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Estimation of evapotranspiration (ET, the water used by soil evaporation and plant transpiration) and soil water depletion (Dr, the amount of water to bring the soil water in the root zone to field capacity) are critical in irrigation water management. The open-source Python-based crop ET and water balance modeling package named “pyfao56” was originally developed based on the dual crop coefficient approach as described in the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, Irrigation and Drainage Paper No. 56 (FAO-56). The package later expanded on the seminal FAO-56 document to consider various options relevant to ET and water balance modeling, including both short (grass) and tall (alfalfa) reference crops, optional discretization of variable soil layers based on field capacity, and interpretation of readily available water (RAW) and Dr based on both a dynamic (growing) root zone and maximum root zone. The package requires two input data objects; the “Parameters” class defines variables affecting soil water balance and ET and the “Weather” class specifies relevant meteorological data. Other optional input data objects include the “Irrigation” class for irrigation events, the “Soil_Profile: class for defining stratified soil layer data, and the “Update” class for assimilation of measured data. Additional tools are available for estimating and forecasting standardized reference ET (ETref), providing seasonal water balance summaries, computing goodness-of-fit statistics between measured and modeled values, and visualizing time series plots of daily Dr, ET, and crop coefficients. The current pyfao56 release (v1.2.1) was incorporated into a customized workflow for specific use at the USDA-ARS Limited Irrigation Research Farm (LIRF) in Greeley, Colorado, and named the LIRF Implementation of Pyfao56 (LIRFIP). Field data from 2023 full and limited irrigation field trials were used to demonstrate the functionality of LIRFIP and its customizations and integration of pyfao56 into the LIRF workflow. Specific customizations included use of pyfao56 “customload” functions to input data from various sources, including weather from an on-site micrometerological station (using the application programming interface (API) developed by the maintainers of the Colorado Agricultural Meteorological (CoAgMet) weather station network), irrigation events (via a shared Google docs sheet), field capacity values by plot and soil layer (via an Excel spreadsheet), and measured soil water content as well as basal crop coefficient (Kcb) calculated from fractional canopy cover (fc) (via an SQLite database). To evaluate multiple research plots, LIRFIP was designed to iterate simulations from multiple instances of pyfao56 and to produce customized output summary files and interactive hypertext markup language (html) graphs as an aid for irrigation management decisions for LIRF field trials. This study demonstrated pyfao56 as a useful, flexible, customizable, and repeatable ET-based water balance model by showcasing its integration within a specific computational workflow for irrigation management field research at LIRF. The approach serves as an example for pyfao56 integration in other water management tools as conceived by water managers, researchers, and practitioners worldwide.

Abstract 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.

The pyfao56 software package is a Python-based implementation of the standardized evapotranspiration (ET) methodologies described in Irrigation and Drainage paper No. 56 of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, commonly known as FAO-56. This update improved pyfao56 by 1) adding an optional surface runoff methodology, 2) adding an extensive algorithm for automating the computation of irrigation schedules, 3) considering irrigation losses due to irrigation system inefficiencies, 4) adding an optional method to compute the transpiration reduction coefficient (Ks) based on the curvilinear approach from AquaCrop, 5) incorporating a module for computing 15 goodness-of-fit statistics between simulated and measured data, and 6) computing a cumulative seasonal water balance summary. Most of these updates arose from user requests to add new features or options, and the collaborations demonstrated the value of community-based development for rapid improvement and generalization of scientific software.

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.

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.

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]

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]

The article provides information on the peer-review publication process. Topics discussed include things that authors must accomplish before publishing peer-reviewed academic books or manuscripts, questions that allow the author to determine whether their research idea is new, objective, needed, and moral, and submission of manuscripts and peer-review process. Ethical considerations in writing and publishing are also mentioned.

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]

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]

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]

Introduction As the usage of online platforms becomes increasingly prevalent to share information, it is essential to garner a better understanding of the content disseminated across the internet. Studies have found that patients are relying on online resources to gather medical information, potentially encountering misinformation. The sharing of information concerning primary headaches, despite affecting a large portion of the world’s population, has not been comprehensively analysed through the lens of online content. This scoping review seeks to explore the extent of available information, uncover existing gaps in knowledge, and to serve as a resource for healthcare providers to educate themselves to provide informed care to patients.Methods and analysis Studies considered for inclusion are those focused on primary headache (including migraines, tension headaches and cluster headaches) content posted on a community platform. Any online community forum will be eligible, including but not limited to TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, online forums and blogs. Studies will be limited to those published in English, with no geographic restriction. Five electronic databases, namely PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus, EMBASE, PsycInfo, will be searched for published reports. Two reviewers will independently screen titles and abstracts. The reviewers will then assess the full texts selected. In both cases, disagreements will be discussed with a third reviewer and consensus will be achieved. Data analysis will be descriptive with a narrative summary.Ethics and dissemination Since this is a scoping review of previously published summary data, ethical approval for this study is not needed. Findings will be published in a peer-reviewed journal.Trial Registration Number This protocol is registered on the Open Science Framework Repository (https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/2MAFN).

Abstract Microglia are sexually dimorphic, yet, this critical aspect is often overlooked in neuroscientific studies. Decades of research have revealed the dynamic nature of microglial-neuronal interactions, but seldom consider how this dynamism varies with microglial sex differences, leaving a significant gap in our knowledge. This study focuses on P2RY12, a highly expressed microglial signature gene that mediates microglial-neuronal interactions, we show that adult females have a significantly higher expression of the receptor than adult male microglia. We further demonstrate that a genetic deletion of P2RY12 induces sex-specific cellular perturbations with microglia and neurons in females more significantly affected. Correspondingly, female mice lacking P2RY12 exhibit unique behavioral anomalies not observed in male counterparts. These findings underscore the critical, sex-specific roles of P2RY12 in microglial-neuronal interactions, offering new insights into basal interactions and potential implications for CNS disease mechanisms. Graphical Abstract

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]

The aim of this study was to develop and validate regression models to predict the chemical composition and ruminal degradation parameters of corn silage by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR). Ninety-four samples were used to develop and validate the models to predict corn silage composition. A subset of 23 samples was used to develop and validate models to predict ruminal degradation parameters of corn silage. Wet chemistry methods were used to determine the composition values and ruminal degradation parameters of the corn silage samples. The dried and ground samples had their NIR spectra scanned using a poliSPECNIR 900-1700 model NIR sprectrophotometer (ITPhotonics S.r.l, Breganze, IT.). The models were developed using regression by partial least squares (PLS), and the ordered predictor selection (OPS) method was used. In general, the regression models obtained to predict the corn silage composition (P>0.05), except the model for organic matter (OM), adequately estimated the studied properties. It was not possible to develop prediction models for the potentially degradable fraction in the rumen of OM and crude protein and the degradation rate of OM. The regression models that could be obtained to predict the ruminal degradation parameters showed correlation coefficient of calibration between 0.530 and 0.985. The regression models developed to predict CS composition accurately estimated the CS composition, except the model for OM. The NIR has potential to be used by nutritionists as a rapid prediction tool for ruminal degradation parameters in the field.

The human CMG helicase (Cdc45-MCM-GINS) is a novel target for anticancer therapy. Tumor-specific weaknesses in the CMG are caused by oncogene-driven changes that adversely affect CMG function, and CMG activity is required for recovery from replicative stresses such as chemotherapy. Herein, we developed an orthogonal biochemical screening approach and identified CMG inhibitors (CMGi) that inhibit ATPase and helicase activities in an ATP-competitive manner at low micromolar concentrations. Structure-activity information, in silico docking, and testing with synthetic chemical compounds indicate that CMGi require specific chemical elements and occupy ATP-binding sites and channels within minichromosome maintenance (MCM) subunits leading to the ATP clefts, which are likely used for ATP/ADP ingress or egress. CMGi are therefore MCM complex inhibitors (MCMi). Biologic testing shows that CMGi/MCMi inhibit cell growth and DNA replication using multiple molecular mechanisms distinct from other chemotherapy agents. CMGi/MCMi block helicase assembly steps that require ATP binding/hydrolysis by the MCM complex, specifically MCM ring assembly on DNA and GINS recruitment to DNA-loaded MCM hexamers. During the S-phase, inhibition of MCM ATP binding/hydrolysis by CMGi/MCMi causes a "reverse allosteric" dissociation of Cdc45/GINS from the CMG that destabilizes replisome components Ctf4, Mcm10, and DNA polymerase-α, -δ, and -ε, resulting in DNA damage. CMGi/MCMi display selective toxicity toward multiple solid tumor cell types with K-Ras mutations, targeting the CMG and inducing DNA damage, Parp cleavage, and loss of viability. This new class of CMGi/MCMi provides a basis for small chemical development of CMG helicase-targeted anticancer compounds with distinct mechanisms of action., (©2024 The Authors; Published by the American Association for Cancer Research.)

Our objective was to compare HIV prevalence between two national surveys among men who have sex with men in Brazil in 2009 and 2016. HIV prevalence was estimated stratifying by age and socioeconomic status. HIV prevalence increased from 11.9% [95% confidence interval (CI): 9.9-14.3], in 2009, to 19.1% (95% CI: 16.5 - 22.0), in 2016 [odds ratio (OR) = 1.8; 95% CI: 1.3-2.3] increasing 320% among Young MSM of low SES. Political leadership is needed to develop a scientifically sound and inclusive solution., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

The last couple of decades have highlighted the importance of studying hybridization, particularly among primate species, as it allows us to better understand our own evolutionary trajectory. Here, we report on genetic ancestry estimates using dense, full genome data from 881 olive (Papio anubus), yellow (Papio cynocephalus), or olive-yellow crossed captive baboons from the Southwest National Primate Research Center. We calculated global and local ancestry information, imputed low coverage genomes (n = 830) to improve marker quality, and updated the genetic resources of baboons available to assist future studies. We found evidence of historical admixture in some putatively purebred animals and identified errors within the Southwest National Primate Research Center pedigree. We also compared the outputs between two different phasing and imputation pipelines along with two different global ancestry estimation software. There was good agreement between the global ancestry estimation software, with R2 > 0.88, while evidence of phase switch errors increased depending on what phasing and imputation pipeline was used. We also generated updated genetic maps and created a concise set of ancestry informative markers (n = 1,747) to accurately obtain global ancestry estimates., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Kendall et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Canada's healthcare system is experiencing a health and human resource (HHR) crisis. The available evidence of the scope of the problem and potential solutions, however, is not commensurate with the scale and urgency of the crisis. The use of linked health administrative data to study the health, well-being and work patterns of the health workforce offers critical insights into how the workforce is functioning at a population level. Efforts to rapidly expand the use of these data are needed to understand the scope of the HHR crisis, find opportunities for improvement and drive change., (Copyright © 2024 Longwoods Publishing.)

Objective: To analyze the factors associated with the individual use of insect repellent by women of childbearing age living in area endemic for arboviruses in Fortaleza, Brazil., Methods: This is a cohort study carried out between 2018 and 2019 with women aged between 15 and 39 years in Fortaleza, state of Ceará, Brazil. A total of 1,173 women users of one of the four selected primary health care units participated in the study. The outcome was divided into: continued use, discontinued use, and nonuse of insect repellent. Crude and adjusted multinominal logistic regression analysis was carried out guided by a hierarchical model, with presentation of the respective odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). The independent variables include: socioeconomic and demographic data, environmental and sanitary characteristics, knowledge of the insect repellent, and behavioral and pregnancy-related aspects., Results: Only 28% of the participants reported using insect repellent during the two waves of the cohort. Women with higher education (OR=2.55; 95%CI 1.44-4.51); who are employed (OR=1.51; 95%CI 1.12-2.03); who received guidance from healthcare professionals (OR=1.74; 95%CI 1.28-2.36) and the media (OR=1.43; 95%CI 1.01-2.02); who intensified precautions against mosquitoes during the epidemic (OR=3.64; 95%CI 2.29-5.78); and who were pregnant between 2016 and 2019 (OR=2.80; 95%CI 1.83-4.30) had increased odds for continued use of insect repellent., Conclusion: The use of insect repellent among women of childbearing age was associated with a higher level of education, employment, guidance on insect repellent provided by healthcare professionals and the media, behavioral changes to protect against mosquitoes during the Zika virus epidemic, and pregnancy when occurring as of the beginning of the epidemic period.

Objective: To verify the association between sociodemographic factors and the time until the occurrence of new cases of COVID-19 and positive tests for SARS-CoV-2 in Brazil, during the period from May to November 2020, based on a cohort of Brazilians participating in the COVID-19 National Household Sample Survey., Methods: A concurrent and closed cohort was created using monthly data from the PNAD COVID-19, carried out via telephone survey. A new case was defined based on the report of the occurrence of a flu-like syndrome, associated with loss of smell or taste; and positivity was defined based on the report of a positive test, among those who reported having been tested. Cox regression models were applied to verify associations. The analyzes took into account sample weighting, calibrated for age, gender and education distribution., Results: The cumulative incidence of cases in the overall fixed cohort was 2.4%, while that of positive tests in the fixed tested cohort was 27.1%. Higher incidences were observed in the North region, in females, in residents of urban areas and in individuals with black skin color. New positive tests occurred more frequently in individuals with less education and healthcare workers., Conclusion: The importance of prospective national surveys is highlighted, contributing to detailed analyzes of social inequalities in reports focused on public health policies.

Competing Interests: HM is the Director of Planetary Health and receives a stipend for his work from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ottawa. All authors are also from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ottawa and therefore the manuscript represents their institutional experience with this new role and may not be fully impartial.