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Poor maternal nutrition during gestation negatively affects offspring growth and metabolism. To evaluate the impact of maternal nutrient restriction and realimentation on metabolism in the fetal liver, skeletal muscle, and circulation, on day 50 of gestation, ewes (n = 48) pregnant with singletons were fed 100% (CON) or 60% (RES) of requirements until day 90 of gestation, when a subset of ewes (n = 7/treatment) were euthanized, and fetal samples were collected. The remaining ewes were maintained on a current diet (CON-CON, n = 6; RES-RES, n = 7) or switched to an alternative diet (CON-RES, RES-CON; n = 7/treatment). On day 130 of gestation, the remaining ewes were euthanized, and fetal samples were collected. Fetal liver, longissimus dorsi (LD), and blood metabolites were analyzed using LC-MS/MS, and pathway enrichment analysis was conducted using MetaboAnalyst. Then, 600, 518, and 524 metabolites were identified in the liver, LD, and blood, respectively, including 345 metabolites that were present in all three. Nutrient restriction was associated with changes in amino acid, carbohydrate, lipid, and transulfuration/methionine metabolic pathways, some of which were alleviated by realimentation. Fetal age also affected metabolite abundance. The differential abundance of metabolites involved in amino acid, methionine, betaine, and bile acid metabolism could impact fetal epigenetic regulation, protein synthesis, lipid metabolism, and signaling associated with glucose and lipid metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dietary guidelines recommend a shift to plant-based diets. Fortified soymilk, a prototypical plant protein food used in the transition to plant-based diets, usually contains added sugars to match the sweetness of cow's milk and is classified as an ultra-processed food. Whether soymilk can replace minimally processed cow's milk without the adverse cardiometabolic effects attributed to added sugars and ultra-processed foods remains unclear. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials, to assess the effect of substituting soymilk for cow's milk and its modification by added sugars (sweetened versus unsweetened) on intermediate cardiometabolic outcomes. Methods: MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched (through June 2024) for randomized controlled trials of ≥ 3 weeks in adults. Outcomes included established markers of blood lipids, glycemic control, blood pressure, inflammation, adiposity, renal disease, uric acid, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Two independent reviewers extracted data and assessed risk of bias. The certainty of evidence was assessed using GRADE (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation). A sub-study of lactose versus sucrose outside of a dairy-like matrix was conducted to explore the role of sweetened soymilk which followed the same methodology. Results: Eligibility criteria were met by 17 trials (n = 504 adults with a range of health statuses), assessing the effect of a median daily dose of 500 mL of soymilk (22 g soy protein and 17.2 g or 6.9 g/250 mL added sugars) in substitution for 500 mL of cow's milk (24 g milk protein and 24 g or 12 g/250 mL total sugars as lactose) on 19 intermediate outcomes. The substitution of soymilk for cow's milk resulted in moderate reductions in non-HDL-C (mean difference, − 0.26 mmol/L [95% confidence interval, − 0.43 to − 0.10]), systolic blood pressure (− 8.00 mmHg [− 14.89 to − 1.11]), and diastolic blood pressure (− 4.74 mmHg [− 9.17 to − 0.31]); small important reductions in LDL-C (− 0.19 mmol/L [− 0.29 to − 0.09]) and c-reactive protein (CRP) (− 0.82 mg/L [− 1.26 to − 0.37]); and trivial increases in HDL-C (0.05 mmol/L [0.00 to 0.09]). No other outcomes showed differences. There was no meaningful effect modification by added sugars across outcomes. The certainty of evidence was high for LDL-C and non-HDL-C; moderate for systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, CRP, and HDL-C; and generally moderate-to-low for all other outcomes. We could not conduct the sub-study of the effect of lactose versus added sugars, as no eligible trials could be identified. Conclusions: Current evidence provides a good indication that replacing cow's milk with soymilk (including sweetened soymilk) does not adversely affect established cardiometabolic risk factors and may result in advantages for blood lipids, blood pressure, and inflammation in adults with a mix of health statuses. The classification of plant-based dairy alternatives such as soymilk as ultra-processed may be misleading as it relates to their cardiometabolic effects and may need to be reconsidered in the transition to plant-based diets. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier, NCT05637866. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dietary guidelines recommend a shift to plant-based diets. Fortified soymilk, a prototypical plant protein food used in the transition to plant-based diets, usually contains added sugars to match the sweetness of cow's milk and is classified as an ultra-processed food. Whether soymilk can replace minimally processed cow's milk without the adverse cardiometabolic effects attributed to added sugars and ultra-processed foods remains unclear. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials, to assess the effect of substituting soymilk for cow's milk and its modification by added sugars (sweetened versus unsweetened) on intermediate cardiometabolic outcomes. Methods: MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched (through June 2024) for randomized controlled trials of ≥ 3 weeks in adults. Outcomes included established markers of blood lipids, glycemic control, blood pressure, inflammation, adiposity, renal disease, uric acid, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Two independent reviewers extracted data and assessed risk of bias. The certainty of evidence was assessed using GRADE (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation). A sub-study of lactose versus sucrose outside of a dairy-like matrix was conducted to explore the role of sweetened soymilk which followed the same methodology. Results: Eligibility criteria were met by 17 trials (n = 504 adults with a range of health statuses), assessing the effect of a median daily dose of 500 mL of soymilk (22 g soy protein and 17.2 g or 6.9 g/250 mL added sugars) in substitution for 500 mL of cow's milk (24 g milk protein and 24 g or 12 g/250 mL total sugars as lactose) on 19 intermediate outcomes. The substitution of soymilk for cow's milk resulted in moderate reductions in non-HDL-C (mean difference, − 0.26 mmol/L [95% confidence interval, − 0.43 to − 0.10]), systolic blood pressure (− 8.00 mmHg [− 14.89 to − 1.11]), and diastolic blood pressure (− 4.74 mmHg [− 9.17 to − 0.31]); small important reductions in LDL-C (− 0.19 mmol/L [− 0.29 to − 0.09]) and c-reactive protein (CRP) (− 0.82 mg/L [− 1.26 to − 0.37]); and trivial increases in HDL-C (0.05 mmol/L [0.00 to 0.09]). No other outcomes showed differences. There was no meaningful effect modification by added sugars across outcomes. The certainty of evidence was high for LDL-C and non-HDL-C; moderate for systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, CRP, and HDL-C; and generally moderate-to-low for all other outcomes. We could not conduct the sub-study of the effect of lactose versus added sugars, as no eligible trials could be identified. Conclusions: Current evidence provides a good indication that replacing cow's milk with soymilk (including sweetened soymilk) does not adversely affect established cardiometabolic risk factors and may result in advantages for blood lipids, blood pressure, and inflammation in adults with a mix of health statuses. The classification of plant-based dairy alternatives such as soymilk as ultra-processed may be misleading as it relates to their cardiometabolic effects and may need to be reconsidered in the transition to plant-based diets. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier, NCT05637866. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We previously demonstrated that postruminal casein infusion and exogenous glucagon-like peptide 2 (GLP-2) administration independently stimulated growth and carbohydrase activity of the pancreas and jejunal mucosa in cattle. The objective of the current study was to profile the jejunal mucosal transcriptome of cattle using next-generation RNA sequencing in response to postruminal casein infusion and exogenous GLP-2. Twenty-four Holstein steers [250 ± 23.1 kg body weight (BW)] received a continuous abomasal infusion of 3.94 g raw corn starch/kg of BW combined with either 0 or 1.30 g casein/kg of BW for 7 d. Steers received subcutaneous injections at 0800 and 2000 h to provide either 0 or 100 μg GLP-2/kg of BW per day. At the end of the 7-d treatment period, steers were slaughtered for collection of the jejunal mucosa. Total RNA was extracted from jejunal mucosal tissue, strand-specific cDNA libraries were prepared, and RNA sequencing was conducted to generate 150-bp paired-end reads at a depth of 40 M reads per sample. Differentially expressed genes (DEG), KEGG pathway enrichment, and gene ontology enrichment were determined based on the FDR-corrected P-value (padj). Exogenous GLP-2 administration upregulated (padj < 0.05) 667 genes and downregulated 1,101 genes of the jejunal mucosa. Sphingolipid metabolism, bile secretion, adherens junction, and galactose metabolism were among the top KEGG pathways enriched with upregulated DEG (padj < 0.05) in response to exogenous GLP-2 administration. The top gene ontologies enriched with upregulated DEG (padj < 0.05) in response to exogenous GLP-2 administration included nutrient metabolic processes, brush border and bicellular tight junction assembly, and enzyme and transporter activities. Exogenous GLP-2 administration increased or tended to increase (padj < 0.10) brush border carbohydrase (MGAM, LCT, TREH), hexose transporter (SLC5A1, SLC2A2), and associated transcription factor (HNF1, GATA4, KAT2B) mRNA expression of the jejunal mucosa. Gene ontologies and KEGG pathways that were downregulated (padj < 0.05) in response to exogenous GLP-2 were related to genetic information processing. Postruminal casein infusion downregulated (padj < 0.05) 7 jejunal mucosal genes that collectively did not result in enriched KEGG pathways or gene ontologies. This study highlights some of the transcriptional mechanisms associated with increased growth, starch assimilation capacity, and barrier function of the jejunal mucosa in response to exogenous GLP-2 administration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sustainable rangeland management balances production and conservation. While a broad literature describesthe conservation benefits of prescribed fire, benefits for livestock production have emerged more slowly. Mineral nutrition is important for livestock health and performance, but the impact of prescribed fire on mineral concentration of forages, especially in the northern US Great Plains, remains unknown. Aims: We investigated how burning affects the mineral concentration of forage early and late in the growing season. Methods: Data were collected on mixed-grass prairie in south-central North Dakota, USA. Vegetation was clipped from recently burned, 1 year post-fire, 2 years post-fire, and not-yet-burned patches at the same sampling points in spring and late summer. Samples were analysed for calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, copper, iron, manganese, and zinc concentration. Key results: Burning increased forage mineral concentration across most minerals. Phosphorous, potassium, copper and zinc were higher in burned areas in late spring and summer; calcium, magnesium and manganese were only higher during the late summer; Late-season iron levels increased with time since fire. Conclusions: Prescribed fire has a positive effect on forage mineral content. Implications: Prescribed fire has the potential to reduce mineral supplementation costs and improve cow performance. Prescribed fire has a positive effect on forage mineral content and has the potential to reduce mineral supplementation costs and improve cow performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Canopy temperature (Tc) measurements are increasingly being used to compute crop thermal indices for water stress estimation and improved irrigation management. Conventionally monitoring crop thermal response requires maintenance of a well-watered crop from which non-stressed canopy temperature (Tcns) is measured as a reference for thermal index computation. This study alternatively evaluated the performance of 36 weather data driven model combinations to predict peak time (12:00–17:00 h) Tcns in maize grown in semi-arid climates at the West Central Research, Extension, and Education Center (WCREEC) in North Platte, NE, and at the Limited Irrigation Research Farm (LIRF) in Greeley, CO. Data-driven models considered were multilinear regression (MLR), forward feed neural network (NN), recurrent neural network (RNN), multivariate adoptive regression splines (MARS), random forest (RF), and k-nearest neighbor (KNN). For each of these models, the following weather data combinations were tested: average air temperature (Ta), average relative humidity (RH), wind speed (U2), and solar radiation (Rs) (combination 1); RH, U2, Rs (combination 2), Ta, RH, Rs (combination 3); Ta, RH (combination 4); RH, Rs (combination 5); and Ta, Rs (combination 6). Ranking the performance of weather data × model combinations across both climate sites showed that MARS model with combination 1 was a better predictor of Tcns with R2 of 0.866 and RMSE value of 0.966 °C at WCREEC and R2 of 0.910 and RMSE value of 0.693 °C at LIRF. The performance of site specific (localized) and generalized model combinations was compared and indicated that cross site prediction of Tcns was primarily determined by weather data combinations, rather than model specificity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Five essential oils (EOs) were previously characterized in vitro and identified as candidate EOs for the development of an intranasal EO spray to mitigate bovine respiratory disease (BRD) pathogens. In the present study, these EOs were evaluated for their potential to (i) reduce BRD pathogens, (ii) modulate nasopharyngeal microbiota, and (iii) influence animal performance, feeding behavior and immune response when a single dose administered intranasally to feedlot cattle. Forty beef steer calves (7–8 months old, Initial body weight = 284 ± 5 kg [SE]) received either an intranasal EO spray (ajowan, thyme, fennel, cinnamon leaf, and citronella) or PBS (Control; n = 20/group) on day 0. Deep nasopharyngeal swabs were collected on days (d) -1, 1, 2, 7, 14, 28, and 42 and processed for 16S rRNA gene sequencing, qPCR, and culturing. Significant effects of EO on community structure (d1), microbial richness and diversity, relative abundance of some dominant phyla (d1, d2, and d14), and the overall interaction network structure of the nasopharyngeal microbiota were detected. The relative abundance of Mannheimia was lower in the EO calves (4.34%) than in Control calves (10.4%) on d2, and M. haemolytica prevalence on d7 as compared to control calves. Feed intake, average daily gain, feeding behavior, and blood cell counts were not affected by EO treatment. Overall, a single intranasal dose of EO spray resulted in moderate modulation of nasopharyngeal microbiota and short-term inhibition of Mannheimia while not influencing animal performance, feeding behavior or immune response. Our study, for the first time, shows the potential use of intranasal EO to mitigate BRD in feedlot cattle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the effects of feeding hempseed cake on digestive enzymes, crossbred heifers (n = 32; 494 ± 10 kg body weight) were fed diets containing 20% (dry matter basis) dried corn distillers grains plus solubles or hempseed cake for 111 days. There was greater (P = 0.05) pancreatic mass relative to body weight in heifers fed hempseed cake. No differences (P ≥ 0.19) in digestive enzyme activity in the pancreas (α-amylase, trypsin, and lipase) and jejunum (maltase, glucoamylase, and isomaltase) were observed between treatments. Our results suggest that feeding hempseed cake did not influence digestive enzyme activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inositol depletion is a hypothesized mechanism of action of mood stabilization drugs used in the treatment of bipolar disorder. It was previously reported that the mood stabilizer valproate (VPA) increased phosphorylation of myo-inositol-3-phosphate synthases (MIPS), the rate limiting enzyme of inositol synthesis. Phosphosites were identified and examination of site-directed mutants suggested that phosphorylation leads to decreased enzymatic activity. In this study, we examined the extent of MIPS phosphorylation in response to VPA and used two interaction screens to identify protein kinases that interact with MIPS. Using an epitope tagged MIPS construct, we determined the fraction of phosphorylated MIPS to be very low (less than 2% of total), and we could not detect phosphorylation of untagged MIPS in response to VPA. In vitro analyses of phosphorylation revealed that putative protein kinases, PKC and CKII, have low specificity toward MIPS. These findings suggest that VPA likely depletes inositol via a mechanism other than MIPS phosphorylation. Consistent with this, mRNA levels of the MIPS-encoding gene INO1 and MIPS protein levels were significantly reduced during the mid-log growth phase in response to VPA treatment. These findings suggest that the mechanism whereby VPA causes inositol depletion is by reducing expression of the rate-limiting enzyme MIPS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the extensive research conducted on ruminal methanogens and anti-methanogenic intervention strategies over the last 50 years, most of the currently researched enteric methane (CH4) abatement approaches have shown limited efficacy. This is largely because of the complex nature of animal production and the ruminal environment, host genetic variability of CH4 production, and an incomplete understanding of the role of the ruminal microbiome in enteric CH4 emissions. Recent sequencing-based studies suggest the presence of methanogenic archaea in extra-gastrointestinal tract tissues, including respiratory and reproductive tracts of cattle. While these sequencing data require further verification via culture-dependent methods, the consistent identification of methanogens with relatively greater frequency in the airway and urogenital tract of cattle, as well as increasing appreciation of the microbiome–gut–organ axis together highlight the potential interactions between ruminal and extra-gastrointestinal methanogenic communities. Thus, a traditional singular focus on ruminal methanogens may not be sufficient, and a holistic approach which takes into consideration of the transfer of methanogens between ruminal, extra-gastrointestinal, and environmental microbial communities is of necessity to develop more efficient and long-term ruminal CH4 mitigation strategies. In the present review, we provide a holistic survey of the methanogenic archaea present in different anatomical sites of cattle and discuss potential seeding sources of the ruminal methanogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

American Aberdeen (AD) cattle in the USA descend from an Aberdeen Angus herd originally brought to the Trangie Agricultural Research Centre, New South Wales, AUS. Although put under specific selection pressure for yearling growth rate, AD remain genomically uncharacterized. The objective was to characterize the genetic diversity and structure of purebred and crossbred AD cattle relative to seven common USA beef breeds using available whole-genome SNP data. A total of 1140 animals consisting of 404 purebred (n = 8 types) and 736 admixed individuals (n = 10 types) was used. Genetic diversity metrics, an analysis of molecular variance, and a discriminant analysis of principal components were employed. When linkage disequilibrium was not accounted for, markers influenced basic diversity parameter estimates, especially for AD cattle. Even so, intrapopulation and interpopulation estimates separate AD cattle from other purebred types (e.g., Latter's pairwise FST ranged from 0.1129 to 0.2209), where AD cattle were less heterozygous and had lower allelic richness than other purebred types. The admixed AD-influenced cattle were intermediate to other admixed types for similar parameters. The diversity metrics separation and differences support strong artificial selection pressures during and after AD breed development, shaping the evolution of the breed and making them genomically distinct from similar breeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inositol depletion is a hypothesized mechanism of action of mood stabilization drugs used in the treatment of bipolar disorder. It was previously reported that the mood stabilizer valproate (VPA) increased phosphorylation of myo-inositol-3-phosphate synthases (MIPS), the rate limiting enzyme of inositol synthesis. Phosphosites were identified and examination of site-directed mutants suggested that phosphorylation leads to decreased enzymatic activity. In this study, we examined the extent of MIPS phosphorylation in response to VPA and used two interaction screens to identify protein kinases that interact with MIPS. Using an epitope tagged MIPS construct, we determined the fraction of phosphorylated MIPS to be very low (less than 2% of total), and we could not detect phosphorylation of untagged MIPS in response to VPA. In vitro analyses of phosphorylation revealed that putative protein kinases, PKC and CKII, have low specificity toward MIPS. These findings suggest that VPA likely depletes inositol via a mechanism other than MIPS phosphorylation. Consistent with this, mRNA levels of the MIPS-encoding gene INO1 and MIPS protein levels were significantly reduced during the mid-log growth phase in response to VPA treatment. These findings suggest that the mechanism whereby VPA causes inositol depletion is by reducing expression of the rate-limiting enzyme MIPS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adaptation of animals to highconcentrate diets is crucial for optimizing performance in the finishing phase. However, the transition to concentrate-rich diets can lead to metabolic disorders and fluctuations in feed intake. Typically, the same adaptation protocol is used regardless of the previous feeding history of the animal. However, it is possible that the backgrounding period duration may influence initial feed intake and subsequently affect animal performance in the finishing phase. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of implementing different high-forage backgrounding (HFB) durations on daily dry matter intake (DMI) and DMI variance over a 28-d period following the 14-d step-up adaptation to the finishing diets of Nellore bulls. Young Nellore bulls [n = 36; average initial body weight (BW) = 265.25 ± 5 kg; age = 7 ± 1 mo] were used in a completely randomized design and assigned to one of four treatment groups (n = 9/group): 0 (HFB), 28 (HFB28), 56 (HFB56), or 84 (HFB84) d of HFB before starting the 14-d step-up adaptation period to the finishing phase. The HFB diet consisted of 800 g/kg of sorghum silage and 200 g/kg of concentrate, while the finishing diet contained 200 g/kg of corn silage and 800 g/kg of concentrate. The diets were formulated according to BR-CORTE (2016) to achieve ADG of 0.4 kg/d during the HFB phase and 1.2 kg/d during the finishing phase. All animals were fed for ad libitum intake in an electronic feeder (INTERGADO, Intergado Ltd., Contagem, MG, Brazil), and individual daily feed intake was recorded. Additionally, DMI variance was calculated for each bull from daily DMI data over the 28 d of the finishing phase after the 14-d step-up period. Data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure of SAS (SAS Inst. Inc., Cary, NC) assuming the significance level of 0.05. The Tukey test was employed to compare means. Daily DMI was analyzed as repeated measures. The HFB duration had no influence on average DMI of the first 28 d of the finishing phase (P = 0.10; Averages per treatment (kg/d): HFB0 = 7.34, HFB28 = 6.53, HFB56 = 6.71, HFB84 = 6.02). However, a significant interaction was observed between treatments and day on finishing phase (P < 0.001), indicating that the effects of different HFB duration may vary over time during the finishing phase, influencing the daily DMI. Furthermore, the HFB84 presented a higher DMI variance, while the remaining treatments did not differ significantly among themselves (P < 0.001; Averages per treatment: HFB0 = 0.927, HFB28 = 0.616, HFB56 = 0.980, HFB84 = 3.487). In conclusion, the HFB84 increased the variation in daily DMI after adaptation to the finishing diet, indicating that a longer adaptation period may be needed for animals fed high-forage backgrounding diets for longer durations [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional heifer feeding strategies typically involve modest rates of body weight (BW) gain and include a relatively low proportion of concentrate feeds. In situations of limited forage or high feed costs, additional concentrates may be included in the diets and fed at a limited rate. High-concentrate diets can enhance the efficiency of nutrient utilization, alter characteristics of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), and influence the composition of gain. The objective of this study was to evaluate the strategy of limit-feeding highconcentrate diets on feeding behavior, carcass characteristics, and GIT morphometrics in replacement beef heifers. Crossbred beef heifers (n = 20) began receiving either a high forage (75% forage:25% concentrate; HF, n =10) or high concentrate (25% forage:75% concentrate; HC, n =10) diet 74 ± 4 d before breeding. Heifers were inseminated with sexed male semen from a single bull. Individual intake and feeding behavior data were recorded using the Insentec Roughage Intake Control system, and heifers were weighed, and diet deliveries were adjusted every 2 wk to target a BW gain of 0.45 kg/d for both groups. Heifers were harvested at 180 d of gestation, where the viscera were removed, and weights of the full gastrointestinal tract, including the stomach complex, and small and large intestines were recorded. After removing digesta, weights of the empty gastrointestinal tract, rumen-reticulum, omasum, abomasum, small and large intestine, and mesenteric fat were recorded. Carcass characteristics were assessed 24 h after slaughter. Data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure of SAS, with heifer as the experimental unit. No differences were observed in final BW, average daily gain, or body condition score (P ≥ 0.18) between treatments (Table 1). Reflecting that HC heifers were limit-fed to a greater extent than HF heifers, therefore, dry matter intake, number of meals, visits to the feed bunk, time spent eating, and time per meal were less in HC heifers than in the HF group (P ≤ 0.001). In contrast, HC heifers had greater (P ≤ 0.001) eating rates of DM per minute, per visit and per meal compared with HF heifers. Though no differences were observed in back (P = 0.31) or rib fat (P = 0.37), HC heifers had greater (P = 0.04) marbling score and tended to have greater carcass weight (P = 0.06) and ribeye area (P = 0.07) as compared with HF heifers (Table 2). Greater (P < 0.001) full weights of GIT and stomach complex, empty weight of rumen-reticulum, weight of total digesta, and digesta as a proportion of BW (i.e., fill) were observed in HF heifers. In contrast, HC heifers had greater (P < 0.001) weights of full small intestine and mesenteric fat than HF heifers. These findings demonstrate that, despite similar rates of gain, limit-feeding high-concentrate diets can alter the composition of weight gain, favoring fat, muscle, and GIT development, potentially altering dam efficiency throughout her productive life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ruminal methane (CH4) emission from cattle represents about 2 to 12% gross energy loss and is considered as one of the main contributors to the greenhouse gas emissions by the livestock industry. Recent multiple lines of research indicated that maternal gut microbiome may influence offspring ruminal CH4 emission phenotype via potential influence on fetal programming and transmission of methanogens from the dam to calf perinatally. Our objective was to evaluate the effects of altering maternal microbiota via feeding high forage (HF) and high concentrate (HC) diets during the entire gestation on the maternal ruminal CH4 emissions in beef heifers. For this, Crossbred replacement beef heifers (n = 61) bred with male sexed semen were randomly assigned into two groups and were fed either a high forage (75% forage:25% concentrate; HF, n = 29) or high concentrate (25% forage:75% concentrate; HC, n = 32) diet with limited feed intake to gain 0.45 kg/d during the gestation. Individual feed intake was monitored and body weight (BW) were measured bi-weekly and diet deliveries were adjusted to ensure the target BW gain. A subset of pregnant heifers (n = 10 per treatment group) was harvested at 180 d of gestation. Ruminal fluid was collected by stomach tubing on d 180 (20 heifers slaughtered), d 238 of gestation, and at the postpartum (within 3 h of calving). The ruminal fluid was placed in 15 mL falcon tube, kept in a warm thermos and immediate processing for the in vitro CH4 production assay. About 12.5 mL of ruminal fluid was placed into separate 120 mL serum bottles each containing 0.62g of feed (HC or HF diet) and 50 mL of McDougall buffer under CO2 infusion before the bottle sealed with stoppers. The cultures were incubated at 39°C for 24h. Immediately after incubation, total biogas production, headspace CH4 concentration (using Gas chromatography), and pH of the 24 h culture was measured. Overall, the mean total volume of gas produced over 24 h was not statistically different (P > 0.05) between HF and HC heifers at any of the day measured, although it was numerically greater on d 238 (219 vs. 197 mL) and at postpartum (246 vs. 219 mL) in HC than HF heifers. Methane concentration in per milliliter gas was ranged between 13.3 and 16.3% but was not different between HF and HC heifers on any of the day evaluated (P > 0.05). Total volume of CH4 gas produced over 24 h was tended (P = 0.067) to be greater in HC heifers on d 238 (37.5 vs. 25. 7 mL). The culture pH from the ruminal fluid of HC heifers was less on d 238 (6.08 vs. 6.57) and at postpartum (P < 0.05). Overall, in vitro ruminal CH4 was not different in the ruminal fluid of HF and HC pregnant heifers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the increased appreciation of the involvement of maternal nutrition in fetal development, its effects on jejunum programming remain largely unexplored. Here, we investigated the impact of maternal vitamin and mineral supplementation throughout gestation on the differential gene expression and underlying biological pathways in the jejunum of neonatal calves. For this, beginning 60 d before breeding and continuing throughout gestation, crossbred Angus heifers (n = 14) were fed either a basal diet (CON; n = 7) or the basal diet plus 113 g•heifer-1•d-1 of VTM supplement (VTM; n = 7). All heifers were gestating female calves, which were euthanized 30 h after birth. Samples of jejunum mucosa were collected, stored at -80°C, then subjected to total RNA isolation and RNA sequencing. After quality control, the reads were mapped using STAR aligner and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified using DESeq2. Maternal VTM supplementation did not affect calf organ mass, including jejunum weight. However, high-resolution respirometry analysis revealed greater mitochondrial efficiency in jejunum of calves from VTM supplemented dams. Additionally, we identified 528 DEGs between the VTM and CON calves (P-value ≤ 0.05 and |log2FC| > 0.5). Among them, the genes IGFBP2 and IGFBP6, which are key genes in insulin pathway and involved in regulation of insulinlike growth factors (IGF), IGF transport, and uptake, were upregulated in the VTM group. Additional pathways were identified using ShinyGO, which included the pancreatic secretion pathway, over-represented by genes such as PLCB1, CCK, and SLC26A3. The gene PLCB1 has been associated with feed efficiency, growth, and carcass traits in multiple species. Likewise, the SLC26A3 gene encodes a key intestinal chloride anion exchanger associated with enhanced feed efficiency in cattle. Genes encoding signaling molecules involved with immune response, T cell activation, and defense response were also among the DEGs upregulated in the VTM calves, including the TNFSF18 and TNFRSF4 genes. Our findings suggest that maternal prenatal vitamin and mineral supplementation throughout gestation affects the expression of genes involved in the jejunum function of offspring at a neonatal time point. The long-term consequences of these changes, however, warrant further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vitamins and minerals have key roles in hormone production and action, enzyme activity, tissue synthesis, oxygen transport, and energy production. These micronutrients are efficiently transferred from the dam to the fetus during gestation to be partitioned for metabolic use and stored as postnatal mineral reserves. Maternal nutrient intake is one of the main factors that influence the availability of vitamins and minerals to the fetus. Thus, an inadequate supply of these critical nutrients can have a long-lasting impact on offspring growth and health. Evidence suggests that biological processes regulating normal growth, development, and nutrient utilization are programmed in utero, even during the earliest developmental stages. Therefore, there is a critical need to evaluate the effects of micronutrient supplementation during gestation on fetal physiology and metabolic programming. Our research group has developed research models examining the impact of maternal vitamin and mineral supplementation (VTM, supplemented vs. NoVTM, not supplemented) during the periconceptual period or throughout gestation in beef heifers. A metabolomic analysis revealed that metabolites in the oxidative phosphorylation pathway were more abundant in the liver of fetuses from VTM than NoVTM dams, suggesting that a greater supply of micronutrients during the periconceptual period and first trimester of pregnancy may positively modulate mitochondrial energy metabolism in offspring. These changes in the abundance of metabolites suggested physiological adaptations to meet fetal metabolic needs. Further, high-resolution respirometry analysis revealed greater efficiency of energy utilization in small intestinal samples of neonatal calves from VTM dams. In fact, VTM offspring were heavier from weaning to breeding phase than NoVTM offspring, suggesting that maternal nutrition affects physiological mechanisms in utero that modulate offspring energetics and efficiency of nutrient utilization in the postnatal period. Furthermore, we reported increased concentrations of histidine, aspartate, and 12 out of 14 neutral amino acids in the allantoic fluid of VTM-supplemented dams. Finally, genes involved with amino acid transport in fetal liver were upregulated in response to VTM supplementation, highlighting the intricate relationship between maternal and fetal nutrition. Vitamin and mineral supplementation were also associated with changes in gene expression, biological processes and pathways in placental tissue at d 83 of gestation. We observed an upregulation of genes in the calcium signaling and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (CGMP)-PKG signaling pathways in response to micronutrient supplementation. Calciummediated systems may modulate cell proliferation and steroidogenic activity in bovine placentomes, while CGMP-PKG plays a key role in vascular homeostasis. Placental blood vessel vascularity at term was indeed increased in heifers supplemented throughout gestation, emphasizing the importance of micronutrient supplementation beyond early pregnancy. Altogether, our findings suggest that vitamin and mineral supplementation in the periconceptual period and during gestation play a pivotal role in fetal metabolic programming with consequences extending to the postnatal period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enterocytes are the major cell lineage of the small intestinal epithelia along the crypt-villus axis in gut mucosa. Enterocytes participate in the gut terminal nutrient digestion and absorption; and have essential roles in nutrient and metabolite recycling and efflux, nutrient and hormonal sensing, interactions with symbiotic microbiome and binding to infectious viruses, thus influencing the host homeostasis and whole-body physiological status. Intestinal membrane vesicles have been widely used for studying various gut functions in the past several decades. Villus enterocytic brush border membrane and the apical membrane vesicles along the crypt-villus axis in gut mucosa can be prepared and isolated by Mg²+- and Ca²+-precipitation and differential centrifugation procedures. Whereas, gut mucosal basolateral membrane vesicles can be prepared, fractionated and differentiated from other intracellular organelles such as the mitochondrial inner membrane by the Percoll gradient ultracentrifugation. Nutrient transport and exchange activities in the membrane vesicles in vitro are conducted often by rapid hand filtration, and in excess, in an automated fast sampling apparatus. Nutrient transport and exchange activity kinetics are derived according to the wellestablished classic Michaelis-Menten and the tracer inhibitory kinetic models with a simple linear diffusional component. Physiological and biochemical properties associated with various nutrient uptake systems such as pH optimum, requirements for co-transported ions (e.g., Na+, K+, Cl- ), transporter affinity and substrate specificity can be effectively investigated in vitro with the membrane vesicles by altering the compositions of uptake buffers and intra-vesicular pre-loading buffers. Some of the fundamental gut functions are established via using the membrane vesicles in different mammalian species. And these include H+-peptide cotransport, Na+-cotransport and Na+-independent systems of hexose uptake across the apical membrane and the low-affinity Na+-independent hexose bidirectional uptake across the basolateral membrane that were characterized in rodents; Na+-dependent cotransport and Na+-independent systems of amino acid (AA) transport across the apical membrane that were revealed in rodents and pigs; as well as the Na+-hexose and AA cotransport and the co-expression of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 host epithelial apical membrane binding receptor, i.e., the angiotensin-converting enzyme-² (ACE2), along the gut crypt-villus axis that were identified in liquid formula-fed piglets. In the post genomic and metagenomic sequencing era, further research efforts need to pursue understanding of expression and various functionality of the gut terminal hydrolases, nutrient transporters, nutrient exchangers, nutrient sensors, substrate and particle receptors, taste receptors, viral binding receptors such as ACE² and hormonal receptors and their interactions with luminal factors such as nutrient, metabolites, symbiotic bacterial outer membrane vesicles etc., along the longitudinal and crypt-villus axes, through using the mammalian primary enterocytic apical and the basolateral membrane vesicles under various research settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early life microbial colonization and factors affecting colonization patterns are gaining interest due to recent developments suggesting that early life microbiome may play a role in Developmental Origins of Health and Disease. In cattle, limited information exists on the early microbial colonization of anatomical sites involved in bovine health beyond the gastrointestinal tract. Here, we investigated 1) the initial microbial colonization of seven different anatomical locations in newborn calves and 2) whether these early life microbial communities and 3) serum cytokine profiles are influenced by prenatal vitamin and mineral (VTM) supplementation. Samples were collected from the hoof, liver, lung, nasal cavity, eye, rumen (tissue and fluid), and vagina of beef calves that were born from dams that either received or did not receive VTM supplementation throughout gestation (n = 7/group). Calves were separated from dams immediately after birth and fed commercial colostrum and milk replacer until euthanasia at 30 h post-initial colostrum feeding. The microbiota of all samples was assessed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and qPCR. Calf serum was subjected to multiplex quantification of 15 bovine cytokines and chemokines. Our results indicated that the hoof, eye, liver, lung, nasal cavity, and vagina of newborn calves were colonized by site-specific microbiota, whose community structure differed from the ruminal-associated communities (0.64 ≥ R2 ≥ 0.12, p ≤ 0.003). The ruminal fluid microbial community was the only one that differed by treatment (p < 0.01). However, differences (p < 0.05) by treatment were detected in microbial richness (vagina); diversity (ruminal tissue, fluid, and eye); composition at the phylum and genus level (ruminal tissue, fluid, and vagina); and in total bacterial abundance (eye and vagina). From serum cytokines evaluated, concentration of chemokine IP-10 was greater (p = 0.02) in VTM calves compared to control calves. Overall, our results suggest that upon birth, the whole-body of newborn calves are colonized by relatively rich, diverse, and site-specific bacterial communities. Noticeable differences were observed in ruminal, vaginal, and ocular microbiota of newborn calves in response to prenatal VTM supplementation. These findings can derive future hypotheses regarding the initial microbial colonization of different body sites, and on maternal micronutrient consumption as a factor that may influence early life microbial colonization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thirty-two crossbred heifers were fed either a control diet or 20% (dry matter basis) hempseed cake in a complete ration for 111 days; of the cattle fed hempseed cake, four each were harvested with 0, 1, 4, and 8-day withdrawal periods. Urine and plasma were collected during the feeding and withdrawal periods and liver, kidney, skeletal muscle, and adipose tissue were collected at harvest. Total cannabinoid (n = 10) concentration of hempseed cake averaged 11.3 ± 11.7 mg kg−1 across the feeding period with total cannabidiol and tetrahydrocannabinol (CBD/THC) concentrations of 1.3 ± 0.8 mg kg−1. Neutral cannabinoids (cannabinol [CBN], CBD/THC, and cannabidivarin [CBDV]) were not detected in plasma or urine, but CBD/THC was measured in adipose tissue at all withdrawal periods (6.3 ± 2.1 to 10.1 ± 2.5 ng g−1). In contrast, cannabinoid acids (cannabinolic acid [CBNA], cannabidiolic acid [CBDA]/tetrahydrocannabinolic acid [THCA], cannabichromenic acid [CBCA], and cannabidivarinic acid [CBDVA]) were sporadically detected (<15 ng mL−1) in plasma and urine of cattle fed hempseed cake. Cannabinoid acids were depleted from liver by withdrawal day 4, but could still be measured (<1 ng g−1) in kidney of some animals harvested on withdrawal day 8. Assessment of human exposures to CBD/THC residues through the consumption of beef fat from animals fed hempseed cake suggests that the probability of consuming the equivalent of an acute reference dose (ARfD) is remote, even with the use of a conservative reference dose ARfD (1 μg kg−1 body weight). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new, bifunctional glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) derivative containing the highly conserved core structure of all natural GPI anchors with a photoactivable diazirine in the lipid chain and clickable alkynes in the glycan was synthesized by a convergent [3+2] glycosylation strategy with late stage protecting group manipulation and regioselective phosphorylation. The challenges of this synthesis were due to the presence of several distinctive functional groups in the synthetic target, which complicated the protection tactics, in addition to the inherent difficulties associated with GPI synthesis. This bifunctional GPI derivative can cross‐react with molecules in proximity upon photoactivation and be subsequently labeled with other molecular tags via click reaction. Therefore, it should be a valuable probe for biological studies of GPIs, such as analysis of GPI‐interacting membrane proteins, and gaining insights into their functional mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective irrigation systems that increase crop water productivity by minimizing evaporative losses are paramount for extending the longevity of finite groundwater resources in the semi-arid U.S. Southern High Plains (SHP). Although subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) acreage has increased in recent years, center-pivot sprinkler systems still account for greater than 85% of the irrigated area in the SHP. Modern sprinkler configurations are typically classified according to application height as either mid-elevation spray application (MESA) or low-elevation spray application (LESA). While application drift and evaporative losses are easily measured under fallow conditions, quantifying evaporative losses under cropped conditions is difficult. Lysimeter-derived daily evapotranspiration (ET) values for SDI-irrigated and sprinklerirrigated fields planted to corn in 2016 (MESA) and 2018 (LESA) near Bushland, TX, were compared for days when sprinkler irrigation events occurred and for subsequent days, when possible. Differences (extra ET) were attributed to evaporative losses associated with MESA and LESA irrigation. Average daily extra ET values for both sprinkler irrigation methods were similar on the day of irrigation, although MESA was slightly larger than LESA at 1.4 and 1.2 mm, respectively. The average daily extra ET values for incomplete canopy conditions were 2.2 mm for MESA and 1.9 mm for LESA, while values were identical for both methods at 0.6 mm for full canopy conditions. Average daily extra ET values were also expressed as a percentage of daily standardized grass reference ET (ETos) values. Average values for MESA and LESA were 20.1% and 13.5%, respectively, for the season, with similar findings of 29.3% and 19.4% for incomplete canopy conditions. Average extra ET/ETos values for incomplete canopy conditions were similar at 7.5% and 7.7% for MESA and LESA, respectively. Evaporative irrigation losses, calculated as the percentage of extra ET to irrigation depth, were slightly larger overall for the day of irrigation for MESA (5.4%) than LESA (5.2%). Losses of 7.9% and 7.0% were observed for incomplete canopy conditions for MESA and LESA, respectively. Average losses for LESA (3.5%) under full canopy conditions were greater than those for MESA (1.9%). A comparison of extra ET values for days following irrigation revealed that evaporative losses from irrigation events extended beyond the day of irrigation. MESA extra ET values for the day following irrigations increased by 57.1% (2.2 mm) overall, 13.6% (2.5 mm) for incomplete canopy conditions, and 150.0% (1.5 mm) for full canopy conditions. The same was true for LESA, with increases of 125.0% (2.7 mm) overall, 78.9% (3.4 mm) for incomplete, and 216.7% (1.9 mm) for full canopy conditions. Summing of extra ET values for the day of irrigation and the subsequent day yielded average values more than double those for the day of irrigation only, at 3.9 and 4.3 mm for MESA and LESA, respectively. Similarly, values for extra ET as a percentage of irrigation depth were also more than double those for the day of irrigation only, with the greatest loss values of 39.5% for MESA and 28.0% for LESA. These findings suggest that although LESA appears to mitigate evaporative losses marginally more in corn than MESA on the day of irrigation, considerably more evaporative losses occurred for both methods during the subsequent day, with slightly increased losses for LESA, resulting in little difference between overall losses over the two days. This may in part be explained by the temporary cooling effect of the irrigation inside the canopy on the day of irrigation, which is diminished by the second day. A greater discrepancy between evaporative losses for MESA and LESA is likely to be observed for crops having shorter stature or lower leaf density, such as cotton, although more study is needed to corroborate this claim. Knowledge of these findings provides useful information for both producers and water managers when considering irrigation management and water planning strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between weather variables and dry matter intake (DMI) in beef steers was examined using daily intake data from 790 beef steers collected through a computer-controlled feeding system in nonsummer months. Daily data were condensed into weekly averages (N  = 13,895 steer-weeks). The variables considered to predict DMI (2.50 to 23.60 kg/d) were body weight (197 to 796 kg), dietary net energy for maintenance (NE m ; 0.79 to 2.97 Mcal/kg), ambient temperature (−23.73 °C to 21.40 °C), range of temperature (2.79 °C to 19.43 °C), dew point (−27.84 °C to 14.34 °C), wind speed (2.08 to 6.49 m/s), solar radiation (30.8 to 297.1 W/m2), and 2-wk lag (average of previous 2 wk's values) and monthly lag (average of previous 4 wk's values) of each weather variable. Toeplitz variance-covariance structure for repeated measures was used to determine the model to predict DMI, while accounting for the effects of body weight, dietary NEm, and other variables in the model. Two-week lag of ambient temperature interacted (P  ≤ 0.005) with 2-wk lag of range of temperature, monthly lag of wind speed, 2-wk lag of solar radiation, and dew point to predict DMI. Interactions (P  = 0.0001) between 2-wk lag of range of temperature vs. dew point and monthly lag of wind speed vs. 2-wk lag of solar radiation were also detected. This study reports important weather variables associated with differences in DMI of growing and finishing steers and will help improve the accuracy of DMI prediction equations for beef cattle. Improvements in the accuracy of predicting DMI should give producers better tools to plan and execute efficient feeding management programs. The R2 of the overall model was 0.8891. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Five ruminally and duodenally cannulated red angus steers (n = 5; initial body weight [ BW ] = 542 kg, SD = 40 kg) were used in a three-period Youden square design consisting of three 21-d periods, three treatments, and five steers (one or two steers per treatment within each period) to evaluate the effect of feeding hempseed cake on ruminal fermentation parameters, organic matter (OM) intake, total tract nutrient digestion, and nitrogen (N) balance in steers fed finishing diets. The control (CON) diet contained 75% dry-rolled corn, 20% corn silage, and 5% supplement (DM basis). The dried corn distillers grains plus solubles (DDGS) and hempseed cake (HEMP) diets contained 55% dry-rolled corn, 20% corn silage, 20% dried corn distillers grains plus solubles or hempseed cake, and 5% supplement (DM basis). Total ruminal volatile fatty acid concentration was greater (P < 0.01) in steers fed the HEMP diet than in steers fed the DDGS or CON diets. Ruminal fluid pH was not influenced (P = 0.93) by treatment. Organic matter intake tended (P = 0.07) to be greater and OM total tract digestibility was less (P = 0.03) in steers fed the HEMP diet compared with steers fed the DDGS or CON diets. Ruminal true and total tract apparent N digestibility was greater (P < 0.01) in steers fed the HEMP diet than steers fed the DDGS or CON diets. Duodenal flow of essential, nonessential, and total amino acids was not influenced (P ≥ 0.37) by dietary treatment, but the lack of response was likely because ruminally degradable protein (RDP) supply exceeded the RDP requirement. Steers fed the HEMP diet had greater (P < 0.01) N retention (g/d) than steers fed the DDGS diet, which was greater (P < 0.01) than steers fed the CON diet, suggesting that feeding hempseed cake improved utilization of N. Although inclusion of hempseed cake decreased total tract OM digestibility compared with dried corn distillers grains or corn, improvements in N utilization suggest that hempseed cake could be a useful alternative feed ingredient for finishing cattle diets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this experiment was to evaluate effects of postruminal flows of casein or glutamic acid on small intestinal starch digestion and to quantify changes in energy and nutrient balance. Twenty-four steers (body weight = 179 ± 4 kg) were duodenally infused with raw cornstarch (1.46 ± 0.04 kg/d) and either 413 ± 7.0 g casein/d, 121 ± 3.6 g glutamic acid/d or water (control). Measures of small intestinal starch digestion and nutrient excretion were collected across 4 d after 42 d of infusion and measures of respiration via indirect calorimetry were collected across 2 d after 48 d of infusion. Ileal starch flow was least among calves provided casein, but ileal starch flow was not different between glutamic acid or control. Small intestinal starch digestion tended to be greatest among calves provided casein, least for glutamic acid and intermediate for control. Casein increased ileal flow of ethanol soluble oligosaccharides compared to glutamic acid and control. Large intestinal starch digestion was not different among treatments. By design, N intake was greatest among cattle provided casein, intermediate among calves provided glutamic acid and least for control. Nitrogen retention was greater in response to casein compared to control and glutamic acid. Intake of gross energy from feed was similar across treatments, and gross energy from infusate was greatest for casein, intermediate for glutamic acid and least for control. Variation in gross energy intake from feed resulted in no difference in overall gross energy intake across treatments. Similar to measures of small intestinal starch digestion and N retention, casein increased calories of digestible energy and metabolizable energy, compared to glutamic acid and control, which did not differ. Postruminal infusions did not influence methane production, but heat production was greatest in steers infused with casein, intermediate for steers provided glutamic acid, and least for control. Overall, amounts of energy retained by casein tended to be nearly 34% greater than control, but glutamic acid had no impact on energy balance. Improvement in small intestinal starch digestion in response to casein increased energy and N retained; however, glutamic acid did not influence small intestinal starch digestion and energy or N balance in cattle, which seems to suggest that responses in small intestinal starch digestion to greater postruminal flows of glutamic acid become refractory across greater durations of time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nutrients required by cattle are influenced by body composition. Indirect methods, such as DXA scanning, have been used to predict lean, fat, and bone tissues without the need for carcass dissection. The rib section between the 9th and the 11th ribs (HH section, Hankins and Howe, 1946) is the most used section to estimate carcass chemical composition through DXA or other approaches. However, to facilitate application in commercial packing plants, alternative approaches need to be developed. We hypothesized that carcass chemical composition can be precisely estimated using DXA data from alternative sections that would be easier to accomplish in a commercial facility. Therefore, this study aimed to develop equations to predict the whole carcass chemical composition of crossbred bulls using DXA scanning a different carcass section. The carcasses from Red Angus x Nellore growing bulls (n = 24) receiving maintenance (n = 4), and the ad libitum (n =20) diets with 20:80 (forage:concentrate) on a dry matter (DM) basis with corn silage as the forage. After 24 h of chilling, the left half-carcass of all animals were weighed, divided into 3 sections. The sections were obtained considering the carcass was hanging by Achilles, as following: longitudinal cut after the second rib (S1), the HH section, and the remaining section after the removal of S1 and HH section. The S1 and HH sections were scanned in a medical DXA unit (GE Healthcare, Lunar Prodigy Advance, USA). The small animal configuration mode of the GE Healthcare enCORE software, version 18, was used for DXA. The DXA scanning provided data on fat, lean, and bone mineral content (BMC). After scanning, each section was dissected into fat, muscle, and bone. DXA variables of carcass sections were used to predict carcass chemical composition (EE, CP, and ash) using general linear regression models in RStudio software. To develop prediction equations based on the input variables, a leave-one-out cross-validation method was utilized. The precision of the predictions was assessed based on the coefficient of determination (R2 ), root mean square error (RMSE), and Akaike’s information criterion (AIC). The predictive equations of carcass chemical composition based on DXA measurements of the different sections are reported in Table 1. Prediction equations for S1 for CP, EE, and Ash content had lower RMSE and AIC values and a greater R² when compared with the equations based on the HH section. In general, all equations had relatively high precision. However, S1 may be better for predicting carcass chemical composition because of improved goodness of fit and because this section can be more easily collected in a commercial packing plant. Nevertheless, further studies are needed to improve accuracy and evaluate the equations using an independent dataset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This study aimed to measure the neuropeptides, vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP), and their receptors, termed VPAC1, VPAC2 and PAC1 in ruminants. To date, we are unaware of any reported quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) measurements for these genes in either sheep (weathers) or cows (steers). To this end, we isolated total RNA from 15 different tissues from both weathers and steers and performed qPCR measurements. These data revealed expression for VIP and PACAP in the brain and intestines of both ruminant species, while VPAC1 and PAC1 receptors were detected in the brain, throughout the intestines (e.g., duodenum, jejunum, ilium, and colon), metabolically relevant organs (e.g., liver, kidney, and fat), and spleen (a primary immune organ). In contrast, VPAC2 was not detected in weathers, and only detected in spleen and omasum (muscular third stomach) in steers. Collectively, these data reveal for the first-time tissue expression profiles for the VIP and PACAP ligands and their receptors in ruminants that will provide researchers a better understanding of their biological activities in these animals. Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide (VIP) and Pituitary Adenylate-Cyclase-Activating Peptide (PACAP) are anti-inflammatory neuropeptides that play important roles in human and rodent gut microbiota homeostasis and host immunity. Pharmacologically regulating these neuropeptides is expected to have significant health and feed efficiency benefits for agriculturally relevant animals. However, their expression profile in ruminant tissues is not well characterized. To this end, we screened for VIP and PACAP neuropeptides and their endogenous GPCRs using 15 different tissues from weathers and steers by RT-qPCR. Our results revealed relatively similar expression profiles for both VIP and PACAP neuropeptide ligands in the brain and intestinal tissue of both species. In contrast, the tissue expression profiles for VPAC1, VPAC2, and PAC1 were more widespread and disparate, with VPAC1 being the most diversely expressed receptor with mRNA detection in the brain and throughout the gastrointestinal tract. These data are an important first step to allow for future investigations regarding the VIP and PACAP signaling pathways in livestock ruminant species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hempseed cake is a byproduct of hempseed oil extraction and is potentially a useful source of protein and fiber for use in ruminant diets. However, data are lacking on the appearance and/or clearance of cannabinoids in tissues of animals fed hempseed cake. To this end, a rapid method for quantifying cannabinol (CBN), cannabidiol (CBD), cannabinolic acid (CBNA), cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), cannabigerolic acid (CBGA), cannabichromenic acid (CBCA), cannabidivarin (CBDV), cannabidivarinic acid (CBDVA), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) in cattle tissues, plasma, and urine was developed using rapid screen electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (RS-ESI-MS). Regression coefficients of matrix-matched standard curves ranged from 0.9946 to >0.9999 and analyte recoveries averaged from 90.2 ± 15.5 to 108.7 ± 18.7% across all compounds. Limits of detection and quantification ranged from 0.05 to 2.79 ng · mL−1 and 0.17 to 9.30 ng · mL−1, respectively, while the inter-day relative standard deviation ranged from 5.1 to 15.1%. Rapid screening electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (RS-ESI-MS) returned no false positives for any cannabinoid in plasma, urine, and tissue (liver, skeletal muscle) samples from 6 non-dosed control animals (n = 90 samples; of which 72 samples were plasma or urine and 18 samples were tissues). Across-animal cannabinoid concentrations measured in 32 plasma samples of cattle dosed with ground hemp were quantified by RS-ESI-MS; analytical results correlated well (r2 = 0.963) with independent LC-MS/MS analysis of the same samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant function arises from a complex network of structural and physiological traits. Explicit representation of these traits, as well as their connections with other biophysical processes, is required to advance our understanding of plant‐soil‐climate interactions. We used the Terrestrial Regional Ecosystem Exchange Simulator (TREES) to evaluate physiological trait networks in maize. Net primary productivity (NPP) and grain yield were simulated across five contrasting climate scenarios. Simulations achieving high NPP and grain yield in high precipitation environments featured trait networks conferring high water use strategies: deep roots, high stomatal conductance at low water potential ("risky" stomatal regulation), high xylem hydraulic conductivity and high maximal leaf area index. In contrast, high NPP and grain yield was achieved in dry environments with low late‐season precipitation via water conserving trait networks: deep roots, high embolism resistance and low stomatal conductance at low leaf water potential ("conservative" stomatal regulation). We suggest that our approach, which allows for the simultaneous evaluation of physiological traits, soil characteristics and their interactions (i.e., networks), has potential to improve our understanding of crop performance in different environments. In contrast, evaluating single traits in isolation of other coordinated traits does not appear to be an effective strategy for predicting plant performance. Our process‐based model uncovered two beneficial but contrasting trait networks for maize which can be understood by their integrated effect on water use/conservation. Modification of multiple, physiologically aligned, traits were required to bring about meaningful improvements in NPP and yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study delineates the clinical and molecular spectrum of ANKLE2‐related microcephaly (MIC), as well as highlights shared pathological mechanisms between ANKLE2 and the Zika virus. Methods: We identified 12 individuals with MIC and variants in ANKLE2 with a broad range of features. Probands underwent thorough phenotypic evaluations, developmental assessments, and anthropometric measurements. Brain imaging studies were systematically reviewed for developmental abnormalities. We functionally interrogated a subset of identified ANKLE2 variants in Drosophila melanogaster. Results: All individuals had MIC (z‐score ≤ −3), including nine with congenital MIC. We identified a broad range of brain abnormalities including simplified cortical gyral pattern, full or partial callosal agenesis, increased extra‐axial spaces, hypomyelination, cerebellar vermis hypoplasia, and enlarged cisterna magna. All probands had developmental delays in at least one domain, with speech and language delays being the most common. Six probands had skin findings characteristic of ANKLE2 including hyper‐ and hypopigmented macules. Only one individual had scalp rugae. Functional characterization in Drosophila recapitulated the human MIC phenotype. Of the four variants tested, p.Val229Gly, p.Arg236*, and p.Arg536Cys acted as partial‐loss‐of‐function variants, whereas the c.1421‐1G>C splicing variant demonstrated a strong loss‐of‐function effect. Interpretation: Deleterious variants in the ANKLE2 gene cause a unique MIC syndrome characterized by congenital or postnatal MIC, a broad range of structural brain abnormalities, and skin pigmentary changes. Thorough functional characterization has identified shared pathogenic mechanisms between ANKLE2‐related MIC and congenital Zika virus infection. This study further highlights the importance of a thorough diagnostic evaluation including molecular diagnostic testing in individuals with MIC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inositol is an essential nutrient, obtained either by uptake from the environment or by de novo synthesis from glucose. Inositol and its derivatives exhibit tumor-suppressive effects, potentially mediated by inhibition of the ERK-MAPK or PI3K-Akt pathways. Accordingly, many cancers have been documented to silence expression of the ISYNA1 gene, which encodes the rate-limiting enzyme of inositol synthesis. Paradoxically, recent studies have also reported upregulation of ISYNA1 in some cancers. Upregulation may reflect a compensatory response brought about by defective inositol uptake or oncogenic mutations that preclude its tumor-suppressive effects. In these scenarios, de novo synthesis of inositol may be upregulated to promote cell proliferation. The role of inositol in cancer is further complicated by its ability to inhibit the master metabolic regulator AMPK, which upon activation can either decrease cell proliferation and metastasis or promote cell survival. Due to its potential dual role in cancer, inositol homeostasis must be tightly regulated in tumor cells. Thus, whether inositol acts to suppress or promote tumor progression is determined by the metabolic profile and oncogenic background of the cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the hemp industry continues to develop in the United States, there is an increasing interest in feeding byproducts of industrial hemp production to livestock. A completely randomized design experiment using crossbred finishing heifers (initial body weight [ BW ] ± SE = 494 ± 10 kg) was conducted to determine the effects of feeding hempseed cake in a corn-based finishing diet (10% forage) formulated to meet or exceed ruminally degradable and metabolizable protein requirements on growth performance, carcass characteristics, feeding behavior, and plasma parameters. Dietary treatments were the inclusion of 20% (dry matter [ DM ] basis) of dried corn distillers grains plus solubles (DDGS , n  = 16) or hempseed cake (HEMP , n  = 15). Cattle were housed in two pens, had ad libitum access to feed and water, and individual intakes and feeding behavior were monitored using the Insentec feeding system. Cattle were fed treatment diets for 111 d, and every 14 d BW were measured and blood samples were collected. Blood plasma was analyzed for glucose, urea nitrogen, and individual amino acids, and results were analyzed using repeated-measures analysis in SAS. Final BW, average daily gain, gain:feed, and hot carcass weight decreased (P  ≤ 0.05) by 2.3%, 7.7%, 7.7%, and 2.6%, respectively, in heifers fed the HEMP diet than in heifers fed the DDGS diet. Net energy for maintenance and gain (Mcal/kg of feed, DM basis), estimated based on heifer intake and performance, were greater (P  = 0.02) for the DDGS diet than for the HEMP diet. All other performance and carcass characteristics were not different (P  ≥ 0.20) between treatments. Heifers fed the HEMP diet had greater (P  < 0.05) plasma urea nitrogen concentration in samples from each collection day compared with heifers fed the DDGS diet, although there was a treatment-by-day interaction (P  < 0.01) because of variability in the magnitude of treatment differences over time. Plasma glucose concentration was not influenced (P  = 0.17) by dietary treatment. Plasma concentrations of total amino acids, nonessential amino acids, and essential amino acids were not different between treatments (P  ≥ 0.09), although there were several interactions between treatment and day (P  ≤ 0.04) for individual amino acids. These data suggest that hempseed cake has a lower net energy for maintenance and gain relative to DDGS when adequate metabolizable protein is supplied, while still providing adequate nutrition to support the acceptable performance of finishing cattle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social distancing, home confinement, economic challenges, and COVID-19-related illness and deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic can significantly affect mental health in youth. One promising approach to reduce anxiety and depression in adolescents is the neuroscience-based mindfulness intervention Training for Awareness, Resilience, and Action (TARA). The objective of this individually randomized waitlist-controlled trial (RCT) was (1) to test the feasibility of TARA, delivered partially over Zoom, and (2) to assess changes in the emotional wellbeing in healthy adolescents between the ages of 14–18 years old during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Twenty-one healthy adolescents were randomized to the TARA intervention or to the waitlist control group in February 2020, just before the start of the pandemic. The TARA group intervention was delivered in person for the first five sessions and remotely over Zoom for the remaining seven sessions due to the pandemic. The participants' acceptability of TARA was assessed weekly using the Child Session Rating Scale (CSRS). The primary outcome was the emotional wellbeing measured using emotional symptoms subscale of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) pre/post-TARA. We also explored weekly changes in TARA participants' wellbeing using the Child Outcome Rating Scale (CORS). Results: The overall session rating in TARA participants improved after the switch to Zoom (Cohen's d = 1.2, p = 0.008). The results of the two-way ANOVA showed no statistically significant difference in the change of the SDQ emotional symptoms during the 12 weeks between the TARA group and waitlist-control group (timepoint × group interaction: F = 0.77, p = 0.38). The exploratory analysis using the CORS in the TARA participants showed a significant improvement in their functioning over the weeks of training. Conclusion: Our results support the feasibility of TARA delivered over Zoom. While our primary outcome did not provide support for the improvement of the emotional wellbeing with TARA compared to a passive control group, our exploratory analysis in the intervention group indicated an improved functioning over the weeks of TARA training. The important general positive impact of this study lies in the possibility of offering a neuroscience-based mindfulness intervention remotely to youth living in remote areas and for all youth during pandemic times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Six ruminally cannulated steers [475.0 ± 49.6 kg initial body weight (BW)] were used in a 6 × 3 incomplete Latin square design (six treatments and three periods), to evaluate the impacts replacing of corn silage with pelleted soyhulls as roughage in high-concentrate finishing diets containing 30% modified distillers grains with solubles. Treatments were based on increasing dietary inclusion of soyhulls and consisted of: (1) Control (0), roughage supplied by dietary inclusion of 20% corn silage [dry matter (DM) basis]; (2) 50% replacement of corn silage with soyhulls (50); (3) 100% replacement of corn silage with soyhulls (100), and the same three treatments repeated with 3% added wheat straw (DM basis) replacing corn in the diet (0S, 50S, and 100S, respectively). Absolute dry matter intake (DMI; kg/d basis) tended to decrease both linearly and quadratically (P ≤ 0.09) and proportional DMI (% of BW) decreased linearly (P = 0.04) with increasing soyhull inclusion but was not affected by the addition of straw in the diet (P = 0.68). Total tract digestibility of organic matter and crude protein were not affected by soyhull inclusion or added straw (P ≥ 0.32). Ruminal pH did not differ (P = 0.65) with increasing soyhull inclusion but increased with the addition of straw (P < 0.01; 5.9 vs. 6.1 for no straw and straw, respectively). Molar proportions of acetate and butyrate decreased while propionate increased with increased soyhull inclusion (P ≤ 0.03; linearly and quadratically, respectively). Ruminal fluid kinetics were unaffected by either rate of replacement of corn silage with soyhulls or wheat straw inclusion (P ≥ 0.13). Decreases in DMI observed in this study would likely decrease finishing cattle performance and underscores the need for additional research before recommending this practice to cattle feeders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A diacyl phosphatidylinositol (PI) derivative with an azide linked to its inositol C4-position was effectively synthesized in 19 steps for the longest linear sequence and in a ca. 1% overall yield from 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycerol and D-glucose. This compound was designed as a biosynthetic precursor of glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchors. Its azide would enable further modification to introduce other molecular tags by a biocompatible click reaction. Therefore, it can be a useful probe for metabolic engineering of cell surface GPI anchors and GPI-anchored proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adolescence is a period of substantial neural and social development, and prosocial decisions are beneficial to personal well-being, the well-being of others, and the functioning of society. Advances in network neuroscience call for a systematic synthesis and reappraisal of prosocial neural correlates during adolescent development. In this systematic review, we aim to outline the progress made in this field, identify the similarities between study results, and propose a model for prosocial cognition in adolescents to young adults. A total of 25 articles were included in this review. After reviewing and synthesizing the literature, we propose a DOmain-General Developmental "Do-GooD" network model of prosocial cognition that aligns with the reviewed literature, accounts for development, and combines elements of the value-based decision-making model with distinct value contributions from the default mode network, salience network, and control network. We offer predictions to test the "Do-GooD" model and propose new future directions for studying prosocial behavior and its development during adolescence, which in turn may lead to improving education and the development of better health interventions for adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased efficiency of nutrient utilization can potentially be gained with increased starch digestion in the small intestine in ruminants. However, ruminants have quantitative limits in the extent of starch disappearance in the small intestine. The objective is to explore the nutritional and physiological constraints that contribute to limitations of carbohydrate assimilation in the ruminant small intestine. Altered digesta composition and passage rate in the small intestine, insufficient pancreatic α-amylase and/or small intestinal carbohydrase activity, and reduced glucose absorption could all be potentially limiting factors of intestinal starch assimilation. The absence of intestinal sucrase activity in ruminants may be related to quantitative limits in small intestinal starch hydrolysis. Multiple sequence alignment of the sucrase-isomaltase complex gives insight into potential molecular mechanisms that may be associated with the absence of intestinal sucrase activity, reduced capacity for intestinal starch digestion, and limitations in the efficiency of feed utilization in cattle and sheep. Future research efforts in these areas will aid in our understanding of small intestinal starch digestion and glucose absorption to optimize feeding strategies for increased meat and milk production efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sci. 101: skac402. doi: 10.1093/jas/skac402 Google Scholar Crossref Search ADS WorldCat 22 Troyer, B. C., E. J. Dennis, A. DiCostanzo, and G. E. Erickson. Graph The NCCC308 Multistate Research Coordinating and Information Exchange Group currently consists of members from 18 Agricultural Experiment Stations with a long and strong history in conducting applied finishing cattle nutrition and management research and Extension. Sci. 101: skac348. doi: 10.1093/jas/skac348 Google Scholar Crossref Search ADS PubMed WorldCat 15 Nickles, K. R., A. E. Relling, A. Garcia-Guerra, F. L. Fluharty, and A. J. Parker. NCCC308: Nutrition and Management of Feedlot Cattle to Optimize Performance, Carcass Value, and Environmental Compatibility - Feature Collection - Nutrition and Management of Finishing Cattle. [Extracted from the article]

Recent developments call for further research on the timing and mechanisms involved in the initial colonization of the fetal/infant gut by the maternal microbiome and its role in Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD). Although progress has been made using primarily preterm infants, ethical and legal constraints hinder research progress in embryo/fetal-related research and understanding the developmental and mechanistic roles of the maternal microbiome in fetal microbial imprinting and its long-term role in early-life microbiome development. Rodent models have proven very good for studying the role of the maternal microbiome in fetal programming. However, some inherent limitations in these animal models make it challenging to study perinatal microbial colonization from a biomedical standpoint. In this review, we discuss the potential use of bovine animals as a biomedical model to study the maternal microbiome, in utero microbial colonization of the fetal gut, and their impact on offspring development and DOHaD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The authors sought to estimate the prevalence of past-12-month and lifetime cannabis use and cannabis use disorder among U.S. veterans; to describe demographic, substance use disorder, and psychiatric disorder correlates of nonmedical cannabis use and cannabis use disorder; and to explore differences in cannabis use and cannabis use disorder prevalence among veterans in states with and without medical marijuana laws.Methods: Participants were 3,119 respondents in the 2012-2013 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions-III (NESARC-III) who identified as U.S. veterans. Weighted prevalences were calculated. Logistic regression analyses tested associations of nonmedical cannabis use and cannabis use disorder with demographic and clinical correlates and examined whether prevalence differed by state legalization status.Results: The prevalences of any past-12-month cannabis use and cannabis use disorder were 7.3% and 1.8%, respectively. Lifetime prevalences were 32.5% and 5.7%, respectively. Past-12-month and lifetime cannabis use disorder prevalence estimates among nonmedical cannabis users were 24.4% and 17.4%, respectively. Sociodemographic correlates of nonmedical cannabis use and use disorder included younger age, male gender, being unmarried, lower income, and residing in a state with medical marijuana laws. Nonmedical cannabis use and use disorder were associated with most psychiatric and substance use disorders examined.Conclusions: Among veterans, the odds of nonmedical cannabis use and use disorder were elevated among vulnerable subgroups, including those with lower income or psychiatric disorders and among survey participants residing in states with medical marijuana laws. The study findings highlight the need for clinical attention (e.g., screening, assessment) and ongoing monitoring among veterans in the context of increasing legalization of cannabis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on grazer activity concentrated by rangeland management practice Patch-burn grazing (PBG) in burned patches within rangeland pastures. Topics discussed include livestock production through alteration of physiology of vegetation creating crude protein content, patch-burning increases mineral concentrated of forage in rangeland pastures and grazing cattle's mineral requirements.

Maternal nutrient restriction during gestation adversely affects offspring growth and development of liver and skeletal muscle tissues. Realimentation following nutrient restriction may alleviate these negative impacts on development but may alter metabolism and tissue composition. Forty-eight ewes, pregnant with singletons, were fed to meet 100% National Research Council (NRC) recommendations starting at the beginning of gestation. On day 50 of gestation, seven ewes were euthanized (BASE), and fetal liver, skeletal muscles, and blood samples were collected. The remaining animals were fed either 100% of NRC recommendations (CON) or 60% NRC recommendations (RES), a subset were euthanized at day 90 of gestation (n = 7/treatment), and fetal samples were collected. Remaining ewes were maintained on the current diet (CON-CON, n = 6; RES-RES, n = 7) or switched to the alternate diet (CON-RES, RES-CON; n = 7/treatment). On day 130 of gestation, the remaining ewes were euthanized, and fetal samples were collected. At day 130 of gestation, maternal nutrient restriction during late-gestation (RES-RES and CON-RES) decreased fetal liver weight (P < 0.01) and cross-sectional area in triceps brachii (P = 0.01; TB), longissimus dorsi (P = 0.02; LM), and semitendinosus (P = 0.05; STN) muscles. Maternal nutrient restriction during mid-gestation increased hepatocyte vacuole size at day 130 of gestation. Late-gestational maternal nutrient restriction increased mRNA expression of insulin-like growth factor (IGF) binding protein-1 (P < 0.01), glycogen synthase 2 (P = 0.01; GYS2), and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1 (P < 0.01; PDHK1) in the liver and IGF receptor 1 (P = 0.05) in the LM. Lipid concentration in the LM was decreased by late-gestational nutrient restriction (P = 0.01) and increased by mid-gestational nutrient restriction in STN (P = 0.03) and TB (P < 0.01). Principal component analysis of lipidomics data demonstrated clustering of principal components by day of gestation and elastic net regression identified 50, 44, and 29 lipids that classified the treatments in the fetal liver, LM, and blood, respectively. In conclusion, restricting maternal nutrition impacts fetal liver and muscle morphology, gene expression, and lipid metabolism, whereas realimentation attenuated some of these effects. Therefore, realimentation may be a viable strategy to reduce the impacts of nutrient restriction, but can lead to alterations in lipid metabolism in sheep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crop evapotranspiration under deficit soil water conditions must be quantified to accurately manage deficit irrigation and crop water stress and achieve targeted water savings. A stress coefficient is commonly used to quantify the effect of inadequate soil water on crop evapotranspiration. A 6-year deficit irrigation field trial of maize in northeastern Colorado was used to derive the stress coefficient for maize. Results showed that crop evapotranspiration was affected by both the effect of current soil water deficit on water uptake and stomatal resistance and the impact of prior water stress on plant growth. Measured evapotranspiration was less than potential crop evapotranspiration when the soil water deficit exceeded 25% of the total plant available water. A curvilinear relationship modeled the measured stress coefficient better than the commonly used linear relationship. Prior water stress resulted in a reduction in canopy ground cover, which was linearly related to the basal crop coefficient. These combined effects, when incorporated into the crop coefficient times reference evapotranspiration model, were able to accurately estimate crop evapotranspiration with deficit irrigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This experiment evaluated the influence of protein supplementation frequency (SF) and amount offered on intake, nutrient digestibility, and ruminal fermentation by rumen-fistulated beef steers consuming low-quality [2.9% crude protein (CP); dry matter (DM) basis], cool-season forage. Seven Angus × Hereford steers (300 ± 27 kg) fitted with ruminal cannulas were randomly assigned to 1 of 7 treatments in an incomplete 7 × 4 Latin square. Treatments, in a 2 × 3 factorial design plus a non-supplemented control (CON), consisted of 2 levels of supplemental soybean meal, 100% (F) or 50% (H) of the estimated rumen-degradable protein requirement, provided daily (D), once every 5 d (5D), or once every 10 d (10D). Experimental periods were 30 d and dry matter intake (DMI) was measured from days 19 to 28. On days 21 (all supplements provided) and 30 (only daily supplements provided; day immediately prior to supplementation for 5D and 10D treatments) ruminal fluid was collected for ruminal pH, ammonia-N (NH3), volatile fatty acids (VFA), and determination of ruminal fermentation variables. Forage and total DM, organic matter (OM), and nitrogen (N) intake increased with supplementation (P ≤ 0.04). However, a linear effect of SF × amount of supplement interaction was observed for forage and total DM, OM, and N intake (P ≤ 0.04), with each variable decreasing as SF decreased, but the decrease being greater with F vs. H. Apparent total tract DM, OM, and neutral detergent fiber digestibility was not affected by supplementation or amount of supplement provided (P ≥ 0.10). In contrast, N digestibility increased with supplementation and for F vs. H (P < 0.01). Digestibility of DM, OM, and N increased linearly as SF decreased (P ≤ 0.03). When all supplements were provided, ruminal NH3 , total VFA, and molar proportions of all individual VFA increased with supplementation (P ≤ 0.04), whereas acetate:propionate ratio decreased (P < 0.01). When only daily supplements were provided, none of the aforementioned fermentation parameters were affected (P ≥ 0.09). In summary, reducing the amount of supplemental CP provided to ruminants consuming low-quality forages, when supplementation intervals are >5 d, can be a management tool to maintain acceptable levels of DMI, nutrient digestibility, and ruminal fermentation while reducing supplementation cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Perhaps, as never before, we need innovators. With our growing population numbers, and with increasing pressures on our education systems, are we in danger of becoming more rigid and formulaic and increasingly inhibiting innovation? When young can we predict who will become the great innovators? For example, in medicine, who will change clinical practice? Aims We therefore determined to assess whether the current academic excellence approach to medical school entrance would have captured previous great innovators in medicine, assuming that they should all have well fulfilled current entrance requirements. Methods The authors assembled a list of 100 great medical innovators which was then approved, rejected or added to by a jury of 12 MD fellows of the Royal Society of Canada. Two reviewers, who had taken both the past and present Medical College Admission Test as part of North American medical school entrance requirements, independently assessed each innovator's early life educational history in order to predict the innovator's likely success at medical school entry, assuming excellence in all entrance requirements. Results Thirty-one percent of the great medical innovators possessed no medical degree and 24% would likely be denied entry to medical school by today's standards (e.g. had a history of poor performance, failure, dropout or expulsion) with only 24% being guaranteed entry. Even if excellence in only one topic was required, the figure would only rise to 41% certain of medical school entry. Conclusion These data show that today's medical school entry standards would have barred many great innovators and raise questions about whether we are losing medical innovators as a consequence. Our findings have important implications for promoting flexibility and innovation for medical education, and for promoting an environment for innovation in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We prove that, for p ∈ (1 , ∞) and β ∈ R , the function x ↦ β − log ⁡ 1 − x p K p (x p) is strictly concave on (0 , 1) if and only if β ≥ λ (p) := 2 p (p 2 − 2 p + 2) (p − 1) (2 p 2 − 3 p + 3) , where K p represents the generalized complete p-elliptic integrals of the first kind defined by K p (r) := ∫ 0 π p / 2 d θ (1 − r p sin p p ⁡ θ) 1 − 1 / p , where π p := 2 p B (1 / p , 1 − 1 / p) , π 2 = π , and sin p is the generalized sine function, with sin 2 = sin. This extends the recently obtained corresponding result for the case that p = 2. We then apply this concavity property to obtain the following functional inequality (likewise extending the previously established result for the case that p = 2): For all r ∈ (0 , 1) , we have 2 β π p + 1 < β − log ⁡ (r ′) K p (r) + β − log ⁡ (r) K p (r ′) ≤ 2 β + 2 log ⁡ (2 p) K p (1 / 2 p) , where r ′ = 1 − r p p , p ∈ (1 , ∞) , and β ≥ λ (p). Both bounds are sharp. The sign of equality holds if and only if r = 1 / 2 p . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]