bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
“Participation Is Fun and Empowering”: A Participatory Approach to Co-Design a Cultural Art Program for Older Chinese at Risk of Depression in Hong Kong
Authors: Liu Tianyin , Chan Rachel , Yeung Crystal , Lee Ling Cheun Bianca , Chan Tristan Nga Chee , Welton Keturah , Lum Terry Yat-Sang , Wong Gloria Hoi Yan
Published: May 2023

Background and Objectives

Internalized ageism and stigma of mental illness may disempower older people and impede help-seeking among those at risk of depression. Arts are deemed enjoyable, stigma-free, and conducive to mental health, and a participatory approach can engage and empower potential service users. This study aimed to co-design a cultural art program and test its feasibility in empowering older Chinese people in Hong Kong and preventing depression.

Research Design and Methods

Adopting a participatory approach and guided by the Knowledge-to-Action framework, we co-designed a 9-session group art program using Chinese calligraphy as the channel for gaining emotional awareness and facilitating expression. The iterative participatory co-design process engaged 10 older people, 3 researchers, 3 art therapists, and 2 social workers through multiple workshops and interviews. We tested the program’s acceptability and feasibility in 15 community-dwelling older people at risk of depression (mean age = 71.6). Mixed methods were used, including pre- and postintervention questionnaires, observation, and focus groups.

Results

Qualitative findings suggest the feasibility of the program, and quantitative findings indicated its effects in increasing empowerment (t(14) = 2.82, p < .05), but not in other mental health-related measurements. Participants reflected that active participation and learning new art skills were fun and empowering, arts enabled them to gain insight into and express deeper feelings, and groups with peers made them feel relatable and accepted.

Discussion and Implications

Culturally appropriate participatory arts groups can effectively promote empowerment in older people, and future research should balance eliciting meaningful personal experiences and measurable changes.
Posting and Transfer: the experiences of public sector doctors in two Indian states
Authors: Purohit Bhaskar , Hill Peter S
Published: May 2023

Posting and Transfer (PT) refers to deployment of the health workforce in ways that ensure appropriate numbers and distribution. Although PT is a crucial aspect of health workforce governance, it remains under-researched from the viewpoint of implementation, health workforce and governance. The aim of this paper is to examine public sector doctors’ experience of their initial postings, in the context of local policy from two Indian states. We carried out a review search for policy documentation. A total 61 in-depth interviews were conducted in both states with 33 doctors, as subjects of the study. There were 28 key informant (KI) interviews of health administrators and other policy actors to understand their perspectives of PT policies and implementation. Thematic analysis was used to analyse data. Job histories were constructed from the doctors’ interviews to track their experience with the PT system, and analysed using location, duration and postings. Despite search for state policy for PT, we were unable to identify any policy documentation. However, participants referred to PT practices that suggested expectations of what the poliy meant to them. These expectations were corroborated by KI, and the job histories and interview data enabled the authors to construct a series of norms, interpreted as evidence of implied policy. The main norms identified relate to service need, native place, request, gender and posting duration. The norm related to state need had strong face validity, while other norms based on request, gender and duration were less consistent in application. In the absence of documented policies, the construction of norms from the qualitative data proved useful to examine the dynamics of health workers’ interactions with the initial PT systems This construction of norms provides a methodological innovation allowing health policy and systems researchers to compensate for the absence of documented policy in exploring PT functions.
Sustaining youth physical activity in times of challenge and change: lessons from COVID-19
Authors: Trask Suzanne , Lockyer Peg , Hildreth Jillian , D’Souza Erica , Buklijas Tatjana , Menzies Rochelle , Vickers Mark , Bay Jacquie L
Published: May 2023

Physical activity (PA) is recognized as essential for positive physical and mental well-being in young people. However, participation in PA is known to decline as adolescents emerge into adulthood under the influence of complex social and structural factors. Globally, COVID-19 restrictions resulted in changes to PA and PA participation levels in youth populations, providing a unique opportunity for gaining insight into PA barriers and enablers in circumstances of challenge, limitation and change. This article details young people’s self-reported PA behaviours during the 4-week 2020 COVID-19 lockdown in New Zealand. Taking a strengths-based view and drawing on the COM-B (capabilities, opportunity and motivation behaviour) model for behaviour change, the study explores factors enabling young people to sustain or increase PA during lockdown. Findings are drawn from qualitative-dominant mixed-methods analyses of responses to an online questionnaire: New Zealand Youth Voices Matter (16–24 years; N = 2014). Key insights included the importance of habit and routine, time and flexibility, social connections, incidental exercise and awareness of links between PA and well-being. Of note were the positive attitudes, creativity and resiliency demonstrated as young people substituted or invented alternatives to their usual PA. PA needs to change to adapt to new circumstances over the life course, and youth understanding and knowledge of modifiable factors may provide support for this. Thus these findings have implications for sustaining PA during late adolescence and emerging adulthood, a life phase that can be associated with significant challenge and change.
Intercostal artery’s access for type II endoleak embolization
Authors: Lorenz Veronica , Muzzi Luigi , Candeloro Laura , Ricci Carmelo , Cini Marco , Alba Giuseppe , Tucci Enrico , Neri Eugenio
Published: May 2023

Endoleaks represent a main issue of endovascular approach of thoracic aorta diseases and their treatment continue to be challenging. According to some authors, type II endoleaks sustained by intercostal arteries should not be treated because of the technical difficulties. However, the persistence of a pressurized aneurysmal may confer an ongoing risk of enlargement and/or aortic rupture. We describe the successful treatment of type II endoleak in 2 patients with an intercostal artery’s access. In both cases, the endoleak was discovered during follow-up and was treated with its direct coil embolization under local anaesthesia.
Emergence of tet(X2) in Acinetobacter pittii confers clinical resistance to tigecycline
Authors: Qian Changrui , Ma Zhexiao , Feng Luozhu , Guo Wenhui , Han Yijia , Zhang Yi , Xu Chunquan , Cao Jianming , Zhou Tieli
Published: May 2023

Objectives

To characterize a novel transposon Tn7533 carrying the tet(X2) gene in a tigecycline-resistant Acinetobacter pittii BM4623 of clinical origin.

Methods

Gene knockout and in vitro cloning were used to verify the function of tet(X2). WGS and comparative genomic analysis were used to explore the genetic characteristics and molecular evolution of tet(X2). Inverse PCR and electroporation experiments were used to evaluate the excision and integration capabilities of Tn7533.

Results

A. pittii BM4623 belonged to a novel ST, ST2232 (Pasteur scheme). Knockout of tet(X2) in BM4623 restored its susceptibility to tigecycline. Cloning of the tet(X2) gene into Escherichia coli DH5α and Acinetobacter baumannii ATCC 17978 resulted in 16-fold or more increases in MICs of tigecycline. Sequence analysis showed that the region upstream of tet(X2) exhibited a high degree of diversity, while there was a 145 bp conserved region downstream of tet(X2). tet(X2) in BM4623 was located on a novel composite transposon Tn7533, which also contains multiple resistance genes including blaOXA-58. Tn7533 could be excised from the chromosome to form a circular intermediate and transferred into A. baumannii ATCC 17978 by electroporation.

Conclusions

Our study demonstrates that tet(X2) is a determinant conferring clinical resistance to tigecycline in Acinetobacter species. The emergence of Tn7533 may lead to the potential dissemination of tigecycline and carbapenem resistance in Acinetobacter, which requires continuous monitoring.
194 Leveraging Animal Nutrition to Enhance Sustainability of Food Production Systems
Authors: White Robin R
Published: May 2023

Dr. White’s research focuses on the animal/environment interface with the broad goal of leveraging animal nutrition to enhance sustainability of food production systems. This work focuses at three levels: 1) basic research evaluating factors regulating rumen fermentation; 2) applied research testing strategies to enhance feed efficiency; and 3) systems-level research evaluating the wider socioeconomic impacts of livestock production and management.
16 Supplement Type Influenced the Immune Response of Nursing Ewes to the Natural Challenge of Gastrointestinal Parasites While Grazing in Woodlands
Authors: Chaudhary Santoshi , Karki Uma , Shrestha Bhuwan , Lamsal Sadikshya
Published: May 2023

Nutritional status influences the immune response of grazing animals to naturally occurring diseases and parasites. Provision of supplementary nutrients may enhance the resiliency of grazing animals to gastrointestinal parasites, which are posing a major health problem in small ruminants raised in Southeastern pastures. Information is limited on the role of supplement type in influencing the immune response of grazing animals to natural health challenges. This study tested the hypothesis that the immune response of nursing ewes to gastrointestinal (GI) parasites would be the same irrespective of the supplement type. The objective of the study was to evaluate the cellular and humoral immune response of nursing ewes naturally infected with GI parasites when supplemented with energy- or protein-rich feeds. Katahdin-St. Croix cross-nursing ewes (n = 18) were divided into two groups. Each group was assigned to separate sets of woodland plots (3 plots/group) and rotated in the respective plots throughout the study period with ad libitum hay from May to August 2022. Group-1 ewes were supplemented with whole corn and Group-2 ewes with whole soybean (0.5% of body weight). Fecal samples and blood samples were collected on days 1, 45, and 70. Fecal samples were analyzed for the type and quantity of GI parasites using the McMaster technique. Blood samples were analyzed for WBC (Total WBC, lymphocytes, neutrophils, monocytes, eosinophils, and basophils) using the Procyte-Dx Analyzer. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were performed on serum samples to quantify immunoglobulins (Ig): IgA, IgG, and IgE. Data were analyzed using GLM Procedure in SAS 9.4. Haemonchus contortus was the major GI parasite affecting ewes. No difference was found between groups for GI parasites, WBC, and IgE. However, IgA and IgG concentrations were less in Group-1 than in Group-2 ewes (P < 0.0001). Overall, the supplement type did not affect the GI-parasite load and the immune response in terms of cellular and IgE. However, the immune response in terms of IgA and IgG was amplified with protein-rich supplements.
25 Effect of Cyclic Monensin Feeding onin Situ Degradability of Low-Quality Forage Fed to Ruminally Cannulated Beef Steers
Authors: Smyth Lauren , Foster Jamie , Hook Kayla , Mast Natasha L
Published: May 2023

Effects of cyclic monensin feeding on in situ disappearance kinetics of low-quality forage (LQF; 4.9% CP) were evaluated. Ruminally cannulated steers (n = 12; Bos taurus; 260 kg BW) consuming LQF were randomly assigned to of 3 treatments in a completely randomized design: CON (0 mg∙animal-1∙day-1 monensin; Rumensin 90, Elanco Animal Health, Greenfield, IN), 2) MON (200 mg∙animal-1∙day-1 monensin), or 3) CYC (200 mg∙animal-1∙day-1 monensin for 4 d and 0 mg∙animal-1∙day-1 monensin for subsequent 4 d). Steers were fed dried distillers’ grains with solubles (1 kg∙animal-1∙day-1) for monensin inclusion. Four 28-d replicated cycles were used allowing 9 days for treatment adaptation, 4 days for sampling, and 4 days for withdrawal of monensin within the CYC treatment group. Low-quality forage samples were weighed into 0 × 20 cm polyester bags in replicates of four for each sampling hour. On d 0, all replicates were placed into the ventral area of the rumen and replicates were removed 0, 4, 8,6, 24, 48, and 72 hours post feeding. Upon removal, bags were rinsed in ice water, and frozen until final replicates were removed. Subsequently, bags were washed utilizing a commercial washing machine, dried at 55°C to a constant weight and dried residues were analyzed for DM. Ruminal in situ DM degradation data over time were fitted to the first-order exponential model with discrete lag using the NLIN procedure of SAS 9.4, then model parameters were compared with PROC GLIMMIX model to compare dietary treatments with period included as a random variable. There was no effect of treatment (P ≥ 0.22) on potentially degradable DM, rate of DM degradation, DM residue, DM lag, or wash loss of DM. Results are consistent with findings in the concurrent in vivo study conducted by Hook et al. (2022). Further evaluation of NDF degradability is required to determine a clear effect of cyclic monensin feeding on steers consuming an LQF.
24 Effects of Oral Supplementation of Cannabidiol on Young Stallion Behavior
Authors: Cheyenne Mason A , Byaers Payton C , Jones Trinette N , Jones Barbara , Guay Kimberly A
Published: May 2023

Cannabidiol (CBD) has become a popular product in the recent months due to change in legislation with the passing of the Agricultural Improvement Act in 2018. Cannabidiol comes from the plant Cannabis sativa L. and binds to cannabinoid receptors throughout the endocannabinoid system. These receptors are located throughout the body and are prominent in the brain and reproduction tract. Although the effects of CBD on physiology have been researched, little data on the behavioral effects exist, even less so in horses. Calming supplements that may negate aggressive stallion behavior are not suitable due to potential soporific effects that can affect libido. In addition to the effectiveness of CBD to modify behavior in horses, it is also unclear if CBD influences stallion libido. The objective of this study was to evaluate sexual behavior in stallions given a daily CBD supplement for 70 days. Two-year old stallions (n = 8) were assigned to either a Control (CON; n = 3) or Cannabidiol (CBD; n = 4) treatment groups. Cannabidiol was administered at a rate of 0.6 mg/kg BW daily, and equal volume of olive oil was given as a placebo to CON. Horses were weighed every Monday at which time dosages were recalculated to adjust for body weight changes. Behavior data collection occurred twice per week during semen collections. Video data were recorded by placing two cameras, one placed in view of the tease area, and one placed in view of the mount, for behavior data backup. Behavioral data was tallied by handlers calmly calling each behavior as it occurred during collection. The behaviors collected included Flehman’s response, bites, strikes, mounts, high pitch vocalizations, and low pitch vocalizations. Data were analyzed using a Chi Square Test within R Statistical Program (R Core Team). Results were considered significant at P < 0.05. Throughout the duration of the study, all stallions exhibited normal sexual behavior, regardless of treatment. Results showed that total low and high pitch vocalizations, bites, and Flehman’s were affected by treatment (P < 0.01). Cannabidiol-treated stallions had more low pitches (60), compared to CON (58). Cannabidiol-treated stallions had fewer bites (145) compared to the CON (146). Cannibidiol stallions displayed Flehman’s more frequently (270) than CON (236). Flehman’s response and bites were lower for stallions on cannabidiol in Week 1 but increased by Week 10 (P < 0.01), while only Flehman’s response increased in the CON group over time (P < 0.01). These findings indicate that CBD may influence breeding behavior in young stallions specifically when supplemented over time. Further research should focus on the impact of CBD on breeding behaviors in mature stallions and the longevity of the behavioral response to CBD.
50 Gene Editing Applications in Livestock Production
Authors: Garcia Andre
Published: May 2023

Gene editing is a technology that allows changes in the DNA of organisms from plants to animals, to humans. Its application in research has been around for a long time, and different techniques were developed over the years such as Zinc-finger nucleases, TALENs and more recently the CRISPR-Cas9 system. The latter has gained popularity for being much simpler to implement and at the same time being able to perform more precise edits with less off targets. Scientists and farmers have been using genetics selection to improve productivity and sustainability of agriculture for many decades using information from phenotypes, pedigrees, and more recently genomic information. With the increasing demand for food production, the investigation and adoption of new technologies will continue to drive and accelerate genetic improvement in animals and plants to meet consumer demands and expectations. A lot of effort has been devoted to developing gene editing research and applications for a variety of traits to improve production, health, and wellbeing of farmed animals. Although gene editing and more specifically the CRISPR technology was met with great expectations for genetic improvements in animals, a few challenges are still unresolved and are under constant research and development. For instance, many of the economically relevant traits for animal production are controlled by many genes with small effects (polygenic traits). For these traits, editing many loci would be required to make significant improvements, which adds a lot of complexity for the current technologies. Another challenge for further development, and deployment of this technology has been on the regulatory side, in which legislation for the use of gene edited animals for food production is still under development, and many regulatory aspects are not clear. These have been largely addressed on case-by-case basis, with recent approvals for Atlantic Salmon (fast growing), swine (hypoallergenic) and beef cattle (slick coat) being granted for specific use cases. Other examples of applications of gene editing are the coat color change, and creation of polled animals in cattle, which target improvements on environmental adaptability and animal welfare. In swine, researchers have been working on developing pigs that are resistant to the porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) which could lead to a great health and economic benefits for the swine industry. These are a few examples of how gene editing could help improve disease resistance, well-being and climate adaptation traits for many livestock and aquaculture species in the future. Further refinements of the technology, the development of policies and legislation, and strategies for deployment in commercial applications will continue to be key aspects to guide a safe and responsible use of gene editing in livestock production.
68 Characterization of Bovine Extracellular Vesicles Isolated from Colostrum
Authors: Brown Audrey , Santos Rafaela , Ahn Yeseul , Bickel Ulrich , Rosa Fernanda
Published: May 2023

Bovine colostrum is composed of a variety of biologically active compounds including microRNAs (miRNA), which are found within extracellular vesicles (EVs). Newborn calves are agammaglobulinemic. Hence, the ability of the bovine neonate to fight off pathogens is therefore almost entirely dependent upon colostrum ingestion. Extracellular vesicle-derived miRNAs may have a crucial role in the regulation of the immune response. Thus, we aimed to characterize the EVs morphology from bovine colostrum using stimulated emission depletion (STED) super resolution microscopy. Bovine colostrum samples (approx. 3-4 h after parturition) were collected from primiparous Holstein dairy cows (n = 10) at a commercial dairy farm. Colostrum samples (15 mL) were subjected to a series of centrifugation steps to achieve defatted supernatant and to label EV pellets with EV specific markers. The EV pellets were resuspended in 100µL of 1 x PBS for EV staining methods or resuspended in 1 mL of trizol reagent for further miRNA isolation. The EVs suspensions were incubated with a primary polyclonal antibody anti-CD63 and with a secondary antibody (Alexa Fluor 594) for approximately 90 minutes each. Labeled EV-antibody complex were analyzed using confocal and STED microscopy. Based on the confocal and super resolution STED imaging capability obtained from the EVs-derived from bovine colostrum (Figure 1), labeled EVs with anti-CD63 and the enhanced resolution of STED over conventional confocal imaging, allowed to image the EVs at their actual size (30-200 nm). Further in-depth view on EV morphology, marker proteins expressed on the membrane, and size will contribute to our understanding of EVs-derived from colostrum and their functions. This will be crucial in studies to evaluate EVs uptake by intestinal cells for the correct identification of compartments involved in subcellular trafficking.
71 Effects of Periparturient Vaginal Betadine Lavages on Dam and Neonatal Immune Responses
Authors: Messman Riley D , Swanson Rebecca M , Lemley Caleb O
Published: May 2023

The vaginal microbiota (VM) is one of the initial contacts of the neonate with microorganisms and can attribute to neonatal health outcomes. The impacts of an altered VM on post-partum dam and neonatal immune responses has not been evaluated. Betadine lavages (BL) have been used to mitigate bacterial infections within the reproductive tract by ablating the VM. Thus, this study aimed to determine if an altered VM impacts passive transfer and immune responses in post-partum dams & calves. Commercial beef cows (n = 22) were randomly assigned to either the control group (CON) or BL treatment group (BTL) two weeks before calving. Treatment BL bags were infused into the anterior vagina and cows received 1 of 3 treatments depending on calving date. Blood samples were gathered from the dam and calf at 0, 5, 30 and 60 days post-partum. Processed blood serum and dam colostrum samples were stored at -80°C. Calf serum (0 d) and dam colostrum were analyzed for immunoglobulin (IgG) concentration via a commercial ELISA. A D2Dx testing kit was used to determine immune status in both dam and calves at 1,5, 30, and 60 days by using gold nanoparticles as a pathogen substitute to identify immune system factors within serum samples. The test produces a numerical score that can be correlated to immune response strength. All IgG data were analyzed using R software. All D2Dx data were analyzed using repeated measures of ANOVA (SAS software version 9.4). There was no difference in passive transfer status between CON and BTL calves, represented by no significant differences in calf serum (P = 0.62) or dam colostrum (P = 0.32) concentrations of IgG. In dams, there was a main effect of day with immune responses decreasing at 60 days postpartum compared with 0d (P < 0.001),5d (P < 0.001), and 30d (P < 0.001). In calves, there was a main effect of day where immune responses were increased on5d compared with 30d (P = 0.046) but decreased on d 5 compared with d 60 (P = 0.005). Moreover, there was a decreased immune response in calves at d 0 (P < 0.001) and d 30 (P < 0.001) compared with d 60. In calves, there was a tendency (P = 0.08) for BTL calves to have a decreased immune response compared with CON. Interestingly, immune status fluctuated in both dams and calves from calving to 60 d post-partum. While full elucidation of causes behind these fluctuations is limited, more research evaluating their implications is warranted.
144 Assessment of Backgrounding Management on Growth Performance and Health in Southeastern Beef Calves
Authors: Justice Maggie M , Mullenix Kim K , Tigue Daniel A , Zessin Peyton , Dillard Leanne L , Rodning Soren P , Chamorro Manuel
Published: May 2023

The backgrounding period is a post-weaning management strategy to add weight and build the health status in beef calves. This phase is used to prepare beef calves to enter the next phase of the production supply chain. Weaning and backgrounding management methods can be strategies to reduce calf morbidity and mortality in the feedlot. The objective of this study was to assess beef calf growth performance based on weaning management strategy and subsequent backgrounding using commonly used forage-based diets by Alabama beef producers. A two-year study was conducted using 427 steers (n = 216, year 1, average BW 306kg; n = 213, year 2, average BW 294kg). Steer calves from three Auburn University research farms were randomly assigned based on weaning weights to one of three different weaning method groups: fenceline weaning, nose-flap weaning, or abrupt weaning. After the weaning period calves were brought to a centralized farm and began a 60-d backgrounding period where they were randomized according to previous weaning management, farm of origin and body weight to one of three nutritional management strategies in a 3×3 factorial design: cool-season baleage (oats, ryegrass and crimson clover) and 1% BW dried distillers’ grains (DDGS), bermudagrass hay and 1% BW DDGS, or grazing mixed warm-season annuals and 1% BW DDGS. Body weights were collected on d 0, 30 and 60 of the backgrounding phase. In both years, fenceline weaned calves had the greatest average daily gain (year 1, 0.76 kg/d; year 2, 1.03 kg/d; P = 0.0225) in the first 30 days of the backgrounding period regardless of backgrounding diet type. Calves fed the bermudagrass hay-based diet also had a greater average daily (year 1, 0.78 kg/d; year 2, 1.24 kg/d; P < 0.0001) than both the grazing and baleage diet groups in the first 30 days of backgrounding. From d 30 to 60 of backgrounding in each year, calves on the hay-based diet had the least average daily gain (year 1, 0.19 kg/d; year 2, 0.42 kg/d; P < 0.0001). Steers on both the warm-season annual grazing and cool-season baleage diets supported greater average daily gains (P =0.0041) during the last 30 days of the backgrounding period (0.74 kg/d and 0.75 kg/d, respectively). Steers in year 2 had a greater total gain (year 1, 45.55kg; year 2, 51.56 kg; P = 0.0042) than steers in year 1. However, results in both years indicate that weaning and backgrounding management strategies may influence calf performance during the transition period into the post-weaning phase.
142 Influence of Comfort on Growth, Intramuscular Fat Accretion, and Ultrasound Ribeye Area in Akaushi Steers and Heifers at Time of Weaning
Authors: Husz Taylor C , Holloway J W , Beeman Jordan R , Hill W J , Perkins Tommy L
Published: May 2023

Comfort (Ralco Agriculture; Marshall, MN) is a feed additive that contains essential oils and capsicum which are antioxidants and selectively antimicrobial. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of Comfort on growth, intramuscular fat (IMF) accretion, and ultrasound ribeye area (REAU) in Akaushi and Akaushi crossbred steers and heifers at time of weaning. Steers and heifers (body weight = 257 ± 26.8 kg; n = 56) were weaned on d 0 at the ranch where they were born (Flatonia, TX). On d 0 animals were weighed, ultrasound scanned, and allocated to treatment. Treatments were a negative control that received no Comfort and a Comfort treatment, received 0.23 kg∙animal-1∙day-1 top-dressed on the ration. An equal number of steers and heifers were allocated to each treatment. Average daily high temperature was 38º C. On d 50, animals were shipped to the West Texas A&M University research feedyard (Canyon, TX); weighed and ultrasound scanned upon arrival. Data reported are the difference between d 0 and d 50 measurements. Data were analyzed using treatment as the fixed effect and individual animal as the experimental unit. Statistical analysis used PROC MIXED in SAS 9.4. Animal final BW was not different between treatments (285 COMF vs. 282 kg control; P = 0.77). Animal average daily gain (ADG) tended to be greater in the Comfort cattle compared with the control (0.61 vs. 0.47 kg/d; P = 0.09). Percentage IMF was significantly different between Comfort and control animals (0.14 vs. -0.12 %; P = 0.02). Animal REAU was not different between the treatments (3.39 for Comfort vs. 3.73 cm2 for control; P = 0.83). Fat thickness was not different between Comfort (0.1397 cm) and control cattle (0.1497 cm; P = 0.74). Data collected in this trial indicate that Comfort increased ADG and fat percentage with minimal changes to fat thickness and REAU.
152 Impact of Early Life Nutrition and Supplementation of a Yeast Derived Product in Growth and Development of Beef Calves
Authors: Pancini Stefania , Goncherenko Guillermo , Craun Hannah , Dias Nicholas W , Vidlund Trinity , Klonicke Zachary , Mercadante Vitor R G
Published: May 2023

The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the impact of a yeast-derived product (Celmanax; Church & Dwight Co., Inc.; Princeton, NJ) supplementation on performance of beef calves during the backgrounding phase. A total of 44 male castrated beef calves [249 ± 31 kg body weight (BW), 296 ±8 days of age], were stratified by BW and randomly assigned to one of two treatments: supplementation of kg-1calf-1d of corn gluten feed (Control; n = 22); or supplementation of kg∙animal-1∙day-1 of corn gluten feed and 14 g∙animal-1∙day-1 (as fed-basis) of a yeast derived product (Treatment, CEL; n = 22). Steer calves received their treatment for 30 days, using an automated feeding system (SmartFeed PRO, C-Lock Inc., Rapid City, SD). Four automated feeders allowed each group to have access to their specific diet, while being managed as a single group during the total duration of the experiment, and daily individual animal supplement intake were recorded. Before the beginning of the experimental period, calves were trained to use the automated feeding system for 30 days. Steer calves also had ad libitum access to a fescue pasture and grass hay. Body weight was measured every 14 days using a livestock scale. At day 30, calves were loaded into a commercial livestock trailer and transported to a feedlot for a total of 6 hours. Feed samples were collected every week, dried to measure dry matter content, and kept for further nutritional composition chemical analyses. Individual daily intake of supplement was similar between treatments (0.82 ± 0.06 and 0.9 ± 0.07 kg/d for CEL and Control, respectively; P = 0.36). Average daily gain (ADG) showed no difference between treatments (0.57 ± 0.05 and 0.61 ± 0.05 kg/d for CEL and Control, respectively; P = 0.59), reaching the same final body weight (256 ± 6.73 kg for CEL and Control; P = 0.98). Body weight loss during transportation (12.6 ± 0.87 kg and 12.4 ± 0.85 kg for CEL and Control, respectively; P = 0.9) was not different between treatments, reaching normal values for that length of transportation. In conclusion, supplementation of a yeast-derived product during 30 days before transportation did not cause any changes in performance of backgrounded beef steer calves.
153 Meat Quality of Barbados Blackbelly and St. Croix Hair Sheep Lambs Rendered Short Scrotum or Castrated at Weaning
Authors: Beal Daisha , Lee Jung H , Wildeus Stephan , O’Brien Dahlia , Singh Anil , Kouakou Brou
Published: May 2023

This study evaluated meat quality parameters of short scrotum and castrated Barbados Blackbelly (BB; n = 16) and St. Croix (STX; n = 15) hair sheep ram lambs. Ram lambs born in April (n = 21) and December (n = 10) were rendered short scrotum (SS; n = 17) or castrated (CA; n = 14) using elastrator bands at weaning (63 days of age). Following a transition period of 2 months in a dry lot, ram lambs co-grazed with ewe lambs in a rotational pasture system and were provided soy hull at 3% BW daily. At target weights of app. 40 kg lambs were slaughtered and loin cuts from individual carcasses were collected for meat quality analysis. Data from the two lambing groups were pooled and analyzed as a completely randomized design with a 2 x 2 factorial treatment arrangement for breed (BB or STX) and sex class (SS or CA). The CIE L* (lightness), a* (redness), and b* (yellowness) values of loin cuts were not significantly influenced by breed or sex class. The longissimus muscle (LM) in loin cuts from CA lambs had a greater (P < 0.0001) fat content (3.73 vs 2.55 ± 0.155%) and tended (P = 0.06) to have a decreased moisture content (69.63 vs 70.75 ± 0.413%) than that from SS lambs. Neither breed nor sex class significantly affected the myoglobin content, percent metmyoglobin and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) values of LM from lamb cuts. Cuts from SS lambs had greater (P < 0.0001) shear force values (3.22 vs 2.64 ± 0.093 kg) than those from CA lambs. However, the cooking loss of loin cuts was not significantly influenced by breed or sex class. The fatty acid profiles of LM from experimental lambs were significantly influenced by breed and sex class. Compared with BB, STX had greater (P < 0.05) concentrations of myristic (C14:0;.38 vs.23%), palmitic (C16:0; 20.15 vs8.98%) and oleic (C18:1n9; 45.01 vs 42.81%), but less than (P < 0.05) concentrations of stearic (C18:0;7.29 vs9.33%) and linoleic (C18:2n6; 6.14 vs 7.47%) acids in LM. Furthermore, the LM from SS lambs had greater (P < 0.05) concentrations of C18:2n6 (8.09 vs 5.51%) and arachidonic (C20:4n6, 2.04 vs.40%), but lless than (P < 0.05) concentrations of C16:0 (19.07 vs 20.06%) and C18:1n9 (41.57 vs 46.24%) acids than that from CA lambs. Data suggest that meat quality parameters were more greatly influenced by sex class than breed when landrace hair sheep lambs were slaughtered at a target weight. Loin cuts from SS lambs were leaner, but less tender than those of CA lambs, and also differed in their fatty acid profiles. Hence meat quality will be impacted by the choice of rendering male lambs sterile.
In vitro gametogenesis from embryonic stem cells in livestock species: recent advances, opportunities, and challenges to overcome
Authors: Botigelli Ramon Cesar , Guiltinan Carly , Arcanjo Rachel Braz , Denicol Anna Carolina
Published: May 2023

Pluripotent stem cells (PSC) can be stabilized in vitro from pre-implantation stage embryos (embryonic stem cells, ESC) or by reprogramming adult somatic cells (induced pluripotent stem cells, iPSC). The last decade has seen significant advances in the livestock PSC field, particularly the development of robust methods for long-term culture of PSC from several livestock species. Along with this, considerable progress has been made in understanding the states of cellular pluripotency and what they mean for cell differentiation capacity, and significant efforts are ongoing to dissect the critical signaling pathways required for the maintenance of PSC in different species and distinct states of pluripotency. Among the cell types that can be generated from PSC, the germline holds special importance as they are the genetic link between generations; and devising methods to enable in vitro gametogenesis (IVG) and produce viable gametes could revolutionize animal agriculture, wildlife conservation, and human assisted reproduction alike. Within the last decade, many pivotal studies about IVG were published using rodent models, filling some critical knowledge gaps in the field. Most importantly, the entire female reproductive cycle was reproduced in vitro from mouse ESC. Although complete male gametogenesis in vitro has not yet been reported, significant advances were made showing the capacity of germline stem cell-like cells to generate healthy offspring. In this review, we provide an overview of PSC and advances in the establishment of livestock PSC; we present the breakthroughs made in rodents regarding IVG and the current progress towards livestock IVG, including the importance of a detailed understanding of fetal germline development. Finally, we discuss some key advances that will be critical to enable this technology at scale. Given the potential impact of IVG for animal agriculture, major efforts will likely continue to be employed by research institutions and industry towards the development of methods to achieve efficient generation of gametes in vitro.
Increased dietary Trp, Thr, and Met supplementation improves growth performance and protein deposition of salmonella-challenged growing pigs under poor housing conditions
Authors: Alves da Cunha Valini Graziela , Righetti Arnaut Pedro , França Ismael , Trevisan Ortiz Manoela , Karpeggiane de Oliveira Marllon José , Brandão Melo Antonio Diego , Alves Marçal Danilo , Reis Furtado Campos Paulo Henrique , Khun Htoo John , Gastmann Brand Henrique , Hauschild Luciano
Published: May 2023

Highly intensified rearing conditions and precarious sanitary management predispose pigs to immune system activation, altered amino acid (AA) metabolism, and decreased growth performance. Thus, the main objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of increased dietary tryptophan (Trp), threonine (Thr), and methionine + cysteine (Met + Cys) supplementation on performance, body composition, metabolism, and immune responses of group-housed growing pigs under challenging sanitary conditions. A hundred and twenty pigs (25.4 ± 3.7 kg) were randomly assigned to a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement, consisting of two sanitary conditions (SC, good [GOOD] or salmonella-challenge and poor housing condition [Salmonella Typhimurium (ST) + POOR]) and two diets, control (CN) or supplemented with AA (Trp, Thr, and Met + Cys:Lys ratios 20% higher than those of the CN diet [AA>+]). Pigs were followed during the growing phase (25–50 kg) and the trial lasted 28 d. The ST + POOR SC pigs were challenged with Salmonella Typhimurium and raised in a poor housing condition. The ST + POOR SC increased rectal temperature, fecal score, serum haptoglobin, and urea concentration (P < 0.05) and decreased serum albumin concentration (P < 0.05) compared with GOOD SC. Body weight, average daily feed intake, average daily gain (ADG), feed efficiency (G:F), and protein deposition (PD) were greater in GOOD SC than in ST + POOR SC (P < 0.01). However, pigs housed in ST + POOR SC fed with AA+ diet had lower body temperature (P < 0.05), increased ADG (P < 0.05) and nitrogen efficiency (P < 0.05), and a tendency for improved PD and G:F (P < 0.10) compared with CN diet fed pigs. Regardless of the SC, pigs fed AA+ diet had lower serum albumin (P < 0.05) and tended to decrease serum urea levels (P < 0.10) compared with CN diet. The results of this study suggest that the ratio of Trp, Thr, and Met + Cys to Lys for pigs are modified by sanitary conditions. Furthermore, supplementation of diets with a blend of Trp, Thr, and Met + Cys improves performance, especially under salmonella-challenge and poor housing conditions. Dietary tryptophan, threonine, and methionine supplementation can modulate immune status and influence resilience to sanitary challenges.
Who Gets Burned in Brazil?
Authors: Graner Mariana , Gutierre Marcela , Salgado Lucas S , Mishaly Asher , Baptista João , Calheiros Gregory , Buda Alexandra M , Bowder Alexis N , Corlew D Scott , Botelho Fabio , de Souza Gomez David , Alonso Nivaldo , Pompermaier Laura
Published: May 2023

Burns are preventable injuries that still represent a relevant public health issue. The identification of risk factors might contribute to the development of specific preventive strategies. Data of patients admitted at the Hospital due to acute burn injuries from May 2017 to December 2019, was extracted manually from medical records. The population was analyzed descriptively, and differences between groups were tested using the appropriate statistical test. The study population consisted of 370 patients with burns admitted to the Hospital burn unit during the study period. The majority of the patients were males (257/370, 70%), median age was 33 (IQR:18–43), median TBSA% was 13 (IQR 6.35–21.5 and range 0–87.5%), and 54% of patients had full-thickness burns (n = 179). Children younger than 13 years old represented 17% of the study population (n = 63), 60% of them were boys (n = 38), and scalds was the predominant mechanism of burn injury (n = 45). No children died, however 10% of adults did (n = 31). Self-inflicted burns were observed in 16 adults (5%), of whom 6 (38%) died during admission, however self-inflicted burns were not observed in children. Psychiatric disorders and substance misuse were frequent in this subgroup. White adults male from urban areas who had not completed primary school degree were the major risk group for burns. Smoking and alcohol misuse were the most frequent comorbidities. Accidental domestic flame burns were the predominant injuries in the adult population and scalds in the pediatric.
Muscle loss during cancer therapy is associated with poor outcomes in advanced ovarian cancer
Authors: Polen-De Clarissa , Giri Smith , Fadadu Priyal , Weaver Amy , Mcgree Michaela E , Moynagh Michael , Takahashi Naoki , Jatoi Aminah , Lebrasseur Nathan K , Cliby William , Williams Grant , Kumar Amanika
Published: May 2023

Data evaluating change in body composition during treatment of advanced cancer are limited. Here we evaluated computed tomography (CT)–based changes in muscle mass during treatment for advanced ovarian cancer (OC) and association with outcomes. We analyzed the preoperative and posttreatment skeletal muscle index (SMI), skeletal muscle area normalized for height of 109 patients with advanced OC who underwent primary surgery and platinum-based chemotherapy from 2006 to 2016. Based on an SMI less than 39 cm2/m2, 54.1% of patients were never sarcopenic, 24.8% were sarcopenic on both CT scans, and 21.1% were newly sarcopenic upon treatment completion. Patients who lost muscle during treatment had the worst survival of the 3 groups identified: median survival 2.6 years vs 4.6 years if sarcopenic on both CT scans and 4.8 years if never sarcopenic. Loss of muscle portends a poor prognosis among patients with OC. Additional research is needed to better understand and best mitigate these changes.
Borderland Porosities: Migratory Journeys and Migrant Politics in Lebanon and Turkey
Authors: Ilcan Suzan , Dağtaş Seçil , Balyk Lana Gonzalez
Published: May 2023

This article focuses on displaced peoples’ migratory journeys to the borderlands of Lebanon and Turkey. Building on a selection of ethnographic, interview, policy, and programme materials, it advances the argument that Syrian encounters with these borderlands encompass multidirectional movements and context-specific and fluid processes imbricated in relations of power that often stimulate migrant politics, processes that involve, what we term, borderland porosities. Contributing to critical migration and border studies, the analysis emphasizes how displaced people negotiate the permeabilities of borderlands, engage intermediaries to assist in their perilous journeys, and employ their pre- and post-war transnational networks during their movements. This perspective places borderland porosities front and centre. It illuminates how these dynamic and penetrable spaces shape peoples’ movements, foster a diverse web of actors and encounters in migratory journey and resettlement processes, and cultivate a migrant politics of presence and invisibility.
Resequencing the Hubble sequence and the quadratic (black hole mass)–(spheroid stellar mass) relation for elliptical galaxies
Authors: Graham Alister W
Published: May 2023

One of the most protracted problems in astronomy has been understanding the evolution of galaxy morphology. Much discussion has surrounded how lenticular galaxies may form a bridging population between elliptical and spiral galaxies. However, with recourse to a galaxy’s central black hole mass, accretion-built spiral galaxies have emerged as the bridging population between low-mass lenticular galaxies and the dusty merger-built lenticular galaxies contiguous with elliptical galaxies and ‘brightest cluster galaxies’ in the black hole/galaxy mass diagram. Spiral galaxies, including the Milky Way, appear built from gas accretion and minor mergers onto what were initially lenticular galaxies. These connections are expressed as a new morphology sequence, dubbed the ‘Triangal’, which subsumes elements of the Hubble sequence and the van den Bergh trident and reveals the bridging nature of the often overlooked ellicular galaxies. Furthermore, a quadratic black hole/galaxy mass relation is found to describe ordinary elliptical galaxies. The relation is roughly parallel to the quadratic-like relations observed for the central spheroidal component of spiral galaxies, dust-rich lenticular galaxies, and old dust-poor lenticular galaxies. The brightest cluster galaxies are offset according to expectations from an additional major merger. The findings have implications for feedback from active galactic nuclei, mapping morphology into simulations, and predicting gravitational wave signals from colliding supermassive black holes. A new galaxy speciation model is presented. It disfavours the ‘monolithic collapse’ scenario for spiral, dusty lenticular, and elliptical galaxies. It reveals substantial orbital angular momentum in the Universe’s first galaxies and unites dwarf and ordinary ‘early-type’ galaxies.
Evolutionary Trajectories of New Duplicated and Putative De Novo Genes
Authors: Montañés José Carlos , Huertas Marta , Messeguer Xavier , Albà M Mar
Published: May 2023

The formation of new genes during evolution is an important motor of functional innovation, but the rate at which new genes originate and the likelihood that they persist over longer evolutionary periods are still poorly understood questions. Two important mechanisms by which new genes arise are gene duplication and de novo formation from a previously noncoding sequence. Does the mechanism of formation influence the evolutionary trajectories of the genes? Proteins arisen by gene duplication retain the sequence and structural properties of the parental protein, and thus they may be relatively stable. Instead, de novo originated proteins are often species specific and thought to be more evolutionary labile. Despite these differences, here we show that both types of genes share a number of similarities, including low sequence constraints in their initial evolutionary phases, high turnover rates at the species level, and comparable persistence rates in deeper branchers, in both yeast and flies. In addition, we show that putative de novo proteins have an excess of substitutions between charged amino acids compared with the neutral expectation, which is reflected in the rapid loss of their initial highly basic character. The study supports high evolutionary dynamics of different kinds of new genes at the species level, in sharp contrast with the stability observed at later stages.