Effect of genotype and transport on tonic immobility and heterophil/lymphocyte ratio in two local Italian breeds and Isa Brown hens kept under free-range conditions

<p>This study was undertaken to investigate the effect of transport and genotype on the welfare and fear response of laying hens through a comparison of three breeds reared in free-range conditions: a commercial strain, the Isa Brown (IBh), and two local chicken breeds, the <em>Bionda Piemontese</em> (BPh) and the <em>Bianca di Saluzzo</em> (BSh). After a journey of 67 km (75 min) from the farmhouse of origin to the experimental station, ninety hens, divided according to breed, were free-range reared for two months. Body weight (BW), tonic immobility (TI), red and white blood cells, heterophil to lymphocyte (H/L) ratio and α1-acid glycoprotein (AGP) were assessed at four different sampling times: at the farmhouse of origin (T1), at 1 day (T2), 15 days (T3) and at 2 months (T4) after arrival at the experimental station. No statistical differences were found between the four sampling times for BW, total red and white blood parameters. cells or for AGP. An increase in the H/L ratio (P&lt;0.05) was recorded at time T2 for IBh and BSh, compared to BPh (P&lt;0.05). TI was significantly higher (P&lt;0.05) for the local breeds, BPh and BSh, than for the commercial strain IBh. The results of this study suggest that genetic and adaptive differences can affect both, physiological and ethological parameters.</p

Rooster sperm pellet cryopreservation protocols: effect of step variations on the qualitative parameters of post-thawed sperm

The cryopreservation of sperm into pellets is not the preferred way to package avian semen but is quick and easy to do and does not require sophisticated technology. The aim of this study was to evaluate rooster sperm viability and mobility and the incidence of normal cells and sperm injuries in post-thawed pelleted sperm. The outcomes of different pelleting protocols were evaluated, which varied according to the parameter combinations used in each of the critical steps of the freezing process and in the thawing conditions which differed in methodology and temperature. The protocols employing 6% DMA showed the highest values of thawed sperm mobility. The most favourable thawing method in terms of sperm mobility was using the hot-plate at 60 °C, followed by the water-bath at 50 °C. The protocols resulting in the best sperm quality parameters employed a 1:2 dilution rate, a 30-min equilibration time at 4 °C, 6% DMA, and thawed 80 mL pellets using the water-bath at 50 °C or the hot-plate at 60 °C. According to the parameters evaluated, rooster sperm was highly susceptible to damage caused by the freezing-thawing methodology, although the survival rate of normal sperm cells still reached 39%, with 32% recovered mobility with respect to fresh sperm samples

Multicenter Evaluation of the C6 Lyme ELISA Kit for the Diagnosis of Lyme Disease

Lyme disease (LD), caused by infection with Borrelia burgdorferi, is the most common tick-borne infection in many regions of Eurasia. Antibody detection is the most frequently used laboratory test, favoring a two-step serodiagnostic algorithm; immunoenzymatic detection of antibodies to C6 has been shown to perform similarly to a standard two-step workflow. The aim of this study was the performance evaluation of the C6 Lyme ELISA kit compared to a standard two-step algorithm in three laboratories located in the northeastern region of Italy which cater to areas with different LD epidemiology. A total of 804 samples were tested, of which 695 gave concordant results between C6 testing and routine workflow (564 negative, 131 positive). Wherever available, clinical presentation and additional laboratory tests were analyzed to solve discrepancies. The C6 based method showed a good concordance with the standard two-step algorithm (Cohen's κ = 0.619), however, the distribution of discrepancies seems to point towards a slightly lower specificity of C6 testing, which is supported by literature and could impact on patient management. The C6 ELISA, therefore, is not an ideal stand-alone test; however, if integrated into a two-step algorithm, it might play a part in achieving a sensitive, specific laboratory diagnosis of LD