bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High frequency ultrasound enhanced oxidation of bisphenol a by Fenton-like systems
Authors: Aseev D G , Krasnekov D S
Published: December 2019

High-frequency ultrasound was employed to enhance degradation of micropollutant Bisphenol A in a Fenton-like oxidative system involving persulfate as the oxidant and ferrous iron (Fe(II)) as the catalyst US/Fe2+/S2O8
2−. Experiments were carried out in a 400 ml glass reactor. The influence of the initial concentration of BPA, the ratio of “oxidizer-substrate”, the ratio of “catalyst-substrate”, temperature, on the efficiency of the oxidation of BPA was established. The reaction rates of micropollutant degradation increased in the order: {Fe2+/S2O8
2−}<{US}<{US/Fe2+/S2O8
2−}. It was shown that ultrasonic activated Fenton-like oxidative system leads to degradation of micropollutants. As a result, a method of deep degradation of toxic organic pollutants based on the ultrasonic activated – Fenton process US/Fe2+/S2O8
2− was suggested.
α-factor experimental determination of aeration system in aeration tanks
Authors: Dyagelev M Y , Isakov V G , Grakhova E V
Published: December 2019

The article is dedicated to determine the α-factor of aeration systems in case of changing the wastewater treatment line (transfer of aeration tanks to the nitri-denitrifier aeration mode). The studies were performed on an experimental installation with sewage and activated sludge at one of the sewage treatment facilities of the Udmurt Republic. During the process of determining the parameter under consideration, pure water and the sludge mixture from the experimental plant were sequentially aerated at the same conditions; thus, the K
Lα was sequentially determined for two different types of liquids. The ratio of different liquids defined under the same conditions of K
Lα determines the α-factor. Plate aerators with a dispersing element made of a rubber membrane were used as an experimental plants, thanks to which a high calculated value of the α-factor was found - 0.95 ± 0.03.
Anaerobic digestion technology improving by biogas production safety development
Authors: Kuznetsova N V , Drapalyuk N A , Shchukina T V
Published: December 2019

Anaerobic digestion, accompanied by methane liberation, is one of the priority ways of organic waste and sewage sludge disposal. Improving the reliability of biogas stations, including environmental reliability, can be achieved by using plants with high reliability indicators improved with further constructive improvement. For this purpose, reactors with gas holders additional function are considered and its advantages and disadvantages are analyzed. Technical solutions are proposed to increase anaerobic processes stability and biogas accumulation. Solar energy using is assumed to maintain required thermal conditions and to avoid additional heating, necessary for heating the medium gas-holder floats in. An equation is obtained to make it possible to predict the fuel yield depending on organic waste residence time in a methane tank. The proposed function can be used to make amendments for all temperature regimes corresponding to bacteria’s vital activity conditions.
Aspen Plus simulation of optimal biogas production in anaerobic digestion process
Authors: Ravendran R R , Abdulrazik A , Zailan R
Published: December 2019

The demanding uses of fossil fuels and their associated environmental footprints are driving researches into renewable energy productions from organic resources and waste. Anaerobic digestion (AD) is an environment-friendly and cost-effective method to produce biogas from biomass. This biogas can be used in power generation, heating systems and in a combined heat and power (CHP) system. Nevertheless, biogas produced from AD contains a big fraction of CO2 and less methane purity. Aspen Plus simulation model was developed for the AD process to produce biogas, highlighting the economical potentials and environmental benefits. Four steps of AD including hydrolysis, acidogenesis, acetogenesis, and methanogenesis with eight reactions were simulated based on the respective stoichiometries. Optimization has involved the search to identify optimum feed flow rate and operating pressure to produce the maximum amount of pure methane. The obtained results showed that optimum feed rate was 0.36 l/day and operating pressure of 3 bar with hydrogen flow of 180 l/day. By using these optimum conditions, maximum amount of methane with high purity was achieved. Otherwise, through biomass natural decomposition, the methane would escape to the atmosphere as one of those significant greenhouse gases.
Biobutanol production from oil palm frond juice in 2 L stirred tank bioreactor with in situ gas stripping recovery
Authors: Asri F M , Masngut N , Zahari M A K M
Published: December 2019

Biobutanol has generated renewed interest of being a sustainable alternate fuel. As butanol can fully miscible with diesel fuel even at low temperatures, better fuel extender than ethanol, low vapour pressure, low miscibility with water and has higher price, making it most potential solvent compared to acetone and ethanol. Previous study shows that biobutanol can be biosynthesized from oil palm frond (OPF) juice by Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC 824 in the lab scale experiment. Thus, this paper focused on the synthesis and characterization of the OPF juice as fermentation substrate for biobutanol production in 2 L batch fermentation using 50 g/L OPF juice. 14.0 g/L biobutanol was produced in batch fermentation. The research was further extended with fed-batch experiment and in situ gas stripping. 71.5% acetone, 36.5% biobutanol and 18.4% ethanol were stripped out from the fermentation broth during first gas stripping interval (42-48 h). After 120 h, total of 395 g/L biobutanol was stripped out. Thus, it was proven that OPF juice can be used as an alternative carbon source for biobutanol production while fed-batch fermentation with in situ gas stripping method improved the biobutanol production from OPF juice.
Syngas software for biomass gasification process
Authors: Saleh S , Samad N A F A
Published: December 2019

In this work, the thermodynamic equilibrium model has been developed in Excel software for evaluating gasification process. The software is called as Syngas software is applicable to study the effects of gasification temperature either using air or steam as gasifying agents for a wide range of biomass. The application of Syngas software has been highlighted through gasification of EFB using air as gasifying agents. The effects of gasification temperature between 650°C and 900°C has been conducted. The highest amount of hydrogen gas and carbon monoxide gas produced are 29.4 mol% and 44.1 mol% respectively at gasification temperature of 900°C. Meanwhile around 19.5 mol% of carbon dioxide gas and 5.8 mol% of methane gas have been generated at similar gasification temperature. The thermodynamic equilibrium model developed in the Syngas software has been validated against experimental data where root mean square errors (RMSEs) lesser than 1 is obtained indicating a reliable of the developed Syngas software.
Catalytic production of levulinic acid from matured coconut water
Authors: Ismail F , Rahman N A , Esa F
Published: December 2019

Depletion of fossil as fuel resources due to increasing energy demands has led to a challenging transition to renewable abundance bio-based feedstock. Levulinic acid is a versatile platform chemical that can be utilized to produce fuels, solvents, polymers, pharmaceutical and agrochemical products. It can be synthesized from natural resources such as lignosellulosic biomass, sugars and environmental waste. Matured coconut water is an agro waste that produced mainly from coconut milk industry which contains variety of sugars and minerals. This study was carried out on synthesizing levulinic acid from matured coconut water by focusing on the effect of catalytic acid to coconut water ratio, types of acid and reaction time. The matured coconut water was mixed with sulfuric acid at three different concentrations (0.5 M, 0.75 M, 1.0 M) in 9:1, 8:2, and 7:3 ratios respectively. Mixtures were heated at 100°C for 30 minutes. The ratio decided was carried out into determine the best types of acid (sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, phosphoric acid) followed by the reaction time (15, 30, 45, 60 minutes). Levulinic acid production increase as concentration of acid increase. However, low acid percentage in coconut water medium was appropriate enough to give high yield of product (0.135%). Both hydrochloric and sulfuric acid catalyzed more product at high concentration.
Minimizing loop interaction in Multi Input Multi Output (MIMO) system using partial decoupler approach
Authors: Sulaiman M S , Ahmad Z
Published: December 2019

This research focus on controlling Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) process for Reflux (L) – Boil up rate (V) configurations. There are a total of 3 phases in the simulation process. In phase 1, transfer functions and best fit curves are obtained for LV. The best fits are 88.28 % (CV1) and 93.07 % (CV2). The controller for LV configurations was developed. In phase 2, the controllers were tuned and analyze based on the set point tracking and disturbance rejection. In phase 3, partial decouplers were developed and analyzed for a static plus dynamic approach. It is observed that the partial decoupler provides better performance as compared to conventional full decoupler. The performance was proven based on the outcomes from the simulations and calculations. As a conclusion, the partial decoupler is able to minimize the loops interaction and obtain the best set point tracking and disturbance rejection.
Fractionation of oleochemical fatty acid using vacuum dividing wall column: A controllability analysis
Authors: Othman M R
Published: December 2019

Dividing wall column (DWC) provides a good alternative for oleochemical fractionation. However, the internal configuration and multiple input multiple output (MIMO) system of DWC leads to complexity in operation and control. This work aims to analyze the controllability of fractionating oleochemical fatty acid using vacuum dividing wall column (VDWC). To achieve this, Aspen Plus and Aspen Dynamics were used to develop a rigorous steady state and dynamic model of the column. Five manipulated variables (MVs) were considered namely reflux flowrate (L), distillate flowrate (D), bottom flow rate (B), side-stream flowrate (S) and vapor boilup (V) while controlled variables (CVs) were the product compositions. Pairing of MV and CV to determine the best 3×3 control configuration was performed using relative gain array (RGA) and singular value analysis (SVA). The selected control structure was tested on PID controllers for several regulatory and servo problem. The results of RGA and SVA shows that DSV was the best control configuration. Performance analysis was found to be successful in rejecting the disturbances as well as obtaining good set point tracking. However, distillate and bottom composition shows poor controllability compare to middle composition.
Interaction study between M-Phenylenediamine, Trimesoyl Chloride and Nylon 66 using Molecular Dynamic Simulation
Authors: Jusoh W Z A W , Rahman S A , Ahmad A L , Mokhtar N M
Published: December 2019

The thin film composite (TFC) membrane is a porous membrane layered by a polyamide active layer. In the experimental work, the polyamide active layer prepared by the interaction between monomers, m-phenylenediamine (MPD) and trimesoyl chloride (TMC) which deposited on a membrane support. Considering the possibility of producing a loose TFC membrane and affect the separation performance, this study enlightens the interaction between monomers with Nylon 6 6 (N66) support membrane using simulation - molecular dynamic (MD). Different simulation system has been investigated with varying the ratio molecule of MPD to TMC where, TFC1 (1:1), TFC2 (3:1) and TFC3 (3:2) to the tertiary system of N66/MPD/TMC. The simulation was set for a COMPASS force field, where the equilibrium phases in a microcanonical (constant volumes and total energy) (NVE) followed by run-production stage (constant pressure and temperature ensembles) (NPT) ensembles. The temperature and pressure were set at 323.15 K and 1atm respectively. The polyamide TFC was found to be formed by the main interactions between nitrogen (N) from MPD group to the carbon, (C) from TMC main chain at ranges of 4.25Å. Overall interaction can be observed between N from TFC layer with O atom from the substrate layer. All of the intermolecular interactions take place at 3.25Å distance. The best interaction in N66 to MPD and TMC system to the weakest is in the arrangement of TFC2 > TFC3 > TFC1. The highest intensity was obtained by the TFC2, indicating the best ratio of 3:1 of MPD molecules to TMC molecule with support polymer when fully polymerized occurred. This study suggests that ratio N66 to MPD and TMC in TFC2 is the best to interaction between TFC layer and substrate for fabrication of the TFC membrane.
Development of keratin based hydrogels for biomedical applications
Authors: Husain M S B , Gupta A , Alashwal B Y
Published: December 2019

Synthesis of hydrogel was developed by using keratin protein extracted from a chicken feather. Further, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), and starch have been commonly using for biomedical applications hydrogels due to their non-toxicity and, water solubility. The first sample, (KS-50) was mixed keratin, PVA/PVP and starch, the second sample, (K-50) was mixed the total weight of the (KS-50) without starch. KS-50 and K-50 were synthesized through cyclic freezing/thawing technique. Moreover, characteristics of the hydrogels, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) examined clearly exhibited porous structures, and the chemical structure of the compound was investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The swelling degree of KS-50 exhibited slightly more pore size compared with K-50 hydrogels.
Preliminary Fractional Factorial Design (FFD) study using incorporation of Graphene Oxide in PVC in mixed matrix membrane to enhance CO2/CH4 separation
Authors: Raj K R , Sunarti A R
Published: December 2019

Mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) comprising of where polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and graphene oxide (GO) were employed in the membrane fabrication in order to improve the membrane characteristics. In this study of gas separation using mixed matrix membrane, gases such as CO2 and CH4 were used. The objectives of this research were to synthesize and develop MMMs PVC/GO, and also to carry out screening to determine best factors condition for membrane to function at high selectivity. The development of MMMs PVC/GO was based on 5 factors. Based on the screening tests, the run which was made up of factors PVC 20%, GO 4%, 1 bar of pressure during gas permeation, NMP solvent, and immersion time of 300s, shows to have the highest selectivity at 26.09 which was above the upper bound lines in the Robeson’s Upper bound plot. Fractional Factorial Design (FFD) was applied to study the minimalization of influenced factors during MMMs preparation. Based on the FFD run, the R-squared (R2) was
Assessment on the severity of low density polyethylene (LDPE)/Ethylene hybrid explosion
Authors: Badli H , Arifin M N , Sulaiman S Z , Susaidevas Jlyas , Mahamad N A , Nizar Khariol
Published: December 2019

The potential explosion for low-density polyethylene (LDPE) dust is greatly increased due to the presence of ethylene gas. Thus, this study was aimed to investigate the explosion severity of polyethylene/ethylene hybrid mixture in a 20-L spherical vessel. The explosion setup is equipped with two chemical ignitors and Kistler piezoelectric pressure sensors to ignite the hybrid mixture and to quantify the propagation of pressure wave during the explosion process respectively. The following hybrid explosion characteristics including the maximum explosion overpressure (Pmax), the maximum rate of pressure rise (dP/dT) and deflagration index (KST) were evaluated. This study concluded that the explosion severity of polyethylene/ethylene hybrid mixture steeply increases as the gas concentration and particle size increase to 15 g/m3 and 125 μm, beyond which the Pmax and dP/dT steadily decrease. The highest Pmax and dP/dt were recorded at 5.5 bar and, 50.5 bar/s with the KST value is 50 bar.m/s indicating the LDPE/ethylene hybrid dust explosion possess a weak explosion.
A review on possible approaches of anaerobic biological processes for palm oil mill effluent: Process, quality, advantages, and limitations
Authors: Al-Amshawee S K , Yunus M Y M
Published: December 2019

Palm oil mills play an essential role in the economic development of many countries. Though, it is the primary source of environmental pollution and degradation. Water scarcity and the high cost of new water supply technologies are the two major factors responsible for the increasing recognition of the importance to conserve water resources by wastewater treatment and reuse. Sustainability of sanitation systems should be related to low requirements in cost, energy consumption, and maintenance. Anaerobic biotreatment is the preferred industrial choice for mediating high strength wastewater. Anaerobic biotreatments for wastewater are increasingly being researched as cost-effective alternatives to deliver low sludge accumulation, efficient biodegradation and mineralisation, microbes’ reduction, and solids-free effluents. In the last decade, many studies investigated various types of anaerobic reactors in combination with membranes. This review shows the potential of anaerobic bio mediations for palm oil mill effluent. Also, the paper discusses the impact of various factors on both biological and filtration performances and identifying strengths and limitations.
VarGen: an R package for disease-associated variant discovery and annotation
Authors: Molitor Corentin , Brember Matt , Mohareb Fady
Published: December 2019

Over the past decade, there has been an exponential increase in the amount of disease-related genomic data available in public databases. However, this high-quality information is spread across independent sources and researchers often need to access these separately. Hence, there is a growing need for tools that gather and compile this information in an easy and automated manner. Here, we present ‘VarGen’, an easy-to-use, customizable R package that fetches, annotates and rank variants related to diseases and genetic disorders, using a collection public databases (viz. Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man, the Functional Annotation of the Mammalian genome 5, the Genotype-Tissue Expression and the Genome Wide Association Studies catalog). This package is also capable of annotating these variants to identify the most impactful ones. We expect that this tool will benefit the research of variant-disease relationships.

Availability and implementation

VarGen is open-source and freely available via GitHub: https://github.com/MCorentin/VarGen. The software is implemented as an R package and is supported on Linux, MacOS and Windows.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Problematizing Minor Transnational Identities And Patterns Of Othering In Meg Vandermerwe’s Zebra Crossing
Authors: Pasi Juliet Sylvia , Alexander Josephine Olufunmilayo
Published: December 2019

In her debut novel, Zebra Crossing, Meg Vandermerwe privileges the voice of Chipo Nyamubaya, an albino girl from Zimbabwe, to capture the gripping and tragic experiences of African immigrants in South Africa. This article problematizes the notion of minor transnational identities by interrogating the relationships between South Africans and those they refer to as outsiders, and the relationship between the African immigrants themselves vis-à-vis culturally held beliefs about albinos and LGBTs. In the process, we demonstrate the patterns of the idea of Otherness brought about by racism, xenophobia, homophobic prejudice and insensitive discrimination. The article reveals how Othering debunks the ideology of African connectedness by bringing out the apparent contradictions in the values of Ubuntu.
Sharp Rise in Fall-Induced Cervical Spine Injuries Among Older Adults Between 1970 and 2017
Authors: Kannus Pekka , Niemi Seppo , Parkkari Jari , Mattila Ville M
Published: December 2019

Background

Fall-induced injuries in older adults are a major public health challenge.

Methods

We determined the current trends in the number and age-adjusted incidence of fall-induced severe cervical spine injuries among older adults in Finland by taking into account all persons 50 years of age or older who were admitted to Finnish hospitals for primary treatment of these injuries between 1970 and 2017. Similar patients aged 20–49 years served as a reference group.

Results

The annual number of fall-induced severe cervical spine injuries among older Finnish adults rose steeply during the follow-up, from 59 in 1970 to 502 in 2017. The age-adjusted incidence of injury (per 100,000 persons) was higher in men than women throughout this period and showed a clear increase from 1970 to 2017: from 8.4 to 25.0 in men, and from 2.8 to 13.9 in women. In both sexes, the increase was most prominent in the oldest age group, persons aged 80 years or older. In the reference group, the injury incidence declined by time.

Conclusions

The number and incidence of fall-induced severe cervical spine injuries among older Finns showed a sharp rise between 1970 and 2017. An increase in the average risk of serious falls may partly explain the phenomenon. Effective fall and injury prevention measures are urgently needed since further aging of the population is likely to aggravate the problem in the near future.
Prevalence and mechanisms of azole resistance in clinical isolates of Aspergillus section Fumigati species in a Canadian tertiary care centre, 2000 to 2013
Authors: Parent-Michaud Maxime , Dufresne Philippe J , Fournier Eric , Folch Benjamin , Martineau Christine , Moreira Sandrine , Doucet Nicolas , De Repentigny Louis , Dufresne Simon F
Published: December 2019

Objectives

Azole resistance among Aspergillus fumigatus isolates is a growing concern worldwide. Induction of mutations during azole therapy, environment-acquired mutations caused by azole fungicides and intrinsic resistance of cryptic Fumigati species all contribute to the burden of resistance. However, there is a lack of data in Canada on this emerging threat.

Methods

To gain insights into the magnitude and mechanisms of resistance, a 14 year collection of Aspergillus section Fumigati comprising 999 isolates from 807 patients at a Montreal hospital was screened for azole resistance, and resistance mechanisms were investigated with the combined use of genome sequencing, 3D modelling and phenotypic efflux pump assays.

Results

Overall azole resistance was low (4/807 patients; 0.5%). A single azole-resistant A. fumigatus sensu stricto strain, isolated from a patient with pulmonary aspergillosis, displayed efflux-pump-mediated resistance. Three patients were colonized or infected with azole-resistant cryptic Fumigati species (one Aspergillus thermomutatus, one Aspergillus lentulus and one Aspergillus turcosus). Evidence is presented that azole resistance is efflux-pump-mediated in the A. turcosus isolate, but not in the A. lentulus and A. thermomutatus isolates.

Conclusions

Azole resistance is rare in our geographic area and currently driven by cryptic Fumigati species. Continued surveillance of emergence of resistance is warranted.
307 A social facilitator can reduce calf walking behavior at weaning
Authors: Nickles Kirsten , Relling Alejandro E , Parker Anthony
Published: December 2019

Common industry practice is to wean beef calves prior to natural weaning with the objectives of improving cow body weight and preparing calves for the subsequent receiving, growing, and finishing phases of production. Discontinuing the cow-calf social and nutritional bond before natural weaning, however, causes atypical walking and vocalizing behaviors by calves that are detrimental to calf growth and health. A proposed alternative weaning method is the addition of a social facilitator cow at weaning to reduce calf stress. Utilizing global positioning system (GPS) technology, we were able to determine total distance walked, total time devoted to walking, and area of the pasture utilized by the calf. Thus, the objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of a social facilitator on calf growth during weaning and more specifically, walking behaviors, utilizing a Garmin® product. Angus x Simmental heifer calves (n = 80) were used in this study, and in all four replications calves were randomly allotted to each treatment group (n = 10), social facilitator (SF) or control (CON) on the day of weaning (day 0). Calves in the SF group were placed on pasture at weaning with a social facilitator, and CON calves were placed in a similar sized pasture without a social facilitator. All calves were allocated their own GPS tracking device on days 0 (weaning), 7, and 14 for a full 24 hours before removal. Data were analyzed as a randomized complete block design with repeated measurements (SAS 9.4). Placing calves with a social facilitator decreased the distance walked (P = 0.001), and the amount of time calves devoted to walking (P = 0.001). Placing a social facilitator with calves at weaning, therefore, has an effect on walking distance and amount of time calves devote to walking.
313 Effects of transport time and rest stop duration on welfare indicators of beef cattle travelling by road
Authors: Melendez Daniela M , Marti Sonia , Gellatly Desiree , Nordi Wiolene , Haley Derek , Schwinghamer Timothy , Schwartzkopf-Genswein Karen S
Published: December 2019

Forthcoming revisions to Canadian Transport regulations indicate un-weaned and weaned calves can be transported a maximum of 12 and 36 h, respectively, before an 8 h rest is required. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of rest duration after 12 and 36 h of transport on physiological and behavioral indicators of welfare in 7–8 mo old beef calves. Three hundred and twenty weaned calves (258 ± 23.9 kg BW) were randomly assigned to a 2 × 4 factorial design: 12 and 36 h of transport; and 0 (R0), 4 (R4), 8 (R8), and 12 (R12) h of rest. After the resting period animals were transported for an additional 4 h. A subset of 12 animals/treatment were sampled for non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), haptoglobin and lactate concentrations prior to, and after the first and the 4 h transport, and 7 h, 2 and 28 d after the 4 h transport. Standing and lying behavior was assessed for 14 d after transport. Data was analyzed using the GLIMMIX procedure of SAS, where transport, and time nested within rest period were fixed effects and animal was a random effect. NEFA concentrations were greater (P < 0.01) in 12-R4 than 12-R8 and 12-R12 calves, while 36-R0 calves had greater (P ≤ 0.05) NEFA concentrations than 36-R4, 36-R8 and 36-R12 calves after the 4 h transport. Haptoglobin concentrations were greater (P < 0.01) in 36 than 12 h calves. No differences (P > 0.10) were observed for lactate. The day after transport, 36-R8 calves spent more (P < 0.01) time lying than 12-R8 calves. Overall, physiological indicators were greater in calves transported for 36 than 12 h, while no differences were observed between rest stops with the exception of NEFA, where overall concentrations were greater after shorter than longer rest periods.
311 Evaluation of different types of journeys on welfare indicators of un-weaned calves transported by road in Europe
Authors: Marti Sonia , Velarde Antonio , Quintana Bruna , Moles Xenia , Sole Anna , Devant Maria
Published: December 2019

Transportation of un-weaned calves in Europe is a common practice to transfer calves from origins to rearing facilities that often are in different countries and now is in the spotlight from the welfare point of view. The aim of this study was to assess physiological and behavioral indicators of welfare in calves transported in 3 different journey types. A total of 6,727 calves (3–4 wk of age and 65 ± 9.0 kg of BW) were transported with 30 trucks (n = 10 each journey type): from a unique origin to a unique rearing facility (DIR); from different origins to different rearing facilities (BUS); from a unique origin to a unique rearing facility after stopping in a resting facility (RES). Journey information and behavior at arrival was recorded. A subset of 20 calves for each transportation were sampled for NEFA, beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA) and rectal temperature (RT) on arrival at the rearing and resting facility, and 14 d after arrival. Data were analyzed using a mixed model with type of journey and day as main effects. Transportation time was 8.2 ± 0.66 h, 9.4 ± 0.66, and 21.7 ± 0.66 h for DIR, BUS and RES. RT was greater (P < 0.01) for RES than DIR and BUS at resting and arrival. NEFA and BHBA were greater (P < 0.01) for DIR and BUS than RES after arrival, however, when RES was evaluated at resting no differences were observed. At d 14 NEFA and BHBA were low (P < 0.01). Number of calves that turned back was greater (P = 0.04) in BUS, intermediate for DIR and lower for RES. In RES even the journey is longer the negative effects of transport at arrival are negligible due to the provision of feed and rest during the resting period before arrival at the rearing facility.
183 Food Animal Welfare: Why Producers Should Care about Animal Welfare
Authors: Christensen Karen
Published: December 2019

How food animals are treated has become a significant topic for meat producers, customers and consumers. The US population is now many generations away being actively engaged in agricultural production and are asking questions about how their food is produced. Unfortunately, the information that is available to consumers is not always accurate or positive for livestock producers. Farmers have little or no trust with the consumer and they are looking to other sources for information. How we communicate with our customers, consumers and the public is key to providing accurate information and creating trust in our industry. Auditing can play a role in providing a bridge to our customers and consumers. The goal is transparency of our production practices and documenting continuous improvement. Communicating that our values are aligned with the consumers values will be the key to improving trust with our customers and consumers
184 Review of animal welfare data for cattle and swine
Authors: Calvo-Lorenzo Michelle S
Published: December 2019

Interest in the topic of animal welfare continues to grow as knowledge about the quality of life of food animals evolves. Improving management practices that enhance welfare conditions for livestock requires tools that allow livestock caretakers to assess and address animal welfare conditions effectively and practically on farms. Over the past several years, Elanco Animal Health has developed analytical resources for beef cattle and swine producers to inform them on trends associated with finished cattle mobility and mortality, and transport losses in marketed swine. This presentation will share findings from Elanco’s databases and the published literature to inform and foster discussion important to livestock welfare advancements. Relative to finished cattle mobility, data captured from 11.5 M head (2015–2019) demonstrate that cattle mobility continues to trend positively with approximately 90% of cattle observed with normal mobility conditions at packing plants (Edwards-Callaway et al., 2017); however, mortality trends and veterinary medical charges are higher over the past 5 years (2014–2018) when closeout data from 41.8 M head of beef cattle are evaluated across U.S. feedlots. Relative to market weight pig transport losses, an industry survey of 310 M pigs (2012–2015) indicate that averages for total dead pigs, non-ambulatory pigs, and total losses were 0.26%, 0.63%, and 0.88%, respectively (Yoder et al., 2017), which is similar to reported values in the literature (Ritter et al., 2009). Collectively, this information is important for measuring continuous improvement and determining where opportunities exist to evaluate management practices associated with herd health protocols, seasonal impacts, handling, and transport conditions. Animal welfare challenges are a non-compete issue for the livestock industry, and tools to assess these welfare topics are key to the enhancement of current practices and development of novel approaches to positively impact the role that livestock caretakers have on animal welfare.
16 Standardized phytomolecules improve foot and mouth disease vaccine response in grower pigs
Authors: Blanchard Alexandra , Grandmaison Josselin le Cour , Kim In Ho , Kim Yong Min
Published: December 2019

Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) is a severe viral disease with significant economic impact. In endemic countries, livestock may be vaccinated. Standardized capsicum and turmeric oleoresins have demonstrated a boosting effect of vaccination in broiler, but little is known on their efficacy in swine. The objective of this trial was to evaluate the efficiency of these phytomolecules to improve FMD vaccine response in pigs. Cross-breed pigs (n = 120) with body weight of 24.6 kg were allotted into 3 groups of 40 pigs and assigned into 10 replicates from days 70 to 112 of age. Following treatments were applied: NS: no vaccination; FMD-NS: FMD vaccination; FMD-XT: FMD vaccination + supplementation of XT-N (4% capsicum + 4% turmeric oleoresins, Pancosma, Switzerland) at 125 g/ton in feed. The FMD vaccine (Omanisa + O3039 + A22 Iraq-strain, Merial) was injected at day 78. Blood samples were collected at days 88, 93, 98 and 103 to evaluate antibody levels. Growth performance was evaluated at day 112. Data were analyzed using the GLM procedure of SAS®. During the trial, non-vaccinated pigs (NS) did not display antibody titers against FMD, but vaccinated pigs (FMD-NS and FMD-XT) exhibited significant levels of FMD antibodies (P < 0.05). Pigs of FMD-XT group showed significant higher antibody levels at day 93 (P < 0.05), day 98 (P = 0.06) and day 103 (P < 0.05) in comparison to FMD-NS pigs. It indicated significant improvement of FMD vaccine response in comparison to the vaccinated control. At 112 days, FMD-NS pigs were numerically lighter (53.46 kg) in comparison to non-vaccinated pigs (53.89 kg). However, FMD-XT pigs were heavier (54.51 kg) in comparison to NS pigs (+0.62 kg, P >0.05) and FMD-NS pigs (+1.05 kg, P < 0.05). These findings showed that standardized phytomolecules (XT-N) incorporated into pig diet significantly supported FMD vaccination response and alleviated its negative effect on growth.
24 Validation of swine enteroids as a model to study Lawsonia intracellularis pathogenesis
Authors: Medida Ramya Lekha , Resende Talita P , Gebhart Connie , Saqui-Salces Milena
Published: December 2019

Lawsonia intracellularis is an obligate intracellular bacterium that causes proliferative ileitis, an enteric disease that costs more than $100 million annually to the US swine industry. Information about L. intracellualris pathogenesis is scarce due to lack of suitable in vitro models to study the infection-induced proliferative changes. L. intracellularis infection of the swine ileum has been shown to decrease the number of mucin-producing goblet cells and increase cell proliferation along with amplification of transient amplifying cells demonstrated by the expression of SOX9. The objective of this study was to validate the use of swine enteroids (three dimensional structures derived from adult intestinal stem cells) as a model to study the intestinal epithelial changes caused by L. intracellularis infection. Swine enteroids plated on transwell plate inserts to cover the surface area were infected with 108 L. intracellularis organisms in culture media per well and incubated at 37⁰C with atmospheric conditions of 8.0% oxygen, 8.8% carbon dioxide, and 83.2% nitrogen. Infected enteroids were collected after 7 days and gene expression levels of mucin 2 (MUC2), enterocyte marker fatty acid binding protein (FABP), endocrine marker chromogranin A (CGA), intestinal epithelium marker villin 1 (VIL1), paneth cell marker lysozyme (LYZ), proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and SOX9 were measured. The expression of FABP and LYZ in L. intracellularis infected swine enteroids decreased by 50% and 20% respectively and the expression of SOX9 increased by 50%, with no significant changes for the levels of VIL1 and CGA. The changes observed in the infected swine enteroids reflect the profile of gene expression observed in L. intracellularis infected ileal tissue. Therefore, swine enteroids are a suitable in vitro system to study the dynamics of cell differentiation and proliferation of the intestinal epithelium induced by L. intracellularis infection.
43 Nutritional management for tropical-subtropical-adapted cattle receiving high-concentrate diets
Authors: Rivera Madeline , Adams Jordan , Tedeschi Luis O
Published: December 2019

Contemporary nutritional research investigates the effects of diet formulation and feeding strategies on animal performance and global sustainability under different climates. Functional nutrition models have incorporated the effects of heat stress on net energy for maintenance requirements, dry matter intake (DMI), and milk production when accounting for animal and the environmental factors. It is commonly assumed that growing Bos indicus breeds receiving feedlot-type diets in tropical and subtropical regions have exhibited lower maintenance energy requirements than Bos taurus breeds. However, the ability to predict supplies of energy, protein, and minerals available to meet animal requirements depends on the accuracy and consistency of feed composition values obtained through digestibility trials and chemical analyses. Empirical observations indicate that feedstuffs grown in high temperatures affect cell wall lignification and metabolic activity rates, requiring special procedures for digestion trials. Similarly, physiological adaptation mechanisms in cattle in response to heat stress conditions include evapotranspiration, sweating, and drooling. Heat stress studies have reported a correlation between reduced DMI and increased dry matter digestibility for all breeds of cattle exposed to temperatures that exceed the upper critical temperatures. For that reason, diet formulation with integrated mathematical nutrition modeling can account for nutrient and animal variability, to improve total digestible nutrient values. Furthermore, the water requirement is influenced by stage and type of production, activity, diet composition, feed intake and environmental temperature. Adjustments in management practices could potentially result in reduced production losses caused by thermal heat stress. The utilization of region-specific facilities that accommodate cattle and ensure the availability and quality of drinking water will improve overall animal health and production. Cattle receiving high-concentrate diets in tropical and subtropical regions require adjustments in management and nutrition to mitigate challenges induced by heat stress environments, but improvements are warranted for required energy and water for Bos indicus breeds.
36 Matching cow’s genetics to the environment using genomics
Authors: Decker Jared E , Rowan Troy N , Nilson Sara , Durbin Harly J , Braz Camila U , Schnabel Robert D , Seabury Christopher
Published: December 2019

Cattle poorly adapted to their environment result in lost revenue and jeopardize the stability of the food supply. Genomic data now allows us to rigorously analyze adaptations and avoid the generation of animals that will not thrive. We used selection scans for local adaptation, genotype-by-environment genome-wide association analyses, creation of hair shedding genomic predictions and environmental region-specific genomic predictions of growth traits to characterize and predict local adaptation in beef cattle. Analyzing ~40,000 cattle from three breed associations with ~850,000 high-accuracy imputed SNPs, we used novel selection mapping methods to identify genomic loci responsible for adaptation. We identify 19 different loci (harboring 24 annotated genes) as responding to selection to local adaptation. In cooperation with 74 producers across the United States, over 12,000 cattle were scored on a scale of 1–5 for the early-summer hair shedding phenotype in 2016, 2017, and 2018. Participating cattle were genotyped using the GGP-F250 SNP panel developed by the University of Missouri, which contains ~170,000 candidate functional variants and ~30,000 variants in common with beef cattle industry standard genotyping assays. Genomic breeding values were generated with a repeated records model using these phenotypes. Further, we identified loci with large allele substitution effects for hair shedding. When local adaptations exist, ranking animals using a regional genetic evaluation will be different from national cattle evaluations. We developed region-specific genomic predictions using a multivariate model in which phenotypes from different regions were fit as separate dependent variables. Genetic correlations between regions were moderate, indicating substantial re-ranking between environmental regions. These genomic predictions will allow rapid identification of cattle best suited to an environment.
33 Nutritional programming of puberty in Bos indicus-influenced heifers
Authors: Cardoso Rodolfo C , Williams Gary L
Published: December 2019

Approximately 5 million beef heifers enter the U.S. cow herd annually and their lifetime productivity is heavily-dependent upon their ability to attain puberty and produce a calf by 24 mo of age. However, a significant proportion of heifers within existing U.S. production systems fail to achieve these goals, particularly in southern regions where Bos indicus-influenced cattle predominate. Therefore, approaches are needed that facilitate nutritional programming of the reproductive neuroendocrine axis, while minimizing feeding costs and optimizing the consistent establishment of puberty by 14–15 mo of age. Increased BW gain between 4 and 9 mo of age facilitates pubertal development by programming hypothalamic centers that regulate GnRH secretion. Among the different metabolic hormones, leptin plays a critical role in conveying nutritional information to the brain and controlling puberty. Two hypothalamic neuronal populations that express the orexigenic peptide neuropeptide Y (NPY) and the anorexigenic peptide alpha melanocyte-stimulating hormone (αMSH) are key components of afferent pathways that convey inhibitory (NPY) and excitatory (αMSH) inputs to GnRH neurons. Our studies have demonstrated that short-term increases in dietary energy intake during juvenile development result in epigenetic, structural, and functional modifications in these hypothalamic pathways to promote high-frequency, episodic release of GnRH/LH. However, integrating the foundational knowledge of metabolic imprinting of the brain for early puberty with issues related to lifetime performance is complex. One approach has been to employ a novel stair-step nutritional regimen involving alternating periods of dietary energy-restriction and re-feeding during juvenile development. This approach is designed to support early onset of puberty by imprinting functional alterations in the hypothalamus during key periods of brain development while optimizing other aspects of growth and performance. Finally, our recent findings suggest that maternal nutrition during gestation can also induce neuroendocrine changes that are likely to persist and influence reproductive performance throughout adulthood in cattle.
210 Genotype by environment interaction for pre-weaning survival in commercial crossbred pigs
Authors: Tiezzi Francesco , Fix Justin , Schwab Clint
Published: December 2019

Pre-weaning survival (PWS) is a trait of major importance in swine productions systems. Selection is made difficult by the low heritability of the trait(s) and genotype by environment interaction (GxE) could be present. In addition to that, given the binary nature of the trait, phenotypic variance is virtually null in contemporary group where PWS is large. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of heterogeneous phenotypic variance and GxE on PWS. We used survival to day 5 as a trait of interest, available for 574,828 crossbred piglets raised in a commercial environment. Piglets were progeny of 559 sires (450 genotyped with 60k SNP chip) and raised into 242 contemporary groups (CG). In estimating GxE, the E component was represented by fourth-order Legendre polynomials built on the CG solutions. A Single-Step random-regression sire model with heterogeneous residuals (10 classes) was used, once the CG solutions were obtained by a similar model that neglected GxE. Other (fixed) effects in the models were sow parity, litter size, litter transfer of the piglet, gender of the piglet, dam genetic line and litter (random). Results show an increase in phenotypic and residual variance as PWS decreased, which is expected given the nature of the binary trait. Genetic variance increased following the same trend, which made heritability to be constant (~2%). Genomic breeding values for most represented sires were plotted as a function of CG survival. While no variation among the sires can be found in CG with full survival, larger variance is shown as PWS decreases. Re-ranking among the sires is present as CG change. Results suggest that modeling PWS should account for the heterogeneous variance among CG. A moderate GxE in PWS at day 5 is also suggested.
223 Lesch-Nyhan syndrome: from patient to mouse model
Authors: Kubekina Marina V , Kalmykov Vladislav A , Kusov Pavel A , Silaeva Yulya Y , Deikin Alexei V
Published: December 2019

Introduction. HPRT1 is a Hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HGPRT) coding gene, mutations of which cause, among other diseases, Lesch-Nyhan syndrome. LNS is a severe X-linked recessive neurological disorder. Alignment shows 98.6% homology of human and murine protein sequences. Objectives. We assume that murine model of this human disease should be developed. So, our purpose is to create a transgenic mouse model of Lesch-Nyhan syndrome by CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing system. Methods. The BLAST was used to find homologous mutation in murine HPRT1 gene comparing to Human one. X-ray crystallographic structural model of the HPRT1 was used as template for M4T Raptor algorithm to generate predicted structure of mutated protein. Models were visualized in PyMol (Schrodinger, Portland, OR). Lack of enzymatic activity of the HGPRT could be caused via troubled homodimerization. Absence of the aliphatic Valine could be the reason of the hindered monomers interaction. Genetic construction based on the px330 plasmid was brought using microinjection method in mouse fertilized ovum for producing primary transgenic organisms. Results. The CRISPR/Cas9 system was specifically designed to carry out mutations in HPRT. The resulting genetic construct was introduced into the fertilized mouse ovum to obtain primary transgenic organisms. This mouse was obtained at the Institute of Biology of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Conclusion. Homologous mutation in human and murine HPRT1 gene resulting into comparable conformational change in the protein model structure was revealed, so murine personalized model of the Lesch-Nyhan syndrome could be developed. Structural changes can be further studied to provide treatment strategy for people suffering from Lesch-Nyhan syndrome. This study was supported by Russian Science Foundation (Grant #17-75-20249).