Launching the product innovation to a market: case study from a dairy industry

In the environment of ever-changing needs of customers, technologies and competitors, the survival of the company depends on how well it researches, develops and implements new products to the market. The need for development of new products relates to many factors: globalization, international competition which is now underway on a global scale, scientific advances and development of production, changes in consumer preferences and consumer behavior. In this study the focus is on the company form a dairy products industry. This study is aimed to defining the role of product innovation launch strategy in an overall enterprise strategy, and to select the optimal combination of its marketing tools. The main purpose of this study is to determine place and the role of innovative marketing based in the innovation process, and to determine launch and positioning strategies in the general concept of an innovative product. The object of the study is the Russian enterprise, which is aimed to achieve a competitive advantage through the continuous production of new products, upgrade existing ones and improve innovation management practices. Research showed that the differentiation strategy is suitable for launching the dairy industry product innovation to a market.

Assessing bovine babesiosis in Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus ticks and 3 to 9-month-old cattle in the middle Magdalena region, Colombia

Babesia sp. is a protozoan hemoparasite that affects livestock worldwide. The Colombian Middle Magdalena is an enzootic region for babesiosis, but there is no previous research providing detail on its transmission cycle. This study aims to assess some Babesia sp. infection indicators in cattle and ticks from the area, by using direct microscopic and molecular techniques to detect the infection. In the cattle, 59.9% and 3.4 % positivity values for B. bigemina and mixed infection (B. bovis + B. bigemina) were found respectively. In ticks, the positivity of B. bigemina reached 79.2% and 9.4% for the mixed infection. The degree of infestation in the region was 3.2 ticks per bovine. There was positive correlation between tick control acaricide frequencies and infestation in bovines. This leads us to infer that control periodicity greater than 90 days, in stable zones, is an abiotic factor that benefits the acquisition of protective immunity in calves, the natural control of the infection and eventual disease absence. It is necessary to monitor the disease by applying new entomological and parasitological indicators showing the complexity of this phenomenon.

Acid-base balance of dairy cows and its relationship with alcoholic stability and mineral composition of milk

This study aimed to associate the occurrence of acid-base disorders with the alcoholic stability of milk from animals in the field, and to evaluate differences between the mineral composition of milk that was both stable and unstable in alcohol. The sample comprised 96 dairy cows, where the milk and blood of each corresponding animal was collected. The mineral composition of stable and unstable milk in alcohol was different and may be related to acid-base disturbances. The average amount of phosphate was lower in the milk that was unstable in alcohol, while potassium was greater. Frequency of the alcoholically unstable milk cases was higher in the cows with acid-base disturbances. Respiratory alkalosis was the disorder that was most observed.

Seneciosis in cattle associated with photosensitization

Senecio spp. poisoning is the main cause of cattle mortality in the central region of Rio Grande do Sul. This paper reports an outbreak of seneciosis in cattle with high prevalence of photosensitization, where 83 out of 162 cows (51.3%) presented this clinical sign. The outbreak occurred in September 2013, affecting adult cows that were held in a 205 hectare-pasture from April to October 2013 with abundant Senecio brasiliensis infestation. Main clinical signs were weight loss, excessive lacrimation or mucopurulent ocular discharge, nasal serous discharge, ventral diphteric glossitis, crusts in the nose, teats, dorsum of ears, and vulva. Liver biopsy was performed in all the cows under risk; the histopathological findings in the liver biopsies consisted of fibrosis, megalocytosis, and biliary ductal proliferation and were present in 73.4% of the biopsied animals. Six cows had increased serum activity of gamma glutamyl transferase. Three affected cows were necropsied. The main necropsy findings were a hard liver, distended gall bladder, edema of the mesentery and abomasum. Liver histological changes in the necropsied cows were similar to those of the biopsied livers. Spongiosis was detected in the brain of necropsied cows and is characteristic of hepatic encephalopathy.

Spontaneous poisoning by Ricinus communis (Euphorbiaceae) in cattle

The aim of this study is to report cases of spontaneous poisoning of cattle by Ricinus communis (castor beans) in Paraíba, a semiarid region of northeastern Brazil. The cases were observed in 2 herds on neighboring properties in 2013. Clinical signs developed within 6-24 h and consisted of weakness, tachycardia, dyspnea, profuse watery diarrhea, dehydration, depression, instability, cramps, permanent lateral recumbency and death within 48-72 h. Of the 60 cattle at risk, 19 were affected and 14 died. Five fully recovered after the course of 12 days. Three animals were necropsied. The main gross lesions were hemopericardium, hemothorax, pulmonary edema, petechial hemorrhages in the epicardium and endocardium, ecchymoses at the papillary muscles and suffusions on the intercostal muscles. Hemorrhages were also observed in the abdominal cavity, spleen and mucosa of the abomasum and small intestine. The rumen content was liquid with a large amount of castor bean seeds. There were circular, whitish and focally diffuse areas in the liver parenchyma. The main microscopic lesions consisted of multifocal coagulative myocardial necrosis with the presence of mononuclear cell infiltration and varying degrees of bleeding between cardiac muscle fibers. The abomasum and small intestine mucosae and submucosa had mild edema and mononuclear and polymorphonuclear inflammatory cell infiltration. The diagnosis of R. communis was based on the history of plant consumption, clinical signs, pathology of the disease and the presence of large amounts of castor bean seeds in the forestomachs.

Degenerative joint disease in cattle and buffaloes in the Amazon region: a retrospective study

A retrospective study of the epidemiological and clinic-pathological aspects of cattle and buffaloes with degenerative joint disease (DJD) was conducted in the state of Pará, Brazil. From 1999 to 2014, eleven cattle and 24 buffaloes were evaluated. All the treated animals with suspected DJD underwent a clinical examination of the musculoskeletal system. In seven cattle and eight buffaloes with clinical signs of the disease postmortem examination was performed. The common clinical signs observed in both species were chronic lameness, stiff gait, postural changes, audible crackles in the affected limb, prolonged recumbency, difficulty in getting up and progressive weight loss. The lesions observed at necropsy were: irregular articular surfaces, erosion of the articular cartilage and the underlying bone tissue, and proliferation of the periarticular bone tissue with formation of osteophytes. The most affected joints in cattle and buffaloes wereof the hind limb. In buffaloes, the main predisposing factor to the onset of DJD was phosphorus deficiency. In cattle, defects of the anatomical conformation of the hind limbs, chronic trauma due to the activities performed, such as semen collection, and advanced age possibly contributed to the emergence of the disease.

Babesia bovis: expression of adhesion molecules in bovine umbilical endothelial cells stimulated with plasma from infected cattle

Ten male, 12-month-old Jersey with intact spleens, serologically and parasitologically free from Babesia were housed individually in an arthropod-free isolation system from birth and throughout entire experiment. The animals were randomly divided into two groups. Five animals (group A) were intravenously inoculated with 6.6 X10(7) red blood cells parasitized with pathogenic sample of Babesia bovis (passage 7 BboUFV-1), for the subsequent "ex vivo" determination of the expression of adhesion molecules. Five non-inoculated animals (group B) were used as the negative control. The expression of the adhesion molecules ICAM-1, VCAM, PECAM-1 E-selectin and thrombospondin (TSP) was measured in bovine umbilical vein endothelial cells (BUVECs). The endothelial cells stimulated with a pool of plasma from animals infected with the BboUFV-1 7th passage sample had a much more intense immunostaining of ICAM-1, VCAM, PECAM-1 E-selectin and TSP, compared to the cells which did not received the stimulus. The results suggest that proinflammatory cytokines released in the acute phase of babesiosis may be involved in the expression of adhesion molecules thereby implicating them in the pathophysiology of babesiosis caused by B. bovis.

Poisoning by Poiretia punctata in cattle and sheep

Poiretia punctata (Willd.) Desv. was associated with cattle and sheep poisoning on nine farms in the State of Sergipe, northeastern Brazil. The animals were found dead or died later after showing clinical signs for up to 18 hours. Two sheep that ingested 40g/kg body weight (g/kg) of fresh P. punctata died three and eight hours after ingestion, respectively. Another sheep that ingested 40g/kg five days after plant collection showed mild clinical signs and recovered after 24 hours. Two sheep that received 20g/kg and another that ingested three daily doses of 20g/kg showed clinical signs, but recovered. Two cattle that ingested 20g/kg of the fresh plant exhibited clinical signs and recovered. The clinical observations of poisoning were depression, ataxia, loss of equilibrium, broad-based stance, head down, falls, mandibular trismus, opisthotonous, nystagmus, and recumbence. Significant gross and histologic lesions were not observed. Samples of P. punctata were analyzed for nitrates, cyanogenic glycosides, and sodium monofluouracetate with negative results. It is concluded that P. punctata is a toxic plant that caused death in cattle and sheep in the State of Sergipe.

Selenium and vitamin E enriched diet increases NK cell cytotoxicity in cattle

A number of studies has shown that antioxidants, fatty acids and trace minerals may modulate different immune cell activities, and that their deficiency may be associated with diseases and impaired immune responses. In innate immunity, natural killer (NK) cells have a central role, killing virally infected and cancerous cells, and also secreting cytokines that shape adaptive immune responses. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of enriched diets in selenium plus vitamin E and/or canola oil on complete blood count and on NK cell cytotoxicity from blood lymphocytes of Nellore bulls. Bulls that received selenium plus vitamin E had (P=0.0091) higher NK cell cytotoxicity than control bulls. This result positively correlated with serum selenium levels. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that showed immunostimulatory effects of selenium plus vitamin E on NK cell cytotoxicity of Nellore bulls.

Research of Klebsiella pneumoniae in dairy herds

Klebsiella pneumoniae is a common environmental agent of clinical and subclinical mastitis affecting dairy herds, and may be present in the final product decreasing its quality. Mastitis caused by K. pneumoniae is even more severe due to its poor response to antibiotic therapy, rapid evolution to toxic shock and death of the animal. This paper aimed to study the prevalence of this pathogen among dairy herds in ten farms located in different municipalities of São Paulo State based on size and use of milking technology. All mammary glands of all lactating cows were screened using the California Mastitis Test (CMT) and a strip cup. A single aseptic milk sample (20mL) was collected from all CMT-positive quarters and bulk tanks, whereas swab samples were collected from feces, hind limbs of the animals, bedding and milking parlor. Identification of K. pneumoniae was performed using conventional microbiology culture, biochemical assay and Polimerase Chain Reaction. The primers were designed and tested at the Laboratory of Molecular Biology applied to Zoonoses (FMVZ, Unesp-Botucatu) targeting the 16S rRNA gene. This study included 1067 animals. Six cases of intramammary infection by K. pneumoniae were detected in six different cows in two farms. Moreover, K. pneumoniae was isolated in 77 swabs (34 from bedding in 9 farms, 7 from waiting rooms in 5 farms, 6 from milking parlors in 4 farms, 11 from rectums in six farms, and 19 from hindlimbs in 7 farms. Molecular analysis confirmed the agent was K. pneumoniae. At least one strain of the agent was identified in a certain site in all farms, showing the need of maintaining the hygiene in dairy farms.

Histophilus somni-induced thrombotic meningoencephalitis in cattle from northern Paraná, Brazil

Thrombotic meningoencephalitis (TME) is a fatal neurological disease of cattle, predominantly from North America, that is caused by Histophilus somniwith sporadic descriptions from other countries. This manuscript describes the occurrence of spontaneous TME in cattle from northern Paraná, Brazil. Most cattle had acute neurological manifestations characteristic of brain dysfunction. Hematological and cerebrospinal fluid analyses were not suggestive of bacterial infections of the brain. Histopathology revealed meningoencephalitis with vasculitis and thrombosis of small vessels that contained discrete neutrophilic and/or lymphocytic infiltrates admixed with fibrin at the brainstem, cerebral cortex, and trigeminal nerve ganglion of all animals. All tissues from the central nervous system used during this study were previously characterized as negative for rabies virus by the direct immunofluorescence assay. PCR and RT-PCR assays investigated the participation of infectious agents associated with bovine neurological disease by targeting specific genes of H. somni, Listeria monocytogenes, bovine herpesvirus -1 and -5, bovine viral diarrhea virus, and ovine herpesvirus-2. PCR and subsequent sequencing resulted in partial fragments of the 16S rRNA gene of H. somni from brain sections of all animals with histopathological diagnosis of TME; all other PCR/RT-PCR assays were negative. These findings confirmed the participation of H. somni in the neuropathological disease observed in these animals, extend the geographical distribution of this disease, and support previous findings of H. somni from Brazil.

Follicle and corpus luteum size and vascularity as predictors of fertility at the time of artificial insemination and embryo transfer in beef cattle

Abstract:Two ultrasound based fertility prediction methods were tested prior to embryo transfer (ET) and artificial insemination (AI) in cattle. Female bovines were submitted to estrous synchronization prior to ET and AI. Animals were scanned immediately before ET and AI procedure to target follicle and corpus luteum (CL) size and vascularity. In addition, inseminated animals were also scanned eleven days after insemination to target CL size and vascularity. All data was compared with fertility by using gestational diagnosis 35 days after ovulation. Prior to ET, CL vascularity showed a positive correlation with fertility, and no pregnancy occurred in animals with less than 40% of CL vascularity. Prior to AI and also eleven days after AI, no relationship with fertility was seen in all parameters analyzed (follicle and CL size and vascularity), and contrary, cows with CL vascularity greater than 70% exhibit lower fertility. In inseminated animals, follicle size and vascularity was positive related with CL size and vascularity, as shown by the presence of greater CL size and vascularity originated from follicle with also greater size and vascularity. This is the first time that ultrasound based fertility prediction methods were tested prior to ET and AI and showed an application in ET, but not in AI programs. Further studies are needed including hormone profile evaluation to improve conclusion.

Presence of Porphyromonas and Prevotella species in the oral microflora of cattle with periodontitis

Abstratc: Bovine periodontitis is a progressive purulent infectious process associated with the presence of strictly and facultative anaerobic subgingival biofilm and epidemiologically related to soil management in large geographic areas of Brazil. This study aimed to detect species of the genera Porphyromonas and Prevotella, which occurr in periodontal pockets of cattle with lesions deeper than 5mm (n=26) and in gingival sulcus of animals considered periodontally healthy (n=25). Presence of the microorganisms was evaluated by independent-culture medium diagnostic method, using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with specific primers of Porphyromonas asaccharolytica, P. endodontalis, P. gingivalis, P. gulae, Prevotella buccae, P. intermedia, P. loescheii, P. melaninogenica, P. nigrescens, P. oralis and P. tannerae. The species P. endodontalis (80.7%), P. melaninogenica (73.1%) and P. intermedia (61.5%) were the most predominant in samples of cattle with periodontitis. Regarding non-injured gingival sulcus of cattle, P. endodontalis (40%) and P. loeschei (40%) prevailed. Porphyromonas gingivalis, P. gulae and Prevotella tannerae were not detected in the 51 samples studied. Data evaluation by T test, enabled to verify that ocorrence of Porphyromonas asaccharolytica (p=0.000003), P. endodontalis (p=0.0023), Prevotella buccae (p=0.0017), P. intermedia (p=0.0020), P. melaninogenica (p=0.00006) and P. oralis (p=0.0028) is correlated with bovine periodontitis.

Partial budget analysis of prepartum antimicrobial therapy and Escherichia coli J5 vaccination of dairy heifers and their effect on milk production and milk quality parameters

Abstract: This study aimed to determine whether prepartum antimicrobial and/or Escherichia coli J5 vaccination in dairy heifers influence the milk production, milk quality, and estimate their economic benefit. Thus, 33 dairy heifers were enrolled in four groups using a split-splot design. Groups were: (G1) prepartum antimicrobial infusion and vaccination with an E. coli J5 bacterin, (G2) prepartum antimicrobial infusion, (G3) vaccination with an E. coli J5 bacterin, and (G4) control heifers. Composite milk samples for somatic cell count, total bacteria count and milk composition were collected 15 days after calving and every 15 days until the end of the experiment. Bacteriological analysis was carried out at the end of study. The milk production and the incidence of clinical cases of mastitis, as well as the costs associated with them were recorded. The results demonstrate a reduction on clinical mastitis rates by preventive strategies, which implicated in lower volume of discarded milk (0.99, 1.01, 1.04 and 3.98% for G1, G2, G3 and G4, respectively) and higher economic benefit. Thus, in well-managed dairy herds the prevention of heifer mastitis by vaccination or antimicrobial therapy can reduce the amount of antimicrobials needed to treat clinical mastitis cases and the days of discarded milk.

k-Casein gene frequencies support subdivision and historical origin of Argentine Creole cattle

Gene frequencies at the k-casein locus were estimated in six different herds (N = 180) of Argentinean Creole cattle. The results showed a strong influence of subdivision and independent evolution on the divergence of the observed gene frequencies. These results suggest that the population structure of these herds favor the maintenance of polymorphism, which is of crucial importance for the long-time survival of populations.