Animals最新文献

Wound healing has been studied extensively in humans and lab animals, but not in dolphins. Severe human wounds require extensive medical intervention to avoid infection. Yet severe wounds on free-ranging dolphins heal without infection in microbial-infested seas, a compelling distinction. An eye-witnessed shark attack on a yearling bottlenose dolphin yielded 8 years of macroscopic markers on a live recuperating dolphin by known days of healing. In total, 106 healing histories were generated from the author's 20-year ethological study of free-ranging bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in St. Petersburg, FL, USA. Results show that unaided wound healing at sea involves two consecutive macroscopic pigment patterns, wounds form preliminary seals by 4-8 weeks, and most heal to atrophic scars that remodel for years. Macroscopic markers in live recuperating dolphins show strong matches with macroscopic wound patterns in stranded Fraser's dolphins (Lagenodelphis hosei), demonstrating links between macroscopic markers and immune activities. This is the first study to link macroscopic markers visible as healing-related pigment patterns to immunity. Macroscopic markers are conservation tools for tracking anthropogenic impacts on increased susceptibility to infection at sea and could lead to novel therapies in veterinary and human regenerative medicine.

Whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) was employed in this article to map blood DNA methylation profiles at single-base resolution in Yili horses before a 5000 m speed race, with comparative analysis of epigenetic differences between the 'elite group' and 'ordinary group' across six four-year-old stallions. The overall methylation level in the elite group was generally higher than that in the ordinary groups, with a minority of regions showing hypomethylation. For instance, the promoter regions of key metabolic and neuro-related genes exhibited significant hypomethylation. The article identified over 10,000 CG differential methylation regions (DMRs), predominantly enriched in promoter and CpG island regions, anchoring 7221 differentially methylated genes (DMGs). These DMGs were significantly enriched in key biological processes including oxidative phosphorylation, protein binding, axon guidance, glutamatergic synapses, and the Hedgehog signalling pathway. Among these, six genes-ACTN3, MSTN, FOXO1, PPARGC1A, ND1, and ND2-were selected as core candidate genes closely associated with muscle strength, energy metabolism, and stress adaptation. The study confirms that the differences in athletic ability among Yili horses have a significant epigenetic basis, with DNA methylation participating in the epigenetic regulation of athletic traits by modulating the expression of genes related to energy metabolism and neuroplasticity. The constructed "promoter hypomethylated DMR panel" holds promise for translation into non-invasive blood-based epigenetic markers for early performance evaluation and targeted breeding in racehorses. This provides a theoretical basis and molecular targets for improving equine athletic phenotypes and optimising training strategies.

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (CKCS) exhibits an unusually high prevalence of myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD). A potential link to MMVD for risk allele variants near the heart-specific nebulette (NEBL) gene has been identified. Although these risk allele variants seemed fixed in the CKCS, wild-type (i.e., healthy) allele variants at NEBL1-3 have likewise been found in a larger cohort, in which it was associated with less severe heart enlargement. The frequency of the wild-type allele variants in the asymptomatic breeding population is unknown. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the wild-type allele variants frequency through prospective genetic testing in a large sample of CKCS that were intended for breeding in both the Netherlands and Australia. Blood samples of 370 CKCS with an unknown genetic status were collected, of which 175 from the Netherlands, and 195 from Australia. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was extracted for the genotyping of NEBL allele variants. No dog was homozygous for the wild-type allele variants. Only one dog from the Netherlands was heterozygous, while nine dogs from Australia were heterozygous. The prevalence of heterozygous dogs in the Australian breeding population was low (4.6%), but significantly higher compared to the prevalence in the Dutch breeding population (0.57%). In conclusion, selective breeding for the wild-type allele variants on its own would significantly reduce the number of breeding individuals and would add to the existing genetic bottleneck. The selective breeding of CKCS for wild-type allele variants should not be undertaken on its own due to the low prevalence in this breed and the polygenic character of the disease.

Early diagnosis of heat load in beef cattle remains a challenge due to the limited understanding of behaviour-based indicators. This preliminary longitudinal study aimed to validate behavioural and physiological responses previously identified as heat load indicators. Black Angus steers were exposed to high environmental temperatures expected to cause heat load in the following sequence: an initial thermoneutral period, a hot period, and a recovery period. Changes in the positioning of key body parts, feeding behaviour, body maintenance, respiratory dynamics, and eye temperature were monitored. In the hot period, cattle increased their respiration rate, panting, and infrared eye temperature. Increased stepping by their left limbs suggested involvement of the right brain hemisphere in a stress response to high environmental temperatures. Cattle also held their heads more downward, ears backward, and their tail vertical, and reduced eating, grooming, and scratching during the hot period. Cattle responses to hot conditions were persistent in the recovery period, reflecting diagnostic relevance of the head, ear, and tail movements, stepping, especially by left limbs, and infrared eye temperature as non-invasive tools to identify heat load condition in cattle. The study reinforces our understanding of the specific behavioural and physiological responses to heat load condition, especially those involving left-limb stepping, ear and tail posture, and infrared eye temperature, are reliable indicators for identifying cattle experiencing high environmental temperature.

Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) is an automatic and non-invasive method for long-term monitoring of bird vocal activity. PAM generates a large amount of data, and the automatic recognition of data poses significant challenges. BirdNET is a free-to-use sound algorithm. We evaluated the effectiveness of BirdNET in identifying the vocalizations of Chinese Bamboo Partridge (a Chinese endemic species) and proposed a random forest (RF) method to improve the result based on the detection of BirdNET. The diurnal and seasonal patterns of calling activity were described based on the identification results. The results showed that the recall of BirdNET-Analyzer was 16.6%, the precision of BirdNET-Analyzer-XHS was 50.8%, and the recall and precision of the RF model were 75.2% and 74.4%, respectively. The diurnal vocal activity of the Chinese Bamboo Partridge showed a bimodal pattern, with peaks around sunrise and sunset and low vocal activity during the central hours of the day. The seasonal vocal activity displayed a unimodal pattern, with a peak in vocal activity during April and May. This study used the Chinese Bamboo Partridge as an example and proposes an improved RF model, built on BirdNET recognition results, for species identification, providing a practical approach for recognizing the vocalizations of regional species.

DOG1 is a transmembrane protein highly expressed in human GISTs. In dogs, DOG1 has been studied to a limited extent in GISTs, where its diagnostic value is considered comparable to KIT, while its expression in other canine tissues remains uncharacterized. The aim of this study is to assess the expression of DOG1 in canine normal and neoplastic tissues, with particular emphasis on a large cohort of GISTs to verify their diagnostic role in comparison with KIT. To achieve this, we analyzed a total of 143 FFPE samples of normal (n = 55) and neoplastic canine tissues (n = 88) by immunohistochemistry. DOG1 was strongly expressed in several cell types, with distribution and intensity patterns that partially overlap those reported in humans. In canine GISTs, DOG1 showed strong and widespread reactivity with a sensitivity slightly inferior to KIT (92% vs. 96%); however, one intestinal mesenchymal tumor KIT-negative/DOG1-positive highlights the importance of combining both markers to maximize the correct diagnosis. Moderate to strong immunohistochemistry for DOG1 has been found in several other tumors, sometimes comparable to that of GISTs. This suggests that DOG1 should not be associated exclusively with GISTs and may provide a basis for further investigation into the role of DOG1 in canine malignancy.

(1) Background: The dun coat color, a wild-type phenotype in horses characterized by pigment dilution and primitive markings, is regulated by TBX3. This study explored the expression and localization of TBX3 in the Bider marking (a primitive mark unique to the shoulder of horses); (2) Methods: We compared skin tissues from Bider-marked and non-Bider dun Mongolian horses. Samples were collected from the Bider area (dark-colored/light-colored shoulder), dorsal midline, and croup. Histological staining, qRT-PCR, and Western blotting were used to analyze pigment distribution and TBX3 expression at mRNA and protein levels; (3) Results: Histology revealed asymmetric pigment deposition in hair shafts from light-colored areas of both Bider and non-Bider horses, whereas dark areas showed symmetric distribution. qRT-PCR and Western blotting showed TBX3 expression was significantly higher in the shoulder of non-Bider horses compared to Bider horses. Conversely, Bider horses exhibited higher TBX3 levels in all other sampled areas. Immunohistochemistry localized TBX3 protein to the epidermis and hair follicle bulbs in both groups; (4) Conclusions: In dun Mongolian horses, TBX3 expression differences between dark and light skin areas correlate with Bider markings. TBX3 is implicated in this specific pigment marking, though its upstream regulation requires further study. These findings provide key insights into the mechanism behind Bider marking formation.

It is important to understand the ecological information of Metapenaeopsis dalei to better conserve and manage the stocks in Asia. In this study, we employed research vessels to collect the field data including biomass and number of M. dalei in each survey stations along with environmental data including depth, water temperature, and salinity from November 2018 to September 2019 in the region of 26.50-35.00° N and 120.00-127.00° E in the southern Yellow and East China Seas of China. We found that the annual mean catch per unit effort of weight and number (CPUE_w and CPUE_n) was 15,235.89 g∙h^-1 and 17,319.13 ind∙h^-1, respectively. Metapenaeopsis dalei was found in 10-130 m. The greatest biomass occurred at 10-20 m in spring, 30-40 m in summer, 10-100 m in autumn, and 10-40 m in winter. The greatest abundance occurred at sea bottom temperature (SBT) 14-15 °C in spring, 19 °C in summer, 15-20 °C in autumn, and 10-12 °C in winter. The greatest abundance occurred at sea bottom salinity (SBS) 32-33 in spring, 32 in summer, 32-35 in autumn, and 31-32 in winter. We found the lowest SBT of M. dalei at 10-11 °C in spring and summer. The juveniles were found at SBT 21 °C and SBS 34 in autumn. The total CPUE_w and CPUE_n rankings were winter > spring > autumn > summer, and the mean average individual weight (AIW) ranking was summer > spring > winter > autumn. Fishing grounds of Haizhou Bay-Lvsi and Zhoushan-Yushan may be the spawning grounds for M. dalei. These findings can benefit fishery management action and planning in the future.

Abdominal radiography is commonly used as an initial diagnostic tool in dogs and cats with gastrointestinal (GI) signs. Historically, abdominal radiographs were considered unreliable for detecting GI masses, with detection rates below 50%. The purpose of this retrospective, case-control study was to determine the accuracy of abdominal radiographs in identifying the presence and location of GI masses and to assess the influence of the reviewer experience. Radiographs from 114 dogs and 111 cats were reviewed by two board-certified radiologists, one first year radiology resident, and one rotating intern. Patients were categorized into three groups: animals with a GI mass greater than 2 cm (dogs n = 44; cats n = 41), animals with a normal abdomen (both n = 50), and animals with abdominal disease but no GI mass (both n = 20). Reviewers demonstrated high specificity but low sensitivity for both detection and localization of GI masses. Sensitivity for detecting a mass ranged from 34 to 64% in dogs and 36 to 71% in cats; specificity exceeded 87% in dogs and 92% in cats. Sensitivity for location identification ranged from 9 to 58% in dogs and 21 to 68% in cats; specificity exceeded 76% in dogs and 81% in cats. No statistically significant differences in detection rates were found among reviewers. The accuracy of plain digital radiography for the detection of gastrointestinal masses in dogs (75%) and cats (81%) is better than previously reported film radiography but remains inferior to other imaging modalities. However, its high specificity supports its clinical utility in ruling out gastrointestinal masses.

Effective nitrogen management in dairy cow diets is essential for optimising milk production and minimising environmental nitrogen emissions. This study develops a simplified model to estimate nitrogen excretion in dairy farms, distinguishing excretion by animal category (lactating cows, heifers, calves) and organic matrix (faeces, urine), with nitrogen intake as a key input. A comprehensive literature review guided the selection of equations for estimating nitrogen excretion based on dietary nitrogen content, dry matter intake and milk yield. The model was specifically calibrated for Holstein dairy herd in the Po Valley (Italy) context using data collected from ten Lombardy dairy farms over 30 months, focusing on diet composition and nitrogen excretion via faeces, urine, and milk. Validation against established the literature and the Nitrates Directive (91/676/EEC) excretion factors demonstrated the model's alignment in estimating nitrogen excretion. Within this context, the proposed framework may support nitrogen management at farm level by providing a practical, descriptive tool to explore nitrogen flows and to identify potential areas for improving nutrient efficiency and reducing environmental impacts.