Interactions between commensal bacteria and viral infection:insights for viral disease control in farmed animals

Viral diseases cause serious economic loss in farmed animals industry.However,the efficacy of remedies for viral infection in farmed animals is limited,and treatment strategies are generally lacking for aquatic animals.Interactions of commensal microbiota and viral infection have been studied in recent years,demonstrating a third player in the interaction between hosts and viruses.Here,we discuss recent developments in the research of interactions between commensal bacteria and viral infection,including both promotion and inhibition effect of commensal bacteria on viral pathogenesis,as well as the impact of viral infection on commensal microbiota.The antiviral effect of commensal bacteria is mostly achieved through priming or regulation of the host immune responses,involving differential microbial components and host signaling pathways,and gives rise to various antiviral probiotics.Moreover,we summarize studies related to the interaction between commensal bacteria and viral infection in farmed animals,including pigs,chickens,fish and invertebrate species.Further studies in this area will deepen our understanding of antiviral immunity of farmed animals in the context of commensal microbiota,and promote the development of novel strategies for treatment of viral diseases in farmed animals.

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.

Economic Analysis of Pollution Caused by Animal Farming in China

The research introduced pollution caused by animal farming on waters,agricultural lands,and atmosphere,as well as environment pollution and economic causes.Furthermore,a series of economic policies were proposed on preventing animal farming,such as definition of rights property,economic impetus and circular farming.

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.

Review on the development of genotyping methods for assessing farm animal diversity

Advances in molecular biotechnology have introduced new generations of molecular markers for use in the genetic improvement of farm animals. Consequently, more accurate genetic information can be obtained to better understand existing animal genetic resources. This review gives a brief summary on the development of genetic markers including both the classical genetic markers and more advanced DNA-based molecular markers. This review will help us better understand the characteristics of different genetic markers and the genetic diversity of animal genetic resources.

Escherichia coli Producing CTX-M and DHA-1 Beta-lactamases in Farm Animals in Chongqing City of China

Aim of this study was to investigate the genotypic distribution of extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) and AmpC enzymes among Escherichia coli isolated from farm animals in Chongqing City. 326 E.coli isolates were obtained from piglets,cattle and chickens.In these isolates,19 ESBLs and 6 AmpC-producing E.coli isolates were detected by preliminary screening and phenotypic identification, and polymerase chain reaction and sequence analysis methods were used to detect ESBLs and AmpCβ-lactamases genes.The results showed that the frequencies of TEM,CTX-M,DHA-1 and CMY-2 genes were 2.15%,5.21%,0.61%and 0.61%,respectively,in E.coli of animal origin in the Chongqing area,and 5 E.coli isolates were found to carry two kinds of genotype.The DHA-1 gene was detected for the first time in a veterinary clinic in China;its GenBank accession number is FJ386455.This study indicated that TEM and CTX-M genes were the predominant genotypes in Chongqing,and the majority of ESBLs and AmpC-producing E.coli isolates were multi-resistant to antibiotics,so they deserve particular attention in veterinary clinics.

Preliminary Discussion on Farm Animal Welfare and Its Influence on Brand and Consumption of Chinese Livestock Products

Farm animal welfare(FAW) affects the health and sustainable development of animal husbandry. However, at present,there are still a lot of damage to FAW, and the situation of FAW in China is worrying. In this paper, the concept of FAW and brand are sketched and the importance of FAW is emphasized through analyzing the impact of FAW on the brand and consumption of animal products in China. Advices that more importance should be attached to FAW, animal welfare awareness should be promoted to publicity, and FAW legislation should be speed up are proposed.

Analysis of the figure of speech in Animal farm

George Orwell＇s Animal farm is a satire on human nature. By severe and vivid satiric techniques such as irony, exaggeration, similes and metaphors, Orwell demonstrates that selfishness, lust for power and corruption would lead to the disillusionment of human＇s pursuit of freedom and equality in a classless society.

An Analysis of Totalitarianism in Animal Farm from an Allegorical Perspective

Animal Farm is a classic novel based on history,whose author Orwell reveals the totalitarianism under the dark rule of the farm and its potential trend of destruction with his fable art form and extraordinary vision.From the perspective of Benjamin’s fable theory,this paper systematically analyzes the totalitarian rule in the language,the totalitarian rule in worship,and the totalitarian rule in strategy,so as to help people understand historical figures and events objectively.

Analysis of Animal Farm from the Perspective of Reader-Response Criticism

Reader-Response Criticism emphasizes the leading role of readers in the reading process.This paper starting from the four aspects of background,the protagonist’s name,characters’experience and the design of ending in Animal Farm,analyzes the horizons of expectation,indeterminacy and the“blank”in the work,and explores the interaction between readers and the work.

A Comparative Study of Two Chinese Versions of Animal Farm

Animal Farm succeeds in establishing George Orwell's position as a master in literature with its profound moral and hidden but killing sarcasms.And it has been translated into many languages around the world,arousing heated response.So far,there are seventeen versions in China.However,the academic studies focus on the significance of its literary value and political aspects,paying little attention to the systemic study of its translations.The thesis chooses the versions of Rong Rude and Fu Weici and compares them from lexical,syntactical and discourse aspects.Through the comparative study,the author finds out that the two translators apply different translation strategies.Rong tends to adopt foreignization strategy,while Fu is inclined to apply domestication strategy.

Is Fish Domestication Going Too Fast?

Domestication is a very strong process that has enabled humans to produce both plants and animals with desired traits. For land animals, this process started about 12,000 years ago and resulted in that today hundreds of well-defined breeds are available for the five most important farmed mammal species (cattle, pig, horse, sheep and goat). For aquatic animals, this process started much earlier, and the bulk of domestication of new species dated back only to the early 1980s. Nevertheless, there are now numerous fish species for which the life cycle is already closed in captivity and some domesticated fish have been genetically improved. This implies that what probably took hundreds of years in mammals (i.e., to control the life cycle in captivity and then to improve captive individuals) has been accomplished in only tens of years for some fish species. Based on the main problems observed today in farmed mammals, the possible consequences of this fast domestication of fish are discussed.

Sperm immobilization activity of Allium sativum L. and other plant extracts

<abstract>Aim: To identify possible spermicidal agents through screening a number of edible medicinal plants with antimicrobial activity. Methods: Initial screening was made on the basis of ram cauda epididymal sperm immobilization immediately after addition of extracts. The most potent extract was selected and was evaluated on both ram and human spermatozoa. To unravel its mode of action several sperm functional tests were carried out, namely viability of cells, hypo-osmotic swelling test for membrane integrity and assays of membrane-bound enzyme 5'-nucleotidase and acrosomal marker enzyme acrosin. Results: The crude aqueous extract of the bulb of Allium sativum L. showed the most promising results by instant immobilization of the ram epididymal sperm at 0.25 g/mL and human ejaculated sperm at 0.5 g/mL. Sperm immobilizing effects were irreversible and the factor of the extract responsible for immobilization was thermostable up to 90 癈. On boiling at 100 癈 for 10 minutes, this activity was markedly reduced. Moreover, this extract was able to cause aggregation of ram sperms into small clusters after 30 minutes of incubation at 37 癈. However this property was not found in human spermatozoa. More than 50 % reduction in sperm viability and hypo-osmotic swelling occurred in treated sperm as compared with the controls, indicating the possibility of plasma membrane disintegration which was further supported by the significant reduction in the activity of membrane bound 5'-nucleotidase and acrosomal acrosin. Conclusion: The crude aqueous extract of A. sativum bulb possesses spermicidal activity in vitro.

Growth efficiency,intestinal biology,and nutrient utilization and requirements of black soldier fly(Hermetia illucens)larvae compared to monogastric livestock species:a review

In recent years,interest in the larvae of black soldier fly(BSF)(Hermetia illucens)as a sustainable protein resource for livestock feed has increased considerably.However,knowledge on the nutritional and physiological aspects of this insect,especially compared to other conventional farmed animals is scarce.This review presents a critical comparison of data on the growth potential and efficiency of the BSF larvae(BSFL)compared to conventional monogastric livestock species.Advantages of BSFL over other monogastric livestock species includes their high growth rate and their ability to convert low-grade organic waste into high-quality protein and fat-rich biomass suitable for use in animal feed.Calculations using literature data suggest that BSFL are more efficient than broilers,pigs and fish in terms of conversion of substrate protein into body mass,but less efficient than broilers and fish in utilization of substrate gross energy to gain body mass.BSFL growth efficiency varies greatly depending on the nutrient quality of their dietary substrates.This might be associated with the function of their gastrointestinal tract,including the activity of digestive enzymes,the substrate particle characteristics,and their intestinal microbial community.The conceived advantage of BSFL having an environmental footprint better than conventional livestock is only true if BSFL is produced on low-grade organic waste and its protein would directly be used for human consumption.Therefore,their potential role as a new species to better close nutrient cycles in agro-ecological systems needs to be reconsidered,and we conclude that BSFL is a complementary livestock species efficiently utilizing organic waste that cannot be utilized by other livestock.In addition,we provide comparative insight into morpho-functional aspects of the gut,characterization of digestive enzymes,gut microbiota and fiber digestion.Finally,current knowledge on the nutritional utilization and requirements of BSFL in terms of macro-and micronutrients is reviewed and found to be rather limited.In addition,the research methods to determine nutritional requirements of conventional livestock are not applicable for BSFL.Thus,there is a great need for research on the nutrient requirements of BSFL.

Rapid and Sensitive Identification of Horse and Donkey Meat in Iraqi Markets Using SSR and PCR-RFLP Based on Mitochondrial DNA Cytochrome B Gene

This study was carried out at the Genetic Engineering Lab, College of Agriculture, University of Basrah. DNA was extracted from samples containing meat of commercial products in the Basrah markets. The products subjected to analysis using polymerase chain reaction （PCR） with species specific repeat （SSR） and polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism （PCR-RFLP） techniques based on the sequence of the mitochondrial DNA cytochrome b gene （mtDNA cyt b gene）. Then digestion with the Alu l restriction enzyme to establish a differential diagnosis detects and discriminates between meat species and adulteration in the products. SSR primers were applied, has been detected amplification of the encoded gene product, generated 221 bp in some imported minced and canned meat samples. The results show that SSR analysis produced a pattern that allowed a direct identification of horse and donkey meats in some imported minced and canned meat samples （Hana, Monde and Bavaria）. The amplified 359 bp gene of mtDNA cyt b gene from samples in different product was cut using Alu 1 restriction enzyme resulting in restriction fragment length polymorphism （RFLP）. Alu 1 was used to distinguish between the animals meat that belong to the family or one species. The digestion of the PCR product showed differences between products. Where the fragment length generated were 74, 76 and 189 bp. It belonged to horse meat. The fraud was detected in Hana, Monde and Bavaria products available in Basrah markets showing the presence of horse meat in these products that labeled as beef meats 100%. This revealed mtDNA cyt b gene as highly conserved and consequently a good molecular marker for diagnostic studies. Thus, this technique can be applied to food authentication for the identification of different species of animals in food products.

Pregnancy-associated glycoproteins as a potential marker for diagnosis of earlypregnancy in goats: A scoping reviewing

Early diagnosis of pregnancy plays an important role to minimize reproductive losses in farm animals.There are several methods for pregnancy diagnosis like profiling of reproductive hormones(such as progesterone and estrone sulfate),but sometimes they provide false-positive results.Embryo specific pregnancy markers,which delineate the presence and viability of the embryo,are considered as perfect for pregnancy determination.Pregnancy-associated glycoproteins are distinguished as the best indicator for the determination of early pregnancy,fetal number,and birth weight of kids.Pregnancy-associated glycoproteins are structurally correlated to aspartic proteinase and are communicated in the external epithelial cell layer of the placenta.They have been found to share about half amino acid sequence identity with pepsinogen,pepsin,cathepsin D and E.Dislike different individuals from aspartic proteinase family,numerous pregnancy-associated glycoproteins appear to be latent compound as a result of amino acid substitutions in and around the catalytic site.This review is to discuss the scope and prospects of pregnancy-associated glycoproteins as a pregnancy marker in farm animals,more specifically in goats.

Rare case of chronic Q fever myocarditis in end stage heart failure patient:A case report

BACKGROUND Q fever myocarditis is a rare disease manifestation of Q fever infection caused by Coxiella burnetii.It is associated with significant morbidity and mortality if left untreated.Prior studies have reported myocarditis in patients with acute Q fever.We present the first case of chronic myocarditis in an end-stage heart failure patient with chronic Q fever infection.CASE SUMMARY A 69-year-old male was admitted with dyspnea on exertion,hypotension and bilateral lower extremity edema for a few months.He has a past medical history of ischemic cardiomyopathy with left ventricular ejection fraction of 25%,implantable cardioverter defibrillator in place,bioprosthetic aortic valve and mitral valve replacement.He continued to have shortness of breath despite diuresis along with low grade fevers.Initial infectious work up came back negative.On further questioning,the patient was found to have close contact with farm animals and the recurrent fevers prompted the work-up for Q fever.Q fever serologies and cardiac positron emission tomography confirmed the diagnosis of chronic Q fever myocarditis.He was then successfully treated with doxycycline and hydroxychloroquine for 18 mo.CONCLUSION Chronic Q fever myocarditis,if left untreated,carries a poor prognosis.It should be kept in differentials,especially in patients with recurrent fevers and contact with farm animals.

Molecular breeding of farm animals through gene editing

The rapid development of biotechnology has facilitated our understanding of the biological functions of candidate genes for important economic traits in farm animals.Molecular breeding by gene editing has greatly revolutionized the breeding of farm animals.Through gene editing and embryo manipulation,breeds with designed economic or disease-resistant traits can be readily generated.Along with this fast progress,the safety assessment of gene-edited farm animals has attracted public and regulatory attention.This review summarizes the research progress of gene editing in farm animals,focusing on performance improvement,disease resistance,bioreactors,animal welfare,and environmental friendliness.The limitations and future development of gene editing technology in farm animal breeding are also discussed.

End of Transportation of Spent Laying Hens： From Idea to Solution

Transportation of spent laying hens causes them severe suffering. HAI-MESHEK （The Israeli Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Farm Animals） looked for ways to decrease the suffering and finally developed the solution. Spent laying hens are brutally taken out of the cages, and with broken legs and chests pressed into small boxes for transportation to the slaughter-house. Removing all hens from the cages, transportation, waiting in the slaughter-house and slaughtering all hens is a long and hard-suffering time, which may take 8-10 hours. Hai-Meshek conducted a research, aimed at finding more humane methods of transportation. The findings from other countries were very disappointing. Even in countries having high level of animal welfare, about 30% of the hens arrived at the slaughter-house with broken limbs! The conclusion was that even better method, imposed by legislation, would not solve the problem： it is difficult to detect truck drivers violating the rules and the fine is negligible, compared to the savings by the abovementioned cruel method. The only humane solution is by preventing the transportation and slaughtering on farm. Spent laying hens are not edible, so they need not be slaughtered in the slaughter-house. Hai-Meshek initiated and participated in the development and the building of a facility for the humane killing of spent laying hens on farms. The hens aye electrified and die in 1-1.5 seconds. This method costs far less than transportation and slaughtering. The Poultry Council, which takes care to remove spent laying hens from farms, requires contractors to use the facility and they bring it to every farm in Israel. The facility is also used for killing sick flocks. No more transportation of spent laying hens is allowed!

Potential and challenges of tannins as an alternative to in-feed antibiotics for farm animal production

Naturally occurring plant compounds including tannins, saponins and essential oils are extensively assessed as natural alternatives to in-feed antibiotics.Tannins are a group of polyphenolic compounds that are widely present in plant region and possess various biological activities including antimicrobial,anti-parasitic, anti-viral, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulation, etc.Therefore, tannins are the major research subject in developing natural alternative to in-feed antibiotics.Strong protein affinity is the well-recognized property of plant tannins, which has successfully been applied to ruminant nutrition to decrease protein degradation in the rumen, and thereby improve protein utilization and animal production efficiency.Incorporations of tannin-containing forage in ruminant diets to control animal pasture bloat, intestinal parasite and pathogenic bacteria load are another 3 important applications of tannins in ruminant animals.Tannins have traditionally been regarded as "anti-nutritional factor" for monogastric animals and poultry, but recent researches have revealed some of them, when applied in appropriate manner, improved intestinal microbial ecosystem, enhanced gut health and hence increased productive performance.The applicability of plant tannins as an alternative to in-feed antibiotics depends on many factors that contribute to the great variability in their observed efficacies.