bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Oil emulsions and the different recent demulsification techniques in the petroleum industry - A review
Authors: Abed S M , Abdurahman N H , Yunus R M , Abdulbari H A , Akbari S
Published: December 2019

The emulsions are formed during the production of crude oil, which is often accompanied by water. These emulsions are undesirable and should treat to remove the dispersed water and accompanying inorganic salts. so, many researchers have over the years focused to probe of the appropriate demulsification techniques in the petroleum sector in order to meet production and transportation requirements, and to reduce corrosion and catalyst poisoning and to maximize the overall profitability of the crude oil production. Therefore, this study presents an overview of the emulsions, formation, classification, Stability, and properties. practical demulsification techniques in the petroleum sector, including chemical, microwave irradiation, biological, thermal, membrane, electrical, and ultrasonic techniques for both oilfield and synthetic emulsions. Amongst these techniques, chemical demulsification has been the most widely applied and reported in the literature. Moreover, a more effective demulsification process could be attained by leveraging synergistic effects by combining one or more of these techniques
Third Consensus Development Conference on the Safety of Intravenous Drug Delivery Systems—2018
Authors: Gabay Michael , Hertig John B , Degnan Dan , Burger Maureen , Yaniv Angela , Mclaughlin Maureen , Lynn Moody Mary
Published: December 2019

Purpose

The Third Consensus Conference on the Safety of Intravenous Drug Delivery Systems was convened to evaluate the benefits and risks of available systems and assess ongoing threats to the safety of intravenous drug delivery.

The Third Consensus Conference on the Safety of Intravenous Drug Delivery Systems convened in Chicago, Illinois in November 2018. An expert panel of healthcare providers with experience in medication quality and safety, pharmacy and nursing operations, information technology, and/or sterile compounding led the conference. An experienced audience of approximately 30 healthcare leaders provided feedback to the panel via preconference survey and during the conference. Additionally, expert speakers presented on a range of issues, including the effects of drug shortages, the impact of standards and guidelines, and patient and administrator perspectives on the importance of intravenous drug delivery safety.

Conclusion

At the end of the conference, the expert panel concluded that manufacturer ready-to-use products remain the safest intravenous drug delivery system due to their many benefits and low overall risk profile. The panel identified various ongoing threats to the safety of intravenous drug delivery, with major concerns including the impact of drug shortages and lack of intravenous product standardization. Finally, the panel agreed upon a series of statements designed to advance the safety of intravenous drug delivery in healthcare institutions.
psSubpathway: a software package for flexible identification of phenotype-specific subpathways in cancer progression
Authors: Han Junwei , Han Xudong , Kong Qingfei , Cheng Liang
Published: December 2019

Subpathways, which are defined as local gene subregions within a biological pathway, have been reported to be associated with the occurrence and development of cancer. The recent subpathway identification tools generally identify differentially expressed subpathways between normal and cancer samples. psSubpathway is a novel systems biology R-based software package that enables flexible identification of phenotype-specific subpathways in a cancer dataset with multiple categories (such as multiple subtypes and developmental stages of cancer). The operation modes include extraction of subpathways from pathway networks, inference with subpathway activities in the context of gene expression data, identification of subtype-specific subpathways, identification of dynamic-changed subpathways associated with the cancer developmental stage and visualization of subpathway activities of samples in different phenotypes. Its capabilities enable psSubpathway to find specific abnormal subpathways in the datasets with multi-phenotype categories and to fill the gaps in the recent tools. psSubpathway may identify more specific biomarkers to facilitate the development of tailored treatment for patients with cancer.

Availability and implementation

The package is implemented in R and available under GPL-2 license from the CRAN website (https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/psSubpathway/).

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Adherence to statin therapy favours survival of patients with symptomatic peripheral artery disease
Authors: Dopheide Jörn F , Veit Jonas , Ramadani Hana , Adam Luise , Papac Lucija , Vonbank Alexander , Kaspar Mathias , Rastan Aljoscha , Baumgartner Iris , Drexel Heinz
Published: December 2019

Aims 

We hypothesized that adherence to statin therapy determines survival in patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD).

Methods and results 

Single-centre longitudinal observational study with 691 symptomatic PAD patients. Mortality was evaluated over a mean follow-up of 50 ± 26 months. We related statin adherence and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) target attainment to all-cause mortality. Initially, 73% of our PAD patients were on statins. At follow-up, we observed an increase to 81% (P < 0.0001). Statin dosage, normalized to simvastatin 40 mg, increased from 50 to 58 mg/day (P < 0.0001), and was paralleled by a mean decrease of LDL-C from 97 to 82 mg/dL (P < 0.0001). The proportion of patients receiving a high-intensity statin increased over time from 38% to 62% (P < 0.0001). Patients never receiving statins had a significant higher mortality rate (31%) than patients continuously on statins (13%) or having newly received a statin (8%; P < 0.0001). Moreover, patients on intensified statin medication had a low mortality of 9%. Those who terminated statin medication or reduced statin dosage had a higher mortality (34% and 20%, respectively; P < 0.0001). Multivariate analysis showed that adherence to or an increase of the statin dosage (both P = 0.001), as well as a newly prescribed statin therapy (P = 0.004) independently predicted reduced mortality.

Conclusion 

Our data suggest that adherence to statin therapy is associated with reduced mortality in symptomatic PAD patients. A strategy of intensive and sustained statin therapy is recommended.
Takashi Nakase's last tweet: what is the current direction of microbial taxonomy research?
Authors: Takashima Masako , Suh Sung-Oui , Bai Feng-Yan , Sugita Takashi
Published: December 2019

During the last few decades, type strains of most yeast species have been barcoded using the D1/D2 domain of their LSU rRNA gene and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region. Species identification using DNA sequences regarding conspecificity in yeasts has also been studied. Most yeast species can be identified according to the sequence divergence of their ITS region or a combination of the D1/D2 and ITS regions. Studies that have examined intraspecific diversity have used multilocus sequence analyses, whereas the marker regions used in this analysis vary depending upon taxa. D1/D2 domain and ITS region sequences have been used as barcodes to develop primers suitable for the detection of the biological diversity of environmental DNA and the microbiome. Using these barcode sequences, it is possible to identify relative lineages and infer their gene products and function, and how they adapt to their environment. If barcode sequence was not variable enough to identify a described species, one could investigate the other biological traits of these yeasts, considering geological distance, environmental circumstances and isolation of reproduction. This article is dedicated to late Dr Takashi Nakase (1939–2018).
Effect of gamma radiation and storage at 4°C on the inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica Typhimurium in Legon-18 pepper (Capsicum annuum) powder
Authors: Odai Bernard Tawiah , Tano-Debrah Kwaku , Addo Kennedy Kwasi , Saalia Firibu K , Akyeh Lorenzo Moses
Published: December 2019

Objectives

Spices are low moisture foods which have been known to be contaminated with various pathogens and sun-dried Legon-18 pepper powder is not left out. Due to its contamination with various pathogens, a study was conducted to determine the effects of gamma irradiation on the decontamination of Legon-18 pepper powder and on some quality parameters.

Methods

Samples were obtained from a local farmer from the Eastern Region of Ghana. Sterility tests were carried out. The samples were inoculated with known cfu/ml of Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella enterica Typhimurium. Samples were irradiated at 1, 2, 4, and 5 kilogray (kGy). Zero kilogray served as control (unirradiated). All samples were stored at 4oC for 60 days. Enumeration of the various pathogens was done in appropriate media. Some quality parameters were determined after irradiating unsterile samples at 5 kGy and 0 kGy served as control. Capsaicinoids and carotenoids were quantified using a high performance liquid chromatography. The samples were stored at 4oC for 8 weeks.

Results

A dose-dependent effect on the inactivation of the pathogens was observed (P < 0.05). Storage time affected the inactivation of the pathogens as well (P < 0.05). Complete inactivation of the pathogens was observed at 5 kGy at day 0. Capsaicin, dihydrocapsaicin and total capsaicinoid content of the samples irradiated at 5 kGy increased at 23.64%, 14.7 % and 20.95% respectively as compared with the contents of the unirradiated samples. A gamma irradiation dose of 5 kGy caused losses of 8.11%, 8.67% and 26.54% in capsanthin, beta carotene and beta cryptoxanthin respectively. Quality parameters measured reduced with storage (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

Gamma irradiation inactivated pathogens at 5 kGy. Lower doses used during the study could inactivate the pathogens but with time. All quality parameters and carotenoids quantified were affected by gamma irradiation and storage period (P < 0.05).
The Gut Microbiome as a Therapeutic Target for Cognitive Impairment
Authors: Sun Yi , Baptista Liliana C , Roberts Lisa M , Jumbo-Lucioni Patricia , McMahon Lori L , Buford Thomas W , Carter Christy S
Published: December 2019

Declining cognitive functions in older individuals have enormous emotional, clinical, and public health consequences. Thus, therapeutics for preserving function and keeping older adults living independently are imperative. Aging is associated dysbiosis, defined as a loss of number and diversity in gut microbiota, which has been linked with various aspects of cognitive functions. Therefore, the gut microbiome has the potential to be an important therapeutic target for symptoms of cognitive impairment. In this review, we summarize the current literature regarding the potential for gut-targeted therapeutic strategies for prevention/treatment of the symptoms of cognitive impairment. Specifically, we discuss four primary therapeutic strategies: wild-type and genetically modified probiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation, physical exercise, and high-fiber diets and specifically link these therapies to reducing inflammation. These strategies may hold promise as treatment paradigm symptoms related to cognitive impairment.
Safety and reliability of computed tomography-guided lipiodol marking for undetectable pulmonary lesions
Authors: Ito Kazuhiro , Shimada Junichi , Shimomura Masanori , Terauchi Kunihiko , Nishimura Motohiro , Yanada Masashi , Iwasaki Yasushi , Ueshima Yasuo , Kato Daishiro , Suzuki Hirofumi , Inoue Masayoshi
Published: December 2019

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to evaluate the safety and reliability of percutaneous computed tomography (CT)-guided lipiodol marking for undetectable pulmonary lesions before video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS).

METHODS

We retrospectively analysed the cases of CT-guided lipiodol marking followed by VATS in 9 institutes from May 2006 to March 2018. Lipiodol (0.2–0.5 ml) was percutaneously injected closely adjacent to undetectable pulmonary lesions with computed-tomography guidance. Lipiodol spots were identified using C-arm-shaped fluoroscopy during VATS. We grasped the lipiodol spots, including the target lesions, with ring-shaped forceps and resected them.

RESULTS

Of 1182 lesions, 1181 (99.9%) were successfully marked. In 1 case, the injected lipiodol diffused, and no spot was created. Of the 1181 lesions, 1179 (99.8%) were successfully resected with intraoperative fluoroscopy. Two lipiodol spots were not detected because of the lipiodol distribution during the division of pleural adhesions. The mean lesion size was 9.1 mm (range 1–48 mm). The mean distance from the pleural surface was 10.2 mm (range 0–43 mm). Lipiodol marking-induced pneumothorax occurred in 495 (57.1%) of 867 cases. Of these, chest drainage was required in 59 patients (6.8%). The other complications were 19 (2.2%) cases of bloody sputum, 3 (0.35%) cases of intravascular air, 1 (0.12%) case of pneumonia and 1 (0.12%) case of cerebral infarction. There were no lipiodol marking-induced deaths or sequelae.

CONCLUSIONS

Preoperative CT-guided lipiodol marking followed by VATS resection was shown to be a safe and reliable procedure with a high success rate and acceptably low severe complication rate.
“Mirror, Mirror On the Wall:” Self-Legitimation by International Organizations
Authors: von Billerbeck Sarah
Published: December 2019

Most analyses of legitimacy and legitimation in international organizations (IOs) focus on the perceptions of external audiences. In so doing, they fail to consider self-legitimation, where an IO undertakes legitimation internally, as a way of developing and reinforcing its identity. Moreover, most studies of IO legitimacy neglect the fact that IO identities are rarely uniform and instead are multiple and conflicting. I address these omissions by examining self-legitimation in three IOs—the United Nations (UN), the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and the World Bank. These organizations are both operational and normative actors, and both institutions dependent on member states and autonomous bodies with independent expertise and capacities. These identities sometimes dictate contradictory goals and practices, forcing the organizations to violate the principles and activities considered appropriate to one of their identities, thus complicating legitimation. Based on extensive fieldwork and drawing on a range of disciplines, this article proposes a novel theory of IO self-legitimation: I argue that the need for self-legitimation depends on the degree of identity cohesion and identity hierarchy of the organization. I identify two temporal dimensions of self-legitimation, three categories of self-legitimation practices, and three broader repercussions of self-legitimation, ultimately showing that self-legitimation is a necessary and constitutive activity for IOs.
305 Cortisol response of dairy goat kids administered lidocaine injections, topical EMLA cream or meloxicam prior to cautery disbudding
Authors: Hempstead Melissa N , Lindquist Taylor M , Shearer Jan K , Shearer Leslie C , Sutherland Mhairi , Plummer Paul J
Published: December 2019

Cautery disbudding causes pain, but is commonly performed without pain mitigation. The objective of this study was to evaluate the cortisol response associated with (1) lidocaine compared with saline injections and (2) lidocaine injections, a topical mixture of lidocaine and prilocaine (EMLA) cream and meloxicam before cautery disbudding of dairy goat kids. Sixty doe kids were randomly allocated to 1 of 6 treatments: (1) a ring block using 1% lidocaine (DBLA) 20 min before disbudding, (2) saline injected (DBSA) 20 min before disbudding, (3) EMLA cream rubbed into the buds 1 h before disbudding (DBEM), (4) oral meloxicam 1 h before disbudding (DBMEL), (5) disbudding without pain relief (DB) and (6) handled but not disbudded (HAND). Blood was sampled to assess plasma cortisol concentrations at 20 and 5 min prior to disbudding to evaluate the cortisol response associated with handling and injections for DBSA and DBLA kids and at 5 min prior to disbudding for DBEM, DBMEL and DB kids. All kids were blood sampled 15 and 30 min post-treatment. There was no change in cortisol over time for HAND kids (P > 0.05). Cortisol of DBLA and DBSA kids was elevated above baseline 5 min pre-disbudding (after injections) (P ≤ 0.05), which was no different to cortisol 15 min post-disbudding (P > 0.05). DB kids had elevated cortisol above baseline 15 min post-disbudding (P ≤ 0.05). Cortisol was elevated from baseline for 30 min post-disbudding for DBEM and DBMEL kids (P ≤ 0.05). In conclusion, it appears that injections of lidocaine or saline initially caused as much pain as cautery disbudding, while not reducing the pain associated with disbudding. EMLA cream and meloxicam were not effective at reducing acute pain associated with disbudding. Further research on efficacious pain relief for cautery disbudding of goat kids is required.
322 Challenges for porc value chains - simultaneous implementation of elevated animal welfare standards under field conditions
Authors: Steinhoff-Wagner Julia , Meier Neele , Diel Maria , Dynowski Kamila , Heinemann Celine , Stein Jonas , Bode Christian , Meyer Isabell , Dieckhoff Benedikt G Schulze , Bleeser Ramona , Hayer Jason J , Erdmann Sandra
Published: December 2019

Consumers increasingly demand an improvement of animal welfare, in particular a refrainment from surgical interventions such as tail docking and castration. The aim of the study was to investigate effects of simultaneous implementation of elevated welfare standards under field conditions on valid indicators at the abattoir and product quality. Six different pig farms from birth to fattening were reimbursed for implementing elevated welfare standards (no tail docking in all and no castration of male piglets). Farmers were free to try Improvac® treatments and boar fattening. At the abattoir, welfare indicators like swellings and conditions of ears, claws, skin and tails were inspected on carcasses (pigs: n >1866). Meat quality was evaluated (n >185). Fixed effects of sex (females and barrows, Improvac® treated boars, boars) and farm were included in mixed models and Pearson correlations were calculated (SAS 9.4). Results were condensed with a Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA). Two farms managed to deliver around 90% of pigs with intact tails, whereas one completely failed (80% tails shorter than 1/3 of original length). Sex affected almost all welfare indicators, with least impairments in the females and barrows group and most in boars (P < 0.01). FMEA revealed concerns regarding animal welfare and meat quality in boars and immense variation between farms. For example, drip losses showed an interaction between sex and farm, suggesting that some farms provide better conditions for Improvac® treated pigs and boars than others. Besides that, transport duration from fattening location to abattoir correlated with swelling on fore and hind legs (0.15< r< 0.17; P < 0.001), but did not affect tail classification. In conclusion, the implementation of elevated animal welfare standards was highly dependent on the farm-specific management. Because used indicators were successfully assessed on the carcasses, they seem to be valid for future reward systems.
7 ASAS-EAAP Exchange Speaker Talk: Increasing animal welfare and efficiency on-farm with the use of precision technology tools: technology development, application, and use
Authors: Kaler Jasmeet
Published: December 2019

Recent advances in bio-telemetry technology have made it possible to generate lot of data through sensors, which could be used to monitor welfare and classify behavioural activities in many different farm animals. However, little has been done with regards to evaluating predictive ability and comparing various machine learning approaches for ‘big data’ and also evaluating how this changes depending on sampling frequencies and position of sensors. In this talk, I will discuss technological development covering range of sensor technologies utilising state-of-the-art computation and transmission protocols we have co- developed as part of our research and on how we used these technologies to build machine learning algorithms for lameness in, and drinking behaviour in cows, with an ultimate aim to improve animal welfare. Algorithms could classify behaviours with overall accuracy above 95%; however, the accuracy varied by number of features used, choice of algorithm and window size used for feature generation. The talk will focus on challenges and approaches to build smart systems that are not only technologically advanced, have good accuracy, algorithms that continue to learn and versatile but also energy efficient and practical. While precision livestock farming has been a growing area for the past decade and has huge potential to improve livestock health and welfare, technology adoption has not occurred at the same pace. We need to understand farmers’ perceptions and understanding around technology, its use on farms and in farming. Results from our research with farmers suggest few key areas are important for embedding and adoption of technology on farms: first, utility of the technology, lack of validation and its ability to fit with existing structures and practices and the beliefs held by farmers that the use of the device may result in a loss of skill in future—that of the farmer knowing his animals.
11 The effect of tissue depth and day of healing on effectiveness of near infrared spectroscopy to predict quantitative differences in histological imagery of superficial burn scars in cattle
Authors: Tolleson Douglas R , Bryan Laura , Whitfield Canaan , Hairgrove Thomas
Published: December 2019

Hot-iron branding is a common method of cattle identification. The branding procedure results in a burn scar that once healed, provides a permanent mark. Near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) has been applied to monitor healing and determine age in cattle burn scars. The ability of NIRS to quantify histological characteristics of cattle burn scars has not been reported. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of portable NIRS as a non-invasive chute-side diagnostic tool to detect histological changes in hot-iron brand burn scars during the healing process. Near infrared spectra (1100–1700nm) were obtained from burn scars on 15 Bos taurus cross steers (~ 270 d old; 238 ± 7 kg) at 21, 32, and 51 d post-branding. Spectra were obtained on branded (n = 3) and unbranded (n = 3) skin from each animal, each date. Skin punch biopsies (8 mm, n = 3 per animal) were obtained from a unique subset (n = 5) of animals at each date (n = 44 total). Spectra were analyzed as log 1/reflectance with 1st derivative and scatter correction applied. Skin tissue was preserved in ethanol and subjected to standard histological staining techniques at cutaneous, transitional, and sub-cutaneous layers. Relationships between spectra and histological values were determined by partial least squares regression. NIRS successfully predicted (P < 0.001) Gomori values for the total calibration (RSQ = 0.80; RMSE = 0.20). Success of Gomori calibrations varied by day of healing (d 21, NS; d 32, P < 0.001; d 51 NS). Other staining calibrations were also significant (P < 0.05) but not deemed useful for predicting quantitative histological values (RSQ < 0.5). Predictive ability generally declined with depth. Portable NIRS may prove useful as a chute-side histological diagnostic technique but requires further evaluation.
17 Combining two probiotic strains with oligofructose-enriched inulin abolishes their benefits against Salmonella Typhimurium in piglets
Authors: Sorrento Agustina Rodríguez , Velázquez Lorena Castillejos , Orjuela Glória Cifuentes , Palmero María Rodríguez , Muñoz José Antonio Moreno , Orúe Susana María Martín
Published: December 2019

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of two probiotic strains Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis CECT7210 (Laboratorios Ordesa S.L.) and Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001 combined or not with a prebiotic mixture of oligofructose and inulin against Salmonella typhimurium. A total of 96 piglets (28 days) were distributed into 32 pens assigned to 5 treatments: one non-challenge (control diet, CTR+) and four challenged: control diet (CTR-), or supplemented with probiotic (>3x1010cfu/kg each, PRO), prebiotic (5%, PRE) or their combination (SYN). After one adaptation week, animals were inoculated with Salmonella. Feed intake, weight and clinical signs were recorded. On days 4 and 8 post-inoculation (PI), one animal per pen was euthanized and samples collected for Salmonella counts, fermentation products, ileal histomorphology and serum inflammatory markers. After the challenge, feed intake was decreased (P = 0.001) more markedly in the SYN group with a lower final weight (P = 0.009). PRE and SYN groups showed more liquid ileal consistency on day 8PI (P = 0.009). A higher percentage of animals receiving PRO became negative to Salmonella in feces at the end of the study (65% PRO vs 0% CTR-, P = 0.028). Animal receiving PRE did not reach countable levels in feces any time during the trial (vs 23.2% for CTR-group, P = 0.013). Histologically, on day 4PI a decrease in the ileal villous/crypts ratio was found in challenged animals (P < 0.001), being PRO able to improve the recovery from this damage at day 8PI (P = 0.008). Animals receiving PRE had higher number of intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL) on day 8PI (P = 0.028). In conclusion, the probiotic strains were able to promote a faster clearance of the pathogen from the gut with a faster recovery of damaged histological architecture. The prebiotic reduced Salmonella colonization and stimulated the local immune response. However, these beneficial effects disappeared when they were administered in a synbiotic form.
23 Differential microRNA expression in jejunal tissue and jejunal lymph nodes following naturally occurring Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis infection in Holstein cows
Authors: Ibeagha-Awemu Eveline M , Wang Mengqi , Bissonnette Nathalie , Griebel Philip , Dudemaine Pier-Luc , Do Duy N , Mao Yongjiang
Published: December 2019

Mycobacterium avium subsp. Paratuberculosis (MAP) is the causal agent of Johne’s disease (JD), a chronic intestinal disease affecting ruminants worldwide. This study investigated miRNA expression in jejunal intestine (JE) and jejunal lymph nodes (JELN), and the potential regulatory roles of miRNAs during JD progression. JE and JELN tissues were collected from 5 MAP positive (JD subclinical stage) Holstein cows and 5 MAP negative cows. Following miRNA sequencing, bioinformatic processing with a standard pipeline and functional analysis with ClueGo, 272 and 333 miRNAs were identified in JE and JELN, respectively. Compared with MAP negative cows, 13 and 71 miRNAs were differently expressed (DE) (P < 0.05) in MAP infected JE and JELN, respectively. The most up-regulated and down-regulated miRNAs were bta-miR-485 (fold change = 6.18) and bta-miR-451 (fold change = -6.81), and bta-miR-331-5p (fold change = 35.56) and bta-miR-2285bk (fold change = -61.25) in JE and JELN, respectively. In JE, some DE miRNAs (miR-147 and miR-199a-5p) have been associated with glucose metabolism while several DE miRNAs in JELN have associations with immune response to disease (e.g. miR-146a and miR-146b have been associated with bovine mastitis and miR331-5p and miR-184 are important for human cancers). Target genes of JELN DE miRNAs were enriched (P < 0.05) for more gene ontology terms (n = 180) and KEGG pathways (n = 123) as compared with JE (n = 90 and 25, respectively). Furthermore, JELN DE miRNAs were uniquely enriched in several immune related pathways including immune response regulating/activating signal transduction, T-cell/B-cell receptor signaling, Toll-like receptor signaling, TNF signaling pathways, etc., suggesting potential regulatory roles for JELN DE miRNAs in the host immune response to JD. In addition, interactions between DE miRNAs and DE mRNAs (expressed in the same samples) demonstrated important functions for miR-2284/2285 family members in JELN response to MAP infection. In conclusion, these results suggest site specific regulatory roles for miRNAs during MAP infection.
187 Utilizing automation to improve efficiency, health, and production in the dairy industry
Authors: DeVries Trevor
Published: December 2019

The dairy industry has an increasing availability of equipment that is readily available for the automation of management tasks, including milking and feeding, as well as the monitoring of dairy cow behavior. Such automation not only has the ability to improve production and time efficiency on farm, but also increases our ability to monitor individual cows. Rapid adoption of automated (robotic) milking systems (AMS) is a good example of such benefits. Producers who have adopted this technology suggest they gain more time flexibility, find work to be less stressful and physically demanding, and report improved quality of their own life as well as that of their cows. At the same time, adoption of AMS may be associated with improvements in cow health and productivity. Similar findings apply for the adoption of automated milk feeders for dairy calves. The adoption of automated milk feeders has been done in effort to provide higher milk allowances, and thus raise healthier and better growing calves, reduce labor, and improve working conditions on farm. While less studied, automation in feeding of lactating cows also holds much promise for improving feeding accuracy and precision; thus not only reducing labor needs, but also having positive effects on cow production and efficiency. Finally, there is also rapid adoption of automated technologies for individual behavioral monitoring of dairy cows. These technologies have widely been adopted for estrus detection. In addition, they are also useful for detection of health disorders, both in occurrence and in advance of clinical symptoms. This, in turn, allows producers to identify and implement prevention and treatment protocols at earlier time points. It is anticipated that in the future such behavioral monitoring will play a larger role in terms of informing management decisions on farm.
189 Choices ahead for dairy cattle breeding programs
Authors: Lohuis Michael M
Published: December 2019

Dairy cattle breeding programs have been transformed from conventional progeny-testing schemes to genomic selection paired with nucleus herd breeding in the span of one decade. This was spurred by the simultaneous advances in low-cost SNP genotyping, genomic selection methodology and reproductive biotechnologies. The rates of genetic progress have approximately doubled in this time but so have increases in inbreeding levels. This was driven by intense competition between AI studs and farmer adherence to common selection indices which has concentrated selection on very elite segments of juvenile age groups. This has led to speculation on the need for alternative indices and selection for novel traits in order to differentiate breeding programs and customize selection for unique farm conditions. This will be made more possible by the advent of on-farm sensor technology and artificial intelligence algorithms. Large commercial dairies are increasingly experimenting with crossbreeding with varying levels of success and this will require a new approach by breeding programs to focus both on purebred and crossbred performance. In addition, the potential exists for use of gene-editing to further enable value-added traits to be added into breeding programs. In parallel with breeding program advancements, consumer trends are also changing to include more interest in specialty dairy products with implied differences in digestibility, health or environmental impacts. Identifying technologies and traits that will add value either on the farm as well as at the consumer level will be a challenge for today’s breeders and producers. Some new technologies, such as gene editing, can pose consumer acceptance challenges if they are perceived to be used carelessly or for the wrong reasons. Careful choices will need to be made to continue to improve profitability, functionality and health of dairy cattle while also meeting higher consumer standards for animal welfare, health and the environment.
190 ASAS-EAAP Exchange Speaker Talk: Beyond stainless steel and milk pumps: precision technology in the milking equipment world
Authors: Charlton Nancy
Published: December 2019

What do you think of when you hear the words: milking equipment? Do you think of the different brands? Boumatic, DeLaval, GEA or Lely? Do you think of parlours, parallels or rotaries? Do you think of teat cups, liners or rubber hosing? Do you think of teat dips and cleaners? If you think of mostly hardware – I can’t blame you. If I look at DeLaval, the company I work for, it has a 136-year history of offering dairy producers revolutionary innovations. In 1878, Gustaf de Laval patented the cream separator, which was the basis for forming our company in 1883. (That was even before Old MacDonald’s farm.) DeLaval has since made other significant improvements in animal health and welfare, milk production, food safety and labor efficiency with technologies like: the vacuum operated milking machine (1917); a commercial rotary (1930); animal identification systems (1978); variable speed vacuum pumps (1977); milking robots (late 1990s); an on-farm lab called Herd Navigator; Clover-shaped liners (2013); a teat spray robot (2015); a body condition score camera (2015); and our latest robot, the VMSTM V300 (2018). DeLaval has been pushing the Brave New World for many years. Today, we have a software program called DelProTM Farm Manager – a powerful data management tool providing valuable information and analysis. It enables the dairy producer to make efficient daily actions and for advisors to monitor and provide profitable and sustainable management actions. As animal scientists, what is your role in this? One avenue is to consider working with the data to provide relevant summaries on what the information is telling us. You can have a role in influencing management changes for dairy farms for the future. While not all farms have access to this data and information, your research projects can help dairy farmers wanting to make improvements to their operations. Producers need non-bias, third party sources they can reference. The dairy farming world is changing; we all need to keep up. Make sure the research that you decide upon fits into this rapid pace.
433 Late-Breaking: Immune responsiveness of neonatal beef calves is altered by late gestational Cu, Zn, and Mn supplementation
Authors: Stephenson Emma L , Heller Meera C , Kenny Ann L , Rathert Abigail R , Tucker Heather , Meyer Allison M
Published: December 2019

Multiparous, fall-calving, Sim-Angus cows (n = 48) were individually-fed tall fescue-based hay and supplemented to meet/exceed nutrient recommendations except Cu, Zn, and Mn. From 91.2 ± 6.2 d pre-calving, cows received: no additional Cu, Zn, or Mn (CON); Cu, Zn, and Mn sulfates supplying 133% NASEM recommendations (ITM); Cu, Zn, and Mn metal methionine hydroxy analogue chelates (MMHAC, MINTREX®, Novus International) supplying 133% recommendations (CTM); or Cu, Zn, and Mn sulfates and MMHAC supplying 100% recommendations (reduce and replace, RR). Calf whole blood was collected at 48 h of age for ex vivo stimulation with toll-like receptor agonists lipopolysaccharide (LPS), lipoteichoic acid (LTA), and peptidoglycan (PGN) at low (-L) and high (-H) concentrations for 4 h at 37°C. Expression of inflammation-related mRNA was determined using RT-PCR (reference gene: S9). Data were analyzed with treatment and breeding group as fixed effects. When treatment P < 0.15, LS means were separated. Pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL) 1β and IL-8 were greater (P ≤ 0.10) in calves born to RR cows than all other treatments when exposed to PGN-L. Expression of IL-1β was greater (P ≤ 0.09) in CTM and CON than ITM when exposed to LPS-L and in RR than ITM when exposed to LTA-L. Expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in CTM calves was greater (P ≤ 0.09) than ITM and CON when exposed to LTA-L and PGN-H and than all other treatments when exposed to LPS-L. When exposed to PGN-L, iNOS was greater (P ≤ 0.06) in CTM and RR calves than CON. Treatment did not affect (P ≥ 0.22) IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor α expression. Data demonstrate that late gestational chelated trace mineral supplementation may alter neonatal calf pro-inflammatory pathways. These changes may increase innate immune response to bacterial pathogens during the challenging neonatal period, potentially increasing survival.
431 Late-Breaking: The effects of including cotton byproducts in a finishing ration on the performance, carcass characteristics, and fecal characteristics of crossbred beef steers
Authors: Warner Andrea L , Beck Paul A , Foote Andrew P , Robison Colton , Pierce Kaitlyn , Wilson Blake K
Published: December 2019

Increased cotton production in the Southwest U.S. has increased the availability of cotton byproducts for use in cattle diets. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the inclusion of cotton byproducts in feedlot finishing rations on the performance, carcass characteristics, and fecal characteristics of steers. Crossbred beef steers (n = 64; BW = 318 ± 12.3 kg) were assigned to 1 of 2 experimental treatments in a randomized complete block design (8 pens/treatment; 4 steers/pen). Treatments included a control (CON) diet (7% hay, 15% wet corn gluten feed, 67% rolled corn, 5% liquid supplement) and a cotton byproduct (CTN) diet (7% gin trash, 15% whole cottonseed, 72% rolled corn, 5% water). Both diets included 0.75% urea and 5% dry supplement. The CTN steers tended to have a heavier final BW (P = 0.09) and greater ADG (P = 0.08). Over the entire feeding period, DMI was greater for CTN steers than CON steers (P = 0.04) with no difference in G:F between treatments (P = 0.89). The CTN steers had heavier HCW (P = 0.02) and greater fat thickness (P = 0.03) than CON steers, but marbling score and REA were not different between treatments (P ≥ 0.64). Steers fed the CON diet tended to have a lower YG (P = 0.07), less KPH fat (P = 0.09), and lower dressing percentage (P = 0.10) than CTN steers. Liver scores did not differ between treatments (P ≥ 0.17). Fecal scores were lower for CTN steers on d 56 (P = 0.03) and fecal pH tended to be higher for the CTN steers on d 28 (P = 0.09), but neither differed during other periods (P ≥ 0.18). These results suggest that cotton byproducts can be used in feedlot rations without adverse effects on performance or carcass characteristics.
432 Late-Breaking: Relationship between animal temperament and levels of stress hormones, blood parameters and social interactions of beef cattle
Authors: Fernandez Diego Moya , Johnson Paisley , Mills Tess D
Published: December 2019

Forty-eight (427.4 ± 40.92) Hereford cross heifers were used to determine the relationship between different temperamental traits with blood parameters, levels of stress hormone and social interactions of beef cattle. The first day of the experiment, heifers were randomly distributed in two pens (24 hd/pen), and the temperament of each animal was evaluated using flight speed, chute movement score, and human and novel object reactivity tests. Each group of twenty-four heifers was placed in an observation pen (24 x 8 m) where social behaviors were recorded with video cameras and later analyzed. The second day, an open-field test was conducted on the seven calmest and seven most excitable heifers based on a temperament score developed based on the traits measured on day 1. Finally, on d 8 of the experiment, an ACTH challenge was conducted on the same seven calmest and seven most excitable heifers to assess HPA-axis reactivity. Blood samples were taken immediately prior and 60 and 120 minutes following the injection of exogenous ACTH to measure plasma cortisol and obtain a complete blood cell count. Animal’s exhibiting dominant behaviors had a greater level of plasma cortisol (P = 0.0435) and flight speed (P = 0.0371) than those with a balanced social status, while those with a balanced social status had a greater (P = 0.0115) white blood cells count than those heifers with a subordinate social profile. There was a strong positive correlation (P = 0.0094, R-square= 0.7386) between flight speed and plasma cortisol. The more excitable animals exhibited a blunted HPA-activity in response to administration of exogenous ACTH. These results show that there is a relationship between temperament, levels of stress hormones and social dominance, suggesting that temperament impacts the amount of stress individual animals experience as well as their health and social status.
192 Effects of dam relative calving date on progeny performance
Authors: Mercadante Vitor R G , White Robin R , Currin John , Bradford Heather L , Clarke Sherrie , Stewart Jamie F , Dias Nicholas W , Timlin Claire , Pancini Stefania
Published: December 2019

The objective of this study was to establish the relationships between when a cow was born within the calving season and the performance of her offspring. Data from the Virginia Department of Corrections beef cattle herds were collated for 7 locations over 7 years (2010 to 2017), with 2 calving seasons per year. Data from Spring of 2011 were missing. The full dataset contained 19,253 individual animal observations. Within each location, year, and calving season combination, the calving season was defined as starting when the first calf was born and terminating when the final calf was born. The relative calving date (RCD) within each calving season was defined by calculating the number of days between when the calving occurred and when the calving season started, divided by the length of the season in days. For heifer calves that were retained as replacement heifers (n = 2,800), the RCD and birth weight of their calves were used as response variables of a mixed-effect model with fixed effects of dam RCD, season (fall vs spring), and calf sex. All 2 and 3 way interactions were also included as fixed effects. Both calving year and sire were used as random effects. Fixed effects were iteratively removed from the model when non-significant; however, non-significant linear terms were retained if involved in a significant interaction term. The final calf RCD model included significant effects of dam RCD (P = 0.006), season (P < 0.001), calf sex (P = 0.0737), and the interaction between dam RCD and calf sex (P = 0.055). The final calf birth weight model included only linear terms for calf sex (P < 0.001) and dam RCD (P = 0.029). Least square means for these relationships are depicted in Table 1.
196 Udder and teat score changes with advancing age in crossbred beef cows and heifers
Authors: Montgomery Sarah M , Parish Jane A , Rutherford William C
Published: December 2019

Udder suspension and teat scores assess mammary organ conformation at calving. Study objectives were to evaluate udder and teat score changes with advancing age in crossbred beef cattle. Fall- (n = 436) and spring-calving (n = 394) Bos taurus crossbred primiparous heifers (n = 87) and multiparous cows (n = 743) in Prairie, MS were assigned udder (1 to 9 scale: 1 = very pendulous, 9 = very tight) and teat (1 to 9 scale: 1 = very large, 9 = very small) scores with 24 h of parturition. Effects of calving season (FALL: August through October; SPRING: February through April) and age (HEIFER: < 3 yr; YOUNG: 3 to 5 yr; MID: 6 to 10 yr; OLD: > 10 yr) and their interaction on annual change in teat and udder scores were analyzed using PROC GLIMMIX of SAS. Udder score change was not affected by season (P = 0.92) or age x season interaction (P = 0.37) but was influenced by age (P < 0.01). Udder score annual decrease was greater (P < 0.01) for HEIFER (-1.4 ± 0.3) than YOUNG (-0.3 ± 0.2), MID (-0.3 ± 0.2) or OLD (-0.3 ± 0.4). Likewise, teat score change was not affected by season (P = 0.50) or age x season interaction (P = 0.26) but was influenced by age (P < 0.01). Teat score annual decrease was greater (P < 0.01) for HEIFER (-1.5 ± 0.3) than YOUNG (-0.5 ± 0.2) or MID (-0.4 ± 0.2) but not different (P = 0.14) from OLD (-0.8 ± 0.3). Teat score change was not different (P = 0.23) among YOUNG, MID, and OLD. Results suggest that udder and teat scores change the subsequent year at a more rapid rate in heifers than in cows up to 10 yr of age.
201 Precision of gain estimates for beef cattle with an automated weighing system
Authors: Sainz Roberto
Published: December 2019

Current standard protocols for feed efficiency trial in beef cattle require a trial period of at least 70 days. This was determined to be the minimum trial duration to obtain adequate estimates of average daily gain with infrequent collection of animal weights. Modern automated weighing systems (e.g., GrowsafeBeef, Intergado) enable collection of multiple body weights each day without the need to handle cattle. Due to the high volume of data generated, it is likely that adequate estimates of rate of gain may be obtained with a shorter trial duration. Data were obtained during two consecutive feed efficiency trials (21 and 22) with yearling Nelore bulls at Rancho da Matinha, Uberaba, Brazil. Individual ADG were estimated by regression of BW vs. time. During Trial 21, body weights were taken by manual weighing every 14 days, for 70 days. Trial 22 involved automated weighing (Intergado) for 49 days. For Trial 21, the mean ADG was 1.113 (se 0.1079) kg/d, and 95% of the animals had se below 0.2 kg/d. In Trial 21 with automated weighing, the mean ADG were 1.248 (se 0.542), 1.164 (se 0.430, 1.097 (se 0.351, 1.114 (se 0.254) and 1.080 (se 0.234) after 14, 21, 28, 35, 42 and 49 d, respectively, and 85% had se below 0.3 kg/d. These findings suggest that precision of estimates of ADG is a valid criterion to determine optimal trial duration. Further study will be required to determine optimal trial durations for different types of cattle, diets and facilities.