Finding biomarkers of experience in animals

At a time when there is a growing public interest in animal welfare,it is critical to have objective means to assess the way that an animal experiences a situation.Objectivity is critical to ensure appropriate animal welfare outcomes.Existing behavioural,physiological,and neurobiological indicators that are used to assess animal welfare can verify the absence of extremely negative outcomes.But welfare is more than an absence of negative outcomes and an appropriate indicator should reflect the full spectrum of experience of an animal,from negative to positive.In this review,we draw from the knowledge of human biomedical science to propose a list of candidate biological markers(biomarkers)that should reflect the experiential state of non-human animals.The proposed biomarkers can be classified on their main function as endocrine,oxidative stress,non-coding molecular,and thermobiological markers.We also discuss practical challenges that must be addressed before any of these biomarkers can become useful to assess the experience of an animal in real-life.

U.PhyloMaker: An R package that can generate large phylogenetic trees for plants and animals

The previously released packages of the PhyloMaker series(i.e.S.PhyloMaker,V.PhyloMaker,and V.PhyloMaker2) have been broadly used to generate phylogenetic trees for ecological and biogeographical studies.Although these packages can be used to generate phylogenetic trees for any groups of plants and animals for which megatrees are available,they focus on generating phylogenetic trees for plants based on the megatrees provided by the packages.How to use these packages to generate phylogenetic trees based on other megatrees is not straightforward.Here,we present a new tool,which is called ‘U.PhyloMaker’,and a simple R script that can be used to easily generate large phylogenetic trees for both plants and animals at a relatively fast speed.

A review of the pangenome:how it affects our understanding of genomic variation,selection and breeding in domestic animals?

As large-scale genomic studies have progressed,it has been revealed that a single reference genome pattern cannot represent genetic diversity at the species level.While domestic animals tend to have complex routes of origin and migration,suggesting a possible omission of some population-specific sequences in the current reference genome.Conversely,the pangenome is a collection of all DNA sequences of a species that contains sequences shared by all individuals(core genome)and is also able to display sequence information unique to each individual(variable genome).The progress of pangenome research in humans,plants and domestic animals has proved that the missing genetic components and the identification of large structural variants(SVs)can be explored through pangenomic studies.Many individual specific sequences have been shown to be related to biological adaptability,phenotype and important economic traits.The maturity of technologies and methods such as third-generation sequencing,Tel-omere-to-telomere genomes,graphic genomes,and reference-free assembly will further promote the development of pangenome.In the future,pangenome combined with long-read data and multi-omics will help to resolve large SVs and their relationship with the main economic traits of interest in domesticated animals,providing better insights into animal domestication,evolution and breeding.In this review,we mainly discuss how pangenome analysis reveals genetic variations in domestic animals(sheep,cattle,pigs,chickens)and their impacts on phenotypes and how this can contribute to the understanding of species diversity.Additionally,we also go through potential issues and the future perspectives of pangenome research in livestock and poultry.

Management practices and technologies for efficient biological sample collection from domestic animals with special reference to Indian field conditions

Management strategies and the use of advanced technologies are equally important for determining the sample number and sampling frame for successful field sampling for animal disease prevalence studies.The quality of the biological samples collected in the field has a direct bearing on the integrity of the data generated,prevalence estimates and subsequent policy decisions on disease control.Hence,compromising the quality of biological samples collected in the field could potentially undermine the priority setting principles in disease control strategies.Biological samples collected from domestic animals in the field are precious materials and require meticulous planning for sample collection,sample storage in the field,transportation,and storage in the laboratory.Poorly managed field sampling has a significant detrimental impact on the sample quality and quantity and directly affects the accuracy of disease prevalence data.A bad choice of sampling tools,containers,storage and transport all have a negative impact on the integrity of the sample and consequently have an impact on the outcome.Over the last two years,as part of our one health animal sampling work in ndia,we have observed challenges and opportunities in the field sampling of animals for disease prevalence studies.This paper aims to provide information on management practices and technologies for efficient biological sample collection from the field and ensure that good quality samples are available fortesting.

Reform and Exploration of Integrating"Service Learning"into the Teaching of Pathogenic Biology of Aquatic Animals to Help Rural Revitalization

This paper intends to combine the development trend of the subject,restructure and optimize the course content,and construct the service learning model of Pathogenic Biology of Aquatic Animals for postgraduates.At the same time,through service practice,it is needed to further consolidate curriculum knowledge and skills,stimulate the learning initiative and enthusiasm of postgraduates,expand professional knowledge,improve professional quality,and lay a solid foundation for serving the national rural revitalization strategy in the future.

“Blind men and an elephant”:The need for animals in research,drug safety studies,and understanding civilizational diseases

Animal-based research and drug safety studies are essential to understanding the mysteries of nature and the long-term survival of humans.Due to the rapid increase in the global human population,conflict-and economically driven human migration,tourism-related activities,densely populated metropolitan areas,and local policies,humans will be affected by a multitude of novel disease-causing microorganisms and civilizational diseases.Despite disparities among countries,recent and planned changes in regulations concerning animal research and drug safety studies could have detrimental effects on both the animal research community and nations lacking sufficient social support systems.Based on existing scientific literature,I argue that we need animal research encompassing aspects such as animal development,behavior,drug safety studies,and for the understanding of future civilizational diseases.Depending on the nature of the research questions and local challenges,a suitable animal model organism should be made mandatory.

Paneth cells in farm animals:current status and future direction

A healthy intestine plays an important role in the growth and development of farm animals.In small intestine,Paneth cells are well known for their regulation of intestinal microbiota and intestinal stem cells(ISCs).Although there has been a lot of studies and reviews on human and murine Paneth cells under intestinal homeostasis or disorders,little is known about Paneth cells in farm animals.Most farm animals possess Paneth cells in their small intestine,as identified by various staining methods,and Paneth cells of various livestock species exhibit noticeable differences in cell shape,granule number,and intestinal distribution.Paneth cells in farm animals and their antimicrobial peptides(AMPs)are susceptible to multiple factors such as dietary nutrients and intestinal infection.Thus,the comprehensive understanding of Paneth cells in different livestock species will contribute to the improvement of intestinal health.This review first summarizes the current status of Paneth cells in pig,cattle,sheep,horse,chicken and rabbit,and points out future directions for the investigation of Paneth cells in the reviewed animals.

A Contrastive Study on Folk Custom Semantics of Chinese and English Words of Plants and Animals

This paper attempts to make a comparison of folk custom semantics on Chinese and English words of plants and animals.

Potential role of N-carbamoyl glutamate in biosynthesis of arginine and its significance in production of ruminant animals

Arginine （ARG） exerts many beneficial effects on animal body and enhanced angiogenesis, lactogenesis, which finally leads to the improvement in nitrogen （N） metabolism, reproduction, lactation, immunity and growth. Unfortunately, unprotected ARG will be degraded in the rumen and its price is high, thus feeding rumen-protected ARG seems to be uneconomical. Alternatively, N-carbamoyl glutamate （NCG） is structural analogue of N-acetyl glutamate, cofactor of cabamoyl phosphate synthetasel, is lower in rumen degradation compared to ARG. Additionally, rumen epithelial and duodenal cells have potentially utilized the NCG for ureagenesis. Supplementation of NCG to high yielding dairy cows increased plasma concentration of ARG and nitric oxide, decreased the plasma ammonia N and improved lactation performance and N utilization. Supplementation of NCG enhanced pregnancy rates in rats, improved litter size and fetal survival rate, thereby improved the reproductive performance of sows. Oral NCG supplementation increases plasma ARG and somatotropin levels, and increased growth rate and muscle protein synthesis in nursing piglets. The NCG is potential a relatively cheaper source of feed additive to offer vital compensation over oral administration of ARG, resulting in improved ruminant animal health and production. In this article, we reviewed the mechanism of AfiG biosynthesis by NCG and their significance in growth, reproduction, milk production and N utilization in ruminant animals.

The health benefits of selenium in food animals:a review

Selenium is an essential trace mineral important for the maintenance of homeostasis in animals and humans.It evinces a strong antioxidant,anti-inflammatory and potential antimicrobial capacity.Selenium biological function is primarily achieved by its presence in selenoproteins as a form of selenocysteine.Selenium deficiency may result in an array of health disorders,affecting many organs and systems;to prevent this,dietary supplementation,mainly in the forms of organic(i.e.,selenomethionine and selenocysteine)inorganic(i.e.,selenate and selenite)sources is used.In pigs as well as other food animals,dietary selenium supplementation has been used for improving growth performance,immune function,and meat quality.A substantial body of knowledge demonstrates that dietary selenium supplementation is positively associated with overall animal health especially due to its immunomodulatory activity and protection from oxidative damage.Selenium also possesses potential antiviral activity and this is achieved by protecting immune cells against oxidative damage and decreasing viral replication.In this review we endeavor to combine established and novel knowledge on the beneficial effects of dietary selenium supplementation,its antioxidant and immunomodulatory actions,and the putative antimicrobial effect thereof.Furthermore,our review demonstrates the gaps in knowledge pertaining to the use of selenium as an antiviral,underscoring the need for further in vivo and in vitro studies,particularly in pigs.

Cellular reprogramming in farm animals： an overview of iPSC generation in the mammalian farm animal species

Establishment of embryonic stem cell （ESC） lines has been successful in mouse and human, but not in farm animals. Development of direct reprogramming technology offers an alternative approach for generation of pluripotent stem cells, applicable also in farm animals. Induced pluripotent stem cells （iPSCs） represent practically limitless, ethically acceptable, individuum-specific source of pluripotent cells that can be generated from different types of somatic cells, iPSCs can differentiate to all cell types of an organism＇s body and have a tremendous potential for numerous applications in medicine, agriculture, and biotechnology. However, molecular mechanisms behind the reprogramming process remain largely unknown and hamper generation of bona fide iPSCs and their use in human clinical practice. Large animal models are essential to expand the knowledge obtained on rodents and facilitate development and validation of transplantation therapies in preclinical studies. Additionally, transgenic animals with special traits could be generated from genetically modified pluripotent cells, using advanced reproduction techniques. Despite their applicative potential, it seems that iPSCs in farm animals haven＇t received the deserved attention. The aim of this review was to provide a systematic overview on iPSC generation in the most important mammalian farm animal species （cattle, pig, horse, sheep, goat, and rabbit）, compare protein sequence similarity of pluripotency-related transcription factors in different species, and discuss potential uses of farm animal iPSCs. Literature mining revealed 32 studies, describing iPSC generation in pig （13 studies）, cattle （5） horse （5）, sheep （4）, goat （3）, and rabbit （2） that are summarized in a concise, tabular format.

Selenoprotein W cDNAs From Five Species of Animals

The nucleotide sequences of the open reading frames of cDNAs for selenoprotein W from skeletal muscle of rat, mouse, sheep, rhesus monkey and human are reported. Theoretical translation of the coding sequences indicated highly similar proteins of 88 (mouse and rat) or 87 (human, monkey and sheep) amino acids. In 73 of 88 positions the specified amino acids are identical for all five proteins. TGA encoding selenocysteine is the 13th codon of all the cDNAs. The rnouse, rat and sheep open reading frames terminate with TGA but the human and rhesus monkey coding regions terminate with TAA. The encoded amino acid sequences are identical for the rat and mouse proteins, and for the human and monkey proteins. The similarity of the cDNAs continues in the 3' noncoding regions through the putative selenocysteine insertion sequence (SEClS) elements which are required for correct interpretation of the selenocysteine codon. The region between the SECIS elements and the polyadenylation signals showed much lower similarity. The cloned rat gene for selenoprotein W is 5000 bases long,with the 663 bases of the cDNA in six exons. The transcription start site was identified by nuclease protection assay to be 16 bases upstream of the longest cDNA clone. A canonical TATA box occurs 150 bases upstream, but the assay did not indicate the presence of longer mRNAs

Differences between Chinese and English Cultures Reflected in the Ex pressions Related to Animals

Cultural differences are permeating in any form of language,including some idioms related with animals.Cross-cultur al communication,which is the ultimate goal of the foreign language studying,has been more and more popular in the life of the people from different countries,yet people do so with a little or no awareness of cultural differences.Though people may feel comfortable with standard literary speech,they will probably find themselves in hot water when confronted with idiomatic ex pressions.Idiomatic expressions are a mirror of a distinct cultural connotation is of vital importance.The thesis confines the idiomatic expression only to the animals,for most of the animals are relatively familiar to human be ings and the idiomatic expressions are rich in both Chinese and English.These idiomatic expressions reflect cultural differences more than cultural similarities for each of them has its own origins and shows its own national coloring.The cultural differences can be mainly divided into three categories:cultural conflict,cultural adaptation,and cultural vacancy.Only by acquainting with and awareness of these cultural differences,can people use such idiomatic expressions appropriately and understand them correctly.As a matter of fact,culture and language are interdependent.The awareness of cultural backgrounds is essential for cross-cul tural communication.I hope that every learner will realize the great importance of cultural awareness,and every learner's good intention will receive pleasing responses.

Selenium Regulation of Selenium-dependent Glutathione Peroxidases in Animals and Transfected CHO Cells

Glutathione peroxidase (GPX1) was the first identified selenium-dependent enzyme, and this enzyme has been most useful as a biochemical indicator of selenium (Se) status and the parameter of choice for determining Se requirements. We have continued to study Se regulation of GPX1 to better understand the underlying mechanism and to gain insight into how cells themselves regulate nutrient status. In progressive Se deficiency in rats, GPX1 activity,protein and mRNA all decrease in a dramatic, coordinated and exponential fashion such that Se-deficient GPX1 mRNA levels are 6-15% of Sexadequate levels. mRNA levels for other Sedependent proteins are far less decreased in the same animals. The mRNA levels for a second Se-dependent peroxidase, phospholipid hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidase (GPX4 ), are little affected by Se deficiency, demonstrating that Se regulation of GPX1 is unique. Se regulation of GPX1 activity in growing male and female rats shows that the Se requirernent is 100 ng/g diet, based on liver GPX1 activity; use of GPX1 mRNA as the parameter indicates that the Se requirement is nearer to 50 ng Se/g diet in both male and female rats. This approach will readily detect an altered dietary Se requirement, as shown by the incremental increases in dietary Se requirement by 150, 100 or 50 ng Se/g diet in Seudeficient rat pups repleted with Se for 3, 7 or 14 d, respectively. Studies with CHO cells stably transfected with recombinant GPX1 also show that overexpression of GPX1 does not alter the minimum level of media Se necessary for Se-adequate levels of GPX1 activity or mRNA. We hypothesize that classical GPX1 has an integral biological role in the mechanism used by cells to regulate Se status,making GPX1 an especially useful and effective parameter for determining Se requirements in animals

Calcium and phosphorus contents of body parts of some domestic animals used as meat source in Nigeria

Objective:To investigate the calcium and phosphorus contents of four domestic animals used as sources of meat in Nigeria.Methods:The calcium contents of the body parts of the animals were determined using atomic absorption spectrometer.Their phosphorus contents were determined colorimetrically using the molybdenum blue method.Results:The calcium and phosphorus contents were significantly higher in the bone samples than in the other animal parts investigated (P【0.05).The calcium contents of all the edible parts were higher in chicken than in the other animals.High calcium and phosphorus contents were detected in the faeces of chicken and goat, and that of cattle and goat,respectively.Low calcium and phosphorus contents were detected in the urine samples.Calcium:phosphorus ratios calculated for the bones of chicken,cattle and goat were satisfactory.Conclusions:In conclusion,calcium and phosphorus contents of the animal parts vary significantly and their relative contents may be related to the animal’s diet.Chicken parts may be the preferred dietary source of these minerals.This study highlights the need for routine investigation of the mineral contents of food,which is necessary for proper nutritional guidelines.

The Marking Technology in Motion Capture for the Complex Locomotor Behavior of Flexible Small Animals(Gekko gecko)

Animals have evolved a variety of behavior patterns to adapt to the environment. Motion-capture technology is utilized to quantify and characterize locomotor behaviors to reveal the mechanisms of animal motion. In the capture of flexible, small animals with complex locomotor behaviors, the markers interfere with each other easily, and the motion forms(bending, twisting) of the moving parts are obviously different;thus, it is a great challenge to realize accurate quantitative characterization of complex locomotor behaviors. The correlation between the marker properties, including the size and space length, and the precision of the system are revealed in this paper, and the effects of diverse marker shapes on the capturing accuracy of the captured objects in different motion forms were tested. Results showed that the precision of system is significantly improved when the ratio of the space length to the diameter of the markers is larger than four;for the capture of the spatial twisting motion of the flexible object, the hexagon markers had the lowest spatial lost-marker rate relative to the circle, triangle, and square. Customized markers were used to capture the locomotor behavior of the gecko-inspired robot(rigid connection) and the gecko(flexible connection). The results showed that this marking technology can achieve high accuracy of motion capture for geckos(the average deviation was approximately 0.32 mm, and the average deviation’s variation rate was approximately 0.96%). In this paper, the marking technology for the motion capture of flexible, small animals with complex motion is proposed;it can effectively improve the system precision as well as the capture accuracy, and realize the quantitative characterization of the complex motion of flexible, small objects. It provides a reliable technical means to deeply study the evolution of the motion function of small animals and advance systematic research of motion-capture technology.

Studies on the diversity of soil animals in Taishan Mountain

Taishan Mountain has diverse habitats and abundant groups of soil animals. Five habitats,Platycladus orientalis forest,Pinus densiflora forest,Robinia pseudoacacia forest,Pinus tablaerormis forest and Grassland, were selected and the diversity of soil animals in different habitats in Mt. Taishan were investigated and studied in 1997–1999. Totally 52 groups of soil animals were found, belonging separately to 7 Phyla, 11 Classes, 25 Orders and 28 suborders or families. There exists remarkable difference in groups, quantity and diversity of soil animals among the five habitats. Grassland habitat was the highest andPinus densiflora forest was the lowest in groups, quantities, Density-group index (DG) and Diversity index of comparing many communities (DIC) of soil animals. Shannon-Wiener’s diversity index (H′) for soil animals of different habitats was in order ofPlatycladus orientalis forest>Pinus densiflora forest>Pinus tablaerormis forest>Grassland>Robinia pseudoacacia forest, Pielou’s equality index (J′) wasPlatycladus orientalis forest>Pinus densiflora forest>Grassland>Pinus tablaerormis forest>Robinia pseudoacacia forest, and Simposn’s dominant index (C) was Grassland>Robinia pseudoacacia forest>Pinus tablaerormis forest>Pinus densiflora forest>Platycladus orientalis forest. The H index and J index of macro-soil animal all were larger than that of mid-small soil animal. Clustering analysis for five soil animal communities and ordination analysis for community structure by multidimensional scaling (MDS) were made and completely identical results were obtained. Soil animal communities of five habitats were divided into 3 groups.

Serological Survey of Zika Virus in Humans and Animals in Dejiang Prefecture, Guizhou Province,China

Objective The current outbreak of Zika virus(ZIKV)poses a severe threat to human health.Two ZIKV strains were isolated from mosquitoes collected from the Dejiang prefecture in China in 2016,which was the first isolation of ZIKV in nature in China.Methods In this study,serum samples were collected from 366 healthy individuals and 104 animals from Dejiang prefecture in 2017,and the plaque reduction neutralization test(PRNT)was used to evaluate the seroprevalence of ZIKV.Results None of the 366 residents from whom the samples were collected were seropositive for ZIKV.None of the 11 pigs from whom the samples were collected were seropositive for ZIKV,while 1 of 63(1.59%)chickens and 2 of 30(6.67%)sheep were seropositive for ZIKV.Conclusions The extremely low seropositivity rate of ZIKV antibodies in animals in the Dejiang prefecture,Guizhou province in this study indicates that ZIKV can infect animals;however,there is a low risk of ZIKV circulating in the local population.

Infection of <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i>in Humans and Livestock Animals: An Emerging Silent Threat for Bangladesh

Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular, zoonotic protozoan parasite that causes toxoplasmosis. It can potentially infect almost all mammalian and avian hosts including one-third of the human population world-wide. The major target group of the parasite includes immunocompromised patients (e.g. AIDS, cancer, organ transplantation) and fetus bearing pregnant women where it develops toxoplasmic encephalitis, myocarditis, chorioretinitis and abnormal fetal brain development or stillbirths respectively. In this review, we have presented the current status of T. gondii infection in livestock animals and human population in Bangladesh to assess the country-wide relative risk. Although exact prevalence is difficult to predict due to the scarcity of data, nevertheless existing literature suggests that 16% - 39% humans and 8% - 70% domestic animals are infected with T. gondii, which implies Bangladeshi population is at high risk of toxoplasmosis. Furthermore, we have proposed a potential area of research to decipher the genetic diversity and transmission routes of T. gondii infection into Bangladeshi population.

Production of human polyclonal antibodies by transgenic animals

Polyclonal antibodies collected from the blood of animals and humans experimentally immunised or spontaneously immunised respectively can be injected into patients to protect them against pathogens, toxins, tumours etc. This approach is severely limited by the availability of human polyclonal antibodies of interest. Moreover, polyclonal antibodies from animals are recognised as antigens by patients and are thus rapidly rejected and inactivated. To circumvent this problem, animals (essentially rabbits, chicken, pigs and cows) are being genetically engineered. Their immunoglobulin genes are being inactivated and the corresponding human immunoglobulin genes are being transferred to them. These animals will be immunized and it is expected that large amounts of pure human polyclonal antibodies will be extracted from their blood to be administered to patients. The possible acceptability problem of this approach is under a case study of the European Union Pegasus project.