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Otitis media is a common disease in clinical veterinary practice. Although low-field magnetic resonance imaging reports for otitis media in dogs exist, in cats detailed information is missing. Radiography is helpful in diagnosing chronic inflammation, but may be insufficient during the initial phase of inflammation. For this reason, this report describes the magnetic resonance findings in two cats with otitis media. In both cases, middle ear empyema was detected. Magnetic resonance imaging of middle ear disorders in cats should contain pre- and post-contrast T1-weighted sequences in the dorsal and transverse planes, a T2-weighted sequence in the dorsal and transverse planes and a fluid-attenuated inversion recovery sequence in the dorsal or transverse planes. On pre-contrast T1-weighted images, the empyema had an intensity similar to that of brain tissue with a delicate hyper-intensity in the middle. On post-contrast T1-weighted images, the material had non-uniform enhancement in the dorsolateral compartment and circumference enhancement in the ventromedial compartment of the tympanic bulla with a hypo-intense centre. On T2-weighted images, the mass had heterogeneously increased signal intensity to brain tissue, but was less intense than cerebrospinal fluid. In the fluid-attenuated inversion recovery sequence, the pathological lesion was distinctly hyper-intense in comparison to other tissues with a narrow area of increased signal intensity in the middle of the ventromedial tympanic bulla compartment. Magnetic resonance imaging is commonly used for the visualisation of different disorders of the membranous labyrinth and allows the differentiation of chronic hematomas, empyemas and middle and internal ear neoplasia. The recommended magnetic resonance protocol of the middle ear should include pre- and post-contrast T1 sequences in the dorsal and transverse planes, the T2 sequence in the dorsal and transverse planes and the fluid-attenuated inversion recovery sequence in the dorsal or transverse planes.

Athletes, including equine athletes need high intensity training in order to achieve high performance. However, continuous high intensity training often results in injuries to the locomotive system. The buoyancy of water reduces the force born on joints; therefore, training in water has been used for rehabilitation purposes both in humans and horses. The few studies dealing with water treadmill training of horses suggest that the fitness of horses can be improved using this training method, but none tested the subsequent performance of horses after water training. Therefore, the aim of this study was to test the effect of water training of varying intensity on the fitness-related parameters of show jumpers during training and after competition. Four similarly trained show jumper sport horse (aged between 7-11 years) competing at the same level (110 cm) were selected. Horses were subjected to 44-min deep water treadmill training with three intensities (9, 11, 13 km/h maximum speed) three times a week in addition to their normal training. At the conclusion of the week, horses participated in a two-day indoor show jumping event. Blood samples (4 ml) were taken from the jugular vein during the third water training and before and after the completion of the show jumping course on each day. From the blood plasma, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), creatine kinase (CK) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activities, as well as lactate, glucose and triglyceride levels were determined. Data analysis was carried out with SAS (SAS Inst. Inc., Cary, USA) using the GLM procedure and Duncan's new multiple range test. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated between the same blood parameters from different sampling times. No interactions were detected between training intensity and sampling time during water training. Plasma lactate and glucose levels were decreased during the water training, while values increased afterwards. In contrast, heart rate, triglyceride and cortisol levels were elevated as a result of water training. Increasing the maximum speed of the water treadmill had no influence on the average heart rate of horses subjected to the training. Plasma lactate levels decreased with the increased maximum speed of the water trainer. Activities of AST, CK, LDH, and levels of cholesterol, cortisol and bilirubin decreased when the maximum speed of the treadmill was set to 11 km/h compared to the 9 km/h training. Water training resulted in lower heart rate measured right after completing the show jumping course when horses were subjected to medium intensity water training. The AST, CK and LDH activities measured before and after water training had only weak to moderate positive correlations with values measured after competition. In conclusion, our results indicate that deep-water training alters the biochemical processes and can improve the aerobic energy supply of show jumpers. Water training is a strenuous exercise, which initially leads to increased muscle damage. However, this initial phase is followed by subsequent adaptation.

Diphallia or penile duplication is a rare congenital abnormality thought to result from duplication of the cloacal membrane in the early developmental stages in the uterus. The present case concerned a 4-year old intact male German shepherd dog. The patient presented with a complaint of paraphimosis. Clinical, laboratory, radiological and ultrasonographic examinations were carried out. Semen samples collected prior to surgery were examined. Following amputation, the penis with paraphimosis was sent for histopathological investigation. Karyotype analysis of the patient was also performed. As well as the first report of this abnormality in Turkey, this case report represents the first report of this condition in a German shepherd dog.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of physical exercise (marcha gait) on heart rate variability indices in Mangalarga Marchador horses. Twenty-five animals, fourteen females and eleven males, aged 6.4 ± 2.7 years and with a mean weight of 428.3 ± 24.7 kg, were used. Electrocardiograms were recorded at two different time points: rest and immediately after exercise (40 min of aerobic exercise, marcha gait). Time domain analyses of heart rate variability were made using vasovagal tonus index (VVTI) and standard deviation of normal intervals (SDNN). Variables were analysed for normality using the Shapiro-Wilk test and comparisons were made between T0 and T1 using the paired t-test (VVTI) or Mann-Whitney (SDNN), considering P < 0.05. The Pearson coefficient was calculated to evaluate the correlation between heart rate and VVTI and the Spearman coefficient was calculated for heart rate and SDNN. There was an increase in heart rate after exercise (P < 0.0001), from 45.7 ± 12.7 to 77.3 ± 13.5 beats/min, and a reduced VVTI (P < 0.0001), from 8.66 ± 1.45 to 4.65 ± 1.25 and a reduced SDNN (P < 0.0001), from 80.09 to 11.67 ms. No correlation was observed between heart rate and VVTI or SDNN. It was possible to conclude that the physical activity carried out by Mangalarga Marchador horses influenced the autonomic response and consequently heart rate variability indexes, suggesting the possible use of these indices for the evaluation of Mangalarga Marchador performance.

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of storage time at +4 °C on haematological indicators in rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum, 1792). For this purpose, 60 Italian trout were evaluated and red blood cells, white blood cells, thrombocyte count, haematocrit, haemoglobin concentration, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular haemoglobin and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration were determined. After blood collection (T₀), all samples were immediately analysed using an automatic method to assess the haematological parameters and then divided into two different aliquots and stored at +4 °C. The first aliquot was refrigerated for 168 h (T₁), the second one for 336 h (T₂). Statistical analysis (one-way repeated-measures ANOVA) showed a significant effect of storage time (P < 0.05) on red blood cells, thrombocyte count, haematocrit, haemoglobin concentration, mean corpuscular haemoglobin and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration. The obtained data expand our knowledge of haematological evaluation techniques and could contribute to the development of an appropriate method for haematological analysis that is suitable for the evaluation of the health status of wild and farmed fish.

Corticosteroids are not indicated in wound healing, but the intralesional and topical administration of these agents has been described to control tissue overgrowth in humans. The aim of the present study was to assess the use of topical corticosteroids to control pre- and post-surgical tissue overgrowth in a 5-year-old male Belgian shepherd weighing 33.5 kg. We report successful use of topical administration of corticosteroids to treat granulation tissue overgrowth before and after skin grafting. Corticosteroids are a safe and easy way to treat this complication and can be used to prepare a healthy granulation tissue bed before performing surgical procedures to cover large defects in dogs.

The aim of this study was to describe two case studies of reptile disease, in which the primary pathogen was apparently Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Paratyphi B. Pathological examinations, sampling from different organs and cloacal swabs was performed on a dead savannah monitor (Varanus exanthematicus) and a sick green tree python (Chondropython viridis). This material was subjected to culture examination, including selective enrichment using standard methods. Typing was performed using MALDI-TOF and strains were also serologically typified. The utilisation of d-tartrate was confirmed biochemically and also using PCR. Antibiotic susceptibility was determined by the standard disc diffusion method using Mueller-Hinton agar without blood and antibiotic discs. In both cases the detected Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Paratyphi B was positive for d-tartrate and exquisitely susceptible to chloramphenicol, tetracycline, ampicillin, amoxycillin/clavulanic acid, gentamicin, ceftazidime, enrofloxacin and piperacillin.

A 12-year-old castrated male miniature pinscher dog presented with right forelimb lameness. An expansile osteolytic lesion of the right humerus was conspicuous on right forelimb radiographs. Thoracic and abdominal radiographs showed multiple lytic bone lesions on the right scapula, ribs, vertebrae, femurs and pelvis. Additionally, an expansile osteolytic lesion was observed in two thoracic vertebrae and two ribs. Many plasma cells were identified on fine-needle aspiration of the right humerus expansile osteolytic lesion, and monoclonal gammopathy consistent with multiple myeloma was confirmed on serum protein electrophoresis. The expansile osteolytic lesion, an extraordinary radiographic feature of multiple myeloma in dogs, should be considered as a possible radiographic finding of multiple myeloma.

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) virus represents a major threat to the swine industry worldwide. This study describes the transmission of a European strain of PRRS-1 to a pig farm leading to the spread of the virus to different age categories of pigs and the development of clinical signs in pregnant sows and piglets. Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome aetiology was confirmed by serological tests and by virus isolation and subsequent sequencing. Repeated mass vaccination using modified live virus was used to synchronise the level of PRRS-specific immunity in all age categories of animals and to hinder virus circulation in the herd. Four months after the second mass vaccination, regular modified live virus vaccination of sows and gilts was implemented. Introduction of sentinel animals demonstrated cessation of virus circulation and the success of the control programme.

The molecular prevalence of Ancylostoma caninum was determined in stray and pet dogs in Lahore, Pakistan from July 2014 to August 2015. A total of 500 dog faecal samples were first evaluated using a sedimentation technique and further through a PCR assay targeting the ITS-2 region of the A. caninum genome. Overall, 130 (26%) samples were positive for hookworm infestation by microscopic examination. Only microscopically positive samples were processed for PCR and 89 (17.6%) were positive for A. caninum. Sequence analysis of amplicons showed 100% homology with A. caninum and the genotypes clustered in one clade with Brazilian A. caninum hookworms. There was a significantly (P < 0.05) increased prevalence in male dogs younger than six months old. Labrador retrievers had higher A. caninum incidence compared to German shepherds and other breeds. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the molecular prevalence of A. caninum in dogs in Pakistan. The novel results of the present study allow us to conclude that A. caninum is more prevalent in pet dogs, especially puppies, and this can be a potential threat for humans that come into contact with such animals. Therefore, the routine monitoring of pets, especially the more susceptible breeds, is essential for disease control.

The goal of this study was to describe the ultrasonographic and computed tomographic appearance of a penile foreign body in a dog for the first time. We describe an unusual penile localisation of a grass seed awn in an 11-year-old mixed-breed dog referred for a computed tomography study after a severe haemorrhage from the penis. A fistulous tract was observed after plain and post-contrast whole-body computed tomography acquisition; the foreign body was localised with ultrasound and removed under ultrasonographic guidance, with the complete healing of the penile lesion. Grass awns are common foreign bodies in dogs and cats and are commonly localised in the ear canal, subcutaneous tissue, interdigital space, eyelid, conjunctiva and nasal or oral cavity. These foreign bodies pose a threat due to their peculiar structure, which facilitates their easy access to the affected area and their transit through the body. Clinical signs are often non-specific, and imaging modalities such as ultrasonography and computed tomography are useful techniques for localisation. Our report demonstrates that the combination of computed tomography and ultrasound techniques was crucial for the exact localisation and mini-invasive retrieval of the grass seed.

The trade liberalization processes of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) are implemented through such interventions like free international trade, common external tariff wall, the consolidation or freezing of custom duties and non-tariff barriers to the intra-trade among others. However, the extent to which these efforts have translated to the intra-industry trade in the prepared foodstuff products has not been investigated yet. The objectives of this study are to assess the intra-industry trade theory in cereal and miscellaneous edible preparations; to evaluate the growth rates of simultaneous exports and imports in these prepared foodstuff sub-sections; to evaluate the extent of the intra-industry trade in the sub sections, and to determine the effects of the Nigeria's and partners' characteristics on the intra-industry trade. The results revealed that the intra-industry trade in cereal preparations are positively and significantly influenced by the partners' gross national income (GNI) per capita and the partners' foreign direct investment (FDI), but they are negatively influenced by the Nigeria's household final consumption expenditure. Also, the intra-industry trade in miscellaneous edible preparations is influenced positively by the partners' GNI per capita and the partners' households' final consumption expenditures, while the Nigeria's foreign direct investment and the value added by manufacturing negatively influence the intra-industry trade in the product sub-sections within the ECOWAS sub-region. Both exports and imports growth rates of these products fluctuate, but more in the imports of miscellaneous edible preparations. Cost saving options in transportation, the use of efficient machines during the production, processing and packaging are recommended.

The European Union pays a primary attention to the development of neighbouring relations; it means the relations with countries in the immediate vicinity of its external borders. This is done for the sake of prosperity, stability and the spread of democratic values in the world. In this sense, a kind of the privileged region have always created the states of the Southern and Eastern or eventually Northern Mediterranean with which the European Economic Community began to develop cooperation immediately after its formation. Then since the mid-1990s, the EU set out a goal to create a Euro-Mediterranean free trade area and thus to move closer to the interlacing of the two entities in the form of integration. The outline of the process of development of Euro-Mediterranean relationships (including the changes of bilateral approaches and the conditioning factors) is the objective of this article. It is divided into three sections, which cover different stages of the development of these relationships over time and escalate in terms of two-way approaches to a new quality of cooperation (including the three stated research questions). The result of these relationships could become a Euro-Mediterranean Alliance that is outlined as a differentiated form of multilateralism in the conclusions of the paper.

High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method with the pre-column derivatisation by AccQ*Tag agent and following determination of these derivates after their separation in reverse phase column followed by fluorescent detection was used for the determination of amino acids in cheeses. The contents of sixteen free amino acids in twenty five cheeses commercially available in the Czech Republic were measured. The total content of free amino acids in the studied cheeses varied in the range from 27 g/kg to 160 g/kg. Among individual amino acids, seven amino acids were more concentrated in all cheese samples and came from three distinctive taste groups: bitter tasting amino acids (leucine, lysine, and phenylalanine), bitter sweet amino acids (proline and valine), and salty-umami amino acids (glutamic acid and aspartic acid). The differences in the contents of the total and individual free amino acids were influenced by the kind of cheese and mainly by the duration and intensity of proteolysis.

Extra-virgin oil is obtained from olive fruits only by mechanical means. The quality of extra-virgin olive oils is affected mainly by hydrolytic and oxidative reactions. For this reason, the commercial shelf-life is usually no longer than 18 months. In order to investigate the effects of a prolonged storage, olives from cv. Coratina were crushed using a three phase system to produce extra virgin olive oil analysed for sensory and chemical-physical indices, phenolic profile, tocopherol content, and antioxidant activity during a 8-years storage. The oil lost its characteristics of extra-virgin after 6 years of storage, time at which the median of the defects was higher than 0 and free acidity exceeded the limit fixed for this category by the European Regulation whereas the stability against oxidation persisted for a longer period due to the high concentration of oleuropein derivatives. A strong positive linear correlation was observed between the phenolic content and antioxidant activity measured according to the ABTS^+. to indicate a noticeable radical scavenging ability of phenolic compounds.

The urea complexation was used to concentrate n-3 fatty acids (FA) from crude and refined commercial salmon oils. The experimental procedure included salmon oil saponification, free fatty acid (FFA) collection, formation of urea-FFA inclusion complexes, extraction of free n-3 FA and further analysis by gas-liquid chromatography of the corresponding FA methyl esters. Differences between crude and refined salmon oil could be observed. Crude oil provided higher typical odour, viscosity and suspension particle values, whereas crude salmon oil showed higher FFA and impurities content while p-anisidine and iodine values, moisture content and formation of conjugated dienes and trienes did not provide any significant differences between both oils; refined oil showed lower a* and b* scores when compared to its counterpart crude oil. Related to the n-3 PUFA concentration, a decrease in saturated fatty acids C 14:0, C 16:0, and C 18:0 and monounsaturated fatty acids C 18:1 9c, and C 18:1 11c, as well as a high yield of n-3 PUFA, EPA+DHA and total PUFA recovering could be observed starting from both crude and refined oils, which confirmed salmon oil to be a profitable source of such highly valuable constituents. Factors such as reaction temperature and ureaFFA ratio showed to be markedly significant to achieve higher value concentrations.

The content of free SO₂ (1.3-37.9 mg/l and 5.3-19.7 mg/l for 2009 and 2010) and total SO₂ (38.3-272.0 mg/l and 52.0-102.1 mg/l for 2009 and 2010) for individual wines was in a broad interval. Results of free SO₂ found using the commercial SO₂ reagent were higher than our results since the reagent determined not only free SO₂ but also reductones. The content of titrated acids was constant with a very moderate time decrease and the values were on average about 9.1-5.3 g/l (2009) and 13.1-7.9 g/l (2010). Similarly, the content of tartaric acid was nearly constant and the values were on average about 2.37-1.47 g/l (2009) and 6.65-2.69 g/l (2010). The percentage ratio of tartaric acid in the content of titrated acids is also constant (average 24.39%-38.6% for individual wines).

We determine the effects of the technology of obtaining potato protein preparation and of different variants of enzymatic hydrolysis on the chemical and amino acid compositions of the hydrolysates obtained. Potato protein concentrates obtained through their thermal coagulation in potato juice with calcium chloride, calcium lactate or without salt addition were subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis using two commercial hydrolytic enzymes: endopeptidase (Alcalase) and exopeptidase (Flavourzyme). Chemical (contents of ash, total and coagulable protein) and amino acid compositions of the hydrolysates obtained were determined. On the ground of the findings it was stated that the type of potato protein preparation used and conditions of enzymatic modification influenced on the properties of the hydrolysates obtained. Preparations obtained during the study were characterised by similar chemical and amino acid compositions, whereas the preparation obtained through thermal coagulation with the use of calcium lactate contained insignificantly more protein and essential amino acids. The least liable to enzymatic hydrolysis was the preparation obtained by using calcium chloride, particularly when only endopeptidase was used. The application of endopeptidase enzyme enabled to obtain 60% of proteolysis efficiency and the addition of the second enzyme (exopeptidase) to the protein solution insignificantly increased the proteolysis efficiency (to ca 70%), mainly when the preparation coagulated with the use of calcium chloride was hydrolysed. Proteolysis of the protein preparations obtained with the use of two enzymes was more favourable, particularly due to the quantity of free amino acids in and amino acids composition of the hydrolysates.

We evaluated the effects of Gymnorhynchus gigas on the freshness and hygienic quality of Lepidopus caudatus. Total Volatile Basic Nitrogen (TVB-N), Trimethylamine Nitrogen (TMA-N), as well as Specific Spoilage Organisms (SSOs) are the most important freshness indicators in fish. Our study was carried-out on 65 specimens of L. caudatus kept in ice and stored at 2°C for different period of time. The microbiological charge of SSOs recovered on a portion of parasitised muscles (MP) was compared with those recovered on portions of parasite-free muscles (M). The contents of TVB-N and TMA-N on MP, M, and G. gigas larva/ae were measured using the Conway microdiffusion method. High prevalence (72.31%) of G. gigas in the specimens of L. caudatus from the Mediterranean sea was observed. No statistically significant differences (P < 0.05) between M and MP were found during storage. However, massive infestation of G. gigas on the muscle of the silver scabbardfish could negatively influence TVB-N values, without compromising the sensorial characteristic of fish.

The results of chemical and microbial analyses of raw milk samples coming from organic and conventional farming systems were statistically compared. The samples were analysed during a twelve-month period (June-May). A total of 2206 samples were collected of which 528 were organic. After raw milk was processed, sensory hedonic quality of 171 pairs of organic and conventional non-standardised pasteurised whole milk samples were evaluated using the pair comparison preference test. Four parameters in raw milk, free fatty acids, urea content, somatic cell count and coliform bacteria count, showed no significant differences between the two types of production. Significantly higher contents of protein, casein, lactose, and non-fat solids were detected in conventional milk, which also had a significantly lower freezing point. On the contrary, significantly higher contents of total mesophilic bacteria count and a higher percentage of samples with positive coliform bacteria count were found in organic milk samples. Sensory analysis of pasteurised milk showed no significant hedonic difference between organic and conventional samples.

Cooking and drying conditions of the shea butter extraction process were determined using a response surface methodology. The influence of cooking time, temperature, and nuts/water mass ratio, drying time, and temperature on the content of free fatty acids, the peroxide value, as well as on the extraction yield was investigated. Results showed that both the free fatty acid content and the peroxide value were significantly affected by cooking and drying temperature; the cooking time and nuts/water ratio also affected significantly the peroxide value. Increasing cooking and drying temperature reduced the FFA content but contributed to increase the peroxide value. The cooking and drying temperature range of 75-80°C and < 54°C, respectively; cooking time of 70-100 min; drying time < 40 h, and cooking nuts/water mass ratio < 400 g/l of water were found to be optimum conditions for the extraction of shea butter.

Wild Triticum and Aegilops species are increasingly used in wheat breeding programmes around the world as donors of genes conferring resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses, as well as of genes that contribute to the improvement of grain quality. In the present study, thirty-nine accessions of diploid species with the A genome (Triticum boeoticum and T. urartu) were evaluated for the presence of the genes conferring resistance to powdery mildew (Blumeria graminis) and leaf rust (Puccinia recondita) using both inoculation tests and sequence tagged sites (STS) marker analyses in order to find correspondence between STS markers and resistance as a trait. The most resistant entries were T. boeoticum accessions. All the marked Lr and Pm resistance genes (Pm1, Pm2, Pm3, Lr10, Lr47, Lr25 and Lr28) were identified in the check T. aestivum cultivar Bezostaya 1. The resistance to powdery mildew in the material studied was conferred by the combination of the Pm1 gene with either Pm2 or Pm3. The Pm1 and Pm3 markers appeared to be suitable for tracking these powdery mildew resistance genes, while the Pm2 gene marker cannot be considered as usable in various genetically different wheat accessions. The presence of the genes Lr25, Lr28 and Lr47 seems to be particularly useful for obtaining leaf rust resistance in T. boeoticum and T. urartu species.

The cell wall regeneration in mesophyll protoplasts of yellow lupin and grass pea was studied. The occurrence of cell wall components: cellulose, callose and arabinogalactan proteins was analysed during 15 days of culture. Protoplasts were cultured in different media to test the effect of culture environment on the cell wall regeneration. Medium supplementation with 2 mg/l chitosan resulted in prolonged viability, more balanced cellulose resynthesis, increased callose formation and induction of mitotic divisions in protoplast-derived cells of both examined legumes. In chitosan-enriched medium arabinogalactan proteins were detected in cell plates of divided cells. Medium rich in additional organic compounds, i.e. free amino acids, organic acids and monosaccharides, was inferior to media of simpler composition. In both species the relatively quick cellulose resynthesis negatively affected the viability of protoplast-derived cells. In grass pea cellulose appeared during 24 h of culture. In yellow lupin the process started significantly later and after 10 days the frequency of walled cells did not exceed 50%. Callose was detected in cultures of both species and its pattern suggested that the synthesis was unlikely to be a result of protoplast wounding. Arabinogalactan proteins were localized in cell walls of different types of cells: dividing, elongating, but predominantly in degenerating ones. Occurrence and organization of the cell wall components studied were discussed in relation to recalcitrance of grass pea and yellow lupin protoplasts.

Pigs fitted with ileal T-cannula in the terminal ileum were used to study the effect of synthetic amino acids (AA) added to a nitrogen-free diet on endogenous losses. We compared the obtained data with data from other research centres in the world that are focusing on these problems. In the present experiment, we used three synthetic diets - a nitrogen-free (NF) diet, a diet with added essential AA (E), a diet with the same amounts of essential AA and a mixture of non-essential AA (E+N) added. The diets, apart from the amount of AA, had the same composition. Chromium oxide was used as an indigestible marker. The supplementation of the NF diet with sulphur AA, threonine and tryptophan resulted in a reduction of the endogenous flow of all AA except for cysteine. However, the difference between the NF and E diet was significant only in the case of proline. The effect of the non-essential AA addition to diet E was negligible, even though the endogenous flow of most AA tended to decrease. In comparison with NF diet, the endogenous flow of total N in diets E and E+N was reduced by about 30%. This reduction was mainly due to the decreased endogenous flow of proline, which accounted for 59% in diet E and 55% in diet E+N. Proline was the most abundant AA in all diets, followed by glycine and glutamic acid. The sum of proline and glycine in diets NF, E and E+N amounted to 59, 44, and 46% of total AA flow, respectively. In contrast, the proportion of the sum of essential AA of total AA flow in diets NF, E and E+N was 21, 28 and 27%, respectively. Our data on the endogenous AA and N flow are in the range of previously published values.

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of increasing levels of protein-free energy supplementation on blood glucose, urea nitrogen, insulin and gene expression of hepatic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) in growing lambs offered rice straw-based diet. Thirty-six male Hu lambs (3.5 months old) were divided into four equal groups according to body weight. All animals were fed rice straw ad libitum and supplemented with cornstarch at levels of 0 (control), 60, 120, and 180 g/day, respectively, along with 160 g/day of rapeseed meal. The trial lasted for 60 days with the first 15 days for adaptation. Body weight change and feed intake were recorded. Blood samples were taken at different time points after feeding at the end of the trial, and analyzed for blood glucose, total protein, urea nitrogen and insulin. Liver samples were collected and analysed for the mRNA abundance of hepatic PEPCK. Increasing cornstarch showed a low effect on rice straw intake, but increased average daily gain of lambs significantly (P < 0.05). Blood glucose tended to increase with starch supplementation, but altered within a narrow range. Blood urea nitrogen was decreased significantly (P < 0.05) with increment in supplemental starch. Supplementation of starch at 120 or 180 g/day significantly increased the insulin concentration (P < 0.05) compared with the control. The abundance of cytosolic PEPCK (PEPCK-C) mRNA increased 2.47 times and 3.98 times with 60 and 120 g per day of starch supplementation compared with the control, respectively, while the supplementation of 180 g per day of starch showed a low effect on PEPCK-C gene expression (P > 0.05). Amounts of mitochondrial PEPCK (PEPCK-M) mRNA were not affected by the supplementation of starch at any level (P > 0.05). These results indicate that proper energy supplementation increases the expression of PEPCK-C, and consequently gluconeogenesis and blood glucose increase, while excessive energy may have an inhibitory effect on gluconeogenesis through insulin-involved mechanisms.

The hypothesis that relocation of cows with a housing change temporarily decreases their milk production and affects cows' behaviour in the milking parlour has been proved. Forty-one Holstein cows on the 1^st and 2^nd lactation were relocated from the tie-stall barn into the free-stall barn. Cows were milked in a 2 × 5 herringbone parlour twice a day. Individual milk yields, order, and used parlour side were recorded electronically during 50 (milk) or 22 (order and side) milking sessions. Milk yield after cows' relocation (23.76 kg) significantly decreased if compared to that reached on the day preceding relocation (30.97 kg; P < 0.001). Milk production approached the level of the last day on days 3 and 4 (30.72 and 30.72 kg, respectively) after relocation. Milk yield exceeded that before relocation on day 13 (31.82 kg). There were significant differences between parities during the whole observation period except for the first day after relocation - cows on the 2^nd parity yielded more (P < 0.001). Multiparous cows entered the parlour earlier than primiparous, equally during morning and evening milkings (P < 0.01). Generally a left-side preference was found in the observed cows, while it was more prominent in primiparous than in multiparous cows during evening milkings (P < 0.05). Relationships between milking order and milk performance were on days 5-11 negative and significant (P < 0.01). We may conclude that although temporarily, relocation with housing and milking changes significantly affected the milk yield.

Three experiments were conducted to compare raw corn, extruded corn, and dehulled-extruded corn in piglets' feeding. In Experiment (Exp.) 1, 8 barrows (19.9 ± 0.6 kg) were fed experimental diets containing one out of three corn samples and a rice-soybean meal basal diet in a double 4 × 4 Latin square design to determine the digestible energy (DE) and metabolizable energy (ME) in the corn samples using the difference method. The DE content in extruded (14.29 MJ/kg) and dehulled-extruded (14.42 MJ/kg) corn was greater (P < 0.05) than in raw corn (13.57 MJ/kg). In Exp. 2, 5 barrows (26.2 ± 1.3 kg) were fitted with ileal T-cannulas and used in a 5 × 5 Latin square design to determine the apparent (AID) and standardized (SID) ileal digestibility of amino acids (AA). The diets comprised the basal diet, the three corn diets from Exp. 1, as well as a nitrogen-free diet to estimate basal endogenous losses of AA. The AID and SID of isoleucine, leucine, lysine, threonine, and valine in dehulled-extruded corn was lower (P < 0.05) than in raw or extruded corn. In Exp. 3, 108 weaned 35 days old piglets (8.4 ± 1.2 kg) were allotted to one of the three diets based on corn type. Weaned pigs fed diets containing extruded or dehulled-extruded corn exhibited reduced (P < 0.05) weight gain and feed intake than pigs fed diets containing raw corn. The diet containing dehulled-extruded corn resulted in a higher incidence of diarrhoea. In summary, extrusion of corn did not result in improvements in digestibility and dehulling corn prior to extrusion appeared to result in heat damage which reduced ileal digestibility of AA. Substitution of raw corn with extruded or dehulled-extruded corn in starter diets formulated to equal quantities of ME and SID AA content did not improve the performance of weaned pigs.

Milk electrical conductivity is employed for mastitis detection in cows due to its automation, low cost, and infection detectability at early stage. Nevertheless, the number of publications about its use in dairy goats is scarce. The aim of this study was to check and compare the detectability of goat mastitis (sensitivity and specificity) using different algorithms, constructed with individual daily conductivity data from glands, in order to improve the know how about the potential of this variable for goat mastitis detection. A total of 18 goats (8 primiparous and 10 multiparous) free of mastitis were used, and gland milk conductivity was daily monitored. After 16 days of monitoring, some unfavourable situations for gland health were simulated in order to increase the cases of infection. Once infection was established (9 goats and 12 glands got infected), the experiment continued for further 16 days. A total of 19 different algorithms that employed conductivity data from gland were designed; they were tested using gland milk conductivity (EC) and ratio of EC of collateral glands in the same goat (RAT_EC). The algorithms were tested in all the animals and intramammary infection detection ability characteristics (sensitivity (SENS), specificity (SPEC), positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV)) were recorded. All clinical cases were detected (n = 2, 100% SENS) with all the algorithms. Best global SENS (clinical and subclinical, 33.3-58.3%) and SPEC (77.8-100%) were similar to results reported in previous studies in cows, and obtained with algorithms ARIMA and Rule 1 (3 standard deviations of data). The best algorithms to use in mastitis detection depend on the prevalence and type of mastitis. EC ARIMA and Rule 1 algorithms detected the most severe cases on-line and quickly, with a low proportion of false positives.

Genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationship of three Croatian autochthonous cattle breeds was analyzed using a sequence of the mtDNA D-loop region. Among Busha, Istrian, and Slavonian Syrmian Podolian cattle 146 unrelated animals were tested. The sequencing of 780 base pairs of the mtDNA D-loop region revealed 39 polymorphic sites representing 28 different haplotypes. The highest numbers of haplotypes were observed in the Busha population and the lowest in the population of Slavonian Syrmian Podolian cattle, while the highest level of sequence diversity within a population was observed in the Istrian cattle. Our results indicate a high level of mtDNA diversity in the populations of Busha and Istrian cattle and a low level of preserved diversity in the population of Slavonian Syrmian Podolian cattle. The sequence analysis showed substantial subdivision between the breeds (F_ST = 0.1434), and a large fraction of variation within the breeds. Although the dominant haplotypes are classified as the T3 haplogroup, some of the haplotypes are classified as the rarer T2 and T5 haplogroups. Genetic information based on mtDNA typing has a great importance for the future conservation management and preservation of genetic diversity in autochthonous cattle breeds.

This study was conducted to evaluate the performance, carcass composition, and litter moisture of broiler chicks fed crude glycerin for 1-21 days. The study used 1056 male birds distributed in a completely randomized design, with six treatments (0, 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15% crude glycerin from 1 to 10 days), with eight replicates. After the 10^th day, each treatment group was divided into two groups out of which one continued to receive the same glycerin level and the second group started to receive a glycerin-free diet. The parameters weight gain, feed intake, feed : gain, and livability during the first 10 days exhibited a quadratic response (P < 0.05), which predicted higher values at crude glycerin levels of 9.01, 9.02, 9.03, and 6.43%, respectively. From day 1 to day 21, the group receiving crude glycerin throughout the experiment showed a quadratic effect (P < 0.05) for weight gain, feed intake, feed : gain, and livability, with higher values at crude glycerin levels of 6.06, 7.97, 13.11, and 7.69%. As glycerin levels increased, the litter moisture increased linearly (P < 0.05) for both periods. The protein and fat deposition rates and dry matter of the carcasses were not affected (P > 0.05). Considering the period from day 1 to day 21, inclusion of up to 6.06% crude glycerin in the diet provided the best weight gain without affecting the birds' performance, the rate of protein and fat deposition on the carcass, or litter moisture compared with birds fed a glycerin-free diet.