than in female horses. The age, the anticipated suitability and the region of origin of the horses did not have any significant influence on the prevalence of pathologic changes in navicular bones. A higher percentage of genes of the Hanoverian and the Holstein Warmblood horse increased the probability of PCN(I) classification. A significant influence of the sire was found for PCN(I) and PCN(II), and of the male founder for PCN(II) and PCN(III). The female founder was significant only for PCN(II). In general, radiographic findings of any severity in front left and right navicular bones were significantly correlated with each other. Restricted maximum likelihood (REML) was used for the estimation of genetic parameters. The analyses were performed multivariately in linear animal and sire models including height at withers as a separate trait. Heritability estimates for the prevalence of PCN(I), PCN(II) and PCN(III) of horses of both sexes ranged between h² = 0.09 and 0.21. When distinguishing between findings in males and females, somewhat implausible estimates were obtained for PCN(II) in females, which might have been caused by their low prevalence. The additive genetic correlations between the investigated traits indicated that radiographic findings consistent with navicular syndrome have a uniform genetic pattern in males and in females, and irrespective of their severity. However, their genetic correlation to height at withers was found to be inconsistent and, therefore, not to be utilizable for selection.     

Drivers,challenges and opportunities of forage technology adoption by smallholder cattle households in Cambodia

Forage technology has been successfully introduced into smallholder cattle systems in Cambodia as an alternative feed source to the traditional rice straw and native pastures, improving animal nutrition and reducing labour requirements of feeding cattle. Previous research has highlighted the positive impacts of forage technology including improved growth rates of cattle and household time savings. However, further research is required to understand the drivers, challenges and opportunities of forage technology for smallholder cattle households in Cambodia to facilitate widespread adoption and identify areas for further improvement. A survey of forage-growing households (n = 40) in July–September 2016 examined forage technology adoption experiences, including reasons for forage establishment, use of inputs and labour requirements of forage plot maintenance and use of forages (feeding, fattening, sale of grass or seedlings and silage). Time savings was reported as the main driver of forage adoption with household members spending approximately 1 h per day maintaining forages and feeding it to cattle. Water availability was reported as the main challenge to this activity. A small number of households also reported lack of labour, lack of fencing, competition from natural grasses, cost of irrigation and lack of experience as challenges to forage growing. Cattle fattening and sale of cut forage grass and seedlings was not found to be a widespread activity by interviewed households, with 25 and 10% of households reporting use of forages for these activities, respectively. Currently, opportunities exist for these households to better utilise forages through expansion of forage plots and cattle activities, although assistance is required to support these households in addressing current constraints, particularly availability of water, if the sustainability of this feed technology for smallholder cattle household is to be established in Cambodia.     

Current aspects of the use of automated milking systems

Automatic milking systems offer not only a marked improvement of the working conditions in dairy farms but also they may be able to improve the quality of life of the dairy farmer, the health and performance status of the cow and the milk quality. The current stage of development of automatic milking systems indicates that there are still some deficiencies in fulfilling the requirements of the milk hygiene regulations, the early identification of health problems and allowing veterinary measures. This paper details some aspects of cow and udder health and milk quality under the condition of automatic milking systems by discussing actual problems and potential future advantages.     

Evaluation of Prolactin Receptor (PRLR) as Candidate Gene for Male Fertility in Hanoverian Warmblood Horses

Stallion fertility has increasing importance as the artificial insemination is employed in horses more intensely. Molecular genetic markers may be useful tools to evaluate the stallion fertility before breeding. The prolactin receptor gene (PRLR) was chosen as a candidate for stallion fertility because of its influence on testicular and accessory sex gland function. Screening the equine PRLR gene for polymorphisms in Hanoverian stallions revealed two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Association and haplotype analyses were performed in 162 Hanoverian warmblood stallions for these intragenic SNPs using the least square means (LSM) of the pregnancy rate per oestrus for stallions and the paternal component and embryonic component of the breeding values (BV) of the pregnancy rate per oestrus. The two SNPs (BIEC2‐589441, BIEC2‐560860) showed significant associations using single marker and haplotype analysis with the embryonic and paternal component of BV and one SNP (BIEC2‐560860) was also significantly associated with the LSM of the pregnancy rate per oestrus. This is the first report on an association of PRLR‐associated genetic markers with fertility traits in stallions.     

Relative and Absolute Stereochemistry of Diacarperoxides: Antimalarial Norditerpene Endoperoxides from Marine Sponge Diacarnus megaspinorhabdosa

Five new norditerpene endoperoxides, named diacarperoxides H–L (1–5), and a new norditerpene diol, called diacardiol B (6), were isolated from the South China Sea sponge, Diacarnus megaspinorhabdosa. Their structures, including conformations and absolute configurations, were determined by using spectroscopic analyses, computational approaches and chemical degradation. Diacarperoxides H–J (1–3) showed some interesting stereochemical issues, as well as antimalarial activity.     

Thermophilic Campylobacter from fecal samples of animals and their behavior in the ganglioside (GM1)-ELISA, Vero cell test and salt aggregation test

From 397 fecal specimens from apparently healthy and from diarrheic pigs, dogs, cats and cattle 59 strains (= 15%) of thermophilic Campylobacter (C.) spp. were isolated by culture. 39 strains were identified as C. coli and 18 as C. jejuni whereas 2 isolates could not be classified. None of the strains was found to be positive for cytotoxic enterotoxin in the GM1-ELISA. In the Vero-cell test 5 isolates showed a cytotoxic effect. The salt aggregation test (SAT) for indicating cell surface hydrophobicity was positive with 24 strains (5 C. jejuni, 19 C. coli). A correlation of isolation results with clinical manifestation could not be observed.     

南极半岛海洋气候区的土壤Ⅲ.冻-融作用与水分状况

自由水活动在南极海洋性气候区土壤形成与演化过程中发挥极为重要的作用。本文对土壤自由水的来源、冻-融作用、永冻层和活动层动态以及自由水参与下的物质迁移过程等几个方面进行了论述,讨论了上述不同过程的影响因素以及土壤发生学意义,指出以土壤水形态转化和自由水活动为基础的土壤过程具有显著的微域性特点,是决定本区土壤发生类型与分布模式的重要因素之一。     

"Tubules-Within-a-Tubule" Hierarchical Order of Mesoporous Molecular Sieves in MCM-41

The recently discovered mesoporous aluminosilicate MCM-41 consists of hexagonal arrays of nanometer-sized cylindrical pores. It is shown that this material can be synthesized by cooperative condensation of silicate and cylindrical cationic micelles. Careful control of the surfactant-water content and the rate of condensation of silica at high alkalinity resulted in hollow tubules 0.3 to 3 micrometers in diameter. The wall of the tubules consisted of coaxial cylindrical pores, nanometers in size, that are characteristic of those of MCM-41. The formation of this higher order structure may take place through a liquid crystal phase transformation mechanism involving an anisotropic membrane-to-tubule phase change. The hierarchical organization of this "tubules-within-a-tubule" particle texture is similar to that of the frustules of marine diatoms.     

Influences on the occurrence of abomasal displacements in German Holstein cows]

The objectives of this study were to analyse risk factors for the prevalence of abomasal displacement in German Holstein cows. In the period from 02/01/1999 to 01/31/2000 five veterinary surgeons in Northern Lower Saxony registered all cases of abomasal displacement in German Holstein cows being under the official milk recording scheme. In total, the investigation included 160 farms and 9315 cows. An abomasal displacement was registered in 151 German Holstein cows, corresponding to a frequency of 1.6%. More than 75% of the abomasal displacements appeared during the first 30 days after calving. The left abomasal displacement (74.8%) was recorded more often than the right abomasal displacement (25.2%). Milk recording and pedigree data were supplied by the VIT (Vereinigte Informationssystem Tierhaltung), Verden, and merged with the own recordings. The influences of the calving month, the lactation number, the age at calving, the inbreeding coefficient, calving performance, duration of pregnancy, breed of calf sire, calf sire and the breeding values for the milk performance did not explain a significant part of the variation of the frequency of the abomasal displacement. Significant effects of the sire, birth of twins or even more calves and the herd were obtained for the leftsided abomasal displacement. For the rightsided abomasal displacement and for all abomasal displacements the herd effect was not significant. Heritability estimates using bivariate linear REML models were h2 = 0.043 +/- 0.012 for the leftsided abomasal displacement, and h2 = 0.007 +/- 0.004 for the rightsided abomasal displacement, respectively. Using the threshold model the heritabilities yielded estimates of h2 = 0.51 for the left abomasal displacement, and for the right abomasal displacement of h2 = 0.19, respectively.