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Animals
Volume 13
Issue 23
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Animals, Volume 13, Issue 23 (December-1 2023) – 155 articles

Cover Story (view full-size image): Effective communication skills are vital for successful veterinary practice and are a core component of veterinary education programs. Methods of teaching clinical communication in veterinary medicine have developed since they became a required part of the curriculum over two decades ago, and there is growing evidence for their effectiveness. However, validated ‘best practices’ for teaching and assessing ‘real-world’ communication competency are less well established. Here, we report three recent developments in communication skills training in the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program at the University of Sydney and evaluate their implications with respect to curriculum design. We conclude that communication in the veterinary curriculum can be more engaging and effective through student-centred design, which increases the realism and authenticity of the student experience. View this paper
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12 pages, 2591 KiB  
Article
Mass Balance Studies of Robenidine Hydrochloride in the Body of Channel Catfish (Ictalurus punctatus)
by Lei Zhang, Xiangxuan Du, Xiaohui Ai and Yongtao Liu
Animals 2023, 13(23), 3745; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13233745 - 4 Dec 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1342 | Correction
Abstract
This study aims to determine the mass balance of robenidine hydrochloride (ROBH) in the body of Channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus). ROBH was administered orally at a dose of 20 mg/kg; following drug administration, the water samples were collected at predetermined time [...] Read more.
This study aims to determine the mass balance of robenidine hydrochloride (ROBH) in the body of Channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus). ROBH was administered orally at a dose of 20 mg/kg; following drug administration, the water samples were collected at predetermined time points (12, 24, 48, 72, 96, 120, 144, and 168 h), the experimental fish were executed after the water samples were obtained at 168 h, and the tissue samples were collected separately from the bones. The water and tissue samples were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS/MS) for concentrations of ROBH and its potential major metabolites, 4-chlorohippuric acid (PCHA) and 4-chlorobenzoic acid (PCBA). The tissue samples were prepared using a modified QuEChERS procedure; the water samples were prepared using a liquid–liquid extraction (LLE) procedure. The results show that the recovery rate of ROBH in fish is very low, less than 2% of the total amount of the drug, and the recovery in water can reach 80.7% of the total amount of the drug. The content of PCBA accounted for 42.4% of the total amount of the drug; the content of ROBH accounted for 38.3% of the total amount of the drug. The content of PCHA accounted for less than 1% of the total amount of the drug. The results show that, after a single administration, ROBH is rapidly metabolized in vivo and excreted in the form of ROBH as well as metabolite PCBA. ROBH and PCBA can be used as the main targets for the metabolism detection of ROBH in Channel catfish. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics in Aquatic Animals)
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<p>Chromatograms of 100 µg/kg ROBH, PCBA, and PCHA standards spiked in a Channel catfish (<span class="html-italic">Ictalurus punctatus</span>) water sample. The peak times were approximately 6.76 min for PCBA, 4.26 min for PCHA, 3.37 min for ROBH, and 3.33 min for ROBH-d<sub>8</sub>.</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>Dissipation rates of ROBH in water.</p> Full article ">Figure 3
<p>Chromatograms of blank water in which the fish survived during the experiment. The peak times were approximately 6.76 min for PCBA, 4.26 min for PCHA, 3.37 min for ROBH, and 3.33 min for ROBH-d<sub>8</sub>.</p> Full article ">Figure 4
<p>Chromatograms of ROBH and its metabolites detected in water samples obtained between 12 and 24 h after a single oral instillation of ROBH. The peak times were approximately 6.76 min for PCBA, 4.26 min for PCHA, 3.37 min for ROBH, and 3.33 min for ROBH-d<sub>8</sub>.</p> Full article ">Figure 5
<p>Enrichment of ROBH and PCBA excreted into water after a single oral administration at room temperature and under the same light condition.</p> Full article ">
15 pages, 6927 KiB  
Article
In Search of Suitable Breeding Sites: Habitat Heterogeneity and Environmental Filters Determine Anuran Diversity of Western Madagascar
by Nanäa Mausberg, Kathrin H. Dausmann and Julian Glos
Animals 2023, 13(23), 3744; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13233744 - 4 Dec 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1336
Abstract
Environmental filtering shapes animal communities by preventing the colonization and persistence of certain species in a given habitat. More heterogenous environments are presumed to support a greater number of species and, consequently, increased species diversity, as environmental filters are also likely more heterogenous. [...] Read more.
Environmental filtering shapes animal communities by preventing the colonization and persistence of certain species in a given habitat. More heterogenous environments are presumed to support a greater number of species and, consequently, increased species diversity, as environmental filters are also likely more heterogenous. Amphibians are especially sensitive to environmental influences due to distinct characteristics like permeable skin and low mobility. By analyzing the species richness and assemblage composition of tadpoles in 132 breeding ponds, we examined how the interplay of environmental variables shapes anuran species assemblages in breeding habitats of the dry forest of Western Madagascar. We found that environmental filtering is prevalent and habitat heterogeneity not only increases larval species richness but also alters species composition between these assemblages. Our study highlights the need for conserving heterogenous habitats to maintain local diversity. Furthermore, we recommend including multivariate modelling approaches to conservation efforts to acknowledge differences between specific habitats and beta diversity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Diversity, Conservation, and Taxonomy of Madagascar’s Amphibians and Reptiles - Feature Issue of the Section Herpetology)
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<p>Variation in richness of tadpole species between two habitat types in relation to (<b>a</b>) desiccation risk, (<b>b</b>) leaf litter, (<b>c</b>) predator occurrence and (<b>d</b>) pond turbidity. Green dots indicate forest pond plots, blue triangles indicate riverbed ponds. Confidence intervals (95%) are indicated by grey shadows.</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>Non-metric multidimensional scaling of tadpole species compositions of forest ponds (green dots) and riverbed ponds (blue triangles); axes 1 and 2 of a three-dimensional analysis. Species communities incorporate absence/presence data. Ellipses indicate 95% confidence intervals fitted into the spatial ordination. R<sup>2</sup> = 0.55, <span class="html-italic">p</span> &lt; 0.001, stress = 0.13.</p> Full article ">Figure A1
<p>Forest pond (<b>left</b>) and riverbed pond (<b>right</b>) in Kirindy Forest. Species richness and composition of tadpole assemblages differ between these habitat types.</p> Full article ">Figure A2
<p>All tadpole species found at 132 ponds within the Kirindy Forest, according to the habitat types: forest ponds (green) and riverbed ponds (blue).</p> Full article ">
12 pages, 305 KiB  
Article
Polymorphism within IGFBP Genes Affects the Acidity, Colour, and Shear Force of Rabbit Meat
by Łukasz Migdał, Anna Migdał, Sylwia Pałka, Michał Kmiecik, Agnieszka Otwinowska-Mindur, Ewelina Semik-Gurgul and Józef Bieniek
Animals 2023, 13(23), 3743; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13233743 - 4 Dec 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1340
Abstract
Rabbits are important livestock animals, popular for their nutritional value. Nowadays, the molecular background of traits influencing the quality of meat and meat products is in high demand. Therefore, in the current study, we analyse the sequences of IGFBP1, IGFBP2, IGFBP4 [...] Read more.
Rabbits are important livestock animals, popular for their nutritional value. Nowadays, the molecular background of traits influencing the quality of meat and meat products is in high demand. Therefore, in the current study, we analyse the sequences of IGFBP1, IGFBP2, IGFBP4, IGFBP5, and IGFBP6 for possible polymorphisms. Based on a bioinformatics analysis in an association study on 466 animals of different breeds (New Zealand White × Flemish Giant crossbreed (9NZWxFG), Termond White (TW), Popielno White (PW), and Flemish Giant (FG)), we analyse the influence of five polymorphisms within the IGFBP genes. Statistically significant differences were found among the carcass and meat quality traits but not for all of the analysed rabbit breeds. The most promising polymorphism was g.158093018A>T within the IGFBP5 gene. The values of pH24 of m.longissimus lumborum (m.l.l.) and biceps femoris muscles (m.b.f.) were higher for the AT genotypes compared to the AA genotypes for the TW and NZWxFG crossbreeds. Also, for pH24, we found differences in ing.41594308T>C for NZWxFG, where the TT genotype values were higher than the TC values. We found differences in L*24 on m.l.l. for g.41592248A>C for NZWxFG. For m.b.f., significant differences were found in b*45 for g.3431insAC in the FG population and a*45 for g.41592248A>C and g.158093018A>T in the TW population. The shear force statistically differed for g.158093018A>T in TW rabbits and g.41592248A>C for NZWxFG. We conclude that this polymorphism may be promising for better quality rabbit meat and may be implemented in selection processes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Animal Genetics and Genomics)
12 pages, 3625 KiB  
Article
Hair Follicle Development of Rex Rabbits Is Regulated Seasonally by Wnt10b/β-Catenin, TGFβ-BMP, IGF1, and EGF Signaling Pathways
by Gongyan Liu, Ce Liu, Yin Zhang, Haitao Sun, Liping Yang, Liya Bai and Shuxia Gao
Animals 2023, 13(23), 3742; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13233742 - 4 Dec 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1639
Abstract
This experiment was conducted to study the effects of different skinning seasons on the fur quality and hair follicle development of Rex rabbits. A total of 80,150-day-old Rex rabbits were slaughtered on 15 July 2022 (summer), 15 October 2022 (autumn), 15 January 2023 [...] Read more.
This experiment was conducted to study the effects of different skinning seasons on the fur quality and hair follicle development of Rex rabbits. A total of 80,150-day-old Rex rabbits were slaughtered on 15 July 2022 (summer), 15 October 2022 (autumn), 15 January 2023 (winter), and 15 April 2023 (spring) in Shandong Province (10 males and 10 females in each season). The results show that the skin weight, skin area, skin thickness, and hair follicle density of the Rex rabbits (at 150 days of age) were lower in summer than in winter (p < 0.05). Moreover, the coat length was shorter in summer than in spring, autumn, and winter (p < 0.05). The shoulder fat weight, perirenal fat weight, and perigastric fat weight of the Rex rabbits in winter were higher than those in summer (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the leptin levels in serum were higher in winter than in summer in the Rex rabbits (p < 0.05). In terms of serum biochemistry, the glucose levels were higher in autumn and winter than in spring and summer (p < 0.05). The cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) in summer had higher values than in winter in the Rex rabbits (p < 0.05). In winter, the expression of the Wnt10b, catenin beta 1 (CTNNB1), glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK3β), insulin like growth factor I (IGF-I), Type I insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF-IR), and epidermal growth factor (EGF) genes was higher (p < 0.05), and the expression of the dickkopf-1 (DDK1), transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGFβ-1), bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2), and bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) genes was lower than in summer (p < 0.05). In summer, the heat shock 70 kDa protein (HSP70) expression and CTNNB1 protein phosphorylation levels in skin tissue were higher than in spring, autumn, and winter (p < 0.05). In winter, Wnt10b protein expression was higher (p < 0.05), and GSK-3β protein phosphorylation levels were lower than in spring, autumn, and winter (p < 0.05). These results show that the skinning season can affect the production performance and hair follicle development of Rex rabbits. Compared with other seasons, the quality of skin from rabbits slaughtered in winter is better. Seasons may regulate hair follicle development via the Wnt10b/β-catenin, TGFβ-BMP, IGF1, and EGF signaling pathways in Rex rabbits. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Animal Products)
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<p>Effects of different skinning seasons on the hair follicle density of Rex rabbits; the total hair follicle density and secondary hair follicle density in Rex rabbits skinned in winter at 150 days of age were higher than those in spring, summer, and autumn seasons: (<b>A</b>) skinning in spring; (<b>B</b>) skinning in summer; (<b>C</b>) skinning in autumn; (<b>D</b>) skinning in winter. Scale bars = 200 μm.</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>Effects of different skinning seasons on the protein expression of hair follicle development in Rex rabbits. (<b>A</b>) HSP70 protein expression in skin tissue; (<b>B</b>) Wnt10b protein expression in skin tissue; (<b>C</b>) CTNNB1 protein phosphorylation levels in skin tissue; (<b>D</b>) GSK-3β protein phosphorylation levels in skin tissue; (<b>E</b>) blotting strip. Data are expressed as the mean and standard error of means (SEMs), n = 8, and different letters in the same row denote a significant effect (<span class="html-italic">p</span> &lt; 0.05).</p> Full article ">
13 pages, 994 KiB  
Article
Effects of Phytase Source and Dose on Its Stability during Pelleting Process under Different Conditioning Temperatures
by Yuming Wang, Feng Zhao, Hu Zhang, Qianyun Zhang, Wei Zhao, Renna Sa and Jingjing Xie
Animals 2023, 13(23), 3741; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13233741 - 3 Dec 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1565
Abstract
Phytase activity can be impaired during pelleting because of extreme thermal conditions. This study investigated the effects of dose and source of phytase on phytase activity during the conditioning, pelleting, and cooling process. A split-plot design was used in two experiments, with five [...] Read more.
Phytase activity can be impaired during pelleting because of extreme thermal conditions. This study investigated the effects of dose and source of phytase on phytase activity during the conditioning, pelleting, and cooling process. A split-plot design was used in two experiments, with five phytase doses (Exp. 1; 7560, 14310, 33830, 43590 and 61500 FTU/kg) or eight phytase sources (Exp. 2) as the main plot and steam conditioning temperatures (Exp. 1 and 2; 75 and 85 °C) as the subplot. Each treatment processed four batches, one batch per replicate. The results of Exp. 1 showed phytase dose in diets had no effect (p > 0.05) on the recovery rate of phytase activity after the conditioning, pelleting, or cooling process. The recovery rate of phytase activity in each process was higher (p < 0.05) at 75 °C than that at 85 °C for both Exp. 1 and 2. The phytase source significantly affected (p < 0.05) the recovery rate of phytase activity and had varied appearances of structure. In conclusion, the structure, phytase activity, and phytase recovery after steam conditioning–pelleting significantly varied across sources, but the stability of phytase was not affected by dose. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances and Challenges in Animal Feed Safety and Quality Control)
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<p>Loss rate of phytase activity during the steam conditioning–pelleting and cooling process. * Significant differences between treatments.</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>Microscopic photos of phytase products (300×, Exp. 2). These photos of the phytase products were taken using a stereomicroscope (Leica M205 FA, Wetzlar, Germany) at a 300× of view. (<b>a</b>) Phytase 1; (<b>b</b>) Phytase 2; (<b>c</b>) Phytase 3; (<b>d</b>) Phytase 4; (<b>e</b>) Phytase 5; (<b>f</b>) Phytase 6; (<b>g</b>) Phytase 7; (<b>h</b>) Phytase 8.</p> Full article ">
13 pages, 1004 KiB  
Article
Effect of Acute and Cumulative Stress on Gene Expression in Mammary Tissue and Their Interactions with Physiological Responses and Milk Yield in Saanen Goats
by Marta Liliane de Vasconcelos, Priscila dos Santos Silva, Henrique Barbosa Hooper, Giovana Krempel Fonseca Merighe, Sandra Aparecida de Oliveira and João Alberto Negrão
Animals 2023, 13(23), 3740; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13233740 - 3 Dec 2023
Viewed by 1929
Abstract
This study addresses the hypothesis that different acute stressors can cumulatively decrease milk yield. In fact, in a time of global warming, the impact of environmental stress and farm management practices on milk production remains unclear. In this context, our objective was to [...] Read more.
This study addresses the hypothesis that different acute stressors can cumulatively decrease milk yield. In fact, in a time of global warming, the impact of environmental stress and farm management practices on milk production remains unclear. In this context, our objective was to investigate the effect of acute and cumulative stress on gene expression in mammary tissue and their interactions with physiological responses and milk yield in Saanen goats. Thirty lactating goats were subjected to two treatments: (1) control (CT), in which goats were maintained following a habitual routine under comfort conditions; (2) stress (ST), in which the goats were subjected to different types of environmental stress: heat stress, adrenocorticotropic hormone administration, hoof care management, and exposure to rain. These stressors were performed sequentially, with one stress per day on four consecutive lactation days, to evaluate their effect on milk quality and milk yield. Our results showed that compared to CT goats, cumulative stress increased the gene expression of glucocorticoid receptor (GR), interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) in mammary tissue, which are indicators of cortisol action, inflammatory response, and antioxidant enzymes. Furthermore, the acute challenges imposed on ST goats changed their rectal temperature and respiratory frequency and increased cortisol, glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, and high-density lipoprotein release in plasma when compared to CT goats. Although these physiological and metabolic responses restore homeostasis, ST goats showed lower milk yield and higher somatic cell count in milk than CT goats. In conclusion, the results confirmed our initial hypothesis that different acute stressors cumulatively decrease the milk yield in Saanen goats. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lactation Physiology and Milk Quality of Small Ruminants)
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<p>Cortisol concentrations in Saanen goats before (09:30 h), during (12:30 h), and after (15:30 h) imposition of stress (ST) or control treatments (CT): (<b>a</b>) goats subjected to heat stress or control on day 190 of lactation; (<b>b</b>) goats subjected to ACTH or control on day 191 of lactation; (<b>c</b>) goats subjected to hoof care or control on day 192 of lactation; (<b>d</b>) goats subjected to rain or control on day 193 of lactation. Data are presented as mean ± standard error of means (SEM). Means with * differ (<span class="html-italic">p</span> ≤ 0.05).</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>Milk yield of Saanen goats subjected to stress (ST) or control (CT) treatment before, during (lactation days 190 to 194), and after stress challenges. On lactation day 190, goats were subjected to heat stress or control treatment; on day 191 they were subjected to ACTH administration or control treatment; on day 192 they were subjected to hoof care or control treatment; and on day 193 they were subjected to rain or control treatment. Data are presented as mean ± standard error of mean (SEM). Means with * differ (<span class="html-italic">p</span> ≤ 0.05).</p> Full article ">
12 pages, 604 KiB  
Article
Effects of Species-Specific Auditory Stimulation on Broiler Embryos on Hatchability, Developmental Stability, Behavior, and Performance Characteristics
by Doğan Narinç and Ali Aygun
Animals 2023, 13(23), 3739; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13233739 - 3 Dec 2023
Viewed by 1248
Abstract
The aim of this study is to expose broiler embryos to species-specific sounds from the 444th and 468th hours of incubation until the end of incubation and, thus, to determine the effects of these stimulations on their hatching characteristics, performance traits, developmental stability, [...] Read more.
The aim of this study is to expose broiler embryos to species-specific sounds from the 444th and 468th hours of incubation until the end of incubation and, thus, to determine the effects of these stimulations on their hatching characteristics, performance traits, developmental stability, and behavioral characteristics. Auditory stimulation sounds are a total of 5 min of recording consisting of sounds made by embryos during and after internal piping and response sounds made by the broody hen at that time. The auditory stimulation pattern was created as 5 min of recording and 5 min of silence for a total of 20 min of recording, and this sound pattern was played continuously with 65 dB sound intensity and 800 Hz sound frequency. A total of 750 Ross 308 broiler hatching eggs were equally divided into three groups (AS1: auditory stimulation from hour 444, AS2: sound stimulation from hour 468), and two stimulation groups and a control (silent) group were incubated in three homologous incubators. Due to auditory stimulation, the hatching window in embryos exposed to species-specific sounds beginning at the 444th hour of the incubation period was determined to be 28 h in this study. Auditory stimulation was late in the embryos exposed to species-specific sounds from the 468th hour of incubation, and the incubation windows in this group and the silent (control) group were determined to be 36 h and 40 h, respectively. The chicks that were exposed to early auditory stimulation during incubation exhibited a higher average Tona score (99.03) in comparison to the other groups (p < 0.05). Additionally, the number of chicks discarded was comparatively higher than the others (p < 0.05). Auditory stimulation during incubation had no effect on live weight, Gompertz growth curve parameters, feed conversion ratio, slaughter-carcass characteristics, behavioral traits, or developmental balance characteristics. Consequently, it was determined that the incubation window and the number of marketable chicks were both substantially impacted by the implementation of species-specific auditory stimulation. However, further research is required to ascertain the precise timing of this auditory stimulation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Poultry)
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<p>Rates of chicks hatched from eggs in trial groups depending on incubation time.</p> Full article ">
13 pages, 3963 KiB  
Article
The Diversity of Trematodes in Myotis Bats (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae) from the Samarskaya Luka (European Russia)
by Nadezhda Yu. Kirillova, Alexander A. Kirillov and Victoria A. Vekhnik
Animals 2023, 13(23), 3738; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13233738 - 3 Dec 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1140
Abstract
Various bat species often occupy the same habitats. Cohabitation should induce different preferences in spatial or trophic components of the bat ecological niche to reduce their competition. This determines the differences in the trematode fauna of Myotis spp. The purpose of our research [...] Read more.
Various bat species often occupy the same habitats. Cohabitation should induce different preferences in spatial or trophic components of the bat ecological niche to reduce their competition. This determines the differences in the trematode fauna of Myotis spp. The purpose of our research was to study the biodiversity of trematodes in syntopic populations of five Myotis species in the Samarskaya Luka National Park. In the 2005–2007 period, we studied 867 bat specimens via the methods of complete helminthological dissection. In total, 11 trematode species from the families Plagiorchiidae (Plagiorchis koreanus, P. mordovii, P. muelleri, and P. vespertilionis), Pleurogenidae (Parabascus duboisi), and Lecithodendriidae (Prosthodendrium ascidia, Pr. chilostomum, Pr. cryptolecithum, Pr. hurkovaae, Pr. longiforme, and Lecithodendrium linstowi) were found in five Myotis species. Only three trematode species, P. koreanus, Pr. chilostomum, and P. duboisi, are common to all studied Myotis spp. Prosthodendrium cryptolecithum was recorded for the first time in Russia. Trematode species diversity is higher in Myotis daubentonii and M. dasycneme. The trematode fauna of M. brandtii, M. nattereri, and M. mystacinus is less diverse. The determining factor in the infection of bats with trematodes is feeding on semi-aquatic insects, possible second intermediate hosts of the parasites. The infection of bats with flukes occurs at different levels of host (Myotis spp.) abundance as a result of the realization of the main bat trophic relationships. Our results confirm the data that the ecological niches of the five Myotis species partially overlap. Analysis of the trematode fauna in Myotis spp. showed that, in the Samarskaya Luka, there may be weak competition for food items among bats. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Wildlife)
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<p>Map of bat trapping sites in the Samarskaya Luka National Park. Red crosses on the map indicate the trapping sites.</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>Dominant and subdominant species of trematodes in <span class="html-italic">Myotis</span> bats from the Samarskaya Luka (<span class="html-italic">D</span> – the Palia–Kovnatsky dominance index).</p> Full article ">Figure 3
<p>Similarity dendrogram obtained using Morisita index (UPGMA) for the trematode fauna of <span class="html-italic">Myotis</span> spp. from the Samarskaya Luka National Park. Cophen. corr.: r = 0.802.</p> Full article ">
18 pages, 606 KiB  
Article
Energy and Arginine Density in the Diets of Arbor Acre Hens from 40 to 50 Weeks of Age: Effects on Development and Lipid Metabolism of Embryos
by Zhongyu Wang, Jiawei Feng, Chunxu Yang, Shaoyang Mou, Yingjie Xie, Xiaoxue Duan, Zhongyu Li, Zhongpeng Bi, Tianshu Liu, Feng Li and Liangmei Xu
Animals 2023, 13(23), 3737; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13233737 - 3 Dec 2023
Viewed by 1465
Abstract
The effects of maternal dietary energy and arginine level on embryonic development and serum lipid metabolism were investigated in this study. A 2 × 3 factorial experiment was conducted with six treatments represented by 10 replicates of eight Arbor Acre broiler breeder hens [...] Read more.
The effects of maternal dietary energy and arginine level on embryonic development and serum lipid metabolism were investigated in this study. A 2 × 3 factorial experiment was conducted with six treatments represented by 10 replicates of eight Arbor Acre broiler breeder hens each. Diets fed from 40 to 50 weeks of age were formulated to contain two digestible arginine levels (9.6 g/kg and 14.5 g/kg) and three metabolic energy levels (10.08 MJ ME/kg, 11.88 MJ ME/kg, and 13.68 MJ ME/kg). Artificial insemination was used, and eggs collected from 50 weeks of hens’ age were hatched. Embryonic growth, biochemical and endocrine indexes of embryonic serum and allantoic fluid were measured on different embryonic days (E). The results were as follows: Egg weight (E0, E11, E13) and embryonic weight (E12, E15) in the high-energy group (13.68 MJ ME/kg) were significantly decreased (p < 0.01), as were embryonic breast rate (E13, E15, E21), thigh rate (E13–E21) and liver rate (E15–E21). The reciprocal effects of arginine and energy were significant on breast rate (E11, E13, E17), thigh rate (E19, E21) and liver rate (E11, E19) of the embryo (p < 0.05). CHO (E13–E19), high-density lipoprotein (E13, E15, E21), low-density lipoprotein (E15, E19, E21), and blood glucose (E13) levels in embryonic serum decreased with the increase in maternal dietary energy level (p < 0.05), but triglyceride levels (E19, E21) showed the opposite result (p < 0.05). The levels of cholesterol and blood glucose in embryonic serum at E11 and urea nitrogen in allantoic fluid at E11–E15 were significantly decreased in the 14.5 g/kg arginine group (p < 0.01). With the increase in maternal dietary energy and arginine levels, embryonic serum nitric oxide synthases levels (E11, E15, E19) increased significantly (p < 0.01). The reciprocal effect of arginine and energy in maternal diets was significant on the embryonic serum high-density lipoprotein level at E21 (p < 0.05). Embryonic serum insulin levels at E13 were significantly elevated in the high-energy group (13.68 MJ ME/kg). The reciprocal effect of arginine and energy was significant on the embryonic serum growth hormone level (p < 0.01). Embryonic serum growth hormone levels were significantly reduced in the 14.5 g/kg arginine and 13.68 MJ/kg metabolic energy group (p < 0.01). In conclusion, maternal restricted feeding improved embryonic development and regulated lipid metabolism-related indices in embryonic serum. Maternal dietary addition of digestible arginine had a significant effect on lipid metabolism indices in embryos. There was a maternal effect of maternal dietary energy and arginine levels on embryo growth and development. The deposition of maternal nutrients affects the development of embryos. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Animal Nutrition)
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<p>Daily feed and energy allotments provided for hens from 40 to 50 weeks.</p> Full article ">
17 pages, 298 KiB  
Article
Taxonomy of the Family Teneriffiidae (Acari: Prostigmata: Anystoidea): Generic Synonymies with the Key to World Species of the Family
by Jawwad Hassan Mirza, Muhammad Kamran and Fahad Jaber Alatawi
Animals 2023, 13(23), 3736; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13233736 - 2 Dec 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1194
Abstract
The family Teneriffiidae Thor has an equivocal and patchy generic history due to a lack of proper diagnostic character/s, causing the addition of an over-sufficient number of genera (i.e., nine) for the 28 described species. The present study aimed to resolve those taxonomic [...] Read more.
The family Teneriffiidae Thor has an equivocal and patchy generic history due to a lack of proper diagnostic character/s, causing the addition of an over-sufficient number of genera (i.e., nine) for the 28 described species. The present study aimed to resolve those taxonomic uncertainties related to generic divisions and species assignments by thoroughly reviewing all the published literature of the family, identifying key diagnostic character/s for generic divisions while debating on previously used morphological features. In the present research, only two genera, Teneriffia Thor and Parateneriffia Thor, are considered valid genera in the family Teneriffiidae, based on the absence and presence of palpgenu oncophysis, respectively. The previously used other generic diagnostic characters such as coxal setal formula, pectination strength of leg claws, absence or presence of genital papillae, genital discs, and pedal solenidion have been argued for their inconsistencies. A total of four species were synonymized with the closely related species, while additional notes for six poorly described species are given. Moreover, the key to the genera and species of the family Teneriffiidae is provided. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Ecology, Evolution, Systematics and Behaviour of Mites)
21 pages, 3856 KiB  
Article
Factors Influencing Isolation Behavior of Dogs: A Holder-Based Questionnaire and Behavioral and Saliva Cortisol Responses during Separation
by Jennifer Silbermann and Udo Gansloßer
Animals 2023, 13(23), 3735; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13233735 - 2 Dec 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2025
Abstract
This study examined how separation behavior differs between dogs with and without separation-related problem behavior (SRB) and the possible risk factors. The study consisted of an online survey with 940 dog holders, which, in addition to demographic facts, also includes personality, emotional disposition [...] Read more.
This study examined how separation behavior differs between dogs with and without separation-related problem behavior (SRB) and the possible risk factors. The study consisted of an online survey with 940 dog holders, which, in addition to demographic facts, also includes personality, emotional disposition and the attachment by the holder. Furthermore, a separation test was carried out with six non-SRB dogs over a maximum of 6 h, in which behavior and cortisol were determined. The questionnaire revealed that SRB dogs differed significantly from non-SRB dogs regarding the following factors: symptoms with at least a medium effect size such as restlessness, excitement, whining, howling, lip licking, barking and salivation, time to relax after separation, pessimism, persistence, excitability, calmness, separation frequency, greeting of holder and type of greeting. There were several other differences, but with weak effect sizes. The test showed that non-SRB dogs were mostly inactive during separation (lying resting and lying alert). Vocalization was almost non-existent. Behavior and cortisol did not change significantly over the different time periods. The data demonstrated typical symptoms and possible risk factors, some of which may be avoided or changed to improve animal welfare. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on the Human–Pet Relationship)
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<p>Test design adapted from Rehn and Keeling [<a href="#B2-animals-13-03735" class="html-bibr">2</a>].</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>Differences among separation classes while (<b>A</b>) lying resting in interval PeS, (Sep. class 1: n = 5; Sep. class 2: n = 5; Sep. class 3: n = 6), (<b>B</b>) being physically active in interval PeS (Sep. class 1: n = 5; Sep. class 2: n = 5; Sep. class 3: n = 6) and (<b>C</b>) walking in interval E1 (Sep. class 1: n = 6; Sep. class 2: n = 5; Sep. class 3: n = 5).</p> Full article ">Figure 3
<p>(<b>A</b>) Attentive + attachment (n = 6), (<b>B</b>) interaction (ia) dog + attachment (n = 6), (<b>C</b>) stress + boldness (n = 6), (<b>D</b>) attentive + boldness (n = 6), (<b>E</b>) vocalization + trainability (n = 6), (<b>F</b>) ia holder + dog sociability (n = 6), (<b>G</b>) attentive + calmness (n = 6), (<b>H</b>) vocalization + pos. act. (n = 6), (<b>I</b>) ia holder + pos. (n = 6).</p> Full article ">Figure 4
<p>Differences in cortisol levels before and after separation in nmol/L in (<b>A</b>) separation class 1 (n = 5) and (<b>B</b>) separation class 3 (n = 5).</p> Full article ">Figure 5
<p>Differences between non-SRB and SRB dogs concerning distribution of symptoms during separation (non-SRB: n = 780; SRB: urination, defecation, destruction: n = 89; barking, restlessness: n = 87; howling, growling: n = 86; whining, shaking, excitement: n = 85; salivation: n = 83; escape behavior: n = 81; yawning: n = 74; lip licking: n = 73).</p> Full article ">Figure 6
<p>Group differences concerning (<b>A</b>) separation frequency per week (n = 869), (<b>B</b>) separation duration (n = 869) and (<b>C</b>) maximum separation duration (n = 869).</p> Full article ">Figure 7
<p>Group differences concerning (<b>A</b>) type of leaving ritual (n = 869), (<b>B</b>) leaving intensity of holder (n = 869), (<b>C</b>) type of greeting ritual (n = 869) and (<b>D</b>) greeting intensity of holder (n = 869).</p> Full article ">Figure 8
<p>Group differences concerning (<b>A</b>) trainability (n = 869), (<b>B</b>) boldness (n = 869), (<b>C</b>) dog sociability (n = 869) and (<b>D</b>) calmness (n = 869).</p> Full article ">Figure 9
<p>Group differences concerning (<b>A</b>) pessimism (n = 833), (<b>B</b>) positive activation (n = 840), (<b>C</b>) interest (n = 848), (<b>D</b>) excitability (n = 862) and (<b>E</b>) persistence (n = 855).</p> Full article ">
23 pages, 1128 KiB  
Article
Dietary Supplementation with Nucleotides, Short-Chain Fructooligosaccharides, Xylooligosaccharides, Beta-Carotene and Vitamin E Influences Immune Function in Kittens
by Jujhar Atwal, Willy Joly, Robyn Bednall, Fabio Albanese, Michelle Farquhar, Lucy J. Holcombe, Phillip Watson and Matthew Harrison
Animals 2023, 13(23), 3734; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13233734 - 2 Dec 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2007
Abstract
Nucleotides, short-chain fructooligosaccharides (scFOS), xylooligosaccharides (XOS), β-carotene and vitamin E are reported to enhance immune function; however, the evidence of this in cats is limited. The aim of this study was to determine the immunomodulatory effects of these ingredients in kittens. Forty domestic [...] Read more.
Nucleotides, short-chain fructooligosaccharides (scFOS), xylooligosaccharides (XOS), β-carotene and vitamin E are reported to enhance immune function; however, the evidence of this in cats is limited. The aim of this study was to determine the immunomodulatory effects of these ingredients in kittens. Forty domestic short hair kittens were designated in litters to control or test diet for 28 weeks. Test diet was fortified with 0.33 g nucleotides, 0.45 g scFOS, 0.3 g XOS, 0.7 mg β-carotene and 66.5 mg vitamin E per 100 g diet. Kittens were vaccinated against feline parvovirus (FPV) and herpesvirus (FHV) at 10, 14 and 18 weeks. Kittens remained healthy, with no measured evidence of adverse health. Serum FPV and FHV antibody titres were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in the test diet group at week 23 and 27, respectively. A significantly (p < 0.05) higher proportion of test diet group kittens demonstrated an adequate response (four-fold titre increase) to FHV vaccination and a significantly (p < 0.05) higher proportion reached a protective antibody titre for FHV. Serum IgM was significantly (p < 0.05) higher in the test diet group. The test diet group demonstrated a stronger humoral immune response to vaccination, suggesting the diet supports immune defence, enabling a greater response to immune challenges. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Animal Nutrition)
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<p>Feline parvovirus titre using haemagglutinin inhibition assay at each timepoint presented as median and inter-quartile range (IQR) for control (<span class="html-italic">n</span> 17–20; —●—) and test (<span class="html-italic">n</span> 15–20; ---▲---) diet groups. The horizontal dotted line represents the protective antibody titre level. * significant between diet group difference (<span class="html-italic">p</span> &lt; 0.05).</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>Feline herpesvirus titre using virus neutralisation assay at each timepoint presented as median and inter-quartile range (IQR) for control (<span class="html-italic">n</span> 16–20; —●—) and test (<span class="html-italic">n</span> 14–20; ---▲---) diet groups. The horizontal dotted line represents the protective antibody titre level. * significant between diet group difference (<span class="html-italic">p</span> &lt; 0.05).</p> Full article ">Figure 3
<p>Feline calicivirus titre using ELISA assay at each timepoint presented as median and inter-quartile range (IQR) for control (<span class="html-italic">n</span> 15–19; —●—) and test (<span class="html-italic">n</span> 13–20; ---▲---) diet groups. The horizontal dotted line represents the protective antibody titre level.</p> Full article ">
12 pages, 7479 KiB  
Article
Effects of Chronic Heat Stress on Kidney Damage, Apoptosis, Inflammation, and Heat Shock Proteins of Siberian Sturgeon (Acipenser baerii)
by Zhaoxin Jing, Qianyu Chen, Chaozhan Yan, Chaoyang Zhang, Zihan Xu, Xiaoli Huang, Jiayun Wu, Yunkun Li and Shiyong Yang
Animals 2023, 13(23), 3733; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13233733 - 2 Dec 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1598
Abstract
Chronic heat stress caused by global warming can have serious implications for fish survival. The kidney plays a central role in many homeostatic functions, including water and electrolyte regulation. However, there is limited knowledge about the effect of heat stress on fish kidneys. [...] Read more.
Chronic heat stress caused by global warming can have serious implications for fish survival. The kidney plays a central role in many homeostatic functions, including water and electrolyte regulation. However, there is limited knowledge about the effect of heat stress on fish kidneys. In this study, water temperatures were increased from 20 °C to 24 °C and 28 °C in 8 days at a warming rate of 1 °C/d, and then maintained for 12 days. We investigated the effects of mild heat stress (24 °C) and high heat stress (28 °C) on Siberian Sturgeon (Acipenser baerii) kidneys using histological observation, flow cytometry detection, and RT-qPCR. Our histological observations revealed that heat stress caused significant infiltration of inflammatory cells in the kidney, especially at 28 °C. The flow cytometry assay demonstrated a significant increase in the number of apoptotic cells after heat stress at 28 °C compared to a control group at 20 °C (p = 0.033). The level of plasma creatinine was significantly increased in the 28 °C group compared to the control group (p = 0.001). In addition, the mRNA expression levels of heat shock protein GRP75 increased (p = 0.009). The results indicate that heat stress at 28 °C caused damage to the kidneys of A. baerii and triggered the protective response of heat shock proteins. In conclusion, this study contributes to the understanding of the coping strategies of the kidney of A. baerii for chronic heat stress. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Health and Welfare in Aquaculture)
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<p>Experimental treatment protocols. Temperature control Day −14 to 0: Temperature was controlled at 20 °C with the heating rods during acclimatization. Day 1 to 8: Temperature was raised to 24 °C and 28 °C with the heating rods at 1 °C/d. Day 9 to 20: the temperature of the three groups was maintained at 20 °C, 24 °C and 28 °C, respectively, using the heating rods. Day 21: Heating ended, and samples collected. The group with a pre-sampling temperature of 20 °C is the 20 °C group. The group with a pre-sampling temperature of 24 °C is the 24 °C group. The group with a pre-sampling temperature of 28 °C is the 28 °C group.</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>Histopathology of <span class="html-italic">A. baerii</span> kidney under heat stress. Control group ((<b>A</b>,<b>B</b>): 20 °C); heat stress groups ((<b>C</b>,<b>D</b>): 24 °C, (<b>E</b>,<b>F</b>): 28 °C). Yellow arrow: lymphocytic infiltration in the glomerulus; Blue arrow: lymphocyte infiltration in the interstitium.</p> Full article ">Figure 3
<p>Heat stress led to apoptosis in kidney cells of <span class="html-italic">A. baerii</span> (<b>A</b>,<b>B</b>), along with an increase in plasma creatinine (<b>C</b>). Cell apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry after Annexin V-FITC/PI staining in kidney cells. The quantification data showed that apoptotic cell percentage was significantly higher after heat stress. * <span class="html-italic">p</span> &lt; 0.05, ** <span class="html-italic">p</span> &lt; 0.01, the detailed <span class="html-italic">p</span>-values are shown above.</p> Full article ">Figure 4
<p>Relative mRNA expression level of <span class="html-italic">TNF-α</span> (<b>A</b>) and <span class="html-italic">IL-1β</span> (<b>B</b>) in the kidney of <span class="html-italic">A. baerii</span> (<span class="html-italic">n</span> = 3).</p> Full article ">Figure 5
<p>Relative mRNA expression levels of <span class="html-italic">HSP70</span> (<b>A</b>), <span class="html-italic">HSP90</span> (<b>B</b>), and <span class="html-italic">GRP75</span> (<b>C</b>) in kidney of <span class="html-italic">A. baerii</span> (<span class="html-italic">n</span> = 3). ** <span class="html-italic">p</span> &lt; 0.01, the detailed <span class="html-italic">p</span>-values are shown above.</p> Full article ">
23 pages, 44428 KiB  
Article
Radiological Methods for the Imaging of Congenital Malformations of C6-T1, the First and Second Sternal Ribs and Development of a Classification System, Demonstrated in Warmblood Horses
by Katharina B. Ros, Aldo Doveren, Christie Dreessen, Ralf Pellmann, Francesca Beccati, Elisa Zimmermann and Ottmar Distl
Animals 2023, 13(23), 3732; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13233732 - 2 Dec 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 9218
Abstract
There are conflicting data in studies on malformations of the cervicothoracic (C-T) junction (C6 to T2, including the first and second ribs), but evidence is mounting that they can be of clinical significance for horses. The objectives of this study were to establish [...] Read more.
There are conflicting data in studies on malformations of the cervicothoracic (C-T) junction (C6 to T2, including the first and second ribs), but evidence is mounting that they can be of clinical significance for horses. The objectives of this study were to establish a radiographic protocol for imaging the C-T junction in the field and to classify the radiographic variations found in 39 warmblood horses presented for clinical evaluation due to behavioral or performance issues. Malformations of the ventral lamina of C6 and transposition onto the ventral aspect of C7 were seen in 37/39 (94.9%) horses for both conditions. Rib anomalies were found among the horses with C6 and C7 malformations. A missing first rib, unilateral or bilateral, was found in 3/35 (11.4%) horses, a unilateral shortening of the rib in 17/35 (48.6%) horses, a bilateral shortening of the ribs in 12/35 (34.3%) horses, bifid ribs in 3/35 (8.6%) horses, and only 4/35 (11.4%) horses had a normal length of the first rib on both sides. There was a moderately to highly significant association between the grades of left and right malformations of C6 and C7 and first ribs as well as between C6 and C7. A large number of malformations were visualized radiographically at the C-T junction using the newly described methods of latero-lateral and oblique radiographic projections, which allows for these features to be identified in living horses. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Equids)
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<p>(<b>a</b>) The photo shows the position of the neck to obtain a latero-lateral radiographic projection of C6-C7; the horse stands with all legs squared and the head in a neutral position. (<b>b</b>) The photo shows the position of the neck to obtain a straight latero-lateral radiographic projection from C7 to T2, with the horse standing with all legs squared and the head manually raised with the nose at withers height (body weight of the horse: 530 kg).</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>Photo showing the position of the neck to obtain the oblique radiographic projection of the right first rib. The left forelimb is positioned caudally, and the head is slightly elevated (body weight of the horse 580 kg).</p> Full article ">Figure 3
<p>Latero-lateral radiographic image of C7 and T1 of a 6-year-old warmblood mare with a normally shaped C7 and T1, obtained with a small detector plate measuring 26 by 33 cm. The head of the horse is to the left.</p> Full article ">Figure 4
<p>Drawing of generator, plate position and orientation to obtain a 20° ventrodorsal projection to image the ventral laminae of C6 and C7. The dashed line represents the horizontal line that intersects the underside of the neck as a tangent, and the arrow indicates the viewing direction in which the horizontal line is aligned by the examiner. The arrow on the solid line indicates the direction of the X-ray beam.</p> Full article ">Figure 5
<p>Photo of a horse with the neck in neutral position to obtain the radiographic projection of the ventral aspect of the right C7 and the right-ventral lamina of C6 (body weight of the horse 565 kg).</p> Full article ">Figure 6
<p>Left 25° left-ventral to right-dorsal oblique projection in a 10-year-old warmblood mare. The right-ventral lamina of C6 (white dotted arrows) is clearly visible and superimposed on the transverse process (white star). The right transverse process of C7 is also visible (black star). The head of the horse is to the left.</p> Full article ">Figure 7
<p>Photo of a horse positioned for radiography of the first right rib. The left forelimb is positioned caudally. The X-ray beam is centered slightly dorsocaudal to the supraglenoid tubercle of the shoulder closer to the generator (body weight of the horse 565 kg).</p> Full article ">Figure 8
<p>(<b>a</b>) Left 20° cranial 10° ventral-left caudodorsal oblique projection showing the right first and second ribs separately. The head of the horse is to the left. (<b>b</b>) Photo of the anatomical structures as projected in (<b>a</b>).</p> Full article ">Figure 9
<p>Anatomical specimen with the normal C6 cervical vertebra (<b>A</b>) and schematic representations of the four different grades marked in red ((<b>B</b>) corresponds to grade 1, (<b>C</b>) corresponds to grade 2, (<b>D</b>) corresponds to grade 3, (<b>E</b>) corresponds to grade 4) of the classification system for C6, in the first column from left lateral (90°) and in the third column from 20° to 45° left-ventral to right-dorsal oblique. In the second and fourth column are radiographs of different horses showing a normal C6 (<b>A</b>), a C6 grade 1 (<b>B</b>), a C6 grade 2 (<b>C</b>), a C6 grade 3 (<b>D</b>) and a C6 grade 4 (<b>E</b>) in the left latero-lateral projection (second column) and 20° to 45° left-ventral to right-dorsal oblique projection. The asterisks ((<b>A</b>), second and fourth column) mark the caudal quarter of the ventral lamina of C6.</p> Full article ">Figure 10
<p>Anatomical specimen with the normal C7 cervical vertebra (<b>A</b>) and schematic representations of the three different grades indicated in green ((<b>B</b>) corresponds to grade 1, (<b>C</b>) corresponds to grade 2, (<b>D</b>) corresponds to grade 3 of the classification system for C7), in the first column from left lateral (90°) and in the third column from 20° to 45° left-ventral to right-dorsal oblique. In the second and fourth column are radiographs of different horses showing a normal C7 (<b>A</b>), a C7 grade 1 (<b>B</b>), a C7 grade 2 (<b>C</b>) and a C7 grade 3 (<b>D</b>) in the left latero-lateral projection (second column) and 20° to 45° left-ventral to right-dorsal oblique projection. The asterisk in the radiograph ((<b>A</b>) in fourth column) marks the transverse process of C7. T1 and right side R are marked in the radiograph ((<b>A</b>), second column) and C7 and T1 are marked in the radiograph ((<b>C</b>), second column).</p> Full article ">Figure 11
<p>Left latero-lateral radiographic projection showing the first and second ribs, obtained in a 3-year-old warmblood mare. C7 has a normal shape, as does T1 with first ribs and T2 with second ribs. The spinous process of C7 is not clearly visible, most likely because it is absent. The spinous process of T1 has medium height but is not completely visible. White arrow shows the measurement of the height of the cranial aspect of the vertebral body of T1 used as a reference for the grading classification. Head of the horse is to the left. Note that the superimposed first ribs are wider than the second ribs, reflecting the normal shape of these ribs.</p> Full article ">Figure 12
<p>Left 5° cranial 15° ventral right caudodorsal oblique radiographic projection showing the right first and second ribs, obtained in a 3-year-old warmblood mare (the same horse as in <a href="#animals-13-03732-f011" class="html-fig">Figure 11</a>). The head of the horse is to the left.</p> Full article ">Figure 13
<p>Right 10° cranial 20° ventral-left caudodorsal oblique projection showing the left first and second ribs, obtained in a 3-year-old warmblood mare (the same horse as in <a href="#animals-13-03732-f011" class="html-fig">Figure 11</a> and <a href="#animals-13-03732-f012" class="html-fig">Figure 12</a>). The first left rib is large rudimentary (Grade 3/1). The head of the horse is to the left. Second rib is grade 1.</p> Full article ">Figure 14
<p>Left 10° cranial 25° ventral-right caudodorsal oblique projection showing the right first and second ribs, obtained in a 4-year-old warmblood gelding. A rudimentary first rib is visible (arrow) (Grade 3/3) and C7 shows complete transposition of the ventral lamina (Grade 3). Second rib width is classified with grade 1. The head of the horse is to the left.</p> Full article ">Figure 15
<p>Diagram of the horse neck and cranial thorax, viewed from the left side. The red circle indicates the area of C6 and C7. The green circle highlights the whole region of C6, C7, T1, T2, R1 and R2 that this study focuses on.</p> Full article ">Figure 16
<p>Drawing of a left malformed rudimentary first rib and malformed second rib. View from the left side.</p> Full article ">Figure 17
<p>Left 10° cranial 25° ventral-right caudodorsal oblique projection showing fused right first and second ribs (bifid rib), obtained in a 1-year-old warmblood mare. The head of the horse is to the left.</p> Full article ">Figure 18
<p>Drawing of the first thoracic ribs, showing a normal shape. Slightly cranial view from the left side.</p> Full article ">
16 pages, 4001 KiB  
Article
Effects of LED Light Colors on the Growth Performance, Intestinal Morphology, Cecal Short-Chain Fatty Acid Concentrations and Microbiota in Broilers
by Yihui Liu, Youkuan He, Siqin Fan, Xinyu Gong, Yuqiao Zhou, Yaowei Jian, Jiuyi Ouyang, Qianming Jiang and Peihua Zhang
Animals 2023, 13(23), 3731; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13233731 - 1 Dec 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1504
Abstract
This study aimed to explore the effects of light-emitting diode (LED) light colors on growth, intestinal morphology, and cecal microbiota in broilers. A total of 360 healthy male Arbor Acres (AA) broilers with similar weights were selected and divided into four groups with [...] Read more.
This study aimed to explore the effects of light-emitting diode (LED) light colors on growth, intestinal morphology, and cecal microbiota in broilers. A total of 360 healthy male Arbor Acres (AA) broilers with similar weights were selected and divided into four groups with six replicates in each group and 15 broilers in each replicate: LED white light (W), LED green light (G), LED blue light (B), and LED blue–green composite light (BG). The experimental period was 42 d, the light cycle of each treatment group was 23L:1D (23 h of light, one hour of darkness) from 1 to 3 d, and the light cycle from 4 to 42 d was 16L:8D; light intensity was 20 Lux. The results showed that the average daily feed intake and final weight of broilers receiving the B group were the highest in 21 d and 42 d compared with other groups. The average daily feed intake of the BG group was lower than that of the B group. In the same light color, small intestine villus height grows with age. On days 21 and 42, compared with other groups, the ileal villus height was higher, the crypt depth was lower, and the V/C ratio (villus to crypt ratio) was higher in the BG group. The combination of blue–green composite light was beneficial to increase the content of propionate, isobutyrate, butyrate, isovalerate, and valerate in the cecum of 21-day-old broilers and the content of isobutyrate in the cecum of 42-day-old broilers, and a decrease in cecal short-chain fatty acid concentrations with age. The B group and the BG group had higher abundances of Bacteroidetes at day 21 of age and lower abundances of Phascolarctobacterium at day 42. However, no cecal microbiota differences were detected by the Bonferroni-corrected test. In general, our research results showed that light color could promote the growth of broilers by affecting intestinal morphology, microbiota abundance (needs to be validated by further experiments), and cecal short-chain fatty acid concentrations. And blue and blue–green composite lights are more suitable for broiler growth. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Animal Physiology)
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<p>Spectral characteristics: (<b>A</b>) white light-emitting diode light (WL); (<b>B</b>) green light-emitting diode light (GL); (<b>C</b>) blue light-emitting diode light (BL); (<b>D</b>) blue-green light-emitting diode light (BGL).</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>Venn diagrams of cecal microbiota at day 21 (<b>A</b>) and at day 42 (<b>B</b>).</p> Full article ">Figure 3
<p>Effects of LED light colors on the β-analysis of microbiota at day 21 (<b>A</b>) and at day 42 (<b>B</b>). <span class="html-italic">p &gt;</span> 0.05 indicates no significant difference, and <span class="html-italic">p</span> &lt; 0.05 indicates a significant difference.</p> Full article ">Figure 4
<p>Effects of LED light colors on the cecal microbiota compositions at the phylum level on day 21 (<b>A</b>) and on day 42 (<b>B</b>).</p> Full article ">Figure 5
<p>Effects of LED light colors on the cecal microbiota compositions at the genus level on day 21 (<b>A</b>) and on day 42 (<b>B</b>).</p> Full article ">Figure 5 Cont.
<p>Effects of LED light colors on the cecal microbiota compositions at the genus level on day 21 (<b>A</b>) and on day 42 (<b>B</b>).</p> Full article ">Figure 6
<p>Effects of LED light colors on the cecal microbiota abundance at the genus level on day 21 (<b>A</b>) and on day 42 (<b>B</b>). <sup>a,b</sup> Significant effect of treatment (<span class="html-italic">p</span> &lt; 0.05; values with different lowercase letters are significantly different).</p> Full article ">Figure 7
<p>Heatmap of the Spearman correlations between the cecal microbiota and short-chain fatty acid on day 21 (<b>A</b>) and on day 42 (<b>B</b>). * <span class="html-italic">p</span> &lt; 0.05 (Significant); ** <span class="html-italic">p</span> &lt; 0.01 (Extremely significant); *** <span class="html-italic">p</span> &lt; 0.001 (The most significant).</p> Full article ">Figure 7 Cont.
<p>Heatmap of the Spearman correlations between the cecal microbiota and short-chain fatty acid on day 21 (<b>A</b>) and on day 42 (<b>B</b>). * <span class="html-italic">p</span> &lt; 0.05 (Significant); ** <span class="html-italic">p</span> &lt; 0.01 (Extremely significant); *** <span class="html-italic">p</span> &lt; 0.001 (The most significant).</p> Full article ">
10 pages, 748 KiB  
Article
Beta-Carotene Supplementation for Sows: Reproductive Parameters and Productive Performance of Piglets
by Amanda Medeiros Araújo de Oliveira, Ednardo Rodrigues Freitas, Denise Batista Nogueira, Gabriel Gobira de Alcântara Araújo, Lucas Melo de Silva, Eduardo Afonso Frandi Butolo, Kassia Moreira Santos, Maurício Frias Prata, Claudia Cassimira da Silva Martins, Adsos Adami Passos, Carlos Lozano, Leonardo Augusto Fonseca Pascoal and Pedro Henrique Watanabe
Animals 2023, 13(23), 3730; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13233730 - 1 Dec 2023
Viewed by 1448
Abstract
The rapid fetal development and the increased demand for milk result in a catabolic state and oxidative stress in hyperprolific sows. Despite animal defense mechanisms, the dietary supplementation of antioxidants is being evaluated to reduce the impacts of excess free radicals. The aim [...] Read more.
The rapid fetal development and the increased demand for milk result in a catabolic state and oxidative stress in hyperprolific sows. Despite animal defense mechanisms, the dietary supplementation of antioxidants is being evaluated to reduce the impacts of excess free radicals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the short- and long-term effects of beta-carotene supplementation for sows on the reproductive response and performance of suckling piglets. A total of 120 sows were distributed in a 3 × 4 factorial arrangement of three supplementation levels (B0–no supplementation, B200–200 mg beta-carotene/day and B400–400 mg beta-carotene/day) and four groups of parity order (1st, 2nd, 3rd, above 4th). Beta-carotene supplementation during lactation resulted in a higher litter weight at weaning. A higher average weight of piglets and litter weight at birth were observed, as well as a greater number of piglets weaned and litter weight at weaning in sows supplemented with 400 mg of beta-carotene during gestation and lactation periods. Supplementation with 200 and 400 mg of beta-carotene resulted in a greater weight at weaning and daily weight gain in piglets. Daily supplementation with 400 mg of beta-carotene in the prepartum and lactation phases provides a greater litter weight at weaning and, when supplemented in the pre-gestation and gestation periods, results in a greater litter weight at birth and at weaning. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antioxidants, Nutraceuticals, and Functional Food in Animals)
19 pages, 20069 KiB  
Article
DFCCNet: A Dense Flock of Chickens Counting Network Based on Density Map Regression
by Jinze Lv, Jinfeng Wang, Chaoda Peng and Qiong Huang
Animals 2023, 13(23), 3729; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13233729 - 1 Dec 2023
Viewed by 1717
Abstract
With the development of artificial intelligence, automatically and accurately counting chickens has become a reality. However, insufficient lighting, irregular sizes, and dense flocks make this a challenging task. The existing methods cannot perform accurate and stable counting. In this article, a dense flock [...] Read more.
With the development of artificial intelligence, automatically and accurately counting chickens has become a reality. However, insufficient lighting, irregular sizes, and dense flocks make this a challenging task. The existing methods cannot perform accurate and stable counting. In this article, a dense flock of chickens counting network (DFCCNet) is proposed based on density map regression, where features from different levels are merged using feature fusion to obtain more information for distinguishing chickens from the background, resulting in more stable counting results. Multi-scaling is used to detect and count chickens at various scales, which can improve the counting accuracy and ensure stable performance for chickens of different sizes. Feature convolution kernels are adopted to convolve feature maps, which can extract more accurate target information, reduce the impact of occlusion, and achieve more reliable and precise results. A dataset of dense flocks of chickens (namely Dense-Chicken) has been collected and constructed, which contains 600 images of 99,916 chickens, with labeled points and boxes. It can be accessed by researchers as benchmark data. The proposed method was compared with some state-of-the-art algorithms, to validate its effectiveness. With its robustness being verified by counting in three kinds of density situations, with the mean absolute error being 4.26, 9.85, and 19.17, respectively, and a speed of 16.15 FPS. DFCCNet provides an automatic and fast approach to counting chickens in a dense farming environment. It can be easily embedded into handheld devices for application in agricultural engineering. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Technology in Poultry Production and Nutrition: Role in Disease Prevention, Performance and Welfare Improvement and Sustainability)
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<p>The overall framework of DFCCNet.</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>The structure of the feature convolution kernel generation module. The whole process is divided into three stages: feature extraction, concatenating, and scaling. Where the green and orange blocks represent the output of the third and fourth residual blocks, respectively.</p> Full article ">Figure 3
<p>The structure of counting module.</p> Full article ">Figure 4
<p>Details of the counting module. In this figure, <span class="html-italic">h</span> and <span class="html-italic">w</span> refer to the height and width of the input image, and <span class="html-italic">a</span> and <span class="html-italic">b</span> refer to the characteristic convolution kernel sizes of the output of the third and fourth blocks. Since the feature convolution kernel generated earlier uses 20 cropped images, the dimension of the convolution kernel is 20 in the correlation map generation module. The scale_factor for all upsampling operations was set to 2.</p> Full article ">Figure 5
<p>Experimental data acquisition device.</p> Full article ">Figure 6
<p>Images and annotation files in different scenes.</p> Full article ">Figure 7
<p>Image cropping. The chickens cut out are intact, with different sizes and directions.</p> Full article ">Figure 8
<p>Visualization of counting results. The first line shows the original image, the second line shows the ground truth, and the last line shows the visualization output of DFCCNet. For better observation, the gray scale map was combined with the density map.</p> Full article ">Figure 9
<p>Distribution of data for different density levels.</p> Full article ">Figure 10
<p>Comparison of yolov5x, CSRNet, and DFCCNet. For the same image, the result of DFCCNet was closer to the ground truth.</p> Full article ">Figure 11
<p>Comparing the test MAE, parameters, and FPS of the different methods. (<b>a</b>) The relationship between MAE and parameters. (<b>b</b>) The relationship between MAE and FPS.</p> Full article ">Figure 11 Cont.
<p>Comparing the test MAE, parameters, and FPS of the different methods. (<b>a</b>) The relationship between MAE and parameters. (<b>b</b>) The relationship between MAE and FPS.</p> Full article ">Figure 12
<p>Chickens counting mobile app user interface. (<b>a</b>) Picture acquisition screen, (<b>b</b>) counting result, (<b>c</b>) visualization result.</p> Full article ">
13 pages, 2417 KiB  
Article
Identification of Pre-Emptive Biosecurity Zone Areas for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Based on Machine Learning-Driven Risk Analysis
by Kwang-Myung Jeon, Jinwoo Jung, Chang-Min Lee and Dae-Sung Yoo
Animals 2023, 13(23), 3728; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13233728 - 1 Dec 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1897
Abstract
Over the last decade, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has severely affected poultry production systems across the globe. In particular, massive pre-emptive depopulation of all poultry within a certain distance has raised concerns regarding animal welfare and food security. Thus, alternative approaches to [...] Read more.
Over the last decade, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has severely affected poultry production systems across the globe. In particular, massive pre-emptive depopulation of all poultry within a certain distance has raised concerns regarding animal welfare and food security. Thus, alternative approaches to reducing unnecessary depopulation, such as risk-based depopulation, are highly demanded. This paper proposes a data-driven method to generate a rule table and risk score for each farm to identify preventive measures against HPAI. To evaluate the proposed method, 105 cases of HPAI occurring in a total of 381 farms in Jeollanam-do from 2014 to 2023 were evaluated. The accuracy of preventive measure identification was assessed for each case using both the conventional culling method and the proposed data-driven method. The evaluation showed that the proposed method achieved an accuracy of 84.19%, significantly surpassing the previous 10.37%. The result was attributed to the proposed method reducing the false-positive rate by 83.61% compared with the conventional method, thereby enhancing the reliability of identification. The proposed method is expected to be utilized in selecting farms for monitoring and management of HPAI. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Epidemiological Tools for Disease Control and Prevention in Food Animals)
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<p>Each map contains six examples of farms subject to analysis. (a) to (f) on each map are poultry farms, the red dots on each of the six maps are the analysis target farms, the red circles are the analysis farms within a 3000 m radius, and the yellow dots are the nearby analysis farms.</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>Example of the process of constructing training data by merging final evaluation score data and past occurrence history data.</p> Full article ">Figure 3
<p>Example of the process of deriving a criterion score by dividing training data into feature data and target data.</p> Full article ">Figure 4
<p>SVM model learned by setting the weights for each class to be the same (<b>a</b>) and SVM model learned by deriving the optimal weights (<b>b</b>).</p> Full article ">
14 pages, 13414 KiB  
Article
Genomic Dissection through Whole-Genome Resequencing of Five Local Pig Breeds from Shanghai, China
by Jun Gao, Lingwei Sun, Hongmei Pan, Shushan Zhang, Jiehuan Xu, Mengqian He, Keqing Zhang, Jinyong Zhou, Defu Zhang, Caifeng Wu and Jianjun Dai
Animals 2023, 13(23), 3727; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13233727 - 1 Dec 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2231
Abstract
China has rich genetic resources of local pig breeds. In this study, whole-genome resequencing was performed on five Shanghai local pig breeds, aiming to analyze their population genetic structure and unique genomic characteristics. Tens of millions of single nucleotide variants were obtained through [...] Read more.
China has rich genetic resources of local pig breeds. In this study, whole-genome resequencing was performed on five Shanghai local pig breeds, aiming to analyze their population genetic structure and unique genomic characteristics. Tens of millions of single nucleotide variants were obtained through the resequencing of a total of 150 individual pigs from five local pig breeds (Meishan, Fengjing, Shawutou, Pudong White, and Shanghai White) after mapping them with the pig reference genome of Sus scrofa 11.1. The results of admixture structure analysis also clearly demonstrated the genetic differences between the Shanghai local pig breeds and the three commercial pig breeds (Duroc, Landrace, and Yorkshire). The genetic infiltration of Landrace and Yorkshire pig breeds in the SHW breed was detected, which is consistent with the early history of crossbreeding in this breed. Selective sweep analysis between four indigenous Shanghai pig breed populations and three commercial pig breed populations identified 270 and 224 genes with selective signatures in the commercial and indigenous Shanghai pig populations, respectively. Six genes (TGS1, PLAG1, CHCHD7, LCORL, TMEM68, and TMEM8B) were found to be associated with animal growth in the commercial pig population through gene enrichment and protein–protein interaction analysis. In contrast, the MSRB3 gene in the indigenous Shanghai pig population was significantly under selection, which correlated with the long pendulous ear phenotype of the indigenous Shanghai pig population. In conclusion, this study is the first genomic profiling of five representative local pig breeds in Shanghai, which provides molecular genetic data and foundations for better conservation and utilization of local pig breed resources in Shanghai, China. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Animal Genetics and Genomics)
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<p>Appearance of five Shanghai local pig breeds.</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>Population structure of the eight pig breeds. (<b>A</b>) PCA analysis of the eight pig breeds. (<b>B</b>) The lowest cross-validation error rate for all samples divided into eight populations (K = 8, red dot). (<b>C</b>) Admixture population structure (K = 8) of the eight pig breeds.</p> Full article ">Figure 3
<p>Heatmaps of IBS distances and neighbor-joining (NJ) trees among individuals. (<b>A</b>) Heatmaps of IBS distances of the eight pig breed individuals. (<b>B</b>) The NJ tree among the eight pig breed individuals.</p> Full article ">Figure 4
<p>Genome-wide distribution of selection signatures detected using F<sub>ST</sub> and log<sub>2</sub>θ<sub>π</sub> ratio. The X-axis represents the log2 normalized value of the θ<span class="html-italic"><sub>π</sub></span> value ratio, and the Y-axis represents the F<sub>ST</sub> value. The red line displays the threshold level of 5%. The blue scatters indicate the genomic regions under selection in the Shanghai indigenous population, while red scatters revealed genomic selection regions in the commercial pig population.</p> Full article ">Figure 5
<p>GO and KEGG enrichment analysis of selection genes in commercial pig population. (<b>A</b>) The bubble plot revealed the top 20 GO biological progress terms of the enrichment analysis. (<b>B</b>) The bubble plot indicated the top 20 KEGG pathways of the enrichment analysis.</p> Full article ">Figure 6
<p>Two PPI subnetworks of selected genes in commercial and indigenous Shanghai pig breeds. (<b>A</b>) The PPI subnetwork (consisting of six proteins) subjected to selection in commercial pigs. (<b>B</b>) The PPI subnetwork (composed of three proteins) selected in the indigenous Shanghai pig population. (<b>C</b>) Genes in the PPI subnetwork obtained in commercial swine populations are strongly correlated with the body size of the livestock and appear in several studies of selection signaling, with the names of the relevant studies in the table. (<b>D</b>) Three genes in the PPI subnetwork obtained from an indigenous pig population in Shanghai are closely related to ear traits in livestock, and the names of the related studies are given in the table.</p> Full article ">Figure 7
<p>Gene polymorphisms of <span class="html-italic">MSRB3</span> of eight pig breed individuals. (<b>A</b>) The nucleic acid polymorphism (π) of <span class="html-italic">MSRB3</span> in the indigenous Shanghai pig breed population compared to the commercial pig population. (<b>B</b>) The haplotype heatmap of <span class="html-italic">MSRB3</span> was constructed using these 386 SNPs as columns and the sample individuals as rows, with the genotypes of SNPs consistent with the reference genome indicated in pink (0/0), and the blue parts indicating the loci with polymorphic genotypes (0/1 and 1/1).</p> Full article ">
24 pages, 4850 KiB  
Article
Phylogeography and Ecological Niche Modeling of the Alashan Pit Viper (Gloydius cognatus; Reptilia, Viperidae) in Northwest China and Adjacent Areas
by Rui Xu, Tatjana N. Dujsebayeva, Dali Chen, Byambasuren Mijidsuren, Feng Xu and Xianguang Guo
Animals 2023, 13(23), 3726; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13233726 - 1 Dec 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1662
Abstract
The joint impacts of historical geological events and Quaternary climatic oscillations in Northwest China on species evolution have been examined extensively in plant under a phylogeographic perspective. However, animal phylogeographic analyses in this region are still limited. The Alashan pit viper, Gloydius cognatus [...] Read more.
The joint impacts of historical geological events and Quaternary climatic oscillations in Northwest China on species evolution have been examined extensively in plant under a phylogeographic perspective. However, animal phylogeographic analyses in this region are still limited. The Alashan pit viper, Gloydius cognatus, occurs primarily in arid Northwest China and adjacent areas. Based on variation at two mtDNA genes (ND4 and Cytb) in 27 individuals representing 24 populations, the spatial genetic structure and demographic history of G. cognatus were examined across its geographic range. Phylogenetic analyses revealed two well-supported allopatric clades (each with two distinct subclades/lineages), distributed across the southern (Qaidam Basin, Lanzhou Basin, and Zoige Basin [S1]; Loess Plateau [S2]) and northern (Ily Basin [N1]; Junggar Basin and Mongolian Plateau [N2]) regions. AMOVA analysis demonstrated that over 76% of the observed genetic variation was related to these lineage splits, indicating substantial genetic differentiation among the four lineages. A strong pattern of isolation-by-distance across the sampling populations suggested that geographic distance principally shaped the genetic structure. The four lineages diverged by 0.9–2.2% for the concatenated data, which were estimated to have coalesced ~1.17 million years ago (Mya), suggesting that the expansions of the Badain Jaran, Tengger, and Mu Us deserts during the Xixiabangma glaciation likely interrupted gene flow and triggered the observed divergence in the southern and northern regions. Subsequently, the early Pleistocene integration of the Yellow River and associated deserts expansion promoted the differentiation of S1 and S2 lineages (~0.9 Mya). Both mitochondrial evidence and ecological niche modeling (ENM) reject the signature of demographic and range contractions during the LGM for G. cognatus. In addition, ENM predicts that the suitable habitat of G. cognatus will contract in the future. As such, the conservation and management of ESUs should be a priority. Our findings provide the first insights on the lineage diversification and population dynamics of the Alashan pit viper in relation to geological history and Pleistocene climatic oscillations in arid Northwest China. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Evolution, Diversity, and Conservation of Herpetofauna)
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<p>Collection sites for the samples of <span class="html-italic">G. cognatus</span> used in this study. Sites are numbered as in <a href="#animals-13-03726-t001" class="html-table">Table 1</a> and <a href="#app1-animals-13-03726" class="html-app">Table S1</a>; subclades/lineages/phylogroups are highlighted by different colors referring to <a href="#animals-13-03726-f002" class="html-fig">Figure 2</a>. Sites 14–24 are retrieved from previous studies [<a href="#B42-animals-13-03726" class="html-bibr">42</a>,<a href="#B43-animals-13-03726" class="html-bibr">43</a>,<a href="#B55-animals-13-03726" class="html-bibr">55</a>,<a href="#B56-animals-13-03726" class="html-bibr">56</a>], of which sites 17, 20–24 are approximate due to a lack of precise coordinates. The background outlines the known distribution range of <span class="html-italic">G. cognatus</span> according to Shi et al. [<a href="#B42-animals-13-03726" class="html-bibr">42</a>] and our field survey. The yellow circle without number indicates our recent field record of <span class="html-italic">G. cognatus</span> in Qinghe County, Xinjiang, China. BJD, Badain-Jaran Desert; LP, Loess Plateau; HD, Hobq Desert; IB, Ily Basin; JB, Junggar Basin; LB, Lanzhou Basin; MP, Mongolian Plateau; MUD, Mu Us Desert; QB, Qaidam Basin; QLM, Qilian Mountains; QTP, Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau; TB, Tarim Basin; TD, Tengger Desert; TSM, Tianshan Mountains; UD, Ulanbh Desert; YR, Yellow River; ZB, Zoige Basin.</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>A majority-rule consensus tree inferred from Bayesian inference by using MrBayes v.3.2. The tip of the tree refers to the voucher number in <a href="#animals-13-03726-t001" class="html-table">Table 1</a> or code in <a href="#app1-animals-13-03726" class="html-app">Table S1</a>. Different species are highlighted, and four lineages are identified in <span class="html-italic">G. cognatus</span>. Bayesian posterior probability (PP) and maximum likelihood UFBoot values are shown on major nodes. Dashes represent nodes with PP or UFBoot values lower than 0.5 or 50%, respectively. Snake photos by Xianguang Guo.</p> Full article ">Figure 3
<p>TCS network of the haplotypes inferred from a total of 25 concatenated sequences of <span class="html-italic">ND4</span> and <span class="html-italic">Cytb</span> for <span class="html-italic">G. cognatus</span>. In the network, colored circles indicate sampled haplotypes; black circles indicate vectors inferred by PopART software. Different filled colors represent the corresponding geographical origin from which the haplotype was sampled. Circle size corresponds to relative numbers of individuals sharing a particular haplotype. Short bars crossing network branches indicate substitution steps.</p> Full article ">Figure 4
<p>Molecular dating of <span class="html-italic">G. cognatus</span> based on the concatenated <span class="html-italic">ND4</span> and <span class="html-italic">Cytb</span> genes. Divergence dates with 95% HPD and posterior probability (PP) for major nodes are shown.</p> Full article ">Figure 5
<p>Results of the mismatch distribution analysis of each clade. (<b>A</b>) South, the southern clade; (<b>B</b>) North, the northern clade. Blue bars represent the pairwise differences of the observed distribution, and orange lines represent the theoretically expected distribution under a population expansion model.</p> Full article ">Figure 6
<p>Bayesian skyline plots of each clade. (<b>A</b>) South, the southern clade; (<b>B</b>) North, the northern clade. The <span class="html-italic">y</span>-axes represent the estimated effective population size on a log-scale (<span class="html-italic">Ne</span> × τ/10<sup>6</sup>, the product of the female effective population size and generation length in years); <span class="html-italic">x</span>-axes represent time in millions of years ago (Mya). The vertical grey bar represents the duration of the last glacial maximum (LGM) and the last interglacial (LIG), respectively.</p> Full article ">Figure 7
<p>Potentially suitable distribution area obtained with MaxEnt for <span class="html-italic">G. cognatus</span> at present. Colorless area indicates low habitat suitability; green indicates a suitable habitat.</p> Full article ">Figure 8
<p>Potentially suitable distribution area in five different periods for <span class="html-italic">G. cognatus</span>. (<b>A</b>) LIG, last inter glacial; (<b>B</b>) LGM, last glacial maximum; (<b>C</b>) MH, mid-Holocene; (<b>D</b>) SSP 126 for 2070s, Shared Socio-economic Pathway 126; (<b>E</b>) SSP 585 for 2070s, Shared Socio-economic Pathway 585 for 2070s. Negative MESS scores, shown as similarity &lt; 0 by pink, indicate areas without current equivalents of climatic conditions.</p> Full article ">
14 pages, 3204 KiB  
Article
In Ovo Feeding Techniques of Green Nanoparticles of Silver and Probiotics: Evaluation of Performance, Physiological, and Microbiological Responses of Hatched One-Day-Old Broiler Chicks
by Mervat M. N. Ahmed, Zienhom S. H. Ismail, Ibrahim Elwardany, Jayant Lohakare and Ahmed A. A. Abdel-Wareth
Animals 2023, 13(23), 3725; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13233725 - 1 Dec 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2619
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the in ovo feeding of green nanoparticles of silver (Nano-Ag), probiotics, and their combination on hatchability, carcass criteria and internal organs, biochemical parameters, and cecal microbial populations in hatched one-day-old chicks. On [...] Read more.
The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the in ovo feeding of green nanoparticles of silver (Nano-Ag), probiotics, and their combination on hatchability, carcass criteria and internal organs, biochemical parameters, and cecal microbial populations in hatched one-day-old chicks. On day 18 of incubation, 250 live embryo eggs were weighed and randomly assigned to one of five treatment groups: a negative control group, a positive control group consisting of chicks injected with 0.2 mL physiological saline, a group consisting of chicks injected with 0.2 mL Nano-Ag, a group consisting of chicks injected with 0.2 mL probiotics (Bifidobacterium spp.), and a group consisting of chicks injected with 0.2 mL combination of Nano-Ag and probiotics (1:1). The results showed that the in ovo injection of Nano-Ag or probiotics, alone or in combination, had no effect on hatchability, live body weight, or internal organs but improved (p < 0.05) chick carcass yield compared to the control groups. Furthermore, in ovo feeding decreased (p < 0.05) serum levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, urea, creatinine, alanine aminotransferase, and aspartate aminotransferase, as well as cecal E. coli, but increased Bifidobacterium spp. when compared to the control groups. Based on these findings, in ovo injections of green Nano-Ag and probiotics, either alone or in combination, have the potential to improve chick health and balance the microbial populations in hatched one-day-old chicks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Technology in Poultry Production and Nutrition: Role in Disease Prevention, Performance and Welfare Improvement and Sustainability)
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<p>Transmission electron micrographs of green silver nanoparticles (Nano-Ag); 1–100 nm, and TEM Mag = 8000×.</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>Effect of Nano-Ag, probiotics, and their combination on hatchability (%) (<b>A</b>) and hatched chick live body weight (<b>B</b>) in one-day-old hatched chicks. The bars on each column in the figure show the standard error of means (n = 50).</p> Full article ">Figure 3
<p>Effect of Nano-Ag, probiotics, and their combination on aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (<b>A</b>) and alanine transaminase (ALT) (<b>B</b>) levels in one-day-old hatched chicks. The birds were the experimental unit (n = 6 per treatment), and the bars on each column in the figure refer to the standard error of means. <sup>a,b</sup> The columns in figures with different superscripts are different (<span class="html-italic">p</span> ˂ 0.05).</p> Full article ">Figure 4
<p>Effect of Nano-Ag, probiotics, and their combination on creatinine (<b>A</b>) and urea (<b>B</b>) levels in one-day-old hatched chicks. The birds were the experimental unit (n = 6 per treatment), and the bars on each column in the figure refer to the standard error of means. <sup>a,b</sup> The columns in figures with different superscripts are different (<span class="html-italic">p</span> ˂ 0.05).</p> Full article ">Figure 5
<p>Effect of Nano-Ag, probiotics, and their combination on cholesterol (<b>A</b>) and triglycerides (<b>B</b>) levels in one-day-old hatched chicks. The birds were the experimental unit (n = 6 per treatment), and the bars on each column in the figure refer to the standard error of means. <sup>a–c</sup> The columns in figures with different superscripts are different (<span class="html-italic">p</span> ˂ 0.05).</p> Full article ">Figure 6
<p>Effect of Nano-Ag, probiotics, and their combination on total protein levels in one-day-old, hatched chicks. The birds were the experimental unit (n = 6 per treatment), and the bars on each column in the figure refer to the standard error of means.</p> Full article ">Figure 7
<p>Effect of Nano-Ag, probiotics, and their combination on total counts of <span class="html-italic">Bifidobacterium</span> (<b>A</b>) <span class="html-italic">E. coli</span> (<b>B</b>) (CFU/g cecal content) in one-day-old hatched chicks. The birds were the experimental unit (n = 6 per treatment), and the bars on each column in the figure refer to the standard error of means. <sup>a–c</sup> The columns in figures with different superscripts are different (<span class="html-italic">p</span> ˂ 0.05).</p> Full article ">
18 pages, 2238 KiB  
Article
Different Concentrations of Probiotic Pediococcus pentosaceus GT001 on Growth Performance, Antioxidant Capacity, Immune Function, Intestinal Microflora and Histomorphology of Broiler Chickens
by Gifty Ziema Bumbie, Leonardo Abormegah, Peter Asiedu, Akua Durowaa Oduro-Owusu, Frederick Danso, Kwabena Owusu Ansah, Taha Mohamed Mohamed and Zhiru Tang
Animals 2023, 13(23), 3724; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13233724 - 1 Dec 2023
Viewed by 1759
Abstract
Exploring alternatives to antibiotics is imperative in reducing antibiotic resistance and antibiotic residues in poultry products. The beneficial effects of antibiotic products derived from natural sources in comparison with the synthetic ones has been reported. Pediococcus pentosaceus has been applied as an animal [...] Read more.
Exploring alternatives to antibiotics is imperative in reducing antibiotic resistance and antibiotic residues in poultry products. The beneficial effects of antibiotic products derived from natural sources in comparison with the synthetic ones has been reported. Pediococcus pentosaceus has been applied as an animal growth bio-promoter and probiotic. To elucidate the protective mechanisms of P. pentosaceus, this study investigated the effects of different doses of P. pentosaceus supplementation on broiler growth performance, immune function, intestinal development and histomorphology. Five hundred (500) one-day-old Ross 708 broiler chicks were randomly enrolled into five experimental groups with 20 chicks per replicate. The treatments were imposed as follows: (T1) basal diet (control); (T2) basal diet with 1 g/kg antibact 3X; (T3) basal diet with P. pentosaceus GT001 at 4.0 × 108 cfu/g; (T4) basal diet with P. pentosaceus GT001 at 8.0 × 108 cfu/g; and (T5) basal diet with P. pentosaceus GT001 at 1.2 × 109 cfu/g. Dietary inclusion of P. pentosaceus GT001 at 4.0 × 108 cfu/g significantly improved body weight gain, feed intake and lipid profile of the broilers compared to the control group (p < 0.05). The addition of P. pentosaceus GT001 significantly improved the intestinal pH of the broilers. The digestive enzymes of the broilers were impacted with the supplementation of P. pentosaceus GT001 at 4.0 × 108 cfu/g. The highest serum antioxidant production was observed in the P. pentosaceus-treated group compared to the control. P. pentosaceus GT001 at 4.0 × 108 cfu/g increased the levels of serum cytokines and immunoglobin and improved the small intestinal morphology of the broilers in comparison with the control. The load of Pedococcus spp was similar among T3, T4 and T5 but significantly higher than that of the control (T1) and the antibiotics (T2)-fed birds. The load of E. coli in the gut was significantly reduced in T3, T4 and T5 compared to T1 and T2. There was no Salmonella growth among the treatments. This study highlights the importance of probiotics in broiler diets and suggests that Pediococcus pentosaceus GT001 could be used as a feasible substitute to antimicrobials in broiler production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Animal Physiology)
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<p>Electron micrograph images of the duodenum (<b>A</b>), ileum (<b>B</b>) and jejunum (<b>C</b>) tissues from the treatment birds. (T1)—basal diet (corn and soybean based); (T2)—basal diet supplemented with antibact 3X 1 g/kg feed; (T3)—basal diet supplemented with <span class="html-italic">P. pentosaceus</span> GT001 at 4.0 × 10<sup>8</sup> cfu/g feed; (T4)—basal diet supplemented with <span class="html-italic">P. pentosaceus</span> at 8.0 × 10<sup>8</sup> cfu/g feed; and (T5)—basal diet supplemented with <span class="html-italic">P. pentosaceus</span> at 1.2 × 10<sup>9</sup> cfu/g.</p> Full article ">Figure 1 Cont.
<p>Electron micrograph images of the duodenum (<b>A</b>), ileum (<b>B</b>) and jejunum (<b>C</b>) tissues from the treatment birds. (T1)—basal diet (corn and soybean based); (T2)—basal diet supplemented with antibact 3X 1 g/kg feed; (T3)—basal diet supplemented with <span class="html-italic">P. pentosaceus</span> GT001 at 4.0 × 10<sup>8</sup> cfu/g feed; (T4)—basal diet supplemented with <span class="html-italic">P. pentosaceus</span> at 8.0 × 10<sup>8</sup> cfu/g feed; and (T5)—basal diet supplemented with <span class="html-italic">P. pentosaceus</span> at 1.2 × 10<sup>9</sup> cfu/g.</p> Full article ">
11 pages, 1903 KiB  
Article
Ginsenoside Rg1 Alleviates Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Fibrosis of Endometrial Epithelial Cells in Dairy Cows by Inhibiting Reactive Oxygen Species-Activated NLRP3
by Liangli Song, Linnan Wang, Xiangchen Li and Longfei Xiao
Animals 2023, 13(23), 3723; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13233723 - 1 Dec 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1436
Abstract
Abnormal function and the fibrosis of endometrium caused by endometritis in cows may lead to difficult embryo implantation and uterine cavity adhesions. Emerging evidence indicates that ginsenoside Rg1 can effectively resist inflammation and pathological fibrosis in different organs. It is hypothesized that ginsenoside [...] Read more.
Abnormal function and the fibrosis of endometrium caused by endometritis in cows may lead to difficult embryo implantation and uterine cavity adhesions. Emerging evidence indicates that ginsenoside Rg1 can effectively resist inflammation and pathological fibrosis in different organs. It is hypothesized that ginsenoside Rg1 may possess the potential to mitigate endometrial fibrosis induced by lipopolysaccharides (LPS) in dairy cows. Herein, a model of LPS-stimulated fibrosis was constructed using bovine endometrial epithelial cell line (BEND) cells and ICR mice. Western blotting was used to detect the protein level, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) content was measured by means of DCFH-DA. The uterine tissue structure was stained with H&E and Masson staining. The murine endometrium was assessed for oxidative stress by detecting the concentration of MDA together with the activity of enzymatic antioxidants SOD and CAT. Ginsenoside Rg1 interfered with NLRP3 activation by reducing ROS generation. After the application of ROS inhibitor NAC and NLRP3 inhibitor MCC950, ginsenoside Rg1 could interfere in the ROS/NLRP3 inflammasome signaling pathway by suppressing the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) of BEND cells. Our in vivo data showed that ginsenoside Rg1 relieved endometrial fibrosis of the mouse model of LPS-induced endometritis by restraining the ROS/NLRP3 inflammasome signaling pathway. Ginsenoside Rg1 inhibits LPS-induced EMT progression in BEND cells probably by inhibiting the activation of ROS-NLRP3 inflammasome. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Animal Physiology)
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<p>Ginsenoside Rg1 inhibits LPS-induced EMT progression in BEND cells. (<b>A</b>) BEND cells undergo 48 h of processing using LPS (0.1, 1, and 10 μg/mL). Proteins related to EMT (α-SMA, E-cadherin, and N-cadherin) (n = 3) were detected via Western blotting. (<b>B</b>) BEND cells are stimulated with LPS (1 μg/mL) and/or ginsenoside Rg1 at the concentrations required for 48 h. EMT-associated proteins N-cadherin, E-cadherin, and α-SMA (n = 3) were examined through Western blotting, with β-actin as the loading control. The mean ± SEM is adopted to express values; ** <span class="html-italic">p</span> &lt; 0.01 and * <span class="html-italic">p</span> &lt; 0.05 vs. the control group.</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>Ginsenoside Rg1 alleviates LPS-induced EMT progression in BEND cells by inhibiting ROS production. BEND cells are subjected to 1 μg/mL LPS, 20 μM ginsenoside Rg1, and/or 5 mM NAC processing for 48 h. (<b>A</b>,<b>B</b>) DCFH-DA for the detection of total ROS content (scale bar = 50 μm). (<b>C</b>) GSH level (n = 6). (<b>D</b>) Proteins E-cadherin, α-SMA, and N-cadherin associated with EMT (n = 3) were measured by Western blotting, with loading control set as β-actin. The mean ± SEM is selected as the expression for values; ** <span class="html-italic">p</span> &lt; 0.01 and * <span class="html-italic">p</span> &lt; 0.05 vs. the control group.</p> Full article ">Figure 3
<p>Ginsenoside Rg1 inhibits NLRP3 activation by reducing ROS in BEND cells. BEND cells undergo 48 h of 1 μg/mL LPS, NAC (5 mM), and/or ginsenoside Rg1 (20 μM) treatment. With β-actin as the loading control, Western blotting is conducted for the expression of NLRP3, ASC, cleaved caspase-1, and α-SMA proteins (n = 3). Values are described in the format of mean ± SEM; ** <span class="html-italic">p</span> &lt; 0.01 vs. the control group.</p> Full article ">Figure 4
<p>Ginsenoside Rg1 alleviates BEND cell EMT progression by inhibiting NLRP3. BEND cells undergo 48 h of treatment by means of 20 μM ginsenoside Rg1, 10 μM MCC950, and/or 1 μg/mL LPS. α-SMA, N-cadherin, and E-cadherin as EMT-related proteins were measured using Western blotting (n = 3), with the loading control from β-actin. The expression of values is mean ± SEM; ** <span class="html-italic">p</span> &lt; 0.01 and * <span class="html-italic">p</span> &lt; 0.05 vs. the control group.</p> Full article ">Figure 5
<p>Ginsenoside Rg1 alleviates endometrial fibrosis in mice by inhibiting ROS-activated NLRP3. The control group (no treatment), the ginsenoside Rg1 group (100 mg/kg ginsenoside Rg1 treatment), the model group (with LPS), and the ginsenoside Rg1-treated group (with 100 mg/kg ginsenoside Rg1 + LPS) are set for the enrolled mice. (<b>A</b>) Uterine tissues undergoing H&amp;E and Masson staining. (<b>B</b>) SOD, MDA, and CAT content obtained from uterine tissues. (<b>C</b>–<b>E</b>) α-SMA, E-cadherin, NLRP3, ASC, N-cadherin, caspase-1, and IL-1β (n = 3) were examined using Western blotting, for which the loading control was determined as β-actin. The mean ± SEM is adopted to describe values; ** <span class="html-italic">p</span> &lt; 0.01 and * <span class="html-italic">p</span> &lt; 0.05 vs. the control group.</p> Full article ">
19 pages, 5342 KiB  
Article
Effects of Multiple Environmental Stressors on Zoobenthos Communities in Shallow Lakes: Evidence from a Mesocosm Experiment
by Xiaoqi Xu, Guohuan Su, Peiyu Zhang, Tao Wang, Kangshun Zhao, Huan Zhang, Jinhe Huang, Hongxia Wang, Xianghong Kong, Jun Xu and Min Zhang
Animals 2023, 13(23), 3722; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13233722 - 1 Dec 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1983
Abstract
Multiple stressors, including climate change, eutrophication, and pesticide contamination, are significant drivers of the decline in lake zoobenthos. Zoobenthos play a crucial role in aquatic ecosystems, impacting energy dynamics, nutrient cycling, and sediment degradation. However, these stressors have led to a decrease in [...] Read more.
Multiple stressors, including climate change, eutrophication, and pesticide contamination, are significant drivers of the decline in lake zoobenthos. Zoobenthos play a crucial role in aquatic ecosystems, impacting energy dynamics, nutrient cycling, and sediment degradation. However, these stressors have led to a decrease in the abundance and diversity of zoobenthos, resulting in notable changes in species composition and structure. Eutrophication typically increases zoobenthos abundance while reducing taxonomic diversity. Climate change, such as warming and heatwaves, also affects the zoobenthos community structure, with different species exhibiting varying levels of adaptability to temperature changes. Additionally, pesticides like imidacloprid have negative effects on the survival and growth of zoobenthos. However, the interactions between imidacloprid and other stressors remain understudied. Here, we used 48 mesocosms (2500 L) to simulate shallow lakes. We combined nutrient loading, sustained warming, and the imidacloprid pesticide to test how these stressors interactively influence the survival and community of zoobenthos. The experimental results demonstrate that elevated temperatures have a significant impact on aquatic benthic organisms under different treatment conditions. The increase in temperature led to a notable rise in species richness and α-diversity, primarily attributed to the stimulation of metabolic activities in zoobenthos, promoting their growth and reproduction. This finding underscores the potential influence of climate change on aquatic benthic ecosystems, particularly in terms of its promoting effect on α-diversity. However, it is essential to note that elevated temperatures also reduced β-diversity among different sites, implying a potential trend toward homogenization in zoobenthos communities under warmer conditions. Moreover, this study revealed the interactive effects of multiple stressors on the diversity of aquatic benthic communities. Specifically, the pesticide imidacloprid’s impact on zoobenthos is not isolated but demonstrates complex effects within various treatment interactions. In the presence of both temperature elevation and the addition of imidacloprid, the presence of imidacloprid appears to counteract the adverse effects of temperature elevation, resulting in increased species diversity. However, when imidacloprid coincides with nutrient input, it significantly affects α-diversity negatively. These findings highlight the complexity of zoobenthos responses to multiple stressors and how these factors influence both α-diversity and β-diversity. They provide valuable insights for further research on the conservation and management of ecosystems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Ecology and Conservation)
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<p>Distribution map of 48 mesocosms, including mesocosm numbers and types of experimental treatments.</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>Schematic diagram of experimental process and time.</p> Full article ">Figure 3
<p>The effects of different treatments on zoobenthos abundance were examined at the end of the experiment. The treatments included warming (W), nutrient loading (E), and pesticide application (P), both individually and in combination. The ambient control group with no treatment added is denoted as (C). Lowercase letters represent significant differences in means between different treatments (post hoc tests, <span class="html-italic">p</span> &lt; 0.05), while the same letters indicate no significant differences. Vertical bars are standard errors.</p> Full article ">Figure 4
<p>The impact of warming on zoobenthos species abundance and diversity. (<b>A</b>) Rank abundance curves: the figure illustrates species abundance ranking on the <span class="html-italic">x</span>-axis, with species abundance on the <span class="html-italic">y</span>-axis, and displays the names of the top 10 species as label text. (<b>B</b>) Additive diversity partitioning: the figure displays diversity indices on the <span class="html-italic">y</span>-axis for different treatment types on the <span class="html-italic">x</span>-axis, with separate graphs for richness, the Shannon index, and the Simpson index. (<b>C</b>) Cohen’s d: the <span class="html-italic">x</span>-axis of the figure represents the magnitude of Cohen’s d value, while the <span class="html-italic">y</span>-axis represents levels of diversity partitioning.</p> Full article ">Figure 5
<p>The impact of eutrophication on zoobenthos species abundance and diversity. (<b>A</b>) Rank abundance curves: the figure illustrates species abundance ranking on the <span class="html-italic">x</span>-axis, with species abundance on the <span class="html-italic">y</span>-axis, and displays the names of the top 10 species as label text. (<b>B</b>) Additive diversity partitioning: the figure displays diversity indices on the <span class="html-italic">y</span>-axis for different treatment types on the <span class="html-italic">x</span>-axis, with separate graphs for richness, the Shannon index, and Simpson index. (<b>C</b>) Cohen’s d: the <span class="html-italic">x</span>-axis of the figure represents the magnitude of Cohen’s d value, while the <span class="html-italic">y</span>-axis represents levels of diversity partitioning.</p> Full article ">Figure 6
<p>The impact of pesticide on zoobenthos species abundance and diversity. (<b>A</b>) Rank abundance curves: the figure illustrates species abundance ranking on the <span class="html-italic">x</span>-axis, with species abundance on the <span class="html-italic">y</span>-axis, and displays the names of the top 10 species as label text. (<b>B</b>) Additive diversity partitioning: the figure consists of three separate graphs representing “Richness”, “Shannon”, and “Simpson” indices. The <span class="html-italic">y</span>-axis represents diversity indices, while the <span class="html-italic">x</span>-axis represents different treatment types. (<b>C</b>) Cohen’s d: the figure consists of seven separate graphs, each representing different treatment type groups. The <span class="html-italic">x</span>-axis represents the magnitude of Cohen’s d value, while the <span class="html-italic">y</span>-axis represents levels of diversity partitioning.</p> Full article ">Figure 7
<p>The impact of all treatments on zoobenthos species abundance and diversity. (<b>A</b>) Rank abundance curves: the figure illustrates species abundance ranking on the <span class="html-italic">x</span>-axis, with species abundance on the <span class="html-italic">y</span>-axis, and displays the names of the top 10 species as label text. The curves are color-coded to represent different treatment types. (<b>B</b>) Additive diversity partitioning: the figure displays diversity indices on the <span class="html-italic">y</span>-axis for different treatment types on the <span class="html-italic">x</span>-axis, with separate graphs for richness, Shannon index, and Simpson index. (<b>C</b>) Cohen’s d: the <span class="html-italic">x</span>-axis of the figure represents the magnitude of Cohen’s d value, while the <span class="html-italic">y</span>-axis represents levels of diversity partitioning.</p> Full article ">
22 pages, 4761 KiB  
Article
An Improved Method for Broiler Weight Estimation Integrating Multi-Feature with Gradient Boosting Decision Tree
by Ximing Li, Jingyi Wu, Zeyong Zhao, Yitao Zhuang, Shikai Sun, Huanlong Xie, Yuefang Gao and Deqin Xiao
Animals 2023, 13(23), 3721; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13233721 - 1 Dec 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2292
Abstract
Broiler weighing is essential in the broiler farming industry. Camera-based systems can economically weigh various broiler types without expensive platforms. However, existing computer vision methods for weight estimation are less mature, as they focus on young broilers. In effect, the estimation error increases [...] Read more.
Broiler weighing is essential in the broiler farming industry. Camera-based systems can economically weigh various broiler types without expensive platforms. However, existing computer vision methods for weight estimation are less mature, as they focus on young broilers. In effect, the estimation error increases with the age of the broiler. To tackle this, this paper presents a novel framework. First, it employs Mask R-CNN for instance segmentation of depth images captured by 3D cameras. Next, once the images of either a single broiler or multiple broilers are segmented, the extended artificial features and the learned features extracted by Customized Resnet50 (C-Resnet50) are fused by a feature fusion module. Finally, the fused features are adopted to estimate the body weight of each broiler employing gradient boosting decision tree (GBDT). By integrating diverse features with GBTD, the proposed framework can effectively obtain the broiler instance among many depth images of multiple broilers in the visual field despite the complex background. Experimental results show that this framework significantly boosts accuracy and robustness. With an MAE of 0.093 kg and an R2 of 0.707 in a test set of 240 63-day-old bantam chicken images, it outperforms other methods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Poultry)
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<p>The partial data of a single broiler image and multiple broilers images.</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>Schematic diagram of a single broiler image shooting.</p> Full article ">Figure 3
<p>Body weight distribution histogram of 200 broiler chickens.</p> Full article ">Figure 4
<p>Flow chart of the weight estimation method of broiler chickens.</p> Full article ">Figure 5
<p>Instance segmentation module and architecture of Mask R-CNN.</p> Full article ">Figure 6
<p>Fusion of artificial and learned features.</p> Full article ">Figure 7
<p>Visualizing geometric properties.</p> Full article ">Figure 8
<p>3D point cloud map.</p> Full article ">Figure 9
<p>(<b>a</b>) 3D distance bar. (<b>b</b>) Schematic diagram of volume.</p> Full article ">Figure 10
<p>Different types of images.</p> Full article ">Figure 11
<p>Qualitative results of broiler instance segmentation on test split. Two examples of multiple broilers (row 1 and row 2) with depth images (col.1) and segmentation results (col.2–col.4). Two examples of a single broiler (row 3) with depth images (col.1 and col.3) and segmentation results (col.2 and col.4).</p> Full article ">Figure 12
<p>Mean absolute error of estimated body weight in different models for broiler chickens in 5 weight classes in the test set.</p> Full article ">Figure 13
<p>Impact of feature combinations on performance.</p> Full article ">
13 pages, 1632 KiB  
Article
Variation in the HSL Gene and Its Association with Carcass and Meat Quality Traits in Yak
by Xiangyan Wang, Youpeng Qi, Chune Zhu, Ruifeng Zhou, Zhoume Ruo, Zhidong Zhao, Xiu Liu, Shaobin Li, Fangfang Zhao, Jiqing Wang, Jiang Hu and Bingang Shi
Animals 2023, 13(23), 3720; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13233720 - 1 Dec 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1558
Abstract
Hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) is involved in the breakdown of triacylglycerols in adipose tissue, which influences muscle tenderness and juiciness by affecting the intramuscular fat content (IMF). This study analyzed the association between different genotypes and haplotypes of the yak HSL gene [...] Read more.
Hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) is involved in the breakdown of triacylglycerols in adipose tissue, which influences muscle tenderness and juiciness by affecting the intramuscular fat content (IMF). This study analyzed the association between different genotypes and haplotypes of the yak HSL gene and carcass and meat quality traits. We used hybridization pool sequencing to detect exon 2, exon 8, and intron 3 variants of the yak HSL gene and genotyped 525 Gannan yaks via KASP to analyze the effects of the HSL gene variants on the carcass and meat quality traits in yaks. According to the results, the HSL gene is highly expressed in yak adipose tissue. Three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified, with 2 of them located in the coding region and one in the intron region. Variants in the 2 coding regions resulted in amino acid changes. The population had 3 genotypes of GG, AG, and AA, and individuals with the AA genotype had lower WBSF values (p < 0.05). The H3H3 haplotype combinations could improve meat tenderness by reducing the WBSF values and the cooking loss rate (CLR) (p < 0.05). H1H1 haplotype combinations were associated with the increased drip loss rate (DLR) (p < 0.05). The presence of the H1 haplotype was associated the increased CLR in yaks, while that of the H2 haplotype was associated with the decreased DLR in yaks (p < 0.05). These results demonstrated that the HSL gene may influence the meat quality traits in yaks by affecting the IMF content in muscle tissues. Consequently, the HSL gene can possibly be used as a biomarker for improving the meat quality traits in yaks in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Topic Application of Reproductive and Genomic Biotechnologies for Livestock Breeding and Selection)
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<p>Tissue expression analysis of yak <span class="html-italic">HSL</span> mRNA. Different lowercase letters indicate significant differences in expression in different tissues.</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>Amplification and sequencing results of exons 2 and 8 and intron 3 of the yak <span class="html-italic">HSL</span> gene. Red boxes indicate SNP sites.</p> Full article ">Figure 3
<p>Results of the KASP typing assay for 3 loci of the <span class="html-italic">HSL</span> gene of yaks. Red, blue, and green dots indicate AG, GG, and AA genotypes, respectively.</p> Full article ">Figure 4
<p>LD plots for the 3 SNPs of the <span class="html-italic">HSL</span> gene. Red color represents high paired D’ values.</p> Full article ">
19 pages, 981 KiB  
Article
Quantitative Assessment of Major Biosecurity Challenges of Poultry Production in Central Ethiopia
by Hika Waktole, Tsedal Muluneh, Yemsrach Miressa, Sisay Ayane, Gebreyohannes Berhane, Tadele Kabeta, Bizunesh Mideksa Borena, Kebede Amenu, Hagos Ashenafi and Gunther Antonissen
Animals 2023, 13(23), 3719; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13233719 - 30 Nov 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3143
Abstract
The present study aims to assess the level of implementation of biosecurity practices of small-, medium- and large-scale poultry farms in central Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study design was implemented involving 226 poultry farms (153 small-, 53 medium- and 20 large-scale farms) in three [...] Read more.
The present study aims to assess the level of implementation of biosecurity practices of small-, medium- and large-scale poultry farms in central Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study design was implemented involving 226 poultry farms (153 small-, 53 medium- and 20 large-scale farms) in three selected areas of central Ethiopia, including Addis Ababa, Bishoftu and West of Shaggar. The results revealed a very low overall biosecurity score of 43.1% for central Ethiopia compared to the global average score of 64.3%. No significant difference (p > 0.05) in the overall biosecurity practices among the three study sites (36.1% for Addis Ababa, 49% for Bishoftu and 34.9% for West of Shaggar) was observed. Six of the eight external biosecurity components with an overall score of 40.7% as compared to the global average of 64.6% were highly disrupted and scored lower values. With regard to internal biosecurity disease management, cleaning and disinfection practices were found to be 52.6% as opposed to the global average of 64%. The poor biosecurity level among poultry farms of central Ethiopia clearly demonstrates the urgent need for the implementation of appropriate biosecurity practices through the active involvement of all stakeholders to combat the impact of various diseases and boost the productivity of the sector. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Animal System and Management)
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<p>Map of the study areas where samples were collected using QGIS Ver. 3.14 (QGIS Development Team, 2009. QGIS Geographic Information System. Open Source Geospatial Foundation. <a href="http://qgis.org" target="_blank">http://qgis.org</a> (accessed on 27 November 2023)).</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>Boxplots of overall biosecurity scores by study sites.</p> Full article ">
16 pages, 1904 KiB  
Article
First Molecular Characterization of Small Ruminant Lentiviruses Detected in Romania
by Monika Olech, Dragoş Hodor, Corina Toma, Andrada Negoescu and Marian Taulescu
Animals 2023, 13(23), 3718; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13233718 - 30 Nov 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1452
Abstract
Small ruminant lentiviruses (SRLVs) are a group of retroviruses that cause multisystem chronic diseases in goats and sheep and lead to production losses in these animals, negatively affecting animal health and welfare. Although molecular characterization of SRLV field isolates has been performed in [...] Read more.
Small ruminant lentiviruses (SRLVs) are a group of retroviruses that cause multisystem chronic diseases in goats and sheep and lead to production losses in these animals, negatively affecting animal health and welfare. Although molecular characterization of SRLV field isolates has been performed in many countries, there is currently no information on SRLV genotypes circulating in sheep and goats in Romania. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to conduct a molecular and phylogenetic analysis of SRLVs from Romania and determine the degree of genetic relatedness of the obtained sequences to other known SRLV reference strains. A total of 81 sheep lung tissue samples and 41 sheep lung lymph node samples were tested using nested real-time PCR, and samples positive for real-time PCR were used to amplify an 800 bp gag-pol fragment and an overlapping 625 bp fragment of the gag gene. Pairwise DNA distance and phylogenetic analysis showed that the Romanian SRLV strains were closely related to the A2 and A3 strains based on gag-pol sequences and to the A3 and A17 subtypes based on gag sequences. No recombination events were found. Our results revealed that the Romanian sequences have similar epitope patterns to other existing subtypes, although E/K and R/K mutations in epitope 3 were found only in the Romanian sequences, which may have potential value in serological diagnosis. This study is the first report on the genetic characterization of SRLV strains circulating in Romania and provides new information on SRLV heterogeneity. Further detailed studies should be conducted to better understand the divergence of SRLV Romanian strains. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Small Ruminants and Lentivirus Research: Future Directions)
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<p>Map of Romania. The geographical distribution of SRLV samples analyzed in this study are marked in gray.</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>Unrooted maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree based on the alignment of 647 nt from <span class="html-italic">gag-pol</span> region of 98 sequences: 21 analyzed in this study (labeled by a black circle) and 83 reference strains available in GenBank. Scale bar: number of substitutions per site. The numbers on the nodes indicate the percentage of bootstrap values obtained from 1000 replicates.</p> Full article ">Figure 3
<p>Unrooted maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree based on the alignment of 420 nt from <span class="html-italic">gag</span> region of 134 sequences: 25 analyzed in this study (labeled by a black circle) and 109 reference strains available in GenBank. Scale bar: number of substitutions per site. The numbers on the nodes indicate the percentage of bootstrap values obtained from 1000 replicates.</p> Full article ">Figure 4
<p>Amino acid sequence multiple alignment of SRLVs deduced from the <span class="html-italic">gag</span> fragment. Romanian sequences have been aligned with the reference strains representing known subtypes of genotypes A and B. Immunodominant epitopes 2 and 3, Major Homology Region (MHR) and asparagine-valine (NV) motif are within squares. Dots represent the same amino acid residue.</p> Full article ">Figure 4 Cont.
<p>Amino acid sequence multiple alignment of SRLVs deduced from the <span class="html-italic">gag</span> fragment. Romanian sequences have been aligned with the reference strains representing known subtypes of genotypes A and B. Immunodominant epitopes 2 and 3, Major Homology Region (MHR) and asparagine-valine (NV) motif are within squares. Dots represent the same amino acid residue.</p> Full article ">
16 pages, 327 KiB  
Article
Efficacy of Medical Ozone as an Adjuvant Treatment in Dogs with Intervertebral Disc Protusions—A Retrospective Study
by Miriam Portero, Luis Villalonga, Mercedes Hernández and Carmen Pérez Díaz
Animals 2023, 13(23), 3717; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13233717 - 30 Nov 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2307
Abstract
Ozone-therapy is used in humans as a coadjutant treatment in intervertebral disc diseases due to its analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. References in dogs are scarce and limited to clinical cases (intradiscal/paravertebral infiltrations). The aim of this study was to assess the use [...] Read more.
Ozone-therapy is used in humans as a coadjutant treatment in intervertebral disc diseases due to its analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. References in dogs are scarce and limited to clinical cases (intradiscal/paravertebral infiltrations). The aim of this study was to assess the use of medical ozone (MO) as an adjunctive treatment in dogs with intervertebral disc protrusions (Hansen Type II/Chronic). A retrospective study was conducted in dogs diagnosed with intervertebral disc protrusions by MRI/CT in which MO was used as an adjuvant therapy to conventional medical treatment. Neurological examination and quality of life (QL) at the beginning and end of study were recorded, as well as posology and possible side effects. A total of 21 patients of different breeds and sex with a mean age of 12 years were included in this study. Results showed pain relief (7 ± 3 days) and improvement of neurologic signs (11 ± 9 days) with a consequent increasement in QL (13 ± 9 days). Thirteen out of the twenty-one patients (62%) showed a complete remission of the clinical signs. No serious adverse effects were observed. Medical ozone could be a potential complementary therapy to medical treatment in dogs with intervertebral disc protrusions. Prospective studies are necessary. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation in Companion Animals)
17 pages, 2499 KiB  
Article
Effects of Dietary Level of Corn Bran on Laying Performance and Cecum Microbial Communities in Laying Ducks
by Jia Hou, Qiufeng Zeng, Xuemei Ding, Shiping Bai, Jianping Wang, Huanwei Peng, Li Lv, Yue Xuan, Tao Zeng, Yong Tian, Lizhi Lu and Keying Zhang
Animals 2023, 13(23), 3716; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13233716 - 30 Nov 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1271
Abstract
The application of corn bran (CB) to laying ducks via iso-energy and iso-nitrogen diets is rarely reported. Six hundred laying ducks (49 weeks) were equally assigned to five treatments: the control group with 0% CB and the other four groups with 3%, 6%, [...] Read more.
The application of corn bran (CB) to laying ducks via iso-energy and iso-nitrogen diets is rarely reported. Six hundred laying ducks (49 weeks) were equally assigned to five treatments: the control group with 0% CB and the other four groups with 3%, 6%, 9%, and 12% CB. The experiment lasted for 11 weeks. With the increase in CB, the relative weight of the proventriculus, gizzard, and ileum and the content and proportion of butyric acid in the cecal digesta were quadratically changed (p < 0.05), and the highest value was observed in the 12% CB group. Compared with the control, the 12% CB group showed decreased Deferribacteres, Spirochaetota, and Fusobacteriota at the phyla level and showed increased Pediococcus and decreased Bifidobacterium and Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group at the genus level (p < 0.10); the 12% CB group also showed 46 different metabolites, which are related to Lactobacillus and Pediococcus (p < 0.05). The 12% CB group showed increased (p < 0.05) albumen height at week 8 and yolk color at weeks 4 and 8 compared with the control. Overall, dietary inclusion of 3% to 12% CB is a possible feeding strategy for laying ducks under iso-energy and iso-nitrogen conditions, and the 12% CB group was more effective. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Animal Physiology)
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<p>Venn diagram, PCoA, and average richness and diversity of the cecum digesta bacterial communities between groups. (<b>a</b>) Venn diagram between groups. (<b>b</b>) PCoA between groups. (<b>c</b>) average richness and diversity at the 3% dissimilarity level. CB0, corn bran is 0%; CB12, corn bran is 12%; PCoA, principal coordinate analysis; OTU, operational taxonomic unit; and ACE, abundance-based coverage estimator.</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>The top 10 phyla and genera and their function prediction in cecum digesta between groups. (<b>a</b>) Top 10 phyla between groups. (<b>b</b>) Top 10 genera between groups. (<b>c</b>) Function prediction. Log 10 transform was used for each functional gene. CB0, corn bran is 0%; CB12, corn bran is 12%.</p> Full article ">Figure 3
<p>The metabolites and their metabolic pathway analysis in cecal digesta. (<b>a</b>) Score scatter plot of PCA model. (<b>b</b>) Score scatter plot of OPLS-DA model. (<b>c</b>) Permutation test of OPLS-DA model. (<b>d</b>) Volcano plots. The red dots mean up-regulated, and the blue dots mean down-regulated. (<b>e</b>) Hierarchical clustering analysis. (<b>f</b>) Topology analysis of metabolic pathway. The <span class="html-italic">X</span>-axis and <span class="html-italic">Y</span>-axis, respectively, represent the rich factor and the negative nature logarithm of the <span class="html-italic">p</span>-value. PCA, principal component analysis; OPLS-DA, orthogonal projections to latent structures–discriminant analysis.</p> Full article ">Figure 4
<p>Pearson correlation between different metabolites and microbial profiles in cecal digesta of laying ducks.</p> Full article ">
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