EFFECTS OF FLOOR TYPE AND STOCKING DENSITY ON THE BEHAVIOUR MODES OF GROWING RABBITS

The experiment was carried out with 120 Pannon White growing rabbits, which were reared from 5 to 11 weeks of age on four types of floor: 1. wire net floor from 5 to 11 weeks of age, 2. wire net floor from 5 to 7 weeks of age, and straw litter thereafter, 3. wire net floor from 5 to 9 weeks of age, and straw litter thereafter, 4. straw litter from 5 to 11 weeks of age. In each group three different stocking densities (8, 12 and 16 rabbits/m²) were used. As for the rabbits 24-hours video recordings were made every week on the same day. The actual behavioral form of each rabbit was recorded in every 10 minutes. Based on the results it was found out, that the frequency of eating decreased, when wire net floor was changed to straw litter. The frequency of drinking was less than 0.5% in the 1st experimental group and mostly higher than 1% in the other three groups during the whole rearing period. The moving activity of the rabbits was higher on the straw litter, while resting was observed more often on the wire net floor

APPLICABILITY OF THE TOBEC METHOD IN SELECTION OF HEN’S EGGS BASED ON THEIR COMPOSITION

Applicability of the TOBEC method (electrical conductivity) was tested for the in vivo determination of different egg components and for the separation of eggs with different composition. Altogether 300 hen’s eggs – originated from a 36 weeks old ROSS-308 hybrid parent stock – were measured by TOBEC, and the extreme and average 5-5% – based on the measured values – were chosen for chemical analysis. It was established that the albumen/yolk ratio and the dry matter, crude protein and crude fat content of the eggs are in medium correlation with the E-value/egg weight ratio (r=0.47, -0.58, -0.59 and -0.35 respectively). The albumen/yolk ratio, the dry matter and the crude protein content of the eggs, selected for high and low E-value/egg weight ratio, differed significantly at P<0.05 level. The difference between the average crude fat content of the eggs in the two extreme groups was significant at P<0.10 level

Examination of the meat quality of growing rabbits reared on wire net or combined (wire net/straw) floor at different stocking densities.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of the cage floor-type and stocking density on the rabbit meat quality. Weaned rabbits were placed to 12 pens, each having a basic area of 50×170 cm. The pens differed only in the type of floor. Six pens had a wire net, six pens a combined (half of the floor wire net and half of the floor straw litter) floor. On both floor types (wire net and combined) three stocking densities (8, 12 and 16 rabbits/m2) were applied. The experiment took place between the ages of 5 and 11 weeks. At 11 weeks of age the animals were slaughtered and hind leg (HL) and loin meat were dissected and analysed for pHu, L*a*b* colour values, proximate composition and fatty acid profile. Compared to wire net floor the combined floor significantly increased the b* colour value of Biceps femoris (BF) muscle and the a* colour value of Longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle, whereas the pHu and the fat content of LD muscle decreased. Combined floor reduced MUFA (P<0.05) of both HL and LD meat, and increased PUFA content (P<0.05) of LD meat. At the intermediate stocking density of 12 rabbits/m2, the LD meat showed lower CLA and higher DHA fatty acid contents (P<0.01) than the other two extreme stocking densities. Index Terms— rabbit, cage floor-type, meat quality

Tree growth and inner characteristics of fruits in pear cultivars

&nbsp; Summary The aim of study was to investigate growth (crown growth and trunk diameter) and fruit characteristics [dry matter content (%), pectin (%), total acid (%) contents] of 10 pear cultivars ('Móri császár', 'Nyári Kálmán', 'Mogyoródi óriás', 'Fehérvári körte', 'Szegfa körte', 'Piroska', 'Mézes körte'). The crown development of the cv. 'Fehérvári körte' can be regarded as outstanding among the examined cultivars. The growth of the cv. 'Mogyoródi óriás' was low, this cultivar showed the poorest growth vigour. The width of the crown in several cultivars developed at a similar rate as the height of the crown. Outstanding values were shown by cvs. 'Fehervári körte' and 'Móri császár'. The development of trunk diameter was the highest for cvs. 'Piroska' and 'Hóka', and large growth of trunk diameter can be seen on cv. 'Fehervári körte'. Cvs. 'Mogyoródi óriás' and 'Mezes körte'showed weak growth. Outstanding dry matter content of fruits was measured on cvs. 'Fehervári körte' and 'Mézes körte'. The total acid content of fruits of cvs. 'Mézes körte' and 'Fehérvári körte'' was significantly different from the total acid content of cv. 'Mogyoródi óriás'. Pectin content was low in fruits of cvs. 'Mogyoródi óriás' and 'Fehérvári körte', while cv. 'Mézes körte' contained significantly more pectin. Vitamin C content we found was rather high in cvs. 'Mézes körte' and 'Fehérvári körte'. &nbsp

Tree growth and inner characteristics of fruits in pear cultivars

&nbsp; Summary The aim of study was to investigate growth (crown growth and trunk diameter) and fruit characteristics [dry matter content (%), pectin (%), total acid (%) contents] of 10 pear cultivars ('Móri császár', 'Nyári Kálmán', 'Mogyoródi óriás', 'Fehérvári körte', 'Szegfa körte', 'Piroska', 'Mézes körte'). The crown development of the cv. 'Fehérvári körte' can be regarded as outstanding among the examined cultivars. The growth of the cv. 'Mogyoródi óriás' was low, this cultivar showed the poorest growth vigour. The width of the crown in several cultivars developed at a similar rate as the height of the crown. Outstanding values were shown by cvs. 'Fehervári körte' and 'Móri császár'. The development of trunk diameter was the highest for cvs. 'Piroska' and 'Hóka', and large growth of trunk diameter can be seen on cv. 'Fehervári körte'. Cvs. 'Mogyoródi óriás' and 'Mezes körte'showed weak growth. Outstanding dry matter content of fruits was measured on cvs. 'Fehervári körte' and 'Mézes körte'. The total acid content of fruits of cvs. 'Mézes körte' and 'Fehérvári körte'' was significantly different from the total acid content of cv. 'Mogyoródi óriás'. Pectin content was low in fruits of cvs. 'Mogyoródi óriás' and 'Fehérvári körte', while cv. 'Mézes körte' contained significantly more pectin. Vitamin C content we found was rather high in cvs. 'Mézes körte' and 'Fehérvári körte'. &nbsp

Sensory and rheological evaluation of meat from rabbits reared at different floor type and stocking density

Thirty-six weaned rabbits were used to test the effect of floor type (wire net vs straw bed) and stocking density (8 vs 12 vs 16 rabbits/m2) on meat quality, according to a balanced 2x3 experimental design. Rabbits were slaughtered at 11 weeks of age and both parts of M. Longissimus dorsi were dissected and used for sensory evaluation (tenderness, \u201crabbit flavour\u201d, off-flavours), cooking losses, Warner-Bratzler Shear Force (WBSF) and Texture Profile Analysis (TPA) parameters. Sensory evaluation was performed by eighteen trained panelists according to a ranking test of intensity level of each descriptor. Each sample was evaluated by 3 panelists (108 observations). The panelists were asked to judge positively or negatively the \u201crabbit flavour\u201d and to define each off-flavour perceived on a descriptors scale. Experimental factors didn\u2019t affect the analysed variables. WBSF was significantly correlated (P<0.01) with TPA-hardness (R= 0.66), moderately correlated (P<0.05) with tenderness (R= -0.37) and \u201crabbit flavour\u201d (R= -0.34). Tenderness was correlated with TPA-hardness and TPA-gumminess with R= -0.38 and P<0.05. The high rabbit\u2019s flavour intensity was considered positive by the 72% of panelists. Off-flavours were detected on 46% of observations, judging freezer burned the 16%, livery the 13% and rancid the 11% of them. The off-flavour evaluation was independent to the \u201crabbit flavour\u201d judgment, underlying the discrimination power of the selected off-flavours descriptors

Effects of housing system on the meat quality of fattening rabbits by NIRS using ethanol or freeze-dried specimens

With the purpose of discriminating specific groups of rabbits, affected by special intrinsic characteristics, whose partial extrinsic traits were low cholesterol content and weak cooking losses, the NIRS evaluation of the freeze-dried muscle tissue specimens appeared to be superior to a complete set of laboratory analyses for meat quality determination. When the fixation of the muscle mass was obtained by an easy and rapid immersion in ethanol, the subsequent NIRS evaluation demonstrated that the discrimination ability preserved almost 85% of its effectiveness, but resulted in an immeasurable great efficiency

The burden and epidemiology of community-acquired central nervous system infections: a multinational study

WOS: 000407582200010PubMed ID: 28397100Risk assessment of central nervous system (CNS) infection patients is of key importance in predicting likely pathogens. However, data are lacking on the epidemiology globally. We performed a multicenter study to understand the burden of community-acquired CNS (CA-CNS) infections between 2012 and 2014. A total of 2583 patients with CA-CNS infections were included from 37 referral centers in 20 countries. Of these, 477 (18.5%) patients survived with sequelae and 227 (8.8%) died, and 1879 (72.7%) patients were discharged with complete cure. The most frequent infecting pathogens in this study were Streptococcus pneumoniae (n = 206, 8%) and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (n = 152, 5.9%). Varicella zoster virus and Listeria were other common pathogens in the elderly. Although staphylococci and Listeria resulted in frequent infections in immunocompromised patients, cryptococci were leading pathogens in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive individuals. Among the patients with any proven etiology, 96 (8.9%) patients presented with clinical features of a chronic CNS disease. Neurosyphilis, neurobrucellosis, neuroborreliosis, and CNS tuberculosis had a predilection to present chronic courses. Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, M. tuberculosis, and S. pneumoniae were the most fatal forms, while sequelae were significantly higher for herpes simplex virus type 1 (p < 0.05 for all). Tackling the high burden of CNS infections globally can only be achieved with effective pneumococcal immunization and strategies to eliminate tuberculosis, and more must be done to improve diagnostic capacity