Breeding schemes with optimum-contribution selection or truncation selection for beef cattle destined for use on dairy females

We tested the hypothesis that the size of a beef cattle population destined for use on dairy females is smaller under optimum-contribution selection (OCS) than under truncation selection (TRS) at the same genetic gain (ΔG) and the same rate of inbreeding (ΔF). We used stochastic simulation to estimate true ΔG realized at a 0.005 ΔF in breeding schemes with OCS or TRS. The schemes for the beef cattle population also differed in the number of purebred offspring per dam and the total number of purebred offspring per generation. Dams of the next generation were exclusively selected among the one-year-old heifers. All dams were donors for embryo transfer and produced a maximum of 5 or 10 offspring. The total number of purebred offspring per generation was: 400, 800, 1,600 or 4,000 calves, and it was used as a measure of population size. Rate of inbreeding was predicted and controlled using pedigree relationships. Each OCS (TRS) scheme was simulated for 10 discrete generations and replicated 100 (200) times. The OCS scheme and the TRS scheme with a maximum of 10 offspring per dam required approximately 783 and 1,257 purebred offspring per generation to realize a true ΔG of €14 and a ΔF of 0.005 per generation. Schemes with a maximum of 5 offspring per dam required more purebred offspring per generation to realize a similar true ΔG and a similar ΔF. Our results show that OCS and multiple ovulation and embryo transfer act on selection intensity through different mechanisms to achieve fewer selection candidates and fewer selected sires and dams than under TRS at the same ΔG and a fixed ΔF. Therefore, we advocate the use of a breeding scheme with OCS and multiple ovulation and embryo transfer for beef cattle destined for use on dairy females because it is favorable both from an economic perspective and a carbon footprint perspective.     

麦胚高蛋白乳粉的研制及营养评价

研究了用麦胚浆液与牛乳混合生产高蛋白奶粉的方法。产品的主要特点是具有较高含量的赖氨酸，谷胱甘肽，磷脂，胆碱，不饱和脂肪酸等，这些成分对人体具非了非常的好健脑，抗衰老作用。     

Effect of Rare Earth Elements on the Induction Frequency of the Somatic Cell Embryo in The Fruit of Chinese Wolfoerry

ＥｆｆｅｃｔｏｆＲａｒｅＥａｒｔｈＥｌｅｍｅｎｔｓｏｎｔｈｅＩｎｄｕｃｔｉｏｎＦｒｅｑｕｅｎｃｙｏｆｔｈｅＳｏｍａｔｉｃＣｅｌｌＥｍｂｒｙｏｉｎＴｈｅＦｒｕｉｔｏｆＣｈｉｎｅｓｅＷｏｌｆｏｅｒｒｙＹａｎｇＨａｎ－Ｍｉｎ（杨汉民）；ＤｕＬｉｎ（杜琳）（...     

氟吗啉对非洲爪蟾胚胎发育的影响

简述了FETAX(Frog Embryo Teratogenesis Assay—Xenopus)试验的发展,并以非洲爪蟾(Xenopus laevis)处于8～11阶段的胚胎为试验材料,对杀菌剂氟吗啉进行了发育毒性的研究,通过对受试胚胎96h死亡数、半数致死浓度[LC50(96h)]、半数效应浓度[EC50(96h)]、致畸类型的统计,得出LC50(96h)值为83.15mg/L,EC50(96h)值为76.65mg/L,TI(LC50/EC50)为1.01≤1.5。结果表明,氟吗啉对非洲爪蟾的胚胎发育不具有致畸影响,但表现出一定的发育毒性。在氟吗啉质量浓度大于20mg/L时,可明显的抑制胚胎的孵化和体长生长的发育,表现的中毒症状有脊索弯曲、弯尾、眼部畸形、腹部水肿等。     

稀土对鸡胚胎生物效应的影响

选用鸡胚作为实验对象,La、Eu、Y作稀土实验代表元素,对不同孵化期进行了跟踪性实验。结果发现不同稀土在各孵化期对胚胎平均体重的影响有较大差别,且孵化期与减重无线性关系,其中以Eu减重最多,La最少。稀土在胚胎中的含量,随孵化时间增加而增加,但不同稀土元素其屏障作用差别较大。     

Blood flow dynamics reflect degree of outflow tract banding in Hamburger–Hamilton stage 18 chicken embryos

Altered blood flow during embryonic development has been shown to cause cardiac defects; however, the mechanisms by which the resulting haemodynamic forces trigger heart malformation are unclear. This study used heart outflow tract banding to alter normal haemodynamics in a chick embryo model at HH18 and characterized the immediate blood flow response versus the degree of band tightness. Optical coherence tomography was used to acquire two-dimensional longitudinal structure and Doppler velocity images from control (n = 16) and banded (n = 25, 6–64% measured band tightness) embryos, from which structural and velocity data were extracted to estimate haemodynamic measures. Peak blood flow velocity and wall shear rate (WSR) initially increased linearly with band tightness (p < 0.01), but then velocity plateaued between 40% and 50% band tightness and started to decrease with constriction greater than 50%, whereas WSR continued to increase up to 60% constriction before it began decreasing with increased band tightness. Time of flow decreased with constriction greater than 20% (p < 0.01), while stroke volume in banded embryos remained comparable to control levels over the entire range of constriction (p > 0.1). The haemodynamic dependence on the degree of banding reveals immediate adaptations of the early embryonic cardiovascular system and could help elucidate a range of cardiac adaptations to gradually increased load.     

Prediction of pregnancy viability in bovine in vitro-produced embryos and recipient plasma with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

We analyzed embryo culture medium (CM) and recipient blood plasma using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) metabolomics to predict pregnancy outcome. Individually cultured, in vitro-produced (IVP) blastocysts were transferred to recipients as fresh and vitrified-warmed. Spent CM and plasma samples were evaluated using FTIR. The discrimination capability of the classifiers was assessed for accuracy, sensitivity (pregnancy), specificity (nonpregnancy), and area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUC). Within all IVP fresh embryos (birth rate = 52%), high AUC were obtained at birth, especially with expanded blastocysts (CM: 0.80 ± 0.053; plasma: 0.89 ± 0.034). The AUC of vitrified IVP embryos (birth rate = 31%) were 0.607 ± 0.038 (CM, expanded blastocysts) and 0.672 ± 0.023 (plasma, all stages). Recipient plasma generally predicted pregnancy outcome better than did embryo CM. Embryos and recipients with improved pregnancy viability were identified, which could increase the economic benefit to the breeding industry.     

Evaluation of the antioxidant and antiproliferative activities of extracted saponins and flavonols from germinated black beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

Flavonoids and saponins from common beans have been widely studied due to their bioactivity. This research evaluated the effect of germination of black beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) on the antioxidant capacity and antiproliferative activity against cancer cell lines of saponins and flavonoids extracted from seed coats, cotyledons and sprouts. Principal component analysis was performed to achieve punctual associations between the black bean saponins and flavonoids concentrations to the antioxidant capacity and the antiproliferative activities. Total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity of extracts were higher when obtained from seed coats, mainly from the 3rd germination day. The extracts obtained from seed coats after 3 and 5 germination days inhibited all cancer cell lines proliferation with no cytotoxicity against control cells. Genistein was related with the activity against mammary cancer cells but flavonols and group B saponins were more related with hepatic and colon cancers. Non-glycosilated flavonols were related with antioxidant capacity.     

Epidemiologic and economic analyses of pregnancy loss attributable to mastitis in primiparous Holstein cows

The main objective of the study reported here was to examine the association between pregnancy loss (PL) and previous exposure to clinical or subclinical mastitis before breeding or during gestation in primiparous Holstein cows. A secondary objective was to estimate the cost of clinical mastitis during gestation, including that of PL attributable to mastitis in study cows. A total of 687 primiparous Holstein cows from 1 dairy farm were included in a matched case-control study. Study cows were declared pregnant via ultrasound on d 33 after timed artificial insemination (TAI). Case cows (n = 78) were those diagnosed as nonpregnant by rectal palpation on d 47 or 75 after TAI. Control cows were those confirmed as pregnant by rectal palpation on d 47 and 75 after TAI. Case cows were matched with eligible controls according to year of calving and calving-to-conception interval ±3 d. Cows were assigned to 1 of 3 groups: (1) cows not affected with clinical or subclinical mastitis; (2) cows affected with subclinical mastitis (Dairy Herd Improvement Association somatic cell score >4.5); and (3) cows affected with clinical mastitis during 2 exposure periods, 1 to 42 d before breeding or during gestation (1 to PL diagnosis day for case cows, and 1 to 75 d for control cows). Conditional logistic regression was used to model the odds of PL as a function of previous exposure to mastitis in study cows. Mastitis before breeding was not associated with PL. The odds of PL were 2.21 times greater in cows affected with clinical mastitis during gestation (95% confidence interval = 1.01, 4.83), compared with cows without mastitis, after controlling for breeding type and lameness. The cost of clinical mastitis during gestation was $149, which includes the cost ($27) of PL attributable to mastitis. In conclusion, this study provides evidence that clinical mastitis during gestation can cause PL in primiparous dairy cows leading to economic losses.