bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Lingual-Semantic Phenomena of Polysemy, Synonyms, Antonyms, Paronyms and Homonyms in the Process of Mastering of Ukrainian Medical Terms System by a Foreign Student
Authors: Tsurkan Maria
Published: February 2020

Vocabulary-semantic level of functioning of medical terms in terms system of Ukrainian language has been investigated in the article, in particular phenomena of polysemy, synonyms, antonyms and paronyms, lingual and inter-lingual homonyms of medical terms have been analyzed in the process of their learning by foreign students-medics. It has been specified, that these lingual-semantic phenomena are the reasons of main communicative difficulties during learning of Ukrainian as a foreign language, which cause misunderstandings with language speakers, generate language barriers, that significantly complicates the process of socio-cultural adaptation and formation of professional communicative competency of a foreigner. The attention is accented on both fundamental (theoretical) and applied aspects of investigation of mentioned phenomena in the article.

Types of lingual exercises for assimilation of lexical level of professional language have been presented in the article, taking into account outlined lingual-semantic phenomena. Reasons of appearance of polysemy and synonyms of medical terms have been analyzed, it has been defined, that synonyms are the most common ones among all lingual-semantic phenomena. It has been proved, that phenomenon of antonyms promotes systematization of terms, demonstrating symmetry of medical terms system. It has been explained, that studying of units of medical terms system of Ukrainian language by a foreigner depends on the level of professional and linguistic erudition, as well as on lingual intuition of a student. Professional erudition provides understanding of essence of concepts, which are indicated by term, while linguistic erudition provides knowledge of basic lingual laws by a student.

The conclusion has been made during the course of investigation, that phenomena of polysemy, synonyms, antonyms, paronyms, lingual and inter-lingual homonyms of medical terms in one hand create difficulties in mastering Ukrainian language in the process of their learning by foreign students-medics, and on the other hand, these phenomena emphasize regularity, logical stipulation and motivation of medical terms system through symmetry of terms, foreigners’ knowledge, sound similarity or identity with international terms system. Due to these phenomena, learning of Ukrainian as a foreign language provides activation of cognitive processes of a student and application of logical, system and thematic principles of studying of lexical terms units.
Modeling of the Production Capacity of the Enterprise in the Conditions of Combined Production Flows of Metallurgical Production
Authors: Stepanova Olena Vol.
Published: February 2020

Today there is no complex solution to the problem of calculation and optimization of production capacity, taking into account the performance of the main aggregates and the throughput of equipment of auxiliary sections in the combined production streams of metallurgical production. There is no method for finding bottlenecks in combined production streams. There is no classification of bottlenecks. The purpose of the article is to develop scientific and methodological recommendations for optimizing the enterprise (subdivision) in terms of combined production streams. Achieving the goal requires solving the following tasks: analysis of theoretical foundations and methods of calculation of production capacity; development of a formal representation of the structure of combined production streams; choice of mathematical model for optimization of production capacity. Analysis of studies and publications shows the impossibility of solving the problem of optimizing the production capacity of an enterprise without combining the formal representation of the structure of production streams with the corresponding mathematical model. It is proposed to submit the structure of combined production streams in the form of a graph-mathematical model. A network graph of combined production streams of blast furnace production was constructed. To calculate and optimize the production capacity, the problem of the maximum flow in the network, which is the task of linear programming, is used. The problem of finding the maximum flow in the grid, that is, the maximum production output of the unit to take into account the performance of the main aggregates and the capacity of the service stations, is solved. The maximum flow in the grid means the optimal value of the production capacity. Solving the dual problem of maximum flow gives the possibility of finding a minimum cut in a network, which is analogous to the bottleneck in the combined production flows. The following classification of bottlenecks in combined production streams is proposed: local, nodular, cross-sectional. The proposed methods of research and solving the formulated problems generalize and develop the well-known theoretical principles of the economy and the organization of production.
Democrazia costituzionale
Authors: Cattaneo Fabrizio
Published: February 2020

Il saggio si focalizzerà sull’analisi del rapporto tra costituzione e democrazia, innanzitutto sotto un profilo teorico ricostruendo il modello della democrazia costituzionale secondo alcune delle più autorevoli linee di pensiero del costituzionalismo contemporaneo. La natura della democrazia costituzionale è infatti, come si cercherà di argomentare, innanzitutto concettuale, e designa un modello teorico che in parte fornisce elementi per una conoscenza analitica, in parte dà indicazioni normative alle costituzioni democratiche positive dei regimi politici contemporanei e agli embrioni di costituzioni democratiche delle istituzioni politiche sovranazionali come l’Unione Europea e l’Organizzazione delle Nazioni Unite. Il saggio si articolerà in due parti. La prima sarà dedicata alla ricostruzione del modello teorico della democrazia costituzionale, come si è detto seguendo alcune delle più autorevoli linee di pensiero del costituzionalismo contemporaneo: nello specifico ripercorrendo e ricostruendo sommariamente le teorie di Norberto Bobbio e Luigi Ferrajoli. La seconda parte sarà dedicata all’osservazione storico-empirica della ‘divaricazione deontica’ (Ferrajoli) tra il modello teorico e la realtà, cioè la distanza che si può osservare tra modello teorico e le costituzioni formali e ‘materiali’ dei regimi politici fondati su tale modello. Senza ovviamente pretendere minimamente un’analisi esaustiva, si tenterà di rintracciare una linea evolutiva (o involutiva?) nell’arco temporale che va dalla nascita delle democrazie costituzionali con costituzione rigida e forma di governo democratica, (sostanzialmente dunque dalla fine della seconda guerra mondiale) ai nostri giorni.
Marxismo, ecologia e costituzione
Authors: Rubino Francesco
Published: February 2020

Questo saggio analizza le origini del consolidamento progressivo della sensibilità ecologica negli ultimi cento anni, le rapporti tra l’ecologia e la costituzione e l’ampiezza teorica dei concetti di diritti fondamentali, diritti umani, democrazia, socialismo per evitare la catastrofe, non dimenticando che il discorso ecologico è nato nelle tradizione socialisti sovietici. Analizza anche dalla guerra come fonte di diritto e la legittima difesa ambientale nel diritto internazionale al ‘ambiguo’ ma necessario corollario del principio internazionale di solidarietà come uscita possibile alla crisi. La costruzione di altre nozioni come “beni pubblici globali” sembra, da molti, un’altra conseguenza di questa opposizione tra la protezione ambientale e gli interventi umanitari, entrambi su scala globale e planetaria. Salvare l’ambiente e salvare l’economia è il secondo grande problema: che cos’è la produzione ambientale e come funziona al di là delle tante assunzioni di responsabilità e dei tanti committments che non hanno séguito? Esiste un “capitale naturale del mondo”? è l’ultima questione del saggio, come da una decina d’anni si è legittimato un modo di vedere che punta alla valorizzazione del “capitale naturale del mondo”. Dinanzi una somma di argomenti critici e historici a tutti questi concetti, l’articolo tende a concludere che l’atteggiamento politico è proprio invece quello di un “evasionismo” dal Pianeta, di un abbandono cioè nei confronti di un pianeta ormai in crisi irreversibile.
Perfusion of Isolated Carotid Sinus With Hydrogen Sulfide Attenuated the Renal Sympathetic Nerve Activity in Anesthetized Male Rats
Authors: GUO Q. , WU Y. , XUE H. , XIAO L. , JIN S. , WANG R.
Published: February 2020

The purpose of the present study was to define the indirect central effect of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) on baroreflex control of sympathetic outflow. Perfusing the isolated carotid sinus with sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS), a H2S donor, the effect of H2S was measured by recording changes of renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA) in anesthetized male rats. Perfusion of isolated carotid sinus with NaHS (25, 50, 100 μmol/l) dose and time-dependently inhibited sympathetic outflow. Preconditioning of glibenclamide (20 µmol/l), a ATP-sensitive K+ channels (KATP) blocker, the above effect of NaHS was removed. With 1, 4-dihydro-2, 6-dimethyl-5-nitro-4-(2-[trifluoromethyl] phenyl) pyridine-3-carboxylic acid methyl ester (Bay K8644, 500 nmol/l) pretreatment, which is an agonist of L-calcium channels, the effect of NaHS was eliminated. Perfusion of cystathionine γ-lyase (CSE) inhibitor, DL-propargylglycine (PPG, 200 μmol/l), increased sympathetic outflow. The results show that exogenous H2S in the carotid sinus inhibits sympathetic outflow. The effect of H2S is attributed to opening KATP channels and closing the L-calcium channels.
Accelerating Binary String Comparisons with a Scalable, Streaming-Based System Architecture Based on FPGAs
Authors: Pilz Sarah , Porrmann Florian , Kaiser Martin , Hagemeyer Jens , Hogan James M. , Rückert Ulrich
Published: February 2020

This paper is concerned with Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA)-based systems for energy-efficient high-throughput string comparison. Modern applications which involve comparisons across large data sets—such as large sequence sets in molecular biology—are by their nature computationally intensive. In this work, we present a scalable FPGA-based system architecture to accelerate the comparison of binary strings. The current architecture supports arbitrary lengths in the range 16 to 2048-bit, covering a wide range of possible applications. In our example application, we consider DNA sequences embedded in a binary vector space through Locality Sensitive Hashing (LSH) one of several possible encodings that enable us to avoid more costly character-based operations. Here the resulting encoding is a 512-bit binary signature with comparisons based on the Hamming distance. In this approach, most of the load arises from the calculation of the O ( m ∗ n ) Hamming distances between the signatures, where m is the number of queries and n is the number of signatures contained in the database. Signature generation only needs to be performed once, and we do not consider it further, focusing instead on accelerating the signature comparisons. The proposed FPGA-based architecture is optimized for high-throughput using hundreds of computing elements, arranged in a systolic array. These core computing elements can be adapted to support other string comparison algorithms with little effort, while the other infrastructure stays the same. On a Xilinx Virtex UltraScale+ FPGA (XCVU9P-2), a peak throughput of 75.4 billion comparisons per second—of 512-bit signatures—was achieved, using a design with 384 parallel processing elements and a clock frequency of 200 MHz. This makes our FPGA design 86 times faster than a highly optimized CPU implementation. Compared to a GPU design, executed on an NVIDIA GTX1060, it performs nearly five times faster.
A Retrospective Survey of Factors Affecting the Risk of Incidents and Equine Injury During Non-Commercial Transportation by Road in the United Kingdom
Authors: Hall Carol , Kay Rachel , Green Jim
Published: February 2020

The number of equines injured as a result of incidents during road transport is currently unknown in the United Kingdom. Although previous research has identified factors that affect an equine’s behavioural and physiological responses to transportation, their contribution to incident occurrence and injury risk is unclear. The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with incident occurrence and equine injury during transportation by road. An online survey was administered between 12 May 2017 and 21 July 2017 in the UK. The survey was open to those transporting equines non-commercially and comprised two sections. Questions relating to general transport behaviour were completed by all participants. Participants who had experienced an incident then provided details of these, including outcomes. Incidents were reported by 16.2% (342/2116) of participants, with details included for 399 incidents. Those participants who had a professional/competitive involvement with equines reported more incidents than those with a predominantly leisure involvement (p < 0.01). Equine behaviour was the attributed cause of 56% of incidents reported and most incidents occurred during the first hour of travel (65%). In over 50% of the incidents reported, the equine was injured, with those incidents attributed to transport vehicle malfunction being associated with the highest percentage of injury (68%). This study highlights the need for better preparation of the equine for transportation and to identify risk factors associated with transport vehicle type, design and operation.
Automated Collection and Analysis of Infrared Thermograms for Measuring Eye and Cheek Temperatures in Calves
Authors: Lowe Gemma , McCane Brendan , Sutherland Mhairi , Waas Joe , Schaefer Allan , Cox Neil , Stewart Mairi
Published: February 2020

As the reliance upon automated systems in the livestock industry increases, technologies need to be developed which can be incorporated into these systems to monitor animal health and welfare. Infrared thermography (IRT) is one such technology that has been used for monitoring animal health and welfare and, through automation, has the potential to be integrated into automated systems on-farm. This study reports on an automated system for collecting thermal infrared images of calves and on the development and validation of an algorithm capable of automatically detecting and analysing the eye and cheek regions from those images. Thermal infrared images were collected using an infrared camera integrated into an automated calf feeder. Images were analysed automatically using an algorithm developed to determine the maximum eye and cheek (3 × 3-pixel and 9 × 9-pixel areas) temperatures in a given image. Additionally, the algorithm determined the maximum temperature of the entire image (image maximum temperature). In order to validate the algorithm, a subset of 350 images analysed using the algorithm were also analysed manually. Images analysed using the algorithm were highly correlated with manually analysed images for maximum image (R2 = 1.00), eye (R2 = 0.99), cheek 3 × 3-pixel (R2 = 0.85) and cheek 9 × 9-pixel (R2 = 0.90) temperatures. These findings demonstrate the algorithm to be a suitable method of analysing the eye and cheek regions from thermal infrared images. Validated as a suitable method for automatically detecting and analysing the eye and cheek regions from thermal infrared images, the integration of IRT into automated on-farm systems has the potential to be implemented as an automated method of monitoring calf health and welfare.
KA-1002, a Novel Lysophosphatidic Acid Signaling Antagonist, Alleviates Bovine Tracheal Cell Disruption and Inflammation
Authors: Shin Hee-su , Kim Miok , Kim Kwang Soo , Min Yong Ki , Lee Chang Hoon
Published: February 2020

The industrial livestock environment can cause stress and weakened immunity in cattle, leading to microbial infections which reduce productivity. As such, there is a need for an effective therapeutic agent that can alleviate uncontrolled destructive respiratory inflammation. We found that lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), a potent endogenous stress-induced inflammatory agent, causes respiratory tissue damage and triggers inflammation in bovine bronchial cells. LPA also inflames pulmonary bovine blood vessel cells to produce inflammatory cytokines. These findings strongly suggest that LPA is a highly important endogenous material exacerbating bovine respiratory diseases. We further identified a novel LPA-signaling antagonist, KA-1002, and showed that it alleviated LPA-mediated bovine tracheal cell disruption and inflammation. Therefore, KA-1002 could potentially serve as a novel therapeutic agent to maintain physiologically healthy and balanced conditions in bovine respiratory tracts.
Coexistence of Diversified Dog Socialities and Territorialities in the City of Concepción, Chile
Authors: Capellà Miternique Hugo , Gaunet Florence
Published: February 2020

There has been scant research on the presence of stray dogs in cities. Studying their very considerable presence in Concepción (Chile) provided a unique opportunity to learn more about the different patterns of sociality and territoriality exhibited by the dog species. Via a set of case studies, we examined the behavior of urban dogs, adopting an ethnographic methodology. This yielded findings of the dogs’ cognitive, social and spatial adjustment abilities, i.e., their territorialities. Our hypothesis was validated: We found numerous types of sociability, we confirmed the presence of two previously established categories: family dogs (pets, guard dogs and beggars’ dogs) and stray dogs (dogs almost entirely unused to humans, aggressive dogs at the far end of the campus and feral dogs in the woods). We also identified three new ones: familiar stray dogs in packs (dogs both spatially and socially close to humans), pet-stray dogs (i.e., village dogs interacting closely with people) and free-roaming pet dogs. We conclude that an ongoing two-way bond between humans and animals allowed these dogs to became part of a city’s urban identity and explains the stray dogs’ plasticity in terms of adapting to the diversified urban habitat. We postulate that it was the human culture and range of urban areas in Concepción that gave rise to this unique diversity of sociospatial positioning and level of adjustment (e.g., dogs crossing crosswalks).
Artificial Grooming during Early Life could Boost the Activity and Human Affinity of Holstein Female Calves
Authors: Li Congcong , Wang Jian , Jin Shuang , Gu Xianhong
Published: February 2020

Early cow–calf separation management induced various welfare problems for dairy calves. We mimicked the maternal licking by manually brushing right after the Holstein female calves were born and during their first week of life, termed artificial grooming (AG). The behavior of these treated calves (AG, n = 17) was compared with the calves without artificial grooming (Con, n = 16) during daily behavioral observation around evening milk feeding and in the open field test (OFT) and novel human test (NHT). The number of calves ingesting starter on day six was recorded. The AG calves were observed to be more active and perform more oral behavior compared with the Con calves around evening milk feeding. In the OFT and NHT, the AG calves were again more active than the Con calves. Moreover, the AG calves tended to be less cautious and had more human interactions than the Con calves in the NHT. There tended to be a higher percentage of AG calves ingesting starter on day 6. In conclusion, artificial grooming during early life could boost the activity and the human affinity of female calves and it might advance their starter diet ingestion.
Models Based on the Mitscherlich Equation for Describing Typical and Atypical Gas Production Profiles Obtained from In Vitro Digestibility Studies Using Equine Faecal Inoculum
Authors: Powell Christopher D. , Dhanoa Mewa S. , Garber Anna , Murray Jo-Anne M. D. , López Secundino , Ellis Jennifer L. , France James
Published: February 2020

Two models are proposed to describe atypical biphasic gas production profiles obtained from in vitro digestibility studies. The models are extensions of the standard Mitscherlich equation, comprising either two Mitscherlich terms or one Mitscherlich and one linear term. Two models that describe typical monophasic gas production curves, the standard Mitscherlich and the France model [a generalised Mitscherlich (root-t) equation], were assessed for comparison. Models were fitted to 25 gas production profiles resulting from incubating feedstuffs with faecal inocula from equines. Seventeen profiles displayed atypical biphasic patterns while the other eight displayed typical monophasic patterns. Models were evaluated using statistical measures of goodness-of-fit and by analysis of residuals. Good agreement was found between observed atypical profiles values and fitted values obtained with the two biphasic models, and both can revert to a simple Mitscherlich allowing them to describe typical monophasic profiles. The models contain kinetic fermentation parameters that can be used in conjunction with substrate degradability information and digesta passage rate to calculate extent of substrate degradation in the rumen or hindgut. Thus, models link the in vitro gas production technique to nutrient supply in the animal by providing information relating to digestion and nutritive value of feedstuffs.
Are Larger Litters a Concern for Piglet Survival or An Effectively Manageable Trait?
Authors: Ward Sophia A. , Kirkwood Roy N. , Plush Kate J.
Published: February 2020

As sows continue to be selected for greater prolificacy, it is important to review problems that arise in larger litters, and whether these issues can be appropriately managed. Although a proportion of piglets in larger litters can be born underweight, proper supervision around farrowing and adequate colostrum intake has the potential to improve the survival of low-birth-weight piglets and their ongoing growth to weaning. As larger litters can impart greater stress and discomfort on sows, implementing a low-stress environment leading up to parturition may improve sow performance and subsequent survival of piglets. Additionally, treating sows with anti-inflammatory compounds, either dietary or pharmacologically, shows some promise for alleviating sow discomfort and improving piglet survival in larger litters. Understanding that selecting sows for larger litters not only affects piglet survival but the well-being of the sow, the decision to continue selecting for larger litters, regardless of management strategies, remains a topic of ethical concern.
Factors Associated with Cumulative First-Week Mortality in Broiler Chicks
Authors: Yerpes Marta , Llonch Pol , Manteca Xavier
Published: February 2020

First-week mortality is an important performance index as well as an important welfare indicator. The aim of the present study was to identify internal (individual-dependent) and external (management or environmental) factors that could influence the cumulative first-week mortality of broilers. To carry out this study, field data obtained from a hatchery company were used, in which 2267 flocks of broiler chicks (from 2015 to 2018), were analyzed. A generalized linear mixed model was used to analyze the data. Farm ID and house by farm were incorporated as random effects. The Odds Ratio was estimated for each factor, determining the effect of each explanatory variable. First-week mortality was significantly related to breeder age (p < 0.0001), chick gender (p < 0.0001) and breed (p < 0.0001) as internal factors, and type of broiler house (p = 0.0129), presence or absence of drip cup (p < 0.0001), egg storage (p < 0.0001), study year (p < 0.0001) and season (p < 0.0001) as external factors. Therefore, these factors should be considered in the decision making of poultry breeding companies, in order to reduce possible welfare problems and increase productive performance.
Evaluation of the Effects of Pre-Slaughter High-Frequency Electrical Stunning Current Intensities on Lipid Oxidative Stability and Antioxidant Capacity in the Liver of Yangzhou Goose (Anser cygnoides domesticus)
Authors: Zhang Xin , Farnell Morgan B. , Lu Qian , Zhou Xiaoyi , Farnell Yuhua Z. , Yang Haiming , Wan Xiaoli , Xu Lei , Wang Zhiyue
Published: February 2020

Limited research has been performed to evaluate the effects of high-frequency electrical stunning (ES) methods on the lipid oxidative stability of the meat goose livers. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of high-frequency-ES current intensities on lipid oxidative stability and antioxidant capacity in the liver of Yangzhou goose (Anser cygnoides domesticus). Forty 92-day-old male Yangzhou geese were randomly divided into five treatments (n = 8). Geese were not stunned (control) or exposed to ES for 10 s with alternating current (AC) at 500 Hz in a water bath. Current intensities were set at 30 V/20 mA (E30V), 60 V/40 mA (E60V), 90 V/70 mA (E90V), or 120 V/100 mA (E120V), respectively. The malondialdehyde level at day 0 was the highest in 120 V (p < 0.05). Antioxidant enzymes’ activity on day 2 was the highest in E60V. The 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl free radical (DPPH·) elimination ability was lower in the E120V than that in the E60V at two days and four days postmortem (p < 0.05). A combination of 60 V/40 mA/ 500 Hz/ 10 s per bird could be applied in the ES of Yangzhou geese to improve the lipid oxidative stability and antioxidant capacity in the livers.
Conception Rate and Reproductive Hormone Secretion in Holstein Cows Immunized against Inhibin and Subjected to the Ovsynch Protocol
Authors: Guo Rihong , Chen Fang , Mei Cheng , Dai Zicun , Yan Leyan , Shi Zhendan
Published: February 2020

This study was conducted to investigate the feasibility of improving fertility in dairy cows via immunization against inhibin. Thirty-two cows were divided into Control (n = 11), Low-dose (n = 10) and High-dose (n = 11) groups. The High-dose and Low-dose cows were treated with 1 and 0.5 mg of the inhibin immunogen, respectively. All the cows were subjected to the Ovsynch protocol from the day of antigen administration and were artificially inseminated. Blood samples were serially collected over a 24-day period from the start of the Ovsynch protocol to 14 days after insemination. The results showed that immunization against inhibin dose-dependently increased the plasma concentrations of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), estradiol (E2), and activin A, but decreased progesterone (P4) concentrations in the luteal phase. Immunization also increased the plasma interferon (IFN)-τ concentrations in pregnant cows on day 14 after initial insemination. The conception rates in High-dose (45.5%) and Low-dose (40%) cows marginally increased compared to that in Control cows (27.3%), but the increases were not significant (p > 0.05). In conclusion, a single immunization against inhibin has the potential to improve conception rates, despite impaired luteal development. To further improve the reproductive performance of dairy cows, additional luteal-stimulating treatments are suggested in combination with immunization against inhibin and Ovsynch techniques.
Metabolic and Biomolecular Changes Induced by Incremental Long-Term Training in Young Thoroughbred Racehorses during First Workout Season
Authors: Miglio Arianna , Cappelli Katia , Capomaccio Stefano , Mecocci Samanta , Silvestrelli Maurizio , Antognoni Maria Teresa
Published: February 2020

Training has a huge effect on physiological homeostasis. The Thoroughbred racehorse is a valid animal model to investigate such changes for training schedule fine-tuning. As happens in human athletes, it is hypothesized that biochemical and immune response changes and related biomolecular variations could be induced by training programs. The aim of this study was to investigate, for the first time, the long-term metabolic and biomolecular modifications in young untrained Thoroughbred racehorses in the first 4-month timeframe training period. Twenty-nine clinically healthy, untrained, two-year-old Thoroughbred racehorses were followed during their incremental 4-month sprint exercise schedule. Blood collection was performed once a month, five times (T-30, T0, T30, T60, and T90). For each sample, lactate concentration, plasma cell volume (PCV), and hematobiochemical parameters (glucose, urea, creatinine, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total bilirubin (Tbil), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), creatine kinase (CK), cholesterol, triglycerides, albumin (Alb), total proteins (TPs), phosphorus (P), calcium (Ca2+), magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na+), potassium (K−), and chloride (Cl)) were determined. At T-30 and T90, serum protein electrophoresis (SPE), serum amyloid A (SAA), and real-time qPCR were performed on all samples to evaluate the expression of key genes and cytokines related to inflammatory and Th2 immunity responses: Interleukin-4 (IL-4), Interleukin-6 (IL-6), Interleukin-10 (IL-10), Interleukin-1β (IL-1β), Octamer-Binding Transcription Factor 1 (OCT1), B-cell lymphoma/leukemia 11A (BCL11A). Statistical analysis was performed (ANOVA and t test, p < 0.05). Significant modifications were identified compared with T-30 for PCV, glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol, lactate, urea, creatinine, Tbil, ALP, LDH, Na+, K−, Ca2+, SAA, TPs, SPE, IL-6, IL-4, Oct-1, and BCL11A. In conclusion, the first long-term training period was found to induce fundamental systemic changes in untrained Thoroughbreds.
Inclusion of Camelina, Flax, and Sunflower Seeds in the Diets for Broiler Chickens: Apparent Digestibility of Nutrients, Growth Performance, Health Status, and Carcass and Meat Quality Traits
Authors: Zając Malwina , Kiczorowska Bożena , Samolińska Wioletta , Klebaniuk Renata
Published: February 2020

The study determined the effect of the addition of 15% of camelina, flax, and sunflower seeds to iso-caloric and iso-nitrogenous diets for broiler chickens during 21–42 days of age on the nutrient digestibility, production traits, slaughter analysis parameters, hematological indices, blood mineral elements, and dietary value of breast and drumstick meat. Two hundred one-day-old broiler chickens were assigned to four groups (treatments) with five replicates (10 birds per cage, 5 females and 5 males). The experiment lasted 6 weeks. Broiler chickens receiving diets supplemented with camelina and flax seeds exhibited an increase (p < 0.05) in average body weight and a decrease (p < 0.05) in the ether extract content and energy digestibility of the diets. Moreover, the best carcass quality with a high proportion of muscles and low abdominal fat content (p < 0.05) was noted in broilers fed flax- and sunflower-enriched diets. The treatments with the oil seeds reduced the ether extract content and the calorific value of breast and drumstick muscles. The flax seeds contributed to an increase in the Fe content in drumstick muscles. Additionally, some blood parameters were influenced by the flax seed supplementation, e.g., the level of hemoglobin declined (p < 0.05) and the iron level in plasma increased (p < 0.05). It can be concluded that the camelina, flax, and sunflower seeds can be regarded as good dietary components with positive effects on the dietary value of poultry meat.
Utilization of Optical Flow Algorithms to Monitor Development of Tail Biting Outbreaks in Pigs
Authors: Li Yuzhi Z. , Johnston Lee J. , Dawkins Marian S.
Published: February 2020

A study was conducted to evaluate activity changes in pigs associated with the development of tail-biting outbreaks using optical flow algorithms. Pigs (n = 120; initial body weight = 25 ± 2.9 kg) housed in four pens of 30 pigs were studied for 13 weeks. Outbreaks of tail biting were registered through daily observations. Behavior of pigs in each pen was video-recorded. Three one-hour video segments, representing morning, noon, and afternoon on days 10, 7, and 3 before and during the first outbreak of tail biting were scanned at 5-min intervals to estimate time budget for lying, standing, eating, drinking, pig-directed behavior, and tail biting. The same video segments were analyzed for optical flow. Mean optical flow was higher three days before and during the tail-biting outbreak, compared to 10 days before the outbreak (p < 0.05), suggesting that pigs may increase their activity three days before tail-biting outbreaks. All optical flow measures (mean, variance, skewness, and kurtosis) were correlated (all p < 0.01) with time spent standing, indicating that movement during standing may be associated with optical flow measures. These results suggest that optical flow might be a promising tool for automatically monitoring activity changes to predict tail-biting outbreaks in pigs.
Phenotypic Characterization of Milk Yield and Quality Traits in a Large Population of Water Buffaloes
Authors: Costa Angela , Negrini Riccardo , De Marchi Massimo , Campanile Giuseppe , Neglia Gianluca
Published: February 2020

The buffalo milk industry has economic and social relevance in Italy, as linked to the manufacture of traditional dairy products. To provide an overview of the current status of buffaloes’ performances on a large scale, almost 1 million milk test-day records from 72,294 buffaloes were available to investigate milk yield, energy corrected milk, fat, protein, and lactose content, and somatic cell score (SCS). Phenotypic correlations between milk traits were calculated and analysis of variance was carried out through a mixed model approach including fixed effect of parity, stage of lactation, sampling time, month of calving, and all their interactions and random effects of buffalo, herd-test-date, and residual. Third-parity buffaloes were the most productive in terms of milk yield, while the lowest solid content was detected in sixth parity buffaloes. A considerable gap between primiparous and multiparous buffaloes was observed for milk yield, especially in early- and mid-lactation. Overall, SCS progressively increased with parity and showed a negative correlation with milk yield in both primiparous (−0.12) and multiparous (−0.14) buffaloes. Results suggested that, at the industrial level, milk of primiparous buffaloes may be preferred for transformation purposes, since it was characterized by greater solid content and lower SCS. Results of this study provide a picture of the Italian population of buffaloes under systematic performance records and might be beneficial to both dairy industry and breeding organizations.
Effect of Dietary Crude Protein on Productive Efficiency, Nutrient Digestibility, Blood Metabolites and Gastrointestinal Immune Markers in Light Lambs
Authors: Pelegrin-Valls Jonathan , Serrano-Pérez Beatriz , Villalba Daniel , Martín-Alonso María José , Bertolín Juan Ramón , Joy Margalida , Álvarez-Rodríguez Javier
Published: February 2020

This study hypothesized that reducing the level of crude protein (CP) in lambs′ feed may improve nutrient utilization and did not negatively affect their productive efficiency, blood metabolites, oxidative status (OS) or intestinal immune barrier function. A total of 120 weaned male Ripollesa lambs (45–60 days old and 15.0 ± 1.5 kg of body weight) were used. Four feed concentrates were formulated for two different phases (growing and finishing): CP20/19 group (20% and 19% of CP on dry matter basis, for each phase, respectively) and CP18/17 group (18% and 17% of CP on dry matter basis, for each phase, respectively). Lambs were randomly assigned to feeding treatments by balancing initial body weight between groups. The reduction of dietary CP level did not impair their growth performance parameters, while it did improve the apparent digestibility of organic matter. Furthermore, the lambs of the CP18/17 group showed lower plasma urea levels with no effect on OS (malondialdehyde levels) or gastrointestinal immunity markers (gene expression of interleukin 10 (IL10), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFA) and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGFB)).
Effects of Long-Term Gentle Handling on Behavioral Responses, Production Performance, and Meat Quality of Pigs
Authors: Wang Chao , Chen Yongjie , Bi Yanju , Zhao Peng , Sun Hanqing , Li Jianhong , Liu Honggui , Zhang Runxiang , Li Xiang , Bao Jun
Published: February 2020

In order to investigate the effect of gentle handling on the behavior, performance, and meat quality of pigs from weaning to slaughter, 144 6-week-old weaned hybrid Min piglets (a native breed) were selected and divided into a handling group (HG: 9 pens × 8 pigs) and a control group (CG: 9 pens × 8 pigs). After 6 weeks of handling, we observed and then evaluated the pigs’ responses to a handler with behavioral scores. Moreover, we measured heart rate and production performance. Three pigs were randomly selected from each of the 18 pens and divided into a handling group (HG: n = 27) and a control group (CG: n = 27), and the HG pigs were given gentle handling until slaughter. Subsequently, we evaluated meat quality and the production performance of six pigs from each group. The results show that AA test (approaching–avoidance test) scores in HG pigs, the number of contacts with the handler and absence of contact with the handler, were significantly higher than in the CG pigs (p < 0.01). The occurrences of avoidance and looking at the handler were lower in the HG than in the CG group (p < 0.01); however, heart rate was not found to be significantly different between the two groups (p = 0.63). No significant difference was found in the average daily gain, average daily feed intake, and feed conversion ratio between the two groups during the two periods (p > 0.05). The b* value was determined 45 min after slaughter, and it was significantly lower in the HG than that in the CG group (p = 0.002). Furthermore, 2 h after slaughter, the L value of the HG group was significantly higher than that of the CG group (p = 0.047), but no difference was observed in carcass quality or other meat quality indicators between the two groups (p > 0.05). The results indicate that gentle handling could reduce pigs’ anxiety and increase their willingness to approach the handler, increasing the intimacy of the pigs and handlers. However, long-term gentle handling had little effect on pig performance, carcass quality, and meat quality.
Effects of Urtica cannabina to Leymus chinensis Ratios on Ruminal Microorganisms and Fiber Degradation In Vitro
Authors: Zhang Zhenbin , Wang Shan , Wang Mengzhi , Shahzad Khuram , Zhang Xiaoqing , Qi Ruxin , Shi Liangfeng
Published: February 2020

The study was conducted in vitro to investigate the effects of different ratios of Urtica cannabina and Leymus chinensis on fiber microstructure and digestibility in ruminal fluid. The experiment was divided into five groups based on the U. cannabina/L. chinensis ratios: A (0:100), B (30:70), C (50:50), D (70:30), and E (100:0). The culture medium was collected at 0, 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 h. The results showed that: (1) in vitro crude protein degradability (IVCPD) was higher in group A, whereas in vitro neutral detergent fiber degradability (IVNDFD) was higher in group C (p < 0.05); (2) protozoa count was increased from 1 h to 3 h and decreased afterwards, with significant differences observed in several genera (p < 0.05); (3) microbial crude protein (MCP) contents at 1, 3, 6, and 24 h were higher in groups A and C (p < 0.05); (4) the basic tissue of U. cannabina was gradually degraded. At 24h, the secondary xylem vessel structure was observed in groups B and C, but not in groups D and E. In summary, there was higher neutral detergent fiber (NDF) digestibility, higher rumen MCP contents, and lower protozoa count, showing the significance of the 50:50 ratio for microbial growth and fiber digestibility.
Distribution of Superficial Body Temperature in Horses Ridden by Two Riders with Varied Body Weights
Authors: Wilk Izabela , Wnuk-Pawlak Elżbieta , Janczarek Iwona , Kaczmarek Beata , Dybczyńska Marta , Przetacznik Monika
Published: February 2020

It was assumed that a horse with its rider body weight found in the upper limit may negatively impact the horse’s welfare. The objective of this paper was to analyze the differences in body temperature and selected heart rate parameters in horses in response to physical exercise accompanied by various rider’s body weight loads. The study was carried out on 12 leisure, 10–15-year-old warmblood geldings. The horses were ridden by two equally qualified riders whose body weights were about 20% and 10% of the average body weight (BW) of the animals (about 470 kg). Each rider rode each of the 12 horses for 13 min walking and 20 min of trotting. Images of the horse at rest, after physical exercise directly after unsaddling, and during the recovery phase (10 min after unsaddling) were taken with an infrared thermography camera. For analysis, the temperatures of selected body parts were measured on the surface of the head, neck, front, middle, and back (croup) parts of the trunk, forelimb, and hind limb. Immediately after the infrared thermography images were taken, the rectal temperature of the horse was measured. The heart rate parameters were measured at rest for 10 min directly before, during, and 10 min following the end of a training session. A multivariate analysis of variance (ANOVA) for repeated measurements was performed. Statistical significance was accepted for p < 0.05. A rider BW load on a horse of approximately 20% of the horse’s BW led to a substantial increase in the superficial temperatures of the neck, front, middle, and back parts of the trunk in relation to these body parts’ average temperatures when the load was about 10% BW. The head and limb average temperatures were not significantly affected by the load of the exercised horse. A horse’s load above 20% of his body weight, even with little effort, affects changes in surface temperature and the activity of the autonomic nervous system.
Transplacental Transmission of Theileria equi Is Not a Common Cause of Abortions and Infection of Foals in Israel
Authors: Tirosh-Levy Sharon , Gottlieb Yuval , Mimoun Lea , Mazuz Monica L. , Steinman Amir
Published: February 2020

Although the main route of transmission of Theileria equi is through tick feeding, transplacental transmission is also possible and may lead to abortion, or to the birth of a sick or carrier foal. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of T. equi as a cause of abortions in Israel and the risk of foals being infected at a young age. Eight aborting mares were serologically evaluated for exposure to T. equi via the immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT) and their aborted fetuses were evaluated using PCR and qPCR. In addition, five mares and their foals (aged 4–6 months) from a highly endemic farm were tested for T. equi infection using IFAT, PCR and qPCR. Five of the eight aborting mares were seropositive for T. equi; however, none of the aborted fetuses was infected. All five mares from the endemic farm were subclinically infected with T. equi. Of their five foals, one was infected, with relatively high parasitemia and different parasite genotype than its dam’s, suggesting another source of infection. The results of this study suggest that transplacental transmission of T. equi is not common and does not appear to be a prominent cause of abortion in chronically infected mares.
Effect of Accumulation of Heavy Metals in the Red Fox Intestine on the Prevalence of Its Intestinal Parasites
Authors: Borkovcova Marie , Fiser Vladimir , Bednarova Martina , Havlicek Zdenek , Adámková Anna , Mlcek Jiri , Jurikova Tunde , Balla Stefan , Adámek Martin
Published: February 2020

The aim of this study was (i) to compare levels of accumulated heavy metals in the fox intestines with and without parasites. Moreover, our research also dealt with (ii) examination of the relationship between heavy metal content in fox intestines and between the presence of fox intestinal parasites. The intestines of 34 hunter-killed foxes were dissected to detect the occurrence of parasites. In 15 intestinal samples, parasitic intestinal helminths were found. Heavy metal content in small intestine tissue and in parasites was determined using atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). The prevalence of parasites was significantly dependent on Cd content in the host’s small intestine (p < 0.01). To conclude, the authors suggest that parasites are sensitive to Cd levels; their prevalence in the intestines of the fox host decreases to zero with increasing Cd content.
Effect of Antimicrobial Peptide Microcin J25 on Growth Performance, Immune Regulation, and Intestinal Microbiota in Broiler Chickens Challenged with Escherichia coli and Salmonella
Authors: Wang Gang , Song Qinglong , Huang Shuo , Wang Yuming , Cai Shuang , Yu Haitao , Ding Xiuliang , Zeng Xiangfang , Zhang Jiang
Published: February 2020

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of antimicrobial peptide microcin J25 (MccJ25) on growth performance, immune regulation, and intestinal microbiota in broilers. A total of 3120 one-day-old male Arbor Acres (AA) broilers were randomly allocated to five groups (12 replicates, 52 chickens per replicate). The treatments were control, challenge (0 mg/kg MccJ25), different dosages of antimicrobial peptide (AMP) (0.5 and 1mg/kg MccJ25), and antibiotic groups (20 mg/kg colistin sulfate). The MccJ25 groups increased the body weight gain (starter and overall) that was reduced in the challenge group. The overall (day 1 to day 42) feed-to-gain ratio (G:F) was significantly decreased in AMP groups compared with the challenge group. Birds fed AMP had a decreased population of total anaerobic bacteria (day 21 and day 42) and E. coli (day 21 and day 42) in feces, as well as a lower Salmonella infection rate (day 21 and day 42) compared with birds in the challenge group. The villus height of the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum, as well as the villus height/crypt depth of the duodenum and jejunum were greater in AMP groups than birds in the challenge group. Moreover, MccJ25 linearly improved the villus height of the duodenum and jejunum. The addition of MccJ25 decreased the concentration of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 compared with challenge group. At d 21, MccJ25 linearly reduced the level of IL-6. In conclusion, dietary supplemented MccJ25 eﬀectively improved performance, systematic inﬂammation, and improved fecal microbiota composition of the broilers.