This study investigated the effect of kernel hardness, processing method, and their interaction on particle size, dry matter (DM) disappearance (DMD), and fermentation characteristics of wheat grain in batch cultures. The study was a completely randomized design with 3 wheat classifications (soft, medium, hard) × 3 processing methods (grinding, dry- and temper-rolling). Fifty-five wheat samples were characterized for chemical traits and classified for kernel hardness. Samples were either ground through 1-mm screen, dry-rolled or temper-rolled to a constant processing index (PI) of 0.80. In vitro gas production (GP) kinetics, fermentation characteristics and DMD at 6, 24 and 48 h of incubation were measured. Crude protein (CP) (g/kg) was lower and starch (g/kg) was higher for soft than medium and hard wheat. The PSD of rolled wheat was affected (P < 0.01) by a wheat hardness × processing interaction. With dry 

The study objective was to evaluate the effects of fennel seeds (Foeniculum vulgare) as a dietary additive on some behaviors, fear response, performance, carcass traits, serum metabolites and economic efficiency of male fayoumi chickens. For this purpose, 60 birds of 28 days of age were divided into control group and three treatment groups. Each group (5 birds x 3 replicates). The fennel seeds were added to the treatment diets at concentrations of 0.4, 0.8, and 1.2%, respectively. Result showed that, fennel seeds treated groups had significant difference (P<0.05), and showed higher feed intake, ingestive and comfort behavior, production efficiency index, body weight, weight gain, relative economic efficiency, serum total protein and globulin. While, had lower aggressive behavior and fear response than birds on fennel free diet. On the other hand, no changes in feed conversion, relative growth rate, dressing percentage and internal organ relative weight, serum calcium and phosphorus levels due to fennel addition. It could be concluded, that fennel seeds have a growth stimulatory effect, improving behavior, fear response, economic efficiency and general health

Background: Evaluation of mineral profiles including essential and toxic elements in dairy cows provides fundamental information for bovine practitioners during regular herd supervision and monitoring. The present research was designed to investigate the variations of mineral profiles in different blood specimens of dairy cows at different lactation stages.

Methods: This study was divided into two parts: the first included 32 cows, which were classified into four groups according to their lactation stages, and the second involved 10 cows at mid-lactation. The concentrations of copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), selenium (Se), manganese (Mn), barium (Ba), strontium (Sr), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), total phosphorous (P), sulfur (S), cobalt (Co), silicon (Si), lithium (Li), nickel (Ni), thallium (Tl), boron (B), aluminum (Al), uranium (U), and arsenic (As) were measured in serum, ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) plasma, heparin plasma, and EDTA whole blood samples.

Results: The concentrations of Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn, Ba, and Sr showed significant variations among the dairy cows of different lactation stages (p < 0.05). Strong regressions were determined between the mineral concentrations in individual and pooled samples (R² = 0.991, p = 0.000). In comparison to other blood sample types, the concentration of Cu, Ba, and Sr was higher in EDTA plasma (p < 0.000). In addition, the values of Zn, Se, Fe, and Mn were significantly increased in heparin and EDTA whole blood samples. Concentrations of Ca and Mg, and P were higher in EDTA plasma, and EDTA whole blood samples, respectively. Furthermore, the mean values of Si, Li, Ni, and Tl showed significant increases in EDTA plasma, while S values were higher in EDTA whole blood samples (p < 0.000). Concentrations of Al and U exhibited significant increases in serum samples (p < 0.000).

Conclusion: Concentrations of Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn, Ba, and Sr undergo physiological variations among dairy cows at different lactation stages. Therefore, caution should be taken during assessment of these minerals. The concentrations of essential and toxic elements, as well as Ca, P, Mg, and S, varied among the different blood sample specimens, indicating their interpretations should be based on this regard. During dairy herd supervision, the use of pool sample, instead of individual ones, for determination of mineral status may be promising to minimize the costs of individual sample measurements. In general, EDTA plasma may be more suitable for measurements of Ca, Mg, P, and S. It seems that EDTA plasma and heparinized plasma are suited for the estimation of Se and Fe, respectively.

Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is an economically important viral disease of goats and sheep. The
disease is confused clinically with other infections such as the mild strain of rinderpest in small ruminants. Effective control measures for PPR need that a proper and rapid diagnostic technique of disease. Therefore, the use of reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to detect suspected field samples collected from diseased goats and sheep in Dammam city, Kingdom of Saudia Arabia (KSA) has helped to give an effective diagnosis that was needed to control measure of the spread of the disease. This assay is based on the rapid purification of RNA on glass beads followed by the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT PCR). The primers (NP3/NP4) were used to amplify specifically a fragment of about 350 bp, that technique has a more specific and sensitive method for rapid diagnosis of disease.
 

The present study was carried out to investigate the epidemiological and clinical status of bovine Theileriosis in the Aswan governorate. During a 2-year study, 265 cattle were clinically suspected upon careful clinical examination as Theileria annulata (T. annulata) infected animals. Conventional diagnosis based on blood and lymph smears
examinations showed that, the prevalence of Tropical Theileriosis in cattle in the Aswan governorate was 56 (21.13%). Stained blood smears showed the presence of macro and/or micro-schizonts inside lymphocytes (Koch’s blue bodies. Intraerythrocytic stages of Theileria annulata piroplasms inside RBCs. Polymerase chain reactions of T. annulata merozoite-piroplasms surface antigen Targeting gene: (Tams-1), revealed positive 29 (58%) animals confirmed by visualization of specific bands at 768 bp. Positive results could be detected in suspected cattle that showed positive or negative blood smear results that confirmed the high sensitivity of the
PCR technique compared with the conventional method for diagnosis of bovine tropical Theileriosis. PCR proved to be a highly sensitive and accurate method for the diagnosis of bovine tropical theileriosis, especially in the detection of samples that were negative on blood and lymph smears.
 

Background: Bovine besnoitiosis is a widespread disease caused by Besnoitia besnoiti with significant economic
losses in cattle production. There is a lack of knowledge about it in Egypt.
Aim: This study was conducted to detect the seroprevalence of B. besnoiti in cattle and to find out the presence of the
disease and the most important symptoms of besnoitiosis in cattle in Assiut Governorate, Egypt.
Methods: A total of 190 cattle from Assiut city and its different rural centers were examined clinically and serologically
for the presence of B. besnoiti. The serological examination was carried out by using the indirect enzyme-linked
immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit in serum (ID.Vet Innovative Diagnostics Louis Pasteur. Grabeis, France). The
results were analyzed statistically using the chi-square test to assess the association between seroprevalence and
different parameters (age, sex, season, housing, and health status).
Result: Thirteen cattle were seropositive for B. besnoiti by ELISA and showed symptoms of besnoitiosis. Acute
symptoms included fever, tachycardia, edematous swellings of intermandibular space and limbs with polyarthritis,
diarrhea, ruminal atony, and enlarged lymph nodes. The chronic symptoms included cough, mastitis, exophthalmia,
cysts on the sclera and conjunctiva, nodules in the skin, and alopecia associated with tick infestation. The overall
seroprevalence of B. besnoiti was 22.1%. Regarding sex, the seroprevalence was higher for females 34.6% than for
males 6.97%. While, according to age susceptibility, the seroprevalence was highest (50.9%) with age ≥5 years,
followed by age >1 to <5 years (14.6%), and only one animal of age ≤1 year was recorded at 2.2%. Concerning seasonal
variations, the seroprevalence was highest in spring 42.9%, followed by autumn 29.3%, winter 13.6%, and summer
7.5%. Whereas, according to the housing system, it was 60% and 8.6% in farm and household rearing, respectively.
Depending on the health status, the seroprevalence was 21.6% of clinically healthy and 23.2% of clinically diseased
cattle.
Conclusion: The existence of B. besnoiti antibodies has been demonstrated in clinical and subclinical infected cattle
in Assiut Governorate, Egypt. The ELISA test is considered to be a good diagnostic method for detecting infection.
Furthermore, additional studies are essential to minimize and prevent the spread of infection.

Men with non-obstructive azoospermia constitute a challenging subgroup of male infertility patients in whom a genetic cause of defective spermatogenesis may be a contributing factor. The aim of this prospective observational cohort study was to determine whether assessment of meiotic nuclear division 1 (MND1) and glyc‑ eraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) gene expression (MND1/GAPDH) in testicular tissue could be a prognostic indicator for sperm retrieval and ICSI outcome in patients with non-obstructive azoospermia. The study participants underwent clinical evaluation, conventional semen analysis, serum follicular stimulating hormone (FSH), testosterone assay, scrotal ultrasound examination, microsurgical testicular sperm extraction (mTESE), and assess‑ ment of MND1/GAPDH gene expression levels in testicular tissue via quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) techniques