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Bovine respiratory disease complex (BRDC) represents a global acute respiratory condition that imposes substantial economic burdens on the cattle industry due to its high morbidity and mortality rates. Various factors contribute to the development of BRDC, including pathogen infections, environmental stresses, weaning of calves, and herd relocation. Viral pathogens, notably bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) and bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), play a critical role in the etiology of BRDC, with single or combined viral infections being particularly clinically significant. In this study, we developed a duplex TaqMan-based real-time RT-PCR assay targeting the conserved regions of the F gene of BRSV and the 5′ UTR sequence of BVDV. The limits of detection for BRSV and BVDV were 6.83 copies/μL and 5.24 copies/μL, respectively. Our validation data suggest the assay has excellent sensitivity, specificity and reproducibility. Testing of clinical samples revealed prevalence of BRSV and BVDV in local farms in Jiangsu Province, China. This study provides an efficient diagnostic tool for the epidemiological investigation of BRDC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) is endemic in sub-Saharan countries and is currently a global threat to the cattle industry. Information on the circulating Capripoxvirus lumpyskinpox, formerly known as Lumpy Skin Disease Virus (LSDV), and other poxviruses infecting cattle is very scant in Tanzania. The current study aimed to confirm and characterize LSDV and other poxviruses infecting cattle, from LSD suspected outbreaks in Tanzania. Methods: A total of 24 samples were collected from four LSD suspected outbreaks reported in Tanzania between February and May 2023. Samples were screened for LSDV genome by real-time PCR and then subjected to a high-resolution multiplex melting (HRM) assay where 10 samples were positive for Capripoxvirus (CaPV) and one sample was Parapoxvirus (PPV) positive. Four LSDV genes; RPO30, GPCR, EEV glycoprotein and B22R and the partial B2L gene of PPVs were analyzed. Results: All targeted LSDV genes from the Tanzanian isolates showed 100% similarity and isolates clustered with commonly circulating LSDV field isolates. Furthermore, the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at position 240 (A-> G) of the EEV gene differentiates the Tanzanian LSDVs from the group of ancient Kenyan LSDV isolates while the B22R sequences of the Tanzanian LSDV isolates differed from the LSDV Neethling and LSDV KSGP-0240 derived vaccines. Sequence analysis of the partial B2L gene of the Tanzanian parapoxvirus bovinestomatitis, formerly known as Bovine papular stomatitis virus (BPSV) showed a different BPSV strain circulating compared to publicly available sequences. Conclusion: These findings confirm the presence of LSDV in Tanzania, which suggesting the need for establishing an effective control program and continuous monitoring. The presence of a typical profile for Tanzania BPSV is an indication that, although never reported before, BPSV is established in the country therefore this virus should be included in the differential diagnosis of LSDV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In colonial Yucatán, Mexico, the owners of plantation-like estates known as haciendas conscripted saints and cows to expropriate land from Indigenous Maya farming communities. In this paper, I trace the role of hacienda saints by framing them as an introduced or adventive species, capable of forming both mutualistic and invasive interspecies relationships in their new habitat. I examine the introduction of saints to the region by Franciscans, early attempts by Maya people to build anticolonial coalitions with saints and cows, the participation of hacienda saints in extractivist ranching practices, and the ultimate reclaiming and possible naturalization of saints by Maya rebels. This paper extends conceptualizations of the plantation—as both a site of species extinction and a site of interspecies collaboration—to include Catholic saints, so as to interrogate the dynamic role of supernatural entities in deep and ongoing histories of extractivism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bovine mastitis remains a major problem in the global dairy cattle industry. The acute invasion of udder by pathogens induces innate immune response as the first defence mechanism in subclinical and clinical mastitis. The aim of the study was to determine inflammatory and regulatory cytokines IL-2, IL-4, TGF-β1, IL-17A, beta-defensin 3 and IL-10 and their potential changes in milk of dairy cows with subclinical and clinical mastitis, and to compare the findings with healthy animals. Milk samples from 15 holstein Friesian breed cows were used in the study. Cows were divided into three groups based on their health status (5 healthy, 5 subclinical and 5 clinical animals). All samples were tested using immunohistochemistry to evaluate IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, IL17A, TGF-β1 and β-Def 3 proteins. Expression of all proteins was detected in all milk samples. High expression of IL-2, IL-4, IL17A, TGF-β1 was detected in healthy cows' milk and in milk of cows with subclinical and clinical mastitis. However, expression of IL-10 and β-Def 3 in milk samples of healthy cows was significantly higher compared to the milk of cows with subclinical and clinical mastitis (p <.001). IL-10 and β-Def 3 can be considered as informative biomarkers in diagnosis of subclinical and clinical mastitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydatidosis (cystic echinococcosis) is one of the major serious parasite infectious diseases that cause poor weight gain and organ condemnation, which contributes to Ethiopia's low cattle industry production. A cross‐sectional study was performed at the Nekemte Municipal Abattoir, Western Ethiopia, from October 2020 to August 2021 with the aim of determining the prevalence of bovine hydatid cysts, assessing the related risk factors, and evaluating the organ level of distributions of the cysts. An antemortem examination and postmortem examination were performed as usual on all 220 chosen slaughtered cattle. We evaluated the organs of systemically selected cattle through visual inspection and palpation. Of the total number inspected, 44 (20%) had one or more hydatid cysts in one or more of their organs. Both age and sex of the cattle were significantly associated with the prevalence of bovine hydatidosis (X2 = 5.928; p = 0.015; and X2 = 4.086; p = 0.043, respectively) among the risk factors evaluated. 44 (20%) of the 220 animals evaluated were positive for hydatidosis. In terms of organ distribution, the liver accounted for 27 (61.4%), the lung for 16 (36.3%), and the spleen for 1 (2.3%). 34 (55.8%) of the 62 cysts counted and characterized were found in the liver, 27 (53.6%) in the lung, and 1 (2.3%) in the spleen. 22 (35.5%) of the 62 cysts collected were calcified, and 31 (50%) were found to be fertile. Of the 31 fertile cysts discovered, 7 (22.6%) were found in the liver, 23 (74.2%) in the lungs, and 1 (2.3%) in the spleen. Hydatidosis is still one of the most critical diseases that need careful consideration for prevention and control measures in the East Welega Zone, even with the moderate level of infection currently detected. This is because there appears to be a socioeconomic environment that is conducive to the disease. Therefore, the installation of regulated, well‐equipped abattoirs, public awareness campaigns, and stray dog control are crucial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sperm cryopreservation is widely used in the cattle industry, as it allows for disassociating the localization of sires and the collection of semen from the timing of artificial insemination. While freeze-thawing is known to impair sperm DNA integrity, whether the damage induced consists of single- (SSB) or double-strand breaks (DSB) has not been determined. In addition, no previous study has addressed if DNA breaks preferentially reside in specific genome regions such as those forming the toroid linker regions, or are rather spread throughout the regions linked to protamines. The main aim of the present work, therefore, was to elucidate the type and localization of the DNA damage generated by cryopreservation and to evaluate its impact on artificial insemination outcomes in cattle. Results: The incidence of SSB and DSB was evaluated in 12 ejaculates before and after cryopreservation with the Comet assay, and the localization of the DNA breaks was assessed using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Before cryopreservation, the incidence of SSB was 10.99% ± 4.62% and involved 20.56% ± 3.04% of sperm cells, whereas these figures significantly (P < 0.0001) increased up to 34.11% ± 3.48% and 53.36% ± 11.00% in frozen-thawed sperm. In contrast, no significant differences in the incidence of DSB were observed (P > 0.990) before and after cryopreservation (before: incidence of 13.91% ± 1.75% of sperm DNA affecting 56.04% ± 12.49% of sperm cells; after: incidence of 13.55% ± 1.55% of sperm DNA involving 53.36% ± 11.00% of sperm cells). Moreover, PFGE revealed that the percentage of sperm DNA fragments whose length was shorter than a toroid (< 31.5 kb) was greater (P < 0.0001) after (27.00% ± 4.26%) than before freeze-thawing (15.57% ± 4.53%). These differences indicated that the DNA breaks induced by cryopreservation affect the regions condensed in protamines, which are structured in toroids. On the other hand, in vivo fertility rates were associated to the incidence of SSB and DSB in frozen-thawed sperm (P = 0.032 and P = 0.005), but not with the size of the DNA fragments resulting from these breaks (P > 0.05). Conclusion: Cryopreservation of bovine sperm generates single-strand DNA breaks, which are mainly located in protamine-condensed toroidal regions. The incidence of DNA breaks in cryopreserved sperm has an impact on cattle fertility, regardless of the size of generated fragments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bovine tuberculosis (BTB) still represents a significant public health concern and economic issue for livestock breeders in Egypt. This research investigates the incidence of bovine tuberculosis in cattle slaughtered at the central abattoir in Aswan, Egypt, in 2023. A total of 720 cattle were checked antemortem and postmortem at the abattoir. The suspected lesions were analyzed with acid-fast staining, microscopy, histology, ELISA, and RT-PCR. Based on gross tubercle lesions, the overall occurrence of bovine tuberculosis in cattle slaughtered at Aswan abattoirs was 3.2% (23/720), with thoracic lymph nodes and lungs exhibiting the highest frequency of tubercle lesions compared to other organs. According to employed diagnostic tests, the prevalence of tuberculosis was estimated as 68.6, 61, 56.5, and 78.3% for microscopy, histopathology, ELISA, and RT-PCR, respectively. These findings highlight the incidence of bovine tuberculosis and the dissemination of tuberculous lesions among cattle slaughtered at Aswan abattoirs. Furthermore, such prevalence emphasizes the urgent need for a practical disease control approach and an organized surveillance system in the cattle population. One Health strategy is strongly advised to mitigate the zoonotic transmission to people and economic losses in the cattle industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Haemaphysalis longicornis (Neumann), the Asian longhorned tick, is a species native to East Asia, but invasive to Australia, New Zealand, and most recently, the United States. It has spread rapidly across the eastern United States after being established in New Jersey in 2017. Aiding this rapid expansion is the ability of this tick to reproduce parthenogenically and feed on diverse host species. In cattle, this tick can cause heavy burdens and act as a vector for the pathogenic hemoprotozoan parasite Theileria orientalis, genotype Ikeda, creating economic losses that impact the cattle industry. Here, we report Asian longhorned ticks, collected from cattle, a dog, and pastures and morphologically identified at the Oklahoma Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory as H. longicornis before molecular confirmation through PCR amplification of the cox1 gene. Blood samples from infested cattle were collected and assessed molecularly for the presence of T. orientalis, with no pathogenic DNA detected. This report describes the first record of H. longicornis in Oklahoma and the farthest westward detection of this tick in the United States to date. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: The COVID-19 pandemic caused mandated restrictions on movements and distancing of people with implications for meat supply chains. Despite the COVID restrictions, agricultural activities were permitted to continue as essential services in Australia. However, there were reported shortages of meat on the shelves of supermarkets and a general increase in the price of meat in Australia during the COVID period. Hence, there is a need to establish whether the restrictions affected upstream activities in Australia's beef supply chain. Aim: This study aims to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and confounding factors including rainfall and export bans on beef cattle trade and movement in Australia. Methods: Using annual data on beef cattle sold, purchased, transferred off-farm and transferred onto farms sourced from the database of the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences, a t -test analysis was conducted to establish the significant changes in cattle movement and trade for the pre-COVID (2014–2019) and COVID (2020–2022) periods. Additionally, a flexible least squares model augmented with a flexible generalised least squares model was used to assess the impact of confounding factors on cattle trade and movement. Key results: The results indicate no significant change in the proportion of beef cattle sold nationwide. Tasmania, New South Wales, and Western Australia (WA) recorded significant changes (1.4% increase, 3.6% increase, and 3.8% decrease, respectively) in the proportion of beef cattle purchased. For WA, these changes were localised to changes that occurred in WA Central and Southern Wheat Belt and WA Southwest Coastal regions. Moreover, rainfall did not significantly impact cattle trade but did affect cattle movements. The export ban only significantly impacted beef cattle sold in Queensland. Conclusions: Overall, the findings suggest that most regions in Australia did not experience significant changes in farm-level decisions regarding beef cattle movement and trade during the COVID period. Instead, minor adjustments were made to address the demand changes. Implications: The findings imply that adopted policies that facilitated the implementation of biosecurity bubbles and the movements of animal transport workers for breeding facilities and abattoirs during the COVID period were effective in normalising farm-level operations. Despite the COVID-19 restrictions, agricultural activities were permitted to continue as essential services in Australia. This study showed that most regions in Australia did not experience significant changes in farm-level decisions concerning beef cattle movement and trade during the COVID period. Instead, minor adjustments were made to address the demand changes. The findings show the effectiveness of government policies in response to a disease outbreak like COVID. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mycoplasma bovis (M. bovis) is capable of causing a range of diseases in cattle, encompassing calf pneumonia, arthritis, conjunctivitis, meningitis, and mastitis. It is widely recognized as one of the predominant pathogens posing a significant threat to the global cattle industry. Therefore, accurate and sensitive methods are urgently needed to detect M. bovis. This study aims to detect M. bovis by combining colloidal gold with biotin-labeled oligonucleotides to improve detection sensitivity and form a chromogenic detection probe based on signal amplification technology. Here, we developed a sensitive and specific polymerase chain reaction-lateral flow dipstick assay (PCR-LFD) strip for efficient nucleic acid detection of M. bovis. A pair of specific primers with 5' ends labeled with biotin and digoxigenin probes was designed for PCR experiments. Colloidal gold particles-labeled anti-digoxigenin IgG coated gold-labeled test strip was prepared, streptavidin was used as the detection probe, and nitrocellulose membrane coated goat anti-mouse IgG was used as the control line. Our results showed that the detection limit of the PCR-LFD was 89 fg/µL for the M. bovis DNA. The results from the test strip were highly consistent with those from real-time qPCR. This assay were highly specific for M. bovis, as there were no cross-reactions with other microorganisms tested and the detection sensitivity of the test was also relatively high (97.67%). The novel strips present a promising tool for the cost-effective and sensitive diagnosis of M. bovis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: An estimated USD 60 million is lost annually due to High Altitude Disease in the cow–calf industry, and there continues to be a growing concern about heart–lung function in feedlot cattle located at moderate elevations. As the cattle industry puts more emphasis on and focuses on heart–lung function, it is valuable to provide a review of past research and information gaps regarding pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) and its use in the beef cattle industry. Pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) determines cattle's susceptibility to High Altitude Disease (HAD), also known as Brisket Disease, High Mountain Disease, and right-sided heart failure (RHF). This non-infectious disease causes pulmonary hypertension due to hypoxia. PAP measures the resistance of blood flow through the lungs. It is estimated that 1.5 million head of cattle are raised in high-altitude environments (above 1500 m), and HAD accounts for 3–5% of calf death loss yearly. In addition, there have been increasing concerns about feedlot cattle succumbing to RHF at moderate elevations. This review focuses on the historical background, explanation of PAP measurement and scores, genetic implications, and the relationship between PAP and economically relevant traits. Specifically, traits such as gestation length, birth weight, weaning weight, and yearling weight may impact PAP scores. In addition, environmental effects and other factors impacting PAP score variations are discussed. Information gaps and research needs are addressed to determine where missing information could improve the understanding of PAP while also benefiting beef cattle producers in high-elevation production systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Hypodermosis is a subcutaneous infestation in cattle that is caused by larvae of Hypoderma spp. and it is an economically important disease in the cattle industry. This study aimed to find the prevalence rate of hypodermosis and identify variations in the COX1 gene among isolates present in Sulaymaniyah, in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. Methodology: The study was conducted in a Sulaymaniyah slaughterhouse from March to July 2021. The carcasses of 867 cattle were carefully checked before and after skinning them to record the presence of boils containing the larvae of Hypoderma spp. Polymerase chain reactionrestriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) using TaqI enzyme, and sequencing of the COX1 gene were used for diagnosis and molecular characterization of Hypoderma spp. Results: The rate of infestation with Hypoderma bovis was 1.61% and the highest rate (3.57%) was detected in April. The disease was significantly (p < 0.05) higher in local breeds at 2.79%. PCR-RFLP confirmed that all recorded species were H. bovis. The result was further confirmed by Sanger sequencing of the COX1 gene of the isolated species. Comparison of the sequences of the conserved COX1 gene of the parasite led to identification of six different haplotypes in the research area. Two of the haplotypes were previously recorded internationally, while four new haplotypes associated with four novel mutations were recorded for the first time in the study region. Conclusions: Based on these results we can conclude that H. bovis is a widespread species in the research region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Utilizing deep learning for data mining in biomedicine often falls short in leveraging prior knowledge and adapting to the complexities of biomedical literature mining. Entity recognition, a fundamental task in information extraction, also provides data support for Natural Language Processing (NLP) downstream tasks. Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV) results in considerable economic losses in the cattle industry due to calf diarrhea, bovine respiratory syndrome, and cow abortion. This study aims to extract information on BVDV from relevant literature and build a knowledge base. It enhances feature extraction in the BioBERT pre-trained model using the Machine Reading Comprehension (MRC) framework for information fusion and bi-directionally extracts corpus information through the Bi-LSTM network, followed by a CRF layer for decoding and prediction. The results show the construction of a BVDV Corpus with 22 biomedical entities and introduce the BioBERT-Bi-LSTM-CRF Integrated with MRC (BBCM) model for Named Entity Recognition (NER), combining prior knowledge and the reading comprehension framework (MRC). The BBCM model achieves F 1 -scores of 78.79% and 76.3% on the public datasets JNLPBA and GENIA, respectively, and 67.52% on the BVDV Corpus, outperforming other models. This research presents a targeted NER method for BVDV, effectively identifying related entities and exploring their relationships, thus providing valuable data support for NLP's downstream tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The control and prevention of ticks and tick borne diseases (TBDs) is often difficult, since it is necessary to disrupt a complex transmission cycle, involving ticks and vertebrate hosts, which interact in a changing environment, driven by constant environmental and ecological changes. Our view is that factors driving the spread of R. microplus are complex and intrinsically interconnected, something that has often been ignored in control strategies. Results: The aim of this review is to analyze the importance of the epidemiological surveillance of ticks and tick-borne diseases (TTBDs) for Public Health, with the One Health approach; emphasizing the knowledge, importance, and distribution of TTBDs. Conclusions: The key points for surveillance, and raising the scope and limitations of surveillance programs, to delay the emergence of acaricide resistance, to reduce toxic residues in food for human consumption and to protect animal, human, and environmental health, from a One Health perspective will require calling producers, veterinarians, academics, pharmaceutical industry, and decision makers to join efforts in order to mitigate the effects of ticks and TBDs affecting the cattle industry in Mexico. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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To support the management of forage and cattle fattening business at the Integrated Agricultural Center (SPT) of PT Arutmin Indonesia Tambang Asamasam. This research uses the Field Work Practice (PKL) method which is carried out for three months, starting from March 4, 2024 to June 3, 2024. During this period, various activities are carried out according to a predetermined schedule and can be adjusted to other activities of the company. This street vendor was held at PT Arutmin Indonesia Tambang Asamasam, which is located in Simpang Empat Sungai Baru Village, Jorong District, Tanah Laut Regency, South Kalimantan Province. The results of this study show that Silage P3 (sorghum 40% and indigofera 60%) and P4 (sorghum 20% and indigofera 80%) are seen from physical quality (color, texture, aroma, and pH) and chemical quality, especially protein content, are in accordance with cow fattening. The physical qualities of sorghum silage and indigofera (color, texture and aroma) are almost the same very well there are no failures in the fermentation process. The pH value of silage is able to stay below 4 so that the silage is of good quality. The chemical quality of sorghum and indigofera with water content of 67.78 – 70.02%, ash content 4.03 – 6.83%, crude protein 4.69 – 19.41%, crude fat 7.58 – 9.35%, crude fiber 38.21 – 40.29%, carbohydrates 18.60 -23.59%, phosphorus 0.13 – 0.21%, calcium 0.16 – 0.91% and calories 197.27 – 228.54Cal/g can be used for cattle fattening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: We investigated the ability of metformin (Met) to inhibit bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) replication in vitro. We analyzed the transcriptomic profiles of BVDV-infected Madin Darby bovine kidney (MDBK) cells after pretreatment with Met to identify activated or suppressed metabolic and signaling pathways. (1) Background: Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) causes calf diarrhea, bovine respiratory syndrome, and cow abortion, resulting in substantial economic losses in the cattle industry. Owing to its persistent infection mechanism, BVDV is a major challenge in the treatment of cattle. (2) Methods: To determine how metformin (Met) inhibits the interaction between BVDV and host cells, we treated BVDV-infected cells with Met. We then performed an RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis of Met-treated cells infected with BVDV to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Consequently, the RNA-seq results were validated through real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR). (3) Results: Our analysis revealed 3169 DEGs in the Met-treated cells (Met group) vs. the negative controls (NC group) and 2510 DEGs in the BVDV-infected cells after pretreatment with Met (MetBVDV group) vs. the BVDV-infected cells (BVDV group). The DEGs were involved in MDBK interactions during BVDV infection, as indicated by Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses. The potential interactions of the DEGs were confirmed via a protein–protein interaction (PPI) network. Met treatment induced autophagy signaling activity and the expression of the autophagy-related genes ATG2A, ATG4B, ATG10, and ATG12 in BVDV-infected Met-pretreated cells. (4) Conclusions: We found that the host transcriptomic profile was affected by BVDV infection and Met pretreatment. These findings offer valuable new insights and provide support for future studies on the inhibition of BVDV replication by Met. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Bovine infectious rhinotracheitis (IBR) is a severe, febrile, and highly contagious disease caused by bovine alphaherpesvirus 1 (BoAHV1), resulting in substantial economic losses in the cattle industry worldwide. Despite its significant impact, there is a dearth of comprehensive research on the genetic characteristics and infection dynamics of BoAHV1. This study represents a pivotal milestone as it successfully isolated a BoAHV1 strain for the first time from a cattle farm in Yanji city, revealing the genetic evolutionary characteristics of BoAHV1 and the expression dynamics of its associated glycoprotein genes within host cells. Notably, the exceptional disease resistance displayed by Yanbian yellow cattle has rendered previous reports on their susceptibility to BoAHV1 infection nonexistent. These findings underscore the importance of global collaboration in understanding and combating BoAHV1, offering crucial insights into its infection dynamics during host cell invasion. Bovine infectious rhinotracheitis (IBR), caused by bovine alphaherpesvirus 1 (BoAHV1), poses significant challenges to the global cattle industry due to its high contagiousness and economic impact. In our study, we successfully isolated a BoAHV1 strain from suspected infected bovine nasal mucus samples in Yanji city, revealing genetic similarities with strains from Sichuan, Egypt, and the USA, while strains from Xinjiang, Beijing, Hebei, and Inner Mongolia showed more distant associations, indicating potential cross-border transmission. Additionally, our investigation of BoAHV1 infection dynamics within host cells revealed early upregulation of gB, which is critical for sustained infection, while the expression of gC and gD showed variations compared to previous studies. These findings enhance our understanding of BoAHV1 diversity and infection kinetics, underscoring the importance of international collaboration for effective surveillance and control strategies. Furthermore, they lay the groundwork for the development of targeted therapeutics and vaccines to mitigate the impact of IBR on the cattle industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Beef production systems are at the center of ongoing discussion and debate on food systems sustainability. There is a growing interest among beef producers, consumers, and other beef supply chain stakeholders in achieving greater sustainability within the industry, but the relationship of this interest to general sustainability issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, food security, livelihood risks, and animal welfare concerns is unclear. Specifically, there is very little research documenting how beef producers define and view the concept of sustainability and how to achieve it. Producer perspectives are critical to identifying constraints to sustainability transitions or to help build agreement with other producers about the shared values such transitions may support. Through a secondary analysis of survey data of U.S. beef producers (n = 911) conducted in 2021 by the Trust in Food division of Farm Journal, a corporation that provides content, data, and business insights to the agricultural community (e.g., producers, processors/distributors, and retailers), we investigated what “sustainable beef” means to U.S. beef producers, highlighting the key components and constraints they perceive to achieving desirable sustainability outcomes. Leveraging the three-pillar model of sustainability as a framework for analysis, we identified key themes producers use to define “sustainable beef.” We found that producers collectively viewed sustainability as: (1) multidimensional and interconnected; (2) semi-closed and regenerative; (3) long-lasting; and (4) producer-centered, although an integrated perspective uniting these aspects was rare. We discuss how these perspectives may be the basis for sustainability efforts supported by producers and raise future research considerations toward a shared understanding of what sustainability is and what is needed for enduring sustainability solutions in the U.S. beef industry.

This study explores the prevalence, epidemiology, and molecular features of piroplasms in cattle within Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Pakistan. The investigation utilized both microscopy and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) techniques to screen and analyze 450 blood samples from cattle across different regions of AJK. In addition, we also assessed the correlation between the occurrence of these infections and various epidemiological factors, including age, breed, gender, and seasonality' after parasitic prevalence. PCR analysis recorded an overall prevalence rate of 9.33% for piroplasms. The specific prevalence of Theileria annulata, Theileria orientalis, Theileria buffeli, Babesia bigemina, and Babesia bovis was found to be 7.5, 0.6, 0.22, 0.22 and 0.44%, respectively. These findings suggest that the prevalence rates of piroplasms in the research area are considerably affected by epidemiological parameters that are trending in that direction. Additionally, the genetic characterization of the piroplasms provided insightful data regarding the strains prevalent in the AJK region and their genetic relations to strains identified globally. This study provides the first comprehensive report to document the molecular prevalence and species co-infection rates of cattle piroplasms in the specified regions. These findings are expected to contribute significantly to the development of effective treatment, control, and prevention strategies, ultimately supporting the enhancement of the local cattle industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bovine leukemia virus (BLV) is prevalent worldwide, causing serious problems in the cattle industry. The BLV proviral load (PVL) is a useful index for estimating disease progression and transmission risk. We previously developed a quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) assay to measure the PVL using the coordination of common motif (CoCoMo) degenerate primers. Here, we constructed a novel duplex BLV-CoCoMo qPCR assay that can amplify two genes simultaneously using a FAM-labeled MGB probe for the BLV LTR gene and a VIC-labeled MGB probe for the BoLA-DRA gene. This liquid duplex assay maintained its original sensitivity and reproducibility in field samples. Furthermore, we developed a dry duplex assay composed of PCR reagents necessary for the optimized liquid duplex assay. We observed a strong positive correlation between the PVLs measured using the dry and liquid duplex assays. Validation analyses showed that the sensitivity of the dry duplex assay was slightly lower than that of the other methods for the detection of a BLV molecular clone, but it showed similar sensitivity to the singleplex assay and slightly higher sensitivity than the liquid duplex assay for the PVL quantification of 82 field samples. Thus, our liquid and dry duplex assays are useful for measuring the BLV PVL in field samples, similar to the original singleplex assay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the 1990s, border security has been a pressing issue in political geography. With the increasing interactions between China and its neighboring countries, border security has increased the attention of scholars and government officials. Security issues along the China-Myanmar border are particularly eye-catching owing to Myanmar's fast-changing social and political reforms and unrest, as well as the complicated situation in Northern Myanmar that has gathered a large number of armed ethnic minorities. Tensions have resulted in prominent traditional and non-traditional security issues along the China-Myanmar border. Illegal cross-border trade is one non-traditional security problem in the region; specifically, illegal cross-border cattle trade is a particular but understudied case. This study investigates the actors, transportation, and social networks involved in illegal cross-border cattle trade. Using first-hand materials collected in the border area and secondary archives, the study analyzes the spatial and temporal features and operation mechanisms of smuggling. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) From the perspective of the time stage, the study identifies approximately three stages. Before 2004, the illegal cross-border cattle trade, relying on kin relationships, was in its embryonic stage. From 2004 to 2018, the domestic beef market was in short supply, and the illegal cross-border cattle trade, this time relying on nepotism, gradually became more frequent, reaching 1.6-2 million heads per year and entering the development stage. Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2018 and 2020, owing to the enhanced border control, the volume of illegal cross-border trade has plummeted, decreasing by around tens of thousands to more than 100,000 each year, and then entering a period of extinction. (2) Spatially, illegal cross-border trade mainly comprises three routes: the northern, central, and southern routes, from northern India to China's Yunnan Province through northern Myanmar. Among the three routes, the middle route sees the largest number of cross-border cattle, among which, the cross-border flow of cattle from Myanmar through the Yunnan Ruili Nongdao channel is the largest, followed by the northern route; the southern route sees the lowest number. (3) The China-Myanmar illegal cross-border cattle trade relies on the trust bond, regulation, and enforcement mechanism provided by the natural geographical environment and cross-border nepotism, thus forming a complete social network trade chain. The study suggests methods to control illegal cross-border trade by simplifying formal trade and strengthening the construction of smart borders. The findings provide reference for the prevention and control of illegal cross-border trade. Although illegal cross-border cattle trade can be regarded as a type of illegal cross-border trade, owing to the large volume of live cattle, the transportation is more difficult, and it is easier to detect. As such, the choice of illegal cross-border routes is quite different from that of general small goods and is more obviously affected by natural geographical conditions and social and interpersonal network factors. Thus, illegal cross-border cattle trade provides a unique case study of the relations between illegal cross-border trade and human, physical, and geographical conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cattle farming is a vital sector in the livestock industry, but it is also faced with various complex business risks. This literature review aims to provide an in-depth understanding of the risks associated with cattle farming. Through a thorough analysis of various literature sources, we explore the main aspects that influence risk in the cattle industry, including external factors such as fluctuations in feed prices, changes in government policies, and market uncertainty, as well as internal factors such as livestock health, financial management, and operational efficiency. By thoroughly understanding these risks, cattle farmers can develop effective mitigation strategies to increase the resilience of their business amidst the challenges facing the cattle farming industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diarrhea is globally reported to be a common and major disease in newborn calves. According to the World Health Organization, it can cause a massive economic loss in the cattle industry. Thirty preweaning calves were collected. Calveswere taken from four different places in Sulaimaniyah province (Kalar, Halbjai Shahid, Khurmal, and Sharazor) between September 2022 and March 2023. The animals were divided into 3 age groups: (5-30 days), (31-60 days), and (61-90 days). Rectal swabs were being collected directly from diarrheal calves into plastic specimens for PCR testing. A fragment of the SSU rRNA gene was amplified using the Taq DNA master mix (Addbio, Republic of Korea). Phylogenetic trees were constructed based on a partial fragment of the SSU rRNA gene. The results showed that the higher infection rate (25%) appeared in calves less than one month old, while the lower infection rate (10%) appeared in the two months old and (12%) in three months old calves. In addition, the two sequences (BA/1/2022 and BA/2/2022) were C. ryanae, while the other sequence (BA/3/2022) was identified as C. parvum. This study reported the occurrence of Cryptosporidium species for the first time in four different places in Sulaimaniyah province, northern Iraq, using molecular techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research was conducted in Banyumas Regency, with the objectives of studying 1) beef marketing channels, 2) beef marketing margins, and 3) beef marketing efficiency. To achieve this goal, a survey research method was used, with the research targets being beef cattle wholesellers, beef marketing institutions, and beef consumers. Slaughterhouses (RPH) were selected using a purposive sampling method; they were RPH Purwokerto and RPH Ajibarang. From each RPH, eight beef cattle whole sellers were selected as respondents, from which five retailers were selected. By using the accidental sampling method, two buyers were selected from each retailer. Therefore, there were 96 respondents from each RPH, or 192 in total. The data analysis used included descriptive analysis and marketing analysis, including costs, profits, and marketing margins. The results obtained were that there were two marketing channels, namely: (1) RPH/butcher → wholesalers → stall traders? consumers; (2) RPH/butcher → wholesalers → consumers. The marketing margins were IDR 34,346 and IDR 26,845, and the marketing efficiency was 4.04% and 2.86% in marketing channel 1 and marketing channel 2, respectively. It can be concluded that the beef marketing channel is simple, with quite high marketing efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beef production is the primary contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in animal husbandry. But the carbon emission distribution, potential for carbon reduction, and pathways in the main links of the beef cattle industry chain are not yet clear. Balancing efficiency and fairness while taking tailored emission reduction paths according to local conditions is crucial in helping to achieve the low-carbon animal husbandry and "dual carbon" goals. This research adopts an industry chain perspective to assess four leading beef production regions' carbon emissions, potential, and pathways in China from 2007 to 2021. We use life cycle assessment, the potential index which considers efficiency and fairness; the results are as follows: (1) The potential for carbon emission reduction in China's beef industry showed an inverted U-shaped change trend from 2007 to 2021, and the average potential for carbon emission reduction in most provinces fluctuated around 0.500. (2) The main producing areas of China's beef industry were divided into four areas of high efficiency and low fairness (Area A); high efficiency and high fairness (Area B); low efficiency and low fairness (Area C); and low efficiency and high fairness (Area D). (3) Differentiated emission reduction pathways were designed to reduce emissions, highlighting the need to implement region-specific carbon reduction policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Animal Science & Economics is the property of Ataturk University Coordinatorship of Scientific Journals and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Harran Journal of Agricultural & Food Science is the property of Harran University, Faculty of Agriculture and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Introduction: Dehorning calves is necessary to minimize injury because intensive raising circumstances make horned cows more aggressive. However, acute pain is commonly perceived by farm animals when undergoing painful practices such as dehorning, affecting their health status and quality of life. By quantifying the magnitude of pain and discomfort associated with dehorning, we aim to contribute to a more humane and sustainable cattle farming industry. Methods: The objective of this study was to evaluate the behavioral, physiological, and emotional effects of acute dehorning pain in calves using two methods: dehorning cream and dehorning hot-iron.30 Holstein calves aged 4days were selected for the study. These calves were randomly assigned to two experimental groups based on the method of disbudding: dehorning cream (n = 15) and hot-iron dehorning (n = 15). Before and after dehorning, we evaluated their physiological indicators of infrared eye temperature, concentrations of substance P, IL-6, cortisol, haptoglobin, as well as emotional state, and pain-related behavioral reactions. Results: Post-dehorning, the duration of lying down decreased significantly in both groups (DI and DC: 0-4h) after dehorning (p < 0.05). Both groups exhibited increased frequencies of pain-related behaviors such as head shaking (DI: 1-7h, DC: 1-6h), ear flicking (DI: 2-7h, DC: 2-7h), head scratching (DI: 2-3h, DC: 1-7h), and top scuffing (DI: 2h, DC: 2-7h) compared to pre-dehorning (p < 0.05). The DC group demonstrated a higher frequency of head-shaking, ear-flicking, headscratching, and top-rubbing behaviors, along with a longer duration of lying down (0-4h), compared to the DI group (p < 0.05). Post-dehorning, play behavior reduced significantly in both groups (6-8h) (p < 0.05), whereas judgment bias and fear levels showed no significant change (p > 0.05). Physiological measures including eye temperature, and blood levels of substance P and IL-6, did not differ significantly between the groups before and after dehorning (p > 0.05). However, 48h after dehorning, calves in the DC group had significantly higher haptoglobin levels compared to the DI group (p = 0.015). Additionally, salivary cortisol levels in the DC group increased significantly at 3.5h and 7h post-dehorning (p = 0.018, p = 0.043). Discussion: Both hot-iron and cream dehorning induced pain in calves, as evidenced by increased pain-related behaviors, elevated salivary cortisol, and higher haptoglobin levels, alongside reduced positive behaviors. Notably, these effects were more pronounced in the DC group than in the DI group, suggesting that dehorning hot-iron may be a comparatively less stressful dehorning method for young calves. Moreover, the brief duration of pain response and weaker response to dehorning observed in 13-day-age calves in this study suggests that dehorning at younger ages may be more advisable and warrants further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Agricultural Outlook (1673-3908) is the property of Institute of Agricultural Information, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In brief: In silico predictions validated in this study demonstrate the potential for designing shorter equilibration protocols that improve post-warming re-expansion and hatching rates of D7 and D8 in vitro-produced bovine embryos. Our results benefit the livestock industry by providing a refined and reproducible approach to cryopreserving bovine embryos, which, in addition, could be useful for other mammalian species. Abstract: The cryopreservation of in vitro-produced (IVP) embryos is vital in the cattle industry for genetic selection and crossbreeding programs. Despite its importance, there is no standardized protocol yielding pregnancy rates comparable to fresh embryos. Current approaches often neglect the osmotic tolerance responses to cryoprotectants based on temperature and time. Hereby, we propose improved vitrification methods using shorter dehydrationbased protocols. Blastocysts cultured for 7 (D7) or 8 days (D8) were exposed to standard equilibration solution (ES) at 25ºC and 38.5ºC. Optimized exposure times for each temperature and their impact on post-warming re-expansion, hatching rates, cell counts, and apoptosis rate were determined. In silico predictions aligned with in vitro observations, showing original volume recovery within 8 min 30 s at 25ºC or 3 min 40 s at 38.5ºC (D7 blastocysts) and 4 min 25 s at 25ºC and 3 min 15 s at 38.5ºC (D8 blastocysts) after exposure to ES. Vitrification at 38.5ºC resulted in D7 blastocysts re-expansion and hatching rates (93.1% and 38.1%, respectively) comparable to fresh embryos (100.0% and 32.4%, respectively), outperforming the 25ºC protocol (86.2% and 24.4%, respectively; P < 0.05). No differences were observed between D7 and D8 blastocysts using the 38.5ºC protocol. Total cell number was maintained for D7 and D8 blastocysts vitrified at 38.5ºC but decreased at 25ºC (P < 0.05). Apoptosis rates increased post-warming (P < 0.05), except for D8 blastocysts vitrified at 38.5ºC, resembling fresh controls. In conclusion, based on biophysical permeability data, new ES incubation times of 3 min 40 s for D7 blastocysts and 3 min 15 s for D8 blastocysts at 38.5ºC were validated for optimizing vitrification/warming methods for bovine IVP blastocysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beef production systems are at the center of ongoing discussion and debate on food systems sustainability. There is a growing interest among beef producers, consumers, and other beef supply chain stakeholders in achieving greater sustainability within the industry, but the relationship of this interest to general sustainability issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, food security, livelihood risks, and animal welfare concerns is unclear. Specifically, there is very little research documenting how beef producers define and view the concept of sustainability and how to achieve it. Producer perspectives are critical to identifying constraints to sustainability transitions or to help build agreement with other producers about the shared values such transitions may support. Through a secondary analysis of survey data of U.S. beef producers (n = 911) conducted in 2021 by the Trust in Food division of Farm Journal, a corporation that provides content, data, and business insights to the agricultural community (e.g., producers, processors/distributors, and retailers), we investigated what "sustainable beef" means to U.S. beef producers, highlighting the key components and constraints they perceive to achieving desirable sustainability outcomes. Leveraging the three-pillar model of sustainability as a framework for analysis, we identified key themes producers use to define "sustainable beef." We found that producers collectively viewed sustainability as: (1) multidimensional and interconnected; (2) semi-closed and regenerative; (3) long-lasting; and (4) producer-centered, although an integrated perspective uniting these aspects was rare. We discuss how these perspectives may be the basis for sustainability efforts supported by producers and raise future research considerations toward a shared understanding of what sustainability is and what is needed for enduring sustainability solutions in the U.S. beef industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In this study, we focused on obtaining mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from the fat tissue of cows and investigating their characteristics and functions. We collected fat tissue samples from healthy cows and used specific methods to isolate MSCs. We tested the cells' ability to form colonies, grow and divide, express stem cell markers on the cell surface, differentiate into bone and fat cells, and produce a substance called indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenease (IDO) that helps regulate the immune system. The results showed successful isolation of MSCs from the cows' fat tissue that could be grown and expanded in culture for an extended period. The MSCs also secreted significant amounts of IDO, indicating their potential to modulate the immune system and control inflammation. This study has important implications for the cattle industry, as it suggests that autologous (from the same individual) MSCs derived from fat tissue could be used as a complementary therapy for various diseases in cows. These MSCs may provide additional benefits compared to conventional treatments by addressing inflammation and tissue scarring associated with common cattle diseases. The methodology used in this study can be adopted by veterinary cell therapy labs to prepare MSCs for managing diseases in cattle, either from the same individual or from other donors. Background: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are increasingly trialed in cellular therapy applications in humans. They can also be applied to treat a range of diseases in animals, particularly in cattle to combat inflammatory conditions and aging-associated degenerative disorders. We sought to demonstrate the feasibility of obtaining MSCs from adipose tissue and characterizing them using established assays. Methods: Bovine adipose MSCs (BvAdMSCs) were isolated using in-house optimized tissue digestion protocols and characterized by performing a colony formation assay, cell growth assessments, cell surface marker analysis by immunocytochemistry and flow cytometry, osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation, and secretion of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenease (IDO). Results: Our results demonstrate the feasibility of successful MSC isolation and culture expansion from bovine adipose tissues with characteristic features of colony formation, in vitro multilineage differentiation into osteogenic and adipogenic lineages, and cell surface marker expression of CD105, CD73, CD90, CD44, and CD166 with negative expression of CD45. BvAdMSCs secreted significant amounts of IDO with or without interferon–gamma stimulation, indicating ability for immunomodulation. Conclusions: We report a viable approach to obtaining autologous adipose-derived MSCs that can be applied as potential adjuvant cell therapy for tissue repair and regeneration in cattle. Our methodology can be utilized by veterinary cell therapy labs for preparing MSCs for disease management in cattle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analysed the determinants of smallholder cattle farmers' willingness to adopt Index-Based Cattle Insurance (IBCI) being climate change adaptive strategy in the Polokwane Municipality of South Africa. A multi-stage purposive sampling procedure was employed to collect primary data using structured questionnaires from 110 smallholder cattle farmers. The results revealed that about 89% of the sampled farmers were willing to adopt IBCI, while about 11% weren't willing to adopt IBCI. The Probit regression model results revealed that marital status, farming experience, access to extension services, off-farm income and land ownership had a positive and significant influence on the willingness to adopt IBCI. However, educational level, household size, experience of cattle loss and farm size significantly influenced willingness to adopt IBCI negatively. Therefore, this study recommends workshops for raising IBCI awareness, government subsidy on insurance premiums and finally, improved market access and extension services for smallholder cattle farmers for sustainable livelihoods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is one of the most common diseases in the cattle industry worldwide; it is caused by multiple bacterial or viral coinfections, of which Mycoplasma bovis (M. bovis) and bovine herpesvirus type 1 (BoHV-1) are the most notable pathogens. Although live vaccines have demonstrated better efficacy against BRD induced by both pathogens, there are no combined live and marker vaccines. Therefore, we developed an attenuated and marker M. bovis-BoHV-1 combined vaccine based on the M. bovis HB150 and BoHV-1 gG-/tk-strain previously constructed in our lab and evaluated in rabbits. This study aimed to further evaluate its safety and protective efficacy in cattle using different antigen ratios. After immunization, all vaccinated cattle had a normal rectal temperature and mental status without respiratory symptoms. CD4+, CD8+, and CD19+ cells significantly increased in immunized cattle and induced higher humoral and cellular immune responses, and the expression of key cytokines such as IL-4, IL-12, TNF-α, and IFN-γ can be promoted after vaccination. The 1.0 x 108 CFU of M. bovis HB150 and 1.0 x 106 TCID50 BoHV-1 gG-/tk-combined strain elicited the most antibodies while significantly increasing IgG and cellular immunity after challenge. In conclusion, the M. bovis HB150 and BoHV-1 gG-/tk-combined strain was clinically safe and protective in calves; the mix of 1.0 x 108 CFU of M. bovis HB150 and 1.0 x 106 TCID50 BoHV-1 gG-/tk- strain was most promising due to its low amount of shedding and highest humoral and cellular immune responses compared with others. This study introduces an M. bovis-BoHV-1 combined vaccine for application in the cattle industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lameness is a crucial welfare issue in the modern dairy cattle industry, that if not identified and treated early causes losses in milk production and leads to early culling of animals. At present, the most common methods used for lameness detection and assessment are various visual locomotion scoring systems, which are labour-intensive, and the results may be subjective. The purpose of this project is to develop an integrated system for early detection of lameness in cattle, using force plate gait analysis and pattern recognition techniques to identify changes in gait which indicate the onset of lameness. The system will be tested on the natural onset of lameness in an organised farm environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Xinjiang Brown cattle are a famous dual-purpose (dairy-beef) cultivated breed in China that occupy a pivotal position within the cattle breeding industry in Xinjiang, China. However, little information is available on the genetic background of this breed. To fill this research gap, we conducted a whole-genome screen using specific-locus amplified fragment sequencing to examine the genetic structure and diversity of 130 Xinjiang Brown cattle-grazing type (XBG, traditional type) cattle. Methods: A subsequent joint analysis incorporating two ancestral breeds, specifically 19 Brown Swiss (BS) foreign and nine Kazakh (KZ) Chinese cattle, as well as 20 Xinjiang Brown cattle-housing type (XBH) cattle, was used to explore the genetic background of the Xinjiang Brown cattle. Results: The results showed that, after nearly a century of crossbreeding, XBG cattle formed a single population with a stable genetic performance. The genetic structure, genetic diversity, and selection signature analysis of the two ancestral types showed highly different results compared to that of XBH cattle. Local ancestry inference showed that the average proportions of XGB cattle within the BS and KZ cattle lineages were 37.22% and 62.78%, respectively, whereas the average proportions of XBH cattle within the BS and KZ cattle lineages were 95.14% and 4.86%, respectively. Thus, XGB cattle are more representative of all Xinjiang Brown cattle, in line with their breeding history, which involves crossbreeding. Two complementary approaches, fixation index and mean nucleotide diversity, were used to detect selection signals in the four aforementioned cattle breeds. Finally, the analysis of 26 candidate genes in Xinjiang Brown cattle revealed significant enrichment in 19 Gene Ontology terms, and seven candidate genes were enriched in three pathways related to disease resistance (CDH4, SIRPB1, and SIRPa) and the endocrine system (ADCY5, ABCC8, KCNJ11, and KCNMA1). Finally, development of the core SNPs in XBG cattle yielded 8,379 loci. Conclusion: The results of this study detail the evolutionary process of crossbreeding in Xinjiang Brown cattle and provide guidance for selecting and breeding new strains of this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The India–Bangladesh border is the world's fifth longest land border, a focus of political tension in an area with vibrant informal economies. Cross-border communities share culture and language and informal cross-border trade (ICBT) is well-established. This article explores ICBT on the Indian side of the border, examining its actors, power relations and spatial dimensions, and the vulnerabilities of those involved. Debates on the social and cultural roots of ICBT, and the vulnerability of small-scale entrepreneurs to a complicit state, and powerful middlemen in lucrative sectors of ICBT, inform the analysis. The trade is theorized through the lens of jugaad, the Indian term for 'making do' and 'instinctive creativity'. The research draws on case studies of three cross-border sectors, everyday trade in small household goods, the politically sensitive cattle trade, and cross-border medical/healthcare services. The mechanisms of jugaad are seen to some degree in all three case studies, but heavy state regulation gives advantage to controlling middlemen and state officials. Finally, we argue that ICBT is a critical component of the wider political economy in the border regions of West Bengal, and that the forgotten sector of ICBT could, if supported by light-touch regulation, have important poverty-reduction potential in enabling livelihoods for marginalized border communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cattle farming plays a pivotal role in Africa's agricultural and livestock sector, poised for growth due to population expansion and rising per capita consumption of animal‐sourced food. Forages are a primary source of feed for dairy cattle, significantly impacting production costs. While local forage varieties are preferred by dairy farmers, there has been an increase in the adoption of improved forages in recent years. However, the overall adoption rate is still low, for example, due to underdeveloped forage seed markets. Methods: This study describes the dynamics, challenges, and potential of these markets in Kenya and selected East African countries, focusing on (i) market evolution over the past decade, (ii) forthcoming market prospects, and (iii) bottlenecks and opportunities for improvement. Data were gathered in 2022 through qualitative interviews with stakeholders representing six segments of the forage seed sector across six countries. Results: We found a sustained growth of the improved forage seed market in recent years. The main challenges for further growth are high seed prices, regulatory difficulties, and limited producer knowledge. Conclusions: The findings unveil positive dynamics in the region's forage seed market, fueled by the engagement and determination of stakeholders who recognize the manifold benefits that it holds for both the dairy industry and economic growth. The realization of this market's potential requires addressing prevailing challenges, including elevated seed costs, intricate variety registration processes, and a pervasive lack of awareness among farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research was conducted in person in Diyarbakir province, Kayapınar district, by means of a questionnaire with a total of 120 people engaged in cattle breeding in 21 settlements. The questionnaire addresses the existence of cattle farms, the general structural status of cattle farms, information provided by owners, feed supply and feeding practices, animal health and treatment practices, reproduction and artificial insemination practices, production and marketing of animal products on farms, housing status and support utilization status. It has been shown that the farms are small farms and 92% of the farms have closed barns. The fact that the majority of farm owners are between 40 and 61 years old can be seen as a danger signal for livestock. It was found that there is no cooperative in the villages except Cumhuriyet district, which brings the problem of marketing raw milk and dairy products. In the study area, it it has been observed that activities such as animal care feeding, estrus monitoring and application, and automation in animal husbandry are insufficient. For sustainable animal production, relevant public institutions and organizations need to work more intensively and carry out training, monitoring and evaluation activities to increase productivity per animal in enterprises, to train operators on herd management, care and feeding and animal health, and to meet expectations by solving problems in enterprises. This research provides us with important data about the general structure of cattle breeding in Kayapınar district of Diyarbakır province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We used published data consisting of 263 treatment mean observations from beef cattle and dairy steers and heifers, in which CH4 was measured via chambers or head boxes, to evaluate relationships between enteric CH4 production and dry matter intake (DMI) and dietary components. Daily DMI was positively related (slope = 15.371, p < 0.001) to total daily production (g/d) of CH4 (r2 = 0.821). Among chemical components, dietary neutral detergent fiber (NDF) concentration was the most highly related (r2 = 0.696; slope = 0.2001; p < 0.001) to CH4 yield (g/kg of DMI), with strong relationships also noted for dietary starch:NDF ratio (r2 = 0.662; slope = −2.4587; p < 0.001), starch (r2 = 0.495; slope = −0.106; p < 0.001), and the proportion of metabolizable energy relative to gross energy (r2 = 0.561; slope = −23.663; p < 0.001). The slope (−0.5871) and intercept (22.2295) for the dietary ether extract vs. CH4 yield were significant (p < 0.001), but the relationship was highly variable (r2 = 0.150). For dietary crude protein concentration, the slope for CH4 yield was not significant (−0.0344; p < 0.381) with an r2 value near zero. Decreasing DMI by programming body weight gain or restricting feed intake could decrease CH4 production in confined cattle, but these approaches might negatively affect growth performance and product quality, potentially negating positive effects on CH4 production. Feeding higher-quality forages or using grazing management systems that decrease dietary NDF concentrations or substituting grain (starch) for forage should decrease both CH4 yield from enteric production and manure CH4 production via increased digestibility. Effects of feeding management and diet formulation strategies should be additive with other mitigation approaches such as feed additives, allowing the cattle industry to achieve maximal decreases in enteric CH4 production, while concurrently maintaining optimal beef production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breeding more resilient animals will benefit the dairy cattle industry in the long term, especially as global climate changes become more severe. Previous studies have reported genetic parameters for various milk yield-based resilience indicators, but the underlying genomic background of these traits remain unknown. In this study, we conducted GWAS of 62,029 SNPs with 4 milk yield-based resilience indicators, including the weighted occurrence frequency (wfPert) and accumulated milk losses (dPert) of milk yield perturbations, and log-transformed variance (LnVar) and lag-1 autocorrelation (r auto) of daily yield residuals. These variables were previously derived from 5.6 million daily milk yield records from 21,350 lactations (parities 1–3) of 11,787 North American Holstein cows. The average daily milk yield (ADMY) throughout lactation was also included to compare the shared genetic background of resilience indicators with milk yield. The differential genetic background of these indicators was first revealed by the significant genomic regions identified and significantly enriched biological pathways of positional candidate genes, which confirmed the genetic difference among resilience indicators. Interestingly, the functional analyses of candidate genes suggested that the regulation of intestinal homeostasis is most likely affecting resilience derived based on variability in milk yield. Based on Mendelian randomization analyses of multiple instrumental SNPs, we further found an unfavorable causal association of ADMY with LnVar. In conclusion, the resilience indicators evaluated are genetically different traits, and there are causal associations of milk yield with some of the resilience indicators evaluated. In addition to providing biological insights into the molecular regulation mechanisms of resilience derived based on variability in milk yield, this study also indicates the need for developing selection indexes combining multiple indicator traits and taking into account their genetic relationship for breeding more resilient dairy cattle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article uses historical and climatological methods to recontextualise the first decade of Dutch settlement at the Cape, 1652–62. It draws on weather data contained in the Journal of Jan van Riebeeck, natural proxies in the region, climate reanalysis and the global context of a particularly severe period during the Little Ice Age to reconstruct climatic conditions at monthly and seasonal scales for the decade under review. This reconstruction shows that the Dutch settled at a time of declining moisture at the Cape: relatively wet summers gave way to dry winters, while short-term droughts and deluges were regular occurrences. It then integrates this climatic context into an understanding of the history of this period. In so doing, it argues that adverse climatic conditions helped to undermine early Dutch designs on intensive agriculture, accelerated many free burghers' initial transition towards pastoralism, shaped the timing and volume of the cattle trade between settlers and indigenous populations and exacerbated tensions that led to the first Khoikhoi–Dutch war (1659–60). It may also have enhanced the transmission of and deaths from disease, though the evidence in this instance is less conclusive. In short, a climate-historical perspective shows that adverse climatic and environmental factors critically affected many of the core themes that are already associated with the history of early Dutch settlement at the Cape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article informs about 1904 Arizona Cattle Roundup, which focuses on the desire for practical management of the livestock industry and the necessity of cooperation among ranchers were being recognized in the form of local cattlemen's associations across the western U.S. It discusses accommodations for homesteaders to acquire titles to land under the Homestead Law and Desert Land Act, as most of the cattlemen turned their free-range herds out on public lands held by the federal government.

Simple Summary: Genetic improvement in the cattle production industry is a driver of productive, economic and sustainable improvements. Farmers have genetic tools that make it easier for them to make decisions considering their social and productive reality. Although there are new techniques and tools to improve livestock genetics, and despite efforts to promote their use through agricultural extension, there is still a gap between the creation of these tools and their actual use by livestock farmers. This review was conducted to understand how genetic improvement tools in livestock production are being promoted globally. Most studies carried out surveys or interviews with farmers and stakeholders on both social and productive topics. Although social factors are known to affect whether these improvements are adopted or not, the use of social theories to understand this is still in its incipient. More research is needed to understand how to successfully promote the use of these genetic tools in specific productive regions. In the cattle industry, tools for genetic improvement play a crucial role in animal selection. The changing circumstances faced by farmers and the significant part agricultural extension plays in these changes must be considered. Despite progress in genetic selection tools and the push for their adoption through extension services, a disconnect persists between the development of new strategies and tools for genetic improvement and their adoption by livestock farmers. This systematic review is designed to globally investigate the methodology and outcomes of extension research aimed at advancing genetic improvement in beef cattle. Adhering to PRISMA guidelines, a search was conducted across four databases for studies published from January 2012 to June 2023. Twenty-one articles were selected and reviewed. The research design in the articles predominantly employed mixed methods, utilizing both quantitative and qualitative approaches. While social factors are acknowledged as influencers in the adoption process, the application of theories or frameworks from social sciences is still in its early stages. To successfully implement extension activities that promote the use of genetic tools in cattle for a specific production region, more participatory research is required where farmers are actively involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intensive scale feeding of cattle and sheep in China co-exists with the traditional grazing mode. The traditional grazing mode is easily affected by climate, season and other factors, and the unstable forage supply and unbalanced feed nutrition become the restricting factors for the development of the cattle and sheep industry. The use of a total mixed diet can not only solve the problem of nutritional instability of cattle and sheep feed, improve production efficiency, but also make full use of agricultural and industrial by-products, protect the environment, and achieve green, healthy and sustainable development of the cattle and sheep industry. The paper reviews the research progress of the preparation principle and technology of total mixed diet and its effect on the production stage of cattle and sheep, aiming to provide a reference for the use of total mixed diet in the production of cattle and sheep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article assesses the effect of climate change on livestock production in Sub‐Saharan Africa, for a sample of 45 countries over the period 2000–2021. Using a two‐factor fixed effects panel data model, our results obtained by the two‐way fixed effects estimator show that (i) climate change negatively influences livestock production through high temperatures, while abundant rainfall is beneficial. (ii) Through transmission channels, we find that maize price volatility exacerbates the negative effect of rising temperatures on livestock production, while it reduces the beneficial effect of abundant rainfall. Furthermore, we find that water availability mitigates the adverse effect of rising temperatures on livestock, while enhancing the beneficial effect of rainfall on livestock. Finally, we concede that conflicts reduce the beneficial effect of rainfall on livestock production. To increase livestock production in Sub‐Saharan Africa, we recommend: the practice of pastoralism, based on the production of plants and fodder adapted to climate change, the improvement of animal nutrition, and the inclusion of breeders in the decision‐making process in the cattle industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In livestock industry, there is growing interest in methods to increase the production efficiency of livestock to address food shortages, given the increasing global population. With the advancements in gene engineering technology, it is a valuable tool and has been intensively utilized in research specifically focused on human disease. In historically, this technology has been used with livestock to create human disease models or to produce recombinant proteins from their byproducts. However, in recent years, utilizing gene editing technology, cattle with identified genes related to productivity can be edited, thereby enhancing productivity in response to climate change or specific disease instead of producing recombinant proteins. Furthermore, with the advancement in the efficiency of gene editing, it has become possible to edit multiple genes simultaneously. This cattle breed improvement has been achieved by discovering the genes through the comprehensive analysis of the entire genome of cattle. The cattle industry has been able to address gene bottlenecks that were previously impossible through conventional breeding systems. This review concludes that gene editing is necessary to expand the cattle industry, improving productivity in the future. Additionally, the enhancement of cattle through gene editing is expected to contribute to addressing environmental challenges associated with the cattle industry. Further research and development in gene editing, coupled with genomic analysis technologies, will significantly contribute to solving issues that conventional breeding systems have not been able to address. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inclement weather conditions, especially cold stress, have threatened the cattle industry. Cattle exposed to cold environments for a longer time suffer developmental delay, immunity decline, and eventually death. WNK1 is a member of With-no-lysine kinases (WNKs), widely expressed in animal organs and tissues. WNK1 and WNK4 are expressed in adipose tissue, and WNK4 promotes adipogenesis. WNK1 does not directly affect adipogenesis but has been shown to promote WNK4 expression in several tissues or organs. One missense mutation NC_037346.1:g.107692244, A > G, rs208265410 in the WNK1 gene was detected from the database of bovine genomic variation (BGVD). Here, we collected 328 individuals of 17 breeds representing four groups of Chinese cattle, northern group cattle, southern group cattle, central group cattle, and special group cattle (Tibetan cattle). We also collected the temperature and humidity data records from their relative locations. The frequencies of the G allele in Chinese breeds increased from northern China to southern China, and the frequencies of the A allele showed an opposite trend. Our results indicate that the WNK1 gene might be a candidate gene marker associated with cold tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The measurement and prediction of pasture intake in extensive grazing systems, typical of northern Australia, remain elusive after 50 years of research. The aim of this paper is to review research conducted over the past 50 years, highlight advances in understanding, discuss remaining challenges and consider future developments with digital technologies. While the fundamental components of voluntary intake are well understood, their measurement is difficult, particularly in extensive grazing systems, which has limited the development of predictive models that adequately address the interplay of factors influencing intake from the bite to the landscape scale. Ongoing research by the authors is used as an example to highlight the potential application of digital technologies to overcome limitations in measurement and prediction. Digital technologies offer the opportunity for monitoring factors that control voluntary pasture intake at scale and under commercial conditions. However, our ability to ground-truth novel indices of intake remains limited without ongoing development of physical methods. This will limit the accuracy and precision of predictive models incorporating digital technologies that can be applied to the extensive grazing conditions of northern Australia. The advent of precision livestock management for extensive cattle production is essential if the industry is to remain viable in the future where production is transparent, ethically sound and environmentally defensible as well as profitable. Feed intake is fundamental to animal performance and efficiency. Yet, for the cattle industry of northern Australia, our understanding of pasture intake is limited. While much is known about the components of feed intake, it remains difficult to integrate this knowledge into a dynamic and responsive estimation of voluntary intake under typical grazing conditions. This paper reviews the state of understanding, highlights gaps in knowledge and discusses the potential impact of digital technologies that will offer new solutions to old challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]