Blood samples were collected from 602 white-tailed deer (WTD) (Odocoileus virginianus) between October 2008 – October 2009, from 15 different counties throughout Texas. White-tailed deer were evaluated for serum biochemical parameters (total protein, albumin, calcium serum, phosphorus, glucose, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, total bilirubin, creatine kinase, aspartate aminotransferase, glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase, globulins, albumins to globulins ratio, gamma-glutamyl transferase, and magnesium) and the following variables were recorded: age, gender, county of collection, season, capture method, and status based on captive or free-ranging. The 14 biochemical parameters were compared for WTD among age groups fawns (<12 months), yearlings (≥12 months - <24 months) and adults (≥24 months), gender, season (Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter), status (captive or free-ranging) and capture method (physical restraint, anesthetized using physical restraint method of drug administration, anesthetized using dart gun method of drug administration, drop-netted, net-gunned, or hunter harvested). The data collected for these parameters was used to establish normal ranges for a comprehensive metabolic panel (serum chemistry panel) for WTD in Texas. These reference ranges will be used for both captive and free-ranging WTD to improve diagnostic screening and disease monitoring. Captive vs. free-ranging status was statistically significant in WTD for 7 of the 14 physiological parameters. Significant differences and trends were observed among the three age groups. Calcium and phosphorus had an inverse relationship with age, while glucose had a direct relationship with age. Gender was statistically significant for 7 of 14 parameters. Anesthetized WTD vs. non-anesthetized had the greatest impact on mean blood chemistry values. Values for total serum protein, albumin, calcium, phosphorus, and globulins were higher for non-anesthetized WTD. Glucose, BUN, and AST mean values for higher for anesthetized WTD.

Commercial laying hens are heavily selected for increased egg production, but little selection has occurred for resistance to extreme temperatures. The objective of the experiment was to determine the effects of a daily cyclic heat stress (HS) on performance, body temperature, egg quality, nitrogen corrected apparent metabolizable energy, and blood chemistry in laying hens at acute and chronic time points. In total, 407 pure line laying hen pullets (18 wk) were sourced from Hy-Line International and housed individually for the duration of the experiment. Feed intake, egg production, and body weights were significantly decreased while egg weight and feed efficiency increased due to HS exposure. All egg quality parameters except yolk weight were decreased by HS exposure, including Haugh unit, eggshell and albumen weights. Egg yolk weights were increased over the first 2 wk of HS before falling. Blood chemistry was affected by HS resulting in respiratory alkalosis likely caused by increased respiration and evaporative cooling. There was a decrease in the PCO2, an increase in pH and a reduction in iCa in the blood within 4 to 6 hours of HS when compared to pre-HS levels. The data indicate that the hens were negatively affected by HS and the response was different for acute and chronic time points. At the acute time point the changes to the hen's physiology were caused by altered blood chemistry, but after chronic exposure, the low feed intake seemed to influence the responses. / Master of Science

The total removal of antibiotic growth promoters (AGP) from poultry feed is underway in the United States. Feed additive strategies will be utilized to maintain the efficient growth, health, and economic value found with current commercial broiler production. Experiment 1 investigated the effects of feeding an encapsulated butyric acid and zinc product (EBAZ) at 3 inclusions on d 0- 49 Ross x Ross 708 male and female broiler performance, blood chemistry, and cecal short-chain fatty acid content. These data suggest that EBAZ can be safely included at 0.5 g/kg and at 2.5 g/kg into diets for Ross x Ross 708 male and female broilers. The objective of the second experiment was to examine the efficacy of 2 commercially available carbohydrases in commercial diets on d 0-57 male broiler performance and processing. The resulting data demonstrates that the inclusion of xylanase (CE2) improved broiler performance thus, increased potential gross profits.

Com o intuito de avaliar os polimorfismos de mtDNA e a diversidade genética na população brasileira, foram estudados 84 indivíduos não aparentados: 49 caucasóides e 35 negróides da região sudeste do Brasil. As amostras de sangue obtidas por punção da polpa digital foram colocadas em papel de filtro e o mtDNA extraído pelo método orgânico. Foram amplificadas as regiões hipervariáveis HV1 a partir do nucleotídeo 16.051 até 16.365 e HV2 entre os nucleotídeos 71 e 340. O fragmento foi purificado e após a reação de seqüenciamento, as fitas sense e anti-sense foram alinhadas com a seqüência de Anderson e sobrepostas para confirmação. Foram encontradas 108 posições contendo transições, 15 transversões, 11 deleções e 4 inserções. Nove regiões apresentaram duas variantes de seqüência polimórfica. A maioria das seqüências foi observada uma única vez e em 84 indivíduos foram observados 80 haplótipos distintos. O índice de diversidade genética e a probabilidade de semelhança entre duas seqüências escolhidas ao acaso foram respectivamente de 0,9714 e 0,0286 para os negróides e de 0,9788 e 0,0212 para os caucasóides. Ao realizar análise pareada dos haplótipos, a média de nucleotídeos diferentes entre as seqüências foi de 14,36 &#177; 5,68 bases em um total de 3.486 pares comparados, indicando uma alta diversidade entre haplótipos nesta população. Os resultados demonstraram que o mtDNA é informativo para identificação humana e o conhecimento da freqüência dos haplótipos na população de interesse tem utilidade significativa na aplicação Forense, principalmente para se avaliar estatisticamente os resultados, fornecendo maior precisão, exatidão e dados contundentes nas investigações. / In order to evaluate the mtDNA polymorphism and demonstrate the sequence diversity in Brazilians, we established a database of 84 unrelated individuals, 49 Caucasians and 35 negroids from the southeast of Brazil. The samples were collected on a whatman paper by finger punction, the mtDNA was extracted by organic method and hipervariable regions, HV1 from 16.051 to 16.365 bp and HV2 from 71 to 340 bp were amplified. Both sense and anti-sense strands were sequenced. When compared to Anderson sequence, 108 transitions, 15 transversions, 11 deletions and 4 insertions were found. Nine positions exhibited two variants of polymorphic sequence. The majority of the sequences were observed once, and in 84 sequences, 80 haplotypes were observed. The sequence diversity and the probability for two individuals randomly matching over two hypervariable regions were 0.9714 and 0.0286 for persons of color and 0.9788 and 0.0212 for Caucasians. In pair wise comparison, the mean sequence difference of 14,36 &#177; 5,68 nucleotides over 3,486 pairs compared, indicates a high diversity in this population. The data demonstrates that mtDNA sequencing can be informative in forensic cases, but it is of crucial importance to know the frequency of the mtDNA haplotypes to statistically evaluate the results.

Com o intuito de avaliar os polimorfismos de mtDNA e a diversidade genética na população brasileira, foram estudados 84 indivíduos não aparentados: 49 caucasóides e 35 negróides da região sudeste do Brasil. As amostras de sangue obtidas por punção da polpa digital foram colocadas em papel de filtro e o mtDNA extraído pelo método orgânico. Foram amplificadas as regiões hipervariáveis HV1 a partir do nucleotídeo 16.051 até 16.365 e HV2 entre os nucleotídeos 71 e 340. O fragmento foi purificado e após a reação de seqüenciamento, as fitas sense e anti-sense foram alinhadas com a seqüência de Anderson e sobrepostas para confirmação. Foram encontradas 108 posições contendo transições, 15 transversões, 11 deleções e 4 inserções. Nove regiões apresentaram duas variantes de seqüência polimórfica. A maioria das seqüências foi observada uma única vez e em 84 indivíduos foram observados 80 haplótipos distintos. O índice de diversidade genética e a probabilidade de semelhança entre duas seqüências escolhidas ao acaso foram respectivamente de 0,9714 e 0,0286 para os negróides e de 0,9788 e 0,0212 para os caucasóides. Ao realizar análise pareada dos haplótipos, a média de nucleotídeos diferentes entre as seqüências foi de 14,36 &#177; 5,68 bases em um total de 3.486 pares comparados, indicando uma alta diversidade entre haplótipos nesta população. Os resultados demonstraram que o mtDNA é informativo para identificação humana e o conhecimento da freqüência dos haplótipos na população de interesse tem utilidade significativa na aplicação Forense, principalmente para se avaliar estatisticamente os resultados, fornecendo maior precisão, exatidão e dados contundentes nas investigações. / In order to evaluate the mtDNA polymorphism and demonstrate the sequence diversity in Brazilians, we established a database of 84 unrelated individuals, 49 Caucasians and 35 negroids from the southeast of Brazil. The samples were collected on a whatman paper by finger punction, the mtDNA was extracted by organic method and hipervariable regions, HV1 from 16.051 to 16.365 bp and HV2 from 71 to 340 bp were amplified. Both sense and anti-sense strands were sequenced. When compared to Anderson sequence, 108 transitions, 15 transversions, 11 deletions and 4 insertions were found. Nine positions exhibited two variants of polymorphic sequence. The majority of the sequences were observed once, and in 84 sequences, 80 haplotypes were observed. The sequence diversity and the probability for two individuals randomly matching over two hypervariable regions were 0.9714 and 0.0286 for persons of color and 0.9788 and 0.0212 for Caucasians. In pair wise comparison, the mean sequence difference of 14,36 &#177; 5,68 nucleotides over 3,486 pairs compared, indicates a high diversity in this population. The data demonstrates that mtDNA sequencing can be informative in forensic cases, but it is of crucial importance to know the frequency of the mtDNA haplotypes to statistically evaluate the results.

BACKGROUND: Acrylamide is a common dietary exposure that crosses the human placenta. It is classified as a probable human carcinogen, and developmental toxicity has been observed in rodents. OBJECTIVES: We examined the associations between prenatal exposure to acrylamide and birth outcomes in a prospective European mother-child study. METHODS: Hemoglobin (Hb) adducts of acrylamide and its metabolite glycidamide were measured in cord blood (reflecting cumulated exposure in the last months of pregnancy) from 1,101 singleton pregnant women recruited in Denmark, England, Greece, Norway, and Spain during 2006-2010. Maternal diet was estimated through food-frequency questionnaires. RESULTS: Both acrylamide and glycidamide Hb adducts were associated with a statistically significant reduction in birth weight and head circumference. The estimated difference in birth weight for infants in the highest versus lowest quartile of acrylamide Hb adduct levels after adjusting for gestational age and country was -132 g (95% CI: -207, -56); the corresponding difference for head circumference was -0.33 cm (95% CI: -0.61, -0.06). Findings were similar in infants of nonsmokers, were consistent across countries, and remained after adjustment for factors associated with reduced birth weight. Maternal consumption of foods rich in acrylamide, such as fried potatoes, was associated with cord blood acrylamide adduct levels and with reduced birth weight. CONCLUSIONS: Dietary exposure to acrylamide was associated with reduced birth weight and head circumference. Consumption of specific foods during pregnancy was associated with higher acrylamide exposure in utero. If confirmed, these findings suggest that dietary intake of acrylamide should be reduced among pregnant women.