bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Flight capacity and behavior of Ephestia kuehniella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) in response to kairomonal and pheromonal stimuli
Authors: Abshire Jennifer , Harman Rachel , Bruce Alexander , Gillette Samantha , Maille Jacqueline M , Ranabhat Sabita , Scully Erin D , Zhu Kun Yan , Gerken Alison R , Morrison William R
Published: May 2024

Flight behavior is an important component to understand in the context of pest management. However, because of their small size, little is known about the flight capacity of most stored-product insects, and when a flight has been assessed, it usually consists of a propensity for initiating flight. Despite a priori expectations of the importance of flight for moths, there are no data about the flight capacity and little on the flight behavior of the Mediterranean flour moth, Ephestia kuehniella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). As a result, the objective of the current study was to (i) characterize the baseline flight capacity of E. kuehniella and (ii) determine how flight capacity is affected by the presence of kairomonal, pheromonal, or no stimuli. We found adult E. kuehniella flew a mean of 24–34 km in a 24-h period, and the distance flown per bout increased from 91 to 207 m in the presence of pheromones but decreased to 41 m when food was nearby compared to a negative control. The total number of flight bouts was 1.6-fold higher in the presence of pheromone compared to the negative control, but E. kuehniella flew significantly slower with pheromone and food cues present, suggesting they may be exhibiting an optimal foraging strategy. Our data on flight capacity results in qualitatively and quantitatively different conclusions about flight than those conclusions formed if only flight initiation is considered. Overall, this novel information is useful for understanding the spread within facilities and in the landscape (between facilities), as well as parameterizing ecological modeling.
From data to discovery: AI-guided analysis of disease-relevant molecules in spinal muscular atrophy (SMA)
Authors: Tapken Ines , Kuhn Daniela , Hoffmann Nico , Detering Nora T , Schüning Tobias , Billaud Jean-Noël , Tugendreich Stuart , Schlüter Nadine , Green Jeff , Krämer Andreas , Claus Peter
Published: May 2024

Spinal Muscular Atrophy is caused by partial loss of survival of motoneuron (SMN) protein expression. The numerous interaction partners and mechanisms influenced by SMN loss result in a complex disease. Current treatments restore SMN protein levels to a certain extent, but do not cure all symptoms. The prolonged survival of patients creates an increasing need for a better understanding of SMA. Although many SMN-protein interactions, dysregulated pathways, and organ phenotypes are known, the connections among them remain largely unexplored. Monogenic diseases are ideal examples for the exploration of cause-and-effect relationships to create a network describing the disease-context. Machine learning tools can utilize such knowledge to analyze similarities between disease-relevant molecules and molecules not described in the disease so far. We used an artificial intelligence-based algorithm to predict new genes of interest. The transcriptional regulation of 8 out of 13 molecules selected from the predicted set were successfully validated in an SMA mouse model. This bioinformatic approach, using the given experimental knowledge for relevance predictions, enhances efficient targeted research in SMA and potentially in other disease settings.
Solidarity as Foundation for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
Authors: Casla Koldo , Sandner Marion
Published: May 2024

The potential of the principle of solidarity as an interpretative guide for the realisation of ESCR has, to date, been largely overlooked. Solidarity mediates between the individual and the community, and it has a collective dimension in relation to both burden- and benefit-sharing. The recognition of ESCR creates not only positive legal obligations on the state but also civic responsibilities on individuals to contribute, within their means, to the progressive realisation of ESCR. While the state is ultimately accountable for making progress on ESCR, taking these rights seriously will have implications for individual rights and responsibilities. We argue in this article that the principle of solidarity within society underpins ESCR as a whole and is essential for achieving sustainable progress on ESCR. This is because their progressive realisation requires not only that states' legal obligations are fulfilled but also that individual and collective contributions are made for the common good.
Sex and Gender in International Human Rights Law through the Prism of the ‘Women’ Category in Recent Case Law
Authors: Yahyaoui Krivenko Ekaterina
Published: May 2024

This article problematises the current understanding of sex and gender in international human rights law, especially as it manifests itself in its treatment of the ‘women’ category. The problematic nature of the current state of international human rights law in this regard came recently to light in two cases: the majority judgment in the Y v France case of the European Court for Human Rights and the dissenting opinions in the Vicky Hernández case of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. Arguments and statements emerging from these two authoritative recent sources coming from two arguably progressive jurisdictions exemplify continuing inadequacies of the dominant approach. Through a critical engagement with these arguments, supplemented by the discussion of the broader framework of international human rights law, the article not only points out the precise nature of the existing shortcomings but also formulates strategies for overcoming them.
Repaired coarctation of the aorta does not affect four-dimensional flow metrics in bicuspid aortic valve disease
Authors: Kiljander Teemu , Kauhanen Petteri , Sillanmäki Saara , Lottonen-Raikaslehto Line , Husso Minna , Ylä-Herttuala Elias , Saari Petri , Kokkonen Jorma , Laukkanen Jari , Mustonen Pirjo , Hedman Marja
Published: May 2024

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this study was primarily to compare four-dimensional flow magnetic resonance imaging metrics in the ascending aorta (AA) of patients with right–left fusion type bicuspid aortic valve (RL-BAV) and repaired coarctation of the aorta (CoA) to RL-BAV without CoA. Metrics of patients with RL-BAV were also compared to the matched group of patients with common tricuspid aortic valve (TAV).

METHODS

Eleven patients with RL-BAV and CoA, 11 patients with RL-BAV without CoA and 22 controls with TAV were investigated. Peak velocity (cm/s), peak flow (ml/s) and flow displacement (%) were analysed at 5 pre-defined AA levels. In addition, regional wall shear stress (WSS, mN/m2), circumferential WSS (WSSc) and axial WSS (WSSa) at all levels were quantified in 6 sectors of the aortic circle. Averaged WSS values on each level (WSSavg, WSSc, avg and WSSa, avg) were calculated as well.

RESULTS

Peak velocity at the proximal tubular AA was significantly lower in BAV and CoA group (P = 0.047) compared to BAV without CoA. In addition, the WSSa, avg was found to be higher for the BAV and CoA group at proximal AA respectively (P = 0.040). No other significant differences were found between these groups. BAV group’s peak velocity was higher at every level (P < 0.001–0.004) compared to TAV group. Flow displacement was significantly higher for the BAV group at every level (P < 0.001) besides at the most distal level. All averaged WSS values were significantly higher in BAV patients in distal AA (P < 0.001–0.018).

CONCLUSIONS

Repaired CoA does not relevantly alter four-dimensional flow metrics in the AA of patients with RL-BAV. However, RL-BAV majorly alters flow dynamics in the AA when compared to patients with TAV.

Clinical trial registration number

https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05065996, Unique Protocol ID 5063566
Strong convergence of adaptive time-stepping schemes for the stochastic Allen–Cahn equation
Authors: Chen Chuchu , Dang Tonghe , Hong Jialin
Published: May 2024

It is known from Beccari et al. (2019) that the standard explicit Euler-type scheme (such as the exponential Euler and the linear-implicit Euler schemes) with a uniform timestep, though computationally efficient, may diverge for the stochastic Allen–Cahn equation. To overcome the divergence, this paper proposes and analyzes adaptive time-stepping schemes, which adapt the timestep at each iteration to control numerical solutions from instability. The a priori estimates in $\mathscr{C}(\mathscr{O})$-norm and $\dot{H}^{\beta }(\mathscr{O})$-norm of numerical solutions are established provided the adaptive timestep function is suitably bounded, which plays a key role in the convergence analysis. We show that the adaptive time-stepping schemes converge strongly with order $\frac{\beta }{2}$ in time and $\frac{\beta }{d}$ in space with $d$ ($d=1,2,3$) being the dimension and $\beta \in (0,2]$. Numerical experiments show that the adaptive time-stepping schemes are simple to implement and at a lower computational cost than a scheme with the uniform timestep.
A certified wavelet-based physics-informed neural network for the solution of parameterized partial differential equations
Authors: Ernst Lewin , Urban Karsten
Published: May 2024

Physics Informed Neural Networks (PINNs) have frequently been used for the numerical approximation of Partial Differential Equations (PDEs). The goal of this paper is to construct PINNs along with a computable upper bound of the error, which is particularly relevant for model reduction of Parameterized PDEs (PPDEs). To this end, we suggest to use a weighted sum of expansion coefficients of the residual in terms of an adaptive wavelet expansion both for the loss function and an error bound. This approach is shown here for elliptic PPDEs using both the standard variational and an optimally stable ultra-weak formulation. Numerical examples show a very good quantitative effectivity of the wavelet-based error bound.
Determination of Bovine Lactoferrin in Powdered Infant Formula and Adult Nutritionals by Heparin Affinity Extraction and Reverse-Phase High-Performance Liquid Chromatography/Ultraviolet Detection (HPLC/UV): Single-Laboratory Validation, First Action 2021.10
Authors: Frueh Jennifer L , Shu Peng , Vennard Thomas R , Gray Michael A , Phillips Shay C
Published: May 2024

Background

Infant formulas, and pediatric and adult nutritional products, are being fortified with bovine lactoferrin (bLF) due to its beneficial impacts on immune development and gut health. Lactoferrin supplementation into these products requires an analytical method to accurately quantify the concentrations of bLF to meet global regulatory and quality standards.

Objective

To develop and validate a lactoferrin method capable of meeting the AOAC INTERNATIONAL Standard Method Performance Requirements (SMPR®) 2020.005.

Methods

Powder formula samples are extracted using warm dibasic phosphate buffer, pH 8, then centrifuged at 4°C to remove insoluble proteins, fat, and other solids. The soluble fraction is further purified on a HiTrap heparin solid-phase extraction (SPE) column to isolate bLF from interferences. Samples are filtered, then analyzed by LC–UV using a protein BEH C4 analytical column and quantitated using an external calibrant.

Results

The LOQ (2 mg/100 g), repeatability (RSD: 2.0–4.8%), recovery (92.1–97.7%), and analytical range (4–193 mg/100 g) all meet the method requirements as stated in SMPR 2020.005 for lactoferrin.

Conclusion

The reported single-laboratory validation (SLV) results demonstrate the ability of this lactoferrin method to meet or exceed the method performance requirements to measure soluble, intact, non-denatured bLF in infant and adult nutritional powder formulas.

Highlights

The use of a heparin affinity column to isolate lactoferrin from bovine milk products combined with a selective analytical chromatographic column provides suitable analyte specificity without requiring proprietary equipment or reagents.
205 Detection of anemic sheep using ocular conjunctiva images and deep learning technology
Authors: Freitas Luara , Ferreira Rafael , Alves Anderson A , Dorea João R R , Paz Claudia , Rosa Guilherme J M
Published: May 2024

In sheep, severe anemia often results from gastrointestinal nematodes infections, commonly caused by Haemonchus contortus, a blood-sucking nematode. The objective of the study was to develop a model to predict packed cell volume (PCV) in sheep through ocular conjunctiva images as a real-time anemia diagnosis approach. We collected 3,291 ocular conjunctiva images from 392 sheep on three different farms using an iPhone 8 (12-megapixel). To identify the region of interest in the images (ocular conjunctiva), we annotated 480 images using the Segment Anything Model (SAM). Subsequently, we employed an image segmentation algorithm based on U-net, utilizing the original images and annotations obtained from SAM. We then cropped the segmented images to retain only the region containing the ocular conjunctiva. These cropped and segmented images were used as input data, with PCV as the target variable, in both classification and regression models, while exploring three different deep neural network (DNN) architectures: VGG19, Inception v3, and Xception. We set a threshold of 27% (anemic < 27%, non-anemic ≥ 27%) to convert PCV into a binary variable for classification models. The dataset was split in train, validation and test sets using random by sheep strategy to perform the analysis of the segmentation and prediction models. The segmentation was tested using intersection over union (IoU) as an evaluation metric. To assess and compare predictive quality in the test set, we calculated accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 score for classification models, and R2 for regression models. The U-net segmentation model demonstrated good localization accuracy and reliable segmentation ability, with an average IoU of 0.93, 0.84 and 0.68 in the train, validation and test set, respectively. VGG19 outperformed the other models in classifying individuals as anemic or non-anemic, achieving an F1 score of 0.60, indicating its moderate ability to distinguish between these two classes. For regression, Xception provided the best performance with an R2 of 0.29, suggesting that 29% of the variance in PCV can be explained by the model’s predictions. This innovative approach not only expands the possibilities for integrated high-throughput phenotyping through computer vision but also aids in identifying anemic animals. The results suggest that using ocular conjunctiva images and DNN technology can contribute to support farm-level management decisions, and potentially reduce economic losses due to parasitic infections like H. contortus. Furthermore, this approach reduces the cost of blood tests for anemia identification while allowing for real-time anemia diagnosis.
206 Evaluation of the effect of oral administration of bivalent VHH constructs in weaned piglets challenged with enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli F4+
Authors: Serafini Laia Ferreres , Orúe Susana Martín , Thrane Sandra W , Velázquez Lorena Castillejos
Published: May 2024

Following the European restriction on the use of antibiotics and zinc oxide (ZnO) in livestock, the search for novel and sustainable strategies to reduce the incidence of enteric infections in piglets caused by Escherichia coli (colibacillosis) has increased. Among them, the ongoing development of bivalent VHH constructs designed to bind toxins and/or virulence factors of pathogens, appears to hold potential. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of in-feed administration of bivalent VHH constructs designed to bind to heat-labile enterotoxin (LT) and F4 fimbria of enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) in orally challenged piglets. A total of 96, 21-d old, weaned piglets were assigned to three experimental diets: control diet (CTR); diet supplemented with 3,100 ppm ZnO (ZnO); or diet supplemented with 1.71 kg/MT bivalent VHH constructs (VHH). Animals on the VHH treatment also received an oral booster dose (15 mgּ pig-1ּ d-1) of the same product just before the challenge and one d later. Pigs were orally challenged with ETEC F4+ (4.62×109 colony forming unit/animal), 1 wk after weaning (d 28). Data on growth, feed intake and clinical health signs of the animals were recorded throughout the 15 d of the study. On d 4 and 8 post inoculation (PI), fecal samples, digestive contents, and ileal scrapings were taken for microbiological plate counts of lactobacilli and ETEC in selective media. Ileal tissue samples were also taken for histomorphology. After the challenge, animals in the supplemented groups (ZnO and VHH) showed statistically greater growth rates than the CTR (28, 112 and 106 g/d (0-4 PI period) for CTR, ZnO and VHH, respectively, P = 0.018; Table 1). The experimental ZnO and VHH groups showed numerical reductions in the incidence of diarrhea at d 2 PI (60, 29 and 40 % for CTR, ZnO and VHH, P = 0.107), in agreement with reduced fecal ETEC counts also registered at d 8 PI in the VHH group compared with CTR (5.77 vs. 7.21 cfu/g, P = 0.046), and also greater lactobacilli/ETEC ratio (d 8 PI: 1.52 vs. 1.20, P = 0.071). Histomorphology of ileal samples showed significantly greater numbers of intraepithelial lymphocytes cells (IEL) with VHH supplementation compared with ZnO, with CTR showing intermediate values (8.06, 5.80 and 9.46 cell nº/villi for CTR, ZnO and VHH respectively, P = 0.045). The results from this study suggest that bivalent VHH constructs can reduce the negative effects of an oral ETEC F4+ challenge through reducing their growth in the gut, improving intestinal mucosa architecture and function, and increasing piglet growth rate. With results similar to those observed in pigs supplemented with ZnO, bivalent VHH constructs appear as a promising alternative technology for the management of post-weaning colibacillosis.
207 Impacts of beak trimming and dietary fiber on welfare and productivity of laying hens
Authors: Shi Haipeng , Tolba Samar , Leone Vanessa , Adcock Sarah J
Published: May 2024

Beak trimming is a routine management practice in the egg industry to reduce damage caused by injurious pecking; however, it raises welfare concerns including pain and sensory loss. Dietary manipulation may be a feasible and welfare-friendly alternative to beak trimming in laying hens. Here, we hypothesized that dietary inclusion of insoluble fiber (chitin) throughout the starter and grower periods would result in improved welfare and productivity in both beak-trimmed and beak-intact chickens. One-day old female Hy-Line Browns (n = 192) were randomly assigned to one of four treatments in a 2 X 2 factorial design (n = 4 pens/treatment; 12 birds/pen): birds were infrared beak-trimmed or had their beaks left intact and were fed one of two diets (standard vs. 2% chitin) for 8 wk. Birds were housed in floor pens containing litter and perches with ad libitum access to feed and water. Body weight and feed intake were recorded weekly. Beak sensitivity was assessed using a pressure transducer to measure pecking force weekly from 3 to 8 wk of age. A tonic immobility test was performed at 7 wk of age to measure fearfulness. Plasma corticosterone was determined using enzyme-immunoassay procedures at 8 wk of age. Data were analyzed with linear mixed models with beak condition and dietary treatment modeled as fixed effects, and pen and bird ID as random effects. Beak-trimmed birds fed the standard diet weighed less (P < 0.001) than all other groups throughout all growth stages, including starter 1 (0-3 wk), starter 2 (4 to 6 wk), and grower (7 to 8 wk; Table 1). Beak-intact birds fed 2% chitin had a greater feed intake and feed conversion ratio (P < 0.05) compared with other groups during the starter 2 and overall experimental period. Beak-trimmed birds exhibited weaker pecking force than beak-intact birds for the first 7 wk (P < 0.001; Table 2). Beak-trimmed birds fed 2% chitin had significantly less corticosterone (Figure 1) than birds fed the standard diet (P < 0.05), and a shorter tonic immobility duration than all other groups (P < 0.05). Dietary chitin was also associated with a shorter latency until the first alert head movement and a greater number of inductions of tonic immobility than the standard diet (P < 0.05), which suggests that insoluble fiber supplementation reduces fearfulness regardless of beak-condition status. Our results suggest infrared beak trimming increases beak sensitivity for several weeks, potentially resulting in decreased feed intake and body weight in the first 8 wk of life (Table 3). Dietary supplementation with chitin appears to offset the effects of beak trimming on growth, but not beak sensitivity, and may improve welfare in beak-trimmed and beak-intact birds by reducing stress responses. Future studies are needed to elucidate the different mechanisms behind the observed effects.
208 The antiviral and immunomodulating properties from glycerides of lauric acid in PRRSV-infected PAM cells
Authors: Bloxham Darlene J , Goossens Tim , Lemâle Olga , Rahayu Retno , Christiaens Isaura
Published: May 2024

The objective of this study was to assess the ability of a commercially available blend of glycerides of C12 to inhibit porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) replication in porcine alveolar macrophages (PAM) and to investigate the immunomodulatory effect during PRRSV infection in vitro. PAM were collected by lung lavage from 4-wk-old piglets, free of PRRSV. PRRSV strain 13V091 was used in this study and a commercially available mixture of mono-, di- and tri-glycerides of lauric acid (GC12). The product concentrations tested were 0.022% (T1), 0.044% (T2) and 0.088% (T3). Three different infection assays were used: (1) Co-incubation; PRRSV was inoculated together with GC12 for 1 h, (2) Pre- and Post-infection; GC12 was added to PAM cells for 24 h before infection and after 1 h of incubation for another 24 h, and (3) Post-infection; GC12 was added only after PRRSV infection for 24 h. Titration of the progeny virus was performed on PAM from all three infection assays. Cytokine analysis was only performed for infection assay 2 and 3. Collected supernatants were subjected to multiplex ELISA to measure the level of TNF-α and IL-8. Two-tailed t test P value was used to determine statistically significant differences. P < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Addition of GC12 in the Co-incubation assay did not reduce PRRSV infectivity at 24-h post infection (hpi; Table 1). In contrast, the Pre- and Post-infection assay showed significantly reduced PRRSV titer from 6 hpi onwards at concentration 0.044%. At concentration 0.088% a significant reduction was observed at 24 hpi. Addition of GC12 after PRRSV inoculation (post-infection) also showed significantly reduced PRRSV titer from 6 hpi onwards at concentration 0.044% and 0.088%. In the Pre- and Post-infection assay, all treatments with GC12 numerically increased the production of TNF-α at 24 hpi. A dose response effect was observed at 24 hpi with increasing concentrations of GC12 resulting in increasing levels of TNF-α. However, in the Post-infection assay only treatment with 0.088% GC12 numerically increased the production of TNF-α by 1.5-fold. Compared with the control (PAM+PRRSV), a significantly greater concentration of IL-8 was observed with 0.044% (P = 0.019) and 0.088% (P = 0.007) GC12 24 hpi in the Pre- and Post-infection assay (1,806 ± 376; 3,751 ± 636; 3,439 ± 420 pg/mL respectively). These two concentrations resulted in numeric increase of IL-8 24 hpi in the Post-infection assay and no effect was observed with 0.022% GC12 (Control 2,332 ± 998; T1 2,079 ± 964; T2 3,525 ± 344; T3 4,475 ± 295). From this study it can be concluded that GC12 exhibited antiviral activity against PRRSV strain 13V091 and influences the cytokine production of PAM during PRRSV infection, potentially neutralizing the suppression of the immune response by PRRSV.
209 Influence of litter origin on performance and tail biting in growing-finishing pigs
Authors: Archer Courtney , Hilbrands Adrienne , Mote Benny E , Schmidt Ty B , Johnston Lee J , Li Yuzhi
Published: May 2024

Tail biting is a multifactorial phenomenon with many aspects contributing to a tail biting outbreak. Little is known about how social structures influence tail biting. Our objective was to determine if litter origin impacts growth performance and tail damage caused by biting behaviors of undocked growing-finishing pigs. Pigs were separated based on their litter origin. Three treatments (12 pens/treatment) were tested: LM = all littermates (all 7 pigs/pen were farrowed and nursed by the same sow), N = non-littermates (7 pigs/pen were farrowed and nursed by 7 different sows), and H = half-group of littermates (7 pigs/pen were farrowed and nursed by 2 sows with 3 or 4 of pigs from each sow). The study was conducted in 2 replications (6 pensּ treatment-1ּ replication-1). Within each replication growth performance, mortality, and morbidity were recorded for 12 wk until pigs reached market weight. Tail damage was evaluated using a subjective scoring system: 0 = no evidence of tail biting; 1 = evidence of chewing without visible blood; 2 = evidence of tail biting with visible blood; 3 = open wounds or abscesses with signs of infection; and 4 = partial or total loss of the tail. Tail damage was assessed weekly during the study period, and the maximal tail score (MTS) that each pig received over the entire 12 wk was recorded. The number of pigs removed and the reason for removal was recorded. Data were analyzed using the mixed procedure of SAS for performance variables with a statistical model including treatment, week, and their interaction as fixed effects, replication as a random effect, and initial body weight as a covariate. A frequency procedure with a chi-square (CMH) tested treatment effects on pigs removed and MTS. Litter origin did not affect average daily feed intake (ADFI), gain to feed ratio (G:F), or pigs removed from each treatment group (all P > 0.19; Table 1), but average daily gain (ADG) of H pigs tended to be greater than that of LM pigs (P = 0.07). Maximal tail score was influenced (P = 0.008) by litter origin treatments. Pigs in LM groups had a greater percentage of MTS 0 compared with H and N groups; and H had greater severity of tail damage with 16.7% of the pigs having an MTS of 3 or greater, while both LM and N had less than 5%. Results of this study suggest that litter origin can influence severity of tail damage caused by tail biting behaviors as indicated by MTS. Future studies should focus on the differences among litter origin treatment groups regarding social interactions to further understand how social structure influences tail biting behaviors.
210 Sleeping beauties: A daily time budget for individually housed research pigs at 6-d of age
Authors: Williams-Stroud Tawni N , Dilger Ryan N , Green-Miller Angela R
Published: May 2024

The pre-wean period of development is difficult to manage and can impact the success of subsequent production stages. Behavior observations can provide insight into the health and welfare status of animals and allow for efficient and timely management interventions. A validated time budget can be utilized as a baseline for further comparisons and the detection of changes in behavior over time. In this project, 24-h of video data for 21 individually housed research pigs at 6 d of age was evaluated using a validated behavior ethogram. The behavior ethogram contained 5 main categories (inactive, consumption, exploratory, social, and other) and 23 behavior labels. The ethogram was applied using a validated sampling strategy, which included 5-min continuous sampling intervals at the start of each hour for active behaviors and 5-min instantaneous sampling intervals for inactive behaviors. The data from each behavior observation was quantified into durations and presented as percentage of observations spent performing a specific behavior label within the observation period. The daily time budget revealed the following time occupation across the 5 main behavior categories: inactive, 98.60% (lying, 85.43%; not lying, 13.14%); consumption, 0.30%; exploratory, 0.97%; social, 0.01%, and other, 0.12%. As expected for very young pigs, most of the day was inactive, with almost 21 h lying. The most performed behavior was “lying socially”, and this behavior represented 38.48% of the overall daily time budget. The remaining 46.95% of time spent lying was spent “lying sternal”, “lying lateral”, or “lying on an object” in the pen. The pigs are housed individually, but they are able to see, hear, and smell a neighboring pig through a plexiglass barrier. The behavior observation “lying socially” is defined as follows: “The piglet is lying (sternal or lateral) touching the plexiglass barrier. The piglet in the adjacent pen is lying directly on the other side of the barrier, and the piglets would be touching each other if the barrier was not in place.” This observation provides insight into the importance of social resting for young pigs.
212 Growth and behavior of Yorkshire gilts exhibiting physiological resilience to weaning stress
Authors: Luttman Andrea M , Siegford Janice M , Ernst Catherine W
Published: May 2024

Weaning is an acute early-life stressor and therefore, an excellent model for examining lasting impacts of stress resilience. Our objective was to identify gilts exhibiting physiological resilience or vulnerability to weaning stress and characterize long-term impact on growth and behavior. Purebred Yorkshire litters born to multiparous sows from a single farrowing group were used. At weaning (26 ± 1 d of age), blood samples were collected from all gilt piglets of 13 litters (n = 101) at -1 d, 0 d, and +4 d pre- and post-weaning. Serum cortisol concentrations were quantified by the Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. For each litter, serum cortisol was used to identify the gilt most capable of returning to baseline concentrations by +4 d as stress resilient (SR, n = 13) and the gilt least capable as stress vulnerable (SV, n = 13). Skin lesions were recorded at -1 d, +1 d, and +4 d at weaning and when gilts were mixed into grow-finish cohorts. Body weights were recorded at birth, 4 wk, 8 wk, and 12 wk and used to calculate average daily gain (ADG) for the farrowing, nursery, and early grow-finish stages. To assess behavior, focal gilts underwent a social dyad test in a novel arena at 7 wk, a handling test at 8 wk, and novel object test at 12 wk. We observed no differences in skin lesions at weaning, but at 8 wk SR gilts had significantly more rear lesions -1 d pre-mixing (P = 0.031) and middle lesions 4 d post-mixing (P = 0.049). No differences in body weight or ADG were observed at any stage. We did not observe differences between SR and SV pigs during the social dyad or handling tests. During the novel object test, SR gilts exhibited a tendency towards increased activity as demonstrated by a greater number of total zone crosses, 1 m line crosses, and 0.5 m line crosses (P = 0.062, 0.091, and 0.103, respectively). In conclusion, we found gilts resilient to weaning stress were involved in more agonistic behavior at mixing and exhibited increased activity levels in a novel situation. The absence of growth differences supports the potential to select for resilience without negatively impacting growth performance, and the observed behavioral differences could suggest implications for ease of handling and adaptability if females are retained for breeding.
214 Impact of a nutritional water supplement on nursery mortality as determined by different statistical methods and consequences for on-farm application of technology
Authors: Sandberg Fredrik , England Steve J , Soltwedel Kevin , Aparachita Pornpim , Fischer Robert , Hartsook Greg , Kwon Woong Bi
Published: May 2024

The objective of this experiment was to determine the effect of supplementation with Furst Strike Direct (FSD; a source of monoglycerides, natural flavors, and antioxidants, Furst-McNess Company) via drinking water for the first week post-weaning in large-scale commercial settings to allow stakeholder decisions to be made for implementation. A total of 88,667 pigs and 53 replicate barns from two different large-scale production systems: System 1) 37,003 pigs across 28 barns, and System 2) 51,664 pigs across 25 barns were allocated to either control water program, or the addition of FSD at 3.2 oz per gallon of stock solution, metered at 1:128 into drinking water. Each system had multiple sow farm flows. The average time of application post-weaning was 8 and 10 d, in System 1 and 2, respectively. Mortality data were collected via record-keeping systems for the 6th week post-weaning. The Grubb’s test was used to check data for outliers with P < 0.05 as the level of significance for eliminating any outliers. Each individual system was analyzed for the effect of supplementation, and then the two systems were combined into one data set for a combined analysis with greater replication. GLM procedure in Minitab with Fisher’s t-test determining differences between treatments was used for the analysis. Mortality of System 1 (1.52% vs. 0.95%; SEM = 0.28, P = 0.170), and System 2 (2.72% vs. 1.91%; SEM = 0.38, P = 0.109) were numerically improved by supplementation. Table 1 are the data analyses for both systems combined. At this greater level of replication, we can see a trend for the impact of supplementation on mortality (-31%, P < 0.10), and when incorporating sow farm into the model supplementation was statistically significant (-33%, P < 0.05). The determination of the efficacy of any technology in situ is very difficult with the amount of variation that is present in commercial environments. However, key stakeholders (e.g., farmer, veterinarian, nutritionist) depend on the evaluation of live production data to make management decisions, and the work presented provides an indication of the level of replication needed to be able to detect relatively small, but financially important changes in performance on nursery mortality.
215 The effect of a Lactobacillus fermentation postbiotic on nursery pig growth performance after experimental inoculation with F18 Escherichia coli.
Authors: Welch Michael , Johnson Danielle , Parr Eric , Boler Dustin , Pollmann Steve , Stockham John , Yang Sean
Published: May 2024

This study evaluated a Lactobacillus fermentation postbiotic (LFP) in nursery pigs challenged with F18 ETEC. A total of 119 three-week-old barrows and gilts were used in this study. Pigs were acclimated for a period of 7 d upon arrival at the facility before inoculation. Pigs were stocked in mixed-sex pens of 6 pigs in each pen. Four rooms were used and each room had 5 pens. One room of pigs was not challenged with F18 ETEC (NCH). Ninety pigs in the other 3 rooms were intraorally challenged for three consecutive days with F18 ETEC isolate at a concentration of ~1x109 cfu/ml (CH) Pigs in the non-challenge groups were housed in separate airspaces than those receiving ETEC inoculum to avoid contamination. All pigs, regardless of health challenge, were fed a standard two-phase dietary nursery program. Five dietary treatments were evaluated: T1) negative dietary control without feed additives (Carabox, zinc oxide, and added copper), T2) 750 ppm LFP, T3) 1,500 ppm LFP, T4) 2,250 ppm LFP, and T5) positive control (PC) with feed additives. Feces were collected at 0 and 4 d post inoculation (dpi) to evaluate fecal shedding by real time polymerase chain reaction (rtPCR). Pig body weights were collected at -7, 0, 7, 14, 21, and 42 dpi to calculate performance. Feed intake was measured at the completion of the two dietary phases at 7 and 42 dpi for calculation of average daily feed intake (ADFI) and gain to feed ratio (G:F). All pigs were negative for F18 ETEC on 0 dpi and the non-challenge pigs remained negative by 4 dpi. At 4 dpi, the pigs fed 1,500 and 2,500 ppm LFP had significantly less Cts than pigs fed the positive control (rtPCR < 0.819, P = 0.03). Pigs fed the negative control had significantly greater fecal bacterial load than those fed the positive control averaged across challenge treatments and dpi (Ct ratio = 0.84, P = 0.03). Total E. coli and overall bacterial load were increased at 0 dpi compared with 4 dpi (Ct ratio= 0.90, P < 0.02). Pigs fed the positive control grew significantly faster than those fed the other diets during the acclimation phase (P < 0.01). Pigs in T5 were heavier than those on T1 at 14 and 21 dpi P < 0.02; table 1). End weights, average daily gain (ADG), and ADFI were similar between T1 and T2-4 across dietary phases (P = 0.13) with a tendency for the pigs feed 1,500 ppm to be heavier at d 21 (linear effect, P = 0.15) Pigs fed the positive control were heavier and grew faster at the end of each phase compared with pigs fed the other diets. The F18 challenge was effective in decreasing pig performance. Preliminary evidence suggests lactobacillus fermentation postbiotic may improve nursery performance in the face of an F18 challenge, but further investigation is necessary.
303 What’s next for animal welfare from a legal perspective?
Authors: Rumley Elizabeth
Published: May 2024

California’s “Prop 12” indicated a significant change for animal agriculture generally, but for legally mandated animal welfare standards more specifically. This presentation will outline the general requirements of the law and aspects of the United States Supreme Court opinion finding it to be constitutional. It will also discuss the longer term and more widespread effects of the Supreme Court opinion on potential legislation in the United States. Finally, it will preview another Supreme Court case, heard this year and not yet decided, that may have an impact on the regulation of animal welfare.
304 What does Prop 12 mean for the swine industry
Authors: Horback Kristina
Published: May 2024

California’s Proposition 12, also known as the Farm Animal Confinement Initiative, has been fully implemented as of January 1st, 2024. This measure regulates the minimum space requirements for egg-laying hens, dairy calves raised for veal, and breeding pigs in order for the associated products to be sold within the state of California. Suppliers of these covered products need to be accredited by specific, third-party certifying agents to be certified as ‘Prop 12 compliant’. For the swine industry, the spotlight is on the housing of any female breeding pig over the age of 6 mo. These animals must be in an enclosure that allows them to lie down, stand up, turn around, and fully extend their limbs without touching the sides of their stalls or another animal (24 square feet of floor space per animal). These regulations also limit the duration of time producers can house animals in closed crates before farrowing to 5 d. While these housing regulations do not apply during the nursing phase, research contexts, during veterinary treatment or immediately before slaughter, they do apply in the post-weaning phase. This means that the animals cannot be confined for heat-checking or breeding to be considered ‘Prop 12 compliant’. These housing standards have no minimum herd size and apply to those in commercial or private farms if there will be products produced and sold. With any change to the standard operating procedures of animal husbandry, there will be some growing pains. These issues can be addressed when considerations are given to the group composition (age and size of sows), pen mixing practices (pre or post breeding), feeding schedule [collective (trough, floor fed) or individual (electronic sow feeding, free access stalls)], and, pen structural quality (flooring, enrichment). This measure will have considerable economic and ethical implications related to barn renovations, animal care staff training, and husbandry practices for the swine industry.
115 Gene editing: Where are we on campus and where can it go?
Authors: Prather Randall S
Published: May 2024

Editing the genome of livestock provides solutions to otherwise intractable problems and can provide a tool to better understand the role of specific proteins during development. The potential benefit for production agriculture is so great that the USDA Agricultural Research Service has invested in 4 positions now located in a research unit at the University of Missouri with a focus currently on swine and poultry. Genome editing can result in introducing alleles from divergent populations or novel alleles to produce animals that have new proteins, modified proteins or animals that no longer produce a protein. Applications of genome editing include improving disease resistance (viral and bacterial), improving digestion, disseminating valuable genetics, improved thermoregulation, changing the body/milk composition, and creating hypoallergenic meat. Changes in these animals will improve animal welfare, animal productivity and the sustainability of animal agriculture. In addition to improving animal agriculture, gene editing has enabled a new understanding of maternal recognition of pregnancy in the pig and a better understanding of molecules involved in growth and development of pigs. With new developments in editing of just somatic cells [somatic cell gene editing (SCGE), rather than germline editing], it will be possible to edit some cells in existing animals and thus change their phenotype. SCGE technologies such as this are being developed via the biomedical community as models to lead to human clinical applications. One such application is to correct cells in the lungs that produce the CFTR protein. Correction of just 10% of the cells in the lungs is estimated to correct the lung symptoms associated with cystic fibrosis. Similar applications in production agriculture might produce animals that have novel phenotypes of an altered carcass composition or better use of nutrients. Application of genetic engineering technologies such as genome editing is limited by biology and the imagination of the investigator.
117 Gene editing on the farm: Current status and future prospects
Authors: Beaton Benjamin
Published: May 2024

Livestock with enhanced disease resistance genes offer both health advantages to animals and economic opportunities for farmers aiming to meet the rising demand for affordable, high-quality protein. This study builds upon prior research that utilized gene editing to modify the porcine CD163 gene, demonstrating resistance to the RNA virus responsible for porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS). To amplify the impact of this disease resistance trait, it is crucial for it to be present in commercially significant breeding populations, facilitating the widespread production and distribution of resistant pigs. In pursuit of this objective, a groundbreaking gene editing program was implemented, leveraging CRISPR-Cas technology, next-generation DNA sequencing, in vitro and in vivo off-target analyses, whole-genome sequencing (WGS), and a simplified breeding strategy. This innovative approach aimed to introduce a single modified CD163 allele into four genetically elite and diverse porcine lines, rendering the cells and animals resistant to PRRS virus (PRRSV) infection. The resulting founder population is currently undergoing large-scale phenotype testing, multiplication through classical breeding methods, ongoing genetic refinement, and poised for commercialization pending regulatory approvals. This presentation will provide insights into the process and data associated with this scaled production, marking a significant stride towards the realization of commercially elite PRRS virus resistant pigs.
119 Bentley Lecture: Gene editing: A Japanese perspective
Authors: Funahashi Hiroaki
Published: May 2024

Development of useful gene editing technologies, such as ZFN, TALEN and CRISPR/Cas9 systems, has made it possible to efficiently produce knock-out and knock-in mammals, including domestic animals. In particular, the number of scientific papers on gene editing by using the CRISPR/Cas9 system has increased rapidly since 2013, although it has begun to decline from 2022. Among those researchers, the contribution of Japanese scientists accounts for 5 to 10% of the total number of published papers in many species, including laboratory and domestic animals, while those in rats account for nearly 20 % of the total. Whereas research results in rodents, such as mice and rats, have been published from many Japanese institutions, those in domestic animals, such as pigs, appears to be from only limited numbers. With regard to the application of gene editing technology to livestock species, only pigs have different objectives compared with other species, and are used for xenotransplantation and disease models rather than for industrial applications. Whereas this trend is also true for research in Japan, publications on the attempts of new methodologies seem to stand out. A distinctive feature of Japanese research on mammalian gene editing may be the development of methods to introduce gene editors into oocytes with electroporation, for example, GEEP and iGonad, and the applications. These methods seem to be used to generate knock-out animals efficiently, and production of pigs with simultaneous knockout of two or three genes has been reported. To produce knock-in pigs, however, it seems that cloned animals still need to be produced by nuclear transplantation of somatic cells in which the interested gene has been previously modified. Although the attempts to introduce editing tools directly into zygotes by microinjection, which is much simpler than somatic cell nuclear transplantation, have been reported, it has not been controlled yet to reduce the occurrence of mosaics, and it would be necessary to wait for further improvement. In addition, some methods for gene editing chemically or by lipofection have also been attempted, but the efficiencies may still need to be improved. Arrangements for the proper handling of gene-edited animals and food products by Japanese government, especially whether or not such animals and food products are genetically modified organisms, etc. as defined by law, will have a significant impact on the direction and promotion of research on gene editing in Japan.