| metabolomic study of fatty livers in ducks: identification by 1h-nmr of metabolic markers associated with technological quality. | the control of fatty liver fat loss during cooking is a major issue. previous studies showed that fat loss was influenced by bird production factors and liver technological treatments. however, part of the variability in fat loss remained uncontrolled. to provide enhanced insights into the determinism of fatty liver quality, liver hydrophilic metabolite profiles were measured by nuclear magnetic resonance of the proton ((1)h-nmr). the study aimed at i) comparing fatty livers with extreme fat los ... | 2014 | 24879704 |
| the complete mitochondrial genome of the jingxi duck (anas platyrhynchos). | the entire mitochondrial genome of jingxi duck from china was 16,603 bp in length, and has been analyzed for gene locations, length, start codons and stop codons. with the base composition of 29.20% for a, 22.19% for t, 32.82% for c, 15.79% for g, so the percentage of a and t (51.39%) was slightly higher than those of g and c. the jingxi duck mitochondrial genome contained two ribosomal rna genes, 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer rna genes and one non-coding control region (d-loop region). t ... | 2016 | 24865900 |
| assessment of lead exposure in waterfowl species, korea. | lead concentrations were analyzed in white-fronted geese (anser albifrons, n = 15), mallards (anas platyrhynchos, n = 4), and spot-billed ducks (a. poecilorhyncha, n = 13) found dead near gimpo, korea, to determine tissue- and species-specific lead concentration differences and to assess the effect of embedded lead shot. in livers, kidneys, and bones (tarsus), mallards and spot-billed ducks with embedded shot had greater lead concentrations than white-fronted geese and spot-billed ducks without ... | 2014 | 24854704 |
| determination and analysis of complete mitochondrial genome sequence of peking duck (anas platyrhychos). | the complete mitochondrial genome (mtdna) of peking duck (anas platyrhychos) was determined. the entire genome was 16,604 bp in length. similar to the typical mtdna of vertebrates, it contained 37 genes (13 protein-coding genes, 2 rrna genes, 22 trna genes) and a non-coding region (d-loop). the characteristics of the mitochondrial genome was analyzed and discussed in detail. | 2016 | 24810072 |
| hypothalamic protein profiles associated with inhibited feed intake of ducks fed with insufficient dietary arginine. | an experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of arginine on feed intake regulation. one hundred and twenty six 1-day-old male white pekin ducks (anas platyrhynchos domestica) were randomly were allotted to one of two dietary treatments. the birds were fed diets containing 0.71% (deficient) or 1.27% (sufficient) arginine for 3 weeks. at 21 days of age, feed intake was determined and hypothalamic protein profiles were analyzed using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification t ... | 2014 | 24804691 |
| mallard duck (anas platyrhynchos)-mediated dispersal of lemnaceae: a contributing factor in the spread of invasive lemna minuta? | our ability to predict and manage the spread of alien, invasive plants is limited by a lack of understanding of dispersal potential. invasive lemna minuta has spread within a few decennia throughout europe. however, the mechanism by which the species continues to spread remains a matter of speculation. in this study, hypothesised epizoochorous transport of l. minuta propagules by mallard ducks was investigated. landolt (biosystematic investigations in the family of duckweeds (lemnaceae) (vol. 2) ... | 2015 | 24802728 |
| effects of heat stress on antioxidant defense system, inflammatory injury, and heat shock proteins of muscovy and pekin ducks: evidence for differential thermal sensitivities. | rising temperatures are severely affecting the mortality, laying performance, and meat quality of duck. our aim was to investigate the effect of acute heat stress on the expression of heat shock proteins (hsps: hsp90, 70, 60, 40, and 10) and inflammatory factors (nitric oxide synthase (inos), cyclooxygenase-2 (cox-2)) and antioxidant enzyme activity (superoxide dismutase (sod), malondialdehybe (mda), catalase (cat), total antioxidant capacity (t-aoc)) in livers of ducks and to compare the therma ... | 2014 | 24796798 |
| development of skeletal muscle and expression of myogenic regulatory factors during embryonic development in jinding ducks (anas platyrhynchos domestica). | the important roles of myogenic regulatory factors (mrf) in mammalian skeletal myogenesis have been well studied, but few equivalent studies have been performed in poultry. the expression pattern of mrf during the embryonic development of skeletal muscle in ducks remains unknown. in this study, we identified myf5, myf6, myod, and myogenin genes in jinding ducks (anas platyrhynchos domestica) and quantified their expression levels in breast muscle (bm) and leg muscle (lm) at embryonic d 13, 17, 2 ... | 2014 | 24795314 |
| avian bornavirus in free-ranging waterfowl: prevalence of antibodies and cloacal shedding of viral rna. | we surveyed free-ranging canada geese (branta canadensis), trumpeter swans (cygnus buccinator), mute swans (cygnus olor), and mallards (anas platyrhynchos) to estimate the prevalence of antibodies to avian bornavirus (abv) and of cloacal shedding of abv rna in southern ontario, canada. blood samples and cloacal swabs were collected from 206 free-ranging canada geese, 135 trumpeter swans, 75 mute swans, and 208 mallards at 10 main capture sites between october 2010 and may 2012. sera were assesse ... | 2014 | 24779463 |
| biomimicry of multifunctional nanostructures in the neck feathers of mallard (anas platyrhynchos l.) drakes. | biological systems serve as fundamental sources of inspiration for the development of artificially colored devices, and their investigation provides a great number of photonic design opportunities. while several successful biomimetic designs have been detailed in the literature, conventional fabrication techniques nonetheless remain inferior to their natural counterparts in complexity, ease of production and material economy. here, we investigate the iridescent neck feathers of anas platyrhyncho ... | 2014 | 24751587 |
| molecular characterization and phylogenetic analysis of h3 subtype avian influenza viruses isolated from domestic ducks in zhejiang province in china. | in 2013, 15 avian influenza viruses (aivs), h3n2 (n = 7), h3n3 (n = 3), h3n6 (n = 3), and h3n8 (n = 2), were isolated from domestic ducks in zhejiang province in china. these strains were characterized by whole genome sequencing with subsequent phylogenetic analysis and genetic comparison. phylogenetic analysis of all eight viral genes showed that these strains clustered in the aiv eurasian lineage. analysis of the neuraminidase (na) gene indicates that a re-assortment event between h3 and h9n2 ... | 2014 | 24748106 |
| isolation, culture and differentiation of duck (anas platyrhynchos) preadipocytes. | in the present study, we isolated preadipocytes from the adipose tissue of peking duck and subsequently cultured them in vitro. cell counting kit-8 assay was employed to establish the growth curve of duck primary preadipocytes. meanwhile, after the cells reaching full confluency, they were induced to differentiate into mature adipocytes by the addition of a cocktail containing dexamethasone, insulin, 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine, and oleic acid for 8 days. successful differentiation was demonstra ... | 2015 | 24696190 |
| isolation and characterization of a neisseria strain from the liver of a chinese peking duck. | a neisseria strain, neisseria sp. ah-n10, was isolated from liver of a chinese peking duck and characterized using a number of phenotypic and genotypic approaches. based on scanning electron microscopy examination, the isolated strain has the typical structure of neisseria species. sequence comparison of 16s rrna gene and phylogenetic analysis suggest that neisseria sp. ah-n10 is closely related to neisseria canis, which was previously isolated from a human dog bite wound. animal infection exper ... | 2014 | 24681266 |
| risks of avian influenza transmission in areas of intensive free-ranging duck production with wild waterfowl. | for decades, southern china has been considered to be an important source for emerging influenza viruses since key hosts live together in high densities in areas with intensive agriculture. however, the underlying conditions of emergence and spread of avian influenza viruses (aiv) have not been studied in detail, particularly the complex spatiotemporal interplay of viral transmission between wild and domestic ducks, two major actors of aiv epidemiology. in this synthesis, we examine the risks of ... | 2014 | 24652313 |
| prevalence and diversity of avian haematozoan parasites in wetlands of bangladesh. | the parasites of genera haemoproteus, plasmodium, and leucocytozoon are well-known avian haematozoa and can cause declined productivity and high mortality in wild birds. the objective of the study was to record the prevalence of haematozoan parasites in a wide range of wetland birds in bangladesh. six species of haemoproteus, seven species of plasmodium, one unidentified species of leucocytozoon, and one unidentified microfilaria of the genus paronchocerca were found. data on the morphology, siz ... | 2014 | 24587896 |
| comparison of the metal concentrations in organs of two bird species from western of iran. | this study was conducted to measure the concentration of several elements (cd, pb, cu, and zn) in organs of coot, fulica atra, and mallard, anas platyrhynchos, in order to: (1) determine the significant between metal concentrations in different organs (kidney, liver, pectoral muscle, and feather), (2) to evaluate species differences in metal exposure and accumulation, and (3) to study gender-related trends in metal accumulation. the metal concentrations in organs of f. atra and a. platyrhynchos ... | 2014 | 24584267 |
| effects of breeder age on mineral contents and weight of yolk sac, embryo development, and hatchability in pekin ducks. | the current study was carried out to investigate the effects of breeder age on egg composition, changes of embryo, yolk sac, and yolk minerals during incubation and hatchability in pekin ducks. a total of 495 freshly laid eggs were obtained from the same flock of pekin ducks, aged 28, 34, and 40 wk, and were reared in accordance with the management guide of the duck breeders (star 53-grimaud freres). at each breeder age, egg measurements were made on a random subsample of unincubated eggs. embry ... | 2014 | 24570471 |
| lincoln estimates of mallard (anas platyrhynchos) abundance in north america. | estimates of range-wide abundance, harvest, and harvest rate are fundamental for sound inferences about the role of exploitation in the dynamics of free-ranging wildlife populations, but reliability of existing survey methods for abundance estimation is rarely assessed using alternative approaches. north american mallard populations have been surveyed each spring since 1955 using internationally coordinated aerial surveys, but population size can also be estimated with lincoln's method using ban ... | 2014 | 24558569 |
| expression of insulin-like growth factor system genes in liver tissue during embryonic and early post-hatch development in duck (anas platyrhynchos domestica). | the igf system is one of the most important endocrine and paracrine growth factor systems that regulate fetal and placental growth, whereas the liver is the principal source of circulation igf-i. in the present study, expression of igf-i, igf type-i receptor (igf-ir), and igf binding protein (igfbp)-3 genes was quantified by rt-pcr in the liver tissue on days 13, 17, 21, 25, and 27 of embryonic development, as well as at 7 days post-hatching (ph) in meat-type gaoyou ducks and egg-type jinding du ... | 2014 | 24555793 |
| identification and profiling of micrornas in the embryonic breast muscle of pekin duck. | micrornas (mirnas) regulate gene expression by fully or partially binding to complementary sequences and play important roles in skeletal muscle development. however, the roles of mirnas in embryonic breast muscle of duck are unclear. in this study, we analyzed the mirnas profiling in embryonic breast muscle of pekin duck at e13 (the 13(th) day of hatching), e19, and e27 by high-throughput sequencing. a total of 382 mirnas including 359 preciously identified mirnas 23 novel mirna candidates were ... | 2014 | 24465928 |
| sequence and phylogenetic analysis of h2n7 avian influenza viruses isolated from domestic ducks in zhejiang province, eastern china, 2013. | two h2n7 avian influenza viruses (aivs) were isolated from domestic ducks in live poultry markets in zhejiang province, eastern china, 2013. all viruses were characterized by whole-genome sequencing with subsequent phylogenetic analysis and genetic comparison. phylogenetic analysis of all eight viral genes showed that the viruses clustered in the eurasian lineage of aivs and originated from genes reassortment among different viruses co-circulating in domestic ducks in eastern china. the hemagglu ... | 2014 | 24442671 |
| effects of the regulation of follistatin mrna expression by igf-1 in duck (anas platyrhynchos) skeletal muscle. | the igf-1 and tgf-β pathways have been shown to be involved in regulating muscle development. many mediators that are associated with the regulation of muscle development have been found to participate in the cross-talk between these two pathways. to research the relationships between igf-1 and the follistatin-mediated tgf-β pathways in duck skeletal muscle development, a series of studies were conducted. the results showed that follistatin had similar expression patterns to igf-1 during duck em ... | 2014 | 24429073 |
| phylogenetic analysis between domestic and wild duck species in korea using mtdna d-loop sequences. | recently, the consumption of duck meat has increased; therefore, we need to reveal the origin and gene flow of domestic ducks in korea. in order to discriminate between duck species, d-loop variations in mitochondrial dna (mtdna) have been investigated. in this study, 45 individuals from seven species of wild and domestic ducks in korea were considered for the d-loop region sequences. with the participation of all the sequences, a phylogenetic neighbor-joining tree was constructed to differentia ... | 2014 | 24415297 |
| unraveling molecular mechanistic differences in liver metabolism between lean and fat lines of pekin duck (anas platyrhynchos domestica): a proteomic study. | duck is one of the major poultry meat sources for human consumption. to satisfy different eating habits, lean and fat strains of pekin ducks have been developed. the objective of this study was to determine the molecular mechanistic differences in liver metabolism between two duck strains. the liver proteome of the pekin duck lines was compared on days 1, 14, 28, and 42 posthatching using 2-de based proteomics. there was a different abundance of 76 proteins in the livers of the two duck lines. f ... | 2014 | 24412807 |
| complete mitochondrial genome of the indian peafowl (pavo cristatus), with phylogenetic analysis in phasianidae. | pavo cristatus, known as the indian peafowl, is endemic to india and sri lanka and has been domesticated for its ornamental and food value. however, its phylogenetic status is still debated. here, to clarify the phylogenetic status of p. cristatus within phasianidae, we analyzed its mitochondrial genome (mtdna). the complete mitochondrial dna (mtdna) genome was determined using 34 pairs of primers. our data show that the mtdna genome of p. cristatus is 16,686 bp in length. molecular phylogenetic ... | 2015 | 24409883 |
| developmental characteristics of pectoralis muscle in pekin duck embryos. | to confirm the entire developmental process and transition point of embryonic pekin duck pectoral muscle, and to investigate the association between pectoral muscle development and their regulating genes, anatomical and morphological analyses of embryonic pekin duck skeletal muscles were performed, and the expression patterns of its regulating genes were investigated. the anatomical analysis revealed that body weight increased with age, while increases in pectoral muscle weight nearly ceased aft ... | 2013 | 24391014 |
| cross-sectional serosurvey of avian influenza antibodies presence in domestic ducks of kathmandu, nepal. | kathmandu, nepal has been classified as a high-risk area for highly pathogenic avian influenza (hpai) by the nepali government. while ducks have an important role in the transmission of avian influenza viruses (aiv), including hpai, seroprevalence of antibodies to aiv in domestic ducks of kathmandu has never been assessed. the objectives of this study were (i) to estimate the prevalence of seroconversion to aiv in domestic ducks in major duck-raising areas of kathmandu and (ii) to assess the eff ... | 2014 | 24382012 |
| three-dimensional structure and disposition of the air conducting and gas exchange conduits of the avian lung: the domestic duck (cairina moschata). | the anatomy of the domestic duck lung was studied macroscopically, by casting and by light, transmission, and scanning electron microscopy. the lung had four categories of secondary bronchi (sb), namely, the medioventral (mv, 4-5), laterodorsal (ld, 6-10), lateroventral (lv, 2-4), and posterior secondary bronchi (po, 36-44). the neopulmonic parabronchi formed an intricate feltwork on the ventral third of the lung and inosculated those from the other sb. the lung parenchyma was organized into cyl ... | 2014 | 25938110 |
| first survey of the occurrence of duck enteritis virus (dev) in free-ranging polish water birds. | duck plague (dp) caused by anatid herpesvirus 1, also called duck enteritis virus (dev), presents one of the most important concerns in mass waterfowl production. apart from geese and ducks, free-ranging water birds are the most notorious infection carriers. the epidemiology of dev in western europe remains unknown. therefore, it was reasonable to conduct a study on its occurrence using modern but simple real-time loop-mediated isothermal amplification (lamp). analysis of 132 field isolates show ... | 2014 | 24327092 |
| band reporting rates of waterfowl: does individual heterogeneity bias estimated survival rates? | in capture-recapture studies, the estimation accuracy of demographic parameters is essential to the efficacy of management of hunted animal populations. dead recovery models based upon the reporting of rings or bands are often used for estimating survival of waterfowl and other harvested species. however, distance from the ringing site or condition of the bird may introduce substantial individual heterogeneity in the conditional band reporting rates (r), which could cause bias in estimated survi ... | 2013 | 24324871 |
| myod and myf6 gene expression patterns in skeletal muscle during embryonic and posthatch development in the domestic duck (anas platyrhynchos domestica). | the myod and myf6 genes, which are muscle regulatory factors (mrfs), play major roles in muscle growth and development and initiate muscle fibre formation via the regulation of muscle-specific gene translation. therefore, myod and myf6 are potential candidate genes for meat production traits in animals and poultry. the objective of this study was to evaluate myod and myf6 gene expression patterns in the skeletal muscle during early developmental stage of ducks. gene expression levels were detect ... | 2014 | 24180358 |
| experimental reproduction of an enterococcus cecorum infection in pekin ducks. | enterococcus cecorum (ec) was thus far only known as a pathogen for broilers and broiler breeders. recently there was evidence of ec field outbreaks in pekin duck flocks in germany. in this study we experimentally reproduced an ec infection in pekin ducks. at 12 days post hatch, groups of pekin ducks were infected orally, via the thoracic air sac or intravenously with 1.5 × 10(9) colony-forming units (cfu) of ec per bird or via the air sac with 8.5 × 10(5) or 8.5 × 10(7) cfu per bird. ducks of t ... | 2013 | 24164051 |
| avian influenza infection alters fecal odor in mallards. | changes in body odor are known to be a consequence of many diseases. much of the published work on disease-related and body odor changes has involved parasites and certain cancers. much less studied have been viral diseases, possibly due to an absence of good animal model systems. here we studied possible alteration of fecal odors in animals infected with avian influenza viruses (aiv). in a behavioral study, inbred c57bl/6 mice were trained in a standard y-maze to discriminate odors emanating fr ... | 2013 | 24146753 |
| proteolytic activity alterations resulting from force-feeding in muscovy and pekin ducks. | we investigated liver protease activity in force-fed and non-force-fed ducks using zymography gels to better understand mechanisms underlying liver steatosis in palmipeds. male muscovy and pekin ducks were slaughtered before and after a short period (13 d) while they were conventionally fed or force fed. the force-fed regimen contained a high level of carbohydrates and was delivered in large doses. main hepatic proteases (matrix metalloprotease-2, calpains, and cathepsins) were extracted from ra ... | 2013 | 24135604 |
| quantitative and qualitative approaches to identifying migration chronology in a continental migrant. | the degree to which extrinsic factors influence migration chronology in north american waterfowl has not been quantified, particularly for dabbling ducks. previous studies have examined waterfowl migration using various methods, however, quantitative approaches to define avian migration chronology over broad spatio-temporal scales are limited, and the implications for using different approaches have not been assessed. we used movement data from 19 female adult mallards (anas platyrhynchos) equip ... | 2013 | 24130732 |
| silencing pax3 by shrna inhibits the proliferation and differentiation of duck (anas platyrhynchos) myoblasts. | the pax3 gene has been proven to play a crucial role in determining myogenic progenitor cell fate during embryonic myogenesis; however, the molecular role of pax3 in myoblast development during later stages of myogenesis is unknown. we hypothesized that pax3 would function in myoblast proliferation and differentiation; therefore, we employed three short hairpin rnas (shrnas) (shrna1, shrna2, and shrna3) that target pax3 to characterize the function of pax3 in duck myoblast development. the mrna ... | 2014 | 24126784 |
| comparative proteomic analysis of the hepatic response to heat stress in muscovy and pekin ducks: insight into thermal tolerance related to energy metabolism. | the pekin duck, bred from the mallard (anas platyrhynchos) in china, is one of the most famous meat duck species in the world. however, it is more sensitive to heat stress than muscovy duck, which is believed to have originated in south america. with temperature raising, mortality, laying performance, and meat quality of the pekin duck are severely affected. this study aims to uncover the temperature-dependent proteins of two duck species using comparative proteomic approach. duck was cultured u ... | 2013 | 24116183 |
| overfeeding and genetics affect the composition of intestinal microbiota in anas platyrhynchos (pekin) and cairina moschata (muscovy) ducks. | to investigate the effect of overfeeding on the ileal and cecal microbiota of two genotypes of ducks (pekin and muscovy), high-throughput 16s rrna gene-based pyrosequencing was used. the ducks were overfed for 12 days with 58% maize flour and 42% maize grain. samples were collected before the overfeeding period (at 12 weeks), at 13 weeks, at 14 weeks, and 3 h after feeding. in parallel, ducks fed ad libitum were killed at the same ages. whatever the digestive segment, the genotype, and the level ... | 2014 | 24102552 |
| juveniles and migrants as drivers for seasonal epizootics of avian influenza virus. | similar to other infectious diseases, the prevalence of low pathogenic avian influenza viruses (lpaiv) has been seen to exhibit marked seasonal variation. however, mechanisms driving this variation in wild birds have yet to be tested. we investigated the validity of three previously suggested drivers for the seasonal dynamics in lpaiv infections in wild birds: (i) host density, (ii) immunologically naïve young and (iii) increased susceptibility in migrants. to address these questions, we sampled ... | 2014 | 24033258 |
| flexibility of continental navigation and migration in european mallards. | the ontogeny of continent-wide navigation mechanisms of the individual organism, despite being crucial for the understanding of animal movement and migration, is still poorly understood. several previous studies, mainly conducted on passerines, indicate that inexperienced, juvenile birds may not generally correct for displacement during fall migration. waterbirds such as the mallard (anas platyrhynchos, linnaeus 1758) are more flexible in their migration behavior than most migratory songbirds, b ... | 2013 | 24023629 |
| phylogenetics of a recent radiation in the mallards and allies (aves: anas): inferences from a genomic transect and the multispecies coalescent. | reconstructing species trees by incorporating information from many independent gene trees reduces the confounding influence of stochastic lineage sorting. such analyses are particularly important for taxa that share polymorphisms due to incomplete lineage sorting or introgressive hybridization. we investigated phylogenetic relationships among 14 closely related taxa from the mallard (anas spp.) complex using the multispecies coalescent and 20 nuclear loci sampled from a genomic transect. we als ... | 2014 | 23994490 |
| the complete mitochondrial genome of the muscovy duck, cairina moschata (anseriformes, anatidae, cairina). | muscovy duck (cairina moschata) is the most popular meat duck, and it can be crossed with most breeds of domestic ducks in captivity to produce sterile hybrids. in this study, complete mitochondrial genome of the muscovy duck was sequenced by long and accurate polymerase chain reaction (la-pcr) as well as the primer walking sequence method. the entire mitochondrial genome of muscovy duck was 16,610 bp in length, gene composition and arrangement conformed to most bird, which contained the typical ... | 2014 | 23992245 |
| reproductive effort and success of wild female mallards: does male quality matter? | in accordance with the differential allocation hypothesis, females are expected to increase their reproductive investment when mated to high-quality males. in waterfowl, reproductive, investment increased when captive female mallards (anas platyrhynchos) were mated to more attractive males, but information for wild ducks is lacking. studies of waterfowl mating systems have focused primarily on the importance of plumage coloration of males and female mate choice, whereas investigations of reprodu ... | 2013 | 23973707 |
| time-lagged variation in pond density and primary productivity affects duck nest survival in the prairie pothole region. | the prairie pothole region (ppr) is the primary breeding region for most species of north american dabbling ducks (anas spp.). conservation of these species is guided in part by knowledge of relationships between nest survival probability and habitat features. positive relationships between duck nest survival and amount and configuration of herbaceous perennial vegetation have been observed in previous studies, but these 2- to 4-year studies might not have adequately characterized the temporal e ... | 2013 | 23967575 |
| the influence of crate height on selected biochemical indices in captive-reared mallards. | the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of crate type (particularly its height) on selected biochemical indices in captive-reared mallards (anas platyrhynchos). the physiological changes in response to 2-h crating in crates of either 20 cm or 26 cm height were monitored in 6-week-old mallards. plasma corticosterone concentrations showed an increase (p = 0.036) in mallards crated in crates of 26 cm height in comparison with control non-crated birds, whereas no difference in plasma co ... | 2014 | 23964992 |
| regional specialisation of the ganglion cell density in the retina of the native duck (anas platyrhynchos) of bangladesh. | in this study, retinal whole-mount specimens were prepared and stained with 0.1% cresyl violet for the ganglion cell study in the native duck (anas platyrhynchos). the total number, distribution and size of these cells were determined in different retinal regions. the mean total number of ganglion cells was 1 598 501. the retinal area centralis had the highest ganglion cell density with 11 200 cells/mm(2) . number of ganglion cell bodies was the highest in temporal area, followed by dorsal, nasa ... | 2013 | 23931677 |
| molecular characterization, expression patterns, and subcellular localization of rig-i in the jinding duck (anas platyrhynchos domesticus). | retinoic acid-inducible gene i (rig-i)-like receptors (rlrs) have recently been identified as cytoplasmic sensors for rna virus. recent research has shown that rig-i, a member of this family, play an important role in innate immunity. in this study, we cloned the rig-i gene from jinding duck by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rt-pcr) and rapid amplification of cdna ends (race). we determined that the cdna of durig-i contains a 14-bp 5' utr, a 2802-bp open reading frame, and alte ... | 2013 | 23916689 |
| carotenoid supplementation during adulthood, but not development, decreases testis size in mallards. | nutritional constraints on reproduction are well-characterized in female animals, but rarely have particular nutrients been linked to male reproductive investments. carotenoid pigments promote egg-laying and fertility in several animals, and are displayed externally within secondary sex traits by males of many colorful species to attract mates, but it is unclear if or how carotenoids affect male primary sex traits. we manipulated carotenoid availability in the diet of male mallards (anas platyrh ... | 2013 | 23911982 |
| domestic duck eggs: an important pathway of human exposure to pbdes around e-waste and scrap metal processing areas in eastern china. | although consumption of local foods is recognized as an important pathway of human exposure to pbdes in areas of china involved in rudimentary recycling of electronic waste (e-waste), dietary intake studies to date have not considered the contribution from consumption of duck eggs, despite being a common dietary component. fresh duck eggs (n = 11) were collected from each of five farms located within 500 m of e-waste recycling workshops in the wenling and luqiao districts of taizhou city, easter ... | 2013 | 23865949 |
| the recent establishment of north american h10 lineage influenza viruses in australian wild waterfowl and the evolution of australian avian influenza viruses. | influenza a h10n7 virus with a hemagglutinin gene of north american origin was detected in australian chickens and poultry abattoir workers in new south wales, australia, in 2010 and in chickens in queensland, australia, on a mixed chicken and domestic duck farm in 2012. we investigated their genomic origins by sequencing full and partial genomes of h10 viruses isolated from wild aquatic birds and poultry in australia and analyzed them with all available avian influenza virus sequences from ocea ... | 2013 | 23864623 |
| multi-scale habitat selection affects offspring survival in a precocial species. | in theory, habitat preferences should be adaptive. accordingly, fitness is often assumed to be greater in preferred habitats; however, this assumption is rarely tested and, when it is, the results are often equivocal. habitat preferences may not directly convey fitness advantages if animals are constrained by tradeoffs with other selective pressures like predation or food availability. we address unresolved questions about the survival consequences of habitat choices made during brood-rearing in ... | 2013 | 23843036 |
| directional compass preference for landing in water birds. | landing flight in birds is demanding on visual control of velocity, distance to target, and slope of descent. birds flying in flocks must also keep a common course of landing in order to avoid collisions. whereas the wind direction may provide a cue for landing, the nature of the landing direction indicator under windless conditions has been unknown. we recorded and analysed landing directions of 3,338 flocks in 14 species of water birds in eight countries. | 2013 | 23835450 |
| complex reassortment of multiple subtypes of avian influenza viruses in domestic ducks at the dongting lake region of china. | to gain insight into the ecology of avian influenza viruses (aiv), we conducted active influenza virus surveillance in domestic ducks on farms located on the flyway of migratory birds in the dongting lake region of hunan province, china, from winter 2011 until spring 2012. specimens comprising 3,030 duck swab samples and 1,010 environmental samples were collected from 101 duck farms. we isolated aiv of various ha subtypes, including h3, h4, h5, h6, h9, h10, h11, and h12. we sequenced the entire ... | 2013 | 23804642 |
| influence of plastic slatted floors compared with pine shaving litter on pekin duck condition during the summer months. | the management and well-being of commercial pekin ducks has been studied in the european union where straw is the predominant litter source. in the united states, however, the most prevalent litter is wood shavings, with a recent trend toward using plastic slatted flooring. a previous study in the united states evaluated the relationship between flooring type (litter, slats) and duck condition during winter months and found very few differences between the 2 in terms of overall duck condition. t ... | 2013 | 23776256 |
| assessing effects of environmental chemicals on neuroendocrine systems: potential mechanisms and functional outcomes. | environmental pollutants encompass a vast array of compounds. most studies in birds have focused on toxicological effects, with little attention to non-lethal effects. consequently, it has proven difficult to assess potential risk associated with exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (edcs). assessing potential adverse effects due to exposure is further complicated by the great variation that occurs across avian species. these include variations in reproductive strategies, life span, sexual ... | 2013 | 23773971 |
| molecular cloning of the perilipin gene and its association with carcass and fat traits in chinese ducks. | the perilipin (plin) gene is a candidate gene of carcass and fat traits in ducks. in order to study the molecular character of the plin gene and its function in different breeds of chinese ducks, samples were obtained from the chinese academy of agricultural sciences research center for birds, including 95 peking ducks of the z2 series, 91 peking ducks of the z4 series, 82 hybrid systems (z2 x z4), and 93 cherry valley ducks. we used rt-pcr and 3'-race to clone the duck plin gene, detect snps an ... | 2013 | 23765965 |
| prevalence of low pathogenic avian influenza virus in one live bird market in eastern china from 2002-2011. | the role of live bird markets (lbms) in the perpetuation of avian influenza virus (aiv) has been well studied worldwide; however, there is a paucity of information on the prevalence of different aiv subtypes in lbms in eastern china. in this study, long-term surveillance was conducted to investigate the prevalence of aiv in chickens, ducks, and geese in an lbm in yangzhou city, jiangsu province, eastern china, between july 2002 and may 2011. the study used primary virus isolation and subtype-spe ... | 2013 | 23678747 |
| comparisons of egg quality traits, egg weight loss and hatchability between striped and normal duck eggs. | 1. the egg quality of striped and normal duck eggs was compared to determine why striped eggs show decreased hatchability. a total of 430 eggs, obtained from a pekin duck breeder flock aged 50-65 wks, were used in three experiments. the eggs were weighed and assigned randomly to measure egg quality traits, egg weight (ew) loss and hatchability during incubation. 2. there were no significant differences between egg types in terms of egg shape index, eggshell strength and thickness, albumen height ... | 2013 | 23647192 |
| molecular cloning, sequence characterization, snp detection, and tissue expression analysis of duck fmo3 gene. | flavin-containing monooxygenase 3 (fmo3) is an important monooxygenase for catalytic oxygenation of many harmful xenobiotics. mutations in the fmo3 gene have been identified as causing trimethylaminuria in human and fishy off-flavor in cow milk and chicken eggs. in this study, the full-length cdna sequence of pekin duck fmo3 gene was cloned, sequenced, and characterized. the full-length cdna sequence consisted of 1,846 bp and contained a 1,599 bp open-reading frame encoding 532 amino acids. duck ... | 2013 | 23625204 |
| levels of metals in blood samples from mallards (anas platyrhynchos) from urban areas in poland. | in this paper we present the studies conducted on blood samples taken from mallards (anas platyrhynchos). birds were captured for ringing purposes (n = 43) in two small and two big towns (including highly urbanized areas). for comparison samples of blood from birds shot on fish ponds were used (n = 26). based on the body mass all sampled individuals can be assessed as being in good condition. levels of cadmium (cd), chromium (cr), copper (cu), iron (fe), nickel (ni), lead (pb) and zinc (zn) in b ... | 2013 | 23603471 |
| field confirmation of modified pressurized solvent extraction vessels for the analysis of polychlorinated biphenyl congeners in blood samples from great lakes mallards (anas platyrhynchos). | miniaturized pressurized solvent extraction vessels were used to examine polychlorinated biphenyl congener (pcb) concentrations in 0.2 g sample sizes of whole blood, liver, heart and breast tissue sampled from twelve great lakes mallard ducks (anas platyrhynchos). this study successfully supported the blood extraction method, previously validated only using laboratory prepared blood samples, using field samples. in situ clean-up offered excellent sample throughput without degradation of gc-ms pe ... | 2013 | 23598430 |
| immune function is related to adult carotenoid and bile pigment levels, but not to dietary carotenoid access during development, in female mallard ducks. | immune function can be modulated by multiple physiological factors, including nutrition and reproductive state. because these factors can vary throughout an individual's lifetime as a result of environmental conditions (affecting nutrition) or life-history stage (e.g. entering the adult reproduction stage), we must carefully examine the degree to which developmental versus adult conditions shape performance of the immune system. we investigated how variation in dietary access to carotenoid pigme ... | 2013 | 23531827 |
| a novel snp marker of ovalbumin gene in association with duck hatchability. | our previous transcriptome analysis using a cdna microarray identified differentially-expressed transcripts in tsaiya ducks (anas platyrhynchos); we concluded that the ovalbumin gene might be involved in duck hatchability. in the present study, associations of single nucleotide polymorphism (snp) genotypes of the duck ovalbumin gene with hatchability were investigated. to confirm the cdna microarray analysis, real-time polymerase chain reaction (pcr) and western blot analysis were used to valida ... | 2013 | 23528974 |
| histopathology of liver and kidneys of wild living mallards anas platyrhynchos and coots fulica atra with considerable concentrations of lead and cadmium. | concentrations of cadmium and lead were measured in liver and kidneys of mallard (n=60) and coot (n=50). free living birds were collected by hunters in years 2006-2008 in the area of fishponds near zator in southern poland. age group was determined according to the appearance of the plumage (mallards) and iris color (coot). concentrations of metals were measured with et-aa spectrometer. among all birds specimens with negligible (n=5) and high concentrations (mallards n=18 and coots n=17) of cadm ... | 2013 | 23500832 |
| characterization of myostatin gene (mstn) of pekin duck and the association of its polymorphism with breast muscle traits. | myostatin, encoded by the mstn gene, is a negative regulator of muscle growth, and its expression level in muscle tissue is closely correlated with muscle growth and satellite cell proliferation. to identify the characteristics of the pekin duck mstn gene and the relationship between its polymorphism and breast muscle traits in pekin duck, cdna cloning and analysis and the expression pattern in breast muscle development and polymorphism were performed using molecular cloning, quantitative real-t ... | 2013 | 23479163 |
| accumulation of mercury, selenium and pcbs in domestic duck brain, liver and egg from a contaminated area with an investigation of their redox responses. | pcbs and methylmercury (mehg) are two of the most ubiquitous contaminants in the qingzhen (qz) area of guizhou province. the estimated tolerable daily intakes (tdis) of total mercury (t-hg), mehg, pcbs and se from contaminated rice, eggs and fish by chinese people in qz showed that both mehg and pcbs exceeded the corresponding safety limits. pearson's correlation analyses of mercury and se in all duck tissues showed that there were high correlations with t-hg or mehg and se in qz samples. howeve ... | 2013 | 23454823 |
| influence of raised plastic floors compared with pine shaving litter on environment and pekin duck condition. | commercial poultry production management practices have been under increased public scrutiny driven by concerns for food safety and animal welfare. within the united states, wood shavings and raised plastic floors are common flooring systems used in duck production. it is intuitive that each flooring type would present different management challenges influencing physical characteristics of growing ducks. this study evaluated the relationship between flooring type and duck condition during the wi ... | 2013 | 23436508 |
| distribution and sequence of gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone and its potential role as a molecular link between feeding and reproductive systems in the pekin duck (anas platyrhynchos domestica). | the reproductive status of adult pekin drakes is very sensitive to nutritional status. thus, the purpose of this study was to increase our understanding of the neurobiology underlying the depressive effect of fasting on the secretion of reproductive hormones. it was hypothesized that this effect was mediated by gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (gnih). networks of gnih fibers were present throughout the diencephalon, and cell bodies were present primarily, in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucle ... | 2013 | 23354058 |
| production of chimeras between the chinese soft-shelled turtle and peking duck through transfer of early blastoderm cells. | chimeras are useful models for studies of developmental biology and cell differentiation. intraspecies and interspecies germline chimeras have been produced in previous studies, but the feasibility of producing chimeras between animals of two different classes remains unclear. to address this issue, we attempted to produce chimeras between the chinese soft-shelled turtle and the peking duck by transferring stage x blastoderm cells to recipient embryos. we then examined the survival and developme ... | 2013 | 23348946 |
| the pekin duck il-10r2 common chain: cdna cloning, genomic structure, molecular characterization and mrna expression analysis. | the interleukin-10 receptor 2 (il-10r2, il-10rβ) is required for the signalling of the class 2 cytokines il-10, il-22, il-26 and ifn-λ1-3 . here, we describe the identification of the pekin duck il-10r2 (duil-10r2) common chain and its gene structure. the duil-10r2 cdna encodes a 343 amino acid protein that has an amino acid identity of 76% and 42% with chicken and human il-10r2, respectively. binding residues of human il-10r2 for il-10 and il-22 were mostly conserved in the avian il-10r2 protei ... | 2013 | 23331509 |
| infectivity of avian influenza virus-positive field samples for mallards: what do our diagnostic results mean? | most surveillance programs for avian influenza (ai) virus in wild birds utilize molecular tests such as real-time reverse transcription-pcr (rrt-pcr) or virus isolation (vi) in embryonating chicken eggs. to provide insight into the relationship between positive diagnostic test results and infectivity for an avian host, we challenged mallards (anas platyrhynchos) with mallard-derived cloacal swab field samples found positive by vi or rrt-pcr. six of 11 samples that were both rrt-pcr positive and ... | 2013 | 23307386 |
| the cloning, characterization, and expression profiling of the lrp8 gene in duck (anas platyrhynchos). | low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 8 (lrp8) is a member of the low-density lipoprotein receptor gene family that functions in body lipoprotein homeostasis. in this study, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, rapid amplification of cdna ends, and real-time pcr were performed to characterize the duck lrp8 gene. the cdna of duck lrp8 contained a 14-bp 5' utr, a 2754-bp open reading frame, and a 189-bp 3' utr. the duck lrp8 encoded a protein of 917 amino acid residues compo ... | 2013 | 23224277 |
| computed tomographic and densitometric analysis of tibiotarsal bone mineral density and content in postnatal peking ducks (anas platyrhynchos var. domestica) as influenced by age and sex. | the bone mineral density bmd and content bmc were analysed in the tibiotarsal bones of ducks in the postnatal development as influenced by age and sex. one hundred birds from the nesting till the slaughtering maturity were included in the experiment. the analysis was conducted using a densitometer, norland - excell plus and pqct computed tomography, xct research sa plus. the statistical analysis was conducted using the kruskal-wallis one-way analysis of variance (age) and the u-mann -withney tes ... | 2012 | 23214376 |
| detection of qtl controlling metabolism, meat quality, and liver quality traits of the overfed interspecific hybrid mule duck. | the mule duck, an interspecific hybrid obtained by crossing common duck (anas platyrhynchos) females with muscovy (cairina moschata) drakes, is widely used for fatty liver production. the purpose of the present study was to detect and map single and pleiotropic qtl that segregate in the common duck species, and influence the expression of traits in their overfed mule duck offspring. to this end, we generated a common duck backcross (bc) population by crossing kaiya and heavy pekin experimental l ... | 2013 | 23148259 |
| the fear gene stathmin alleles generated heterosis on feed efficiency parameters in peking ducks. | stathmin is an inhibitor of microtubule formation, as highly expressed in the lateral nucleus (la) of the amygdala as well as in the thalamic and cortical structures that send information to the la about the learned and innate fear. so we assume that stmn1 genetic variation may also affect the physical activity so as to influence the residual feed intake (rfi) of duck. the single nucleotide polymorphisms (snps) in duck stathmin gene were screened by sequencing and genotyped by restriction endonu ... | 2012 | 23134303 |
| corticosterone, cortisol, triglycerides, aspartate aminotransferase and uric acid plasma concentrations during foie gras production in male mule ducks (anas platyrhynchos × cairina moschata). | 1. corticosterone, cortisol, triglycerides, aspartate aminotransferase (ast) and uric acid (ua) plasma concentration were measured at 8 (7 days after group housing), 12 (after 7 days of force feeding) and 13 weeks of age (at slaughter after 12 days of force feeding), and 45 min after an adrenocorticotrophic hormone (acth) stimulation test at 8 weeks of age in 12 male mule ducks in an on-farm experiment. 2. no significant increase of corticosterone was found during the force-feeding period compar ... | 2012 | 23130574 |
| global lack of flyway structure in a cosmopolitan bird revealed by a genome wide survey of single nucleotide polymorphisms. | knowledge about population structure and connectivity of waterfowl species, especially mallards (anas platyrhynchos), is a priority because of recent outbreaks of avian influenza. ringing studies that trace large-scale movement patterns have to date been unable to detect clearly delineated mallard populations. we employed 363 single nucleotide polymorphism markers in combination with population genetics and phylogeographical approaches to conduct a population genomic test of panmixia in 801 mall ... | 2013 | 23110616 |
| what is your diagnosis? fecal smear from a mallard duck (anas platyrhynchos). | | 2013 | 23082755 |
| inheritance of duration of fertility in female common ducks (anas platyrhynchos) inseminated in pure breeding or in inter-generic crossbreeding with muscovy drakes (cairina moschata). | ducks (common, muscovy and mule ducks) are the third most important bird species in animal production for human consumption worldwide. our study aimed to improve the efficiency of mule duck breeding, thus contributing to the efficiency of food production in general. in the common duck, females can be bred either with males of the same species (i.e. in pure breeding (pb) subscript p) or in inter-generic crossbreeding (cb; subscript c) with muscovy drakes to produce the hybrid mule duck. the aim o ... | 2012 | 23031599 |
| comparison and characteristics of the formation of different adipose tissues in ducks during early growth. | the objective of the current research was to investigate the pattern of subcutaneous adipose tissue growth during peking duck (anas platyrhynchos) early development and to determine the reasons for regional differences. the morphological characteristics in 5 regions of subcutaneous tissue, including the neck area (nsf), chest area (csf), lower abdomen area (asf), back area (bsf), and leg area (lsf), were analyzed by comparing the morphology of the sections, adipocyte volume and number, and lipid ... | 2012 | 22991545 |
| [phylogeography of the mallard anas platyrhynchos from eurasia inferred from sequencing of the mtdna control region]. | phylogenetic relationships, demographic history, and geographic distribution of the mtdna haplotypes of the mallard anas platyrhynchos were examined in three populations, indian, northern european, and far eastern. two divergent haplotype groups, a and b, were found in the far eastern population, while haplotypes identified in northern european and far eastern populations were exclusively of the a group. the presence of b group haplotypes in the far eastern population can be explained either in ... | 2012 | 22988769 |
| effect of preen oil on plumage bacteria: an experimental test with the mallard. | feathers are essential for avian thermoregulation, communication or flight and a reduction of plumage condition may alter these functions and reduce individual fitness. recently, descriptive studies provided evidence that birds carry feather-degrading bacteria on their plumage that have the ability to degrade feathers rapidly under laboratory conditions. if such bacteria reduce avian fitness, natural selection should favour the evolution of anti-bacterial defences to limit the effects of these d ... | 2013 | 22940115 |
| precocial hindlimbs and altricial forelimbs: partitioning ontogenetic strategies in mallards (anas platyrhynchos). | precocial development, in which juveniles are relatively mature at hatching or birth, is more common among vertebrates than altricial development, and is likely to be the basal condition. altricial development characterizes many birds and mammals and is generally viewed as an alternate strategy, promoting fast growth rates, short developmental periods and relatively poor locomotor performance prior to attaining adult size. many aquatic birds such as anseriformes (ducks, geese and swans), charadr ... | 2012 | 22855613 |
| the development of a genome wide snp set for the barnacle goose branta leucopsis. | migratory birds are of particular interest for population genetics because of the high connectivity between habitats and populations. a high degree of connectivity requires using many genetic markers to achieve the required statistical power, and a genome wide snp set can fit this purpose. here we present the development of a genome wide snp set for the barnacle goose branta leucopsis, a model species for the study of bird migration. we used the genome of a different waterfowl species, mallard a ... | 2012 | 22808008 |
| proteomic analysis of liver development of lean pekin duck (anas platyrhynchos domestica). | the liver plays vital roles in digestion, metabolism and immune defense. to elucidate the molecular mechanism of nutrient metabolism and antioxidation of lean pekin duck liver from hatching to slaughter, the proteome changes were investigated using 2-de, ms, quantitative real-time pcr and bioinformatics. a total of 59 differentially expressed proteins were identified. proteins involved in transportation were highly up-regulated in newborn ducks whereas 37 proteins associated with metabolism, def ... | 2012 | 22771313 |
| sequence and phylogenetic analysis of h7n3 avian influenza viruses isolated from poultry in china in 2011. | four h7n3 avian influenza viruses (aivs) were isolated from domestic ducks in live-poultry markets in zhejiang province, eastern china, in 2011. all viruses were characterized by whole-genome sequencing with subsequent phylogenetic analysis and genetic comparison. phylogenetic analysis of all eight viral genes showed that the viruses clustered in the eurasian lineage of influenza viruses. the hemagglutinin cleavage site of all viruses indicated that the four strains were low-pathogenic avian inf ... | 2012 | 22752840 |
| conditioned response to a magnetic anomaly in the pekin duck (anas platyrhynchos domestica) involves the trigeminal nerve. | there have been recent calls to develop protocols that collect unambiguous measures of behaviour using automatic techniques in conditioning experiments on magnetic orientation. here, we describe an automated technique for recording the behaviour of pekin ducks in a conditioning test that allows them to express unrestricted searching behaviour. pekin ducks were trained to find hidden food in one corner of a square arena below which was placed a magnetic coil that produced a local magnetic anomaly ... | 2012 | 22723478 |
| of the importance of metabolic phases in the understanding of oxidative stress in prolonged fasting and refeeding. | life phases such as migration or reproduction may partly (or totally) prohibit food accessibility, making regulation of the energy balance one of the main challenges faced by wild organisms. although long-term fasting is common in a number of species, it has been reported to be detrimental for the organism, notably because it induces oxidative stress. however, fasting metabolism is characterized by successive metabolic adaptations that are likely to be different in terms of stress, and no previo ... | 2012 | 22705491 |
| de novo lipogenesis in the liver and adipose tissues of ducks during early growth stages after hatching. | in vivo de novo lipogenesis (dnl) in the liver and adipose tissues of ducks during early developmental stages after hatching has not previously been investigated. in this study, female peking ducks (anas platyrhynchos) at weeks 1 to 8 post-hatching were selected for experimentation. we measured the mrna levels of 6 dnl-related genes in the duck liver, subcutaneous adipose tissue and abdominal adipose tissue by real-time pcr during the 8 weeks. correlations of the plasma triacylglycerol (tg) and ... | 2012 | 22652187 |
| neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis in a mallard duck (anas platyrhynchos). | a 3-year-old male, hybrid mallard duck (anas platyrhynchos) was presented with a 2-year history of progressive, ascending paresis and paralysis. on presentation, the bird was in sternal recumbency and displayed intermittent focal seizures and intention tremors. proprioceptive deficits and absent withdrawal reflexes were observed in both pelvic limbs, wing extension was limited, and reflexes were diminished bilaterally. other findings included emaciation and dehydration. results of a complete blo ... | 2012 | 22645836 |
| marbofloxacin disposition after intravenous administration of a single dose in wild mallard ducks (anas platyrhynchos). | marbofloxacin, a fluoroquinolone developed specifically for veterinary use, has demonstrated considerable pharmokinetic variation among avian species. the goal of this study was to determine the disposition kinetics of marbofloxacin in mallard ducks (anas platyrhynchos) after a single intravenous injection. six wild mallard ducks were used in the study. marbofloxacin was injected at a dose of 2 mg/kg into the basilic vein, and blood was subsequently collected at regular intervals from each bird. ... | 2012 | 22645833 |
| non-synonymous snps in mc1r gene are associated with the extended black variant in domestic ducks (anas platyrhynchos). | in this study, we performed a sequence characterization of the duck melanocortin 1 receptor (alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone receptor) (mc1r) gene to analyze the relationship between mc1r polymorphism and the extended black variant in domestic ducks based on the extended black (e) and non-extended black (e(+) ) allele hypothesis of the duck mc1r gene. both c.52g>a and c.376g>a substitutions are highly associated with the duck extended black variant (p < 0.01), but the novel c.52g>a substitu ... | 2013 | 22591010 |
| the immunoglobulin light chain locus of the turkey, meleagris gallopavo. | to date, most jawed vertebrate species encode more than one immunoglobulin light (igl) chain isotypes. it has been shown that several bird species (chickens, white pekin or domestic duck, and zebra finches) exclusively express lambda isotype. we analyze here the genomic organization of another bird species turkey igl genes based on the recently released genome data. the turkey igl locus located on chromosome 17 spans approximately 75.2kb and contains a single functional v(λ) gene, twenty v(λ) ps ... | 2012 | 22560110 |
| embryotoxicity of mixtures of weathered crude oil collected from the gulf of mexico and corexit 9500 in mallard ducks (anas platyrhynchos). | dispersants are applied to marine crude oil spills to enhance microbial degradation and reduce impacts of crude oils on ecosystems. in summer 2010, the dispersant corexit 9500 was applied to crude oil in the gulf of mexico. the co-occurrence of the deepwater horizon oil spill with nesting efforts of birds in the gulf region may have resulted in exposure of adult birds, and subsequently bird eggs, to combinations of crude oil and corexit 9500. the objective of this study was to examine the embryo ... | 2012 | 22542232 |
| total and organic mercury in liver, kidney and muscle of waterbirds from wetlands of the caspian sea, iran. | we measured and compared total and organic mercury in liver, kidney, and muscle of the great cormorant (phalacrocorax carbo), mallard (anas platyrhynchos), and coot (fulica atra) from the caspian sea wetlands in iran. for the great cormorant organic mercury in liver, kidney and muscle comprised 82 %, 79 % and 58 % of total mercury. in the mallard same values were 46 %, 54 %, and 64 %. for coot total mercury was: 0.1 ± 0.0, 0.1 ± 0.01, 0.03 ± 0.01 in liver kidney and muscle respectively. we detec ... | 2012 | 22527004 |
| genomic structure, molecular characterization and functional analysis of pekin duck interleukin-10. | here we describe the cloning and expression of pekin duck il-10 (duil-10) and a six exon-5 intron structure of an il-10 gene. two transcripts encoding duil-10 with an alternatively spliced 3'utr, and a transcript lacking exon 5 with a novel coding sequence for its c-terminus (duil-10δe5) were isolated from splenocytes. the duil-10 protein has an amino acid identity of 79% and 47% with chicken and human il-10, respectively. the duck il-10 gene shares a similar structure of the respective exons 1- ... | 2012 | 22469657 |
| identification and characterization of genes related to the development of breast muscles in pekin duck. | pekin duck is world-famous for its fast growth, but its breast muscle development is later and breast muscle content is lower compared with other muscular ducks. therefore, it is very important to discover the genetic mechanism between breast muscle development and relative gene expression in pekin duck. in current study, the genes which have relationships with breast muscle development were identified by suppression subtractive hybridization. a total of 403 positive clones were sequenced and 25 ... | 2012 | 22451153 |
| an alternative theoretical approach to escape decision-making: the role of visual cues. | escape enables prey to avoid an approaching predator. the escape decision-making process has traditionally been interpreted using theoretical models that consider ultimate explanations based on the cost/benefit paradigm. ultimate approaches, however, suffer from inseparable extra-assumptions due to an inability to accurately parameterize the model's variables and their interactive relationships. in this study, we propose a mathematical model that uses intensity of predator-mediated visual stimul ... | 2012 | 22427851 |
| low pathogenic h7 subtype avian influenza viruses isolated from domestic ducks in south korea and the close association with isolates of wild birds. | we characterized low pathogenic avian influenza (lpai) viruses of the h7 subtype that were isolated from domestic ducks and wild birds in south korea from 2008 to 2011. a total of 20 h7 viruses were collected from live-bird markets (lbms), duck farms and wild-bird habitats using avian influenza (ai) surveillance and epidemiological approaches. a phylogenetic analysis of the h7 viruses that were isolated from domestic ducks and wild birds demonstrated that they were separated into 12 genotypes (a ... | 2012 | 22422062 |
| vector activity and propagule size affect dispersal potential by vertebrates. | many small organisms in various life stages can be transported in the digestive system of larger vertebrates, a process known as endozoochory. potential dispersal distances of these "propagules" are generally calculated after monitoring retrieval in experiments with resting vector animals. we argue that vectors in natural situations will be actively moving during effective transport rather than resting. we here test for the first time how physical activity of a vector animal might affect its dis ... | 2012 | 22419480 |