FACTORS AFFECTING ACTUAL AND ADJUSTED 90-DAY, 205-DAY AND 365-DAY WEIGHT OF CHAROLAIS CALVES

Body weights on 90 ± 45 days and 205 ± 45 days are body weights used for selection in suckler herds, likewise body weight on 365 ± 45 days are used for selection in performance test according to the Slovenian rules for recording in animal production, which is based on the International Committee for Animal Recording - ICAR. Dilemma which body weights are more suitable: the actual, or the adjusted ones at the recommended age of calves is often present. Comparison between fixed effects on actual and on adjusted 90-day, 205-day and 365-day weights of Charolais calves have been studied. Calves (320) were born from 1995 to 2005 on Educational and Research Animal Husbandry Centre Logatec (Slovenia). Fixed effects of sex, parity, year of birth and birth weight were included in a model for the actual and adjusted body weights. Birth weight was included as linear regression. It has been concluded that parameters affected the actual body weights affected adjusted body weights, too. Birth weight and year of birth influenced 90-day, 205-day and 365-day weight. Parity influenced only 90-day weight, while sex influenced 205-day and 365-day weight. Coefficients of determination for adjusted 90-day weight (0.38), 205-day weight (0.38) and 365-day weight (0.73) were higher than for actual body weights (0.20, 0.30 and 0.60, respectively)

FACTORS AFFECTING ACTUAL AND ADJUSTED 90-DAY, 205-DAY AND 365-DAY WEIGHT OF CHAROLAIS CALVES

Body weights on 90 ± 45 days and 205 ± 45 days are body weights used for selection in suckler herds, likewise body weight on 365 ± 45 days are used for selection in performance test according to the Slovenian rules for recording in animal production, which is based on the International Committee for Animal Recording - ICAR. Dilemma which body weights are more suitable: the actual, or the adjusted ones at the recommended age of calves is often present. Comparison between fixed effects on actual and on adjusted 90-day, 205-day and 365-day weights of Charolais calves have been studied. Calves (320) were born from 1995 to 2005 on Educational and Research Animal Husbandry Centre Logatec (Slovenia). Fixed effects of sex, parity, year of birth and birth weight were included in a model for the actual and adjusted body weights. Birth weight was included as linear regression. It has been concluded that parameters affected the actual body weights affected adjusted body weights, too. Birth weight and year of birth influenced 90-day, 205-day and 365-day weight. Parity influenced only 90-day weight, while sex influenced 205-day and 365-day weight. Coefficients of determination for adjusted 90-day weight (0.38), 205-day weight (0.38) and 365-day weight (0.73) were higher than for actual body weights (0.20, 0.30 and 0.60, respectively)

School nutrition guidelines: overview of the implementation and evaluation

Objective To holistically evaluate the extent of implementation of dietary guidelines in schools and present various monitoring systems. Design The study comprises three methods: (i) a cross-sectional survey (process evaluation); (ii) an indicator-based evaluation (menu quality); and (iii) a 5 d weighed food record of school lunches (output evaluation). Setting Slovenian primary schools. Subjects A total 234 food-service managers from 488 schools completed a self-administrated questionnaire for process evaluation; 177 out of 194 randomly selected schools provided menus for menu quality evaluation; and 120 school lunches from twenty-four schools were measured and nutritionally analysed for output evaluation. Results The survey among food-service managers revealed high levels of implementation at almost all process evaluation areas of the guidelines. An even more successful implementation of these guidelines was found in relation to organization cultural issues as compared with technical issues. Differences found in some process evaluation areas were related to location, size and socio-economic characteristics of schools. Evaluation of school menu quality demonstrated that score values followed a normal distribution. Higher (better) nutrition scores were found in larger-sized schools and corresponding municipalities with higher socio-economic status. School lunches did not meet minimum recommendations for energy, carbohydrates or dietary fibre intake, nor for six vitamins and three (macro, micro and trace) elements. Conclusions The implementation of the guidelines was achieved differently at distinct levels. The presented multilevel evaluation suggests that different success in implementation might be attributed to different characteristics of individual schools. System changes might also be needed to support and improve implementation of the guidelines

Synthesis, structural characterization and biological studies of novel mixed ligand Ag(I) complexes with tri-phenylphosphine and aspirin or salicylic acid

Two new mixed ligand silver(I) complexes of formulae {[Ag(tpp)3(asp)](dmf)} (1) (aspH = o-acetylsalicylic acid and tpp = triphenylphosphine) and [Ag(tpp)2(o-Hbza)] (2) (o-HbzaH = o-hydroxy-benzoic acid) were synthesized and characterized by elemental analyses, spectroscopic techniques and X-ray crystallography at ambient conditions. Three phosphorus and one carboxylic oxygen atoms from a de-protonated aspirin ligand in complex 1 and two phosphorus and two carboxylic oxygen atoms from a chelating o-Hbza anion in complex 2 form a tetrahedral geometry around Ag(I) ions in both complexes. Complexes 1 and 2 and the silver(I) nitrate, tpp, aspNa and o-HbzaH were tested for their in vitro cytotoxic activity against leiomyosarcoma cells (LMS), human breast adenocarcinoma cells (MCF-7) and normal human fetal lung fibroblasts (MRC-5) cells with Thiazolyl Blue Tetrazolium Bromide (MTT) assay. For both cell lines 1 and 2 were found to be more active than cisplatin. Additionally, 1 and 2 exhibit lower activity on cell growth proliferation of MRC-5 cells. The type of LMS cell death caused by 1 and 2 were evaluated in vitro by use of flow cytometry assay. The results show that at concentrations of 1.5 and 1.9 lV of complex 1, 44.1% and 69.4%, respectively of LMS cells undergo programmed cell death (apoptosis). When LMS cells were treated with 1.6 and 2.3 lM of 2, LMS cells death was by 29.6% and 81.3%, respectively apoptotic. Finally, the influence of the complexes 1 and 2, upon the catalytic peroxidation of linoleic acid to hydroperoxylinoleic acid by the enzyme lipoxygenase (LOX) was kinetically and theoretically studied. The binding of 1 and 2 towards LOX was also investigated by Saturation Transfer Difference (STD) 1 H NMR experiment

Whole-genome analysis of introgressive hybridization and characterization of the bovine legacy of Mongolian yaks

The yak is remarkable for its adaptation to high altitude and occupies a central place in the economies of the mountainous regions of Asia. At lower elevations, it is common to hybridize yaks with cattle to combine the yak’s hardiness with the productivity of cattle. Hybrid males are sterile, however, preventing the establishment of stable hybrid populations, but not a limited introgression after backcrossing several generations of female hybrids to male yaks. Here we inferred bovine haplotypes in the genomes of 76 Mongolian yaks using high-density SNP genotyping and whole-genome sequencing. These yaks inherited ~1.3% of their genome from bovine ancestors after nearly continuous admixture over at least the last 1,500 years. The introgressed regions are enriched in genes involved in nervous system development and function, and particularly in glutamate metabolism and neurotransmission. We also identified a novel mutation associated with a polled (hornless) phenotype originating from Mongolian Turano cattle. Our results suggest that introgressive hybridization contributed to the improvement of yak management and breeding

THE EFFECT OF AGE AT THE BEGINNING OF GRAZING SEASON ON 205-DAY AND 365- DAY WEIGHT IN CHAROLAIS AND LIMOUSINE CALVES**

**Original scientific paper Abstract: The effect of age at the beginning of grazing season on 205-day and 365-day weight of calves was analysed. Data included 234 Charolais and 122 Limousine calves reared at the Educational and Research Animal Husbandry Centre Logatec (Slovenia). Calves were born between years 1995 and 2006. The effects of breed, sex (nested within breed), parity (nested within breed) and year of birth as fixed effects were included in the model. Age at the beginning of grazing season and birth weight as linear regression were also included in the model. Age at the beginning of grazing season as linear regression influenced 205-day weight (p=0.0007) and 365-day weight (p=0.0049), too. Breed, sex within breed, year of birth, and birth weight also influenced 205-day and 365-day weight. Coefficient of determination was higher (0.80) for 365-day weight compared to 205-day weight (0.51)

Analysis of Slovenian historic materials

ABSTRACT Systematic investigations by PIXE are performed on medieval glass, metal objects, inks and papers, and metal pigments on paints and textiles