embryonic mortality in buffalo naturally mated

The aim of this work was to evaluate the incidence of embryonic mortality in three different period of year in buffaloes naturally mated. The trial was carried out in a buffalo farm located in Caserta province between 2000-2006. In this period were registered natural insemination on 200 buffaloes. Pregnancy diagnosis was carried out on Day 30, confirmed on Day 45 and every 15th days until 90 days after natural mating. Buffaloes that were pregnant on Day 30 but not on Day 45 or Day 90 were considered to have undergone embryonic (EM) or fetal mortality (FM) respectively. EM and FM were 8.8% and 13.4% respectively throughout the experimental period. A high incidence (P<0.01) of FM was found in the transitional period (December-March) than in other months of the year. The incidence of embryonic mortality was significantly (P<0.01) higher between 28-60 days of gestation and lower after 71 day of gestation. The higher fetal mortality found in this study could be due the lower serum levels of progesterone normally found in transitional period in buffalo cows

milk protein and cheese yield in buffalo species

Buffalo milk samples differing significantly for cheese yield values were analysed by 2D electrophoresis in order to outline a protein profile, with specific regards to k-casein fractions. Four buffaloes, two of which showing high cheese yield and two with low cheese yield selected from a group of 135 subjects were chosen for the proteomic analyses. Six main spots in 2D gels were recognized as αs1-, αs2-, β- and k-casein, α-lactoalbumin, β-lactoglobulin. The main visible differences in the 2D gels between buffaloes with high vs. low cheese yield were found in the appearance of the four k-casein spots (spots numbers:20, 19, 16, 18) which differ in the number of phosphorilation and glycosilation. The area and the intensity of the four spots were calculated by using Melanie II (Bio-Rad) software. Samples with high cheese yield showed higher value of the by-products: area x intensity of spot 16, correspondent to k-casein with one phosphorilation site, and lower values of spots 19 and 20, of k-casein with more than one phosphorilation site and glycosilated

Relationship of body condition score and blood urea and ammonia to pregnancy in Italian Mediterranean buffaloes

The relationship of body condition score ( BCS) and blood urea and ammonia to pregnancy outcome was examined in Italian Mediterranean Buffalo cows mated by AI. The study was conducted on 150 buffaloes at 145 +/- 83 days in milk that were fed a diet comprising 14.8% crude protein, 0.9 milk forage units . kg(-1) dry matter and a non- structural carbohydrate/ crude protein ratio of 2.14. The stage of the oestrous cycle was synchronised by the Ovsynch- TAI programme and blood urea and ammonia levels were assessed on the day of AI. Energy corrected milk ( ECM) production and BCS were recorded bi- weekly. The pregnancy risk was 46.7% and was slightly lower in buffaloes with BCS 7.5. There were no significant differences in ECM, urea and ammonia between pregnant and non- pregnant buffaloes. However, pregnancy outcome was higher ( P = 0.02) in buffaloes with blood urea < 6.83 mmol . L-1. The likelihood of pregnancy for buffaloes with low urea blood level was 2.6 greater than for high urea level and exposure to a high urea level lowered the probability of pregnancy by about 0.25. The findings indicate that buffaloes are similar to cattle and increased blood levels of urea are associated with reduced fertility when animals are mated by AI

Estimation of buffalo cheese yield by using the chemical-physical parameters of the milk

The aim of this study was to estimate cheese yield by using the chemical- physical parameters of the milk. Analysis were performed on 325 milk samples with 80-219 days in milk interval. Furthermore, buffaloes which showed a ratio between theoretical cheese yield (calculated by Altiero formula) and real cheese yield at 28 hours higher (Group A) or lower (Group B) than 0.983, were compared taking into account 5 hypothetical analytical potentialities of laboratories: 1) Fat percentage; 2) Protein and fat percentages; 3) Protein and fat percentages, pH and SH; 4) Protein and fat percentages, pH, SH, urea, protein percentage corrected per urea, lactose, solids-not-fat (SNF) and SCC; 5) Protein and fat percentages, pH, SH, urea, protein percentage corrected per urea, lactose, SNF, SCC, TAMF, milk DM percentage, ash percentage and casein percentage. Correlation and regression analyses with stepwise method were performed for curd quantity in relation to the physic-chemical ad microbiological milk composition by using SPSS 15.0. As expected, R2 value was such high as the number of variables included in the calculation. A higher R2 value was observed in those samples characterized by a ThCY/28CY ratio < 0.983. ThCY calculated according to Altiero et al (1989), underestimated 28CY of +1.8 g/litre in all samples, whereas a difference between –2.2 (Laboratory 2) and +1.0 (Laboratory 3) g/litre was registered if the actual formula is utilized. According to Altiero formula, 28CY was overestimated of 9.6 g/litre in Group A, whereas it was underestimated of 1.8 g/litre in Group B. According to our study, the estimation of 28CY showed a difference between –9.3 (Laboratory 2) and 9 (Laboratory 1) g/litre in Group A and – 3.5 (Laboratory 1) e 0.0 (Laboratory 5) g/litre

Diet and Plastic Ingestion in the Blackmouth Catshark Galeus melastomus, Rafinesque 1810, in Italian Waters

Simple Summary The blackmouth catshark has a habitat range that spans from the Norwegian seas to Senegal and throughout the Mediterranean Sea, and it is one of the most common sharks in Italian waters. The aim of this work is to investigate, through the analyses of the stomach contents of five populations from the Tyrrhenian and Ionian Seas, the diet of blackmouth catsharks. The analyses showed that the most frequent items were Osteichthyes of the family Myctophidae, except for one population, in which the most common items were Cephalopods and Crustacean of the Decapods order. Plastic debris was also found in all populations analysed and classified by colour and shape. This study ought to increase the knowledge of the feeding ecology of the blackmouth catshark, thus improving the meagre literature about Tyrrhenian and Ionian waters. Galeus melastomus is the most common Pentanchidae in the Mediterranean Sea. A scavenger and opportunistic feeder, and despite the wide distribution, little is known about its feeding habits in Italian waters. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the diet of the blackmouth catshark by analysing the stomach contents. The specimens analysed were obtained from five populations of the Tyrrhenian and of the Ionian Seas, collected from a depth between 40 and 700 m. A total of 259 stomachs were analysed. The stomach contents were grouped into macro-categories and identified to the lowest taxonomic level possible. Crustaceans such as Parapenaeus longirostris, the Cephalopods Heteroteuthis dispar and Onychoteuthis banksii, and Osteichthyes, mostly Myctophidae, were identified. Plastic debris was also found among the stomach contents and classified according to its colour and shape. Osteichthyes represent the most abundant item (44%), above all the Myctophidae family, except for the catshark population from Tuscany, in which the most frequent species were Cephalopods, such as Abralia veranyi and Heteroteuthis dispar. Differences in the plastic debris contents were also observed between the Tuscany population and other populations. These could be explained as a probable consequence of the different depths at which the blackmouth catshark populations were sampled

The silane depletion fraction as an indicator for the amorphous/crystalline silicon interface passivation quality

In silicon heterojunction solar cells, thin amorphous silicon layers passivate the crystalline silicon wafer surfaces. By using in situ diagnostics during plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), the authors report how the passivation quality of such layers directly relate to the plasma conditions. Good interface passivation is obtained from highly depleted silane plasmas. Based upon this finding, layers deposited in a large-area very high frequency (40.68 MHz) PECVD reactor were optimized for heterojunction solar cells, yielding aperture efficiencies up to 20.3% on 4 cm