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This document was prepared thanks to the collective expertappraisal, carried out by the Anses’expert group‘GECUCovid-19’(ANSES opinion 2020-SA-0037), chaired by Sophie Le Poder and whose members for the animal health component are cited in the authors.; International audience; In late December 2019, an outbreak of clustered cases of pneumonia associated with a novel coronavirus was reported by the Chinese authorities to the World Health Organization (WHO). Several initial confirmed cases were linked to a wetmarket selling live animals and seafood products in Wuhan(Hubei province), China (Huang et al.,2020). On 30 January 2020, the WHO declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. On 11 February 2020, the causative pathogen was officially named Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), responsible for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) (DuToit, 2020). Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 is mainly transmitted from person to person, by direct or indirect contact, through infectious microdroplets emitted wheninfected individuals spit, sneeze or cough (Bernard Stoecklin et al.,2020). The massive circulation of this new pandemiccoronavirus with a probable zoonotic origin raised questions on its ability to spillover to animal species and on the potential consequences of such events on both animals and humans. This public health concern came to the attention of animal health authorities given the close contacts between humans and domestic animals. Therefore, in France, the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES) established an Emergency Collective Expert Appraisal Group (Groupe d’Expertise Collective d’Urgence, GECU‘Covid-19’). The GECU ‘Covid-19’ urgently convened on 4 March 2020 and 8 April 2020 to conduct an evaluation of the potential role of domestic animals in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Laccases are enzymes belonging to the group of oxidases. Laccases catalyze the oxidation of a variety of phenolic compounds, diamines and aromatic amines. Twenty-four fungal isolates were isolated from biodeteriorated ancient paper and parchment. These isolates were identified and found to belong to six genera: Alternaria, Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Penicillium, Rhizopus and Trichoderma, and were tested for producing laccase enzyme. Trichoderma harzianum have the ability of secreted laccase enzyme. The maximum production of laccase enzyme by T. harzianum was observed at 35 ○C and pH 5 after 6 days. The highest activity of laccase achieved at 35 ○C and pH 5 during the reaction. FTIR analysis revealed that the structure of extracted fungal pigments has aromatic ring and phenols group. Crude laccase was capable to decolorize different pigment structures. The enzyme showed great decolorization efficiency toward the extracted yellow pigment produced from Asp. terrus and Asp. ochareceous treated by 200 μl of partially purified enzyme. Laccase enzyme was used to decolorization pigment secreted from deteriorated pigmented fungi on paper and parchment during 30 days by using a pieces of paper and parchment inoculated by spore suspension. The results indicated that a high removal effect of fungal pigment on paper (71.21%) was recorded comparing to parchment samples (32.39%).

SUMMARY The inner perivitelline layer (IPL) sperm hole assay provides an objective assessment of the number of sperm penetrating the hen’s ovum at the germinal disc. That number will provide insight into numerous parameters concerning fertility, including, but not limited to, the probability of the ovum being fertilized (true fertility), the duration of fertility, an assessment of mating activity, the effect of inseminating in vitro-stored semen, and the influence of spiking a breeder flock. In the current paper, we discuss the use of a filter paper ring to isolate and process the IPL overlying the germinal disc (PL disc) in 5 species of domestic birds. The morphology of the PL disc is also described to assist those using the sperm hole assay during sperm hole counting. The filter ring approach was successfully used with chicken, turkey, duck, goose, and Japanese quail eggs; the PL discs remained intact and stretched across the filter ring and sperm holes, when present, were clearly discernible. Morphologically, the PL disc appeared to be a silhouette of the germinal disc, including the germinal vesicle observed in follicular oocytes. The fibers forming the IPL had a honeycomb-like arrangement that could be mistaken for actual sperm holes in faintly stained slides. Given its diversity of applications and relative simplicity using the filter ring, it is recommended that the sperm hole assay be part of a quality control program at the hatchery. Already used in the scientific community, this filter ring method has the additional advantage that the blastoderm may be collected before the staining process.

This study investigated the influence of red, green, blue, and white paper bags on the free volatile compound development of Kyoho grape berries from green to harvest. Seven functional groups of volatiles were identified during the development of Kyoho grape berries including esters, aldehydes, alcohols, terpenes, ketones, acids, and hydrocarbons. Esters and aldehydes were abundant in Kyoho grape berries, mainly represented by ethyl acetate, ethyl butyrate, and (E)-2-hexenal. They accumulated quickly after veraison and slightly decreased toward maturation. Red, green, blue, and white paper bags promoted the accumulation of esters and inhibited the accumulation of aldehydes, also inhibited the accumulation of alcohols, tepenes, ketones, and acids. Their effect from strong to weak was green, blue, red, and white paper bags. The expression profiles of genes in the lipoxygenase-hydroperoxide lyase (LOX-HPL) pathway were also analyzed and the results indicated that the regulation of red, green, blue, and white paper bags on aldehydes, alcohols, and esters volatile aromas was at transcriptional level. The results expanded our comprehension in grape aroma biosynthesis and berry bagging technique in table grape cultivation.

SUMMARY Campylobacter is a human food-borne pathogen frequently associated with poultry and poultry products and can be found in high numbers within the gut contents of colonized broilers. The number of Campylobacter on broiler carcasses increases markedly during automated defeathering as rubber picker fingers press on the abdomen and can force gut contents out of the cloaca. One method to prevent this increase is to plug the cloaca and prevent escape of gut contents. For a plug to be effective, it must resist expulsion during picking. In the current work, we test shredded sponge or paper as a means to plug broiler carcass cloacae during automated feather removal. Broiler carcass cloacae were plugged before scalding and carcasses were sampled to determine the bacterial numbers present on breast skin after scalding (before feather picking) and again after feather picking. Neither 50 cc of shredded paper nor 25 cc of shredded sponge was effective as a cloacal plug. However, a plug made of 50 cc shredded sponge material was effective to occlude broiler carcass vents during automated defeathering. Significantly fewer Campylobacter cells were detected on the breast skin of post pick carcasses plugged with 50 mL of shredded sponge than on post pick unplugged control carcasses.

Within-group power asymmetries and the resulting reproductive skew, common in most social groups, may effectively be set at the very early stages of group formation, that is, when group membership is determined. Hence, groupmate choices can define an individual’s future reproductive success. We examined how groups of Polistes dominulus formed under natural, unconstrained conditions, using data on the nesting history, kinship and morphology of individually marked foundresses obtained during two consecutive seasons in southern Spain. Foundresses that hibernated in the same aggregation were more likely to start a nest together, but all of the foundresses at a nest were seldom from a single aggregation. Changes in group composition were frequent throughout the preworker period, mainly because some foundresses disappeared and other wasps joined established groups. Within-group relatedness, however, was not affected by the late arrival of wasps. Our results suggest that waiting to join an established group is a common nesting strategy in P. dominulu s. Only 16% of marked wasps used more than one nest. Foundresses that moved between groups tended to move to groups in which genetic relatedness among the resident foundresses was higher, but not necessarily relatedness to the moving wasp herself. Overall, nestmate choices were not associated with a single factor. High failure rates, particularly of single-foundress nests, however, suggest that ecological constraints (e.g. risk of predation, lack of resources) may have a stronger effect on individual nesting choices than previously considered.

To develop a new high-protein woody forage resource for livestock to alleviate feed shortages in the tropics, we applied PacBio single-molecule, real-time (SMRT) sequencing to explore the community structure, species diversity and metabolic gene clusters of natural microorganisms associated with paper mulberry (PM) silage fermentation. High levels of microbial diversity and abundance were observed in PM raw material, and these levels decreased with the progression of silage fermentation. During woody ensiling, the dominant bacteria shifted from pathogenic Gram-negative Proteobacteria to beneficial Gram-positive Firmicutes. Lactic acid bacteria became the most dominant bacteria that affected fermentation quality in terminal silages. Global and overview maps, carbohydrate metabolism and amino-acid metabolism were the important microbial metabolic pathways that impacted the final fermentation product of silage. PacBio SMRT sequencing revealed specific microbial-related information concerning silage. PM is rich in nutrients and macro mineral contents, which are preserved well during ensiling, indicating that PM silage can serve as a new woody resource suitable for ruminants.

The impact of utilizing chopped computer and bond paper as a litter material on growth performance of broilers reared to market age was evaluated. In the first experiment, broilers were placed in pens at 10 birds per square meter, and four different litter treatments were used; 1) 100% chopped computer and bond paper (CCP); 2) a mix of 75% CCP and 25% wood shavings (WS); 3) 50% CCP and 50% WS; 4) 100% WS. Experiment 2 evaluated the same treatments, but with densities of 14 birds per square meter. Litter treatments had no effect on body weight gain, feed consumption, conversion, or mortality for either of the two experiments. No differences were found for percentage litter moisture among treatments. Chopped computer and bond paper alone or mixed in different percentages with WS can be used as an alternate litter material for rearing broilers as long as there is good waterer management, especially with open watering systems. These systems may have the tendency to increase the incidence of litter caking.

Rangelands are fire-dependent ecosystems severely altered through direct fire suppression and fuels management. The removal of fire is a dominant cause of ecological sites moving across thresholds with the majority of North American rangelands currently showing moderate or high departure from reference conditions. Recognizing the need to restore fire on rangelands and incorporate prescribed fire into management plans, the Natural Resource Conservation Service initiated the Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) to evaluate the validity current practices through peer-reviewed scientific literature. We updated the CEAP review and broadened the discussion of prescribed fire as a global management practice. We reviewed and summarized prescribed fire literature available through Web of Science using search terms in the title. The majority of literature (40%) evaluated plant responses to fire with fire behavior and management (29%), wildlife and arthropods (12%), soils (11%), and air quality (4%) evaluated less frequently. Generally, fire effects on plants are neutral to positive and the majority of negative responses lasted less than 2 years. Similarly, soil responses were recovered within 2 yr after burning. However, most studies did not report how long treatments were in place (62%) or the size of experimental units (52%). The experimental literature supporting prescribed burning is in need of greater managerial relevance that can be obtained by directly addressing spatial scale, temporal scale, and interaction with other disturbances, including drought and grazing. Reliance on information from single fires applied on small plots tracked for a relatively short time interval greatly constrains inferences and application to ecosystem management and information should be applied with caution. Therefore, conservation purposes need to incorporate temporal dynamics to the extent that this information is available. The complex interaction of scientific knowledge, social concerns, and variable policies across regions are major limitations to the successful and critical restoration of fire regimes.

The article presents an ontology called “Science” designed for representing proved and disproved statements extracted from scientific papers from the database of the ProOptiBeef project. We argue that the proved and disproved statements are the best characterization of the content of the papers they are extracted from. We show that ontological representation of proved and disproved statements not only facilitates the access to the content of the papers and increases the precision of a semantical search, but also allows for an automatic generation of new statements from the ones already coded in the ontology.

Close relationships between university scientists and research sponsors or other commercial interests increase the probability that research bias or conflict of interest (COI) will arise in the research process. University researchers can limit the chances that obvious or subtle forms of bias or COI will occur by (1) carefully managing relationships with sponsors and external parties; (2) using research practices that ensure unbiased management of data and publications; and (3) appreciating that bias and COI also occur when researchers begin to assume roles as experts in both public and sponsored venues. Specific good management practices to avoid COI or bias include (1) following institutional polices; (2) frequent self-evaluation; (3) seeking independent program assessment; and (4) reporting potential COI in publications. Drawing on examples from sales and marketing of specialized feed technologies, areas where the industry should increase its focus on training and mentoring to minimize opportunities for ethical conflicts include (1) emphasizing the importance of the quality and relevance of supporting data used for promoting product sales; (2) strengthening supplier training on products and technologies in the context of fair and ethical positioning, so that opportunities for both ethical lapses and misunderstandings are decreased; (3) reinforcing the importance of confidentiality in maintaining customer trust in suppliers; and (4) increasing recognition of COI as it can occur between consultants and their clients for recommendations of technologies in which the consultant has undisclosed financial interest.

Roughage plays a vital role in ruminant diets. This review considered the effects of roughage in diets for newly received cattle, the physical and physiological effects of roughage in feedlot cattle diets, the use of NDF as a means of assessing the roughage value for feedlot cattle, and potential alternatives to traditional roughages and roughage feeding practices. In newly received, stressed cattle, a meta-analysis from trials conducted at a single location indicated that receiving period morbidity (percentage of cattle pulled and treated for bovine respiratory disease) decreased slightly as roughage level increased. Nonetheless, increasing roughage level decreased receiving period ADG and G:F; therefore, unless cattle are able to compensate at later stages of the feeding period, the small decrease in morbidity with added roughage might be offset by decreased performance. For growing-finishing cattle, a meta-analysis indicated that intakes of DM and NEg increased linearly as dietary NDF concentration increased over a range of approximately 7.5 to 35% NDF. Both roughage and total dietary NDF were effective for determining the relative value of different roughage sources to achieve equal DMI in beef feedlot diets. Fiber in by-product feeds, such as wet corn gluten feed and distillers grains, dilute grain starch and might have the ability to substitute, in part, for traditional roughage; however, NDF concentration of these by-products is not an effective measure of roughage equivalency. Altering methods of roughage delivery, such as feeding a lower level of dietary roughage with intermittent delivery of additional dietary roughage or coarser forms of roughages that stimulate chewing or alter digesta passage rate, might provide a means of decreasing overall roughage use without compromising animal health and performance, but research is needed to test the merits of these approaches. Significant research questions remain to be addressed before we fully understand the chemical, physiological, and physical roles of roughage in feedlot diets.

This editorial is an annex, essentially an amplification of earlier Animal Feed Science and Technology (AFST) editorials which focused on analytical and statistical issues of papers submitted for publication in AFST. This amplification is needed because, since publication of those editorials, there has been a sharp increase in papers submitted to AFST (particularly in vitro gas, ruminal in sacco, continuous culture fermenter and mini-silo studies), in which there have been substantive disagreements among authors, reviewers and editors as to what, exactly, constitutes acceptable statistical replicates as opposed to pseudo replicates. In this editorial, the Co-Editors in Chief of AFST provide clarification of their view relative to use of analytical observations in statistical analyses in papers submitted for consideration for publication in AFST. If the objective is to compare feeds and from the results, make inferences to populations, only multiple samples of each feed represent an acceptable feed base. This suggests that means comparisons based on repeated assays of the same sample, whether by chemical, physical or microbiological methods, will almost certainly be rejected by the CEIC.

Because food and poultry industries are demanding an improvement in written communication skills among graduates, research paper writing should be an integral part of a senior undergraduate class. However, scientific writing assignments are often treated as secondary to developing the technical skills of the students. Scientific research paper writing has been emphasized in an undergraduate course on advanced food microbiology taught in the Poultry Science Department at Texas A& M University (College Station, TX). Students' opinions suggest that research paper writing as part of a senior course in Poultry Science provides students with scientific communication skills and useful training for their career, but more emphasis on reading and understanding scientific literature may be required.

Coccidiosis continues to affect caged layers worldwide despite keeping them on wire all their productive lives. Coccidiosis in caged layers, diagnosed either in clinical or subclinical forms, has one feature in common, unpredictability. Until recently, despite the use of vaccine, coccidiosis remained problematic, particularly at the beginning of lay, likely related to the low protective immunity for a lack of vehicle for recycling. An approach for using paper plates, both for vaccination as well as recycling is described. Caged layers that were vaccinated once with gel-puck coccidiosis vaccine laid at over 90% continuously for over 24 wk with little or no problem of coccidiosis.

The suitability of recycled paper chips (RPC), formed by completely reprocessing waste newspaper, as litter material for rearing broilers was investigated in two successive trials. In Trial 1, broilers were reared in pens prepared with a 9-cm layer of either unused RPC or pine shavings (PS). In Trial 2, broilers were reared in pens prepared by adding 3 cm of clean RPC or PS to used litter of the same type remaining from Trial 1. Mortality, BW, feed consumption and conversion, carcass yield, and incidences of breast blisters and leg abnormalities were not influenced by litter treatments. Litter moisture was greater in RPC during Week 3 of Trial 1, but did not differ between treatments at other times during either trial. Litter caking was greater in RPC throughout Trial 1, but did not differ between treatments during Trial 2. Populations of aerobic, psychrotrophic, and coliform bacteria, and fungi (yeasts and molds) in the two litter types did not differ during the rearing period of either trial. Populations of aerobic bacteria and fungi were greater in unused PS, and fungi populations were greater in used PS prior to initiation of Trial 2. Populations of psychrotrophic bacteria were greater in used PS 6 days after bird removal in Trial 2. Generally, RPC are comparable to PS and have potential as an alternative litter material for rearing broilers.

CHANG (1955) reported the lowering of the blood hemoglobin of chicks due to free gossypol feeding and postulated that free gossypol in the diet leads to interference with the synthesis of the proteins of the blood in these chicks. In view of the useful information that has been obtained in recent years using the electrophoresis technique in the study of normal and pathological sera, an experiment was planned to study the electrophoretic patterns of serum samples obtained from birds fed a normal diet, as well as from birds fed free gossypol in the diet. An electrophoresis cell using filter paper strips, as originally designed by Durrum (1950) and marketed by Spinco, was employed. Later it was discovered that the resolution of the globulins of chick serum is very poor on filter paper. More serum samples were obtained from birds used in a study of the effect of protein level on …

The Piper hispidinervium leaves and thin stems were dried under laboratory and field conditions. Laboratory drying was performed using a shade dryer operating with and without forced convection and an oven dryer operating at 30 and 40 °C. Field experiments were conducted using solar dryers with three different covers, i.e., transparent, black plastic, and palm straw covers. The essential oil extraction was performed by steam distillation, and the safrole content was analyzed by gas chromatography. Five mathematical models (Page, logarithmic, Henderson and Pabis, fractional, and diffusion) were fitted with the experimental data and compared based on the coefficient of determination (R2), root mean square error (RMSE) and χ2. Results suggest that the best model was the logarithmic model (R2 > 0.99, RMSE

The suitability of three types of recycled paper products for use as broiler litter was studied in three trials using a total of 9,600 broilers. Litter, consisting of hardwood sawdust (SD) as a control, shredded newspaper (SN), processed newspaper (PN), or processed cardboard (PC), was placed in each of four replicate pens in the first trial and reused in subsequent trials. Body weights at 28 and 49 days were significantly influenced by treatment with broilers reared on SN weighing more than SD controls. Broilers on PC were the lightest. Statistically, the PN broilers were heavier than SD broilers at 28 days but similar to controls by market age. Feed conversion was improved with SN at 28 days but did not differ by 49 days. Mortality was not significantly affected by litter material. The moisture content of paper litters was numerically higher than that of the SD control with significantly greater litter caking occurring in the paper litters. However, only broilers on PC had a greater incidence of breast blisters. Overall and total disease condemnation were not influenced by litter material. Skin color scores were improved with the PN treatment.

Diets containing 25 or 60% corrugated paper were fed at maintenance levels or ad libitum to dairy heifers to measure intake, digestibility and energy utilization. Intakes were similar for the two diets but dry matter, energy, fiber and protein digestibilities were lower for the 60% diet, resulting in negative energy balance. Digestibilities of dry matter, energy and fiber were lower when fed ad libitum than at maintenance levels; the depressions (10–20% units per unit of maintenance) were larger than in forage or forage-grain diets (5–10% units per maintenance unit). By regression, corrugated paper was estimated to have 45% dry matter digestibility, 24% neutral detergent fiber digestibility and 0.29 Mcal kg −1 net energy for maintenance. Corrugated paper has limited potential as a component of ruminant diets; it is best used for maintenance of mature animals and probably should not exceed 25–30% of the diet.

PREVIOUS investigations employing the chemical fractionation of serum have presumably isolated immune factors for the avian malaria parasite, Plasmodium lophurae (Becker et al., 1951; Trager and McGhee, 1950; and Truong, 1957). Electorophoretic analysis has also identified serum alterations which appear to be linked to an immune response (Sherman and Hull, 1960). One of the logical adjuncts to the study of the serological changes described by paper electrophoresis is the isolation, purification and characterization of these entities, and correlation of the chemical fractions with the electrophoretic species. Studies of the chemical fractions by means of paper electrophoresis were initiated in the hope of better understanding the relationships between these fractionation procedures. MATERIALS AND METHODS For the chemical fractionation, whole blood was withdrawn from the jugular vein of mature, uninfected Hyline chickens. These samples were incubated at 39°C. in lusteroid centrifuge tubes for one hour to assure maximum clot formation. They were …

Resumen del trabajo presentado en la 14th Conference of European Comparative Endocrinologists, celebrada en Salzburgo (Austria), del 4 al 9 de septiembre de 1988

The title of an article requires close attention from both authors and editors. A title should be concise, accurate and informative, even when it appears on its own, e.g. quoted in a bibliography or listed in a current-awareness publication. Recommendations are made about the preferred length of an article title, the balancing of brevity and optimum information content, the choice and order of words, biosystematic and geographical detail, inevitable punctuation, and the omission of abbreviations, formulae and exotic letters and signs.

Three experiments were conducted to determine the response of bobwhite quail chicks when reared in pens with and without brooding paper. Half the chicks in each experiment was brooded Days 1 to 7 on brooding paper, which covered the litter within a brooder ring. The other half was brooded on either new or reused litter without paper. Results of all three experiments showed a consistent trend of higher 1-week body weights and lower cumulative 1 to 3 week mortality when birds were reared in pens without paper. Overall, no net performance advantages were found for rearing quail with brooding paper at the termination of the 3-week trials.

The U.S.S.R. Branch of the World’s Poultry Science Association met May 29–June 2, 1972, in Alma-Ata, Kazakhstan. A resume of the scientific papers (much more extensive than the usual abstracts) has been published in a 92-page bulletin of attractive format, on good paper, with easily-readable print. One thousand copies of the booklet have been printed. A copy may be obtained from The Moscow Agricultural Academy, Timirasev Street, 44, Moscow 125008, U.S.S.R. The contents reveal the wide scope of the research work carried out in poultry science and the important role of the poultry industry in the agricultural production of the U.S.S.R. A total of 82 papers are presented under the four headings, a) Breeding, b) Nutrition, c) Management Technology and Embryology and d) Physiology and Veterinary Science. The titles of the papers presented at the conference are listed in English, pages 89–93. These titles are: BREEDING Z. M. . . .

DR. ERWIN JUNGHERR of the Storrs Agricultural Experiment Station has chosen wisely to include in his paper on the value of wheat germ oil in the control of fowl paralysis a discussion of recent work on nutritional encephalomalacia, since some of the gross symptoms of this disease are similar to those of fowl paralysis and might be confused with them. He has brought out very clearly that, whereas vitamin E has been found by Dam, Glavind, Bernth, and Hagens, (1938) and by Pappenheimer, Goettsch, and Jungherr (1939) to be effective in preventing the development of nutritional encephalomalacia, a number of investigators have shown that this vitamin is without effect in the prevention of fowl paralysis. He concluded, therefore, that the favorable results obtained by Butler and Warren (1938) and by Butler, Warren, and Hammersland (1938) in the control of fowl paralysis by means of wheat germ oil have not been . . .

The current study proposes to produce a UF- soft cheese by incorporated with Aloe vera pulp at the levels of (5, 10, and 15 g/100 g) milk retentate and probiotic cultures. The nutritional properties of the Aloe vera pulp and its effect on the viability of lactic acid bacteria were analyzed. Chemical properties, rheological analysis, sensory characteristics, and verify the viability of probiotic bacteria in the cheese during cold storage for 4 weeks were evaluated. The results indicated that Aloe vera pulp possessed excellent quantities of water-soluble vitamins such as (B1) 9.73 mg/g, (B2) 141.2 mg/g, and (B3) 4.63 mg/g along with a high content of maltose and fructose as disaccharides and galactose as monosaccharide. Moreover, adding 10% Aloe vera pulp in the MRS medium leads to the proliferation of the counts of different lactic acid cultures more than one log cycle. The total solids, protein, pH, and fat content of UF-cheese decreased significantly (P < 0.05) with the increased percentage of added Aloe vera pulp. Also, the treatments fortified with 15% Aloe vera pulp increased the probiotics counts around 1.5 log cycles at the finale of the storage period compared by control. The hardness decreased with the increase in the percentage of added Aloe vera pulp in cheese, while it increased with the progress of the storage period. The sensory analysis of cheese supplemented with 15% Aloe vera pulp and stored for 4 weeks had the best sensory properties and good acceptable.

Summary This study aimed to investigate the effects of modified-dietary fiber from cassava pulp (M-DFCP), mostly classified as insoluble dietary fiber (IDF), as a feed supplement on productive performance, nutrient digestibility, weight of digestive organs, abdominal fat storage, and cholesterol in meat and blood of broiler chickens. A total of 336 one-day-old male broiler chickens (Ross 308) were allocated to 4 groups in 7 replicate pens with 12 chicks each, based on a completely randomized design. Four dietary treatments composed of control and 3 M-DFCP inclusion levels: 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5%. The results showed that M-DFCP showed no negative effects on growth performance in broiler chickens. The inclusion of M-DFCP in diets at 1.0 to 1.5% had positive effects on increased gizzard weight, reduced gizzard pH, and reduced abdominal fat. The M-DFCP at 1.0% can also increase nutrient digestibility (dry matter, organic matter, and ether extract). In addition, the supplementation of M-DFCP at 1.0 to 1.5% in diets represented lower cholesterol in serum, breast and thigh meats, and liver of broiler chickens. In conclusion, these results indicate that M-DFCP can be used as an IDF source in broiler diets. The inclusion of 1.0% M-DFCP in broiler diet has positive effects on enhancing gizzard function, improving nutrient digestibility, and reducing abdominal fat and cholesterol in chicken meat, blood, and liver.

Green biorefineries provide novel opportunities to use the green biomass efficiently and utilize the ecosystem services provided by grasslands more widely. The effects of the inclusion of fractionated grass silage solid fraction (pulp) on feed intake, rumen fermentation, diet digestion and milk production in dairy cows were investigated. Pulp was separated from grass silage using a screw press simulating a green biorefinery. Partial removal of liquid from forage increased DM concentration from 220 to 432 g/kg and NDF from 589 to 709 g/kg DM while CP decreased from 144 to 107 g/kg DM. A feeding trial using an incomplete changeover design with 24 Nordic Red cows and two 3-week periods was conducted. The pulp replaced grass silage in the diet at 0 (P0), 25 (P25) and 50 (P50) percentage of total forage, which was fed ad libitum with 13 kg of concentrate for all treatments. The forage DM intake was highest on P25 (14.1 kg/day) while P0 and P50 did not differ from each other (13.2 and 13.0 kg/day, respectively). There were no differences between the treatments in rumen pH or ammonia N, but the proportion of acetate increased with increasing pulp inclusion. The digestibility was measured using acid insoluble ash and indigestible NDF (iNDF) as internal markers. Neither of the markers detected differences in NDF digestibility, but according to iNDF, apparent total tract organic matter digestibility decreased with increasing pulp inclusion. The cows maintained milk production at P25, but it showed some decline at P50 (energy-corrected milk at P0 and P25 was 39.8 kg/day while for P50, it was 38.5 kg/day, P = 0.056) and the milk protein yield significantly declined with higher pulp inclusion. Simultaneously, the nitrogen use efficiency in milk production increased. It seems that the fibrous grass-based fraction from a biorefinery process has potential to be used as a feed for ruminants.

Five crop straws (wheat, rice, maize, oil-rape, and cotton) were first steam-exploded for 2 min at 210°C, 2.5 MPa and then pyrolyzed at 500°C for 2 h. Steam explosion (SE) induced 47–95% and 5–16% reduction of hemicellulose and cellulose, respectively, in the crop straws. The biochars derived from SE-treated feedstocks had a lower specific surface area (SSA) and pore volume, compared to those from pristine feedstocks, with one exception that SE enhanced SSA of oil-rape straw biochar by approximately 16 times. After SE, biochars had significant higher anion exchange capacity (AEC) (6.88–11.44 cmol kg –1 ) and point of zero net charges (PZNC) (pH 3.61–5.32) values. It can thus be speculated that these biochars may have higher potential for anions adsorption. In addition, oil-rape straw might be suitable to SE pretreatment for preparing biochar as a soil amendment and sorbent as well. Further work is required for testing its application in soil.

IN OPENING the discussion of the papers presented by Drs. DeOme, Stubbs, and Emmel, let me compliment them on the diligent manner in which they have attacked the problem of these diseases in the chicken. Undoubtedly they will agree with my statement that much remains to be done before our knowledge concerning them is complete. Such symposiums as this indicate a healthy attitude toward the problem. They offer a means for group discussion and the exchange of thoughts by those intimately concerned with the matter. In this symposium we have a large assembly of contributors to our knowledge of these diseases. Their remarks in this discussion will be of much interest. The economic significance of the disorders included in the title of this symposium, “Avian Lymphomatosis and Allied Diseases” is undoubtedly appreciated by all of you. For the present I shall not dwell upon this aspect of the problem, other . . .

There are instances where shell eggs may be moved from refrigeration into ambient temperature with high humidity, such as before wash and during transportation. Under these conditions, it is of concern that bacteria on wet eggs can grow and migrate through the shell pores into the egg. Objectives of this experiment were: 1) to compare 3 methods of quantifying condensate on eggs and 2) to quantify condensate on refrigerated shell eggs at 2 temperatures (22°C and 32°C). For objective 1, 270 fresh shell eggs (3 replications, 90 eggs per replication) were stored at 4°C, 60% relative humidity (RH), then placed at 22°C, 60% RH for 1 h. After this time, 30 pre-weighed eggs were randomly selected and weighed. Thirty eggs were thoroughly wiped with pre-weighed paper towels to collect condensate. Thirty eggs were evaluated with a pinless moisture meter for quantifying egg condensate, which was found to be an ineffective method. There was no difference in quantifying egg condensation by egg weight or weight of moisture absorbed on a paper towel (0.2% vs. 0.19% percentage gain mL condensation/egg surface area) (P > 0.05). For objective 2, 104 fresh eggs formed condensation at 2 temperatures (22°C and 32°C, 60% RH). Each egg weight was continuously recorded from the beginning of condensation formation to the point where the egg reached a constant weight. There was a difference found in the time it took for an egg to reach maximum condensation (11 min at 32°C, 17 min at 22°C), as well as completely dry (25 min at 32°C, 34 min at 22°C) between the 2 temperatures (P

Broiler chickens are commonly placed on wood shavings as litter, but alternative litter sources are required due to the scarcity of wood shavings in many parts of the world. This study aimed to compare pelleted straw, chopped wheat straw, wood shavings, rice hulls, and shredded paper as litter candidates. Three-hundred-sixty Ross 308 one-day-old male chicks were used in this study. There were 5 litter treatments with 6 replicate pens, each with 12 birds. The feed conversion ratio (FCR) of birds reared on pelleted straw was improved compared (P

The founding individuals of a new group or lineage are uniquely poised to have long-lasting effects on their descendants. Here we explore how the behavioural traits of new foundresses influence their task allocation strategies and the downstream collective behaviour of their colonies. We collected individual paper wasp (Polistes metricus) queens from the wild and measured their boldness, aggressiveness, exploration, activity and time budgets in the laboratory. We then provided queens with food and nest materials and waited for their workers to eclose. We subsequently tested for links between queen behavioural traits (e.g. boldness, aggressiveness) and the collective aggressiveness of their colonies, as estimated by the number of workers that responded to and stung a model predator. We found that bolder queens (i.e. queens that were less likely to leave their nests after repeated exposure to an agonistic stimulus) spent more time nest guarding, reared more workers and produced groups that were less responsive to a model predator. Thus, there appears to be parent–offspring, or queen–worker, resemblance in the degree to which individuals remain on their nests in different social contexts (solitary queen versus queen + her worker group). To our knowledge this represents the first study to explicitly test for links between individual variation in foundress behaviour, worker production and intercolony collective behaviour; the results highlight the possibility that cross-contextual and transgenerational behavioural links could be a reasonably common and potentially important phenomenon in complex societies.

AS ALREADY stated by Dr. Olson, the condition of “hemocytoblastosis” as described by Emmel is not recognized by other workers. To this it should be added that the designation “hemocytoblastosis” brings up a very fundamental point of terminology. Johnson used the term in its original meaning; namely, a leukotic proliferation of the hemocytoblastic stem cell. Whether or not the etiologic concept implied by him is correct is beside the point. Emmel defined hemocytoblastosis as an increase or decrease in leukocytes accompanied by the appearance of immature and degenerative blood cells in the circulating blood. Such hemocytoblastosis (Emmel) could be induced in chicks by a number of different agents and conditions, including Salmonella toxicosis, normal chicken tissues, benzol poisonings, anoxemias, and avitaminoses. In a recent study W. P. Blount (Ph.D. thesis, Edinburgh University, 1938, Abstract Vet. Jour., 1939, 95:193) was able to observe all of the features of Emmel’s hemocytoblastosis in . . .

The main purpose of this study was to develop and apply an adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) and Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) model for predicting the drying characteristics of potato, garlic and cantaloupe at convective hot air dryer. Drying experiments were conducted at the air temperatures of 40, 50, 60 and 70 °C and the air speeds of 0.5, 1 and l.5 m/s. Drying properties were including kinetic drying, effective moisture diffusivity (Deff) and specific energy consumption (SEC). The highest value of Deff obtained 9.76 × 10−9, 0.13 × 10−9 and 9.97 × 10−10 m2/s for potato, garlic, and cantaloupe, respectively. The lowest value of SEC for potato, garlic, and cantaloupe were calculated 1.94 × 105, 4.52 × 105 and 2.12 × 105 kJ/kg, respectively. Results revealed that the ANFIS model had the high ability to predict the Deff (R2 = 0.9900), SEC (R2 = 0.9917), moisture ratio (R2 = 0.9974) and drying rate (R2 = 0.9901) during drying. So ANFIS method had the high ability to evaluate all output as compared to ANNs method.

Camel milk is traditionally considered to have medicinal characteristics that it has potential health benefits and could help to treat several illnesses. Particularly, it is closest to human breast milk and has high levels of nutrients and bioactive components. The aim of this study was to explore the antioxidant peptides derived from protein fractions of camel milk. Camel milk proteins (CMP) were fractionated into camel casein protein (CCP) and camel whey protein (CWP), which were hydrolyzed with pepsin to produce peptic digests P-CCP and P-CWP, respectively. RP-HPLC was used for fractionation of the peptides from the P-CCP and P-CWP. The antioxidant activities were evaluated using superoxide anion generating system of xanthine oxidase (XOD) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging assay. Active peptides were analyzed using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) whereas a number of antioxidant peptides, with masses ranging from 913 to 2,951 Da, derived mainly from alpha-casein, lactophorin and lactoferrin, were identified. When yeast cells are used as a system for modeling mitochondrial disease, the peptides in caseins and whey fractions significantly enhanced the tolerance of yeast cells against peroxide-induced oxidative stress. The results show that both caseins and whey proteins of camel milk possess bioactive peptides with significant radical-scavenging activities and thus herald a fascinating opportunity for their potential as nutraceuticals or therapeutic peptides for prevention and treatment of oxidative stress-associated diseases. Keywords: Camel milk proteins, Antioxidant, Bioactive peptides, Superoxide scavenging, Yeast tolerance

Awassi dairy sheep farmers in the Middle East are facing high feed costs, particularly during the milk production season, along with large fluctuation in grain and straw prices. Incorporating agro-industrial byproducts into the diet of Awassi dairy sheep can help to balance diets and decrease costs. But it may affect milk quality through changes in the fatty acid profile. Six experimental diets were compared to a control diet in the research station of the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) in Tal Hadya, Syria. Milking Awassi ewes (n = 56) were used to test six experimental diets, in which supplements comprised molasses, sugar beet pulp, or cotton seed cake to a traditional control diet contained barley, wheat bran, and barley straw. Milk samples were collected on a weekly basis from April to June. The daily milk production and fat content were enhanced in diets containing urea-treated wheat straw (P

Ruminant production, especially in the tropics and developing countries suffers a setback when compared with the temperate and developed countries, which is attributable to the kinds of available feed resources in the region of production. In the tropics, ruminants are restricted to grazing on low-quality forages, crop residues and agro-industrial by-products with very little or no concentrate diets, which adversely affect the animals in exhibiting their full production potential. Considering this fact, there is an increasing interest in improving the digestibility of these feed resources. In recent years, researchers have explored several methods to enhance the functions of rumen microflora, improve digestion and fermentation processes, as well as increase bioavailability and utilization of nutrients through feed supplementation. This review aims to explore the positive effects of supplementation of ruminant diets with probiotics or botanical extracts and their metabolites on the productivity of the animals. Moreover, the functions of these non-pathogenic and non-toxic live microorganisms (probiotics) and plant biologically active compounds (botanical extract) are explored because of the ban on non-therapeutic use of antibiotics as growth promoters coupled with the critical preference of consumers to high quality and safe animal products. It has been reported that these alternative supplemental products have a beneficial impact on both animal health and productivity, which is affecting stabilization of rumen environment, inhibition of pathogenic bacteria proliferation in gastro-intestinal tract, modulation of immune response, increase in fibre degradation and fermentation, nutrients availability and utilization, animal growth performance and milk production, among others. However, long-term in vivo studies are still required to determine the synergetic effects of these 2 safe supplemental products. Keywords: Ruminant, Supplementation, Probiotics, Botanical extracts, Tropics