bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Single Incision Endoscope-Assisted Gastrocnemius Muscle Resection for Calf Hypertrophy: Analysis of 300 Cases
Authors: Hsu Honda , Lee Jiunn-Tat
Published: April 2022

Background

Muscular calf hypertrophy can cause severe psychological distress. Total or subtotal resection of the gastrocnemius muscle results in significant calf reduction. However, both techniques require a second incision of 5 and 2 cm, respectively, at the posterior mid-calf. The resultant mid-calf scar is more difficult to conceal when wearing short skirts or pants.

Objectives

The authors sought to describe the technique of endoscope-assisted gastrocnemius muscle resection to obviate the need for a mid-calf scar and to review the outcomes of patients who underwent this procedure.

Methods

A retrospective study of 300 patients in a single center in Taiwan who underwent endoscope-assisted subtotal resection of the gastrocnemius muscle for hypertrophic muscular calves, between March 2015 to June 2019, were included in this study.

Results

The combined weight of the resected gastrocnemius muscle ranged from 156 to 484 g per calf (mean = 276 g). The mean maximal calf circumference was 36.1 cm preoperatively and 30.9 cm postoperatively. The calf reduction achieved was 3.0 to 8.1 cm (mean = 5.2 cm), or 8.9% to 19.8% (mean = 14.4%). The complications were minor, and the rate was low (2%). As for the popliteal fossa scar, 6 patients underwent further treatment of their hyperpigmented or hypertrophic transverse scar. There were no complaints of impaired leg function regarding gait or sports activities 3 to 6 months postoperatively.

Conclusions

At present, gastrocnemius muscle resection remains unrivaled in its ability to achieve calf reduction. The surgery is now much more appealing to patients as a result of employing the endoscope-assisted technique to obviate the mid-calf scar.

Level of Evidence: 4
The spectrum of disease and tau pathology of nodding syndrome in Uganda
Authors: Pollanen Michael S , Onzivua Sylvester , McKeever Paul M , Robertson Janice , Mackenzie Ian R , Kovacs Gabor G , Olwa Francis , Kitara David L , Fong Amanda
Published: April 2022

Nodding syndrome is an enigmatic recurrent epidemic neurologic disease that affects children in East Africa. The illness begins with vertical nodding of the head and can progress to grand mal seizures and death after several years. The most recent outbreak of nodding syndrome occurred in northern Uganda. We now describe the clinicopathologic spectrum of nodding syndrome in northern Uganda. The neuropathologic findings of 16 children or young adults with fatal nodding syndrome were correlated with the onset, duration and progression of their neurological illness. The affected individuals ranged in age from 14 to 25 years at the time of death with a duration of illness ranging from 6–15 years. All 16 cases had chronic seizures. In 10 cases, detailed clinical histories were available and showed that three individuals had a clinical course that was predominantly characterized by epilepsy, whereas the other seven individuals had progressive cognitive, behavioural and motor decline, in addition to epilepsy. The main neuropathologic findings included: tau pathology (16/16 cases), cerebellar degeneration (11/16 cases) and white matter degeneration (7/16 cases). The tau pathology was characterized by filamentous tau-positive deposits in the form of neurofibrillary tangles, pre-tangles and dot-like grains and threads in the neuropil. All cases showed some degree of tau pathology in the neocortex and in the locus coeruleus with frequent involvement of the substantia nigra and tegmental nuclei and lesser involvement of other grey matter sites, but there was a lack of glial tau pathology. The tau pathology in the neocortex showed a multifocal superficial laminar pattern. We conclude that nodding syndrome is a clinicopathological entity associated consistently with tau pathology, but our observations did not establish the cause of the disease, or an explanation for the tau pathology.
Hippocampal-subfield microstructures and their relation to plasma biomarkers in Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Shahid Syed Salman , Wen Qiuting , Risacher Shannon L , Farlow Martin R , Unverzagt Frederick W , Apostolova Liana G , Foroud Tatiana M , Zetterberg Henrik , Blennow Kaj , Saykin Andrew J , Wu Yu Chien
Published: April 2022

Hippocampal subfields exhibit differential vulnerabilities to Alzheimer’s disease-associated pathology including abnormal accumulation of amyloid-β deposition and neurofibrillary tangles. These pathological processes extensively impact on the structural and functional interconnectivities of the subfields and may explain the association between hippocampal dysfunction and cognitive deficits. In this study, we investigated the degree of alterations in the microstructure of hippocampal subfields across the clinical continuum of Alzheimer’s disease.

We applied a grey matter-specific multi-compartment diffusion model (Cortical-Neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging) to understand the differential effects of Alzheimer’s disease pathology on the hippocampal subfield microstructure. A total of 119 participants were included in this cross-sectional study. Participants were stratified into three categories, cognitively normal (n = 47), mild cognitive impairment (n = 52), and Alzheimer’s disease (n = 19). Diffusion MRI, plasma biomarkers and neuropsychological test scores were used to determine the association between the microstructural integrity and Alzheimer’s disease-associated molecular indicators and cognition. For Alzheimer’s disease-related plasma biomarkers, we studied amyloid-β, total tau and neurofilament light; for Alzheimer’s disease-related neuropsychological tests, we included the Trail Making Test, Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test, Digit Span and Montreal Cognitive Assessment.

Comparisons between cognitively normal subjects and those with mild cognitive impairment showed significant microstructural alterations in the hippocampal cornu ammonis (CA) 4 and dentate gyrus region, whereas CA 1–3 was the most sensitive region for the later stages in the Alzheimer’s disease clinical continuum. Among imaging metrics for microstructures, the volume fraction of isotropic diffusion for interstitial free water demonstrated the largest effect size in between-group comparisons. Regarding the plasma biomarkers, neurofilament light appeared to be the most sensitive biomarker for associations with microstructural imaging findings in CA4-dentate gyrus. CA 1–3 was the subfield which had stronger correlations between cognitive performance and microstructural metrics. Particularly, poor performance on the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test and Montreal Cognitive Assessment was associated with decreased intracellular volume fraction.

Overall, our findings support the value of tissue-specific microstructural imaging for providing pathologically relevant information manifesting in the plasma biomarkers and neuropsychological outcomes across various stages of Alzheimer’s disease.
MIG-seq is an effective method for high-throughput genotyping in wheat (Triticum spp.)
Authors: Nishimura Kazusa , Motoki Ko , Yamazaki Akira , Takisawa Rihito , Yasui Yasuo , Kawai Takashi , Ushijima Koichiro , Nakano Ryohei , Nakazaki Tetsuya
Published: April 2022

MIG-seq (Multiplexed inter-simple sequence repeats genotyping by sequencing) has been developed as a low cost genotyping technology, although the number of polymorphisms obtained is assumed to be minimal, resulting in the low application of this technique to analyses of agricultural plants. We applied MIG-seq to 12 plant species that include various crops and investigated the relationship between genome size and the number of bases that can be stably sequenced. The genome size and the number of loci, which can be sequenced by MIG-seq, are positively correlated. This is due to the linkage between genome size and the number of simple sequence repeats (SSRs) through the genome. The applicability of MIG-seq to population structure analysis, linkage mapping, and quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis in wheat, which has a relatively large genome, was further evaluated. The results of population structure analysis for tetraploid wheat showed the differences among collection sites and subspecies, which agreed with previous findings. Additionally, in wheat biparental mapping populations, over 3,000 SNPs/indels with low deficiency were detected using MIG-seq, and the QTL analysis was able to detect recognized flowering-related genes. These results revealed the effectiveness of MIG-seq for genomic analysis of agricultural plants with large genomes, including wheat.
Treatment of anastomotic leak after esophagectomy: insights of an international case vignette survey and expert discussions
Authors: Ubels Sander , Lubbers Merel , Verstegen Moniek H P , Bouwense Stefan A W , van Daele Elke , Ferri Lorenzo , Gisbertz Suzanne S , Griffiths Ewen A , Grimminger Peter , Hanna George , Hubka Michal , Law Simon , Low Donald , Luyer Misha , Merritt Robert E , Morse Christopher , Mueller Carmen L , Nieuwenhuijzen Grard A P , Nilsson Magnus , Reynolds John V , Ribeiro Ulysses , Rosati Riccardo , Shen Yaxing , Wijnhoven Bas P L , Klarenbeek Bastiaan R , van Workum Frans , Rosman Camiel
Published: April 2022

Anastomotic leak (AL) is a severe complication after esophagectomy. Clinical presentation of AL is diverse and there is large practice variation regarding treatment of AL. This study aimed to explore different AL treatment strategies and their underlying rationale. This mixed-methods study consisted of an international survey among upper gastro-intestinal (GI) surgeons and focus groups with expert upper GI surgeons. The survey included 10 case vignettes and data sources were integrated after separate analysis. The survey was completed by 188 respondents (completion rate 69%) and 6 focus groups were conducted with 20 international experts. Prevention of mortality was the most important goal of primary treatment. Goals of secondary treatment were to promote tissue healing, return to oral feeding and safe hospital discharge. There was substantial variation in the preferred treatment principles (e.g. drainage or defect closure) and modalities (e.g. stent or endoVAC) within different presentations of AL. Patients with local symptoms were treated by supportive means only or by non-surgical drainage and/or defect closure. Drainage was routinely performed in patients with intrathoracic collections and often combined with defect closure. Patients with conduit necrosis were predominantly treated by resection and reconstruction of the anastomosis or by esophageal diversion. This mixed-methods study shows that overall treatment strategies for AL are determined by vitality of the conduit and presence of intrathoracic collections. There is large variation in preferred treatment principles and modalities. Future research may investigate optimal treatment for specific AL presentations and aim to develop consensus-based treatment guidelines for AL after esophagectomy.
Operational and structural factors influencing enrolment in community-based health insurance schemes: an observational study using 12 waves of nationwide panel data from Senegal
Authors: Rouyard Thomas , Mano Yukichi , Daff Bocar Mamadou , Diouf Serigne , Fall Dia Khadidiatou , Duval Laetitia , Thuilliez Josselin , Nakamura Ryota
Published: April 2022

Community-based health insurance (CBHI) has been implemented in many low- and middle-income countries to increase financial risk protection in populations without access to formal health insurance. While the design of such social programmes is fundamental to ensuring equitable access to care, little is known about the operational and structural factors influencing enrolment in CBHI schemes. In this study, we took advantage of newly established data monitoring requirements in Senegal to explore the association between the operational capacity and structure of CBHI schemes—also termed ‘mutual health organizations’ (MHO) in francophone countries—and their enrolment levels. The dataset comprised 12 waves of quarterly data over 2017–2019 and covered all 676 MHOs registered in the country. Primary analyses were conducted using dynamic panel data regression analysis. We found that higher operational capacity significantly predicted higher performance: enrolment was positively associated with the presence of a salaried manager at the MHO level (12% more total enrolees, 23% more poor members) and with stronger cooperation between MHOs and local health posts (for each additional contract signed, total enrolees and poor members increased by 7% and 5%, respectively). However, higher operational capacity was only modestly associated with higher sustainability proxied by the proportion of enrolees up to date with premium payment. We also found that structural factors were influential, with MHOs located within a health facility enrolling fewer poor members (−16%). Sensitivity analyses showed that these associations were robust. Our findings suggest that policies aimed at professionalizing and reinforcing the operational capacity of MHOs could accelerate the expansion of CBHI coverage, including in the most impoverished populations. However, they also suggest that increasing operational capacity alone may be insufficient to make CBHI schemes sustainable over time.
Reporter genes confer new-to-nature ornamental traits in plants
Authors: Yuan Guoliang , Lu Haiwei , Weston David J , Jawdy Sara , Tschaplinski Timothy J , Tuskan Gerald A , Yang Xiaohan
Published: April 2022

This manuscript has been authored by UT-Battelle, LLC under Contract No. DE-AC05-00OR22725 with the U.S. Department of Energy. The United States Government retains and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the United States Government retains a non-exclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, worldwide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this manuscript, or allow others to do so, for United States Government purposes. The Department of Energy will provide public access to these results of federally sponsored research in accordance with the DOE Public Access Plan (http://energy.gov/downloads/doe-public-access-plan).
3 Effect of Litter Size and Provision of Supplementary Liquid Milk Replacer During Lactation on Piglet Pre-Weaning Performance
Authors: Willard Naomi C , Moest Nicole K , Vande Pol Katherine D , Olivio Alicia , Shull Caleb M , McKilligan Denny , Ellis Michael
Published: April 2022

Recent increases in litter size in commercial sows have been accompanied by higher pre-weaning mortality (PWM) and lower weaning weights. The objective was to determine effects of litter size and feeding liquid milk replacer during lactation (using an automated feeder) on piglet performance. A split-plot design was used with a 2x2 factorial arrangement of treatments: Milk Replacer (MR; main plot; Unsupplemented vs. Supplemented); Litter Size [LS; sub-plot; Low (2 piglets less than functional teat number) vs. High (2 piglets greater than functional teat number)]. Cross-fostering was carried out at 24 h after birth to create treatment litters with similar gender ratio, proportion of cross-fostered piglets, and average and CV of birth weight. Milk replacer was available from 24 h after birth to weaning. Piglets were weighed on d 1 and 20 (weaning) after birth; all PWM was recorded. Growth data were analyzed using PROC MIXED of SAS; PWM data were analyzed using PROC GLIMMIX. Models accounted for fixed effects of MR, LS, the interaction, and random effects of replicate and replicate by MR interaction. There were no MR by LS interactions (P > 0.05) for any measurement. Supplemented compared with Unsupplemented litters had similar (P > 0.05) litter size at weaning and PWM, but greater (P < 0.05) average piglet and total litter weaning weight (Table 1). The High LS treatment had greater (P < 0.05) litter size and total litter weight at d 1 and weaning, but higher (P < 0.05) PWM and lower (P < 0.05) average piglet weaning weight. In conclusion, supplementing piglets with liquid milk replacer increased weaning weight with no effect on PWM, and increasing litter size above sow teat number had negative effects on both PWM and piglet weaning weight.
5 Effects of Nutrition Plans and Floor and Feeder Space on Growth Performance and Behaviors of 6- to 28-kg Nursery Pigs
Authors: Lu Ning , Vier Carine M , Casserly Ronan , Dritz Steve , Navales Ron A , Cast Wayne R , Wells Danielle , Zaragoza Luis E , Young Malachy , Landero Jose , Gomez Fernando , Stas Nat , Orlando Uislei A
Published: April 2022

The objective was to determine the effects of different nutrition plans and floor and feeder space on growth performance and behaviors of 6- to 28-kg nursery pigs. A total of 1,340 pigs (PIC337×Camborough, initially 5.6±0.19 kg) were used in a 7-week trial, which was divided into 3 dietary phases (Phase1: week1, Phase2: week 2-4, and Phase3: week 5-7). Pens of pigs were weighed, blocked by body weight, and randomly allotted to 1 of 4 treatments in a 2×2 factorial design with 10 pens/treatment. Treatment factors were: 1) nutrition plans that either meet or are below PIC nutrient recommendations (lysine, amino acid to lysine ratios, and phosphorous). Diets meeting PIC recommendations had greater ME concentration by 100-150 kcal/kg; 2) floor and feeder space that either meet or are below PIC recommendations (30 or 37 pigs/pen in Phase 1 and 2, 28 or 35 pigs/pen in Phase 3). Pigs and feeders were weighed, and ear and tail lesions were scored and recorded weekly. Data were analyzed using a linear mixed model in R. There was no evidence of interaction between factors. Overall, pig fed diets containing lower nutrient levels had reduced (P < 0.05) average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI), and gain to feed ratio. Pigs that were housed with less floor and feeder space had reduced (P < 0.05) ADG and ADFI in the overall period. Less floor and feeder space also resulted in a greater removal and mortality rate (P = 0.02). Pigs fed diets containing lower nutrient levels had increased incidence of ear lesions in week5 (6.06 and 2.55%, P = 0.003), week6 (12.59 and 5.45%, P < 0.001), and week7 (21.22 and 11.22%, P < 0.001). In conclusion, feeding nursery pigs below PIC nutrient recommendations and/or providing less floor and feeder space reduced growth performance, increased ear lesions incidence, and increased the removal and mortality rate.
6 Effects of Plans on Growth Performance and Behaviors of 32- to 128-kg Grow-Finish Pigs
Authors: Lu Ning , Vier Carine M , Dritz Steve , Navales Ron A , Cast Wayne R , Wells Danielle , Casserly Ronan , Zaragoza Luis E , Young Malachy , Landero Jose , Orlando Uislei A
Published: April 2022

A total of 1,900 pigs (PIC337×Camborough, initially 32.0 ± 0.52kg) were used to determine the effects of different nutrition plans on growth performance and behaviors of 32- to 128-kg grow-finish pigs. Pens of pigs were weighed, blocked by body weight, and randomly allotted to 1 of 5 treatments that consisted: TRT1) Single-phase program (30-135kg), standardized ileal digestible (SID) lysine:NE ratio at 107% of PIC recommendation at the mid-point of the weight range (referred as “PIC mid-point recommendation”); TRT2) Single-phase program (30-135kg), SID lysine:NE ratio at 125% of PIC mid-point recommendation; TRT3) Two-phase program (30-75 and 75-135kg), SID lysine:NE ratio at 96% and 106% of PIC mid-point recommendation, respectively; TRT4) Two-phase program (30-75 and 75-135kg), SID lysine:NE ratios at 101% of PIC mid-point recommendation in both phases; TRT5) Four-phase program (30-50, 50-75, 75-100, and 100-135kg), SID lysine:NE ratios at 100% of PIC mid-point recommendation in each phase. Dietary amino acids to lysine ratios were below PIC recommendations in TRT1 and TRT3, and met or were above PIC recommendations in TRT2, TRT4, and TRT5. Pigs and feeders were weighed, and ear and tail lesion were scored and recorded every 2 to 3 weeks. From 32- to 81-kg, pigs fed TRT1 diet had reduced average daily gain (ADG, P < 0.05) and gain to feed ratio (G:F, P < 0.05) compared with all other groups (Table 1). Overall, pigs fed TRT2 diet had the greatest ADG, G:F, and lean percentage (P < 0.05). Pig fed TRT1 diet had a greater overall incidence rate of ear and flank lesions compared with the ones in other treatments (P < 0.05). In the current experiment, grow-finish pigs fed with a single-phase nutrition plan containing lower SID Lys levels and amino acid ratios compared with PIC recommendations had reduced performance during the grower phase and greater overall incidence rate of vices.
20 Trials and Tribulations of Countering Insufficient Sperm Quantity with Sperm Quality, Fertility, Synchrony and Deeper Site of Insemination
Authors: Belstra Brad A
Published: April 2022

Superior tools and techniques for boar semen evaluation, semen preservation and artificial insemination (AI) have helped build industry confidence and competence to reduce sperm per female inseminated without compromising reproductive results. Over the last 30 years, the average number of sperm per AI dose has decreased from about 5 to 2 billion in the US and doses containing 1.5 billion sperm have become common in some other countries. While even more genetic lag can be eliminated by further reduction of sperm dose, the level at which fecundity and fertility loss occurs is not a constant and likely varies between different farms and production systems. In general, uterine delivered sperm doses near or lower than 1 billion tend to reduce litter size and further sperm dose reduction eventually reduces pregnancy rate. Deeper catheter deposition of semen, beyond the uterine body, does not seem to effectively compensate for a limiting quantity of sperm. The exception is that surgical injection of sperm into the oviducts requires much less sperm than intrauterine insemination. Reduction of the AI-to-ovulation interval, from 24 to 8 h for example, does not seem to ameliorate the negative effects of a limiting number of sperm when sperm quality is high. The exception may be that a shorter AI-to-ovulation interval can increase reproductive results when both sperm quantity and quality are limiting. Examples include low boar fertility, advanced semen age, or sperm quality compromised by cryopreservation or sex-sorting. A better understating of boar fertility, the interaction of sub-populations of sperm with the oviductal reservoir and their participation in fertilization is likely requisite to continued reduction of the number of sperm required per female. Technologies that predict or regulate sperm quality, fertility and ovulation could prove useful in the quest to use sperm more efficiently and add value to swine AI.
43 Characterization of the Fecal Virome in Beef Cattle with and Without Antibiotic Exposure
Authors: Tom Wesley A , Wells James , Hales Kristin E , Fernando Samodha C
Published: April 2022

Mitigating the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has become a top priority globally over the last decade. Thus, understanding how bacterial communities acquire and transfer antibiotic resistance is of upmost importance in identifying intervention points for maintaining antibiotic efficacy. It is well documented that horizontal gene transfer (HGT) via bacteriophage transduction has the potential to shift metabolic flux in bacterial communities, yet phage mediated HGT in feedlot cattle with regard to AMR remains poorly characterized. Here we characterize the viral community of 72 beef cattle, where 36 animals received antibiotic exposure and 36 control animals received no antibiotic exposure throughout the duration of the study. Treatment groups were divided into 9 pens with 4 animals per pen. Fecal samples were collected at 3 timepoints and pooled by pen for viral enrichments. Viral particle enrichment was performed using tangential flow filtration and ultracentrifugation. Viral DNA/RNA was extracted with Zymo Quick-DNA/RNA Viral Magbead extraction kit, and shotgun metagenomic libraries were prepared using NEBNext Ultra II library prep kit for Illumina. Libraries were sequenced on the Illumina HiSeq platform (150bp paired-end reads). Sequencing reads were assembled using MEGAHIT, viral genomes were predicted using Virsorter2 and CheckV, and annotated using VIBRANT. In total, 5,875 viral genomes were predicted from the dataset. 635 of those viral genomes were > 60% complete, and 45 were complete circular genomes. 544 auxiliary metabolic genes (AMGs) were detected across all genomes, spanning 49 metabolic pathways with most genes falling under energy, amino acid, and vitamin/cofactor metabolism. Notably, 25 genes involved in secondary metabolite biosynthesis of vancomycin, validamycin, streptomycin, and monobactams were detected. Results indicate that fecal bacteriophages harbor a wide array of AMGs with diverse metabolic potential, including secondary metabolites potentially involved with AMR. The USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
41 Differential Gene Expression of the Bovine Rumen Epithelial Microbiota During a Sub-acute Ruminal Acidosis (SARA) Challenge
Authors: Anderson Chiron J , Schmitz-Esser Stephan
Published: April 2022

Sub-Acute Ruminal Acidosis (SARA) is a metabolic disorder in dairy cattle characterized by a lowered ruminal pH, as a result of high grain diets. Dairy cows experiencing SARA show decreased milk production and impaired health; thus, SARA has major economic impacts. SARA has been associated with changes in the rumen epithelial microbiota. Previously, we performed meta-transcriptome sequencing on rumen epithelial biopsy samples from 3 fistulated Holstein cows before (baseline) and after switching to high concentrate feed to induce SARA to analyze the gene expression of the rumen epithelial microbiota. In this previous analysis, 1,607 features were detected using the KEGG Ontology reference database, including a wide variety of metabolic genes, as well as stress response, motility, and other functions. However, only 3 features were differentially expressed between baseline and SARA conditions using this approach. Here, we present a re-analysis of the meta-transcriptomics data using an improved bioinformatics pipeline to reveal additional genetic diversity and differentially expressed genes. We performed a de novo transcriptome co-assembly with Trinity, mapped reads to the assembled contigs, used RSEM to determine read counts, and DESEQ2 for detection of differentially expressed genes (Q < 0.05). Features were annotated using EggNOG, providing taxonomic predictions and GO, COG, and KEGG-based functional prediction. Using this method, a total of 76,861 transcripts were assembled, and 4,935 genes were differentially expressed between baseline and SARA conditions, representing a substantial improvement over the previous analysis. Our preliminary analysis indicates high expression levels of central metabolism and housekeeping genes, as well as oxidative stress response genes, and outer membrane proteins among rumen epithelial bacteria. Differentially expressed archaeal genes were primarily upregulated under SARA conditions and included genes involved in methanogenesis. Further analyses are ongoing and will provide insight into gene expression of the rumen epithelial microbiota, and their association with SARA.
42 Genome-wide Association Study of Ovary Characteristics in Admixed Beef Heifers Through Comparative Bayesian Approaches
Authors: Anas Muhammad , Zhao Bin , Bhowmik Nayan , Ringwall Kris A , Dahlen Carl R , Swanson Kendall C , Hanna Lauren L Hulsman
Published: April 2022

Reproductive performance of heifers is a key indicator of herd productivity. The objective was to evaluate markers and genes associated with reproductive tract characteristics through a comparative approach. For this study, 295 admixed beef heifers were examined via transrectal ultrasonography at approximately 13 months of age. Exploratory factor analysis of antral follicular count (count per size, side, and total), length, height and diameter for left and right sides of ovaries, and uterine horn diameter revealed a latent variable that included total antral follicle count and ovary diameters per side (n = 3 traits), termed OVARY. Confirmatory factor analysis produced OVARY values per heifer. Quality controls left 116,133 SNP per heifer for association analyses. A marker window-based univariate approach with OVARY was conducted using an empirical Bayesian approach adjusting for nested population structure using marker frequency differences (Method 1) as well as an MCMC Bayesian approach identifying the fraction of SNP to be included with population structure as a fixed effect (Method 2). SNP with high genetic variance in important windows (PPAW > 0.75) were mapped to their closest gene for enrichment analysis. Using Method 1, 2 genes were found to be associated and enrichment analysis identified SMYD2 contributing generally to epigenetic and transcriptional regulatory pathways and GO terms (adjusted P < 0.05). Using Method 2, 11 genes were discovered to be associated with OVARY (adjusted P < 0.05). Three of 11 genes were involved in neural transduction, cornification, epithelial integrity, and adipogenic pathways and GO terms. Eight of 11 genes were involved in reproductive hormonal signaling, post-natal growth, sex determination and reproductive organs development, embryo implantation, and signaling transduction GO terms. Given this, Method 2 provides better insights towards the association of markers and genes for future selection of admixed beef heifers with overall better reproductive characteristics than Method 1.
10 Deep Learning for Multi-Behavioral Video Classification of Interactive Behaviors of Pigs in Single-Spaced Automatic Feeders
Authors: Han Junjie , Siegford Janice , Colbry Dirk , Lesiyon Raymond , Norton Tomas , Chen Chen , Steibel Juan P
Published: April 2022

Automatic pig feeders record individual feeding behavior traits that can be used in genetic selection. However, these feeders cannot measure how feeding traits are affected by behavioral interactions between animals. Moreover, recording behavioral interactions can improve the estimation of social genetic effects. This motivated our assessment of computer vision to classify 4 types of interactions at the feeder: head-to-body contact (HB) including head knocking, tail biting, pushing, gentle nosing and casual contact between head/ears of a pig with a feeding pig; levering (L) where the feeding pig was lifted from behind by another pig; mounting (M) where the feeding pig was mounted by another pig; and no-contact (NC) when a second pig entered the feeder without touching the feeding pig. Behavior at the feeder was filmed twice, 3 weeks apart, for 2 consecutive days each week in 6 groups of grow-finish pigs (10 per group) housed in pens equipped with FIRE feeders. Video segments that involved 2 pigs in the feeder were selected, and labeled as HB (n=10,114), L (n=925), M (n=1,242) and NC (n=3,398). Due to the sparse data available for training and the complex nature of the behavioral interactions, we utilized pretrained convolutional neural networks for automatic spatial feature extraction followed by long short-term memory for temporal feature extraction from sequences of frames. Focal loss, a loss function that assigns different weights to hard/easily misclassified examples to handle class imbalance problem, was used in this study. Accuracy, recall, and precision of behavior classification were obtained from 5 random cross-validations. The overall accuracy was 0.967±0.002. The average recalls for HB, L, M, and NC were 0.977±0.004, 0.866±0.047, 0.969±0.011, and 0.964±0.009 respectively, while average precisions were 0.976±0.002, 0.901±0.029, 0.956±0.018, and 0.963±0.012. The proposed algorithm accurately classified multiple interactive behaviors in an automated feeding stall from digital videos.
46 An Engineers Perspective on Sensor Development and Future Applications in Livestock
Authors: Pandey Santosh
Published: April 2022

Sensors are essential to collect a wide range of high-fidelity and reproducible data from livestock farms. On one hand, commercial cameras are capable of recording large videos for post-processing and analysis on edge computers. On the other hand, a variety of electronic sensors and microprocessor chips are commercially available to track the posture and movement of animals in livestock farms. There are inherent tradeoffs in developing and adopting the above sensors, including issues with handling the big data, effective noise filtering, computing at the edge, on-farm resiliency, power usage, and infrastructure costs. In this talk, we will discuss these tradeoffs while understanding the needs of different livestock farms in the context of our research in sensor technologies.
44 Development and Application of Novel Phenotyping Technologies to Swine Production and Breeding
Authors: Rathje Tom , Jakubowski Andy , Diaz Iara Del Pilar Solar , Mauch Emily , Walugembe Muhammed , Cross Amanda
Published: April 2022

Advancement within numerous categories of technology are beginning to see application for improving production and genetic advancement in pigs. Digital technologies, particularly video, are creating a step change in improved animal environments, biosecurity, vaccine management and disease intervention. For breeders, video technology creates opportunity to begin assessing animal behavior on a useful scale and to expand the quantity and type of animals measured for growth rate, body composition, structural integrity and feed efficiency. A seemingly endless stream of ‘omics’ data is becoming less costly to obtain and includes such datasets as common SNP arrays in addition to DNA sequence, transcriptome, proteome, metabolome, gut microbiome and more. Leveraging the capabilities of these data to predict a phenotype is key to unlocking the full potential of ‘omics’ data. Novel, at least to animal scientists, analytical techniques are required to understand gene networks and their associated expression profiles. These techniques apply equally to video data, which in its purest form, is an interpretation of complex patterns. Scaling and applying these techniques will be important over the coming decade. There exists today a very applied approach to using these technologies in the swine industry. One of the most complex and well-trained pattern recognition technologies lies within our own brain. Experienced managers reviewing video of pigs within facilities, team members entering and performing critical activities impacting biosecurity and coordinating these observations with simple interventions can make large, positive improvements in productivity. Investing in hardware and time will produce results that reduce stressors, improve processes that protect the farm from pathogens and result in better overall animal well-being. This talk will focus on examples of current applications that are of benefit today. In addition, we hope to promote discussion around priorities for genetic improvement, pig management and the practical needs to move a variety of technologies from research to development in the field.
49 Determining the Phosphorus Release of Grainzyme Phytase in Diets for Nursery Pigs
Authors: Becker Larissa L , Wensley Madie R , DeRouchey Joel M , Woodworth Jason C , Tokach Mike D , Goodband Robert D , Gebhardt Jordan T , Raab R Michael , Lessard Philip
Published: April 2022

A total of 360 pigs (Line 200 × 400, DNA, Columbus, NE, initially 9.9 ± 0.19 kg) were used in a 21-d growth study to determine the available P (aP) release curve for GraINzyme phytase (Agrivida Inc., Woburn, MA). Pigs were weaned at approximately 21-d of age, randomly allotted to pens based on initial body weight (BW) and fed common starter diets. From d 18 to 21 post-weaning, all pigs were fed a diet containing 0.11% aP. On d 21 post-weaning, considered d 0 of the study, pens were blocked by BW and randomly allotted to 1 of 8 dietary treatments with 5 pigs/pen and 9 pens/treatment. Dietary treatments were formulated to include increasing aP derived from either an inorganic P source (0.11, 0.19, or 0.27% from monocalcium P) or increasing phytase (150, 250, 500, 1,000, or 1,500 FTU/kg). Diets were corn-soybean meal-based and contained 1.24% standardized ileal digestible (SID) Lys. On d 21 of the trial, 1 pig/pen (weighing closest to the mean pen BW) was euthanized and the right fibula was collected to determine bone ash using the non-defatted processing method. Overall (d 0 to 21), pigs fed increasing aP from inorganic P or phytase had increased (linear, P < 0.002) ADG, ADFI, and G:F (quadratic, P < 0.05). Bone ash weight (g) and percentage bone ash increased (linear, P < 0.001) with increasing inorganic P or added phytase. The release equations developed for GraINzyme for ADG, G:F, bone ash weight, and percentage bone ash are: aP = (0.255 × FTU) ÷ (1,299.969 + FTU), aP = (0.233 × FTU) ÷ (1,236.428 + FTU), aP = (45,999.949 × FTU) ÷ (462,529,200 + FTU), and aP = (0.272 × FTU) ÷ (2,576.581 + FTU), respectively.
57 Effect of Calcium Carbonate Level with or without Benzoic Acid on Weanling Pig Growth Performance, Fecal Dry Matter, and Blood Ca and P Concentrations
Authors: Warner Alan J , DeRouchey Joel M , Tokach Mike D , Woodworth Jason C , Goodband Robert D , Gebhardt Jordan T
Published: April 2022

A total of 360 barrows (DNA Line 200×400; initially 6.2 ± 0.03 kg) were used in a 38-d study to evaluate the interactive effects of added dietary calcium carbonate and benzoic acid on nursery pig growth performance, fecal dry matter, and blood Ca and P concentration. Upon arrival to the nursery research facility, pigs were randomly assigned to pens (5 pigs/pen) and pens were allotted to 1 of 6 dietary treatments (12 pens/treatment). Dietary treatments fed from d 0 to 24 were formulated to provide 0.45, 0.90, or 1.35% calcium carbonate with or without 0.5% benzoic acid (VevoVitall, DSM Nutritional Products, Parsippany, NJ). Diets were fed in 3 phases with total Ca of 0.66, 0.83, or 1.00% Ca from d 0 to 10, and 0.54, 0.72, or 0.89% from d 10 to 24. A common diet was fed from d 24 to 38 (0.68% Ca). Serum Ca and P was analyzed on d 21. There were no calcium carbonate×benzoic acid interactions observed for any response criteria (P > 0.10). For the experimental period (d 0 to 24), there was a tendency for benzoic acid to improve ADG (P = 0.056) and ADFI (P = 0.071) with no influence on G:F (P>0.10). Increasing calcium carbonate linearly reduced (P < 0.05) G:F. For serum analysis, serum Ca increased (linear, P < 0.001) as the level of dietary calcium carbonate increased. There were no differences (P > 0.010) in fecal DM. For the overall study (d 0 to 38), pigs fed benzoic acid had increased ADG (P = 0.011) and ADFI (P = 0.030) and marginally improved (P = 0.096) G:F. Calcium carbonate level did not influence overall performance. This data suggests that lower levels of calcium carbonate may improve feed efficiency in early nursey period. Adding benzoic acid to the diet for nursery pigs increased ADG and ADFI, and tended to increase G:F regardless of the calcium carbonate level.
67 Effects of Monoglycerides on Growth Performance and Diarrhea of Weanling Pigs Experimentally Infected with a Pathogenic Escherichia coli
Authors: Park Sangwoo , Kim Kwangwook , Sokale Adebayo O , Barri Adriana , Liu Yanhong
Published: April 2022

This study aimed to investigate the effects of monoglycerides on growth performance and diarrhea of weanling pigs experimentally infected with Escherichia coli (E. coli) F18. Sixty weaned pigs [body weight (BW) = 6.49 ± 0.74 kg; around 21 d old] were individually housed and fed with 1 of 4 diets (15 replicates/diet): 1) control diet (CON); 2) CON+0.3% monoglycerides; 3) CON+3000 mg/kg ZnO and 4) CON+50 mg/kg antibiotics (carbadox). The experiment lasted 28 d with 7 d before and 21 d after first inoculation (d 0). All piglets were orally challenged with F18 E. coli (1010 CFU/3 mL) for 3 consecutive days. Growth performance was measured, and diarrhea scores were recorded daily throughout the experiment. Fecal swabs were collected on d 2, 5, 7, 10, 14, and 21 post-inoculation (PI) to estimate the percentage of β-hemolytic coliforms. Data were analyzed by ANOVA using PROC MIXED of SAS with randomized complete block design. Supplementation of ZnO increased (P < 0.05) BW on d 5, 14, and 21 PI, and average daily gain and average daily feed intake from d 0 to 21 PI, compared with other treatments. Both monoglycerides and antibiotics did not affect growth performance throughout the experiment. Compared with CON, supplementation of ZnO or antibiotics reduced (P < 0.05) the incidence and severity of diarrhea, while supplementation of monoglycerides tended to have less (P < 0.10) severity of diarrhea throughout the experiment. The addition of ZnO reduced (P < 0.05) the percentage of β-hemolytic coliforms in feces on d 5 PI compared with CON. No differences were observed in the severity of diarrhea and percentage of β-hemolytic coliforms among monoglycerides, ZnO, and antibiotics. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of 0.3% monoglycerides did not enhance growth rate but may reduce diarrhea severity of weaned pigs infected with E. coli F18.
72 Life Cycle Assessment of Environmental Impacts of Swine Growing-Finishing Feeding Programs Using Different Amounts of Soybean Meal, Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles, and Crystalline Amino Acids
Authors: Yang Zhaohui , Hung Yuan-tai , Jang Jae C , Urriola Pedro E , Johnston Lee J , Shurson Gerald C
Published: April 2022

The objective of this study was to quantify and compare the environmental impact, using life-cycle assessment (LCA) analysis, of 4 different, 4-phase growing-finishing feeding programs consisting of diets containing corn and soybean meal (CSBM), low protein CSBM supplemented with crystalline amino acids (LP), CSBM with 30% distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS), and DDGS supplemented with crystalline Ile, Val, and Trp (DDGS+IVT). The LCA analysis was performed using an online software application (Opteinics, BASF, Lampertheim, Germany) with calculations based on environmental impact factors from the Global Feed LCA Institute feed ingredient database. The specific model included impacts of feed production, animal farming, manure management, and meat processing. Environmental impacts were calculated at the farm gate and the functional unit was 1,000 kg of carcass weight. Diet composition, growth performance, and carcass data obtained from a feeding trial were used as inputs in the LCA calculations. Using CSBM as the reference feeding program (Table 1), the LP feeding program resulted in an overall decrease in impacts associated with acidification (10.9%), water use (7.6%), and land use (9.8%), but increased impacts associated with climate change (3.3%) and fossil resource use (3.7%). Both DDGS and DDGS+IVT feeding programs increased impact on climate change (18.4-18.7%), fossil resource use (42.7-47.3%), and water use (47.2-50.0%), but decreased impacts associated with acidification (3.0-3.4%) and land use (27.2-27.3%) compared with the CSBM feeding program. Overall, the LP feeding program resulted in the lowest total environmental footprint (1.0776 person years), followed by the CSBM (1.1081 person years), DDGS+IVT (1.1845 person years), and DDGS (1.1884 person years) feeding programs. These results indicate that feeding CSBM diets without and with crystalline amino acids have less impact on climate change, water use, fossil resource use, and total environmental footprint than DDGS feeding programs per 1,000 kg of pork carcass weight.
94 Feeding a Multi-Carbohydrase (Rovabio Advance) Improves the Morbidity of Wean-to-Finish Pigs
Authors: Giesemann Mark A , Bloxham Darlene J , Shirley Robert B , Giesemann Mark A , Ceccantini Marcio , Gourley Gene , Chinchilla-Vargas Josue , Bruder Emily K
Published: April 2022

The objective was to determine the effects of the multi-carbohydrase Rovabio Advance on growth performance, mortality, and morbidity of wean to finish pigs. In the trial, 1,260 DNA weanling barrows were fed from 5.9 kg to 133 kg live weight. Four diets were fed: positive control (PC), low nutrient density control (LNDC), PC with Rovabio Advance (PC+), and LNDC with Rovabio Advance (LNDC+). LNDC compared with PC contained 41 Kcal/kg less NE and 0.012% less SID lysine. Positive control diets contained 1.3% more added fat than LNDC. During each phase, all diets contained equal amounts of wheat middlings and corn DDGS, beginning at 3.75% each and increasing to 15% each. Each pen had 21 pigs each with 15 pens per dietary treatment. Pigs and feed were measured throughout all growth phases, as were the number and weight of dead pigs (mortality) and other pig removals (morbidity). Ten pigs per pen were harvested at 150 d on feed and the balance at 164 d on feed. Pigs fed PC vs LNDC had greater ADG and G:F and final live weight (P < 0.01). Feeding Rovabio reduced pigs removed from test by nearly 40% (8.1 vs 4.9%, (P < 0.03)). Standard deviation within pen of hot carcass weight tended (P < 0.22) to be reduced by feeding Rovabio Advance and was reduced (P < 0.03) by LNDC vs PC. Pig value per unit carcass weight was improved by Rovabio Advance (P < 0.14) and by LNDC (P < 0.01). In conclusion, feeding Rovabio Advance from weaning (5.9 kg) to finish (133 kg) decreases pig morbidity.
264 Awardee Talk: A Systems Approach for Evaluating Productivity, Nutritional Efficiency, and Environmental Impacts of Feeding Programs for Growing-Finishing Pigs
Authors: Yang Zhaohui , Hung Yuan-tai , Jang Jae C , Urriola Pedro E , Johnston Lee J , Shurson Gerald C
Published: April 2022

Traditional evaluation of swine feeding programs have generally focused only on economically important performance and carcass measures but achieving sustainable pork production also requires formulating diets to reduce negative environmental impacts. Therefore, a systems approach is needed to evaluate swine feeding programs from multiple perspectives. The objectives of this study were to compare productivity, nutritional efficiency, and environmental outcomes of four different growing-finishing feeding programs consisting of diets containing corn and soybean meal (CSBM), low protein CSBM supplemented with crystalline amino acids (LP), CSBM with 30% distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS), and DDGS supplemented with crystalline Ile, Val, and Trp (DDGS+IVT). In experiment 1, growth performance and carcass characteristics of pigs (n=288; initial BW=36.9±4.2 kg) were measured in a 12-wk feeding trial. There were no differences in ADG, ADFI, carcass yield, and carcass fat-free lean percentage observed among feeding programs but gain:feed was greater (P <0.05) in pigs fed CSBM and DDGS+IVT than pigs fed LP. In experiment 2, nitrogen and phosphorus balance of pigs (n=32; initial BW=59.9±5.1 kg) were determined in a metabolism study. Pigs fed CSBM had greater N retained (P <0.05) than those fed other diets, but pigs fed LP had greater (P <0.05) protein efficiency ratio but lower (P <0.05) P intake than pigs fed CSBM and DDGS. In experiment 3, data collected from the previous 2 experiments were used to calculate environmental impacts of the four feeding programs through life-cycle assessments using Opteinics™ (BASF, Lampertheim, Germany). Feeding CSBM had the least impact per 1,000 kg carcass weight on climate change and fossil resource use, while LP had the least impact on acidification, water use, and total environmental footprint. These results indicate that each feeding program has comparative advantages depending on the metrics, which requires using a holistic systems approach for decision-making to improve the sustainability of pork production.