Accuracy of prenatal three-dimensional ultrasound in the diagnosis of cleft hard palate when cleft lip is present.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the accuracy of prenatal axial three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound in predicting the absence or presence of cleft palate in the presence of cleft lip. METHODS: Between March 2005 and January 2009, there were 81 cases with a prenatal two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound screening diagnosis of unilateral or bilateral cleft lip at 22-25 weeks of gestation referred to our tertiary care center. Of these, 79 fetuses were included in this prospective study and two were excluded. Axial 3D ultrasound imaging of the fetal palate was performed and the diagnoses were compared with clinical findings at delivery. The frequencies of intact and cleft palate, the degree of association between the prenatal predictions and postnatal findings and the probability of detection of cleft lip and palate were determined. RESULTS: Of 79 prenatal predictions, 77 (97%) were correct and the association between the prenatal predictions and postnatal findings was strong. The sensitivity for detection of cleft lip and palate within this high-risk population was 100% and the specificity was 90%. In one of the excluded cases, the palate could not be visualized due to a fetal prone position. There were chromosomal anomalies in 4% of cases and associated structural or growth anomalies in 23%, termination of pregnancy was carried out in 4% and intrauterine fetal demise occurred in 3%. CONCLUSION: Axial 3D ultrasound of the fetal palate has high accuracy in identifying prenatal cleft palate when cleft lip is diagnosed at mid-trimester 2D ultrasound screening.

Changes in cortisol release and heart rate variability in sport horses during long-distance road transport.

It is widely accepted that transport is stressful for horses, but only a few studies are available involving horses that are transported regularly and are accustomed to transport. We determined salivary cortisol immunoreactivity (IR), fecal cortisol metabolites, beat-to-beat (RR) interval, and heart rate variability (HRV) in transport-experienced horses (N=7) in response to a 2-d outbound road transport over 1370 km and 2-d return transport 8 d later. Salivary cortisol IR was low until 60 min before transport but had increased (P<0.05) 30 min before loading. Transport caused a further marked increase (P<0.001), but the response tended to decrease with each day of transport. Concentrations of fecal cortisol metabolites increased on the second day of both outbound and return transports and reached a maximum the following day (P<0.001). During the first 90 min on Day 1 of outbound transport, mean RR interval decreased (P<0.001). Standard deviations of RR interval (SDRR) decreased transiently (P<0.01). The root mean square of successive RR differences (RMSSD) decreased at the beginning of the outbound and return transports (P<0.01), reflecting reduced parasympathetic tone. On the first day of both outbound and return transports, a transient rise in geometric HRV variable standard deviation 2 (SD2) occurred (P<0.01), indicating increased sympathetic activity. In conclusion, transport of experienced horses leads to increased cortisol release and changes in heart rate and HRV, which is indicative of stress. The degree of these changes tended to be most pronounced on the first day of both outbound and return transport.

Prenatal assessment of the normal fetal soft palate by three-dimensional ultrasound examination: is there an objective technique?

OBJECTIVES: To describe a three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound technique for assessing the fetal soft palate. METHODS: A prospective study conducted from April to December 2006 included 87 fetuses in a low-risk population. Fetal ultrasound scans were performed between 21 and 25 weeks of gestation to determine the normal 3D ultrasound view of the fetal soft tissues of the palate. The sonographers used a 30 degrees-inclined axial 3D view of the fetal palate. Ultrasound images obtained in this view were compared with fetopathological specimens of the same gestational age by two observers, both pediatric surgeons. Each observer indicated whether they thought that the uvula or the velum could be detected, and the differences in responses between the observers were assessed. RESULTS: The frequencies of detection of the uvula and velum of each observer varied between 80% and 90%. The observers showed a significant difference in judging the visualization of the uvula, but not in judging the velum. CONCLUSIONS: A 30 degrees -inclined axial 3D ultrasound view seems to be effective in assessing the integrity of the fetal soft palate.

Behavioural and physiological fear responses in ducks: genetic cross effects.

Mule duck, a cross between a Muscovy drake and a Pekin female, is reported by the farmers to frequently express fear behaviours, such as man avoidance. The genetic basis of fear responses in mule ducks was therefore investigated in this study. According to a previous experiment, the dominant effect of Pekin genotype was hypothesised; however, due to the absence of birds from the reciprocal cross, a superiority of the Pekin in additive effect could not be distinguished from a direct maternal additive effect. In order to clarify this, ducks from the mule genotype, the two parental genotypes (Pekin and Muscovy) and the reciprocal intercross (hinny) underwent a set of physiological and individual behavioural tests of fear. Both parental genotypes were highly fearful but exhibited responses of different patterns: Pekin ducks manifested a higher locomotor activity, whereas the Muscovy ducks showed a higher avoidance to man. Hybrids expressed higher panic responses and specific fear of man than the two parent breeds. Both hybrids expressed similar patterns and the maternal effects were not significant. Significant heterosis effects were found for most of the behavioural responses, in agreement with the fact that higher fear responses were expressed by the hybrids compared to the parental genotypes. A significant heterosis effect was also found for basal adrenal activity; hybrids having higher basal level than parental genotypes. Maximum capacity of adrenal response appeared to be determined by direct additive effects with a superiority of the Pekin genotype.

Ease of capture in lines of Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) subjected to contrasting selection for fear or sociability.

Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) of lines, which have been subjected to contrasting selection for duration of the tonic immobility (TI) reaction or social reinstatement (SR) behaviour over many generations show corresponding differences in underlying fearfulness and sociality. As fearfulness and sociality are particularly influential traits in domesticated species, the finding that such traits respond to artificial selection may have important implications for poultry welfare and performance. However, it is not known if or how such selection has influenced human-animal interactions. The present experiment investigated the influence of fearfulness and SR behaviour on the ease with which birds could be caught and handled. Birds of lines selected for duration of the TI response or SR behaviour were reared in mixed line groups (LTI and STI or HSR and LSR) of 491 and 346 birds, respectively, until 6 weeks of age. When the birds were 2, 4, and 6 weeks of age, they were caught one by one and their individual capture ranks noted. In the group of birds selected for duration of the TI response, birds selected of the line selected for short duration of TI were caught before those selected for long duration of the response. In the group of birds selected for SR motivation, birds of the high line were caught before their low lines counterparts. Coefficients of concordance between capture ranks were significant and capture ranks did not differ significantly across ages. These results imply that selection for low levels of fear or high levels of sociality produces animals that are less disturbed by human interventions than animals selected for the opposite traits. The greater ease of capture of low fear line birds than high fear line birds may be explained by reduced fear of humans. The fact that the birds selected for high levels of SR behaviour are easier to catch than birds selected for low levels of sociality is less readily explicable. One hypothesis is that HSR line chicks tend to be more strongly imprinted on each other and the human caretaker. However, SR behaviour is highly species specific in both lines, existing evidence for line differences in social discrimination is limited and birds of the two lines show similar duration of the TI response. Despite this, whatever their underlying causation, these results demonstrate that genetic selection can be used to reduce negative reactions to human beings and may be of value in the improvement of both animal welfare and productivity.

Early locomotor behaviour in genetic stocks of chickens with different growth rates.

Reduction in exercise increases the occurrence of lameness in meat-type chickens. Locomotor activity is dramatically reduced during the finishing period in chickens from fast-growing genetic types compared to slow-growing genetic types, but it is not known whether this difference is already present during the starting period and may be influenced by genetic factors. In order to define the effect of genetic origin on early locomotor behaviour, exercise was compared from 1 to 22 days of age in two meat-type chicken stocks differing in growth rate: male broilers (B) which grow fast and are often lame, and male "label rouge" chickens (L) which grow slowly and are rarely lame.Time budget (lying, standing, drinking, eating, walking) was measured by scanning in six repetitions of five birds (density=2.5 birds/m(2)) at 1, 8, 15 and 17 days of age. Standing bouts were analysed by focal sampling at 2-3, 6-7, 13-14 and 20-21 days of age.B chicks spent less time standing than L chicks at 15 days of age (B=13+/-2%, L=24+/-1%, P<0.01) and 17 days of age, and spent more time lying at 17 days of age (B=73+/-3%, L=60+/-4%, P<0.05).The major part (74%) of the total active time observed by focal sampling was linked to feeding activity. At 2 and 3 days, the activity of B chicks was half that of L chicks during standing bouts (duration of walking per bout: 19+/-4 s for B; 45+/-4 s for L, P<0.05). The activity observed by focal sampling during non-feeding bouts at 20-21 days was significantly correlated with the corresponding data recorded at 2-3 days in the same chicks in the B stock but not in the L stock.We concluded that (1) both B and L genetic stocks have the same overall activity during the first 3 days of age (scanning) but they exhibit different organisation and composition of standing bouts (focal sampling). (2) Genetic factors are probably involved in the expression of locomotor behaviour in very young chicks. (3) The correlations between the levels of activity at early and later ages suggest that selection of young mobile broiler chicks might increase activity at a later age and might therefore reduce the occurrence of leg abnormalities.