• Title/Summary/Keyword: Farm Animals

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Approaches to Improving Production Efficiencies of Transgenic Animals

  • Tojo, Hideaki
    • Proceedings of the KSAR Conference
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    • 2000.10a
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    • pp.7-8
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    • 2000
  • Transgenic animals are very useful for scientific, pharmaceutical, and agricultural purposes. In livestock, transgenic technology has been used forthe genetic alteration of farm animals, the production of human proteins inlarge quantities in the milk of transgenic farm animals, and the generation of animals with organs suitable for xenotransplantation. To date, the transfer of foreign genes into farm animals has been performed mainly by microinjection of DNA into the pronuclei of fertilized eggs. However, the overall success rate of transgenic animals in livestock so far has been disappointingly low, eg., the efficiency is 0∼5% in swine, and less than 1% in sheep and cattle, compared with the rate in mice where 5% microinjected develop into transgenic animals. Recently, McGreath et al. (2000) have succeeded in producing the gene targeted sheep by the use of nuclear transfer from cultured somatic cells transfected with a foreign gene in vitro. However, we may need plenty of time until currently employ this method for gene transfer to farm animals. We have been studying to exploit the method for improving production efficiencies of transgenic animals with emphasis of its application to farm animals. The present paper describes three approaches that we have made in our laboratory to improve production efficiencies of transgenic animals, based on the DNA microinjection method. 1. Co-injection of restriction enzyme with foreign DNA into the pronucleus for elevating production efficiencies of transgenic animals. 2. Efficient selection of transgenic mouse embryos using EGFP as a marker gene. 3. Phenotypes of tansgenic mice expressing WAP/hGH-CAG/EGFP fusion gene produced by selecting transgenic embryos. 4. Efficient site-specific integration of the transgene targeting an endogenous lox like site in early mouse embryos.

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Role of oxytocin in improving the welfare of farm animals - A review

  • Chen, Siyu;Sato, Shusuke
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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    • v.30 no.4
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    • pp.449-454
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    • 2017
  • Recently, increasing attention has been paid to the welfare of farm animals, which have been evaluated using behavioral and physiological measures. However, so far, the measures have almost always been used to estimate poor welfare. In this review, firstly we focus on how oxytocin (OT) relates to positive social behavior, pleasure, and stress tolerance, and second on which management factors stimulate OT release. OT induces maternal and affiliative behaviors and has an anti-stress effect. Further, OT is produced during enjoyable events, and has positive feedback on its own release as well. Therefore, to some extent, the relationship of OT to positive normal behavior was mutually beneficial-heightened OT concentration owing to comfortable rearing conditions induces positive social behavior, which in turn may increase OT concentration. Hence, studies on animal welfare should pay more attention to increasing comfort and the stress tolerance, rather than only focusing on when stress occurs in farm animals.

Approaches to Improving Production Efficiencies of Transgenic Animals

  • Tojo, Hideaki
    • Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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    • v.24 no.4
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    • pp.343-346
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    • 2000
  • Transgenic animals are very useful for scientific, pharmaceutical, and agricultural purposes. In livestock, transgenic technology has been used forth genetic alteration of farm animals, the production of human proteins inlarge quantities in the milk of transgenic farm animals (Clark et al., 1989; Ebert et al., 1991; Kimpenfort et al., 1991; Wall et al., 1991; Kimpenfort et al., Well et al,m 1991; Hill et al., 1992; Velander et al., 1994; Chen et al.), and the generation of animals with organs suitable for xenotransplantation (Pinkert, 1994; Chen et al., 1999). (omitted)

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Postmortem skeletal muscle metabolism of farm animals approached with metabolomics

  • Susumu Muroya
    • Animal Bioscience
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    • v.36 no.2_spc
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    • pp.374-384
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    • 2023
  • Skeletal muscle metabolism regulates homeostatic balance in animals. The metabolic impact persists even after farm animal skeletal muscle is converted to edible meat through postmortem rigor mortis and aging. Muscle metabolites resulting from animal growth and postmortem storage have a significant impact on meat quality, including flavor and color. Metabolomics studies of postmortem muscle aging have identified metabolisms that contain signatures inherent to muscle properties and the altered metabolites by physiological adaptation, with glycolysis as the pivotal metabolism in postmortem aging. Metabolomics has also played a role in mining relevant postmortem metabolisms and pathways, such as the citrate cycle and mitochondrial metabolism. This leads to a deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying the generation of key compounds that are associated with meat quality. Genetic background, feeding strategy, and muscle type primarily determine skeletal muscle properties in live animals and affect post-mortem muscle metabolism. With comprehensive metabolite detection, metabolomics is also beneficial for exploring biomarker candidates that could be useful to monitor meat production and predict the quality traits. The present review focuses on advances in farm animal muscle metabolomics, especially postmortem muscle metabolism associated with genetic factors and muscle type.

Design and Implementation of Farm Pest Animals Repelling System Based on Open Source (오픈소스 기반의 농작물 유해 야생동물 퇴치 시스템의 설계 및 구현)

  • Woo, Chongho
    • Journal of Korea Multimedia Society
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    • v.19 no.2
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    • pp.451-459
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    • 2016
  • The damages on the crops by the wild animals such as wild boars and water deer are serious in rural areas these days. In this paper, a low-cost and adaptive system based on open source for sensing and repelling farm pest animals is proposed. The system contains the server which is Arduino Due connected with the wireless communication modules such as RF, Zigbee, and WiFi module, speaker, and so on. It also has the sensing modules and LED blinkers which communicates with the server by wireless modules. Once a detecting signal is transmitted to the server. The server is waked up from sleep mode and the repelling subsystems such as loud speaker and LED blinker(s) are activated to scare the unwanted animal away. The total system is managed by Android smartphone easily.

Pain in Animals: Anatomy, Physiology, and Behaviors

  • Youn, Dong-ho;Kim, Tae Wan;Cho, Hee-jung
    • Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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    • v.34 no.5
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    • pp.347-352
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    • 2017
  • Pain, an adaptive but unpleasant sensation, is the most common symptom of numerous diseases in humans and animals. Although animal patients express this symptom frequently, a lack of communication abilities hinders its recognition by veterinary physicians, thereby leading to unsatisfactory management of the symptom. On the other hand, pain itself has its own neurological mechanisms, regardless of the disease that causes it. Thus, a physician may need to know the mechanisms underlying pain development in order to properly manage the symptom in a particular disease. In this review, we attempt to provide a brief introduction to the anatomical, physiological, and neurological basis of pain transmission and sensation. Although most knowledge about these mechanisms comes from studies in humans and laboratory animals, it is generally applicable to pet, farm, or zoo animals. In addition, we summarize pain behavior in several pet, farm, and laboratory animals for its proper identification. This information will help to identify and manage pain, and thus improve welfare, in animals.

The Genetic Development of Sire, Dam and Progenies and Genotype ${\times}$ Environment Interaction in a Beef Breeding System

  • Bhuiyan, A.K.F.H.;Dietl, G.;Klautschek, G.
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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    • v.17 no.1
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    • pp.13-17
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    • 2004
  • The aim of this study was to investigate genetic development and genotype${\times}$environment interactions (GEI) in postweaning body weight of fattening bulls at the end of test period (WT-T) under various beef fattening environments. Data on a total of 24,247 fattening bulls obtained from the industrial farm, breeding farms and testing stations were used. Heritability estimates for WT-T in all environments were nearly similar. Significant genetic developments of sire, dam and progenies for WT-T were observed in all environments. However, many differences in annual genetic developments between the environments were significant. The genetic correlations for WT-T between industrial farm and breeding farms, industrial farm and testing stations and breeding farms and testing stations were respectively 0.004, 0.004 and 0.013. These low estimates of genetic correlations and significant differences in genetic developments among environments clearly show the existence of GEI for WT-T among various fattening environments. Results of this study indicate the need for environment-specific genetic evaluation and selection of beef bulls for commercial beef production.

A Safety Evaluation of Genetically Modified Feedstuffs for Livestock Production; the Fate of Transgenic DNA and Proteins

  • Beever, D.E.;Glenn, K.;Phipps, R.H.
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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    • v.16 no.5
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    • pp.764-772
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    • 2003
  • Two genetic constructs used to confer improved agronomic characteristics, namely herbicide tolerance (HT) in maize and soyabean and insect resistance (Bt) in maize, are considered in respect of feeding to farm livestock, animal performance and the nutritional value and safety of animal products. A review of nucleic acid (DNA) and protein digestion in farm livestock concludes that the frequency of intact transgenic DNA and proteins of GM and non-GM crops being absorbed is minimal/non existent, although there is some evidence of the presence of short fragments of rubisco DNA of non-GM soya in animal tissues. It has been established that feed processing (especially heat) prior to feeding causes significant disruption of plant DNA. Studies with ruminant and non-ruminant farm livestock offered GM feeds demonstrated that animal performance and product composition are unaffected and that there is no evidence of transgenic DNA or proteins of current GM in the products of animals consuming such feeds. On this evidence, current HT and Bt constructs represent no threat to the health of animals, or humans consuming the products of such animals. However as new GM constructs become available it will be necessary to subject these to rigorous evaluation.

Evaluation of Macro Mineral Contents of Forages: Influence of Pasture and Seasonal Variation

  • Khan, Zafar Iqbal;Ashraf, M.;Hussian, Altaf
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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    • v.20 no.6
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    • pp.908-913
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    • 2007
  • Concentrations of major elements in forages were determined in relation to ruminant requirements at a livestock experimental station in Leiah district, Punjab-Pakistan using mapping techniques. The study investigated the influence of sampling periods and pasture types on the concentrations of calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium in forages. The implications of these forages for nutrition of ruminants were assessed for the livestock population at that particular experimental station, which are supported by the farm pastures. Within the farm, variations in the element status of the forages were related to soil pasture types. A tentative assessment of the mineral status of available forages at this farm for different pastures using guidelines developed for domestic animals indicated deficiencies of only Na, but forages contained adequate Ca, Mg, and K levels required for grazing ruminants. The concentrations of Na in the forage reserves indicated that the potential supply of this element to plants was limited from the soil to plants and from plants to the animals grazing them. Soil minerals were not measured in this study. The potential use of fertilizers, as pasture amendment as well as supplementation of ruminants, with a specifically tailored mineral mixture is important to livestock producers and environmentalists as well, because their use may improve forage nutritive value and in turn meet requirements of animals.