Production and carcass quality of ten beef cattle breeds of the southwest of Europe

A sample of about 70 young bulls of each of ten beef cattle breeds reared in their typical production systems has been studied regarding growth and carcass quality traits. Breeds included were Asturiana de los Valles (AV), Asturiana de la Montaña (AM), Avileña-Negra Ibérica (A-NI), Bruna dels Pirineus (BP), Morucha (Mo), Pirenaica (Pi) and Retinta (Re) from Spain, and Aubrac (Au), Gasconne (Ga) and Salers (Sal) from France. There existed large differences between breeds and also within breeds. AV and Pi were the breeds with more muscle and less fat, whereas A-NI, Mo and Re were in the opposite side. BP and AM occupied an intermediate position. This allows to classify the Spanish breeds in three groups: AV and Pi would belong to the group of late maturity, A-NI, Mo and Re, would be early maturing breeds, whereas BP and AM, despite the small size of the last, will be of intermediate maturity. In the French populations, Au was the breed with the highest carcass weight and Ga exhibited the lowest. Sal occupied an intermediate position, showing the longer and thinner thigh. In a wide range of carcass weight, the general relationships among carcass traits have been confirmed. Animals with the better conformation were also the leaner and longer carcasses tended to be lowly associated with a poorer conformation and fatter carcasses. Bone content was clearly opposed to carcass conformation and muscle content and was associated with longer carcasses

Meat quality of ten cattle breeds of the Southwest of Europe

A sample of about 70 young bulls of each of ten beef cattle breeds reared in their typical production systems has been characterised with respect to meat quality traits. Breeds included were Asturiana de los Valles, Asturiana de la Montaña, Avileña-Negra Ibérica, Bruna dels Pirineus, Morucha, Pirenaica and Retinta from Spain, and Aubrac, Gasconne and Salers from France. As was previously showed regarding carcass traits, there exist large differences both between and within breed – systems. In general, rustic breeds tended to present darker and redder meats with higher haematin contents, whereas less precocious and more specialised breeds showed brighter meats with bigger water losses. Protein content was similar, whereas intramuscular fat presented the larger variations both between and within breeds. ICDH content was higher in the more rustic breeds, showing the predominantly oxidative character of their fibres. Texture measurements showed in general large within breed-system variations, the differences between breeds being less evident. Within breed-system, daily gain weight was positively associated with brighter and tender meats. In the range studied, increasing slaughter weight within breed did not have influence on meat quality. Conformation was related to lower water holding capacity and less dry matter and intramuscular fat, as well as to a lower haematin content giving brighter meats. The increase in fatness scores was related to an augment of toughness in meat specialised breeds, although in Avileña-Negra Ibérica breed fatness carcasses were related to more tender meats. Redness parameter a* was positively related to fatter animals and opposed to conformation, the opposite being true for the L* (lightness) parameter. There was a small trend of fatter carcasses to be related to oxidative fibres, whereas the muscular fibres of the more conformed carcasses were more glycolytic. Texture measurements maximum load, maximum stress and toughness were very closely related. Shear force was opposed to tenderness. Losses at cooking were opposed to juiciness, but only in the Spanish breeds. No consistent trends regarding relationships between carcass characteristics and tenderness could be observed. Overall acceptability was primarily related with tenderness and flavour, and later on juiciness.

Parasite Genotypically Related to a Monoxenous Trypanosomatid of Dog's Flea Causing Opportunistic Infection in an HIV Positive Patient

An HIV positive patient presenting a clinical picture of visceral leishmaniasis co-infection was submitted to a bone marrow aspiration after admission to hospital. Amastigotes forms were seen in the bone marrow aspirate and the parasite grew in culture as promastigotes. Molecular analyses showed that the flagellates isolated did not belong to the genera Leishmania, Trypanosoma or Sauroleishmania. It was not possible to establish infection in laboratory animals. In vitro culture of mouse peritoneal macrophages revealed the invasion of the host cells by the flagellates and their killing 48 hr after infection. Opportunistic infection with an insect trypanosomatid was suspected. Further hybridization analyses against a pannel of different monoxenous and heteroxenous trypanosomatids showed kDNA cross-homology with Leptomonas pulexsimulantis a trypanosomatid found in the dog's flea

Deltamethrin-impregnated dog collars have a potent anti-feeding and insecticidal effect on Lutzomyia longipalpis and Lutzomyia migonei

Deltamethrin-impregnated PVC dog collars were tested to assess if they were effective in protecting dogs from sand fly bites of Lutzomyia longipalpis and Lu. migonei. A protective effect against Old World species Phlebotomus perniciosus was demonstrated before. Four dogs wearing deltamethrin collars and three dogs wearing untreated collars (not impregnated with deltamethrin) were kept in separate kennels for over eight months in a village on the outskirts of Fortaleza in Ceará, Brazil. Periodically, a dog from each group was sedated, placed in a net cage for 2 h in which 150 female sand flies had been released 10-15 min before. Lu. longipalpis were used 4, 8, 12, 16, 22, 27, and 35 weeks after the attachment of the collars. Lu. migonei were used 3, 7, 11, 15, 22, 26, and 36 weeks after attachment. During 35 weeks, only 4.1% (81 of 2,022) Lu. longipalpis recovered from the nets with the deltamethrin collared dogs were engorged, an anti-feeding effect of 96%. Mortality initially was over 90% and at 35 weeks was 35% with half of the sand flies dying in the first 2 h. In contrast, 83% of the 2,094 Lu. longipalpis recovered from the nets containing the untreated collared dogs were engorged and the mortality ranged from zero to 18.8% on one occasion with 1.1% dying in the first 2 h. Similar findings were found with Lu. migonei: of 2,034 sand flies recovered over this period, only 70 were engorged, an anti-feeding effect of 96.5%, and mortality ranged from 91% initially to 46% at 36 weeks. In contrast, engorgement of controls ranged from 91 to71% and a mortality ranged from 3.5 to 29.8%. These studies show that deltamethrin impregnated collars can protect dogs against Brazilian sand flies for up to eight months. Thus, they should be useful in a program to control human and canine visceral leishmaniasis.

Comparison between the Counter Immunoelectrophoresis Test and Mouse Neutralization Test for the Detection of Antibodies against Rabies Virus in Dog Sera

The detection of rabies antibodies is extremely valuable for epidemiological studies, determination of immune status in man, animals, and for the diagnosis of the disease. Several serological procedures have been described for this purpose. The present study reports a comparison between counterimmunoelectrophoresis test (CIET) and mouse neutralization test (MNT) in the detection of antibodies against rabies virus from 212 serum samples of vaccinated dogs. The agreement between both techniques was 79.7% and a significative association was demonstrated. The correlation coefficients between MNT and the CIET titers was determined considering 88 samples showing positive results in both techniques [CIET = 2 and MNT = 5 (0.13 IU/ml)] and resulted r² = 0.7926 (p < 0.001). The performance of CIET system was technically simple, cheap and rapid, and thereby it could be useful for serological monitoring of dog vaccination campaigns as well as for individual analysis.

Ocurrence of co-infection by Leishmania (Leishmania) chagasi and Trypanosoma (Trypanozoon) evansi in a dog in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

A natural case of co-infection by Leishmania and Trypanosoma is reported in a dog (Canis familiaris) in south- western state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Both amastigote and trypomastigote forms were observed after Giemsa staining of cytological preparations of the dog's bone marrow aspirate. No parasite was detected using medium culture inoculation of the sample. DNA obtained from the bone marrow aspirate sample and from the blood buffy coat was submitted to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with a set of rDNA-based primers S4/S12. The nucleotide sequence of the PCR product was identical to that of Trypanosoma (Trypanozoon) evansi. The S4/S12 PCR was then used as template in a nested-PCR using a specific Leishmania set S17/S18 as primers, to explain the amastigote forms. The nucleotide sequence of the new PCR product was identical to that of Leishmania (Leishmania) chagasi. This case, as far as we know, is the first report of a dog co-infected with these parasites, suggesting that besides L. (L.) chagasi, the natural transmission of T. (T.) evansi occurs in the area under study.

Rabid puppy-dog imported into the Netherlands from Morocco via Spain, February 2012.

To the editor: We read with interest the article by van Rijckevorsel et al. on a rabid puppy-dog imported into the Netherlands from Morocco via Spain, recently published in Eurosurveillance [1]. We would like to complete the information on this event with actions taken by the Spanish health authorities and lessons learnt.

The dog that did not bark: Insider trading and crashes

This paper documents that at the individual stock level insiders sales peak many months before a large drop in the stock price, while insiders purchases peak only the month before a large jump. We provide a theoretical explanation for this phenomenon based on trading constraints and asymmetric information. We test our hypothesis against competing stories such as patterns of insider trading driven by earnings announcement dates, or insiders timing their trades to evade prosecution. Finally we provide new evidence regarding crashes and the degree of information asymmetry.

Comparison of human chromosome 21 conserved nongenic sequences (CNGs) with the mouse and dog genomes shows that their selective constraint is independent of their genic environment.

The analysis of conservation between the human and mouse genomes resulted in the identification of a large number of conserved nongenic sequences (CNGs). The functional significance of this nongenic conservation remains unknown, however. The availability of the sequence of a third mammalian genome, the dog, allows for a large-scale analysis of evolutionary attributes of CNGs in mammals. We have aligned 1638 previously identified CNGs and 976 conserved exons (CODs) from human chromosome 21 (Hsa21) with their orthologous sequences in mouse and dog. Attributes of selective constraint, such as sequence conservation, clustering, and direction of substitutions were compared between CNGs and CODs, showing a clear distinction between the two classes. We subsequently performed a chromosome-wide analysis of CNGs by correlating selective constraint metrics with their position on the chromosome and relative to their distance from genes. We found that CNGs appear to be randomly arranged in intergenic regions, with no bias to be closer or farther from genes. Moreover, conservation and clustering of substitutions of CNGs appear to be completely independent of their distance from genes. These results suggest that the majority of CNGs are not typical of previously described regulatory elements in terms of their location. We propose models for a global role of CNGs in genome function and regulation, through long-distance cis or trans chromosomal interactions.

Genetic diversity and population structure of Brazilian native bovine breeds

Conservation and improvement strategies should be based on the association between genetic and phenotypic characteristics. The objective of this work was to characterize five native Brazilian cattle breeds (Caracu, Crioulo Lageano, Curraleiro, National Polled and Pantaneiro) and two commercial breeds (Holstein and Nellore) using RAPD technique to estimate genetic distances and variability between and within breeds. Genetic relationships were investigated using 22 primers which generated 122 polymorphic bands. Analysis of molecular variance indicated that most of the genetic variation lay among individuals within populations. The genetic variabilities between pairs of breeds were statistically significant. The smallest genetic divergence was between Crioulo Lageano and Curraleiro.The National Polled, although historically considered to be of Bos taurus aquitanicus origin,similar to theCaracu, was grouped together with the other breeds of Bos taurus ibericus origin. Generally, the individual breeds formed distinct clusters except the National Polled. The RAPD technique was capable to distinguish genetically between the breeds studied; the Caracu, Crioulo Lageano, Curraleiro and Pantaneiro may be considered distinct genetic entities thereby proving the uniqueness of the populations; the National Polled has not been able to re-establish itself after its decline in the 1950s, thereby losing its genetic identity.

Man-bites-dog business cycles

The newsworthiness of an event is partly determined by how unusual it isand this paper investigates the business cycle implications of this fact. In particular, weanalyze the consequences of information structures in which some types of signals are morelikely to be observed after unusual events. Such signals may increase both uncertainty anddisagreement among agents and when embedded in a simple business cycle model, can helpus understand why we observe (i) occasional large changes in macro economic aggregatevariables without a correspondingly large change in underlying fundamentals (ii) persistentperiods of high macroeconomic volatility and (iii) a positive correlation between absolutechanges in macro variables and the cross-sectional dispersion of expectations as measuredby survey data. These results are consequences of optimal updating by agents when theavailability of some signals is positively correlated with tail-events. The model is estimatedby likelihood based methods using individual survey responses and a quarterly time seriesof total factor productivity along with standard aggregate time series. The estimated modelsuggests that there have been episodes in recent US history when the impact on outputof innovations to productivity of a given magnitude was more than eight times as largecompared to other times.

Genetic variability of the Brazilian hair sheep breeds

The objectives of this work were to investigate the genetic structure of the Brazilian hair sheep breeds and to determine the origin of the Santa Inês breed. Molecular similarity was determined using Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA - Polymerase Chain Reaction markers in 238 individuals from five naturalized sheep breeds: Santa Inês (48 animals), Rabo Largo (48), Somali (48), Morada Nova (48) and Bergamasca (46), collected in Goiás, Sergipe, Bahia, and Ceará States as well as in the Federal District. Fifty-four loci were selected from 19 primers, after a pilot test using 140 primers. Qualitative analyses indicate diagnostic markers for all breeds. All breeds were significantly different from each other. Interbreed differences were explained by 14.92% of the total variation. Santa Inês clustered with Bergamasca (97% bootstrap) and with Rabo Largo, composing the third member of the group (81% bootstrap) while Morada Nova and Somali breeds clustered separately. Each breed should be considered as a separate management and conservation unit, and special care should be taken with Rabo Largo, Morada Nova and Somali breeds, represented by small herds in Brazil.

Genetic diversity of Brazilian Pantaneiro horse and relationships among horse breeds

The objective of this work was to evaluate the genetic diversity of Brazilian Pantaneiro horse by microsatellite markers, investigate the effect of genetic bottlenecks and estimate genetic differentiation among four horse breeds. Genetic variation was estimated through allele frequencies and mean breed heterozygosity. Nei's genetic distances among the breeds Pantaneiro, Thoroughbred, Arabian, Spanish Pure Breed (Andalusian), and Uruguay Creole were calculated, and it was used to construct an UPGMA dendrogram. Clustering at different K values was calculated to infer population structure and assign individuals to populations. Nei's distances showed a minimum distance between Pantaneiro horse and Spanish Pure Breed (0.228), and similar distances from Spanish Pure Breed to Thoroughbred and to Arabian (0.355 and 0.332). It was observed a great level of diversity, clear distance from Pantaneiro horse to other breeds, and genetic uniformity within breed. It was verified a certain level of substructure of Pantaneiro horse showing no influences from the other studied breeds.