HAEMATOLOGICAL AND PLASMA PROTEIN PROFILE IN FAYOUMI HEN SUFFERING FROM ASCITES

A 9 months old Fayumi layer, having 2.5 kg body weight with distended abdomen was examined. On physical examination, the hen was found anaemic, dyspnoeic and recumbent with pulpy abdomen distended with fluid. Upon aspiration, about 800 ml of straw-coloured fluid was collected which contained proteinitious casts but no fibrin. Haematological examination revealed that RBC counts, haematocrit and WBC counts were 3.5 x 1012/L, 25% and 50 x 109/L, respectively. Differential leukocytic counts revealed that heterophils, lymphocytes, monocytes and eosinophils were 50, 26, 18 and 6%, respectively, without any basophils. The concentrations of plasma proteins and fibrinogen were 7.9 g/dL and 312 mg/dL, respectively. The hen was given supportive therapy along with antibiotics and flusher

Chlorinated Pesticide Residue Status in Tomato, Potato and Carrot

A study was carried out to identify the bioaccumulation and the ascertain level of chlorinated pesticide residues in some vegetables collected from market baskets of New market, Dhaka, Bangladesh namely potato, tomato and carrot. The samples were randomly collected from different shops and analyzed by capillary column of Gas Chromatograph Mass Spectrometry (GCMS) with Electron Impact Ionization (EI) method for the detection of chlorinated pesticide. The results of the study revealed that collected samples of potato, tomato, red amaranth and spinach were contaminated with some chlorinated substances. But Indian spinach and carrot were free of contamination with organochlorine pesticide

COMPARATIVE EFFICACY OF FIVE DIFFERENT BRANDS OF COMMERCIAL NEWCASTLE DISEASE LASOTA VIRUS VACCINES IN BROILERS

Five commercial LaSota strain Newcastle disease (ND) vaccines namely A, B, C, D and E were evaluated for their potency, efficacy, thermostability and influence on productivity in broilers. A 3-log10 difference of EID50 and two-to-eight fold difference of HA activity was found among the various vaccines tested. One hundred and fifty day-old broiler chicks were divided into six equal groups tagged as I, II, III, IV, V and VI. The birds in groups I, II, III, IV and V were actively immunized against ND on days 7 (eye drop method) and 21 (drinking water) using vaccines A, B, C, D and E, respectively. The birds in group VI served as unvaccinated control. The serum HI antibody response to five vaccines was determined 7, 14, 21 and 28 days post-vaccination. Fifteen birds from each group including unvaccinated control were challenged at day 35 with local virulent ND field isolate. The HI serum antibody profile and post-challenge mortality pattern revealed a dose-response relation between the virus content, humoral antibody response and clinical protection. To compare the heat stability, the vaccines were incubated at 4, 25 and 400C for a period of 24 hours. There was no remarkable reduction in HA titer, however slight dips (less than 2 logarithmic units) in EID50 values were found in all the vaccines. All the vaccines caused significant suppression in weight gain, leading to a poor performance in terms of feed conversion ratio (FCR) and European Efficiency Factor (EEF)

GENETIC CONTROL OF TEST-DAY MILK YIELD IN SAHIWAL CATTLE

Heritabilities of test-day (TD) and 305-day milk yield were estimated using performance records of 780 first lactation Sahiwal cows, following two models. In the first model, estimated 305-day lactation milk yields were analyzed through an individual animal model with period-season of calving as fixed effect and additive genetic effect as random factor. The second model was a repeatability model where monthly milk yield records were analyzed using period-season of calving as fixed effect and additive genetic effect and permanent environmental effect as random factors. The age at calving, ratio of days in milk to 305-day (as linear and quadratic components) and their reciprocal logs were used as covariables. The heritability estimates for 305-day and TD milk yields were 0.082 and 0.024, respectively. Heritability estimates of individual TDs ranged from 0 to 0.274. The relative proportion of permanent environment variance to total variance was 0.498. Heritability of individual test-day milk yield was highest in the mid-lactation (TD6-TD8). Lower genetic control of test day and lactation milk yield in the present study needs validation using larger data sets with accurate pedigree recording

ESTIMATION OF BREEDING VALUES OF SAHIWAL CATTLE USING TEST DAY MILK YIELDS

Estimated breeding values of test-day (TD) and 305-day milk yield were calculated to compare ranking of animals on the basis of two information sources under an animal model. Two statistical models were used to analyze 780 first lactation (305-day) and monthly milk yield records. The first model was an individual animal model to analyze lactation milk yield with period-season of calving as fixed effect, while the second model was a repeatability model where monthly milk yield records were analyzed using period-season of calving as fixed effect and animals’ additive genetic effect and permanent environmental effect as random factors. In this model, the age at calving, ratio of days in milk to 305-day (as linear and quadratic components) and their reciprocal logs were used as covariables. Ranking of animals for estimated breeding values from the two models was compared. The rank correlations were 0.927 and 0.923 for sires and cows, respectively. Largest rank shift measured in sires and cows showed that ranking of sire was affected less than that of cows. Phenotypic and genetic correlations did not show any clear pattern due to limited number of observations. Higher values of rank correlations suggested that TD milk yields could be used instead of 305-day lactation yields for genetic evaluation of sires and cows. Detailed studies involving larger data sets were however, suggested for validation of results

A re-evaluation of geographical distribution of charcoal rot on sunflower crop in various agroecological zones of Pakistan

A countrywide survey was conducted to update the status of charcoal rot on sunflower crop in Pakistan. During survey, charcoal rot was observed as a serious threat to sunflower. The areas like Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan and Sahiwal which were reported disease free in 1996, showed occurrence of the disease but Sahiwal showed high incidence and severity in 1999. Distribution of the disease in Sindh, Punjab and NWFP provinces was 85, 83 and 48% respectively. Among Provinces NWFP showed highest incidence57%, and Punjab exhibited highest severity 2.62 according to 0-5 severity rating scale. Continuous increasing trend of charcoal rot is alarming for farmers and authorities engaged in sunflower business

Clean birth kits to improve birth practices: development and testing of a country level decision support tool

Background: Clean birth practices can prevent sepsis, one of the leading causes of both maternal and newborn mortality. Evidence suggests that clean birth kits (CBKs), as part of package that includes education, are associated with a reduction in newborn mortality, omphalitis, and puerperal sepsis. However, questions remain about how best to approach the introduction of CBKs in country. We set out to develop a practical decision support tool for programme managers of public health systems who are considering the potential role of CBKs in their strategy for care at birth. Methods: Development and testing of the decision support tool was a three-stage process involving an international expert group and country level testing. Stage 1, the development of the tool was undertaken by the Birth Kit Working Group and involved a review of the evidence, a consensus meeting, drafting of the proposed tool and expert review. In Stage 2 the tool was tested with users through interviews (9) and a focus group, with federal and provincial level decision makers in Pakistan. In Stage 3 the findings from the country level testing were reviewed by the expert group. Results: The decision support tool comprised three separate algorithms to guide the policy maker or programme manager through the specific steps required in making the country level decision about whether to use CBKs. The algorithms were supported by a series of questions (that could be administered by interview, focus group or questionnaire) to help the decision maker identify the information needed. The country level testing revealed that the decision support tool was easy to follow and helpful in making decisions about the potential role of CBKs. Minor modifications were made and the final algorithms are presented. Conclusion: Testing of the tool with users in Pakistan suggests that the tool facilitates discussion and aids decision making. However, testing in other countries is needed to determine whether these results can be replicated and to identify how the tool can be adapted to meet country specific needs

COMPARISON OF DIFFERENT PROCEDURES FOR LACTATION LENGTH ADJUSTMENT OF MILK YIELD IN SAHIWAL CATTLE

The purpose of the present study was to compare three procedures for lactation length adjustment of milk yield. For this purpose, weekly milk yield records (n = 2039) of Sahiwal cows were used. Multiplicative adjustments using simple linear regression of milk yield on lactation length was the first procedure, in the second procedure last recorded milk yield was used to predict milk yield of unrecorded lactation, while the third procedure was similar to the second procedure except that predictions included average daily milk yield of the recorded lactation as well. The bias (the difference between actual and predicted milk yield) was lowest in the third procedure. The standard deviation of bias was 235 kg for milk yield adjusted by using last test day milk yield and average daily milk yield of the known lactation as compared to milk yield adjusted by linear regression i.e. 496 kg for lactation length of 56 days. The standard deviation of bias decreased to 23 kg of milk for the milk yield adjusted by using last test day milk yield and average daily milk yield of the known lactation as compared to 66 kg for the milk yield adjusted by linear regression towards the end of the lactation length. The correlation coefficient between actual and predicted milk yield was 0.881 for the milk yield predicted by using last test day yield and average daily milk yield of the known lactation length as compared to 0.10 for milk yield predicted by linear regression for the lactation length of 56 days. The correlation coefficient also increased with the increase in lactation length. Lactation length adjustment of milk yield should be done using last test day information along with average yield of the recorded lactation

Tourism income and economic growth in Greece: Empirical evidence from their cyclical components

This paper examines the relationship between the cyclical components of Greek GDP and international tourism income for Greece for the period 1976–2004. Using spectral analysis the authors find that cyclical fluctuations of GDP have a length of about nine years and that international tourism income has a cycle of about seven years. The volatility of tourism income is more than eight times the volatility of the Greek GDP cycle. VAR analysis shows that the cyclical component of tourism income is significantly influencing the cyclical component of GDP in Greece. The findings support the tourism-led economic growth hypothesis and are of particular interest and importance to policy makers, financial analysts and investors dealing with the Greek tourism industry

Measuring Transportation Research Benefits in Utah

23-8429 12. SponsoringResearch benefits information was compiled to estimate the effectiveness of UDOT\u2019s research program. Project benefits were gathered through survey responses submitted by the end users of the project deliverables. Using project costs, an estimate of the benefit-cost ratio for the program was determined. This information gathered for 57 research projects completed during the years 2017, 2018 and 2019 indicates: \u2022 A total estimate of benefits of $111,790,000. \u2022 This indicates that the benefit-cost ratio for these projects is 26. Each project was also given a grade based on the success of the project and the value of the deliverables. The three-year program received an average grade of 2.5 or a B-grade based on a 1 to 4 rating system. The UTRAC process used to select projects for funding received very positive feedback. Recommendations were provided to aid UDOT research managers in improving the conduct, management, and implementation of research deliverables and products. Continuous measurement of the benefits of transportation research is important to justify the expenditure of research funding and maintain the support of management. Knowledge related to the benefits of research can optimize the allocation of future available funds