Hypomagnesemia in a Herd Fed on High Protein Diet

In a herd of 23 high yielding cross bred cows, 4 cows showed classical symptoms of hypomagnesemia. All the animals were being fed with high protein diet whereby they were provided with ad lib leguminous green fodder particularly berseem (Trifolium alexandrinum) that was fertilized with urea.

Even the concentrate being fed @10 kg/animal/day, was having >40% protein source in form of mustard cake and soybean. Blood samples from all the cows of the herd were collected for plasma minerals (Ca, Mg, K, Na, Cu, Fe and Zn) estimation.

Lower concentration of magnesium and sodium were recorded whereas marginal levels of calcium were observed in the affected animals. With oral supplementation of magnesium oxide and diet change there was no relapse of the condition.

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Hypomagnesemia in a Herd Fed on High Protein Diet

In a herd of 23 high yielding cross bred cows, 4 cows showed classical symptoms of hypomagnesemia. All the animals were being fed with high protein diet whereby they were provided with ad lib leguminous green fodder particularly berseem (Trifolium alexandrinum) that was fertilized with urea.

Even the concentrate being fed @10 kg/animal/day, was having >40% protein source in form of mustard cake and soybean. Blood samples from all the cows of the herd were collected for plasma minerals (Ca, Mg, K, Na, Cu, Fe and Zn) estimation.

Lower concentration of magnesium and sodium were recorded whereas marginal levels of calcium were observed in the affected animals. With oral supplementation of magnesium oxide and diet change there was no relapse of the condition.

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Age-related Yields of Mouse Sperm and Oocytes

Genetically modified animals, in particular mice, are unique mutants with a major scientific potential. Cryopreservation of pre-implantation embryos or of spermatozoa is a common approach to protect those lines against loss or to archive them.

Prerequisite to take a mutant line out of a breeding nucleus is the cryopreservation of a sufficient number of samples and a powerful quality assessment.

Several common protocols to cryopreserve spermatozoa and subsequently to forward these to an in vitro-fertilization under standardized conditions are published using donors of a strictly limited age-span.

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Water Temperature Affects the Ontogenetic Development of Yellowtail Amberjack Seriola lalandi dorsalis (Gill 1863)

Temperature is important for development of fish larvae because it can regulate metabolism and feeding behavior. Temperature directly influences the size of fish larvae at hatching, yolkabsorption, growth, survival, feeding success and digestion.

Seriola lalandi 

In many cases, high mortality and abnormality of fish larvae are attributed to unsuitable temperature in the rearing system. Within the temperature range of fish tolerance, the increase of temperature accelerates ontogenetic development, but a high temperature may reduce fish survival rates at the same time. During ontogenetic development, the size at metamorphosis tends to increase at low temperature. In contrast, at high temperatures, yolk-sac absorption of fish larvae is faster resulting in a shorter endogenous feeding period. Within the range of optimal temperatures, food intake of fish usually increases with temperature increment, but falls dramatically at the low end of optimal temperatures. Therefore, choosing appropriate temperature for rearing fish larvae is essential to achieve fast growth and high survival in finfish hatcheries. Read more>>>>>>

Incidence of Dog Bite Cases in Humans in Umuahia Local Government Area of Abia State

Dog bite is a trauma caused by the teeth of a dog and is usually heavilycontaminated with microorganism. It is of great public health concern as most cases of human deaths from rabies have been almost always attributed to dog bite.

Dog Bite

Globally millions of people are bitten by dogs, for instance in 1994, it was estimated that over 4.7 million dog bites occurred annually in the United States of America and approximately 800,000 persons require medical care, 44% of who are <14 years old. Similarly, a study in Sokoto State, Nigeria, reported 991 dog bite victims within a decade amongst which 11 children died of rabies. Rabies is an acute viral infection of the central nervous system, characterized by irritation of the central nervous system, paralysis and death. In Africa, transmission of rabies virus is principally through the bite of an infected animal especially dogs. In most African countries especially in the Western and Central Africa, there is absence of policy on notification of rabies cases in humans and animals. Read more>>>>>> 

Analysis of the Gut Microbiome of Nile Tilapia Oreochromis Niloticus L. Fed Diets Supplemented with Previda® and Saponin

The use of prebiotics in aquaculture aims at increasing the numbers of beneficial microbesin the gastrointestinal tract of fishes. However, the true effect of prebiotics exert on the fish microbiome is for the most part unknown.

This study aimed at investigating the effects of the commercial prebiotic Previda® and the feed supplement saponin on Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus L.).

We used 454 pyrosequencing to characterize the gut microbiome of fish fed diets containing Previda®, saponin, a combination of both, and a control diet.

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Diagnosis and Management of a Malignant Dermal Melanoma in a Donkey (Equus asinus)

Surgical removal of the masses applied under epidural anesthesia was performed. The masses were firm and pigmented. Multiple biopsies of the masses were collected and fixed in 10% neutral buffered formalin.

Malignant Dermal Melanoma

Histopathologic evaluation of the biopsies revealed malignant dermal melanoma involving deep dermis, muscles, adipose tissue, lymph node and blood vessels. Multifocal areas of necrosis and dystrophic calcification were recognized. Hematologic and plasma biochemical parameters were within normal reference ranges. Two months post- surgery, hematologic and plasma biochemical parameters remained within normal limits. The animal did not show any clinical signs of disease or evidence of recurrence until five months follow-up post-surgery. To the author’s knowledge, this is the first report of successful surgical excision of a malignant dermal melanoma in a donkey. Read more>>>>>>>

Influence of Commonly used Manures on the Growth and Nutrient Composition of Periphyton

Pond fertilization is a common practice in aquaculture aimed at increasing the production of natural food for farmed fishes. Inorganic fertilizers are expensive and their use bysmallholder farmers may be limited. Animal wastes are widely used in many countries to sustain pond productivity at a low cost.

Periphyton

Organic fertilizers decompose and release nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium which are used by phytoplankton for growth and reproduction. In addition, they provide attachment sites for bacteria and other microscopic organisms. Plankton perform other important functions in pond aquaculture - a net producer of dissolved oxygen, which is indispensable for fish growth and the most important sink of ammonia-nitrogen, which is excreted by fish. Jhingran observed that natural food also supplies certain digestive enzymes that improve the utilization of artificial diets. The FAO/AADCP Regional Expert Consultation has emphasized the need for a greater understanding of the role of natural food organisms in semi-intensive farming based on systems that optimize pond fertilization. Read more>>>>>>>

Age-related Yields of Mouse Sperm and Oocytes

Several common protocols to cryopreserve spermatozoa and subsequently to forward these to an in vitro-fertilization under standardized conditions are published using donors of a strictly limited age-span.

In practice, several limitations happen frequently for those approaches, e.g. the availability of genetically modified males, in particular if a line is in an experimental use or the mutation leads to restrictions.

Female donors are often received from external sources and are subsequently not available before weaning. They are subject of several delays to induce an early superovulation. The aim of this report is to study the suitable age span of sperm and oocyte donors.

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The Comparative Study of Myofibrillar Proteins of Skeletal Muscles of Some Deep-Sea Fish Species

Deep-sea fish have not generally been used for food, but its abundance suggests it could be an important source of high-quality protein. Deep-sea fish have much different significance for industrial fishing.

Deep-Sea Fish Species

Three species of deep-sea fish Coryphaenoides pectoralis, Coryphaenoides cinereus and Podonema longipes are the most accessible for effective fishing in the Far-Eastern Seas of Russia. These three species were chosen for investigations in the present paper. For processing of fish meat, the knowledge of the properties of fish muscle proteins is necessary. The main aim of the present paper was to determine the composition of basic myofibrillar proteins and its ratio in skeletal muscle tissue. Investigations of the biochemistry of muscle tissue of deep-sea fish have only incidental character and systematic study of this has not been carried out. In most cases the studies of researchers have been limited to mesopelagic species.

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Influence of Cobalt Supplementation on Feed Intake Nutrient Digestibility and Body Weight Change in Goats Fed Corncob-Based Diet.

Sustainability of feeds supply to livestock is a great challenge in Sub-Saharan Africa. The challenge has made the need to source for unconventional feeds and feedstuffs asalternatives, a priority in the livestock industry.

Goats Feeding Corncob-Based Diet

Alternative feeds can satisfactorily complement the conventional feed resources if the appropriate processing and supplementation approaches are adopted. Among such unconventional feed resources is corncoban abundant by-product of maize crop production that is seldom utilized for feeding purpose, in spite of its potentials in ruminant diets formulation. Corncob contains a considerable reservoir of fibrous complex-carbohydrates; mainly cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin. Strategies appropriate for enhancing the utilization of high fiber diets in ruminants include the use of exogenous fibrolytic enzyme, chemical and mechanical processing, and supplementation for enhanced rumen microbial activities.

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The Relationship among Dams Milk Parameters, Weight, Udder Parameters and Linear Body Measurements in West African Dwarf Sheep at First Lambing

Sheep are known to provide meat and milk for human consumption and it is perceived by some consumers in Nigeria that sheep milk have a better and natural taste than cow’s milk.

West African Dwarf Sheep

Local sheep breeds in Nigeria have the potential to supply a significant portion of the milk deficit in the country because sheep numbers far exceed cattle numbers in both rural and urban communities. The effective prolificacy of West African Dwarf ewes gives it an advantage of milk production in a large quantity, as neonatal suckling is known to enhance effective tactile teat stimulation causing the release of Oxytocin from the neurohypophysis of the pituitary gland. Sheep milk has been found to be richer in critical nutrients, except lactose, than milk of humans, cattle and goats. The interest in the dairy sheep udder has increased in the last few years in which anatomy has been explored in depth, linear evaluation of udder traits has been proposed and genetic parameters evaluated.

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Effect of Dietary Supplementation with Short-Chain Fructooligosaccharides in Lactating Sows and Newly Weaned Piglets on Reproductive Performance of Sows, Immune Response and Growth Performance of Piglets from Birth to Slaughter

Nutrition plays an essential role in developing microbiota and immune system of neonate piglets. Early-life nutrition may also influence gut immunity and metabolism atlong-term and may impact growth of pigs at later physiological stages byimprinting.

Newly Weaned Piglets

Indeed, modulating the diet of females during gestation and lactation and/or the diet of young animal’s results in later change in microbiota and epigenetic reactions in several species. Nutrition of sows is crucial in preserving reproductive performance. Voluntary feed intake of highly prolific sows is generally insufficient to cover nutrient requirements for milk production and maintenance of body condition. Furthermore, sows may become insulin-resistant during lactation resulting in impairing their breeding career. Additionally, insulin-resistance of sows may decrease survival and growth performance of their suckling piglets.

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Prevalence and Pathogenic Significance of Trypanosomosis on Sheep and Goats of Mareka District, Dawro Zone, Southwestern Ethiopia

Tsetse transmitted trypanosomosis affect 37 sub-Saharan countries of Africa. An estimate of 160 million cattle and 200 million sheep and goats are kept in this area of riskextending over 10 million Km2 of land.

Trypanosomosis

In susceptible cattle breeds, the disease reduces calving by up to 20% and causes the death of another 20% of young stock. Ethiopia possesses the largest livestock population in Africa with its greatest variation in climate and physiographic factors. Among them 10-14 million heads of cattle and an equivalent number of equine, 18 million goats and 24 million sheep are exposed to the risk of acquiring trypanosomosis. Morbidity and mortality losses from ruminant livestock alone are estimated to be USD 200 million.

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Growth Performance, Feed Utilization and Sensory Characteristics of Nile Tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus Fed Diets with High Inclusion Levels of Copra Meal

The Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) is one of the most favored fish species in aquaculture,due to its high tolerance of a relatively wide range of environmental conditions, which is presumably also a key factor in the marked increase in global production.

Nile Tilapia

Global tilapia production has increased considerably during the last few decades with total outputs increasing more than fourfold, from 830,000 T in 1990 to 5.3 million T in 2014. The low trophic level and the omnivorous food habits of this species make them a relatively inexpensive fish to feed, unlike other strictly carnivorous finfish, such as salmon, which rely on high protein and lipid diets which are largely based on fish sources. Tilapia is able to grow well on less refined protein sources, thus making them attractive as sources of animal protein for humans.

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Assessment of the Optimal Replacement Levels of Maize with Water Lettuce Leaf (Pistia Stratiotes) based Diets for Clarias gariepinus

Pistia is a genus of aquatic plant in the arum family Araceae with Pistia stratioles as the onlyspecies often called water cabbage, Nile cabbage or shell flower (Quattrocchi, 2000).

Clarias gariepinus

It was earlier discovered in Africa from Nile near Lake Victoria as a free floating aquatic plant found growing abundantly in Tropical and sub- tropical region of the world and detests frost in the temperate during winter. Water cabbage is a perennial monocotyledon with thick - soft leaves that form a rosette and one of the least favoured floating macrophytes for herbivores (Singh, 1977).

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First Record of Batasio Spilurus Ng from the Siang River of Arunachal Pradesh, Northeastern India (Teleostei: Bagridae)

Fishes of the genus Batasio Blyth, 1860, are small size fresh water bagrid catfishes inhibiting inthe hill streams of the upper reaches of large rivers throughout the south and southeast Asia (Ng, 2006).

Batasio Spilurus Ng

The genus is diagnosed from its confamilials in having numerous large sensory pores on the head, a narrow mental region, anterior part of vomer with a pair of posteriorly-directed processes, entopterygoid bar-like and transversely-elongated, and the metapterygoid free from the hyomandibular but closely contact with the quadrate (Mo, 1991). Additionally, the genus is readily distinguished from other bagrid catfishes (except Chandramara Jayaram) by its short minute maxillary barbel which is restricted within extend of the head, which rarely crossed the posterior rim of the eye.

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Effect of Natural Gastrointestinal Parasitic Infection on Fattening Performance of Sudan Desert Sheep

The livestock population of Sudan, amount to 114 million head of which the sheepcomprise about 40 million head (According to the Ministry of Livestock, Fisheries and Range lands of the Sudan 2016).  

Sudan Desert Sheep

Desert sheep comprise about 80% of the slaughtered sheep in Sudan which greatly contributes in Sudan economy. Worldwide, gastrointestinal nematodes represent a major production problem for ruminant. Energy level of the diet was suggest by experts as one of the factors that affect infestation by internal parasites. Jason, et al. stated that sheep affected by worms show reduced appetite for pasture and reduction in feed intake. Inadequate and poor quality feeds are often a major constraint to small ruminant production in smallholder systems. 

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Survey on Prevalence of Newcastle Disease Antibodies in Village Poultry at Live Birds Markets in Gombe, Nigeria

In developing countries, poultry production is being subjected to great pressure to meet the demand for animal protein required by the increasing humanpopulation, and also to have surplus for international trade.

Poultry

Village poultry production, consist of edible domestic birds including chickens, ducks, guinea fowls, geese, pigeons, turkeys and quails among others which are mostly raised under the free range extensive husbandry systems especially in the sub-urban and rural areas . In Africa, village poultry production system has influenced human civilization in several aspects which include economic, nutritional and socio-cultural aspects of livelihoods of poor rural households. 

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Factors Influencing Brook Trout (Salvelinus frontinalis) Egg Survival and Development in Streams Influenced by Agriculture

Sediment erosion, deposition and movement occur naturally in all aquatic systems (Waters, 1995). Anthropogenic activities such as agriculture, forestry, mining, and urbandevelopment have accelerated the rate of this process, and sediment is recognized globally as a major pollutant to surface waters (Waters, 1995).

Brook Trout 

Excessive sediment in surface waters has a broad range of adverse effect on biotic communities, including reducing fish diversity and lowering the biomass of aquatic species (Waters, 1995). In spite of these broad-scale effects, most of the concern surrounding fine sediment has focused on the effects of excess sediment on fishes, particularly through the deterioration of spawning habitat, and sedimentation has been identified as a potential factor limiting fish reproduction and recruitment in streams (Lisle and Lewis, 1992).

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A Meta-Analysis of the Inclusion of Bio-Mos® in Milk or Milk Replacer Fed to Dairy Calves on Daily Weight Gain in the Pre-Weaning Period

The health status of young calves is one of the most important factors contributing to growth and performance. Diarrhoea in young calves is a major issue in the dairy and beef sector. The most common cause of disease and deathin pre-weaned dairy calves is diarrheal disease.

Dairy Calves

Diseases and deaths are usually the tip of the iceberg of enteric sub-optimal health, and suboptimal gut health contributes to dysbiosis and poor digestion, with resulting poor feed efficiency and growth performance. A recent meta-analysis of calf studies performed over the last 20 years has indicated that pre-weaning growth is linked to future milk production, and heifer that grow 100 g more pre-weaning can produce 155 kg more milk in the first lactation. 

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Welfare Indicators of Milking Sheep and Goats in Commercial Farms in Spain:Evaluation and Differences among Species, Locations and Performances

The importance of animal welfare in the animal production industry is growing increasingly, not only by legal requirements but for its effects on productivity. Only if the animals are in a proper degree of comfort can be achieved optimal production levels. However, the assessment of animal welfare in commercial dairy goats andsheep intensive farms is not well defined yet.

Milking Sheep and Goats

Several procedures to assess the animal welfare have been proposed worldwide. In addition, according to Dungey, qualitative welfare assessment procedures are reliable and have been used in sheep. In all cases, indicators should be valid, reliable, economical and measurable in practical conditions. The aim of this study is to assess the system proposed by Nanta to measure welfare of sheep and goat milking flocks, in practical operating conditions. The variations of the parameters set up, depending on the Spanish region, farm size and level of production have also studied.

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The Comparative Study of Myofibrillar Proteins of Skeletal Muscles of Some Deep-Sea Fish Species

Deep-sea fish have not generally been used for food, but its abundance suggests it could be an important source of highquality protein. Deep-sea fish have much different significance for industrial fishing. Three species of deep-sea fish Coryphaenoides pectoralis, Coryphaenoides cinereus and Podonema longipes are the most accessible for effective fishing in the Far-Eastern Seas of Russia. 

These three species were chosen for investigations in the present paper.For processing of fish meat, the knowledge of the properties of fish muscle proteins is necessary. The main aim of the present paper was to determine the composition of basic myofibrillar proteins and its ratio in skeletal muscle tissue.

Investigations of the biochemistry of muscle tissue of deepsea fish have only incidental character and systematic study of this has not been carried out. In most cases the studies of researchers have been limited to mesopelagic species.

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Selection of Reliable Reference Genes for Quantitative Real-Time PCR in Golden-Line Barbell (Sinocyclocheilus grahami) During Juvenile and Adult Stages

In order to obtain reliable results of gene expression, appropriate internal control gene(s) were required for normalization before real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR).

Here, we selected eight candidate housekeeping genes as the potential reference genes in normalizing qRT-PCR data in ten tissues of the juvenile and adult stages of a naturally tetraploid cyprinid fish Sinocyclocheilus grahami.

Before qRT-PCR, appropriate primers were designed and compared for distinguishing different copies in some duplicate genes. Candidate reference genes were evaluated for their stability using online software RefFinder, which is integrated by four normal software of the comparative delta-CT, BestKeeper, NormFinder and GeNorm.

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Survey on Prevalence of Newcastle Disease Antibodies in Village Poultry at Live Birds Markets in Gombe, Nigeria

The study aimed to determine the seroprevalence of Newcastle disease (ND) amongst some village poultry species at poultry markets in Gombe, Nigeria.

A total of 1200 (841 Village chickens, 320 Guinea Fowls and 39 Pigeons) sera samples were tested. Haemagglutination inhibition test revealed an overall ND virus (NDV) antibodies prevalent rate of 53.7% (644/1200).

The seroprevalence of antibodies to ND was found to be higher in Village chickens 527/841 (62.7%) followed by Pigeons 19/39 (48.7%) and Guinea Fowls 98/320 (30.6%) respectively and were found to be seropositive with Geometric Mean Titres (GMT) of 1.9 to 5.9.

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Analysis of the Gut Microbiome of Nile Tilapia Oreochromis Niloticus L. Fed Diets Supplemented with Previda® and Saponin

The use of prebiotics in aquaculture aims at increasing the numbers of beneficial microbes in the gastrointestinal tract of fishes.

However, the true effect of prebiotics exert on the fish microbiome is for the most part unknown.

This study aimed at investigating the effects of the commercial prebiotic Previda® and the feed supplement saponin on Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus L.).

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Welfare Indicators of Milking Sheep and Goats in Commercial Farms in Spain

The objective of this work was to evaluate a system for assessing the welfare of milking sheep and goats in practical farm conditions.

The system uses indicators of environmental, management and facilities related welfare. In order to evaluate the animal welfare, 12 indicators ranked in 3 groups were defined.

Environment Animal Welfare (EAW, n = 4) (temperature, airflow, ventilation and ammonia load) Management Animal Welfare (MAW, n = 5) (animal load, bedding, comfort, stress and cleanness of animals) and Facilities Animal Welfare (FAW, n = 3) (feeders of concentrate, feeders of forage and watering).

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Upregulation of HSP70 Extends Cytoprotection to Fish Brain under Xenobiotic Stress

Xenobiotics are synthetic compounds foreign to the biological system. They often retain their qualities in the aquatic environment with the ability to cause oxidative stress in these organisms by activating the endogenous production of reactive oxygen species (ROS).

Overloading of the estuaries with contaminants for a longer period has an impact on fish production. The grey mullet (Mugil cephalus) is capable of concentrating contaminants and is considered suitable for biomarker studies.

Brain is an appropriate organ for the study of the effects of xenobiotics due to its morphological heterogeneity, metal accumulating capacity and susceptibility to histopathological damage by metals.

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Fish in super-shops: A new dimension of fish marketing system in Dhaka

In this study, fish marketing system of four affluent super-shops and 8 outlets selling wet fishes (2 outlets for each shop) in Dhaka (Bangladesh) were investigated.

It was observed that a significant portion of the fishes were supplied from different wholesale fish markets of Dhaka metropolitan city and fish production zones of adjacent districts.

Various stakeholders were involved in fish value chain concerning super shop outlets. The availability of fish was more or less similar in all super shops. Three types of supply chains were identified as selling fish through super shops.

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