A survey on Cattle Performance Testing Centres in Italy

Performance test is the main selection tool for beef and dual purpose cattle, but it is used also in dairy cattle, despite the different aim of testing in this case. This study has aimed to obtain all available information about organisation and characteristic of performance test in Italy carried out in year 2006 by Italian Cattle Breeders Associations. The results of the survey here reported have the final aim of exploiting actual organization of selection processes carried out in Italy for beef, dual purpose and dairy cattle breeds through performance test. The survey has indicated different intensity of selection among Italian breeds, ranging from 2.45 to 3.13

First records of Gastrotricha from South Africa, with description of a new species of Halichaetonotus (Chaetonotida, Chaetonotidae)

During a survey of the biota of the St. Lucia Estuary in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, South Africa, a number of Gastrotricha were found among samples of meiofauna. Fresh, marine sediment yielded several specimens belonging to a total of seven species. Of these, two are already known from other regions (i.e., Dactylopodola australiensis and Heteroxenotrichula squamosa), one is described as new to science (Halichaetonotussanctaeluciae sp. n.), while the remaining four (Pseudostomella sp., Halichaetonotus sp.1, Halichaetonotus sp. 2, Xenotrichula sp.) require further collections and analysis, in order to establish the extent of their affiliation to species already described. General appearance, shape of hydrofoil scale and the occurrenceof three long spines on the dorsal side make the new species most closely related to H. australis and H. marivagus. The key differences from these taxa and between Halichaetonotus sanctaeluciae sp. n. and H. aculifer are discussed

6D SCFTs and phases of 5D theories

Starting from 6D superconformal field theories (SCFTs) realized via F-theory, we show how reduction on a circle leads to a uniform perspective on the phase structure of the resulting 5D theories, and their possible conformal fixed points. Using the correspon-dence between F-theory reduced on a circle and M-theory on the corresponding elliptically fibered Calabi-Yau threefold, we show that each 6D SCFT with minimal supersymmetry directly reduces to a collection of between one and four 5D SCFTs. Additionally, we find that in most cases, reduction of the tensor branch of a 6D SCFT yields a 5D generalization of a quiver gauge theory. These two reductions of the theory often correspond to different phases in the 5D theory which are in general connected by a sequence of flop transitions in the extended Kähler cone of the Calabi-Yau threefold. We also elaborate on the structure of the resulting conformal fixed points, and emergent flavor symmetries, as realized by M-theory on a canonical singularity

Assessment of Natural Resources Use for Sustainable Development - DPSIR Framework for Case Studies in Portsmouth and Thames Gateway, U.K.

This chapter reports on the uses of the DPSIR framework to assess the sustainability of the intertidal environments within the two UK case study areas, Portsmouth and Thames Gateway. It focuses on statutory conservation areas dominated by intertidal habitats. Two are located in Portsmouth (Portsmouth and Langstone Harbours) and four in the Thames Gateway (Benfleet Marshes, South Thames Estuary, Medway Estuary and the Swale in the Thames Gateway). Based on the reduction of a number of pressures and impacts observed in recent decades and the improvement of overall environmental quality, all six SSSIs are considered to be sustainable in the short and medium term. In the future, it is possible that the impacts of climate change, especially sea-level rise, might result in further reduction in the area and/or quality of intertidal habitats. Further integration between conservation and planning objectives (both for urban development and management of flood risk) at local level is needed to support the long-term sustainability of intertidal habitats

GENETIC AND PRODUCTIVE CHARACTERIZATION OF THE BURLINA CATTLE BREED

The Burlina (BUR) is a local Italian cattle breed, its main feature is to be a small sized animal well adapted to live in difficult environment such as mountain areas. Nowadays only 350 cows are enrolled in the Italian Herd Book due to its substitution by more productive breeds. This study proposes a phenotypic and genetic characterization of the BUR breed in comparison with Holstein Friesian (HFR) and Brown Swiss (BSW). The comparison of productive traits showed lower production than HFR and BSW as well as longer productive life and more favourable reproductive traits in BUR animals. The genetic analyses, performed by microsatellites markers, showed the high level of heterozygosity and the genetic distinctiveness of BUR. These findings approve the feasibility of a conservation scheme and suggest the profitability of breeding BUR, especially in difficult environment where the low production can be compensated by longevity and the economic loss by the added value of its typical dairy production

A laboratory micro-manufacturing method for assessing individual cheese yield

This study aimed to propose a micro-manufacturing method for assessing individual cheese yield (CY) from dairy milk and to provide first evaluations of the method. Two water baths (WB) provided with 8 stainless containers (SC) each were used. The cheese making procedure involved coagulation of 500 ml of milk per SC previously inoculated with starter, cutting of the curd, separation of whey through drainage and pressure and weighing of the curd residue for computing CY. Spraydried milk powder and bulk milk were used to validate the procedure. For each type of milk, 5 cheese making sessions (CMS) were performed during 5 consecutive days by the same operator; for each trial 80 records (8 replicates x 2WB x 5CMS) were available. Sources of variation of CY were investigated separately for type of milk, and variance components were estimated using REML procedure for computing instrumental repeatability and reproducibility. Cheese yield averaged 11% and 13.4% for standard milk powder and bulk milk, respectively. Cheese making session significantly influenced CY, along with WB in the case of milk powder, while SC did not influence CY. Reproducible and repeatable measures of CY were obtained, indicating the method is suitable for assessing individual CY

Genetic relationship between body condition score, fertility, type and production traits in Brown Swiss dairy cows

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between body condition score (BCS), calving interval (CI), angularity (ANG), strength (FV) and milk yield (MY) on Brown Swiss cattle using data collected in the alpine provinces of Bolzano- Bozen and Trentino. The data set consisted of 28,538 test day records of BCS and MY from 3,282 Brown Swiss cows in lactation reared in 109 herds; production traits were merged with 13,796 repeated individual calving interval records and 38,711 type traits records. A multi-traits REML animal model was used to estimate (co)variance components, with repeated observations. Heritability estimates for BCS, FV and ANG was 18%, 18% and 27%, respectively, while estimates for CI was very low (2%). Genetic correlations between CI and BCS was -0.44; between BCS and ANG was - 0.64; between BCS and MY was -0.35; between ANG and CI was 0.12. In conclusion, the selection for MY and ANG negatively affect fertility and average condition score of Brown cows. BCS recorded during lactation could be proposed as a useful trait for indirect selection aimed to improve fertility of cows

GENETIC CHARACTERISATION OF ITALIAN CHICKEN BREEDS USING A PANEL OF TWENTY MICROSATELLITE MARKERS

Genetic relationships among four Veneto native breeds of chickens were studied on the basis of microsatellites polymorphisms. A total of 190 DNA samples (45 Robusta Lionata, 43 Robusta Maculata, 45 Ermellinata di Rovigo, 45 Pèpoi) and a commercial broiler line (12 Golden Comet) were genotyped at 20 microsatellite loci. The average number of alleles per locus was 5 and the expected heterozygosity resulted lower for the local breeds than for the commercial broiler line used as reference. The inbreeding coefficient showed a deficit of heterozygotes, highest for the Robusta Lionata breed. Nei’s standard genetic distances corrected for bias due to sampling of individuals (Da), based on allele frequencies, and Reynolds distances (DReynolds) were calculated among breeds. The Robusta Lionata and Robusta Maculata resulted very similar approving the same genetic origin. A Neighbor-Joining tree drawn from DReynolds distances clustered three groups, one including the Robusta Lionata and Robusta Maculata breeds, the second one formed by the Ermellinata di Rovigo and the Golden Comet commercial line and the third by the Pèpoi. The results showed the genetic differences occurring between the local chicken breeds

Effect of crossbreeding on milk yield traits and somatic cell score in dairy cattle

This study aimed to estimate trends of heterosis for milk yield traits and somatic cell score (SCS) in the Dutch dairy cattle. First lactation data on 305-d milk, fat, and protein yield, and on average 305-d SCS recorded on pure Holstein Friesian (HF), Dutch Friesian (DF), Mosa Reno Yssel (MRY), and F1 crossbreds (DFxHF and MRYxHF) were considered. According to cows' year of calving, productive records from animals calving from 1980 to 2004 were divided in five periods, while SCS records from animals calving from 1990 to 2004 were divided in four periods. Data were processed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) according to a linear model which included effects of herd, season of calving, age at calving, and the genotype by period of calving interaction effect. Moreover, a linear covariate of sire's estimated breeding value (EBV) for 305-d milk yield was added to the model for yield traits. Heterosis values for productive traits were positive but decreased over time. For 305-d milk yield these values changed from 7.5 to 3.0% in the DFxHF crossbreds, and from 9.0 to 1.0% in the MRYxHF crossbreds. Average heterosis for SCS (-1.2%) was small and negative with a favourable trend over years