• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.511-525
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• 2007

A seroprevalence study of small ruminant brucellosis was conducted in sheep and goat rearing selected areas of Mymensingh district and Dhaka district, Bangladesh, from March, 2005 to May, 2006. Sera from 62 sheep and 300 goats were tested by rose bengal plate test (RBPT), plate agglutination test (PAT), tube agglutination test (TAT) and mercaptoethanol test (MET). Out of the 62 sera tested 3.25% (n = 2) were positive to RBT, PAT and TAT and 4.84% (n = 3) were positive MET. In case of 300 goats, 1.67% (n = 5) were positive to RBT and PAT, 2% (n = 6) were positive to TAT and 2.33% (n = 7) were positive to MET. This investigation is the first of its type to be performed in small ruminants in Bangladesh. Higher prevalence rate (8.0 %) was found in BAU nutrition farm in case of sheep and 10 % in Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) Veterinary Clinic in case of goat while lower prevalence (0.0 %) was recorded in Pharmacology project and BAU adjacent villages in case of sheep and (0.0 %) in Dhamrai upazila in case of goats respectively. Brucella antibodies were more prevalent in sheep (8.84 %) than in goat (2.33 %).

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.56 no.5
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• pp.453-461
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• 2018

The aim of this study is to delineate 'admixed hybrid' and 'introgressive' Fasciola genotypes present in the Fasciola population in Vietnam. Adult liver flukes collected from ruminants in 18 Provinces were morphologically sorted out by naked eyes for small (S), medium (M) and large (L) body shapes; and human samples (n=14) from patients. Nuclear ribosomal (rDNA) ITS1 and ITS2, and mitochondrial (mtDNA) nad1 markers were used for determination of their genetic status. Total 4,725 worm samples of ruminants were tentatively classified by their size: 6% (n=284) small (S)-, 13% (n=614) medium (M)-, and 81% (n=3,827) large (L)-forms. All the representative (n=120, as 40 each group) and 14 human specimens, possessed maternal mtDNA of only F. gigantica and none of F. hepatica. Paternally, all (100%) of the L-(n=40) and 77.5% (n=31) of the M-flukes had single F. gigantica rDNA indicating 'pure' F. gigantica. A majority (90%, n=36) of the S- and 15% (n=6) of the M-worms had single F. hepatica rDNA, indicating their introgressive; the rest (10%, n=4) of the S- and 7.5% (n=3) of the M-flukes had mixture of both F. gigantica and F. hepatica rDNAs, confirming their admixed hybrid genetic status. Fourteen human samples revealed 9 (64%) of pure F. gigantica, 3 (22%) of introgressive and 2 (14%) of admixed hybrid Fasciola spp. By the present study, it was confirmed that the small worms, which are morphologically identical with F. hepatica, are admixed and/or introgressive hybrids of Fasciola spp., and able to be the pathogens of human fascioliasis.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.24 no.9
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• pp.1243-1248
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• 2011

The aim of this study was to determine the usefulness of vegetable wastes as silage for ruminants. Varying amounts of wheat straw (WS), wheat bran (WB) and salt (S) were combined with minced vegetable wastes (VW) during ensilage. Seven different ingredient combinations were investigated viz: 100% VW (Group I, control), 90% VW+9% WS+1% S (Group II), 80% VW+15% WS+4% WB+1% S (Group III), 70% VW+20% WS+9% WB+1% S (Group IV), 90% VW+9% WB+1% S (Group V), 80% VW+15% WB+4% WS+1% S (Group VI) and 70% VW+20% WB+9% WS+1% S (Group VII). The inclusion of straw and bran increased (p<0.01) the DM content of silage. The highest contents of the pure silage were CP (p<0.001), EE (p<0.01) and NFE (p<0.05). NDF contents of VW silage and group V were significantly lower and especially the VW silage was found to have the lowest ADL content (p<0.01). The in vitro ME values of VW silage and bran added silage were higher than other groups (p<0.01). pH, lactic acid and acetic acid values of silage groups were changed between 4.09-4.20, 2.43-3.46% and 0.60-0.86%, respectively. In conclusion, different mixtures of VW have a high ensilage capacity and can serve as an alternative roughage source for ruminants. The addition of 9% bran significantly improved the silage in view of both dry matter content and nutritive value.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.20 no.7
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• pp.1156-1168
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• 2007

The somatotropic (GH-IGF-I) axis consists of many hormonal and nutritional factors that control GH release from the somatotrophs in the anterior pituitary. The GH-releasing substances are GHRH and GHS (GHRP or ghrelin), while the GH release-inhibiting substances are somatostatin (SRIF), insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), leptin and glucocorticoids. However, there is evidence showing that nutrition is involved in the control of the somatotropic axis. In addition, weaning is a drastic event for neonates because their alimentary and endocrine circumstances are changed due to the switch, even if gradual, from a liquid milk diet to one composed of such solids as hay and grains. The biological role of ghrelin is one of the hormonal factors that have been focused on ever since ghrelin was discovered at the end of the last century. A 27-amino acid peptide that is mainly synthesized and released from the abomasum epithelium, ghrelin has not been fully evaluated in relation to the somatotropic axis of the ruminant. It has also proven difficult even to investigate the cellular mechanisms of ghrelin action, because this hormone exerts animal-species-dependent actions via a complex set of intracellular signaling pathways. This is also the case for the action of leptin. Another substance, IGF-I, shows a partial inhibitory action on GH secretion in the ruminant. The effect of nutrition is also different among animal species. This is evident by the fact that undernutrition suppresses the circulating GH levels in rodents, but increases it in ruminants and humans. Recently, weaning has been shown to change the postprandial GH responses in ruminants; milk feeding increases, but hay and concentrate feeding suppress, the postprandial circulating GH levels. Even if the postprandial GH level is increased, the ghrelin level is decreased by milk feeding. Macronutrients also possess stimulatory and inhibitory actions on GH secretion in vivo and in vitro. These findings indicate the complexity of the control mechanisms of the somatotropic axis. In the present review, we summarize recent findings on the factors controlling the axis of the ruminant.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.439-446
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• 2016

Toxoplasmosis is a protozoan disease that is caused by Toxoplasma gondii in livestock and humans. Due to its medical and veterinary importance, it is essential to study the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection among humans and animals in various parts of the world. The major objective of this study was to determine the seroprevalence and spatial distribution of toxoplasmosis in small ruminants (sheep and goats) of north-eastern region, Pakistan. A total of 1,000 animals comprising of sheep (n=470) and goats (n=530) were examined for T. gondii infection by using ELISA. An epidemiological data was collected in the form of questionnaire. A surface has been generated by using method of interpolation in Arc GIS with the help of IDW (inverse distance weight). The results showed higher seroprevalence of T. gondii in goats (42.8%) as compared to sheep (26.2%). The seroprevalence was higher in females as compared to males in all examined ruminants. Similarly, there is a wide variation in the seroprevalence of T. gondii in different breeds of sheep and goats showing higher seroprevalence in Teddy (52.8%) and Damani breed (34.5%) of goat and sheep's, respectively. The geographical and spatial distribution of T. gondii shows that it is widely distributed in different parts of the north-eastern region of Pakistan. Our results suggest widespread environmental contamination with T. gondii oocysts and that small ruminants could be a potentially important source of T. gondii infection if their infected meat is consumed undercooked.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.15 no.11
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• pp.1659-1676
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• 2002

Ruminant animals develop a diverse and sophisticated microbial ecosystem for digesting fibrous feedstuffs. Plant cell walls are complex and their structures are not fully understood, but it is generally believed that the chemical properties of some plant cell wall compounds and the cross-linked three-dimensional matrix of polysaccharides, lignin and phenolic compounds limit digestion of cell wall polysaccharides by ruminal microbes. Three adaptive strategies have been identified in the ruminal ecosystem for degrading plant cell walls: production of the full slate of enzymes required to cleave the numerous bonds within cell walls; attachment and colonization of feed particles; and synergetic interactions among ruminal species. Nonetheless, digestion of fibrous feeds remains incomplete, and numerous research attempts have been made to increase this extent of digestion. Exogenous fibrolytic enzymes (EFE) have been used successfully in monogastric animal production for some time. The possibility of adapting EFE as feed additives for ruminants is under intensive study. To date, animal responses to EFE supplements have varied greatly due to differences in enzyme source, application method, and types of diets and livestock. Currently available information suggests delivery of EFE by applying them to feed offers the best chance to increase ruminal digestion. The general tendency of EFE to increase rate, but not extent, of fibre digestion indicates that the products currently on the market for ruminants may not be introducing novel enzyme activities into the rumen. Recent research suggests that cleavage of esterified linkages (e.g., acetylesterase, ferulic acid esterase) within the plant cell wall matrix may be the key to increasing the extent of cell wall digestion in the rumen. Thus, a crucial ingredient in an effective enzyme additive for ruminants may be an as yet undetermined esterase that may not be included, quantified or listed in the majority of available enzyme preparations. Identifying these pivotal enzyme(s) and using biotechnology to enhance their production is necessary for long term improvements in feed digestion using EFE. Pretreating fibrous feeds with alkali in addition to EFE also shows promise for improving the efficacy of enzyme supplements.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.12 no.7
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• pp.1070-1074
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• 1999

Growth and feeding studies were conducted to determine effects of hazelnut kernel oil meal (HKOM) on growth performance (as protein efficiency), and milk production and composition. In the growth study, 24 individually fed Karayaka lambs (4 mo. and 25.55 kg LW) were used to determine protein efficiency calculated using the Slope Ratio Technique. In the feeding trial, 4 Jersey cows were arranged in $4{\times}4$ Latin squares experiment to measure effects of diets containing HKOM, soybean meal (SBM) corn gluten meal (CGU) and urea (U) on milk production and composition. Protein efficiencies for HKOM, SBM and CGM were found as $1.342{\pm}0.499$, $0.879{\pm}0.488$ and $1.833{\pm}0.893$, respectively. Milk production for the cows consuming concentrates, containing HKOM, SBM, CGM and U, were $13.97{\pm}0.99$, $13.20{\pm}1.09$, $14.86{\pm}0.68 $ and $13.06{\pm}1.23kg/d$ (p<0.01), respectively. There were no differences (p>0.05) among diets for milk protein content were statistically different (p<0.05), although milk DM and fat percentage as well as milk solids-not-fat and lactose percentage (p<0.01). The highest DM intake was associated with the U diet, intake was intermediate with the SBM and HKOM diets, and the lowest with CGM diet (p<0.05). In conclusion, there data may indicate that the HKOM is useful in diets as a protein source for growing ruminants and lactating cows.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.349-355
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• 1992

In order to explore feeding practices of large ruminants and methods followed in the rural areas, an exploratory survey was made during the period from January 1988 to January 1989 in eight different agro-ecological areas of Bangladesh in relation to the existing seasons and farmers' categories. The study shows what feeding practices varied (p<0.01) from area to area and season to season but not with the farmers' category. Considering the overall picture of feeding practices existing in the country, it can be observed that bigger proportion of farmers practiced stall feeding and tethering ($38.4{\pm}35.1$) followed by stall fed ($34.3{\pm}35.2$) and grazing or tethering ($17.3{\pm}26.7$). The figure with wider deviations indicates that farmers in the rural areas did not follow a smooth feeding practice, the system is rather a complex, heterogenous and a mere consequence of existing land use system. The results of feeding methods of by-product concentrates indicate that it also varied (p<0.01) from area to area but however, not with seasons and farmers' category. It is observed that bigger proportion of farmers fed concentrates to their animals mixed with water ($74.1{\pm}30.3$) followed by mixed with roughage and water ($10.3{\pm}13.3$) or fed alone ($5.6{\pm}14.2$). The method like feeding practice is also complex and heterogenous in the rural areas of Bangladesh. Hence, it is needed to develop a strategic feeding system and method identifying the problems associated with those.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.680-692
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• 2010

This paper gives an overview of the availability, nutritive quality, and possible strategies to improve the utilization of rice straw as a feed ingredient for ruminants. Approximately 80% of the rice in the world is grown by small-scale farmers in developing countries, including South East Asia. The large amount of rice straw as a by-product of the rice production is mainly used as a source of feed for ruminant livestock. Rice straw is rich in polysaccharides and has a high lignin and silica content, limiting voluntary intake and reducing degradability by ruminal microorganisms. Several methods to improve the utilization of rice straw by ruminants have been investigated in the past. However, some physical treatments are not practical because of the requirement for machinery or treatments are not economical feasible for the farmers. Chemical treatments, such as NaOH, $NH_3$ or urea, currently seem to be more practical for onfarm use. Alternative treatments to improve the nutritive value of rice straw are the use of ligninolytic fungi (white-rot fungi), with their extracellular ligninolytic enzymes, or specific enzymes degrading cellulose and/or hemicellulose. The use of fungi or enzyme treatments is expected to be a more practical and environmental-friendly approach for enhancing the nutritive value of rice straw and can be costeffective in the future. Using fungi and enzymes might be combined with the more classical chemical or physical treatments. However, available data on using fungi and enzymes for improving the quality of rice straw are relatively scarce.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.31 no.11
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• pp.1700-1713
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• 2018

Objective: The aim of this study was to verify the usefulness of artificial neural networks (ANN), multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS), naïve Bayes classifier (NBC), general discriminant analysis (GDA), and logistic regression (LR) for dystocia detection in Polish Holstein-Friesian Black-and-White heifers and cows and to indicate the most influential predictors of calving difficulty. Methods: A total of 1,342 and 1,699 calving records including six categorical and four continuous predictors were used. Calving category (difficult vs easy or difficult, moderate and easy) was the dependent variable. Results: The maximum sensitivity, specificity and accuracy achieved for heifers on the independent test set were 0.855 (for ANN), 0.969 (for NBC), and 0.813 (for GDA), respectively, whereas the values for cows were 0.600 (for ANN), 1.000 and 0.965 (for NBC, GDA, and LR), respectively. With the three categories of calving difficulty, the maximum overall accuracy for heifers and cows was 0.589 (for MARS) and 0.649 (for ANN), respectively. The most influential predictors for heifers were an average calving difficulty score for the dam's sire, calving age and the mean yield of the farm, where the heifer was kept, whereas for cows, these additionally included: calf sex, the difficulty of the preceding calving, and the mean daily milk yield for the preceding lactation. Conclusion: The potential application of the investigated models in dairy cattle farming requires, however, their further improvement in order to reduce the rate of dystocia misdiagnosis and to increase detection reliability.