The demand for chicken meat has surged globally due to its status as a primary protein source in human diets. However, ensuring high-quality meat products has become an increasingly important subject to consumers. In this study, 21 articles from PubMed and Web of Science databases published between 2005 and 2023 were examined to assess the influence of probiotic supplementation on broiler meat quality. The meta-analysis revealed significant findings across various meat quality parameters. Specifically, probiotics were found to significantly affect meat colour parameters, including redness, yellowness, and lightness, in both breast and thigh meat samples. Moreover, significant differences were observed in parameters such as water-holding capacity (p < 0.001), cook loss (p = 0.047), and shear force (p = 0.025) between control and probiotic groups. However, it's essential to note the considerable heterogeneity among the studies, emphasising the need for a cautious interpretation of the results. Despite this variability, the study underscores the potential of probiotics to positively influence broiler meat quality, highlighting avenues for further research and standardisation in poultry production practices. These findings also contribute to a better understanding of probiotics' role in improving meat quality and meeting consumer preferences for nutritious and high-quality poultry products.

Context Sheep are seasonal breeding animals. Different reproduction systems exist to enhance productivity in non-breeding season. One of the methods used in enhancing reproductive performance in sheep breeding is melatonin administration.Aim This study aimed to evaluate the impact of melatonin application on reproductive performance in sheep by meta-analysis according to different factors.Methods To find eligible studies, PubMed and Web of Science databases were searched. Twenty studies published between 1991 and 2021 were included in the meta-analysis. The effect sizes of pregnancy rate, lambing rate and litter size were calculated according to breeds, production characteristics (dairy-meat breeds) and season (breeding-non-breeding). The study estimated the risk ratio for pregnancy and lambing rates, and standardized mean difference for litter size as effect size.Key results The melatonin hormone increases the pregnancy rate by 1.07 times and the lambing rate by 1.36 times. The effect size (risk ratio) of the Rasa Aragonesa breed (1.15) for pregnancy rate and the Merino breed (1.65) for lambing rate was higher than the Sarda breed.Conclusions The positive effect of melatonin was found to be higher in the non-breeding season than in the breeding season for the three reproductive performance traits examined.Implications This study is a comprehensive research study examining the effect of melatonin application in sheep according to different factors. This study, evaluated the effect of melatonin on reproductive performance in sheep via meta-analysis. Pregnancy rate, lambing rate and litter size were used for reproductive performance parameters. Effect sizes of reproductive performance parameters were calculated according to breeds, production characteristics and seasons. The positive effect of melatonin was found greater in the non-reproductive period than in the breeding period for the three reproductive performance traits examined. This comprehensive research examined the effect of melatonin on sheep according to different factors.

Context The effects of probiotics on broilers’ growth and productivity performance have been reported in many scientific studies, and different results have been found. Aim This study aimed to assess the effects of probiotics on broiler growth performance via meta-analysis. Methods In this study, the PubMed database was searched with the keywords ‘broiler’ and ‘probiotic’ and it was determined that 60 of 605 studies were suitable. Average daily gain and feed conversion ratio were used as performance parameters. Publication bias was evaluated with Egger’s and Begg’s tests. The trim and fill method was applied when even one of these tests was significant. Heterogeneity among studies was assessed using the Cochran Q test. The random-effect model was used to estimate effect sizes if heterogeneity was statistically significant; otherwise, the fixed-effect model was used. In addition to evaluating all studies, subgroup analyses were performed depending on study duration, probiotic strain, and the probiotic content. Key results According to the meta-analysis results, there was a significant difference between the probiotic and control groups in studies lasting 35 days in terms of average daily gain (P = 0.005) and feed conversion ratio (P = 0.002). But only the average daily gain (P < 0.001) value was different between the groups in studies lasting 42 days. According to the probiotic strain, significant differences were found between the probiotic and control groups in terms of both growth parameters examined in studies using mono-strain and multi-strain probiotics. A significant difference was found between the probiotic and control groups in average daily gain values in studies where probiotics containing lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and clostridia were used. Conclusion In conclusion, this study is a current research that examined the effects of probiotic use in broilers in detail according to more than one factor. Implication In this study, articles in the PubMed database were examined. The sample size of the study can be increased by scanning other databases with the same keywords.

Bu çalışmanın amacı basit uyum analizini kullanarak Marmara Bölgesi’nde bulunan küçükbaş ve büyükbaş hayvan dağılımını illere göre detaylı bir şekilde analiz etmektir. Basit uyum analizi, kategorik olarak elde edilmiş ya da elde edildikten sonra kategorize edilerek iki boyutlu çapraz tablo haline getirilmiş verilerin analizinde kullanılan bir yöntemdir. Çalışmanın araştırma materyalini TÜİK’in veri tabanından alınan hayvancılık verileri oluşturmaktadır. Küçükbaş hayvanlar için Merinos koyunu, yerli ve diğer ırk koyunlar ile keçi sayıları, büyükbaş hayvanlar için ise yerli sığır, kültür sığır ve manda sayıları kullanılmıştır. Uyum analizi sonuçlarına göre küçükbaş hayvanlar için toplam değişkenliğin %11,7’si, büyükbaş hayvanlar için ise %7,1’i ilk iki boyut tarafından açıklanmıştır. Buna göre; Bursa, Balıkesir ve Tekirdağ’ın Merinos koyunu yetiştiriciliği, Kocaeli, Kırklareli ve Sakarya’nın yerli ve diğer ırk koyun yetiştiriciliği ve Çanakkale’nin ise keçi yetiştiriciliğinde Marmara bölgesindeki küçükbaş hayvancılık sektörüne önemli katkı sağladığı söylenebilir. Büyükbaş hayvanlar için Bursa, Balıkesir ve Sakarya’nın kültür sığırı yetiştiriciliği konusunda bölgeye önemli katkı sağladığı görülmektedir. İstatistiksel değerlendirmenin yanında grafiksel olarak yorum sağladığı için uyum analizi yönteminin hayvancılık ile ilgili yapılan çalışmalarda kullanılmasının faydalı olacağı düşünülmektedir.

The complete and transparent reporting of systematic reviews and meta-analyses increases the quality of such studies. Although there are different tools to examine methodological quality, little research has been conducted on the quality of these studies in animal health. The objective of this study was to evaluate the complete reporting of systematic reviews and meta-analyses published in veterinary journals with "A MeaSurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews" (AMSTAR). The journal"s impact factor, the number of authors, the number of studies included, and the research period were extracted as article characteristics. Total quality scores were calculated according to the AMSTAR tool, and scores were compared using the aspects of the articles. This study assessed 207 systematic reviews and meta-analyses published in 130 veterinary journals. AMSTAR quality scores were higher for meta-analyses with fewer than five authors compared to studies with five or more authors (P=0.009). Our findings indicate that about half of all studies (51.2%) were of moderate quality regarding methodology and reporting. According to the evaluation with AMSTAR, 64.6% of systematic reviews and meta-analyses were of high quality. In conclusion, the reporting quality of the studies was good, but generally, there was insufficient information on assessing publication bias.

The healing properties of propolis, such as antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antitumoral, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, tissue regeneration, and anti-ulcer, are due to the high content of phenolic compounds (flavonoids and phenolic acids). Therefore, propolis can potentially be used for human consumption or even for medicinal purposes. This study aimed to analyze sixteen individual phenolic compounds that have beneficial effects, determine their concentrations in local and imported raw propolis and products consumed in Turkey, and evaluate the determined results for propolis quality. A total 91 propolis samples were collected from commercial raw propolis and propolis products, which were from different provinces of Turkey and different countries, sold and used in Turkey between 2015 and 2018. Sixteen phenolic compounds were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography with a diode array detector system. Regardless of their origin, the results indicated that the concentrations of individual phenolic compounds varied greatly within crude, ethanol-based, water-based, and propylene glycol propolis samples analysed. There were significant differences in some individual phenolic compounds between the local and imported samples (p < 0.05). The current results showed that qualitative and quantitative analysis of commercial propolis samples for useful phenolic compounds are important and may provide quality control of propolis products.

Genes or genetic markers related to meat quality have been studied for many years.The CAST gene is one candidate gene affecting meat tenderness in cattle.This meta-analysis aimed to examine the association of c.2832A>G polymorphism of the CAST gene and meat tenderness in cattle.According to the determined criteria, 17 studies were included in the meta-analysis, and pooled ratios of allele and genotype frequencies were calculated.In addition, the combined Warner-Braztler Shear Force values were calculated for three studies that reported these values according to genotypes for the meat tenderness feature.Heterogeneity between studies and publication bias were also tested.As a result of the meta-analysis, pooled ratios of AA, AG, and GG genotypes are 0.578, 0.342, and 0.080; pooled ratios of A and G alleles are 0.777 and 0.223.The highest pooled ratios were obtained for AA genotype and A allele.The combined Warner-Braztler shear force values were calculated as 3.707, 3.893, and 5.137 kilogram-force for AA, AG, and GG genotypes.The highest mean shear force value was obtained for the GG genotype.In conclusion, the meta-analysis results examined the relationship between c.2832A>G polymorphism of the CAST gene and meat tenderness were closer to the population parameter.This study may improve genetic selection and provide new strategies to increase meat quality in cattle.

Genes or genetic markers related to meat quality have been studied for many years. The CAST gene is one candidate gene affecting meat tenderness in cattle. This meta-analysis aimed to examine the association of c.2832A>G polymorphism of the CAST gene and meat tenderness in cattle. According to the determined criteria, 17 studies were included in the meta-analysis, and pooled ratios of allele and genotype frequencies were calculated. In addition, the combined Warner-Braztler Shear Force values were calculated for three studies that reported these values according to genotypes for the meat tenderness feature. Heterogeneity between studies and publication bias were also tested. As a result of the meta-analysis, pooled ratios of AA, AG, and GG genotypes are 0.578, 0.342, and 0.080; pooled ratios of A and G alleles are 0.777 and 0.223. The highest pooled ratios were obtained for AA genotype and A allele. The combined Warner-Braztler shear force values were calculated as 3.707, 3.893, and 5.137 kilogram-force for AA, AG, and GG genotypes. The highest mean shear force value was obtained for the GG genotype. In conclusion, the meta-analysis results examined the relationship between c.2832A>G polymorphism of the CAST gene and meat tenderness were closer to the population parameter. This study may improve genetic selection and provide new strategies to increase meat quality in cattle.

People's awareness of livestock welfare has increased in recent years and veterinarians have a critical role to play in maintaining and improving these standards. The aim of this study was to explore the attitude of veterinary students to livestock welfare and an online questionnaire was utilised to gauge the opinions of students from the Bursa Uludag University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Turkey. A five-point Likert scale covered judgments ranging from 'Strongly disagree' to 'Strongly agree.' Female students were found to have a higher score for questions related to the welfare of livestock than males. It was also found that students yet to undertake courses in clinical science and animal welfare, ie first and second years, gave higher scores than third, fourth and fifth years who had completed both of these. Moreover, students having owned or dealt previously with livestock provided lower animal welfare scores than their counterparts who had done neither. Seemingly, the sensitivity of veterinary students decreases during the latter stages of their education. To conclude, we suggest further investigation into the extent to which veterinary medicine education influences students' attitudes to animal welfare as they progress through the course.

Bu çalışmanın amacı 2004-2018 yılları arasında düzenlenen ulusal veteriner zootekni kongrelerinde sunulan ve kongre kitaplarında yer alan tüm bildirilerin ve bildiri özetlerinin çeşitli parametreler açısından incelenmesidir. İncelenen bildiriler yazar sayısı, araştırma türü, sunum yapan araştırmacının cinsiyeti, çalışma konusu, sunum yapan araştırmacının bağlı bulunduğu kurum özellikleri açısından yıllara göre değerlendirilmiştir. Bunun yanında kongrelerde sunulan ve orijinal araştırma niteliği taşıyan (derleme olmayan) bildirilerin özetleri de içerik bakımından incelenmiştir. Elde edilen bulgular frekans (n) ve yüzde değerleri (%) olarak belirtilmiştir. Elde edilen bulgulara göre sözlü sunumlar incelendiğinde en fazla sunumun 2010 ve 2016 yıllarında, poster sunumlar incelendiğinde en fazla sunumun 2014 yılında olduğu belirlenmiştir. Tüm kongrelerde sunulan bildirilerin çoğunlukla iki yazarlı olduğu ve sözlü bildirilerin %79,89’unun ve poster bildirilerin %79,91’inin orijinal araştırma niteliğinde olduğu belirlenmiştir. Çalışma konusu bakımından incelendiğinde sözlü sunumların en çok koyun-keçi yetiştiriciliği ve ıslahı (%24,34) konusunda yapıldığı ancak poster bildirilerin daha çok kanatlı hayvan yetiştiriciliği (%27,07) konusunda yapıldığı belirlenmiştir. İncelenen bildiri özetlerinin içerik bakımından değerlendirilmesi sonucunda bildiri özetlerinin çoğunda araştırmanın amacının ve populasyonun tanımının belirtildiği görülmüştür. Bildiri özetlerinin büyük bir kısmında çalışmada kullanılan denek sayısı açıkça belirtilmiş olup araştırma sonuçlarının ve bu sonuçların temel öneri biçiminde yorumlanarak raporlandığı belirlenmiştir. Sonuç olarak, Türkiye’de veteriner zootekni kongrelerinde sunulan bildiriler bazı özellikler bakımından değerlendirilerek bulguların yıllara göre dağılımı incelenmiş ve bildiri içeriklerine ait bazı özellikler vurgulanmaya çalışılmıştır.

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2) plays an essential role in cell growth and survival. HER-2 overexpression occurs in 20-30% of human breast tumors and has prognostic value as it is associated with disease progression. HER-2 overexpression is also associated with tumor progression and metastasis in malignant mammary tumors of the canine. However, in the literature, different positivity classifications/scoring were used in the evaluation of HER-2 status, and there is no consensus in terms of scoring of HER-2 expression in canine mammary tumors. In this study, it was aimed to estimate the HER-2 positivity rate by evaluating the results of the study using different positivity classifications by meta-analysis. In this context, by using "HER-2 canine mammary tumor" keywords, Pubmed and Web of Science electronic databases were scanned until February 2019, and a total of 97 related studies were found. However, 20 of these studies were used for the analysis. Two different meta-analyses were performed to evaluate the HER-2 positivity status with "2+ and 3+" and "3+" scores. As a result, HER-2 positivity rates were determined at 25.87% and 25.99% for the studies using "2+/3+" scores and "3+" respectively for HER-2 positivity. Therefore, this result suggests that the rate of HER-2 positivity is similar between humans and dogs.

PURPOSE We aimed to evaluate articles in radiology journals indexed in the Science Citation Index or Science Citation Index Expanded in terms of statistical errors. By this means, we aim to contribute to the production of high quality scientific publications. METHODS In this study, a total of 157 articles published in 2016-2017 in 20 radiology journals were reviewed randomly. Selected articles were evaluated for statistical errors regarding P values and statistical tests, and for errors in terminology and other errors related to interpretation. In addition, in order to examine whether the error rates of the articles published in the radiology journals differed according to the impact factor, the statistical errors were compared according to the impact factors of the journals. RESULTS Of the 157 articles published in radiology journals, 10 had no statistical errors, while 147 had at least one statistical error. The most frequently encountered error was "errors in summarizing data" with a rate of 66%. This was followed by "incorrect representation of P values" with a rate of 42%. The least frequently encountered error was "statistical symbol errors" with a rate of 3%. There was no statistically significant difference according to impact factors. CONCLUSION In conclusion, radiology journals, as do journals in different fields, include articles containing statistical errors. Even when the quality of the journal increases, there is no difference in these statistical error rates. In order to prevent statistical errors in manuscripts, there are responsibilities for both the researchers who conduct scientific studies and the editors who publish these studies in their journals. Researchers should have a basic statistical knowledge, and the editor must submit all manuscripts for a statistical review.

Aim: In this study, research was conducted to determine the meat consumption preferences of academician veterinarians by conjoint analysis. Materials and Methods: A total of 69 veterinarians, who are working in a veterinary faculty of a public university in Bursa Turkey, participated in this study. Survey method was used as a data collection tool in the research. In the survey conducted in March-April 2014, two levels were determined for each of the health, taste, and hygiene qualities, and orthogonal experimental design was used. With the help of orthogonal experimental design, seven plancards were created and presented to the veterinarians who participated in the survey form. Participants were asked to give sequence numbers to the plancards that were created for four types of meat (poultry meat, beef, mutton, and turkey meat). Importance values were calculated for all meat types studied. Results were evaluated separately according to gender and history of cardiovascular disease presence. Results: The results of the questionnaire applied to the participants showed that health is the most important attribute for all meat types whereas related to the variety of meat, hygiene and taste ranking varied according to gender and family history of cardiovascular disease presence. Conclusion: In this study, it is planned to present a comprehensive study for four meat types by examining how the health, taste and hygiene factors of the veterinarians who have high-level knowledge in terms of animal production and animal health evaluate the meat consumption preferences.

Objectives: We investigated how seizure syndromes and treatment methods correlated with the quality of life and social functioning of patients with epilepsy and their relatives-caregivers. Methods: A total of 203 patients with epilepsy and their relatives-caregivers were divided into four groups. The patients were administered the following assessments: Quality of Life in Epilepsy Inventory and the Social Functioning Scale. The patients and their relatives-caregivers were administered the Hamilton Depression and Anxiety Rating Scale. The Kruskal-Wallis Test and Mann-Whitney U Test were used for statistical analysis. Results: When the quality of life and social functioning subscales were evaluated, the patient group with resistant temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) had the lowest scores, while the highest scores occurred in the TLE group that had undergone surgical intervention and had entered remission with medical treatment. For both patients and their relatives-caregivers, the anxiety and depression scores were the highest in the resistant TLE group and the lowest in the surgical and remission group. Conclusion: Control of seizures was the most important variable affecting the quality of life of patients with epilepsy and their relativescaregivers. Treatment plans for epilepsy patients should encompass the quality of life considerations, including measures to increase social functioning such as assessments of comorbid psychiatric conditions like anxiety and depression.

Objective: This study aimed to compare different induction of parturition (IP) methods in terms of endocrinological and immunological parameters in ewes and lambs. Materials and methods: A total of 24 ewes and their respective 24 lambs were studied. Groups of six ewes were induced on the 138th day: groups I (control), II (dexamethasone), III (aglepristone) and IV (aglepristone + dexamethasone). Blood samples were taken from the ewes from IP to 2 days postpartum at 12-hour intervals for the prolactin and oxytocin analyses. Colostrum and blood samples were collected from the lambs at 0, 12, 24, 36 and 48 hours for the IgG analysis. The prolactin, oxytocin and IgG levels were measured by ELISA. Results: A significant difference was found in prolactin levels in all groups and in the colostral IgG level in group IV with respect to the sampling time. Additionally, a significant difference in prolactin level was found at 24 hours postpartum between group IV and groups I and III. A significant difference in the colostral IgG level was determined at 24 hours after parturition between group III and the other groups and at 48 hours after parturition between groups II and III. A positive and significant correlation between the colostral and serum IgG levels of the lambs was found at 24 hours in groups I and II. Conclusion and clinical relevance: Although varying individual results were found within the groups, the endocrinological and immunological results did not suggest any superiority among the IP methods. Considering the presented study results, a single dose of aglepristone may be used alone or in combination with dexamethasone for IP.

Serum immunoglobulin (IgG) and semiquantitative tests are used for the evaluation of passive transfer immunity (PTI) in calves. We aimed to evaluate PTI in calves by using a Brix refractometer, total protein (TP), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), and glutaraldehyde coagulation test (GCT) on days 1, 3, and 7 after birth; to compare the results with serum IgG; and to evaluate which day these tests are given on will give the best results. The blood samples were collected from 60 Holstein dairy calves on day 0, just after birth, and on the 1st, 3rd, and 7th days after birth. The serum IgG concentration was measured by ELISA, the Brix % and TP concentrations with refractometers, and GGT activity using a dry chemistry system. The duration of the GCT was determined in the first 60 min. The IgG, TP concentration, and Brix % all peaked on the 3rd day of the study. GGT showed a significant decline after 24 h. Evaluating the Brix %, IgG, TP, and GCT levels more than 24 h after birth gives better results. However, GGT activity was observed as an early indicator of failure of passive transfer, as the GGT levels were highest 24 h after birth.

This study aimed to evaluate the use of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP) and white blood cell count (WBC) as markers of the severity of inflammation in the eyes of the Romanov breed sheep with infectious keratoconjunctivitis. A total of 10 Romanov breed sheep between the 1.5 and 2 years of age, including the ones carrying infectious keratoconjunctivitis (G1, n = 5) and healthy ones (G2, n = 5), which were housed under the same care and nutrition conditions were examined, in a sheep breeding enterprise within the boundaries of Siirt province. Staphylococcus aureus sp., Clostridium spp., and Penicillium spp. were detected based on the microscopic morphology of the colonies in swabs collected from the eyes of sick animals. Biochemical tests were performed relevant to the suspected agents while no growth was detected in the swabs of the control group. There was a statistically significant difference in serum CRP and WBC levels between the G1 and G2 groups (p<0.05). No statistically significant difference was found between the values of the other parameters tested. Higher levels of CRP and WBC were determined in sheep having infectious keratoconjunctivitis, are compared to those in healthy animals.

Bu calismanin amaci; Japon bildircinlarinda (coturnix coturnix japonica) Farkli donemlerde belirlenen zaman araliklarinda olculen aclik kan sekeri degerlerinin, cinsiyet ve yas uzerinde etkilerini arastirmaktir. Calismada hayvan materyalini 20 adet Japon bildircini civcivi olusturdu. Bir haftalik yasa erisen civcivler gogus bolgesindeki renk farkliligi dikkate alinarak cinsiyetlerine gore, erkek (G1, n:10) ve disi (G2, n:10) olarak iki gruba ayrildi. Gruplar ayri kafeslere alinarak ayni bakim ve besleme kosullarinda barindirildi. Kan glukozu degerleri; kan sekeri olcum cihazi ve test cubuklari ile bildircinlarin kanat alti venalarindan alinan kan ornekleri ile gerceklestirildi. G1 ve G2’de bulunan tum hayvanlardan 1. haftadan itibaren 7 gun ara ile 7 hafta boyunca 0., 15., 30., 45., 60., 90., 120., ve 150.dk’larda glukoz olcumleri gerceklestirildi. Arastirmada elde edilen veriler istatistiksel olarak analiz edildi. 6. ve 7. hafta disindaki tum haftalarda glukoz olcum zamanlari arasindaki farklilik istatistiksel olarak anlamli bulundu (p 0.05). Sonuc olarak farkli yas ve cinsiyetteki Japon bildircinlarinda gida kisitlamasini takiben gelisen aclik kan glukoz degerleri olculen zaman araliklarinda normal sinirlarin altina inmedigi saptanmistir. Bu calisma ile klinisyen hekimlere ve Japon bildircinlari ile calisan arastirmacilara sonuclarin katki saglayacagi kanaatindeyiz.

Determining outliers is more complicated in multivariate data sets than it is in univariate cases. The aim of this study is to evaluate the blocked adaptive computationally efficient outlier nominators (BACON) algorithm, the fast minimum covariance determinant (FAST-MCD) method, and the robust Mahalanobis distance (RM) method in multivariate data sets. For this purpose, outlier detection methods were compared for multivariate normal, Laplace, and Cauchy distributions with different sample sizes and numbers of variables. False-negative and false-positive ratios were used to evaluate the methods' performance. The results of this work indicate that the performance of these methods varies according to the distribution type.