APPLICATION OF DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING TO ESTIMATE SLAUGHTER VALUE OF BULLS

Glavna svrha našeg istraživanja bila je dokazati da se analiza video slike može upotrijebiti za procjenu sastava polovica u žive stoke. Primjena mikrokompjutora, gdje se obrađuje slika video kamere, nije novost u znanosti o životinjama. Cross i sur. (1) pokušali su predvidjeti sastav područja 9., 10. i 11. rebra u goveda služeći se analiziranjem video slike. Misztal (3) je upotrijebio obradu slike za procjenjivanje sastava polovica u žive stoke. Nove mogućnosti izračunavanja dale su mnogo veću točnost u ovoj metodi, te manje troškove i mnogo bržu obradu digitalnih slika životinja, nego u ranijim istraživanjima. Naš bi pokus morao dati potpunu automatiziranu metodu procjenjivanja uzgojne vrijednosti živih životinja, što bi se mogla izračunati na osnovi predviđene vrijednosti rasjecanja polutki, težine hladnih polovica i dijelova vrijednog mesa. Djelomični koeficijenti regresije svakog pojedinog modela bili su 0.96 Se=6.0 za težinu hladnih polovica, 0.94 Se=6.0 za vrijedno meso i 0.92 Se=6.0 za meso u vrijednim dijelovima, te su bili neznatno viši od onih što su ih dobili Jankowski et al (2) (R=0,48 - 0.94) i Misztal (R=0.86 - 0.91). Visoki djelomični koeficijent regresije (R) svakog modela pokazuje da postoji mogućnost primjene ove metode kao kriterija selekcije, što se temelji na pojedinom testu performance, z- predviđanje klaoničke produktivnosti mesne pasmine

Strategies for keeping dairy cows and calves together - a cross-sectional survey study

Although it is still most common to rear dairy calves separately from adult cattle, the interest in pro-longed contact between dairy calves and lactating cows during early life is increasing. Previous research has documented positive effects of cow-calf contact (CCC) on for example early calf growth and udder health of suckled cows, but also negative effects such as increased separation distress and reduced weight gains after weaning. The aim of this study was to use information from European farms with prolonged cow-calf contact to identify innovative solutions to common challenges for CCC farms. Commercial dairy farms that kept calves with adult lactating cows for seven days or more after birth were invited to participate, and interviews were performed with 104 farmers from six countries. During interviews, information about farm management, calf rearing, farmers' perception of animal health on their farm, and farmers' drivers and barriers for implementing CCC were collected. We found that CCC was practised in a large variety of housing and management systems, and that calves could be reared together with their dam, with foster cows, or using a combination of the two. The contact period varied considerably (7-305 days) between farms and about 25% of the farms manually milk fed the calves during parts of the milk feeding period. Daily contact time varied between farms, from 30 minutes per day to permanent contact except at milking. Behaviours indicative of separation distress, most commonly vocalisation in cows and calves, were reported by 87% of the farmers. Strategies to alleviate separation distress, for example simultaneous gradual weaning and separation, were used on some farms. Building constraints were most often mentioned as a barrier for implementing CCC. Our findings suggest that CCC is practised in a variety of commonly used husbandry systems. Reported challenges were primarily related to weaning and separation, and to building constraints; these aspects should be areas of future research.@2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of The Animal Consortium. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Composition differences between organic and conventional meat: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis

Demand for organic meat is partially driven by consumer perceptions that organic foods are more nutritious than non-organic foods. However, there have been no systematic reviews comparing specifically the nutrient content of organic and conventionally produced meat. In this study, we report results of a meta-analysis based on sixty-seven published studies comparing the composition of organic and non-organic meat products. For many nutritionally relevant compounds (e.g. minerals, antioxidants and most individual fatty acids (FA)), the evidence base was too weak for meaningful meta-analyses. However, significant differences in FA profiles were detected when data from all livestock species were pooled. Concentrations of SFA and MUFA were similar or slightly lower, respectively, in organic compared with conventional meat. Larger differences were detected for total PUFA and n-3 PUFA, which were an estimated 23 (95 % CI 11, 35) % and 47 (95 % CI 10, 84) % higher in organic meat, respectively. However, for these and many other composition parameters, for which meta-analyses found significant differences, heterogeneity was high, and this could be explained by differences between animal species/meat types. Evidence from controlled experimental studies indicates that the high grazing/forage-based diets prescribed under organic farming standards may be the main reason for differences in FA profiles. Further studies are required to enable meta-analyses for a wider range of parameters (e.g. antioxidant, vitamin and mineral concentrations) and to improve both precision and consistency of results for FA profiles for all species. Potential impacts of composition differences on human health are discussed

Effects of new polymorphisms in the bovine myocyte enhancer factor 2D (MEF2D) gene on the expression rates of the longissimus dorsi muscle

Myocyte enhancer factor 2D (MEF2D), a product of the MEF2D gene, belongs to the myocyte enhancer factor 2 (MEF2) protein family which is involved in vertebrate skeletal muscle development and differentiation during myogenesis. The aim of the present study was to search for polymorphisms in the bovine MEF2D gene and to analyze their effect on MEF2D mRNA and on protein expression levels in the longissimus dorsi muscle of Polish Holstein–Friesian cattle. Overall, three novel variations, namely, insertion/deletion g.−818_−814AGCCG and g.−211C<A transversion in the promoter region as well as g.7C<T transition in the 5′untranslated region (5′UTR), were identified by DNA sequencing. A total, 375 unrelated bulls belonging to six different cattle breeds were genotyped, and three combined genotypes (Ins-C-C/Ins-C-C, Del-A-T/Del-A-T and Ins-C-C/Del-A-T) were determined. The frequency of the combined genotype Ins-C-C/Ins-C-C and Del-A-T/Del-A-T was varied between the breeds and the average frequency was 0.521 and 0.037, respectively. Expression analysis showed that the MEF2D variants were highly correlated with MEF2D mRNA and protein levels in the longissimus dorsi muscle of Polish Holstein–Friesian bulls carrying the three different combined genotypes. The highest MEF2D mRNA and protein levels were estimated in the muscle of bulls with the Ins-C-C/Ins-C-C homozygous genotype as compared to the Del-A-T/Del-A-T homozygotes (P < 0.01) and Ins-C-C/Del-A-T heterozygotes (P < 0.05). A preliminary association study showed no significant differences in the carcass quality traits between bulls with various MEF2D combined genotypes in the investigated population of Polish Holstein–Friesian cattle

Strategies for keeping dairy cows and calves together – a cross-sectional survey study

Although it is still most common to rear dairy calves separately from adult cattle, the interest in prolonged contact between dairy calves and lactating cows during early life is increasing. Previous research has documented positive effects of cow-calf contact (CCC) on for example early calf growth and udder health of suckled cows, but also negative effects such as increased separation distress and reduced weight gains after weaning. The aim of this study was to use information from European farms with prolonged cow-calf contact to identify innovative solutions to common challenges for CCC farms. Commercial dairy farms that kept calves with adult lactating cows for seven days or more after birth were invited to participate, and interviews were performed with 104 farmers from six countries. During interviews, information about farm management, calf rearing, farmers’ perception of animal health on their farm, and farmers’ drivers and barriers for implementing CCC were collected. We found that CCC was practised in a large variety of housing and management systems, and that calves could be reared together with their dam, with foster cows, or using a combination of the two. The contact period varied considerably (7–305 days) between farms and about 25% of the farms manually milk fed the calves during parts of the milk feeding period. Daily contact time varied between farms, from 30 minutes per day to permanent contact except at milking. Behaviours indicative of separation distress, most commonly vocalisation in cows and calves, were reported by 87% of the farmers. Strategies to alleviate separation distress, for example simultaneous gradual weaning and separation, were used on some farms. Building constraints were most often mentioned as a barrier for implementing CCC. Our findings suggest that CCC is practised in a variety of commonly used husbandry systems. Reported challenges were primarily related to weaning and separation, and to building constraints; these aspects should be areas of future research

The role of rewards and demands in burnout among surgical nurses

Job rewards have both, an intrinsic and an extrinsic motivational potential, and lead to employees’ development as well as help them to achieve work goals. Rewards can balance job demands and protect from burnout. Due to changes on the labour market, new studies are needed. The aim of our study was to examine the role of demands and individual rewards (and their absence) in burnout among surgical nurses. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted in 2009 and 2010 with 263 nurses who worked in surgical wards and clinics in hospitals in Southern Poland. The hypotheses were tested by the use of measures of demands and rewards (Effort-Reward Imbalance Questionnaire by Siegrist) and burnout syndrome (Maslach Burnout Inventory). A cross-sectional, correlational study design was applied. Results: Nurses experienced the largest deficiencies in salary and prestige. Exhaustion was explained by stronger demands and lack of respect (large effect). Depersonalization was explained by stronger demands, lack of respect and greater job security (medium effect). Reduced personal achievement was explained by more demands and greater job security (small effect). Conclusions: Excessive demands and lack of esteem are key reasons for burnout among surgical nurses. Job security can increase burnout when too many resources are invested and career opportunities do not appear. These results may help to improve human resource management in the healthcare sector

Placental lactogens induce serotonin biosynthesis in a subset of mouse beta cells during pregnancy

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Upregulation of the functional beta cell mass is required to match the physiological demands of mother and fetus during pregnancy. This increase is dependent on placental lactogens (PLs) and prolactin receptors, but the mechanisms underlying these events are only partially understood. We studied the mRNA expression profile of mouse islets during pregnancy to gain a better insight into these changes. METHODS: RNA expression was measured ex vivo via microarrays and quantitative RT-PCR. In vivo observations were extended by in vitro models in which ovine PL was added to cultured mouse islets and MIN6 cells. RESULTS: mRNA encoding both isoforms of the rate-limiting enzyme of serotonin biosynthesis, tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH), i.e. Tph1 and Tph2, were strongly induced (fold change 25- to 200-fold) during pregnancy. This induction was mimicked by exposing islets or MIN6 cells to ovine PLs for 24 h and was dependent on janus kinase 2 and signal transducer and activator of transcription 5. Parallel to Tph1 mRNA and protein induction, islet serotonin content increased to a peak level that was 200-fold higher than basal. Interestingly, only a subpopulation of the beta cells was serotonin-positive in vitro and in vivo. The stored serotonin pool in pregnant islets and PL-treated MIN6 cells was rapidly released (turnover once every 2 h). CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: A very strong lactogen-dependent upregulation of serotonin biosynthesis occurs in a subpopulation of mouse islet beta cells during pregnancy. Since the newly formed serotonin is rapidly released, this lactogen-induced beta cell function may serve local or endocrine tasks, the nature of which remains to be identified

APPLICATION OF DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING TO ESTIMATE SLAUGHTER VALUE OF BULLS

Glavna svrha našeg istraživanja bila je dokazati da se analiza video slike može upotrijebiti za procjenu sastava polovica u žive stoke. Primjena mikrokompjutora, gdje se obrađuje slika video kamere, nije novost u znanosti o životinjama. Cross i sur. (1) pokušali su predvidjeti sastav područja 9., 10. i 11. rebra u goveda služeći se analiziranjem video slike. Misztal (3) je upotrijebio obradu slike za procjenjivanje sastava polovica u žive stoke. Nove mogućnosti izračunavanja dale su mnogo veću točnost u ovoj metodi, te manje troškove i mnogo bržu obradu digitalnih slika životinja, nego u ranijim istraživanjima. Naš bi pokus morao dati potpunu automatiziranu metodu procjenjivanja uzgojne vrijednosti živih životinja, što bi se mogla izračunati na osnovi predviđene vrijednosti rasjecanja polutki, težine hladnih polovica i dijelova vrijednog mesa. Djelomični koeficijenti regresije svakog pojedinog modela bili su 0.96 Se=6.0 za težinu hladnih polovica, 0.94 Se=6.0 za vrijedno meso i 0.92 Se=6.0 za meso u vrijednim dijelovima, te su bili neznatno viši od onih što su ih dobili Jankowski et al (2) (R=0,48 - 0.94) i Misztal (R=0.86 - 0.91). Visoki djelomični koeficijent regresije (R) svakog modela pokazuje da postoji mogućnost primjene ove metode kao kriterija selekcije, što se temelji na pojedinom testu performance, z- predviđanje klaoničke produktivnosti mesne pasmine

Geo-Referenzierung der Daten vom Mikrosatelliten BIRD und Analyse des Flugverhaltens

Der experimentelle Mikrosatellit BIRD (Bi-spectral Infrared Detection) ist mit drei Zeilenscannern für den nahen, mittleren und thermalen Infrarotbereich zur wissenschaftlichen Feuerfernerkundung ausgestattet. Neben der Entwicklung und Demonstration von neuen Technologien ist das Hauptziel der Mission die Klassifizierung von Hochtemperaturereignissen mit Hilfe der Bi-Spektral-Methode. Dafür ist eine subpixel-genaue Co-Registrierung der Bilddaten Hauptvoraussetzung. Ein weiteres Ziel ist die Erzeugung von thematischen Karten, wofür eine Geo-Referenzierung der Bildszenen erforderlich ist. Der Satellit BIRD ist mit einem GPS-basierten Navigationssystem sowie einem Attitude Control System mit Laserkreiseln und zwei Sternsensoren ausgestattet. Anhand der Onboard gemessenen Lagedaten kann das Flugverhalten des Satelliten rekonstruiert werden, wodurch eine automatisierte direkte Geo-Referenzierung möglich wird. Die Validierung der Ergebnisse wird mittels Passpunkten indirekt vorgenommen. Dieser Vortrag soll einen Überblick über die Verfahrensweise der direkten Geo-Referenzierung bei BIRD geben

The dispersion of nitrogen and phosphorus compounds from animal production

Przedstawiono dane dotyczące rozpraszania azotu i fosforu w chowie trzody chlewnej (wyniki literaturowe) oraz bydła mlecznego (dane literaturowe oraz wyniki własne z gospodarstw w Biebrzy, Falentach i Jastrzębcu z lat 2003, 2005 i 2008). W zakresie żywienia trzody chlewnej omówiono różne metody bilansowania dawki żywieniowej, mające na celu poprawę stopnia wykorzystania azotu i fosforu przez zwierzęta, takie jak: ograniczenie energii, stosowanie egzogennej fitazy, zmniejszenie udziału białka ogólnego oraz dodatek egzogennych aminokwasów. W części dotyczącej bydła mlecznego przedstawiono dane ilustrujące wpływ różnych dawek i sposobów żywienia na bilans azotu i fosforu. Wykazano, że zarówno w przypadku zwierząt monogastrycznych, jak i bydła wykorzystanie azotu i fosforu w znacznym stopniu zależy od poziomu intensywności chowu i może być modyfikowane przez bilansowanie dawki żywieniowej oraz stosowanie dodatków żywieniowych.Data on the dispersion of nitrogen and phosphorus from pig (literature data) and dairy cattle (literature data and own studies in farms in Biebrza, Falenty and Jastrzębiec from 2002, 2005 and 2008) breeding are presented in this paper. Various methods are discussed of balancing dietary doses in order to improve the utilisation of N and P by animals such as: limitation of energy, the use of egzogenous phytase, decrease of total protein and addition of egzogenous amino acids. Data illustrating the effect of various doses and ways of feeding on nitrogen and phosphorus balance are presented for dairy cattle. It was shown that in both monogastric animals and cattle the utilisation of nitrogen and phosphorus depends largely on the intensity of breeding and may be modified by balancing dietary doses and by application of nutritional additives