bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
“Prevalence of Chronic Food Insecurity, Policies, and Redressal Patterns among the PVTGs: A Case Study of Sahariya Tribe from India”
Authors: Patel Praveen Kumar , Mitra R. P.
Published: February 2023

Zero hunger and good health are two main goals for sustainable development, but when it comes to vulnerable sections of society, they struggle to meet their basic needs. In the Global Hunger Index 2021, India has been placed under a severe category with a score of 27.5. Sahariyas are a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group that faces numerous challenges in obtaining food security and adequate nutrition. The current study seeks to comprehend the complexities of food and nutrition among the Sahariya tribe. It also aims to determine the coping mechanisms used by households to mitigate food insecurity. This study is based on empirical data collected through fieldwork among 68 households in the Shivpuri district of Madhya Pradesh. Interviews, participant observation, and focus group discussions were used as methods of data collection. Their food patterns have been observed through household-level food analysis and narratives related to food insecurity. The study discussed the relationship between food insecurity and socioeconomic variables found in the studied area. The study revealed that Sahariyas are found to be mainly landless laborers (72.05%), Begging and rag-picking (39.71%), and forest dwellers (57.35%). Most of them have been found to struggle with their day-to-day food and life. To envision a new policy environment that can help in resolving food insecurity issues, a more in-depth understanding of the evolution of the food system is necessary.
Same same, but different: exploring the enigmatic role of the pituitary adenylate cyclase- activating polypeptide (PACAP) in invertebrate physiology
Authors: Pirger Zsolt , Urbán Péter , Gálik Bence , Márk László , Tóth Gábor K. , Koene Joris M. , Kemenes György , Reglődi Dóra , Kiss Tibor , Fodor István
Published: February 2023

There is a long-standing debate about the presence and functionality of the pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) in non-bilaterians, protostomes, and invertebrate deuterostomes. Evidence has been accumulating that homologous sequences to genes encoding PACAP peptides and their receptors in vertebrates are missing in invertebrate genomes. This is at odds, however, with the partial sequence-, immunohistochemical-, and physiological evidence in the literature. In this study, we first sequenced the neural transcriptome of the widely used invertebrate model species, the great pond snail (Lymnaea stagnalis), and then screened it for sequences homologous to the elements of the vertebrate PACAP system. Further, we performed in vitro and in vivo studies on the heart of L. stagnalis to explore the enigmatic role of vertebrate PACAP in invertebrate physiology. Our thorough screening failed to identify putative transcripts (or genes) to the vertebrate PACAP prepropeptides, active peptides, and their receptors. Despite the lack of the relevant sequences, our immunohistochemical investigations with an anti-human PAC1 receptor antibody yielded a positive signal in the neuronal elements in the heart. Although gel electrophoretic separation, followed by immunostaining, of proteins extracted from the central nervous system found a relevant band for the vertebrate PACAP-38, mass spectrometric analysis of the band did not find any corresponding peptide sequences. Similarly to the effects reported in vertebrates, 10 µM synthetic PACAP-38 significantly increased the cAMP synthesis in the homogenate of the heart and had a positive ionotropic effect on isolated heart preparations. Moreover, it modulated significantly the effects of serotonin and acetylcholine. Our findings support the idea that elements of the PACAP system are absent in mollusks and emerged after the protostome-deuterostome divergence. The physiological effects of vertebrate PACAP peptides in protostomes, no matter how similar they are to those in vertebrates, should be considered non-specific. Further studies should be aimed at investigating the cellular and molecular underpinnings including the identification of the receptors to which the vertebrate PACAP peptides may bind non-specifically.
Pricing cyber policies: a geospatial statistical approach
Authors: D'Amato Valeria , Ballestra Luca Vincenzo , Fersini Paola , Greco Fedele Pasquale , Forte Salvatore
Published: February 2023

Cyberspace consists in a complex mix of data, devices, and people. The virtual environment is based on different types of network layers, each of which has nodes that are locatable in space-time. Taking advantage of the growing volume of location-based information, mapping and keeping track of cyberattacks give an understanding of how improve the cyber resilience decision making, allowing to provide new tools for supporting the cybersecurity process. In brief, spatial approach enables to build a comprehensive model that more effectively assimilates all available data.
This paper presents a calculation method that, using the geospatial data of some companies, allows us to quantify the expected losses resulting from cyberattacks needed to price a policy to cover the cyber risk of data breaches. In particular, we examine the contribution of the spatial models in designing cyber risk policies for the insurance market.
In situ preparation of Bacterial cellulose/Hydroxyapatite scaffold in colloidal culture media containing Gum Tragacanth
Authors: Quan Vo Minh , Sukyai Prakit
Published: February 2023

The incorporation of Hydroxyapatite (HA) on bacterial cellulose has become an attempt in recent years to provide osteogenic abilities for the scaffold. In this study, gum tragacanth (GT) was added to the sugarcane juice media containing HA for Bacterial cellulose (BC) culturing to increase the attachment of the nanoparticles on cellulose fibers. The cellulose fibers experienced changes in fiber size and elemental components. The atomic % of Ca and P increased following the higher amount of HA added in BC culture media. The viability of pre-osteoblast cells MC3T3 was higher in scaffolds produced by the study compared to the net BC. The ALP activities of the cells on the scaffolds during 21 days of cultivation confirmed the differentiation support of the BGA scaffold. The method using colloidal media to attach nanoparticles on BC fibers is suggested to produce bioactive BC pellicle/fiber which opens other possibilities in BC applications.
Rupture Directivity of the 2019 ML 6.3 Xiulin (Taiwan) Earthquake Estimated by Near-Field Seismograms: Implications for Source Scaling During Faulting
Authors: Hwang Ruey-Der , Huang Yi-Ling , Chang Wen-Yen , Lin Cai-Yi , Lin Chiung-Yao
Published: February 2023

This study deconvolved regional seismograms to derive the azimuth-dependent source time functions for the 2019 Xiulin earthquake in Hualien, Taiwan. Then, rupture directivity analysis was used to estimate the fault parameters, and the results revealed a rupture length of 11.5 km, a source duration of 7.37 s, and a rupture velocity (Vr) of 1.56 km/s, approximately 0.4 times the value of the crustal S-wave velocity. Furthermore, the multiple-event analysis indicated two subruptures during the earthquake. Notably, the average rupture and the subrupture shared the same product of ΔσsVr3 (Δσs: static stress drop) and thus obeyed a specific source-scaling relationship. In short, the 2019 Xiulin earthquake had a relatively low Vr and a relatively high Δσs. We noted similarities between the 2018 Hualien and 2019 Xiulin earthquakes when comparing the fault parameters; rupture directivity analysis revealed that the two events occurred on a west-dipping plane with a similar strike. Therefore, the 2019 Xiulin earthquake likely constituted the remaining energy release of the 2018 Hualien earthquake.
Some rigidity theorems of closed curves in a CAT(k) space
Authors: Sama-Ae Areeyuth , Phon-on Aniruth , Makaje Nifatamah , Hazanee Areena , Riyapan Pakwan
Published: February 2023

In this paper, the characterizations of a closed polygonal curve in a CAT(k) space that bounds a geodesic surface which is isomet-ric to the region bounded by a polygon in the model space Sk with same perimeter are studied. The characterizations of a closed spherical curve in a CAT(k) space that bounds a geodesic surface which is isometric to the disk bounded by a circle in the model space Sk with same radii are also illustrated.
Mathematics Subject Classification (2010). 51K99.
P4HTM: A Novel Downstream Target of GATA3 in Breast Cancer
Authors: DiDonna Sarah C. , Nagornyuk Aerica , Adhikari Neeta , Takada Mamoru , Takaku Motoki
Published: February 2023

Breast cancer continues to be a major cause of death among women. The GATA3 gene is often overexpressed in breast cancer and is widely used to support a diagnosis. However, lower expression of GATA3 has been linked to poorer prognosis along with frequent gene mutations. Therefore, the role of GATA3 in breast cancer appears to be context specific. This study aims to identify a new downstream target of GATA3 to better understand its regulatory network. Clinical data analysis identified the prolyl 4-hydroxylase transmembrane protein (P4HTM) as one of the most highly co-expressed genes with GATA3. Immunohistochemical staining of breast tumors confirms co-expression between GATA3 and P4HTM at the protein level. Similar to GATA3, P4HTM expression levels are linked to patient prognosis, with lower levels indicating poorer survival. Genomics data found that GATA3 binds to the P4HTM locus, and that ectopic expression of GATA3 in basal breast cancer cells increases the P4HTM transcript level. These results collectively suggest that P4HTM is a novel downstream target of GATA3 in breast cancer and is involved in tumor progression.
Neighbor relation-aware graph convolutional network for recommendation
Authors: Li Yijia , Ren Zhilin
Published: February 2023

Existing recommender systems based on graph neural networks mainly aggregate the information of neighbors indiscriminately when updating the representation of the target node. In this way, most useful prior knowledge is not introduced in combination with the recommendation system itself to distinguish the relationship between users and items. To solve this problem, a Neighbor Relation-aware Graph Convolutional Network (NRGCN) is proposed, which combines three prior auxiliary information of rating, review text, and the timestamp to distinguish the expression differences of different neighbors in the neighborhood explicitly. Specifically, the user’s rating value is introduced as the basis for the closeness of the network, which is then modified by the sentiment rating of the review text. Besides, considering the changes in the user’s interest over time, the timestamp is used to encode the neighbor relationship at different times. Extensive experiments on three benchmark datasets show that our model outperforms various state-of-the-art models consistently, with a maximum increase of 12%.
How has COVID-19 changed health and social care professionals' attitudes to self-care? A mixed methods research study
Authors: Smith Pete Samuel , Alaa Aos , Sasco Eva Riboli , Bagkeris Emmanouil , El-Osta Austen
Published: February 2023

Background The COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally changed the way services are delivered. Self-care, including good hygiene practices and avoidance of risk was emphasised as the key measure to tackle the pandemic in the early stages. Objective To understand how self-reported professional attitudes, perceptions and practices of self-care have changed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Design Cross-sectional online survey and semi-structured qualitative interview. Setting Health and social care. Participants 304 health and social care professionals. Methods A wide range of health and social care professionals took part in a 27-item anonymous online survey. Semi-structured qualitative interviews with nine health & social care professionals explored attitudes to and practices of self-care before and during the pandemic. Views were sought on the permanence and implications of changes. Data were analysed using routine statistics and thematic analysis to identify major themes. Results A total of 304 health and social care professionals responded to the survey fully. Nine participated in a semi-structured interview. There was agreement that the importance of self-care has increased markedly during the pandemic. The percentage of respondents who felt that self-care was 'extremely' important to their clients increased from 54.3% to 86.6% since the pandemic. Personal empowerment and capacity of service users to self-care increased significantly during the pandemic. Willingness of patients to engage (74%) and poor understanding of self-care (71%) were cited as the two main barriers to self-care. A close third was digital exclusion (71%), though 86% of respondents recommending online resources and 77% the use of smartphone apps. Survey respondents believed the changes to be permanent and positive. Interviewees reported a major, and positive move to self-care with the pandemic seen as an opportunity to be grasped, but professional education would have to be aligned to make the most of it. They raised concerns as to whether the shift to self-care was perceived by users as 'abandonment' rather than 'empowerment' and whether problems had been stored rather than dealt with through self-care and therefore whether the positive changes would continue after the pandemic. Conclusion Reporting their views before the pandemic, barely more than half of the professionals surveyed saw self-care as fundamentally important to the individuals they served. This changed to 86% as a result of the pandemic. Patient/client engagement with and understanding of self-care were reported as major barriers, as was digital exclusion, though, increased technological solutions were used by all respondents. Concerns were raised that the permanence of the changes depended upon continued encouragement and empowerment of individuals to self-care and on its inclusion in professional education as a substantive subject.
Single cell multi-omic dissection of response and resistance to chimeric antigen receptor T cells against BCMA in relapsed multiple myeloma
Authors: Grieb Nora , Weiss Ronald , Sia Jaren , Fischer Luise , Born Patrick , Boldt Andreas , Fricke Stephan , Franz Paul , Scolnick Jonathan , Venkatraman Lakshmi , Xu Stacy , Kloetzer Christina , Heyn Simone , Kubasch Anne , Baber Ronny , Wang Song , Bach Enrica , Hoffmann Sandra , Ussmann Jule , Schetschorke Birthe , Hell Saskia , Schwind Sebastian , Metzeler Klaus , Herling Marco , Jentzsch Madlen , Franke Georg , Sack Ulrich , Reiche Kristin , Koehl Ulrike , Platzbecker Uwe , Vucinic Vladan , Merz Maximilian
Published: February 2023

Markers predicting response and resistance to chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma are currently missing. We subjected cells isolated from peripheral blood and bone marrow before and after the application of CAR T cells directed against B cell maturation antigen to single cell multi-omic analyses to identify markers associated with resistance and early relapse. Differences between responders and non-responders were already identified at time of leukapheresis. Non-responders showed an immunosuppressive microenvironment characterized by increased numbers of monocytes expressing the immune checkpoint molecule CD39 and suppressing CD8+ and NK cell function. The analyses of CAR T cells showed cytotoxic and exhausted phenotypes in hyperexpanded compared to low/intermediate expanded clones. We identified potential immunotherapeutic targets on CAR T cells, like PD1 and KLRB1, to improve their functionality and durability. Our work provides first evidence that an immunosuppressive microenvironment is associated with resistance to CAR T cell therapies.
Managerial Short-termism, Corporate Social Responsibility and Green Innovation: Empirical Evidence from China
Authors: Fan Min
Published: February 2023

Green innovation is key to promoting green development and all-round green transformation. Businesses are the backbone of green innovation. The Upper Echelons Theory tells us that the characteristics of managers can influence critical business decisions and therefore have an essential impact on green innovation strategies. Existing literature has discussed the impact of objective characteristics of managers on green innovation. However, there is little literature on the impact of managerial short-termism on green innovation in terms of its psychological characteristics. Based on the Time Orientation Theory, we believe that a manager's long-term vision is a booster for green innovation, while short-termism inhibits it. To test our idea, we perform a systematic analysis. Based on a theoretical analysis of the relationship between managerial short-termism and green innovation, we also demonstrate our hypothesis using quantitative analysis. Quantitative analysis finds that managerial short-termism does inhibit green innovation and remains true after robustness tests. We also find that the negative impact of managerial short-termism on green innovation is greater in samples with severe financing constraints and greater managerial power. And, in the mediation effect test, we demonstrate that managerial short-termism can influence green innovation by influencing CSR awareness. Finally, we performed an ecological consequence test and found that managerial short-termism ultimately leads to an increase in future carbon emissions in the city where the firm is located. The study enriched research on managerial short-termism and green innovation and provided influential references for subsequent research.
Charcot-Marie-Toothe Disease presenting with tremor; a rare presentation of hereditary polyneuropathy
Authors: Mohammed Salhadin , Tsehayneh Fikru , Kifelew Selam
Published: February 2023

Background: Charcot-Marie-Toothe (CMT) disease is a spectrum of inherited disorders caused by abnormalities in genes that are expressed in peripheral nerve myelin and/or axons. Typical features include both motor and sensory nerve manifestations with distal leg weakness, foot deformities (pes cavus, hammer toes), and sensory deficits. Postural tremor as a manifestation of CMT is seldom present, except in a variant of CMT1 (Roussy-Levy Syndrome), whose presentation includes postural tremor, gait ataxia, distal muscle atrophy, pes cavus, areflexia, and mild distal sensory loss.
Case Presentation: We present a 34-year-old right-handed male patient with tremor of the hands of 6 months duration. Associated with this, he has difficulty walking and weakness of the distal extremities bilaterally, initially and prominently involving the lower limbs. The patient says that his way of walking has been different as long as he remembers (slapping against the ground whenever he walks). The patient has no history of diabetes, hypertension, or any other chronic illness, and he has no family history of such illness. Physical examination revealed mild distal muscle weakness (4+/5 on upper limbs, while 3/5 on lower limbs), pes cavus deformity, absent ankle reflexes and mild vibratory sensory loss. We noted a postural tremor, that attenuates when the patient assumes anatomic position. The tremor is limited to the hands. NCS of Upper and lower Limbs showed moderate to severe motor axonal and demyelinating Polyneuropathy (Axonal > Demyelinating)- Suggestive of axonal predominant hereditary polyneuropathy. Subsequently done genetic testing revealed copy number changes (Heterozygous Deletion) on the MPZ and MFN2 Genes could be associated with CMT1B and CMT2A respectively; while the PMP22 gene showed ambiguous copy number changes (decrease) on exons 2 and 3. Tying the clinical, electrophysiologic and genetic findings, a consideration of CMT2A with postural tremor was made.
Conclusion: The present case describes a 34-year-old male patient with CMT2A presenting with neuropathic postural tremor, which is a rare presentation of a common hereditary polyneuropathy. This case highlights the fact that tremors can be associated with peripheral neuropathy syndromes, and a high index of suspicion is needed to rightly diagnose our patients.
Lokale Präventionsgremien in Deutschland
Authors: Schreiber Verena
Published: February 2023

Die Kernidee der kommunalen Kriminalprävention – die Sicherheitsgewährleistung auf der örtlichen Ebene – ist in den letzten Jahren in den Mittelpunkt sicherheitspolitischer Debatten gerückt. Schlüsselkonzepte wie Gemeinschaftlichkeit, Vernetzung und Bürgernähe gewinnen in den Kommunen zunehmend an Relevanz und münden in die Etablierung lokaler ressortübergreifender Zusammenschlüsse zur Kriminalitätsverhütung. Unter der Bezeichnung „Kriminalpräventionsräte“ versammeln sich allerdings sehr unterschiedliche inhaltliche und strategische Konzepte sowie eine Vielzahl lokaler Institutionalisierungsformen. Eine systematische Bestandaufnahme und Gegenüberstellung hat bislang nicht stattgefunden. Hinzu kommt, dass die Verbreitung lokaler Präventionsgremien in Deutschland von anhaltender Kritik begleitet wird: Auf Tagungen zur kommunalen Kriminalprävention werden z. B. immer wieder unzureichende Handlungsbefugnis, mangelnde Einbindung der Bürger/innen oder die große Bandbreite an Maßnahmen der Präventionsarbeit bemängelt, die letztlich zu einer Aushöhlung des Konzepts führten. Die Beobachtungen waren Anlass für die vorliegende Studie. In den zahlreichen Gesprächen mit Akteuren aus dem Bereich der kommunalen Kriminalprävention hat sich abgezeichnet, dass das Feld lokaler Präventionsarbeit nicht systematisch erfasst ist. Es gibt bislang keine Studie, die einen deutschlandweiten Überblick über die Verteilung der Gremien, die unterschiedlichen Organisationsformen, die beteiligten Akteure und die Projektarbeit liefert. Vor diesem Hintergrund erschien es notwendig, die Gremien deutschlandweit zu erheben und das Feld lokaler Präventionsarbeit zu strukturieren. Zu diesem Zweck werden im Folgenden die lokalen Netzwerke in vier thematischen Blöcken untersucht: • Präventionslandschaft: Wie verteilen sich die Gremien in Deutschland und in welchen Bundesländern sind lokale Präventionsnetzwerke besonders verbreitet? • Organisation: Wie sind die Präventionsgremien intern strukturiert und lokal ausgerichtet? • Vernetzung: Welche lokalen Institutionen arbeiten in den Gremien zusammen? Inwieweit sind die Bürger in die Präventionsarbeit einbezogen? • Projektarbeit: In welchen Bereichen sind die Gremien aktiv und welche Projekte werden durchgeführt? An welchen Zielen orientiert sich die Projektarbeit? Die vorliegende Studie ist die erste deutschlandweite Online-Befragung unter lokalen Präventionsgremien. An ihr haben sich über 250 Gremien beteiligt. Ihnen gilt besonderer Dank, sowie dem Deutschen Forum Kriminalprävention (DFK), dem Europäischen Zentrum für Kriminalprävention (EZK) und dem Leibniz-Institut für Länderkunde (IfL) für die Unterstützung bei der Umfrage.
Critical Whiteness im Freiwilligendienst : eine rassismuskritische Analyse der Privilegienreflexion Weißer Freiwilliger
Authors: Wille Laura
Published: February 2023

Diese Arbeit nimmt Weiße Freiwillige aus Deutschland in den Blick, die einen Freiwilligendienst im Ausland geleistet haben und in rassistischen Machtverhältnissen eine privilegierte, das heißt Weiße Position einnehmen. Dabei dienen die Critical Whiteness Studies als fruchtbare Grundlage, um die Auseinandersetzung mit Rassismus aus Weißer privilegierter Perspektive zu untersuchen. Die Arbeit geht daher der Frage nach: Inwiefern die Erfahrungen im Freiwilligendienst und die begleitenden rassismuskritischen Seminare Weiße Nord-Nord und Nord-Süd Freiwillige dazu anregen, ihre Privilegien zu reflektieren und sich kritisch im rassistischen Machtsystem zu positionieren. Die Analyse der Interviews mit Weißen Freiwilligen zeigt, dass die Interviewten zum einen unterschiedliche Konfrontationserfahrungen mit Whiteness gemacht haben und zum anderen ihre daraus resultierenden Reflexionsprozesse und Umgangsweisen sehr divers ausfallen. Unterschiede zeigen sich jedoch nicht nur zwischen den Nord-Nord und Nord-Süd Freiwilligen, sondern auch situationsabhängig anhand der jeweiligen Erfahrungen der einzelnen Weißen Freiwilligen. Aus diesen Untersuchungen lässt sich ableiten, dass es auch für rassismus- und machtkritische Begleitseminare weiterhin eine zu bewältigende Herausforderung bleibt, die Relevanz der persönlichen Auseinandersetzung mit Whiteness und somit mit eigenen Privilegien und Verstrickungen in Rassismus – unabhängig vom Zielland des Freiwilligendienstes – zu vermitteln.
Demographic Characteristics and Job Satisfaction: The Mediation Role of Organisational Justice Perceptions in Public and Private Sector Health Organisations in Nigeria
Authors: Court Timinepere Ogele
Published: February 2023

The health sector is of critical importance to the wellbeing of the labour force, dependent demographic structure and life expectancy for economic development. Effective and efficient health care delivery is of a prime focus among stakeholders in the health sector in Nigeria. The current status of the health sector is fraught with industrial unrest and picketing following the failure of the government to meet the expectation of workers. Employee work-related attitude of job satisfaction, distributive, procedural and interactional justice perceptions of health workers in part play a key role to attaining quality health care. However, a large number of factors are responsible for job satisfaction of health professionals. In this paper, the nexus between demographics and job satisfaction is examined as well as the mediating role of organisational justice perceptions of workers in public and private healthcare institutions in Nigeria. Demographics of age, gender, education, job experience were considered with respect to overall job satisfaction and organisational justice. The study is grounded in the equity theoretical foundation of Adams in 1965. An analytical descriptive survey design was adopted in this study. A sample of 300 employees from private (150 workers) and public (150 workers) health care institutions were selected for the study through the use of a stratified random sampling procedure. The data were collected from self-report of workers via the administration of a structured questionnaire to employees. The numeric scores were determined from the summated scales of job satisfaction and organisational justice. The data were analysed with multivariate regression and structural equation modelling. From the analysed data, the study found that gender and job tenure were significant predictors of distributive justice, procedural justice and extrinsic job satisfaction while organisational justice had a significant effect on job satisfaction. In terms of the indirect effects, organisational justice mediated the relationships between gender, job tenure and overall job satisfaction. Consistent with the findings of the study, all health professionals should be treated on the basis of fairness without discrimination irrespective of status and professional dichotomy. Accordingly, the study recommended that the health care workforce who play managerial roles should ensure fairness and consider job tenure and gender in the formulation of policy frameworks for the overall job satisfaction of employees.
Effect of Plant Growth Regulators on Creeping Bentgrass during Heat, Salt, and Combined Stress
Authors: Drake Arly Marie , Petrella Dominic P. , Blakeslee Joshua J. , Danneberger T. Karl , Gardner David S.
Published: February 2023

Creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.) is a turfgrass species that is widely used on golf courses throughout the United States. In field settings, plants are often subjected to more than one stress at a time, and studying stresses independently is likely insufficient. Stresses, such as heat stress and salt stress, can affect plant hormone levels and, in turn, plant hormone levels can affect how well the plant tolerates stress. The objectives of the experiments were to determine if the levels of heat stress and salt stress used would be detrimental to creeping bentgrass health, and if applying plant growth regulators could improve plant health during stress. During the first experiment, creeping bentgrass was transplanted to hydroponics systems in two different growth chambers. One chamber was set to have day and night temperatures of 35 °C and 30 °C (heat stress), respectively, and the other had day and night temperatures of 25 °C and 20 °C, respectively. Within each chamber, one block received a 50 mM NaCl treatment (salt stress) and the other did not (control). The stress treatments were applied for 14 days. Results of the first experiment indicated that the treatments were sufficient to negatively affect creeping bentgrass growth and health as indicated by fresh shoot and root weights, tillering, electrolyte leakage, and total chlorophyll content (TCC). There were significant interactions of temperature × salt level detected for shoot and root weights and electrolyte leakage. Plants that were exposed to both heat stress and salt stress were more negatively affected than plants exposed to either heat stress or salt stress alone for all metrics except for tillering. The presence of salt reduced tillering regardless of the temperature regimen. During the second experiment, plants were treated the same, but the plant growth regulator (PGR) treatments were also applied. The PGR treatments consisted of two different gibberellic acid (GA) synthesis inhibitor products, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, two different rates of aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG), an ethylene synthesis suppressor, and plants that were not treated with the PGR. In addition to the measurements of plant health and growth, dry shoot and root weights were measured. For the TCC, there was a two-way interaction between temperature × PGR treatment. For electrolyte leakage, there was a three-way interaction between temperature × salt level × PGR treatment. Combined heat stress and salt stress negatively affected all plants regardless of PGR treatment, but there were differences between PGR treatments. Plants treated with AVG exhibited improved health and growth compared with the other PGR treatments. These plants had the highest shoot and root masses. Plants treated with GA synthesis inhibitors had the lowest shoot and root masses as well as the lowest TCC when subjected to stress.
Care of Confined Cattle
Authors: Blowey Roger W.
Published: February 2023

The assessment of welfare and what is right for the cow is extremely difficult. It has been proposed (Webster 1984) that housing systems be assessed according to the degree that animals housed within them are free from 5 considerations:1. Freedom from hunger and malnutrition2. Free from thermal and physical discomfort3. Freedom from injury and disease4. Freedom from fear and stress5. Freedom to express normal behaviour.

It is likely that, of all of these, freedom from injury and disease are the most important and these are the 2 issues which will be considered in this paper. The major diseases associated with environmental stress in dairy cattle are lameness, mastitis and fertility. For housed stockyoung, enteric problems and pneumonia are the most important.
Botulism Toxicosis of Cattle
Authors: Whitlock Robert H. , Williams Julie M.
Published: February 2023

Botulism in cattle is occurring with greater frequency in North America, coincident with increased frequency of large plastic bags used to store forage and with the increased use of small grain (ryelage) haylage. The clinical signs of botulism in cattle are very characteristic, almost pathognomonic if epidemiological factors are considered. Nearly always multiple cattle in a herd, within a few days of each other, have clinical signs of progressive muscular weakness leading to recumbency over a 2-5 day period of time. Perhaps the most dramatic, characteristic, clinical sign is the loss of normal lingual tone, to the point that the tongue will hang out of the side of the mouth. However, in order to elicit this finding, the tongue needs to be grasped manually and then pulled out of the side of the mouth with the jaws closed. In normal cattle, the tongue will then be retracted back into the mouth. Abnormal tongue tone, as occurs with botulism, will be manifest by both loss of normal muscular tongue tone and lack of prompt response to retract the tongue into the mouth. A limp tongue is clearly abnormal and with loss of ability to swallow, suggests botulism. Types A, Band type C botulism occur in cattle in the USA, but type B predominates. Type B is associated with feeding improperly fermented forage where the pH has not reached 4.5 or lower. Acid pH inhibits sporulation preventing botulinum toxin from being produced. Type C botulism occurs with the accidental feeding of carrion (birds, cat or dog carcasses) in the ration to cattle. Definitive diagnosis is challenging, often requiring multiple samples of forage, rumen contents, and/or fecal samples to be tested for botulinum spores and toxin in a laboratory experienced in botulinum testing.
Ruminant Disorders Associated with Pathogens Found within Ensiled Forages
Authors: Seglar Bill
Published: February 2023

Properly ensiled forages and grains are bio-secure when fed to dairy cows.7 Silage management is, therefore, important to dairy health and profitability. Veterinarians offering production medicine consultation to dairy producers must be knowledgeable about ensilage. Pathogens are present in silage regardless of how well it is preserved. Problems that may occur include ensiling forages: 1) too wet, resulting in clostridial fermentation and causing reductions in voluntary feed intake, 2) that deteriorate upon extreme aerobic instability, resulting in growth of Listeria monocytogenes, and causing listeriosis, and 3) too dry, producing aerobic instability problems with molds and mycotoxins.
Coping With Catastrophic Ensiled Forage Losses
Authors: Seglar Bill
Published: February 2023

Providing cattle the highest quality ensiled forages and grains possible for maximum milk and beef productivity is a goal for most crop growers and cattle feeders.

Pre-harvest weather related catastrophes such as flood, drought, wind, hail, and early frost can jeopardize this feeding goal, causing yield losses and reduction of nutrient quality of forages and grains. Harvest delays due to rainy seasons present another reason why quality crops may become less than ideal when fed out of the silo. These situations are out of the manager's control.

Post-harvest silage catastrophes within manager control include the ensiling of quality crops with less than ideal ensiling management practices. This includes situations where crops are ensiled with improper moisture, maturity, packing, sealing, and feedout management.

Aerobically unstable or Clostridial silages are the most common result when dealing with pre- and post-harvest catastrophes. Managing weather damaged crops prior to harvest and dealing with post-ensiling challenges requires managers to work with the principles of fermentation. 2,5
Practitioner's Perspective on Scours in Beef Calves
Authors: Adams James G.
Published: February 2023

As in many other livestock diseases, diarrhea in young beef calves can be the symptom of the primary disease, or merely the result of a secondary or concurrent disease. The initial physical exam needs to look for respiratory disease, umbilical infection which may or may not have spread to the joints, and any evidence of birth defects or neurological conditions. Anything that interfers with nursing and the intake of adequate colostrum usually will result in diarrhea. It also is imperative to examine the cow for evidence of mastitis, uterine infection, or other diseases which may have impaired milk supply or produced more than the calf could easily handle (think Holstein-cross cows).

This may be easier said than done, since many times the first examination of the calf takes place in the pasture.
Veterinary Reproductive Programs
Authors: Ferguson James D. , Galligan David T.
Published: February 2023

Reproduction influences farm gross income about 10%. Gross margin per cow is maximized when herd pregnancy rate (pregnancy efficiency) is above 30%. Pregnancy rate (PR) is calculated as the heat detection rate (HDR) times the conception rate (CR). Since CR is typically below 40% on most farms, HDR needs to be above 80% to achieve a PR above 30%.

Herd reproductive programs are most effective when they are used to control HDR. Furthermore, first insemination heat detection rates have a higher economic value than repeat heat detection rates. Synchronization programs using prostaglandin alone or in combination with GnRH have a high potential return for producers to improve reproductive efficiency. Synchronization programs have value on dairy farms as they control HDR, improve labor efficiency for insemination, and coordinate veterinary activities for pregnancy examination on a scheduled basis.
Epidemiologic Approach to Investigating Abortion Problems in Dairy Herds
Authors: Kinsel Mark L.
Published: February 2023

Abortion problems in dairy herds often pose a frustrating challenge for herd managers and veterinarians trying to solve them. Reasons for this difficulty arise because: 1) there are not well established guidelines on what constitutes an abortion problem, 2) the magnitude of the problem is often difficult to estimate as most abortions are not observed, 3) the inciting event for an abortion may occur months prior to the abortion, 4) known abortificaient agents are identified in only about one fourth of cases submitted to diagnostic laboratories, and 5) given an agent diagnosis, intervention strategies are often limited to herd vaccination or feed changes. As a result of this frustration, an epidemiologic approach to investigating abortion problems was initiated at Washington State University. The investigation protocol consists of seven steps: confirmation of cases, a management questionnaire, development of a farm event listing, collection of bulk tank milk shipment and milk quality reports, construction of temporal plots, a matched case-control analysis, and risk group based sampling. The goal of this protocol is to identify key determinants (risk factors under management control) as potential points of intervention and is intended as a supplemental procedure to standard diagnostic methods.
Helpful Tips to Manage Difficult Cesarean Section in Cattle
Authors: Anderson David E.
Published: February 2023

Cesarean section is usually performed with minimal difficulty and a low complication rate. Occasionally, difficulties are encountered during surgery, which frustrate and fatigue the surgeon as well as the cow. One such complication is when excessive straining causes rumen prolapse through a left flank incision. I have used two methods to handle this problem: 1) lidocaine + xylazine epidural medication and 2) placement of a nasotracheal or orotracheal tube.
Milking Management and Bulk Milk Iodine Concentrations in Ontario Dairy Herds
Authors: Leslie K. L. , Kelton D. F. , Wagter L. C. , Day K. J. , Storey D. L. , Melichericik J. , Godkin M. A.
Published: February 2023

The role of hygiene in the prevention of new intramammary infections has been well understood since the late 1950's. In 1965, Newbould reviewed the literature on disinfection in the prevention of udder infections.1 Throughout the next decade, numerous disinfectant products were approved and marketed. Even though significant extension education efforts were mounted, in 1981 a formal observational study reported that the implementation of proper milking management methods on Ontario dairy farms had not kept pace with the current knowledge on mastitis control.2 Barely 50% of herds were using post-milking teat dipping. Since that time, there has been relatively little published regarding implementation of recommended mastitis control practices.3 During the same time period, the iodine content of fluid milk has been questioned. The concentration of iodine has been reported for raw farm milk4 and for retail milk samples.5 Some evidence of samples with high milk iodine content was documented in these reports. Even though iodine is essential, it is a potentially harmful dietary element, and cause for public concern. The impact of pre-milking teat disinfection on the iodine content of milk has been studied.6 However, recent literature is lacking on the prevalence of elevated iodine in the farm-gate milk supply. The objective of this project was to determine the current status of the Ontario dairy industry for frequency of use of various milking management procedures, and to study the association between the use of these practices and bulk milk iodine concentrations.
Relationship Between Antibiotic Residues and Bulk Tank Somatic Cell Count in Wisconsin Dairy Herds
Authors: Ruegg P. L. , Tabone T. J.
Published: February 2023

The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between bulk-tank somatic cell count (SCC) levels and the occurrence of antibiotic residues in milk samples collected for regulatory purposes. The data included tests from all licensed dairy farms in Wisconsin. Data consisted of 945,595 grade-A milk samples and 199,976 grade-B milk samples collected from Wisconsin dairy farms from January 1995 through November 1998.
Effect of Prepartum Crude Protein Level on Performance of Primiparous Holstein Cows
Authors: Santos J. E. P. , Jardon P. W. , DePeters E. J. , Huber J. T.
Published: February 2023

Studies have shown that primiparous cows may require a higher level of crude protein (CP) prepartum than recommended by National Research Council (NRC) (1989). To evaluate the effect of prepartum dietary CP level on performance, 42 primiparous Holstein cows were utilized in a randomized complete block design.
Risk Assessment and Strategic Management for the Reduced Incidence of Neonatal Calf Diarrhea
Authors: Pence Mel , Thompson John U.
Published: February 2023

Risk factors associated with calf diarrhea were identified and management strategies were developed to reduce their impact on the incidence of disease. 541 cows were bred to calve. Between March 3 and May 15, 1998. A field investigation checklist was utilized to assess the risk factors in the herd for this year. Risk factors identified were: parity, different origin of the groups of cattle, weather, poor body condition score and intensity of calving. These cattle were 46% first calf heifers, and the remainder were mature cows. The first calf heifers were from 5 different sources, and the mature cows were from the Iowa State University (ISU) Rhodes farm. The groups had never been commingled.

Body condition scores of the cattle averaged below 5, and there was a high maintenance requirement because of muddy conditions and frequent wet hair coats due to continuing cold rains. The first 195 cows were due to calve in a total of 30 days, and 200 of the heifers were bred to calve in 26 days. Procedures were developed to allow a one-way flow of the cow/calf pairs through calving areas to reduce contact of the calves with possible large numbers of pathogens and separate first-parity heifers from the mature cows.
Amelioration of the Pulmonary Toxic Effects of 4-ipomeanol in Mice by Fermentation of Mold-damaged Sweet Potatoes
Authors: Thibodeau Michael S. , Rogers Glenn M. , Poore Matthew H. , Haglar Winston M.
Published: February 2023

Stressed sweet potatoes infected with mold (Fusarium sp.) produce the furanoterpenoid 4-ipomeanol, which is pneumotoxic to cattle. Mechanical injury, chill injury, chemical injury, or infection with nematodes or fungi will stress sweet potatoes to produce toxic metabolites, which are further metabolized by Fusarium sp. The most abundant toxin produced is 4-ipomeanol. Pulmonary cytochrome P450 enzymes oxidize 4-ipomeanol to reactive species that cause pulmonary damage. Most of the pulmonary cytochrome P450 is contained in non-ciliated epithelial cells (Clara cells) that line bronchioles and bronchi. Within 1 day of ingestion, affected cattle develop interstitial pneumonia that causes an acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). This can result in death from asphyxiation.

The risk of ARDS prevents the sweet potato from being used as cattle feed, which is unfortunate since there is an abundance of sweet potato waste in certain regions of the United States. The sweet potato is ranked 7th as a world crop. In 1995 approximately 1.3 billion pounds of sweet potatoes were produced in the United States. North Carolina alone produced 480 million pounds. Nearly 25% of the sweet potatoes harvested (approximately 1.8 million bushels) are culled, and are either dumped in a landfill or spread on crop land. Sweet potatoes have already been shown to have nutritional value equivalent to corn. Since pneumotoxicity excludes the sweet potato from use as a dietary source in cattle, we have begun investigating processing methods that may eliminate the furanoterpenoid toxins. To date our work suggests that simple processing methods may degrade the furanoterpenoids and eliminate pneumotoxicity.
Use of an ELISA to Monitor Internal Parasite Burdens in Dairy Cows
Authors: Guitian Javier , Keefe Greg , Dohoo Ian
Published: February 2023

This study examined the relationship between ELISA results and both herd milk production and management factors that would be expected to influence parasite burdens.
Effect of an Eprinomectin Treatment at Fall Housing on Milk Production of Dairy Cows in Québec
Authors: Carrier Jérôme , DesCôteaux Luc
Published: February 2023

Dairy cattle in Quebec are exposed to gastrointestinal nematodes throughout the grazing season, from May to October. The clinical and economic impact of these parasites, especially Ostertagia ostertagi, is well documented in replacement animals. In severe cases, clinical disease (diarrhea, weight loss and death) can be seen, but in most cases the infestations are subclinical and may lead to decreased productivity (reduced average daily gain). Many deworming products and protocols have been proposed to enhance dairy cattle productivity. The efficacy and economic justification of some of those are not always evident, especially for lactating animals. Animals over 2 years of age rarely show clinical signs of digestive parasitism, and clinical trials using a wide range of parasite control products have shown variable effects on lactation productivity. The discovery of the avermectin endectocide family was a major advance in clinical parasitology. Avermectins were shown to be highly effective and to improve dairy cattle productivity but they only were available for use in heifers and during the dry period, due to milk withdrawal times. The recent approval of eprinomectin with no witholding time for meat or milk has allowed the treatment of dairy cattle of all ages at any time of lactation.

The objective of this study was to determine the response in milk production of dairy cows treated with eprinomectin at fall housing.
Effect of D-Calcium Pantothenate Administered Between 20 Days Antepartum and 70 Days Postpartum on the Postpartum Adrenocortical and Ovarian Functions in Dairy Cows
Authors: Nakao Toshihiko , Uchida Yuji , Fukuda Takamasa , Moriyoshi Masaharu , Nakada Ken
Published: February 2023

D-Calcium pantothenate (Calpan) is known to improve reproductive performance in dairy cattle. However, the mechanism of action on the reproductive system is not well understood. Aim of the present study is to clarify the effects of 10% Calpan powder on the recovery of adrenocortical and ovarian functions and uterine involution in postpartum cows.