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Dairy Cows Are Limited in Their Ability to Increase Glucose Availability for Immune Function during Disease
(2023-03-12)
Simple Summary
Both immune defense and milk synthesis require large amounts of energy, particularly from glucose, resulting in competition between these functions if glucose availability is limited. Based on comprehensive data on cow nutrient intake and on cow health records, the magnitudes and dynamics of glucose and energy balances of dairy cows kept on an experimental farm were evaluated in the weeks before, of, and after a production disease was diagnosed. Because dry matter intake (DMI) decreased during the ...
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An insight into the runs of homozygosity distribution and breed differentiation in Mangalitsa pigs
(2022-10-18)
Mangalitsa pigs exhibit three distinct coat color patterns based on which they are described as Red, Blond, and Swallow-bellied. The current study investigated genome-wide diversity and selection signatures in the three breeds using fixation index, runs of homozygosity and population structure analyses. The analyses were originally based on quality-controlled data on 77 Mangalitsa animals from Germany, including 23 Blond, 30 Swallow-bellied and 24 Red Mangalitsa genotyped with a customized version of the ProcineSNP60 ...
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The velvet worm brain unveils homologies and evolutionary novelties across panarthropods
(2022-01-25)
Background:
The evolution of the brain and its major neuropils in Panarthropoda (comprising Arthropoda, Tardigrada and Onychophora) remains enigmatic. As one of the closest relatives of arthropods, onychophorans are regarded as indispensable for a broad understanding of the evolution of panarthropod organ systems, including the brain, whose anatomical and functional organisation is often used to gain insights into evolutionary relations. However, while numerous recent studies have clarified the organisation of many ...
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Phenotypic and genetic diversity of domestic yak (Bos grunniens) in high-altitude rangelands of Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan
(2022-07-04)
Due to climate change, irrigated agriculture may become restricted in the mountain valleys in northern Pakistan in the future. Hence, the importance of yak (Bos grunniens) keeping in the mountain ranges as risk-mitigating strategy for mountain dwellers will potentially increase. However, little is known about the current status of the domestic yak in this region. We therefore used phenotypic characteristics and 13 microsatellite loci to determine the phenotypic differences and the level of genetic differentiation ...
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Feed Quality and Feeding Level Effects on Faecal Composition in East African Cattle Farming Systems
(2021-02-22)
Simple Summary
Sub-Saharan cattle are often exposed to a feed reduction caused by a seasonal lack of forage, which was investigated in the first experiment. The supplementation of roughage-based diets with sweet potato vine silage and urea molasses blocks is recommended to improve the growth of heifers, in particular, which was investigated in the second experiment. Across all data, the fungal C/bacterial C ratio was positively related to nitrogen and negatively to neutral detergent fiber concentrations in feces. ...
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Pollen metabarcoding of museum specimens and recently collected bumblebees (Bombus) indicates foraging shifts
(2023-07-05)
Landscape changes, over time, lead to changes of floral resources available to pollinators, which in turn may result in the disappearance of ecologically specialized species. Here, we use pollen metabarcoding to infer historic and recent interactions between plants and bumblebees (Bombus). Bumblebees from Cuxhaven (Germany) were sampled from historical museum collections (1968/69) and in the field (2019). Pollen attached to their bodies was barcoded using multiple plant markers (ITS1, ITS2 and trnL-P6 loop). Our ...
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The Internal Structure of the Velvet Worm Projectile Slime: A Small-Angle Scattering Study
(2023-02-24)
For prey capture and defense, velvet worms eject an adhesive slime which has been established as a model system for recyclable complex liquids. Triggered by mechanical agitation, the liquid bio-adhesive rapidly transitions into solid fibers. In order to understand this mechanoresponsive behavior, here, the nanostructural organization of slime components are studied using small-angle scattering with neutrons and X-rays. The scattering intensities are successfully described with a three-component model accounting for ...
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Blood in milk in horned dairy cows–Exploration of incidences and prevention opportunities
(2023-07-20)
Husbandry of horned cows is one alternative to disbudding that respects the animals´ integrity. Concurrently, housing and management should be aligned with the animals' needs to minimize social interactions that can result in integument damage (ID) and udder injuries associated with blood in milk (BM). No information is available on incidences of BM, nor on specific preventive measures. Thus, this study aimed at investigating BM incidences in horned herds and testing whether compliance with guideline recommendations ...
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Human‑elephant conflict in the Sri Lankan dry zone: investigating social and geographical drivers through field‑based methods
(2023-07-02)
Human-elephant conflict (HEC) in Sri Lanka has escalated over the recent years, with, on average, 300 elephant deaths annually and human casualties of around 90 per year. Employing field-based qualitative methods, this contribution identifies causes and contexts of human-elephant conflict in those parts of the Sri Lankan dry zone most severely affected. We have used field observations as well as semi-structured interviews with experts and affected villagers as primary data collection techniques. The findings show ...
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A multiscale approach reveals elaborate circulatory system and intermittent heartbeat in velvet worms (Onychophora)
(2023-04-28)
An antagonistic hemolymph-muscular system is essential for soft-bodied invertebrates. Many ecdysozoans (molting animals) possess neither a heart nor a vascular or circulatory system, whereas most arthropods exhibit a well-developed circulatory system. How did this system evolve and how was it subsequently modified in panarthropod lineages? As the closest relatives of arthropods and tardigrades, onychophorans (velvet worms) represent a key group for addressing this question. We therefore analyzed the entire circulatory ...