Assessment of Structural Traits and Management Related to Dairy Herds in the Peri-urban Area of Bobo Dioulasso (South West of Burkina Faso)

To define mean herd size, structural traits, animal sourcing and use, management and aspects related to the milk production, 118 dairy herds, involved in a FAO dairy development project were studied. The mean herd size after allocation to clusters: Small (≤38 heads), Medium (>38, ≤61 heads) and Large (>61 heads) was 52.8±25.8, ranging from 7 to 134 heads of cattle. The following genotypes: Cross bred (CR) 58.8%, Zebu (ZB) 23.2% and Taurine cattle (TA) 18.0% which were not uniformly distributed neither across nor within herds were identified. Sex ratio was two thirds of females (70.6%), one third of males (28.1%) and a low proportion (1.3%) of castrated males. No mature TA males compared to 53.3% of the male ZB and 31.4% of the male CR, were indicated as potential sires. Investments in purchase of animals were higher in Small than in Medium and Large herds; of all purchased sires 53.8% were found in Small herds vs. 28.2% and 18.0% in Medium and Large. Herd property was equally distributed between single (56.8%) and multi property (43.2%). There was more manpower available per 100 cows in Small, being almost double and triple than in Medium and Large herds. Although milk extracted, was similar in all clusters averaging 2.4±0.5 litres/day/cow, milk off take rate, due to higher proportion of lactating cows, appeared higher in Small herds

How to make a sex chromosome

Sex chromosomes can evolve once recombination is halted between a homologous pair of chromosomes. Owing to detailed studies using key model systems, we have a nuanced understanding and a rich review literature of what happens to sex chromosomes once recombination is arrested. However, three broad questions remain unanswered. First, why do sex chromosomes stop recombining in the first place? Second, how is recombination halted? Finally, why does the spread of recombination suppression, and therefore the rate of sex chromosome divergence, vary so substantially across clades? In this review, we consider each of these three questions in turn to address fundamental questions in the field, summarize our current understanding, and highlight important areas for future work

Effect of slaughter age on meat qualitative traits of veals calves

Scopo del presente lavoro è stato quello di verificare alcune caratteristiche organolettiche e chimico bromatologhe della carne di 15 vitelli di razza Frisona. I vitelli sono stati macellati a 140, 160 e 190 giorni. I parametri analizzati non sono stati significativamente influenzati dall'età di macellazione se non per una riduzione del tenore proteico della sostanza secca a 160 giorni. Pertanto la scelta dell'età di macellazione, per il periodo studiato, può essere fatta sulla base di criteri di natura economica piuttosto che riferita ad aspetti qualitativi della carn

Molecular cytogenetics (FISH, GISH) of Coccinia grandis: A ca. 3 myr-old species of Cucurbitaceae with the largest Y/autosome divergence in flowering plants

The independent evolution of heteromorphic sex chromosomes in 19 species from 4 families of flowering plants permits studying X/Y divergence after the initial recombination suppression. Here, we document autosome/Y divergence in the tropical Cucurbitaceae Coccinia grandis, which is ca. 3 myr old. Karyotyping and C-value measurements show that the C. grandis Y chromosome has twice the size of any of the other chromosomes, with a male/female C-value difference of 0.094 pg or 10% of the total genome. FISH staining revealed 5S and 45S rDNA sites on autosomes but not on the Y chromosome, making it unlikely that rDNA contributed to the elongation of the Y chromosome; recent end-to-end fusion also seems unlikely given the lack of interstitial telomeric signals. GISH with different concentrations of female blocking DNA detected a possible pseudo-autosomal region on the Y chromosome, and C-banding suggests that the entire Y chromosome in C. grandis is heterochromatic. During meiosis, there is an end-to-end connection between the X and the Y chromosome, but the X does not otherwise differ from the remaining chromosomes. These findings and a review of plants with heteromorphic sex chromosomes reveal no relationship between species age and degree of sex chromosome dimorphism. Its relatively small genome size (0.943 pg/2C in males), large Y chromosome, and phylogenetic proximity to the fully sequenced Cucumis sativus make C. grandis a promising model to study sex chromosome evolution. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Base

The synergistic effect of prebiotics, probiotics and antioxidants on dogs with chronic kidney disease

The use of probiotics, prebiotics and antioxidants could be found beneficial for dogs with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The aim of our case-control study is to evaluate the synergistic effect of a diet integrated with a supplement containing probiotics (Lactobacillus acidophilus), prebiotics (fructoligosaccharides) and antioxidants (Olea Europaea extract) on the nutritional status and on serum and urinary parameters of dogs with CKD. A total of 30 dogs classified with IRIS CKD stage 3 were enrolled and randomly assigned to a control (CG, n = 15) and a treated (TG n = 15) group. The trial consisted in a 7-days adaptation period, followed by 90 days where animals in the TR group received the supplement, while in the CG group the placebo. No significant changes in body weight and body condition score were recorded. We recorded a significant improvement of the protein plasmatic level and a decrease in blood phosphorus, systolic pressure, BUN, proteinuria and urine protein-to-creatinine ratio throughout the trial in the TG compared to the CG group. Furthermore, the parameters related to inflammation and oxidative stress (C-reactive protein and Reactive Oxygen Metabolite- derived compound, respectively) were lower in the TG than in the CG group throughout the study. Our results showed that the supplement allows to maintain the correct nutritional status and to improve blood and kidney parameters in dogs with advance stage of CKD. This supplement could be considered as a new nutritional approach for treating this condition.HIGHLIGHTS Diet supplemented with prebiotics, probiotics and antioxidants is safe for dogs with CKD. The synergic effect of prebiotics, probiotics and antioxidants included in the supplement under study shows the maintenance of a good nutritional status and the improvement of blood and urinary parameters in dogs with CKD

Effects of low doses of dexamethasone on productive traits and meat quality of veal calves

An experimental administration of dexamethasone was carried out on 15 veal calves in order to assess the rôle of low doses of exogenous glucocorticoids on productive traits and meat quality. Three groups, of five veal calves each, were formed : one group received oral dexamethasone (0.4 mg per calf per day for 25 days), another intramuscular (i. m.) dexamethasone (2 mg at days 14 and 21), and the third was the control. Calves were slaughtered at 165 days of age (day 31). Food conversion ratio (FCR), hot dressing percentage (HDP), chilled dressing percentage (CDP) and shrinkage were determined. From all carcasses, samples of m. longissimus thoracis (between the 8th and 10th rib) were taken in order to evaluate the chemical composition and some organoleptic characteristics : meat colour, water-holding capacity and tenderness. The animals treated with oral dexamethasone showed the lowest daily weight gain (P < 0.05) and the poorest FCR (P < 0.05). Hot dressing percentage, cold dressing percentage and shrinkage were not affected by the oral treatment. The i. m. injections of dexamethasone did not influence the overall performance. Muscle chemical composition and pH were not affected by the treatments; the meat of calves treated with oral dexamethasone was significantly lighter (P < 0.05) and tended to be paler, while i. m. treatment induced intermediate characteristics. The shear force of the meat was rather low. Shear force of cooked meat from animals treated with dexamethasone (both oral and i. m.) was significantly lower than the control (P < 0.05). Treatment with dexamethasone i. m. induced a decrease in water-holding capacity; the oral treatment had no effect on this parameter

A first AFLP-based genetic linkage map for brine shrimp Artemia franciscana and its application in mapping the sex locus

We report on the construction of sex-specific linkage maps, the identification of sex-linked markers and the genome size estimation for the brine shrimp Artemia franciscana. Overall, from the analysis of 433 AFLP markers segregating in a 112 full-sib family we identified 21 male and 22 female linkage groups (2n = 42), covering 1,041 and 1,313 cM respectively. Fifteen putatively homologous linkage groups, including the sex linkage groups, were identified between the female and male linkage map. Eight sex-linked AFLP marker alleles were inherited from the female parent, supporting the hypothesis of a WZ-ZZ sex-determining system. The haploid Artemia genome size was estimated to 0.93 Gb by flow cytometry. The produced Artemia linkage maps provide the basis for further fine mapping and exploring of the sex-determining region and are a possible marker resource for mapping genomic loci underlying phenotypic differences among Artemia species