Hair coat characteristics and sweating rate of Braford cows in Brazil

This paper deals with the effects of hair coat characteristics on the sweating rate of Brazilian Braford cows and estimation of heritabilities and genetic correlations of these traits. Data (n=1607) on hair length, coat thickness, hair diameter, number of hairs per unit area, coat reflectance and sweating rate were recorded from heifers and cows of a commercial herd managed on range under extensive system. The data were analyzed considering the following effects on the model for hair coat traits: classes of sires and contemporary groups; linear effects of month and genotype; linear and quadratic effects of age. The effect of sire was important (P<0.05) for all hair coat traits, except for number of hairs; contemporary groups affected (P<0.05) all hair coat traits; the effect of sampling month was important (P<0.05) for hair length and reflectance; genotype affected (P<0.05) hair length, diameter and coat reflectance; the quadratic effect of age was important (P<0.05) only for coat reflectance. Two models were used to analyze the sweating rate. The first model considered the following fixed effects: classes of contemporary groups and sires; linear effect of genotype, coat thickness, hair length, hair diameter, number of hairs, coat reflectance; linear and quadratic effects of time of day, age, air temperature, partial vapour pressure and radiant heat load. The second model used for the sweating rate considered the same fixed effects for the first model, except that the hair coat characteristics were adjusted for important effects used in the models to analyze hair coat traits. All meteorological factors and contemporary groups were important (P<0.05) on variation of sweating rate in both models. The Restricted Maximum. Likelihood (REML) method was used to estimate variance and covariance components under the sire model. Results included heritability estimates in narrow (h(2)) and broad (H) sense for single-trait analyzes: hair thickness (h(2)=0.16; H-2=0.26); hair length (h(2)=0.18; H-2=0.39); number of hairs (h(2)=0.08 +/- 0.07; H-2=0.08 +/- 0.07); hair diameter (h(2)=0.12 +/- 0.07; H-2=0.12 +/- 0.07); coat reflectance (h(2)=0.30; H-2=0.42); and sweating rate (h(2)=0.10 +/- 0.07; H-2=0.10 +/- 0.07). In general, the genetic correlations between the adaptive traits were favorable as for the direction to select for adaptation in tropical environment; however, they presented high standard errors. The results of this study imply that hair coat characteristics and sweating ability are important for the adaptability to heat stress and they must be better studied and further considered for selection for genetic progress of adaptation in tropical environment. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V All rights reserved.

An experimental inoculation system to study citrus-Xylella fastidiosa interactions

Difficulties in reproducing the citrus variegated chlorosis (CVC) disease symptoms in expertmental plants have delayed implementation of studies to better understand the essential aspects of this important disease. In an extensive Study, cultivars of sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) were inoculated with Xylella fastidiosa using procedures that included root immersion, and stein absorption, pricking, or infiltration of the inoculum into plants of different ages. Inoculum consisted of 5-day-old cultures or cell suspensions of CVC strain 9a5c diluted in phosphate-buffered saline. Inoculated plants and controls were grown, or transferred just after inoculation, to 5-liter pots or 72-cell foam trays. Approximately 4, 5, 9, and 12 months after inoculation, leaves were collected and processed for polymerase chain reaction analysis or X. fastidiosa isolation on BCYE agar medium. Root immersion and stem inoculation of 4- and 6-month-old plants resulted in low percentages of symptomatic (0 to 7%) and plants positive by isolation (0 to 9%). Pinpricked or injected stems of I-month-old seedlings resulted in high percentages of plants symptomatic (29 and 90% in Pera Rio, 75, 59, and 83% in Valencia, and 77% in Natal) or positive by isolation (26 and 93% in Pera Rio, 98, 96, and 83% in Valencia, and 77% in Natal), In foam trays, the seedlings grew less, the incubation period was shorter. and disease severity was higher than in pots. This system allows testing of higher numbers of plants in a reduced space with a more precise reproduction of the experimental conditions.

Placentation in cloned cattle: Structure and microvascular architecture

To elucidate the morphological differences between placentas from normal and cloned cattle pregnancies reaching term, the umbilical cord, placentomes and interplacentomal region of the fetal membranes were examined macroscopically as well as by light and scanning electron microscopy. In pregnancies established by somatic nucleus transfer (NT), the umbilical cord and fetal membranes were edematous. Placentomal fusion was common, resulting in increased size and a decreased number of placentomes. Extensive areas of the chorioallantoic membrane were devoid of placentomes. An increased number of functional or accessory microcotyledons (< 1 cm) were present at the maternally oriented surface of fetal membranes. Extensive areas of extravasated maternal blood were present within the placentomes and in the interplacentomal region. The crypts on the caruncular surface were dilated and accommodated complexes of more than one primary villus, as opposed to a single villus in non-cloned placentae. Scanning electron microscopy of blood vessel casts revealed that there was also more than one stem artery per villous tree and that the ramification of the vessels failed to form dense complexes of capillary loops and sinusoidal dilations as in normal pregnancies. At the materno-fetal interface, however, the trophoblast and uterine epithelium had normal histology. In conclusion, the NT placentas had a range of pathomorphological changes; this was likely associated with the poor clinical outcome of NT pregnancies. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Lead poisoning in cattle grazing pasture contaminated by industrial waste

Lead poisoning is described in a herd of 120 Nelore cows of which 35 were affected. All affected cows died after a clinical course of 2-7 d with clinical signs related to cortical neurological disturbances. The source of Pb was fumes from a car battery recycling plant which has had a failure in its filtering system. Lead concentrations in liver and kidneys of 2 cows, in soil;and in grass where the cows were held were respective 39 to 431 ppm, 147 to 431 ppm,and 245ppm. No significant gross changes were observed. Histopathology revealed of neuronal necrosis, vacuolation of the neuropil and hypertrophy of the vascular endothelium inthecerebral cortices, degeneration of the epithelial cellsofrenal proximal tubules, and hemosiderosis of kidney, spleen and liver.

Heritability Estimate and Genetic Correlations of Reproductive Features in Nellore Bulls, Offspring of Super Precocious, Precocious and Normal Cows Under Extensive Farming Conditions

The present work aimed to estimate heritability and genetic correlations of reproductive features of Nellore bulls, offspring of mothers classified as superprecocious (M1), precocious (M2) and normal (M3). Twenty one thousand hundred and eighty-six animals with average age of 21.29 months were used, evaluated through the breeding soundness evaluation from 1999 to 2008. The breeding soundness features included physical semen evaluation (progressive sperm motility and sperm vigour), semen morphology (major, minor and total sperm defects), scrotal circumference (SC), testicular volume (TV) and SC at 18 months of age (SC18). The components of variance, heritability and genetic correlations for and between the features were estimated simultaneously by restricted maximum likelihood, with the use of the vce software system vs 6. The heritability estimates were high for SC18, SC and TV (0.43, 0.63 and 0.54; 0.45, 0.45 and 0.44; 0.42, 0.45 and 0.41, respectively for the categories of mothers M1, M2 and M3) and low for physical and morphological semen aspects. The genetic correlations between SC18 and SC were high, as well as between these variables with TV. High and positive genetic correlations were recorded among SC18, SC and TV with the physical aspects of the semen, although no favourable association was verified with the morphological aspects, for the three categories of mothers. It can be concluded that the mothers sexual precocity did not affect the heritability of their offspring reproduction features.

An Innovative Crop-Forage Intercrop System: Early Cycle Soybean Cultivars and Palisadegrass

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

1/25 translocations in Blonde d'Aquitaine cattle in New Zealand

A Robertsonian centric fusion between chromosomes 1 and 25 in Blonde d'Aquitaine cattle in New Zealand is reported. This fused chromosome is the same as the widely reported 1/29 translocation chromosome with the difference in the numbering arising from inconsistencies in the G- and R-banded cattle karyotypes of the International System for Cytogenetic Nomenclature of Domestic Animals, 1989.

Effect of cyclic compressive loading on the bond strength of an adhesive system to dentin after collagen removal

Purpose: The objective of this study was to verify the effect of cyclic compressive loading on the shear bond strength of an adhesive system following collagen removal. Materials and Methods: Sixty bovine teeth were divided into 4 groups based on the adhesive procedure used: groups 1 and 2 - etching with 35% phosphoric acid and application of the Single Bond adhesive system; groups 3 and 4 - after etching, a 10% sodium hypochlorite solution was applied for 1 min before the application of the adhesive. In all the specimens, a Z100 resin cylinder was built up over the bond area. Groups 2 and 4 were submitted to 500,000 cycles with a load of 100 N. Results: The mean values for the shear bond test (MPa) were: group 1: 7.37 ± 1.15; group 2: 5.72 ± 1.66; group 3: 5.95 ± 1.21; group 4: 3.66 ± 1.12. There was no difference between groups 1 and 2 (p > 0.01). Between groups 1 and 3, 2 and 4, and 3 and 4 there was a significant difference (p < 0.01). The majority of the specimens demonstrated an adhesive failure. Conclusion: The application of sodium hypochlorite on dentin decreased the values of shear bond strength, as did the load cycling in the group treated with sodium hypochlorite.

The effect of adhesive systems on the pullout strength of a fiberglass-reinforced composite post system in bovine teeth

Purpose: To evaluate the pullout strength of a glass fiber-reinforced composite post (glass FRC) cemented with three different adhesive systems and one resin cement. The null hypothesis was that pullout strengths yielded by the adhesive systems are similar. Materials and Methods: Thirty bovine teeth were selected. The size of the specimens was standardized at 16 mm by sectioning off the coronal portion and part of the root. The specimens were divided into three groups, according to the adhesive system, which were applied following the manufacturers' instructions: G1, ScotchBond Multi-Purpose Plus; G2, Single Bond; G3, Tyrian SPE/One-Step Plus. The glass FRCs (Reforpost) were etched with 37% H3PO4 for 1 min and silanized (Porcelain Primer). Thereafter, they were cemented with the dual resin cement En-Force. The specimens were stored for 24 h, attached to an adapted device, and submitted to the pullout test in a universal testing machine (1 mm/min). The data were submitted to the one-way ANOVA and Tukey's test (α = 0.05). Results: G1 (30.2 ± 5.8 Kgf) displayed the highest pullout strength (p < 0.001) when compared to G2 (18.6 ± 5.8 Kgf) and G3 (14.3 ± 5.8 Kgf), which were statistically similar. Analysis of the specimens revealed that all failures occurred between the adhesive system and the root dentin (pullout of the post cement), regardless of group. Conclusion: The multiple-bottle, total-etch adhesive system provided higher pullout strength of the glass FRC when compared to the single-bottle, total-etch, and single-step self-etching adhesive systems. The null hypothesis was rejected (p < 0.001).

Influence of the power level of an ultra-sonic system on dental cavity preparation

The aim of this study was to evaluate the shape of dental cavities made with the CVDentus® system using different ultrasound power levels. One standard cavity was made on the buccal aspect of 15 bovine incisors with a CVDentus® cylindrical bur (82142). The sample was divided into three groups: G1 - ultrasound with power II; G2 - ultrasound with power III; and G3 - ultrasound with power IV. A standardizing device was used to obtain standardized preparations and ultrasound was applied during one minute in each dental preparation. The cavities were sectioned in the middle, allowing observation of the cavity's profile with a magnifying glass, and width and depth measurement using the Leica Qwin program. The Kruskal-Wallis (p < 0.05) and Dunn statistical analyses demonstrated differences between the dental cavity shapes when powers III and IV were used. However, the cavities that were made with power III presented dimensions similar to those of the bur used for preparation. We concluded that the power recommended by the manufacturer (III) is the most adequate for use with the CVDentus® system.

Sheep and cattle grazing alternately: Nematode parasitism and pasture decontamination

Three grazing management systems were compared to examine pasture decontamination of gastrointestinal nematode parasites (GIN) of sheep (Ovies aries) and cattle (Bos taurus). They consisted of sheep and cattle grazing paddocks alternately for 32, 96 or 192 days over 2 years. Pastureland (8.43 ha) was subdivided into six areas of eight paddocks each to produce an eight-paddock rotational grazing system. Every paddock was grazed for 4 days and then rested for 28 days. Sixty-six Ile de France ewes and 12 steers were randomly divided into three groups (22 sheep and four cattle per group). Each grazing system included a cattle area and a sheep area. Sheep and cattle interchanged areas every 32 days in system 1 (Group 1), every 96 days in system 2 (Group 2) and every 192 days in system 3 (Group 3). Fecal examination and larvae counting on pasture were performed every 32 days. During summer, winter and spring 2005, tracer lambs free of nematode infection were introduced into each sheep group and later sacrificed for quantification and identification of GIN species. All cattle were sacrificed for the same purpose. The main parasites found in tracer lambs were Haemonchus contortus and Trichostrongylus colubriformis, and in cattle, Haemonchus similis, Cooperia punctata and Oesophagostomum radiatum. Pasture contamination by sheep-infective GIN larvae was considerably reduced after 96 or 192 days of cattle grazing. Cross-infections between sheep and cattle GIN were not significant, which suggested that integrated grazing using such animals could be used for pasture decontamination. However, as effective anthelmintics were not available, decontamination was not sufficient for proper prophylaxis of GIN infections in Ile de France sheep, which are quite susceptible to such parasites. © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Selenium supplementation enhances weight gain in cattle

To evaluate the effect of selenium on cattle growth in a continuous grazed pasture system. Selenium was added to protein-mineral salt and given to male, around-12-month old, non-castrated Nellore calves. Animals were randomly and equally distributed into 4 groups (15 calves/group) which received supplementation containing 0, 3.6, 5.4 or 6.4 mg selenium/animal/day (groups Gc, G 3.6, G 5.4 and G 6.4, respectively). The animals were weighed on day zero and 120, and the pasture forages were collected at day 0 for chemical analyses. Weight gain was higher in cattle from G 5,4 (45.58%) than in the other groups, and higher in G 3,6 (24.97%) and G 6,4 (22.67%) than in Gc. The supplementation with 5.4 mg selenium/animal/day enhanced weight gain in cattle fed on selenium poor diet (0.04 mg Se/kg dry matter).

Innovations in health care services: The CAALYX system

Purpose: This paper describes proposed health care services innovations, provided by a system called CAALYX (Complete Ambient Assisted Living eXperiment). CAALYX aimed to provide healthcare innovation by extending the state-of-the-art in tele-healthcare, by focusing on increasing the confidence of elderly people living autonomously, by building on the knowledge base of the most common disorders and respective characteristic vital sign changes for this age group. Methods: A review of the state-of-the-art on health care services was carried out. Then, extensive research was conducted on the particular needs of the elderly in relation to home health services that, if offered to them, could improve their day life by giving them greater confidence and autonomy. To achieve this, we addressed issues associated with the gathering of clinical data and interpretation of these data, as well as possibilities of automatically triggering appropriate clinical measures. Considering this initial work we started the identification of initiatives, ongoing works and technologies that could be used for the development of the system. After that, the implementation of CAALYX was done. Findings: The innovation in CAALYX system considers three main areas of contribution: (i) The Roaming Monitoring System that is used to collect information on the well-being of the elderly users; (ii) The Home Monitoring System that is aimed at helping the elders independently living at home being implemented by a device (a personal computer or a set top box) that supports the connection of sensors and video cameras that may be used for monitoring and for interaction with the elder; (iii) The Central Care Service and Monitoring System that is implemented by a Caretaker System where attention and care services are provided to elders, where actors as Caretakers, Doctors and Relatives are logically linked to elders. Innovations in each of these areas are presented here. Conclusions: The ageing European society is placing an added burden on future generations, as the 'elderly-to-working-age-people' ratio is set to steadily increase in the future. Nowadays, quality of life and fitness allows for most older persons to have an active life well into their eighties. Furthermore, many older persons prefer to live in their own house and choose their own lifestyle. The CAALYX system can have a clear impact in increasing older persons' autonomy, by ensuring that they do not need to leave their preferred environment in order to be properly monitored and taken care of. © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Extensive impact of saturated fatty acids on metabolic and cardiovascular profile in rats with diet-induced obesity: A canonical analysis

Background: Although hypercaloric interventions are associated with nutritional, endocrine, metabolic, and cardiovascular disorders in obesity experiments, a rational distinction between the effects of excess adiposity and the individual roles of dietary macronutrients in relation to these disturbances has not previously been studied. This investigation analyzed the correlation between ingested macronutrients (including sucrose and saturated and unsaturated fatty acids) plus body adiposity and metabolic, hormonal, and cardiovascular effects in rats with diet-induced obesity. Methods: Normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats were submitted to Control (CD; 3.2 Kcal/g) and Hypercaloric (HD; 4.6 Kcal/g) diets for 20 weeks followed by nutritional evaluation involving body weight and adiposity measurement. Metabolic and hormonal parameters included glycemia, insulin, insulin resistance, and leptin. Cardiovascular analysis included systolic blood pressure profile, echocardiography, morphometric study of myocardial morphology, and myosin heavy chain (MHC) protein expression. Canonical correlation analysis was used to evaluate the relationships between dietary macronutrients plus adiposity and metabolic, hormonal, and cardiovascular parameters. Results: Although final group body weights did not differ, HD presented higher adiposity than CD. Diet induced hyperglycemia while insulin and leptin levels remained unchanged. In a cardiovascular context, systolic blood pressure increased with time only in HD. Additionally, in vivo echocardiography revealed cardiac hypertrophy and improved systolic performance in HD compared to CD; and while cardiomyocyte size was unchanged by diet, nuclear volume and collagen interstitial fraction both increased in HD. Also HD exhibited higher relative β-MHC content and β/α-MHC ratio than their Control counterparts. Importantly, body adiposity was weakly associated with cardiovascular effects, as saturated fatty acid intake was directly associated with most cardiac remodeling measurements while unsaturated lipid consumption was inversely correlated with these effects. Conclusion: Hypercaloric diet was associated with glycemic metabolism and systolic blood pressure disorders and cardiac remodeling. These effects directly and inversely correlated with saturated and unsaturated lipid consumption, respectively. © 2013 Oliveira Junior et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

Detecting Loci under Recent Positive Selection in Dairy and Beef Cattle by Combining Different Genome-Wide Scan Methods

As the methodologies available for the detection of positive selection from genomic data vary in terms of assumptions and execution, weak correlations are expected among them. However, if there is any given signal that is consistently supported across different methodologies, it is strong evidence that the locus has been under past selection. In this paper, a straightforward frequentist approach based on the Stouffer Method to combine P-values across different tests for evidence of recent positive selection in common variations, as well as strategies for extracting biological information from the detected signals, were described and applied to high density single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data generated from dairy and beef cattle (taurine and indicine). The ancestral Bovinae allele state of over 440,000 SNP is also reported. Using this combination of methods, highly significant (P<3.17×10-7) population-specific sweeps pointing out to candidate genes and pathways that may be involved in beef and dairy production were identified. The most significant signal was found in the Cornichon homolog 3 gene (CNIH3) in Brown Swiss (P = 3.82×10-12), and may be involved in the regulation of pre-ovulatory luteinizing hormone surge. Other putative pathways under selection are the glucolysis/gluconeogenesis, transcription machinery and chemokine/cytokine activity in Angus; calpain-calpastatin system and ribosome biogenesis in Brown Swiss; and gangliosides deposition in milk fat globules in Gyr. The composite method, combined with the strategies applied to retrieve functional information, may be a useful tool for surveying genome-wide selective sweeps and providing insights in to the source of selection.