Phaidra - University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna
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Feeding of bakery products as replacement of cereal grains alter fecal microbiome and improve feed efficiency in fattening pigs
No full textThe re-integration of former foodstuffs, such as bakery products (BP), into pig feed reduces the feed-food competition and increases the sustainability of pig production. Nevertheless, there are concerns about the altered fatty acid profile in BP compared to standard diets and their effects on meat quality and the intestinal microbiome. The present study investigated the effects of replacing 30% cereal grains with BP in the diet on performance, microbiome composition and metabolites in feces of fattening pigs, economic aspects and meat quality characteristics. A total of 132 pigs (Large White x Pi & eacute;train; 11 weeks of age) were fed two diets containing 0 or 30% BP until reaching slaughter weight in three replicate batches. Fecal samples were collected for 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing after 6 weeks, whereas body fat samples were collected after 9 weeks on the diet. The results showed that BP can replace cereals in pig diets by up to 30% without impairing animal performance, while improving feed efficiency and reducing feed costs by 9% compared to the control. Additionally, pigs fed the BP diet had a 50%-higher n-3 fatty acid content in the neck and abdominal fat compared to the control. The improved feed efficiency in BP-fed pigs may be related to positive effects on the fecal microbiome, such as a higher alpha diversity and a reduction of fungi and yeasts. Our study provides valuable insights into the benefits of including BP in diets of fattening pigs, which should be investigated in future studies on other BP types
200 years of taxonomic confusion: Sporendonema and allies
No full textThe genus Sporendonema (Gymnoascaceae, Onygenales) was introduced in 1827 with the type species S. casei for a red mould on cheese. Cheese is a consistent niche for this species. Sphaerosporium equinum is another species classified in Gymnoascaceae and has also been reported from cheese. Recently, other habitats have been reported for both Sporendonema casei and Sphaerosporium equinum. The present study aimed to investigate the taxonomy of Sporendonema and Sphaerosporium, as well as a close neighbour, Arachniotus. Two strains of Hormiscium aurantiacum, another related cheese-associated species were also included in the analyses. Strains were evaluated in terms of macro- and micromorphology, physiology including salt tolerance, growth rate at different temperatures, casein degradation, cellulase activity, lipolytic activity, and multi-locus phylogeny with sequences of the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer region, the D1-D2 region of the large subunit and partial β-tubulin locus sequences. The results showed that the analysed species were congeneric, and the generic names Arachniotus and Sphaerosporium should be reduced to the synonymy of Sporendonema. Therefore, four new combinations as well as one lectotype and one epitype were designated in Sporendonema. Two strains attributed to Sphaerosporium equinum from substrates other than cheese were found to be phylogenetically and morphologically deviant and were introduced as a new species named Sporendonema isthmoides
Outcome of surgical correction of medial patellar luxation in dogs weighing less than 10 kg
No full textVarious trochleoplasty techniques, including trochlear wedge recession (TWR) and trochlear block recession (TBR), are used to treat dogs with medial patellar luxation (MPL). However, the objective outcomes of these surgical procedures are underreported.Medical records were obtained for dogs weighing less than 10 kg that underwent either TWR or TBR and tibial tuberosity transposition to address grade I-III MPL. Long-term (at least 1 year after the last procedure) follow-up included orthopaedic and radiographic examinations, such as osteoarthritis score (OAS), ground reaction force (GRF) analysis and canine brief pain inventory (CBPI).Overall, 20 dogs (26 stifles) were followed up in the long term. Minor postoperative complications, medial patellar reluxation (MPR) and intermittent lameness occurred in 46.15%, 19.23% and 15% of the dogs, respectively. MPR occurred only in TWR-treated stifles, while mean OAS increased in all groups. Using the CBPI, the owners perceived an excellent or very good outcome in 95% of dogs.The limitations of the study include its retrospective observational nature, a lack of randomisation and a small sample size.Surgical treatment resulted in a favourable outcome. GRF analysis could detect subtle differences in weight bearing in dogs treated for MPL, which might not be apparent clinically. There might be a higher risk for reluxation for TWR. However, a larger-scale prospective study would be required to find which treatment is superior
Testes size seen through the glass of amphibian care
No full textDespite the great diversity of parental care types found in amphibians, studies linking them to post-copulatory sexually selected traits are scarce, presumably due to a lack of data. Valencia-Aguilar et al. used fieldwork and museum collections to show that paternal care appears to trade-off with testes size in glass frogs
In search of the glow-Three-dimensional reconstruction of <i>Latia neritoides</i> with specific focus on the mantel cavity (Mollusca; Gastropoda; Hygrophila)
No full textThe freshwater snail Latia neritoides occurs in certain streams and lakes of New Zealand\u27s North Island. It defends itself against predators with a unique mechanism - the release of sticky, glowing mucus. Two possible origins of this defence mucus had earlier been suggested: the foot and the pneumostome area. After examining the glandular system of the foot in a previous study, in the present study we examined the general morphology of L. neritoides, focusing on the mantle cavity. With the first complete 3D model of L. neritoides now available, it is possible to evaluate previous morphological studies and to give non-specialists a better understanding of the soft part anatomy of this fascinating gastropod. As a by-product of this, we also compared the capabilities of mu-CT and HREM on a methodological level. We characterized the two most common gland types in the mantel cavity (Lmcg1/Lmcg2) on the basis of their ultrastructure. They are present in large numbers and, therefore, regarded as likely candidates for being the producers of one or more components of the defence mucus. This notion was confirmed by histochemical analyses of Lmcg1 and Lmcg2 and other gland types in L. neritoides
Editorial: Technologies to address risk assessment, food safety and public health in food production chain
No full textNo abstract available
Investigating the Prevalence of Paratuberculosis in Hungarian Large-Scale Dairy Herds and the Success of Control Measures over Four Years
No full textParatuberculosis (PTB) is a severe, slow-developing, untreatable disease of ruminants. Worldwide, the disease affects more than 50% of herds in the dairy industry, and causes substantial economic losses for dairy producers. Diagnostic tests show limited sensitivity, especially in the early stages of the disease. Our study aimed to investigate the seroprevalence of Mycobacterium avium ssp. paratuberculosis (MAP) in large-scale dairy herds in Hungary, in association with the self-reported presence or absence of screening and intervention measures against MAP transmission. We processed data from 42 large-scale Holstein Friesian farms in Hungary between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2021. An average of 32,009 (min.: 31,702; max.: 32,207) animals were blood sampled yearly (127,372 in total during the four years), corresponding to 15% of the Hungarian dairy cattle population. All female cattle older than 2 years were blood sampled on the farms enroled in the study. The samples were tested using a commercial ELISA (IDEXX paratuberculosis screening Ab test). Farm managers were interviewed about their on-farm diagnostic and intervention approaches using a uniform questionnaire, including questions on the level of awareness, frequency of ELISA and PCR testing, and their strategies for culling adult animals and reducing transmission to newborn calves. By comparing the annual rate of change in seroprevalence and the amount of change observed during the four-year period, we concluded that test-and-cull strategies implemented in parallel with newborn calf management that aimed at preventing MAP transmission were superior to test-and-cull strategies alone; moreover, fortifying culling decision making via additional ELISA and PCR tests is superior to using a single ELISA result. For farms that carried out a complex program with both "test-and-cull" and proper newborn calf management, there was a proportional reduction in apparent seroprevalence at an average of 22.8% per year. Fifteen of the sampled farms had no measures in place to control paratuberculosis. On these farms, the seroprevalence increased by 12.1% per year on average
Jahresbericht 2023 / Forschungsinstitut für Wildtierkunde und Ökologie
No full textDer Jahresbericht gewährt Einblicke und Rückblicke in das Institutsleben und fasst Informationen zu Forschung, Publikationen und weiteren Aktivitäten am Forschungsinstitut für Wildtierkunde und Ökologie der Veterinärmedizinischen Universität Wien zusammen.Der Jahresbericht gewährt Einblicke und Rückblicke in das Institutsleben und fasst Informationen zu Forschung, Publikationen und weiteren Aktivitäten am Forschungsinstitut für Wildtierkunde und Ökologie der Veterinärmedizinischen Universität Wien zusammen
Duration of Zearalenone Exposure Has Implications on Health Parameters of Lactating Cows
No full textThere is a limited research focus on evaluating the detrimental effects of prolonged zearalenone (ZEN) intake on dairy cows\u27 health under controlled conditions. This experiment was conducted to evaluate whether the length of exposure to a ZEN-contaminated total mixed ration (TMR) at a level of 9.45 mg per day can negatively influence animal health parameters, such as milk composition, rumen and fecal fermentation, and the chewing activity of lactating dairy cows. For this experiment, we used 18 lactating Simmental cows that were fed a diet of 60% forage and 40% concentrate (on dry matter basis) for 26 consecutive days. The first 4 days were for adaptation prior to the first sampling day (day 0). The sampling events took place on day 0 (baseline) without ZEN, followed by day 1, day 7, day 14, and day 21 (with toxin). Dry matter intake (DMI) and ruminating chews per minute increased on the third week of ZEN inclusion; meanwhile, ruminating, eating, and drinking times were not affected. Most milk composition variables were also unaffected. Rumen fluid osmolality increased on day 21 and total short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) of ruminal fluid decreased on day 7. Fecal SCFA increased on day 21 and the acetate-to-propionate ratio increased from day 1 onwards, showing the influence of toxin intake. Animal health parameters, like heart rate, respiratory rate, and body temperature, were negatively influenced by ZEN intake, all increasing consistently on days 4 and 6, 9 and 12, and 16 and 18, respectively. The liver enzyme glutamate dehydrogenase decreased in response to ZEN intake on day 7. A total daily ZEN intake at the level of 9.45 mg did not show detrimental effects on DMI. Nevertheless, certain health parameters were negatively affected, including body temperature, respiratory rate, and heart rate, starting from the 7th day of ZEN intake, with additional signs of possible loss of water balance on the last sampling day
Comparative analysis of swine leukocyte antigen gene diversity in Göttingen Minipigs
No full textWorldwide, pigs represent economically important farm animals, also representing a preferred preclinical large animal model for biomedical studies. The need for swine leukocyte antigen (SLA) typing is increasing with the expanded use of pigs in translational research, infection studies, and for veterinary vaccine design. Göttingen Minipigs (GMP) attract increasing attention as valuable model for pharmacological studies and transplantation research. This study represents a first-time assessment of the SLA gene diversity in Göttingen Minipigs in combination with a comparative metadata analysis with commercial pig lines. As Göttingen Minipigs could harbor private as well as potential novel SLA allele combinations, future research projects would benefit from the characterization of their SLA background. In 209 Göttingen Minipigs, SLA class I (SLA-1, SLA-2, SLA-3) and class II (DRB1, DQB1, DQA) genes were characterized by PCR-based low-resolution (Lr) haplotyping. Criteria and nomenclature used for SLA haplotyping were proposed by the ISAG/IUIS-VIC SLA Nomenclature Committee. Haplotypes were assigned based on the comparison with already known breed or farm-specific allele group combinations. In total, 14 SLA class I and five SLA class II haplotypes were identified in the studied cohort, to manifest in 26 SLA class I but only seven SLA class II genotypes. The most common SLA class I haplotypes Lr-24.0 (SLA-1*15XX or Blank-SLA-3*04:04-SLA-2*06:01~02) and Lr-GMP-3.0 (SLA-1*16:02-SLA-3*03:04-SLA-2*17:01) occurred at frequencies of 23.44 and 18.66%, respectively. For SLA class II, the most prevalent haplotypes Lr-0.21 (DRB1*01XX-DQB1*05XX-DQA*04XX) and Lr-0.03 (DRB1*03:02-DQB1*03:01-DQA*01XX) occurred at frequencies of 38.28 and 30.38%. The comparative metadata analysis revealed that Göttingen Minipigs only share six SLA class I and two SLA class II haplotypes with commercial pig lines. More importantly, despite the limited number of SLA class I haplotypes, the high genotype diversity being observed necessitates pre-experimental SLA background assessment of Göttingen Minipigs in regenerative medicine, allo-transplantation, and xenograft research