• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.755-761
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• 2005

Blood samples were collected from eight native Japanese breeds of chickens (Miyadi-dori, Ohiki, Onaga-dori, Shoukoku, Tosa-Jidori, Tosa-Kukin, Toutenkou and Uzurao) and two foreign breeds of chickens (White Leghorn and Rhode Island Red) to examine the genetic variability and relationships among the breeds by using a microsatellite DNA technique. Except for the Shoukoku breed, the other Japanese chicken breeds all originate from Kochi Prefecture. Ohiki, Onaga-dori, Tosa-Jidori, Toutenkou and Uzurao are fancy fowl, and Miyadi-dori and Tosa-Kukin are utility fowl. Among the fancy fowl, Ohiki, Onaga-dori, and Toutenkou males have thick and long feathers in the saddle and tail. Genetic variabilities of the 20 microsatellites examined, varied depending on the breed: the mean number of alleles per locus ranged from 2.05 (Miyadi-dori) to 3.90 (Rhode Island Red); proportion of polymorphic loci ranged from 0.75 (Miyadi-dori) to 1.00 (Rhode Island Red, Shoukoku and Uzurao); and mean expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.330 (Miyadi-dori) to 0.607 (Rhode Island Red). Unique microsatellite alleles were detected in each breed. Using the neighbour-joining method, phylogenetic trees were constructed based on the genetic distances of D$_{A}$ and D$_{ST}$. Among the breeds originating from Kochi Prefecture, fancy and utility breeds belonged to different clusters. Among the fancy breeds, those having thick and long feathers in the tail and saddle showed a close genetic relationship to the Shoukoku breed, which also has thick and long feathers in the tail and saddle.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.598-604
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• 2009

This work was carried out to study the carcass characteristics, the chemical composition and the fatty acid profile in Longissimus muscle (LM) of bull breeds Nellore, NEL (11), Caracu, CAR (12) and Holstein-Friesian, HFR (12) finished in a feedlot. The bulls were fed twice a day with corn silage, cotton meal, cracked corn, urea, limestone and mineral salt. NEL and CAR bulls had similar (p>0.05) final weight and hot carcass weight. However, NEL and CAR bulls had higher (p<0.05) final weight and hot carcass weight than HFR bulls. Carcass hot dressing, carcass conformation, cushion thickness, Longissimus muscle area and texture were similar (p>0.05) among NEL, CAR and HFR bulls. NEL and HFR bulls had higher (p<0.05) carcass length in comparison to the CAR breed. Nellore breed had higher (p<0.05) leg length in comparison to CAR and HFR breeds. Leg length was similar (p>0.05) between CAR and HFR breeds. Thickness fat, color and marbling score were lower (p<0.05) in NEL breed in comparison to CAR and HFR breeds. LM of NEL bulls had higher (p<0.05) meat moisture content in comparison to CAR and HFR bulls. In contrast, lipid content was lower (p<0.10) in HFR bulls. LM ash and crude protein contents were similar (p>0.05) among breeds. Saturated fatty acids (SFA) were higher (p<0.10) in HFR animals. Monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), n-6, n-3 and PUFA/SFA ratio were similar (p>0.05) among the different breeds. N-6/n-3 ratio was higher (p<0.05) in CAR animals.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.26 no.10
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• pp.1496-1503
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• 2013

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of municipal abattoir conditions and animal factors on avoidance-related behaviour (AB) of sheep at slaughter, bleeding times (BT) and mutton quality. The behaviour of 66 castrates and 19 ewes of different age categories was observed at three stages of slaughter. Higher behaviour scores indicated higher levels of AB. Time intervals between the start of blood flow and the time the flow changed from a constant stream into drips were recorded as BT. Thirty two meat samples were obtained to measure quality variables. These were colour ($L^*$, $a^*$ and $b^*$), $pH_{24}$, temperature, cooking loss (CL) and tenderness. Correlations were determined between BT and meat quality variables. Animal behaviour at slaughter differed with breed, gender and age group. Avoidance behaviour was higher in the Dorper breed than in both the Merino breed and their crosses. It was also higher in younger (<10 months) lambs than in older sheep. Castrates were more aggressive or in panic than ewes. Castrates had longer ($72.6{\pm}0.53s$) BT than the ewes ($63.6{\pm}2.82s$). Ewes had higher CL ($39.8{\pm}1.04%$) values than castrates ($35.1{\pm}0.95%$). Meat from castrates was tougher ($32.6{\pm}1.95N$) than the meat from ewes ($24.3{\pm}1.16N$). There were no significant correlations obtained between BT and meat quality variables. It can therefore be concluded that abattoir conditions, breed, age and gender had an effect on AB at slaughter. Gender had an effect on BT and mutton quality.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.508-514
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• 2013

Taste-active compounds (e.g., amino acids and nucleotides) play an important role in contribution to the gustatoty sensation of food. The current study aimed to examine the differences in taste-active compounds between different beef muscles, breeds and aging periods. We have chosen the longissimus dorsi and semitendinosus muscles of Hanwoo breed and longissimus dorsi muscle of Angus breed for the investigation of the aforementioned compounds. Hanwoo muscles were aged for 7 or 28 d, and Angus samples were aged for 28 d at $4^{\circ}C$. Results revealed that 8 out of the 18 detected free amino acids (FAA) showed significant (p<0.05) differences between the two Hanwoo muscles. Twelve FAAs showed aging effect (p<0.05) in which the amounts of 8 FAAs significantly increased as aging time increased. Inosine 5-monophosphate (IMP), hypoxanthine (Hx) and inosine showed significant (p<0.05) differences between the Hanwoo muscles, aging resulted in an increase in amounts of these nucleotides. Hanwoo beef had significantly (p<0.05) higher total amount of sweet amino acids than the Angus ones in that 15 amino acids showed differences (p<0.05) between the two breeds. Amounts of guanosine 5-monophosphate (GMP) and Hx were significantly higher (p<0.05) for Angus beef. Current study indicated that muscle type, breed and aging period had large variations in free amino acid and nucleotide contents, which may subsequently affect the taste attributes of cooked beef.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.34 no.11
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• pp.1849-1858
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• 2021

Objective: Tenderness is a very complex feature, and the process of its formation is very complicated and not fully understood. Its diversification is one of the most important problems of beef production, as a result beef aging is widely used to improve tenderness as it is believed to provide a homogeneous product to consumers. While few studies have evaluated the muscle structure properties in relation to tenderness from early post-mortem, there little to no information available on how the muscle nanostructure of beef carcasses changes during post-mortem ageing to determine the appropriate aging time for acceptable tenderness. Methods: Muscle nanostructure (myofibril diameter [MYD], myofibril spacing [MYS], muscle fibre diameter [MFD], muscle fibre spacing [MFS], and sarcomere length [SL]), meat tenderness and cooking loss [CL]) were measured on 20 A2 longissimus muscles of Bonsmara, Beefmaster, Hereford, and Simbra at 45_mins, 1, 3, and 7 days post-slaughter. Muscle nanostructure was measured using a scanning electron microscope, while tenderness was measured using Warner Bratzler shear force. Results: At 45 minutes post-slaughter, breed affected MYD and MYS only, while at 24_hrs it also affected MFD and MFS. On day 3 breed effected MFS and SL, while on day 7 breed effected tenderness only. As the muscles matured, both MYD and MYS decreased while CL increased, and the muscles became tender. There was no uniformity on muscle texture features (surface structure, fibre separation, muscle contraction, and relaxation) throughout the ageing period. Conclusion: Meat tenderness can be directly linked to breed related myofibril structure changes during aging in particular the MYD, spacing between myofibrils and their interaction; while the MFD, spacing between muscle fibres, SL, and CL explain the non-uniformity in beef tenderness.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.100-106
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• 2022

The center of rotation of angulation-based leveling osteotomy (CBLO) has been introduced for the stabilization of cranial cruciate ligament rupture (CCLR) in small-breed dogs. This technique can be applied to the tibia without damaging its tuberosity. Although different designs of CBLO plates are available, tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO) plates have been still used for stabilization during CBLO. To the best of our knowledge, no studies have reported the effects of TPLO plates on the postoperative limb alignment after CBLO. Therefore, the present study (January 2020 to February 2021) aimed to compare the postoperative outcomes (postoperative tibial plateau angle [TPA] and tibial alignment) in patients receiving CBLO and TPLO plates during CBLO. Paired stifle joints (n = 16) were obtained from eight toy-breed cadaver dogs (mean weight, 4.4 kg) that underwent CBLO. The joints were randomly assigned to receive the CBLO (CBLO group) or TPLO plates (TPLO group). Pre-and postoperative radiographs were obtained, and the dissected tibiae were evaluated. The following postoperative parameters were compared to evaluate the surgical outcome: TPA, osteotomy location, mechanical medial proximal tibia angle, inter-segment gap, and tibial plateau translation. No significant differences were found in the postoperative alignment between the two groups. Therefore, TPLO plates may be considered as a viable alternative in toy-breed dogs undergoing CBLO.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.91-97
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• 2015

Amphiregulin (AREG), a glycoprotein that is a member of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) family, is expressed by the porcine conceptus and endometrium. AREG genotypes were determined based on an SNP in the intron 3 of the gene. Contradictory effects of AREG genotypes on reproductive traits in different pig breeds were reported previously. G allele had undesirable effect on reproductive trait in Meishan breed, while it had favorable effects in Polish Landrace and Large White. We determined AREG genotypes of 179 pigs including the Duroc, Landrace, Yorkshire, Korean native pig (KNP), and Meishan breeds. Two new SNPs were identified near the previously reported SNP in the intron 3 of AREG. Frequencies of AREG alleles among the Duroc, Landrace, Yorkshire, and KNP sows were significantly different (p<0.001), indicating association between AREG genotypes and pig breeds. The first parity litter size was significantly affected by the breeds (p=0.014), but not by AREG genotypes (p=0.148). However, there were breed and AREG genotype associated trends in the first parity litter size. The first parity litter size appeared to be higher in Duroc and KNP sows with G allele, while it appeared to be lower in Landrace sows with G allele. Significant variability of AREG alleles among pig breeds, for the first time in Duroc and KNP sows, was identified. AREG genotypes may influence reproductive traits differentially for each breed and thus, AREG genotypes may need to be considered when sows are bred to increase litter size.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.336-342
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• 2009

Avian embryos at high altitude are independent of maternal protection against hypoxia, which is contrary to mammals. It is well known that chronic hypoxic exposure at key points can significantly impact on avian development. Tibetan Chicken, a Chinese indigenous breed, living in Tibetan areas with an altitude of 2.2 to 4.1 thousand meters, has an adaptive mechanism to hypoxia. In the present study, fertilized eggs of Tibetan Chicken were incubated under 13% and 21% oxygen concentration. Two lowland chicken breeds, Shouguang Chicken, an indigenous chicken breed in Shandong Province of China, and Dwarf Recessive White Chicken, an imported breed in Beijing, were used as control groups. The embryo mass and some organs such as brain, heart, liver, stomach and eye weight in the three species were measured at Hamburger-Hamilton stage 39, 41, 43 and 45 under hypoxic and normal conditions. The results showed that in hypoxia Tibetan Chicken significantly differed from the two lowland chicken breeds in embryo mass at Hamburger-Hamilton stage 41, 43 and 45 (p<0.01). In particular, Dwarf Recessive White Chicken and Shouguang Chicken showed retarded growth in hypoxic incubation (p<0.01), whereas Tibetan Chicken showed no significant difference between hypoxic and normal conditions (p>0.05). In addition, heart and the other organs showed different susceptibility to hypoxia at the studied stages. In conclusion, chronic hypoxia induced a change in the embryo development of the three different species and Tibetan Chicken showed adaptation to hypoxia. Of note, the embryo developmental physiology of Tibetan Chicken in response to hypoxia will shed light on the process of physiological acclimation or evolutionary adaptation as well as the study of clinical disease.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.69-73
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• 2011

The use of genomic information in genomic selection programs for dairy and beef cattle breeds has become a reality in recent years. In this investigation, we analyzed single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for Hanwoo (n=50) and Holstein (n=50) breeds using the Illumina Bovine SNP50 BeadChip to facilitate genomic selection and utilization of the Hanwoo breed in Korea. Analysis of the entire genomes showed different spectra of SNP frequencies for Hanwoo and Holstein cattle. The study revealed a highly significant (p<0.001) difference between Hanwoo and Holstein cattle in minor allele frequency (MAF). The average MAFs were $0.19{\pm}0.16$ and $0.22{\pm}0.16$ for Hanwoo and Holstein, respectively. From the total of 52,337 SNPs that were successfully identified, about 72% and 79% were polymorphic in Hanwoos and Holsteins, respectively. Polymorphic and fixed SNPs were not distributed uniformly across the chromosomes within breeds or between the two breeds. The number of fixed SNPs on all chromosomes was higher in Hanwoo cattle, reflecting the genetic uniqueness of the Hanwoo breed. In general, the rate of polymorphisms detected in these two breeds suggests that the SNPs can be used for different applications, such as whole-genome association and comparative genetic studies, and are a helpful tool in developing breed identification genetic markers.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.32 no.8
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• pp.1069-1076
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• 2019

Objective: Yunnan is not only a frontier zone that connects China with South and Southeast Asia, but also represents an admixture zone between taurine (Bos taurus) and zebu (Bos indicus) cattle. The purpose of this study is to understand the level of genomic diversity and the extent of admixture in each Yunnan native cattle breed. Methods: All 120 individuals were genotyped using Illumina BovineHD BeadChip (777,962 single nucleotide polymorphisms [SNPs]). Quality control and genomic diversity indexes were calculated using PLINK software. The principal component analysis (PCA) was assessed using SMARTPCA program implemented in EIGENSOFT software. The ADMIXTURE software was used to reveal admixture patterns among breeds. Results: A total of 604,630 SNPs was obtained after quality control procedures. Among six breeds, the highest level of mean heterozygosity was found in Zhaotong cattle from Northeastern Yunnan, whereas the lowest level of heterozygosity was detected in Dehong humped cattle from Western Yunnan. The PCA based on a pruned dataset of 233,788 SNPs clearly separated Dehong humped cattle (supposed to be a pure zebu breed) from other five breeds. The admixture analysis further revealed two clusters (K = 2 with the lowest cross validation error), corresponding to taurine and zebu cattle lineages. All six breeds except for Dehong humped cattle showed different degrees of admixture between taurine and zebu cattle. As expected, Dehong humped cattle showed no signature of taurine cattle influence. Conclusion: Overall, considerable genomic diversity was found in six Yunnan native cattle breeds except for Dehong humped cattle from Western Yunnan. Dehong humped cattle is a pure zebu breed, while other five breeds had admixed origins with different extents of admixture between taurine and zebu cattle. Such admixture by crossbreeding between zebu and taurine cattle facilitated the spread of zebu cattle from tropical and subtropical regions to other highland regions in Yunnan.