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Assesses the paradoxical failure of QT prolongation during cardioinhibitory neurocardiogenic syncope. Variety of syncope; Head-up tilt and complications; Implication of QT interval; Cardioinhibitory response definition; Subject characteristics: QT peculiarity improved therapies; New insights in syncope pathogenesis required.

Our objective was to determine if the addition of a concentrated human recombinant transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF) to bovine semen at the time of AI would result in increased risk of pregnancy in beef and dairy cows. Suckled beef cows (n = 1,132) in 11 herds across 2 states and lactating dairy cows (n = 2,208) in one organic-certified herd were enrolled. Beef cows received fixed-time AI (FTAI) following a 7 d CO-Synch + controlled internal drug release estrous synchronization protocol. Dairy cows were inseminated following observation of natural estrus expression. Cows received either no treatment as a control (CON) or 10 ng of TGF in 10 μL added through the cut-end of a thawed straw of semen immediately prior to AI. At the time of FTAI of beef cows, the mean ± SD age was 5.0 ± 2.4 yr, BCS was 5.3 ± 0.7, and days postpartum was 78.2 ± 15.5 d. The overall pregnancy risk (PR) in beef cows was 55.2% to AI and 90.5% season-long. PR in beef cows was not affected (P = 0.27) by the addition of TGF (53.1% vs. 58.1%). Furthermore, there was no difference (P = 0.88) for season-long PR in beef cows that received TGF (91.2% vs. 91.5%). At the time of insemination of dairy cows, the mean ± SD lactation was 3.0 ± 1.3 lactations, BCS was 2.9 ± 0.3, days in milk was 115.6 ± 56.6 d, and cows had received 2.4 ± 1.5 inseminations/cow. The overall pregnancy risk to AI in dairy cows was 23.1%. PR to AI for dairy cows was not affected (P = 0.32) by addition of TGF (22.0% vs. 23.8%). In conclusion, PR to AI was not affected by addition of TGF to thawed semen immediately prior to AI in beef or dairy cows., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Society of Animal Science.)

Objective: The objectives of this study were to evaluate the prevalence of chronic Anaplasma marginale infection in beef bulls from eastern Kansas and compare breeding soundness parameters between A marginale-infected and uninfected bulls. We hypothesized that bulls with chronic anaplasmosis would have inferior breeding soundness exam (BSE) outcomes as a result of persistent A marginale infection or the consequence of initial clinical disease compared to uninfected bulls., Animals: 535 client-owned beef bulls from eastern Kansas undergoing routine BSE., Methods: Complete BSEs were conducted by participating veterinarians according to the second edition of the Society for Theriogenology Manual for Breeding Soundness Examination of Bulls. Blood samples were collected for PCV determination and analysis of A marginale infection status via quantitative PCR and cELISA. Logistic and linear regression methods were used to evaluate factors associated with A marginale infection status and BSE parameters., Results: Prevalence of chronic A marginale infection was 46% (245/535) among bulls. Unsatisfactory BSE outcome was not statistically associated with chronic anaplasmosis in this study population, although more bulls with chronic anaplasmosis had unsatisfactory BSE outcomes (15.0 ± 2.4% vs 12.0 ± 2.2%)., Clinical Relevance: Chronic anaplasmosis is prevalent among eastern Kansas breeding bulls; however, no negative association between chronic anaplasmosis and breeding soundness at time of BSE was observed.

The objective of this study was to compare the influence of beef production systems using additive combinations of growth-promotant technologies on meat quality. Steer calves ( n  = 120) were assigned to 1 of 4 treatments: 1) no technology (NT; control), 2) antibiotic treated (ANT; NT plus therapeutic antibiotics, monensin, and tylosin), 3) implant treated (IMP; ANT plus a series of three implants), and 4) beta-agonist treated (BA; IMP plus ractopamine-HCl). Muscle biopsy samples from the longissimus lumborum were extracted from a subset ( n  = 4 per treatment) of steers to evaluate expression of calpain-1, calpain-2, and calpastatin using real-time RT-PCR. Following carcass chilling, objective color ( L *, a *, and b *) was evaluated. The right strip loin was removed from each carcass, portioned into 2.54-cm steaks, and designated to 7, 14, or 21 d postmortem aging periods for analysis of cook loss and Warner-Bratzler shear force ( WBSF ). The anterior face of each strip loin was used for analysis of crude fat and moisture. Treatment influenced ( P  < 0.001) L *, a *, and b *. The NT and IMP treatments had greater ( P  < 0.01) L * values, ANT was intermediate, and BA had the lowest ( P  < 0.01) L * values. The NT and IMP treatments had higher ( P  < 0.01) a * and b * values compared with ANT, which were higher ( P  < 0.01) than BA. Steaks from implanted steers (IMP and BA) tended ( P ≤ 0.067) to exhibit higher a * and b * than steaks from nonimplanted steers. Cattle in the NT and ANT treatments produced steaks with increased ( P  < 0.01) crude fat percentage compared with the IMP and BA treatments, which were similar ( P  > 0.05). Percent moisture of NT steaks was lower ( P  < 0.01) than all other treatments, ANT was intermediate, and IMP and BA were similar ( P  > 0.05) and had the highest ( P  < 0.01) moisture content. Cook loss tended to be greater ( P  = 0.088) for implanted steers (IMP and BA) compared to nonimplanted steers (NT and ANT). Steaks from NT and ANT treatments were more tender ( P  < 0.05) than IMP and BA, which were similar ( P  > 0.05). Thus, WBSF was lower ( P  < 0.001) in nonimplanted than implanted steaks. Expression of calpastatin was increased ( P ≤ 0.025) in ANT and BA treatments, and there was a tendency for expression of calpain-2 to be increased ( P  = 0.081) in ANT compared to NT. These results suggest that production systems with limited use of growth promoting technology produced strip loins with more crude fat, less moisture and cook loss, and improved tenderness., Competing Interests: The authors declare no real or perceived conflict of interest., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Society of Animal Science.)

The objective of this study was to compare the influence of two low-stress weaning methods with conventional weaning on post-weaning performance and carcass characteristics of beef steers. Single-sourced steer calves ( n = 89) were stratified by body weight (BW) and dam age into three groups in a completely randomized design ( n = 29 or 30 steers/treatment): ABRUPT (calves isolated from dams on the day of weaning), FENCE (calves separated from dams via a fence for 7 d prior to completely weaning), and NOSE (nose-flap inserted and calves remained with dams for 7 d prior to completely weaning). At day +7 post-weaning, calves were transported to a commercial feedlot where they received standard step-up and finishing rations typical for a Northern Plains feedlot. BWs were recorded in study day -7 (PreTreat), 0 (Weaning), 7 (PostWean), 26 (Receiving), 175 (Ultrasound), and 238 or 268 (Final), and average daily gains (ADG) were calculated for each time period. Blood samples were collected via coccygeal venipuncture at d -7 (PreTreat), 0 (Weaning), and +7 (PostWean) from a subsample of calves ( n = 10 per treatment) and analyzed for haptoglobin (acute-phase stress protein) concentrations using a bovine haptoglobin ELISA kit. On day 175, ultrasound fat thickness and intramuscular fat were determined and utilized to project marketing dates when steers reached 1.27 cm of backfat (day 238 or 268). Carcass measurements were recorded at the time of harvest. The weaning method interacted ( P < 0.01) with a time period for ADG and BW. Calf ADG was greater ( P < 0.01) in the NOSE treatment during PreTreat to Weaning than ABRUPT or FENCE. In the Weaning to PostWean period, the FENCE calves had greater ( P < 0.01) ADG than ABRUPT and NOSE. During the Postwean to Receiving period ADG was greater ( P < 0.04) for ABRUPT compared to FENCE and NOSE. Calf ADG was similar ( P > 0.05) among treatments for the remainder of the feeding period. Calf BW did not differ among treatments ( P > 0.05) at all times of weighing. Haptoglobin was undetectable in all samples except two samples collected on day -7. The weaning method did not influence ( P > 0.05) carcass measurements. Collectively these data suggest low-stress weaning methods do not significantly improve post-weaning growth performance or carcass characteristics compared to using conventional methods despite minor, short-term alterations in ADG during the weaning period., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Society of Animal Science.)

Background: Natural service breeding is common in U.S. cow-calf operations. Diseases impacting bull reproductive performance have significant economic consequences for producers. Anaplasmosis may be an underappreciated cause of poor reproductive performance in bulls. The primary systemic effects of bovine anaplasmosis including anemia, fever, and weight loss, can all result in unsatisfactory reproductive performance. The objective of this pilot study was to evaluate breeding soundness examination (BSE) outcomes and clinical changes in bulls during and upon resolution of clinical anaplasmosis. Anaplasma marginale-challenged bulls were observed for clinical disease and infection progression and changes in breeding soundness compared to uninfected control bulls for 16 weeks., Results: All Anaplasma marginale-challenged bulls were PCR-positive, seropositive, and showed clinical signs by 3-, 17-, and 24-days post-challenge, respectively. Clinical signs of anaplasmosis included pallor, icterus, fever (≥ 40.2 °C), and weight loss. Acute anemia was observed in all challenged bulls with PCV nadirs ≤ 18% and peak percent parasitized erythrocyte ≥ 50%. Decreased scrotal circumference and poor semen quality (e.g., increased percentage of abnormal spermatozoa, decreased progressively motile sperm), were initially observed within days after onset of clinical anaplasmosis signs and continued weeks beyond disease resolution. Control bulls remained negative for A. marginale., Conclusion: This pilot study demonstrates that clinical anaplasmosis reduces breeding soundness in beef bulls. Anaplasmosis should be considered as a differential for bulls with decreased semen quality, especially within endemic areas. A 90 day or greater retest window is recommended for bulls of unsatisfactory breeding potential recently recovered from clinical anaplasmosis., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Performance of cows and calves during 63-d early or conventional weaning periods was evaluated. Spring-calving beef cows ( n = 167) of similar age, body condition score (BCS), and body weight (BW = 599 ± 54.5 kg), and their calves (initial BW = 204 ± 26.7 kg; 153 ± 15 d of age) were assigned randomly to 1 of 4 weaning treatments: weaning at 153 d of age followed by 56 days of limit feeding in confinement (E-D), confinement of cow and calf for a 56-d period of limit feeding followed by weaning at 209 d of age (C-D), weaning at 153 d of age followed by a 56-d grazing period (E-P), and a 56-d grazing period for both cow and calf followed by weaning at 209 d of age (C-P). Cows and calves assigned to pasture treatments grazed native range pastures without supplement. Cows and calves assigned to drylot treatments were fed complete diets. Calves assigned to E-D were fed a concentrate-based diet at 2.5% of BW, whereas cows assigned to E-D were fed a forage-based diet at 1.6% of BW. Cows assigned to C-D were offered the diet fed to E-D cows at 2.0% of BW. Calf average daily gain (ADG) was influenced by diet and weaning treatments (diet × weaning, P ≤ 0.03). Cows and calves assigned to all treatments were limit fed common diets for 7 d at the end of our study to equalize gut fill. In general, calves managed in confinement and fed concentrate-based diets (i.e., E-D and C-D) had greater ADG than non-supplemented calves maintained on pasture (i.e., E-P and C-P). Cow BW and BCS change (days 0 to 63) were influenced by both diet and weaning status ( P ≤ 0.05). Non-lactating cows maintained on pasture had lesser BW loss than other treatments, whereas non-lactating cows fed in confinement had lesser BCS on day 63 and greater BCS loss from days 0 to 63 than other treatments. Conversely, rump-fat depth on day 63 was greater ( P < 0.01) for non-lactating cows maintained on pasture than for lactating cows in either pasture or drylot environments. Similarly, change in rump-fat depth was greatest (diet × weaning, P < 0.01) for non-lactating cows on pasture and least for lactating cows in either pasture or drylot environments. Results were interpreted to indicate that early-weaning spared cow BW and rump fat compared to weaning at conventional ages. Performance of cows appeared to be similar when limit-fed under drylot conditions or maintained in a pasture environment. Conversely, calf performance was generally greater in confinement than on pasture., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Society of Animal Science.)

Host-pathogen specificity can arise from certain selective environments mediated by both the host and pathogen. Therefore, understanding the degree to which host species identity is correlated with pathogen genotype can help reveal historical host-pathogen dynamics. One animal disease of particular concern is chytridiomycosis, typically caused by the global panzootic lineage of the amphibian chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, Bd), termed Bd-GPL. This pathogen lineage has caused devastating declines in amphibian communities around the world. However, the site of origin for the common ancestor of modern Bd-GPL and the fine-scale transmission dynamics of this lineage have remained a mystery. This is especially the case in North America where Bd-GPL is widespread, but disease outbreaks occur sporadically. Herein, we use Bd genetic data collected throughout the United States from amphibian skin swabs and cultured isolate samples to investigate Bd genetic patterns. We highlight two case studies in Pennsylvania and Nevada where Bd-GPL genotypes are strongly correlated with host species identity. Specifically, in some localities bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana) are infected with Bd-GPL lineages that are distinct from those infecting other sympatric amphibian species. Overall, we reveal a previously unknown association of Bd genotype with host species and identify the eastern United States as a Bd diversity hotspot and potential site of origin for Bd-GPL., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Health and performance of early-weaned steers were evaluated during a 56-d weaning period, a 56-d feedlot receiving period, and a 165-d feedlot finishing period. Steers ( n = 239; 128 ± 14 d of age) were assigned to a 56-d weaning treatment: drylot weaning (D) or pasture weaning (P). Pasture steers grazed mature, native tallgrass range (89.2% dry matter [DM], 9.08% crude protein [CP]), without supplementation. A concentrate-based diet (18.7% CP and 1.15 Mcal NE g /kg) was fed to D steers. Later, all steers were transitioned to a receiving, then a finishing diet and fed to a common endpoint. Body weight (BW) after and average daily gain (ADG) during weaning were greater ( P < 0.01) for D than for P. Incidence of undifferentiated fever during weaning tended to be greater ( P = 0.10) for D steers than for P steers. Conversely, incidence of keratoconjunctivitis was greater ( P < 0.01) for P than for D during weaning (40.2% vs. 0%, respectively) and receiving ( P < 0.01; 14.3% vs. 1.6%, respectively). At the start and end of receiving, D steers had greater ( P < 0.01) BW compared with P steers. Drylot steers had greater ( P = 0.03) ADG compared with P steers during receiving. Pasture steers tended to have greater dry matter intake (DMI) ( P = 0.09) during receiving than D steers. In contrast, gain:feed (G:F) was improved ( P < 0.01) for P steers than for D steers during receiving. Incidence of undifferentiated fever was not different ( P = 0.99) between D and P steers during receiving. At start of finishing, D steers were heavier ( P < 0.01) than P steers; however, finishing ADG was greater ( P < 0.01) for P compared with D. Conversely, hot carcass weight of P steers was less ( P < 0.01) compared with D steers. Drylot steers had greater DMI ( P < 0.01) than P steers during finishing, whereas P steers had improved G:F ( P < 0.01) compared with D steers. There were no differences ( P ≥ 0.19) between treatments in DOF, carcass characteristics or United States Department of Agriculture yield grade. Growth and health during a 56-d weaning period and a 56-d receiving period were improved when steers were weaned in a drylot environment and fed a concentrate-based diet compared with non-supplemented steers weaned in a pasture environment. We interpret these data to suggest that, under the conditions of our experiment, steers preconditioned on mature, native, warm-season pasture for 56 d without supplementation were unable to compensate for previous nutrient restriction during finishing., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Society of Animal Science.)

The objective of this study was to determine the impact of beef production systems utilizing additive combinations of growth promotant technologies on animal and carcass performance and environmental outcomes. Crossbred steer calves ( n =120) were stratified by birth date, birth weight, and dam age and assigned randomly to one of four treatments: 1) no technology (NT; control), 2) antibiotic treated (ANT; NT plus therapeutic antibiotics and monensin and tylosin), 3) implant treated (IMP; ANT plus a series of 3 implants, and 4) beta-agonist treated (BA; IMP plus ractopamine-HCl for the last 30 d prior to harvest). Weaned steers were fed in confinement (dry lot) and finished in an individual feeding system to collect performance data. At harvest, standard carcass measures were collected and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Yield Grade and Quality Grade were determined. Information from the cow-calf, growing, and finishing phases were used to simulate production systems using the USDA Integrated Farm System Model, which included a partial life cycle assessment of cattle production for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, fossil energy use, water use, and reactive N loss. Body weight in suckling, growing, and finishing phases as well as hot carcass weight was greater ( P < 0.05) for steers that received implants (IMP and BA) than non-implanted steers (NT and ANT). The average daily gain was greater ( P < 0.05) for steers that received implants (IMP and BA) than non-implanted steers during the suckling and finishing phases, but no difference ( P = 0.232) was detected during the growing phase. Dry matter intake and gain:feed were greater ( P < 0.05) for steers that received implants than non-implanted steers during the finishing phase. Steers that received implants responded ( P < 0.05) with a larger loin muscle area, less kidney pelvic and heart fat, advanced carcass maturity, reduced marbling scores, and a greater percentage of carcasses in the lower third of the USDA Choice grade. This was offset by a lower percentage of USDA Prime grading carcasses compared with steers receiving no implants. Treatments did not influence ( P > 0.05) USDA Yield grade. The life cycle assessment revealed that IMP and BA treatments reduced GHG emissions, energy use, water use, and reactive nitrogen loss compared to NT and ANT. These data indicate that growth promoting technologies increase carcass yield while concomitantly reducing carcass quality and environmental impacts., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Society of Animal Science.)

Emergency rooms across the United States regularly treat patients with opioid use disorder and patients experiencing opioid overdose. Four to six million people in the US are estimated to have opioid use disorder. Over half of overdose related deaths in 2016 resulted from the use of opioids. The majority of deaths involved the use of fentanyl. There is an opioid epidemic plaguing the nation and with emergency rooms at the forefront of the proverbial battlefield; they can potentially play a key role in addressing the problem. Currently, there are three FDA approved, evidence-based medications for the treatment of opioid use disorder. These are buprenorphine, methadone and extendedrelease naltrexone. Buprenorphine induction in emergency room settings has shown great promise. Research suggests that it is an effective, safe and cost-effective treatment to initiate in emergency rooms. In order to successfully treat opioid use disorder and overdose in emergency rooms, they must have waivered providers and they must be equipped with the necessary resources. The VA Connecticut has been able to overcome some of the challenges to initiating buprenorphine in the emergency room setting and has established a feasible model for treating opioid overdose and managing opioid use disorder., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Amphibian declines caused by chytridiomycosis have been severe, but some susceptible populations have persisted or even recovered. Resistance to the causal agent Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) could result from alleles of the adaptive immune system. During metamorphosis, however, immune systems may not be fully functional, implying that an effective immune response to Bd may be life-stage dependent. We evaluated the susceptibility of the relict leopard frog (Rana onca) sourced from two areas where Bd was present or absent, and where the populations appeared to show differences in pathogen resistance. We evaluated whether population-level resistance manifested across life stages using challenge experiments with late-stage tadpoles (Gosner stage 31-38), metamorphs (stage 45-46), and juvenile frogs. We used three different Bd isolates including one from wild R. onca to challenge juvenile frogs and focused on the isolate from R. onca to challenge tadpoles and resulting metamorphs. We found that juveniles from the Bd exposed population were 5.5 times more likely to survive Bd infection and 10 times more likely to clear infections than those from the area without Bd. In contrast, and regardless of the source area, we observed 98% survivorship of tadpoles, but only 19% survivorship of resulting metamorphs following re-exposure. Given the low survivorship of exposed metamorphs in the laboratory, we speculate on how resistance characteristics, whether adaptive or innate, that do not manifest at each life stage could develop in the wild. We suggest that seasonal high temperatures during times when metamorphosis appears common may modulate the effects of the pathogen during this most susceptible life stage.

Biodiversity loss is one major outcome of human-mediated ecosystem disturbance. One way that humans have triggered wildlife declines is by transporting disease-causing agents to remote areas of the world. Amphibians have been hit particularly hard by disease due in part to a globally distributed pathogenic chytrid fungus ( Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis [ Bd ]). Prior research has revealed important insights into the biology and distribution of Bd ; however, there are still many outstanding questions in this system. Although we know that there are multiple divergent lineages of Bd that differ in pathogenicity, we know little about how these lineages are distributed around the world and where lineages may be coming into contact. Here, we implement a custom genotyping method for a global set of Bd samples. This method is optimized to amplify and sequence degraded DNA from noninvasive skin swab samples. We describe a divergent lineage of Bd , which we call Bd ASIA3, that appears to be widespread in Southeast Asia. This lineage co-occurs with the global panzootic lineage ( Bd GPL) in multiple localities. Additionally, we shed light on the global distribution of Bd GPL and highlight the expanded range of another lineage, Bd CAPE. Finally, we argue that more monitoring needs to take place where Bd lineages are coming into contact and where we know little about Bd lineage diversity. Monitoring need not use expensive or difficult field techniques but can use archived swab samples to further explore the history-and predict the future impacts-of this devastating pathogen., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2019 the Author(s). Published by PNAS.)

Graduate medical education (GME) in the United States is financed by contributions from both federal and state entities that total over $15 billion annually. Within institutions, these funds are distributed with limited transparency to achieve ill-defined outcomes. To address this, the Institute of Medicine convened a committee on the governance and financing of GME to recommend finance reform that would promote a physician training system that meets society's current and future needs. The resulting report provided several recommendations regarding the oversight and mechanisms of GME funding, including implementation of performance-based GME payments, but did not provide specific details about the content and development of metrics for these payments. To initiate a national conversation about performance-based GME funding, the authors asked: What should GME be held accountable for in exchange for public funding? In answer to this question, the authors propose 17 potential performance-based metrics for GME funding that could inform future funding decisions. Eight of the metrics are described as exemplars to add context and to help readers obtain a deeper understanding of the inherent complexities of performance-based GME funding. The authors also describe considerations and precautions for metric implementation.

Two experiments were conducted to determine relationships of blood metabolite concentrations, BW, BCS, and rump fat depth with postpartum ovulation and pregnancy risks, as well as their utility in predicting those outcomes in suckled beef cows. In experiment 1, plasma glucose collected 10 and 3 d before AI of suckled beef cows at seven locations did not differ between cows that had resumed estrous cycles (ovulated) before AI compared with anovulatory cows, whereas plasma glucose 3 d before AI was greater (P < 0.01) in cows that became pregnant compared with nonpregnant cows. Serum beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) tended (P = 0.09) to be less in ovulatory cows compared with anovulatory cows 10 d before AI, but was unrelated to pregnancy status. Receiver-operator derived true-positive (sensitivity) and false-positive (1-specificity) risks were determined for plasma glucose and serum BHB as predictors for postpartum ovulation and pregnancy status. Serum BHB 3 d before AI produced true-positive and false-positive risks of 82% and 37%, respectively, when predicting ovulatory status before AI. Serum BHB 10 d before AI produced a true-positive and false-positive risks of 92% and 25%, respectively, when predicting pregnancy status. In experiment 2, blood was collected weekly for 12 wk from multiparous suckled beef cows to assess blood metabolite concentrations in addition to concurrent weekly assessments of BW, BCS, and rump fat. When blood metabolites and physical measures were normalized to parturition reflecting changes occurring during the first 6 wk after calving, we observed reduced (P < 0.05) concentrations of serum BHB and NEFA, and greater (P < 0.05) rump fat and BCS in cows that ovulated before first AI, whereas reduced (P < 0.05) plasma glucose was characteristic of cows that became pregnant. When blood metabolites and physical measures were normalized to the onset of the AI program reflecting changes during 6 wk before AI, ovulatory cows had increased (P < 0.05) BCS and lower (P < 0.05) NEFA from 3 to 6 wk before the onset of the AI program compared with anovulatory cows. With all predictor variables in regression models, some multiple correlation coefficients (R2) exceeded 50% when predicting postpartum ovulatory status, but those for predicting pregnancy risk were less than 25%. Although measures of BCS and BHB during 6 wk after calving were related to postpartum ovulation risk, rump fat, glucose, BCS, and NEFA were associated with cows that were ovulatory and pregnant.

Our objective was to determine which of 2 split-time AI programs applied to suckled beef cows would result in greater pregnancy risk. Suckled beef cows (n = 1,062) at 12 locations in 4 states (CO, KS, MY, and WA) were enrolled. Cows were treated on d -7 with a progesterone insert concurrent with 100 µg GnRH and on d 0 with 25 mg PGF plus removal of the insert. Estrus-detection patches were affixed to cows at insert removal. The study was designed as a completely randomized experiment of 2 treatment combinations. Within location and balanced for parity (primiparous vs. multiparous), cows were assigned randomly to 2 treatment times (55 vs. 65 h after CIDR insert removal) at which time estrus-detection patches were assessed. Estrus was defined to have occurred when an estrus-detection patch was > 50% colored (activated). Cows determined to be in estrus were inseminated at either 55 or 65 h, whereas the residual nonestrous cows in both treatment times received GnRH at 55 or 65 h but were inseminated 20 h later at 75 or 85 h, respectively. Pregnancy outcomes were determined at 36 d after AI and at the end of the breeding season. Thus, pregnancy outcomes of interest were compared between the 55 + 75-h treatment combination and that of the 65+85-h combination. Expression of estrus was greater ( = 0.001) by 65 h after PGF than by 55 h (62.0% vs. 41.9%), respectively, and this proportion was influenced by parity (time x parity interaction; = 0.006). As a result, proportionally more ( < 0.001) cows received the timed AI at 75 than 85 h (59.4% vs. 40.6%). Similar proportions of cows not in estrus by 55 or 65 h were detected in estrus by 75 or 85 h (40.1% vs. 39.3%), respectively. The cumulative proportion of cows in estrus by 75 h was less ( < 0.001) than that by 85 h (66.7% vs. 76.7%), respectively. Pregnancy risks at 36 d differed among treatments, with cows detected in estrus and inseminated at 55 or 65 h having greater pregnancy risks than their time-inseminated herd mates at 75 or 85 h (62.3% vs.49.7%), respectively. Overall pregnancy risk for cows in the 65+85-h treatment combination was greater at 36 d than for cows in the 55 + 75-h treatment combination (61.0% vs. 51.4%), respectively. We conclude that the 65 + 85-h treatment combination produced more pregnancies than the 55 + 75-h combination, but its implementation may be somewhat less convenient in terms of cow handling times.

Epizootic disease caused by the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) is a major driver of amphibian declines, yet many amphibians declined before the pathogen was described. The Relict Leopard Frog, Rana onca (=Lithobates onca), was nearly extinct, with the exception of populations within a few geothermal springs. Growth of Bd, however, is limited by high water temperature, and geothermal springs may have provided refuge during outbreaks of chytridiomycosis. We conducted field surveys and laboratory experiments to assess the susceptibility of R. onca to Bd. In the field, we found Bd at one of the two areas where remnant populations of R. onca still occur, but not in the other. In the laboratory, we infected juvenile frogs from these two areas with two hypervirulent Bd isolates associated with declines in other ranid species. In our experiments, these Bd isolates did not affect survivorship of R. onca and most infections (64%) were cleared by the end of the experiments. We propose that R. onca either has inherent resistance to Bd or has recently evolved such resistance. These results may be important for conservation efforts aimed at establishing new populations of R. onca across a landscape where Bd exists. Resistance, however, varies among life stages, and we also did not assess Bd from the local environment. We caution that the resistance we observed for young frogs under laboratory conditions may not translate to the situation for R. onca in the wild.

We hypothesized that GnRH would increase pregnancy risk (PR) in a split-time AI program for cows in which estrus was not detected. A total of 1,236 suckled beef cows at 12 locations in 3 states (Colorado, Kansas, and North Dakota) were enrolled. Before applying the fixed-time AI program, BCS was assessed. Cows were treated on d -7 with a progesterone insert concurrent with 100 μg GnRH and on d 0 with 25 mg PGF plus removal of the insert. Estrus-detection patches were affixed to cows at insert removal. Estrus was defined to have occurred when an estrus-detection patch was >50% colored (activated). Cows in estrus by 65 h ( = 758; 61.3% of all cows) were randomly allocated to 2 treatments: 1) 100 μg GnRH and early + GnRH (E+G; = 373) or 2) AI only at 65 h (early - no GnRH [E-G]; = 385). The remaining cows were randomly allocated to 2 treatments: 1) 5(L+G; = 252) or 2) AI only at 84 h (late no GnRH [L-G]; = 226). Pregnancy was determined 35 d after AI via transrectal ultrasound. Pregnancy risk did not differ ( = 0.68) between E+G and E-G cows (61.9 vs. 60.4%, respectively). Conversely, for cows inseminated at 84 h, PR was greater ( = 0.01) in cows that received GnRH (L+G) compared with their herd mates not receiving GnRH (L- G; 41.7 vs. 30.8%, respectively). Of those cows not detected in estrus by 65 h, 42.1% were detected by 84 h, for a total expression of estrus by all cows of 77.6%. Administration of GnRH increased ( < 0.01) PR in cows not detected in estrus by 84 h (+GnRH = 33.4% [ = 146] vs. no GnRH = 15.0% [ = 128]) but had no effect in cows expressing estrus by 84 h (+GnRH = 65.3% [ = 103] vs. no GnRH = 61.7% [ = 97]). Neither estrus expression by 65 or 84 h nor PR was influenced by BCS, parity, or days postpartum at AI. Cows had greater PR when they had been detected in estrus before AI, and PR was improved by administration of GnRH at 65 h after insert removal in cows that were not detected in estrus and inseminated at 84 h.

A multilocation study examined pregnancy risk (PR) after delaying AI in suckled beef cows from 60 to 75 h when estrus had not been detected by 60 h in response to a 7-d CO-Synch + progesterone insert (CIDR) timed AI (TAI) program (d -7: CIDR insert concurrent with an injection of GnRH; d 0: PGF injection and removal of CIDR insert; and GnRH injection at TAI [60 or 75 h after CIDR removal]). A total of 1,611 suckled beef cows at 15 locations in 9 states (CO, IL, KS, MN, MS, MT, ND, SD, and VA) were enrolled. Before applying the fixed-time AI program, BCS was assessed, and blood samples were collected. Estrus was defined to have occurred when an estrus detection patch was >50% colored (activated). Pregnancy was determined 35 d after AI via transrectal ultrasound. Cows ( = 746) detected in estrus by 60 h (46.3%) after CIDR removal were inseminated and treated with GnRH at AI (Control). Remaining nonestrous cows were allocated within location to 3 treatments on the basis of parity and days postpartum: 1) GnRH injection and AI at 60 h (early-early = EE; = 292), 2) GnRH injection at 60 h and AI at 75 h (early-delayed = ED; = 282), or 3) GnRH injection and AI at 75 h (delayed-delayed = DD; = 291). Control cows had a greater ( < 0.01) PR (64.2%) than other treatments (EE = 41.7%, ED = 52.8%, DD = 50.0%). Use of estrus detection patches to delay AI in cows not in estrus by 60 h after CIDR insert removal (ED and DD treatments) increased ( < 0.05) PR to TAI when compared with cows in the EE treatment. More ( < 0.001) cows that showed estrus by 60 h conceived to AI at 60 h than those not showing estrus (64.2% vs. 48.1%). Approximately half (49.2%) of the cows not in estrus by 60 h had activated patches by 75 h, resulting in a greater ( < 0.05) PR than their nonestrous herd mates in the EE (46.1% vs. 34.5%), ED (64.2% vs. 39.2%), and DD (64.8% vs. 31.5%) treatments, respectively. Overall, cows showing estrus by 75 h (72.7%) had greater ( < 0.001) PR to AI (61.3% vs. 37.9%) than cows not showing estrus. Use of estrus detection patches to allow for a delayed AI in cows not in estrus by 60 h after removal of the CIDR insert improved PR to TAI by optimizing the timing of the AI in those cows.

During climate change, species are often assumed to shift their geographic distributions (geographic ranges) in order to track environmental conditions - niches - to which they are adapted. Recent work, however, suggests that the niches do not always remain conserved during climate change but shift instead, allowing populations to persist in place or expand into new areas. We assessed the extent of range and niche shifts in response to the warming climate after the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) in the desert horned lizard ( Phrynosoma platyrhinos ), a species occupying the western deserts of North America. We used a phylogeographic approach with mitochondrial DNA sequences to approximate the species range during the LGM by identifying populations that exhibit a genetic signal of population stability versus those that exhibit a signal of a recent (likely post-LGM) geographic expansion. We then compared the climatic niche that the species occupies today with the niche it occupied during the LGM using two models of simulated LGM climate. The genetic analyses indicated that P. platyrhinos persisted within the southern Mojave and Sonoran deserts throughout the latest glacial period and expanded from these deserts northwards, into the western and eastern Great Basin, after the LGM. The climatic niche comparisons revealed that P. platyrhinos expanded its climatic niche after the LGM towards novel, warmer and drier climates that allowed it to persist within the southern deserts. Simultaneously, the species shifted its climatic niche towards greater temperature and precipitation fluctuations after the LGM. We concluded that climatic changes at the end of the LGM promoted both range and niche shifts in this lizard. The mechanism that allowed the species to shift its niche remains unknown, but phenotypic plasticity likely contributes to the species ability to adjust to climate change.

The objective of this study was to elucidate the phenotypic relationships between docility and first-service AI conception rate in heifers. Data ( = 337) collected from 3 cooperator herds in Kansas at the start of synchronization protocol included exit velocity (EV), chute score (CS), fecal cortisol (FC), and blood serum cortisol (BC). Data were analyzed using logistic regression with 30-d pregnancy rate as the dependent variable. The model included the fixed effect of contemporary group and the covariates FC, BC, EV, CS, BW, and age. Correlation coefficients were calculated between all continuous traits. Pregnancy rate ranged from 34% to 60% between herds. Blood cortisol positively correlated with EV ( = 0.22, < 0.01), negatively correlated with age ( = -0.12, < 0.03), and tended to be negatively correlated with BW ( = -0.10, = 0.09). Exit velocity was positively correlated with CS ( = 0.24, < 0.01) and negatively correlated with BW ( = -0.15, < 0.01) and age ( = -0.12, < 0.03). Chute score negatively correlated with age ( = -0.14, < 0.01), and age and BW were moderately positively correlated ( = 0.42, < 0.01), as expected. Older, heavier animals generally had better temperament, as indicated by lower BC, EV, and CS. The power of our test could detect no significant predictors of 30-d pregnancy for the combined data from all ranches. When the data were divided by ranch, CS ( < 0.03) and BW ( < 0.01) were both significant predictors for 30-d pregnancy for ranch 1. The odds ratio estimate for CS has an inverse relationship with pregnancy, meaning that a 1-unit increase in average CS will reduce the probability of pregnancy at ranch 1 by 48.1%. Weight also has a negative impact on pregnancy because a 1-kg increase in BW will decrease the probability of pregnancy by 2.2%. Fertility is a complex trait that depends on many factors; our data suggest that docility is 1 factor that warrants further investigation.

We hypothesized that pregnancy outcomes may be improved by inducing luteal regression, ovulation, or both (i.e., altering progesterone status) before initiating a timed-artificial insemination (TAI) program in suckled beef cows. This hypothesis was tested in two experiments in which cows were treated with either PGF2α (PG) or PG + GnRH before initiating a TAI program to increase the proportion of cows starting the program in a theoretical marginal (<1 ng/mL; experiment 1) or elevated (≥1 ng/mL; experiment 2) progesterone environment, respectively. The control was a standard CO-Synch + controlled internal drug release (CIDR) program employed in suckled beef cows (100 μg GnRH intramuscularly [IM] [GnRH-1] and insertion of a progesterone-impregnated intravaginal CIDR insert on study Day -10, 25 mg PG and CIDR insert removal on study Day -3, and 100 μg GnRH IM [GnRH-2] and TAI on study Day 0). In both experiments, blood was collected before each injection for later progesterone analyses. In experiment 1, cows at nine locations (n = 1537) were assigned to either: (1) control or (2) PrePG (same as control with a PG injection on study Day -13). The PrePG cows had larger (P < 0.05) follicles on study Day -10 and more (P < 0.05) ovulated after GnRH-1 compared with control cows (60.6% vs. 36.5%), but pregnancy per TAI was not altered (55.5% vs. 52.2%, respectively). In experiment 2, cows (n = 803) at four locations were assigned to: (1) control or (2) PrePGG (same as control with PG injection on study Day -20 and GnRH injection on study Day -17). Although pregnancy per TAI did not differ between control and PrePGG cows (44.0% vs. 44.4%, respectively), cows with body condition score greater than 5.0 or 77 or more days postpartum at TAI were more (P < 0.05) likely to become pregnant than thinner cows or those with fewer days postpartum. Presynchronized cows in both experiments were more (P < 0.05) likely than controls to have luteolysis after initial PG injections and reduced (P < 0.05) serum progesterone; moreover, treatments altered the proportion of cows and pregnancy per TAI of cows in various progesterone categories before the onset of the TAI protocol. In combined data from both experiments, cows classified as anestrous before the study but with elevated progesterone on Day -10 had increased (P < 0.05) pregnancy outcomes compared with anestrous cows with low progesterone concentrations. Progesterone concentration had no effect on pregnancy outcome of cycling cows. In summary, luteal regression and ovulation were enhanced and progesterone concentrations were altered by presynchronization treatments before the 7-day CO-Synch + CIDR program, but pregnancy per TAI was not improved., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The distribution of Beck's Desert Scorpion, Paruroctonus becki (Gertsch and Allred, 1965), spans the 'warm' Mojave Desert and the western portion of the 'cold' Great Basin Desert. We used genetic analyses and species distribution modeling to test whether P. becki persisted in the Great Basin Desert during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), or colonized the area as glacial conditions retreated and the climate warmed. Phylogenetic and network analyses of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase 1 (cox1), 16S rDNA, and nuclear internal transcribed spacer (ITS-2) DNA sequences uncovered five geographically-structured groups in P. becki with varying degrees of statistical support. Molecular clock estimates and the geographical arrangement of three of the groups suggested that Pliocene geological events in the tectonically dynamic Eastern California Shear Zone may have driven diversification by vicariance. Diversification was estimated to have continued through the Pleistocene, during which a group endemic to the western Great Basin diverged from a related group in the eastern Mojave Desert and western Colorado Plateau. Demographic and network analyses suggested that P. becki underwent a recent expansion in the Great Basin. According to a landscape interpolation of genetic distances, this expansion appears to have occurred from the northwest, implying that P. becki may have persisted in part of the Great Basin during the LGM. This prediction is supported by species distribution models which suggest that climate was unsuitable throughout most of the Great Basin during the LGM, but that small patches of suitable climate may have remained in areas of the Lahontan Trough., (Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of eCG, temporary 72-h calf removal (CR), or both on dominant follicle (DF) diameter and pregnancy rates (PR) in suckled beef cows. For Exp. 1, we hypothesized that CR, eCG, or both at PGF2α administration concomitant with synchronization of ovulation protocol would increase DF diameter and alter patterns of LH, estradiol (E), and progesterone (P4) secretion. Thirty-five multiparous, suckled crossbred beef cows were assigned randomly to a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of 4 treatments: 1) cows received 100 μg GnRH and a controlled internal drug release (CIDR) insert containing 1.38 g of P4 (d -7) followed in 7 d by 25 mg PGF(2α) and CIDR removal (d 0) followed in 72 h by GnRH and fixed-time AI (d 3; Control; n = 9); 2) similar to control, but calves were removed from their dams for 72 h between d 0 and 3 (COCR; n = 9); 3) similar to control, but cows received 400 IU eCG on d 0 (COeCG; n = 9); and 4) similar to COCR, but cows received 400 IU eCG on d 0 (eCGCR; n = 8). Blood sample collection and ovary scans were performed on d -14, -7, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 10. Pregnancy rate, ovulation response by d 4, and peak concentrations of LH before 72 h after PGF(2α) were greater (P < 0.05) for cows exposed to CR (COCR and eCGCR) than for cows not exposed to CR (Control and COeCG). Follicle diameter on d 3 was greater (P = 0.02) for cows receiving eCG (COeCG and COeCG; 14.9 ± 0.5 mm) than for cows receiving no eCG (Control and COCR; 13.1 ± 0.5 mm). Concentrations of E were greater (P < 0.05) at 32 h for COCR (8.2 ± 1.0 pg/mL) and eCGCR (8.5 ± 0.9 pg/mL) than in Control (4.9 ± 1.2 pg/mL) and COeCG (4.6 ± 1.1 pg/mL) and at 44 h after PGF(2α) for eCGCR (11.7 ± 1.6 pg/mL) compared with Control (6.9 ± 1.7 pg/mL), COCR (7.1 ± 1.5 pg/mL), and COeCG (7.5 ± 1.7 pg/mL). In Exp. 2, we determined whether administration of 200 IU eCG improved PR in suckled beef cows. The Control (n = 261) and COeCG (n = 252) treatments were similar to those previously described in Exp. 1; however, the interval from PGF(2α) to fixed-time AI was 66 h and 200 IU of eCG were administered to the COeCG group. Pregnancy rates did not differ (P > 0.10) between COeCG (43%) and Control (50%). We conclude that eCG increased DF diameter and CR resulted in a greater percentage of cows experiencing LH peak before 72 h after PGF(2α) and ovulation response; however, eCG failed to improve PR to timed AI.

Sixty cull cows were implanted and assigned to four treatments: C = concentrate ration only; RH = supplemented with ractopmaine-HCl (8.33 mg/kg of feed) for 25 d; ZH = supplemented with zilpaterol-HCl (ZH) (200mg head (-1)d(-1)) for the last 20 d; and RH + ZH = supplemented with RH for 25 d followed by ZH for 20 d. All cows were fed a concentrate ration for 74 d. Infraspinatus steaks from cows supplemented with RH and/or ZH had lower (P<0.05) shear force than steaks from C cows. Longissimus (LM) steaks from the 6-8th rib section of ZH and RH+ZH cows had decreased (P<0.0001) desmin degradation at 10 and 21 d postmortem compared to steaks from C and RH cows. Collagen solubility of the LM was increased (P<0.05) by ZH and RH+ZH compared to C. There were no treatment differences in 12th rib LM tenderness when enhanced with calcium lactate. Color and sensory traits of meat from RH+ZH cows were not different from C but flavor intensity was greater and off-flavor less than for C cows., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The objective of this experiment was to determine if 2 doses of prostaglandin F(2α) (PGF) administered concurrently at controlled intravaginal drug release (CIDR) removal was an efficacious method for delivery of PGF in the 5-d CO-Synch + CIDR protocol. Postpartum beef cows (n = 2,465) from 13 herds in 8 states were enrolled in the 5-d CO-Synch + CIDR protocol and assigned to receive 2 doses of PGF (25 mg/dose) 8 h apart with the initial injection given at CIDR insert removal (8h-PGF), 2 doses (25 mg/dose) of PGF delivered in 2 injection sites, both administered at CIDR insert removal (Co-PGF), or a single 25-mg dose of PGF at CIDR insert removal (1x-PGF). Cows were fixed timed-artificially inseminated (FTAI) 72 h after CIDR removal concurrent with GnRH administration. Estrus-cycling status (54% cyclic) was determined by evaluation of progesterone in 2 blood samples collected before CIDR insertion. Determination of pregnancy was performed by transrectal ultrasonography 39 ± 0.1 d after FTAI and at least 35 d after the conclusion of the breeding season. Fixed timed-AI pregnancy rates were greater (P < 0.05) for the 8h-PGF (55%) than the 1x-PGF (48%) treatment, with the Co-PGF (51%) treatment intermediate and not different (P > 0.10) from the other treatments. Contrast analysis demonstrated that cows receiving 50 mg of PGF (8h-PGF and Co-PGF) had greater (P < 0.05) FTAI pregnancy rates than those receiving 25 mg (1x-PGF). Pregnancy rates to FTAI were greater (P < 0.05) in cyclic (55%) than noncyclic (47%) and greater (P < 0.05) in multiparous (≥3 yr of age; 54%; n = 1,940) than primiparous cows (40%; n = 525). Luteolysis after PGF treatment was assessed in a subset of cows (n = 277) and treatment tended (P = 0.09) to affect the proportion of cows having luteolysis. The percentage of cows that had luteolysis was least in the 1x-PGF treatment (89%) and greatest in the 8h-PGF treatment (97%), with the Co-PGF treatment (94%) being intermediate. Breeding season pregnancy rate (88%) did not differ (P > 0.10) among treatments but was greater (P < 0.01) in multiparous (90%) than primiparous (78%) cows. In summary, 50 mg of PGF was required in the 5-d CO-Synch + CIDR protocol to maximize pregnancy rates; however, pregnancy rate did not differ when 50 mg of PGF was administered simultaneously with CIDR removal or split with 25 mg administered at 0 and 8 h after CIDR removal.

Interpretations of phylogeographic patterns can change when analyses shift from single gene-tree to multilocus coalescent analyses. Using multilocus coalescent approaches, a species tree and divergence times can be estimated from a set of gene trees while accounting for gene-tree stochasticity. We utilized the conceptual strengths of a multilocus coalescent approach coupled with complete range-wide sampling to examine the speciation history of a broadly distributed, North American warm-desert toad, Anaxyrus punctatus. Phylogenetic analyses provided strong support for three major lineages within A. punctatus. Each lineage broadly corresponded to one of three desert regions. Early speciation in A. punctatus appeared linked to late Miocene-Pliocene development of the Baja California peninsula. This event was likely followed by a Pleistocene divergence associated with the separation of the Chihuahuan and Sonoran Deserts. Our multilocus coalescent-based reconstruction provides an informative contrast to previous single gene-tree estimates of the evolutionary history of A. punctatus., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

A series of experiments were conducted to quantify PGF2α in bovine semen, seminal plasma, and extended semen, and to determine if PGF2α was synthesized or released during extension of bovine semen. Concentrations of PGF2α were measured in paired samples of whole and extended semen from beef and dairy bulls. Concentrations of PGF2α did not differ between beef and dairy (mean±SEM, 273.8±42.8 vs. 210.3±18.5 pg/mL, respectively; P=0.12), but tended (P=0.08) to be greater for whole compared with extended semen (255.5±29.8 vs. 194.5±17.0 pg/mL). Whole semen was extended at eight dilution rates (regardless of initial sperm concentration), using a diluent consisting of two fractions. Samples collected after each dilution step resulted in four subsamples. Concentrations of PGF2α in subsamples decreased (P<0.001) at higher dilution rates and later steps of extension. Subsequently, whole semen and seminal plasma were extended at three dilution rates. Initial PGF2α concentration was greater (P<0.001) for whole semen compared with seminal plasma. During extension, PGF2α synthesis or release resulted in less disparity, but the amount synthesized or released was greater (P=0.03) for semen compared with seminal plasma. We concluded that synthesis or release of PGF2α during extension resulted in concentrations similar to whole semen., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of supplementation with a single β-adrenergic agonist (β-AA) or a sequence of β-AA on cow performance, carcass characteristics, and mRNA relative abundance of cull cows implanted and fed a concentrate diet. Sixty cull cows were implanted with Revalor-200 (200 mg of trenbolone acetate and 20 mg of estradiol) and assigned to 1 of 4 treatments (n = 15/treatment): CON = fed a concentrate diet only; RH = supplemented with ractopamine-HCl for the last 25 d before slaughter; ZH = supplemented with zilpaterol-HCl for 20 d before a 3-d withdrawal before slaughter; RH + ZH = supplemented with RH for 25 d, followed by ZH for 20 d before a 3-d withdrawal before slaughter. Ractopamine-HCl was supplemented at a dose of 200 mg·animal(-1)·d(-1), and ZH was supplemented at 8.33 mg/kg (100% DM basis) of feed. All cows were fed a concentrate diet for 74 d. Each treatment had 5 cows per pen and 3 replicate pens. Body weights were collected on d 1, 24, 51, and 72. Muscle biopsies from the LM were collected on d 24, 51, and at slaughter from a subsample of 3 cows per pen. Carcass traits were evaluated postslaughter. The 2 ZH treatments averaged 15.3 kg more BW gain, 0.20 kg greater ADG, and 7.8 cm(2) larger LM area than CON and RH treatments, and 21 kg more HCW than CON, but these differences were not significant (P > 0.10), likely due to a sample size of n = 15/treatment. The sequence of RH followed by ZH tended to optimize the combination of HCW, LM area, percent intramuscular fat, and lean color and maturity compared with the ZH treatment. Abundance of β(2)-adrenergic receptor (AR) mRNA was not altered in the RH + ZH treatment during RH supplementation from d 24 to 51 of feeding. However, the abundance of β(2)-AR mRNA increased (P < 0.05) the last 23 d of feeding for the RH treatment and tended (P = 0.10) to increase in ZH cows during ZH supplementation. For all cows, abundance of type IIa myosin heavy chain (MHC-IIa) mRNA decreased (P < 0.05) after 24 d of feeding. Abundance of MHC-IIx mRNA increased (P < 0.05) for ZH and RH + ZH treatments the last 23 d of feeding during ZH supplementation. Although few significant differences were observed in performance or carcass traits, mRNA quantification indicated that β-AA supplementation elicited a cellular response in cull cows. Implanting and feeding cull cows for 74 d, regardless of β-AA supplementation, added economic value by transitioning cows from a cull cow to what is referred to in industry as a white cow market in which cows have white fat resulting from grain feeding.

A new scorpion species is described from the Inyo Mountains of California (USA). The presence of a strong subaculear spine, along with other characters, places the new species within Wernerius, an incredibly rare genus that until now consisted of only two species. Wernerius inyoensissp. n. can be most easily distinguished from the other members of the genus by smaller adult size, femur and pedipalp dimensions, and differences in hemispermatophore morphology. Previous studies have suggested that the elusive nature of this genus may be attributed to low densities and sporadic surface activity. Herein, we provide another hypothesis, that Wernerius are primarily subterranean. Mitochondrial sequence data are provided for the holotype.

The effects of mineral-supplement delivery system on patterns of supplement use by grazing beef cows were measured in 2 studies. Study 1 was conducted on 4 pastures grazed by pregnant, mature beef cows (BW = 562 ± 38 kg) from February to May. Study 2 was conducted on 4 pastures grazed by lactating beef cows (BW = 579 ± 54 kg) and their calves from May to September. Treatments were mineral delivered in salt-based, granular form (salty) or mineral provided in a low-protein, cooked, molasses-based block (sweet); both were fed ad libitum. The salty supplement was supplied to cattle via a covered mineral feeder; the sweet supplement was supplied via an open-topped barrel. Both salty and sweet supplements were deployed in each pasture. No additional salt was supplied to cattle. Forage use in the vicinity of each supplement-deployment site and the frequency and duration of herd visits to each supplement-deployment site were measured during four 14-d periods during study 1 and seven 14-d periods during study 2. Supplements were moved to new locations within pastures at the beginning of each period. Consumption of the sweet supplement was greater than salty during each data-collection period in study 1; however, relative differences in consumption diminished over time (treatment × time, P = 0.03). In study 2, sweet consumption was greater than salty in periods 1, 6, and 7 but was not different from salty during periods 2, 3, 4, and 5 (treatment × time, P < 0.01). Increased consumption of the sweet supplement in study 1 translated to greater frequency of herd visits to supplement-deployment sites compared with the salty sites (2.82 vs. 2.47 herd visits/d; P = 0.02) and longer herd visits to supplement-deployment sites compared with the salty sites (125.7 vs. 54.9 min/herd visit; P < 0.01). The frequency of herd visits to mineral feeding sites in study 2 was similar (P > 0.10) between treatments for periods 1 through 6; however, herds visited the sweet sites more often than salty during period 7 (P < 0.01). Herd visits to the sweet sites were longer than those to the salty sites in study 2 (83.8 vs. 51.4 min/herd visit; P < 0.01). Forage disappearance within 100 m of supplement-deployment sites was not influenced (P ≥ 0.54) by treatment in either study. Results were interpreted to suggest that the sweet supplement influenced the location of grazing cattle more strongly than the salty supplement and may be more effective for luring cattle into specific areas of pasture during the winter, spring, and early fall but not during summer.

Extensive research, intervention equipment, money, and media coverage have been directed at controlling Escherichia coli O157:H7 in beef cattle. However, much of the focus has been on controlling this pathogen postcolonization. This study was conducted to examine the performance, health, and shedding characteristics of beef calves that were vaccinated with an E. coli O157:H7 SRP bacterial extract. These calves had been born to cows vaccinated prepartum with the same vaccine. Cows and calves were assigned randomly to one of four treatments: (i) neither cows nor calves vaccinated with E. coli O157:H7 SRP (CON), (ii) cows vaccinated with E. coli O157:H7 SRP prepartum but calves not vaccinated (COWVAC), (iii) calves vaccinated with E. coli O157:H7 SRP but born to cows not vaccinated (CALFVAC), (iv) cows vaccinated with E. coli O157:H7 SRP prepartum and calves also vaccinated (BOTH). Calves born to vaccinated cows had significantly higher titers of anti-E. coli O157:H7 SRP antibodies (SRPAb) in circulation at branding time (P < 0.001). Upon entry to the feedlot, overall fecal E. coli O157:H7 prevalence was 23 % among calves, with 25 % in the CON treatment group, 19 % in the CALFVAC group, 32 % in the COWVAC group, and 15 % in the BOTH group (P > 0.05). Fecal shedding of E. coli O157 on arrival to the feedlot was not correlated with fecal shedding at slaughter (Spearman's rho = -0.02; P = 0.91). No significant effects of cow or calf E. coli O157:H7 SRP vaccination treatment were found on feedlot calf health or performance (P > 0.05), prevalence of lung lesions or liver abscess (P > 0.05), or morbidity, retreatment, or mortality numbers (P > 0.05). The findings of this study indicate that the timing of vaccination of calves against E. coli O157:H7 may be an important consideration for maximizing the field efficacy of this vaccine.

We investigate the evolutionary history of the wide-ranging Nearctic treefrog Hyla arenicolor through the integration of extensive range-wide sampling, phylogenetic analyses of multilocus genetic data, and divergence dating. Previous phylogeographic studies of this frog documented a potential signature of introgressive hybridization from an ecologically and morphologically divergent sister species. Based on our Bayesian phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial DNA, we inferred strong phylogeographic structure in H. arenicolor as indicated by seven well-supported clades, five of which correspond to well-defined biogeographic regions. Clades from the Balsas Basin and southwestern Central Mexican Plateau in Mexico, and the Grand Canyon of Arizona, group with the morphologically, behaviorally, and ecologically divergent mountain treefrogs in the H. eximia group, rendering H. arenicolor as paraphyletic. The phylogenetic position of at least two of these three H. arenicolor clades within the H. eximia group, however, is most likely the result of several episodes of introgressive hybridization and subsequent mitochondrial gene capture separated in time and space, as supported by evidence from the nuclear genes. Hyla arenicolor from the Balsas Basin appear to be deeply divergent from other H. arenicolor and represent a distinctly different species. Results suggests that introgressive hybridization events, both ancient and contemporary, coupled with late Neogene vicariance and Pleistocene climate-driven range shifts, have all played a role in the historical diversification of H. arenicolor.

Sixty crossbred cull cows were used to determine the combined effects of a trenbolone acetate-estradiol implant and feeding zilpaterol hydrochloride on performance, carcass characteristics, and subprimal yields of mature cows fed for 70 d. Cows were assigned to 1 of 5 treatments: 1) grazing native grass pasture (G); 2) concentrate-fed (C) a grain sorghum-sorghum silage diet; 3) concentrate-fed and implanted (CI) with Revalor-200 (trenbolone acetate-estradiol); 4) concentrate-fed and fed Zilmax (zilpaterol hydrochloride) beginning on d 38 of the feeding period (CZ); and 5) concentrate-fed, implanted, and fed Zilmax beginning on d 38 (CIZ). The concentrate diet consisted primarily of ground grain sorghum and sorghum silage. During the last 34 d of the feeding trial, concentrate-fed (C, CI, CZ, and CIZ) cows had greater (P < 0.05) gains than G cows. Hot carcass weights and dressing percentages were greater (P < 0.05) for the concentrate-fed cows than for G cows. Longissimus muscle area was largest (P < 0.05) for CIZ cows, whereas subprimal weights from the chuck were heavier (P < 0.05) from CIZ cows than C and G cows, and carcasses from CI and CZ cows had heavier (P < 0.05) chuck subprimal weights than G cows. Rib and round subprimal weights were heavier (P < 0.05) for concentrate-fed cows compared with G cows. In addition, carcasses from CIZ cows had heavier (P < 0.05) total subprimal weights, and total subprimals were a greater percentage of their initial BW than C cows. Rib cut-out and total soft tissue weights from the 9-10-11th rib were less (P < 0.05) for G cows than concentrate-fed cows. Feeding cull cows a concentrate diet increased carcass weight, dressing percentage, and subprimal yields compared with feeding cows a grass-based pasture diet, and the combination of a trenbolone acetate-estradiol implant and feeding zilpaterol hydrochloride can maximize trimmed beef yields from cull cows fed a high-concentrate diet.

We characterized 15 microsatellite loci for the lowland leopard frog (Rana yavapaiensis) and the relict leopard frog (R. onca) for future studies of population genetic structure and relatedness. Analysis of 20 individuals from single populations of each species showed that all markers were polymorphic in at least one species. Observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0 to 0.94 and from 0.11 to 0.85, respectively, and there were three to 11 alleles per locus. No loci were in linkage disequilibrium, but six loci deviated significantly from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, and the presence of a null allele was detected in two of these loci., (© 2008 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2008 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.)

Background: Primary prevention of intimate partner violence (IPV) at the level of the primary care provider is unexplored., Objective: We sought to identify whether men disclose current IPV perpetration when asked by a primary care provider., Design: Cross-sectional study., Participants: Consecutive male patients of 6 providers in public health, university, and VA hospital clinics., Measurements: Men were screened for IPV perpetration during routine visits, then given a Conflict Tactics Scale questionnaire (CTS2) to complete and mail back anonymously., Results: One hundred twenty-eight men were screened; 46 (36%) returned CTS2 questionnaires. Twenty-three and 2 men disclosed past and current perpetration to providers, respectively. Providers assessed lethality/safety issues in 58% of those reporting a perpetration history (including both with current perpetration), responded with direct counseling to 63% (including both with current perpetration), and referred 17% for services related to the screening (including 1 with current perpetration). Nine and 26 men reported current, CTS2-assessed physical and psychological aggression of a partner, respectively., Conclusions: Men appear to underreport current IPV perpetration in face-to-face primary care encounters when compared to other methods of reporting. Men may more readily report past IPV perpetration in face-to-face encounters.

We investigate the roles of mitochondrial introgression and incomplete lineage sorting during the phylogenetic history of crotaphytid lizards. Our Bayesian phylogenetic estimate for Crotaphytidae is based on analysis of mitochondrial DNA sequence data for 408 individuals representing the 12 extant species of Crotaphytus and Gambelia. The mitochondrial phylogeny disagrees in several respects with a previously published morphological tree, as well as with conventional species designations, and we conclude that some of this disagreement stems from hybridization-mediated mitochondrial introgression, as well as from incomplete lineage sorting. Unidirectional introgression of Crotaphytus collaris (western collared lizard) mitochondria into C. reticulatus (reticulate collared lizard) populations in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas has resulted in the replacement of ancestral C. reticulatus mitochondria over approximately two-thirds of the total range of the species, a linear distance of approximately 270 km. Introgression of C. collaris mitochondria into C. bicinctores (Great Basin collared lizard) populations in southwestern Arizona requires a more complex scenario because at least three temporally separated and superimposed introgression events appear to have occurred in this region. We propose an "introgression conveyor" model to explain this unique pattern of mitochondrial variation in this region. We show with ecological niche modeling that the predicted geographical ranges of C. collaris, C. bicinctores, and C. reticulatus during glacial maxima could have provided enhanced opportunities for past hybridization. Our analyses suggest that incomplete lineage sorting and/or introgression has further confounded the phylogenetic placements of additional species including C. nebrius, C. vestigium, C. insularis, C. grismeri, and perhaps G. copei. Despite many independent instances of interspecific hybridization among crotaphytid lizards, the species continue to maintain morphological and geographic cohesiveness throughout their ranges.

We define the geographical distributions of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) lineages embedded within a broadly distributed, arid-dwelling toad, Bufo punctatus. These patterns were evaluated as they relate to hypothesized vicariant events leading to the formation of desert biotas within western North America. We assessed mtDNA sequence variation among 191 samples from 82 sites located throughout much of the species' range. Parsimony-based haplotype networks of major identified lineages were used in nested clade analysis (NCA) to further elucidate and evaluate shallow phylogeographic patterns potentially associated with Quaternary (Pleistocene-Holocene) vicariance and dispersal. Phylogenetic analyses provided strong support for three monophyletic lineages (clades) within B. punctatus. The geographical distributions of the clades showed little overlap and corresponded to the general boundaries of the Peninsular Desert, and two continental desert regions, Eastern (Chihuahuan Desert-Colorado Plateau) and Western (Mojave-Sonoran deserts), geographically separated along the Rocky Mountains and Sierra Madre Occidental. The observed divergence levels and congruence with postulated events in earth history implicate a late Neogene (latest Miocene-early Pliocene) time frame for separation of the major mtDNA lineages. Evaluation of nucleotide and haplotype diversity and interpretations from NCA reveal that populations on the Colorado Plateau resulted from a recent, likely post-Pleistocene, range expansion from the Chihuahuan Desert. Dispersal across historical barriers separating major continental clades appear to be recent, resulting in secondary contacts in at least two areas. Given the observed contact between major clades, we speculated as to why the observed deep phylogeographic structure has not been eroded during the multiple previous interglacials of the Pleistocene.

Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome--inflammation of the liver capsule associated with genital tract infection--occurs in up to one fourth of patients with pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). Classically presenting as sharp, pleuritic right upper quadrant pain, usually but not always accompanied by signs of salpingitis, it can mimic many other common disorders such as cholecystitis and pyelonephritis.

During three years of trials in commercial production fields, populations of three genera of potato pathogens, Fusarium spp, Pythium spp, and Verticillium dahliae, were followed before and after the single or combination use of 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D), 1,3-D + 17% chloropicrin (1,3-D + chloropicrin), or metam sodium (MS). Populations of these fungi did not always increase during the growing season but the relative population at a soil depth of 0 to 30 cm was nearly always higher than at 30 to 60 cm, regardless of year, sampling time, or fungal pathogen. The use of MS alone or in combination with 1,3-D generally suppressed recovery of all three genera and also increased yields. 1,3-D or 1,3-D + chloropicrin did not reduce fungal populations, but 1,3-D increased yield in 1 of 3 years. Reduced rates of MS and 1,3-D used in combination were as effective as higher rates of MS used alone. Multiple regression analysis comparing yield with fungal populations before planting indicated that population size was correlated negatively with yield. Propagules of V. dahliae had the greatest impact in reducing yield, but propagules of Pythium spp. and Fusarium spp. may have been important when populations of V. dahliae were low. Soil populations of Fusarium spp. and Pythium spp. have not been reported previously to be associated with yield reductions in potato grown in the Columbia Basin. Threshold estimates suggested that yield of number one tubers was reduced by 1 metric ton/ha for each 0.6 to 3.0 V. dahliae CFU/g dry soil present at planting.

The aim of this study was to determine whether endogenous progesterone regulates synthesis and secretion of luteal oxytocin. In Expt 1, mature ewes (n = 5 per group) were assigned randomly to control or mifepristone (RU486) treatment groups. Ewes were injected s.c. twice a day with vehicle or 10 mg RU486 on days 5-7 of the oestrous cycle (oestrus = day 0). On day 8, after an i.v. injection with prostaglandin F(2alpha) (250 microg cloprostenol), venous blood samples were collected at frequent intervals to determine plasma oxytocin concentrations. Plasma oxytocin concentrations of RU486-treated ewes were not significantly different from those of control ewes. In Expt 2, ewes were injected s.c. each day with vehicle or 175 mg RU486 on days 2-5 of the oestrous cycle followed by administration of prostaglandin F(2alpha) on day 6. Four of five RU486-treated ewes showed 'split-oestrus' (oestrous behaviour for 36 h and then again at 84-108 h after the onset of initial oestrus). There was no significant difference in mean plasma oxytocin or progesterone concentrations between treatment groups. The mean masses of mature corpora lutea from control and RU486-treated ewes on day 6 of the oestrous cycle did not differ significantly (394.8 +/- 28.8 versus 319.5 +/- 48.3 mg). RU486-treated ewes contained mature corpora lutea, new corpora lutea (two of four ewes) and preovulatory follicles (>or= 10 mm, two of four ewes). The average interoestrous interval for RU486-treated ewes was 9 days more than that for control animals (26.2 +/- 2.9 versus 17 +/- 0.5 days; P < 0.025).

We use analyses of phylogeographic population structure across a suite of 12 mammalian, avian, amphibian, and reptilian species and species-groups to assess the role of Late Miocene to Pleistocene geological history in the evolution of a distinct Baja California Peninsular Desert biota. Comparative examination of phylogroup distributions provides support for previously hypothesized vicariant events produced by: a middle Pleistocene midpeninsular seaway, a late Pliocene northward transgression of the Sea of Cortéz, and a Pliocene seaway across the southern peninsular Isthmus of La Paz. Most of this phylogeographic architecture is cryptically embedded within widespread taxonomic species and species-groups, such that the unique evolutionary history of the Peninsular Desert has been obscured and ignored. The Peninsular Desert can no longer be considered a subset of the Sonoran Desert-it is a separate regional desert with its own unique evolutionary history, ecological arena, and conservation value.

Three experiments were conducted to evaluate influences of supplemental alfalfa quality on intake and use of low-quality meadow grass roughages (MG) by beef cattle. In Exp. 1, 15 steers (250 kg) were assigned to three treatments: 1) MG (5.2% CP), no supplement; 2) MG plus high-quality alfalfa (18.8% CP); and 3) MG plus low-quality alfalfa (15.2% CP). High- and low-quality alfalfa supplements were fed at .45 and .55% BW, respectively. Total DMI was greater (P < .01) for alfalfa-supplemented steers than for MG. Likewise, intake of digestible DM, DM digestibility (DMD), and ruminal ammonia level were greater (P < .01) for supplemented steers. In Exp. 2, 96 pregnant Hereford x Simmental cows (537 kg; body condition [BC] score 4.86) were assigned to the same treatments as in Exp. 1. For d 0 to 42, cows grazed on 19.1 ha of stockpiled MG (4,539 kg/ha; 6.8% CP), whereas, on d 43 to 84, cows received MG hay (5.2% CP). Supplemented cows gained more BW (P < .01), BC score (P < .01), and had heavier calf birth weight (P < .01) than nonsupplemented cows. However, there were no treatment effects (P > .10) on cow cyclicity, pregnancy rate, or calving interval. In Exp. 3, 90 pregnant Angus x Hereford cows (475 kg; BC score 4.59) were assigned to three treatments: 16.1%, 17.8% or 20.0% CP alfalfa supplement, with levels of .63, .55, and .50% of BW, respectively. Weight gain and BC score for the 84-d study displayed a quadratic response (P < .10), yet represented only 7 kg BW and .2 units of BC score. In conclusion, alfalfa hay supplementation was effective in increasing DMI and digestibility. However, alfalfa hay quality did not dramatically affect BW, BC score, and(or) calf birth weight, when fed on an isonitrogenous basis.