Advances in Animal Health, Medicine and Production: A Research Portrait of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health (CIISA), University of Lisbon, Portugal

Foreword
Contents
Animal Science
Ruminants’ Welfare Assessment
1 Animal Welfare – Definition(s)
2 Why and How Should We Assess Animal Welfare?
3 On-Farm Animal Welfare Assessment
4 Which Indicators Should We Use?
5 Building a Welfare Assessment Protocol Step by Step
5.1 Selecting Indicators – Validity, Reliability, Feasibility
5.2 Testing Prototypes and Training Assessors
5.3 Common Problems and Constraints
6 CIISA’s Work with Farm Animal Welfare Assessment Protocols
6.1 Cattle – Applying the WQ® Protocol in Portuguese Intensive Dairy Systems
6.2 Cattle – Welfare Assessment of Cows at Pasture
6.3 Dairy Goats – Intensive System
6.4 Dairy Goats – Extensive System
6.5 Broilers and Laying Hens – Assessing Welfare at Farms and at Slaughterhouses
7 Final Comments
References
Pain Management for Ruminants During Common Farm Husbandry Procedures
1 Causing Pain in Farm Animals and Its Impact on Animal Welfare
2 What Kind of Pain Are We Talking About?
3 How to Recognize Pain During and After Routine Procedures?
4 How to Manage Pain in Farm Animals – Constraints and Opportunities
5 Research on the Most Important Sources of Pain in Farm Ruminants
5.1 Cattle
5.2 Goats
5.3 Sheep
6 Conclusions
References
Genetic Diversity and Structure of Iberoamerican Livestock Breeds
1 The Origins of Creole Livestock
2 Cattle
3 Pigs
4 Goats
5 Horses
6 Donkey
7 Conclusions
8 Future Perspectives
References
Genetics of Carcass and Meat Quality Traits in Iberian Pigs
1 Introduction
2 Experimental Procedures
3 Carcass Traits
4 Meat Characteristics
5 Sensory Attributes
6 Genome-Wide Association Study
7 Conclusions
References
The Fine Structure of the Cellulosome Defines the Intricacies of Carbohydrate Deconstruction in the Mammalian Gut
1 Introduction
2 Hydrolysis of Structural Carbohydrates
3 Mammalian Gut Fibrolytic Activity
4 The Cellulosome
5 The Cohesin-Dockerin Interaction
6 Type I Coh-Doc Interactions and Cellulosome Assembly
7 Type II Coh-Doc Interactions and Cellulosome Cell-Surface Attachment
8 Ruminococcal Single-Binding Mode Type III Coh-Doc Interactions
9 Cellulosome Diversity
10 Biotechnological and Potential Applications for Cellulosomes
11 Conclusions
References
Exogenous Enzymes Improve the Nutritive Value of Cereal-Based Diets for Monogastric Animals Through Different Mechanisms
1 Introduction
2 Carbohydrate-Active Enzymes (CAZymes)
3 Carbohydrate-Binding Modules (CBMs)
4 Anti-nutritive Properties of Non-starch Polysaccharides (NSPs) in Animal Nutrition
5 Are Exogenous Enzymes Really Required for All Barley-Based Diets?
6 Cellulases or β-Glucanases? What Are the Best Enzymes to Improve the Nutritive Value of Barley-Based Diets for Poultry?
7 Role of CBMs in Exogenous Enzymes Used in Animal Nutrition
8 Temporal Restriction of Exogenous Enzyme Supplementation
9 Novel Insights into the Mechanism of Action of Feed Xylanases
10 Conclusions
References
Cistus ladanifer L. in Ruminant Diets – A Sustainable Approach to Improve the Feed Nutritional Value and the Quality of Edible Products
1 Introduction
2 Morphology and Phenology
3 Chemical Composition and Nutritional Value
4 Biological Activities
5 Cistus ladanifer in Ruminant Diets
5.1 Cistus ladanifer Condensed Tannin Extract as Additive to Improve the Soybean Meal Protein Efficiency in Lamb Diets
5.2 Cistus ladanifer Condensed Tannins as Additives in Silages
5.3 Modulation of the Ruminal Biohydrogenation and Impact on Meat Fatty Acid Profile
5.4 Impact on Lipid Oxidation in Meat
5.5 Impact on Growth Performance and Quality of Carcass and meat
6 Conclusions
References
Ameliorating Pork Marbling and Quality with Novel Feeding Approaches
1 Introduction
2 Pork Production and Quality
3 Pork Production with Low Protein Diets
4 Pork Production with Dietary Microalgae
5 Conclusion and Future Perspectives
References
Growth and Development of the Lusitano Foal on Extensive Systems
1 Introduction
2 The Lusitano Breed: A Brief Characterization
2.1 Origin
2.2 Morpho-Functional Characteristics
2.3 The Lusitano Production Systems
3 Growth and Development of the Foal
3.1 Pre-foaling Growth and Development
3.2 Growth and Development from Birth to Adulthood
3.3 Growth Patterns, Bone Development and Implications on Osteoarticular Quality
4 Final Remarks
References
Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) Directed to Germplasm Preservation
1 Introduction
2 The In Situ and Ex Situ Preservation of Animal Genetic Resources
3 Cryopreservation of Gametes and Embryos
3.1 Cryobiology Principles
3.2 Permeability Features
3.3 Lipids in Cryopreservation
3.4 Cryosurvival and Developmental Competence
3.5 Embryo-Maternal Interactions Leading to Pregnancy Establishment
3.6 The Future of ART for Germplasm Preservation
References
Tropical Livestock Development: Mitigating Seasonal Weight Loss and Health Conditions
1 Introduction
2 Work on Animal Seasonal Feed Restriction and Metabolism
3 Work on Animal Health
4 Work on Plant Adaptation to Hyperthermia and Draught Environments
5 Work on Food Security and Rural Development
6 Conclusion
References
Animal Health, One Health
The Gut Microbiome and Antimicrobial Resistance in Companion Animals
1 The Gut Microbiome
2 Methods to Study the Gut Microbiome
3 Gut Microbiome and Antimicrobial Resistance
References
Antimicrobial Resistance Trends in Dogs and Cats with Urinary Tract Infection
1 Urinary Tract Infections
2 Pathophysiology and Predisposing Factors
3 Classification of Urinary Tract Infections and Diagnosis
4 Aetiology
5 Antimicrobials for UTI Treatment in Companion Animals
6 Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance in Companion Animals
7 Multidrug Resistance Bacteria Causing UTIs from Companion Animals
References
The Public Health Risk of Companion Animal to Human Transmission of Antimicrobial Resistance During Different Types of Animal Infection
1 The Antimicrobial Use in Veterinary Medicine
2 Risk of Transfer of Antimicrobial-Resistant Bacteria
3 Antimicrobial Resistance Mechanisms and Bacteria of Concern
3.1 Staphylococci
3.2 Enterococci
4 Enterobacteriaceae and Non-Enterobacteriaceae
5 The Future
References
Antibacterial Alternatives in the Scope of One Health
References
Domestic, Wildlife and Environmental Virology: Molecular Epidemiology and Serological Surveillance
1 Introduction
2 Feline Immunodeficiency Virus
3 Feline Coronavirus
4 Virus Surveillance
5 Virus and Marine Mammals
6 Sea Turtles and Fibropapillomatosis
7 Conclusion
References
Leishmaniosis: New Insights in a Changing World
References
Vectors and Vector Borne Diseases: Morphological and Molecular Diagnosis, Risk Assessment, Population Genetics and Control Strategies
References
Distribution, Major Epidemiological Features and Control of Equid Gastrointestinal Parasites in Mainland Portugal
1 Introduction
2 Material and Methods
3 Quantitative Technique
4 Qualitative Technique
5 Faecal Cultures
6 Scotch Tape Technique
7 Macroscopic Examination
8 Monitoring the Efficacy of Deworming Protocols
9 Statistical Analysis
10 Results and Discussion
10.1 General Epidemiological Data
11 EPG Counts
12 STOP Survey
13 Intestinal Strongyles EPG Peaks
14 Prevalence of Identified Parasites
15 Faecal Cultures
16 Parasite Control
17 Conclusion
References
Veterinary Medicine
From Villains to Heroes: Insights into the Antagonizing Functions of Prion like Genes and Proteins
1 Introduction
2 Prions, the Great Villains
3 The Bright Side of Prions
3.1 Prion-like Genes in the Male Reproductive System
3.2 Prion-like Genes in the Female Reproductive System
4 Prions Are Forever
References
Unraveling Notch Signaling in Reproductive Biology
1 Introduction
2 The Notch Signaling Pathway
3 Notch Enrolment in Mouse Post-natal Testis Development
4 Notch Enrollment in Spermatogenesis
5 Notch Enrolment in Ovarian Post-natal Development
6 Notch Enrollment in Ovarian Follicular and Luteal Development
References
Endothelial Dll4/Notch Signaling as a Target for Cancer and Wound Healing Therapy
1 The Notch Signalling Pathway
2 Dll4 Signalling in Vascular Development
3 Dll4 Signalling in Cancer Neoangiogenesis
4 Targeting Dll4 Signalling in Cancer
5 Exploring Dll4 Gain-of-Function as an Approach to Cancer Therapy
6 A Potential Role for Dll4 Signalling in Metastasis Development
7 Targeting Notch Signalling to Improve Physiological Angiogenesis
8 Conclusion
References
Feline Mammary Carcinoma: Past, Present and Future
1 Introduction
2 Clinical Presentation
3 Treatment Options
4 New Insights on the New Biomarkers: HER2 E CXCR4/SDF-1 Axis
5 Understanding the Role of miRNAs on FMC
6 Exploring Efficacy of TKIs, HDACIs and MTIs in FMC
References
Novel Diagnostic and Therapeutic Immunologic Strategies to Overcome Infectious, Oncologic and Neurodegenerative Disorders
1 Antibodies (Igs) as Immunotherapeutic Tools
2 Selection and Screening of Recombinant Antibodies
3 The New Generation of Recombinant Antibodies of Rabbit Origin
4 Potential Applications of Rabbit Derived sdAbs
5 Development of Specific Recombinant sdAbs Against gp120 HIV Glycoprotein
6 Development of Recombinant Antibodies and Small Molecule Compounds for Diagnosis and Treatment of Naturally Occurring Canine Lymphoma
7 Development of Recombinant sdAbs for Brain Targeting and Drug Delivery Across the Blood-Brain Barrier
8 Conclusions
References
Trends in Translational Medical Research: Companion Animal Models
1 Introduction
2 Companion Animals in Clinical Research
3 Canine Atopic Models
4 Canine Atopic Dermatitis
5 Canine Allergic Conjunctivitis
6 Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Spontaneous Models
References
Neuroprotection in Glaucoma – Is Erythropoietin the Solution?
1 Introduction
2 In Vitro Ocular Membrane Permeation to EPO Protein
3 Subconjunctival Administration in Physiologic Conditions
4 Subconjunctival Administration in Glaucomatous Conditions
5 Assessment of Functional and Structural Benefits of Subconjunctival EPO
6 Limitations of the Study
7 Future Directions
References
No Room to Breathe: Airway Conditions Affecting the Equine Athlete
1 Upper Airway Tract
2 Lower Airway Tract
3 Diagnostic
References
The Role of Uteropathogenic Escherichia Coli in the Development of Canine Pyometra
1 Introduction
2 Uteropathogenic E. Coli
2.1 Uteropathogenic E. Coli Virulence Factors
3 Host Defenses Against E. Coli Colonization of the Uterus
3.1 Primary Uterine Defenses
3.2 Pattern Recognition Receptors
3.3 Host Signaling in Response to Uteropathogenic E. Coli Recognition
4 Neutrophil Extracellular Traps (NETs)
5 UtPEC and UPEC as a Zoonotic Risk
6 Conclusions
References
What Goes Wrong from a Mare Healthy Endometrium to Endometrosis?
1 Introduction
2 Endocrine Environment in the Endometrium
3 Cytokines and Prostaglandins in Healthy Mare Endometrium
4 Cytokines and Prostaglandins in the Unhealthy Endometrium
5 Fibrosis in Mare Endometrium and Oviduct
References
Pregnancy Toxaemia in Small Ruminants
1 Definition and Aetiology
2 Pathophysiology
3 Clinical Signs
4 Clinical Pathology
5 Prognosis
6 Treatment
7 Prevention
8 Conclusions
References
Historical Note
CIISA: A 25 Year Old Young Adult… or… A Dream on Veterinary Science
Author Index