bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
347 Effects of Inoculation Period on the Nutritive Value of Pleurotus Ostreatus Treated Corn Stover
Authors: Olagunju Lydia K , Isikhuemhen Omonanghe S , Dele Peter A , Shaw Yasmine , Brice Rosetta M , Orimaye Oluteru E , Wuaku Michael , Ike Kelechi A , Anele Uchenna Y 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
The objective of the study was to optimize and improve the feeding value of corn stover. Despite the documented ability of Pleurotus ostreatus to selectively delignify crop residues, it is not widely used for ruminant fiber digestion partly due to extended pretreatment time. Optimization of crop residues is influenced by enzymatic activities of fiber degrading enzymes and dependent on the stage of P. ostreatus growth. Thus, optimizing the inoculation period for lignin removal by P. ostreatus is important to improve and increase success on lignocellulose feed resources utilization. Therefore, we hypothesized a difference in nutritive value for different inoculation periods for P. ostreatus spent substrates. Two ruminally cannulated dairy cows were used in an in vitro study arranged in a 3 x 5 factorial design with 4 replicates to evaluate the effects of inoculation period [0 (control), 2, 4, 6 and 8 wk] on P. ostreatus spent substrates at 6, 24 and 48 h of fermentation on chemical composition, dry matter disappearance (DMd) and volatile fatty acid (VFA) production. Significant (P &lt; 0.001) non-linear treatment effect across the inoculation period was observed in the treated samples (Table 1). An increase of 44.4 to 59.1% and 20.6 to 78.6% was noted for the crude protein and ash contents, respectively. Also, significant (P &lt; 0.001) incubation time effect across the inoculation period resulted in a wide variation (22.6 - 755%) in the microbial mass with greater values for 2- and 4-wk treatments. Neutral detergent fiber and hemicellulose were significantly (P &lt; 0.001) reduced with a range between 7.29 to 18.7% and 26.6 to 40.8%, respectively (Table 3). Inconsistent positive and negative outcomes across the periods in acid detergent fiber, lignin and cellulose resulted in significant (P &lt; 0.001) 116 and 121% increment in non-fiber carbohydrates for 2 and 4-wk treatments, respectively. Consequently, both DMd and total VFA were significantly (P &lt; 0.001) greater, ranging between 238 to 242% and 13.9 to 15.1% respectively for these treatments (Table 2). Additionally, the rumen fermentation pathway favored production of propionate with significant (P &lt; 0.001) treatment and time effect that resulted in 7.46 and 8.30% increment in propionate production after 2 and 4 wk, respectively. Consequently, significant (P &lt; 0.001) reduction was observed in acetate with 4.44 and 3.58%, and 11.7 and 11.1% in A:P ratio for 2 and 4 wk, respectively. High butyrate production was observed for 2 wk in comparison with 4 wk resulting in 18.3 and 9.86% increment, respectively, when compared with control (Table 4). The study showed that 2 wk of inoculation is sufficient to provide bio-transformed cow-calf feed resource from P. ostreatus treated corn stover, which is contrary to 30 days (4 wk) previously recommended.
341 Effect of Multispecies Fungal Culture Extract Supplementation on the Growth Performance and Carcass Characteristics of Feedlot Cattle
Authors: Pittaluga Alejandro , Relling Alejandro E 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
To evaluate the effect of supplementing feedlot cattle with a multispecies fungal culture extract (MFE; Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus oryzae, Aspergillus terreus, Phlebia radiata, Pyricularia oryzae, Stropharia coronilla, Thanatephorus cucumeris, Trichoderma longibrachiatum, Trichoderma reesei, Trichoderma viride) in growth performance and carcass characteristics, Angus × SimAngus-crossbred steers (n = 14) and heifers [n = 46; body weight (BW) 344 ± 21 kg] were used in randomized complete block design. Cattle were blocked by BW and housed in 4 feedlot pens (randomly assigned 2 pens per treatment) where a hay-based diet was fed for 84 d (backgrounding), followed by a ground corn-based finishing diet. Subsequently, cattle were harvested upon reaching desired 12th rib fat thickness (2.0 cm). Diets were offered ad libitum and with (MFE) or without (CON) the inclusion of the multispecies fungal culture extract supplement. Steers were weighed at 28-d intervals throughout the experimental period and carcass data were provided by a USDA grader. All data were analyzed using the PROC MIXED procedure of SAS considering the fixed effect of treatment and sex, and the random effect of block and pen (block). During the 84-d period of the backgrounding phase, feeding MFE increased (P = 0.05, Table 1) the average daily gain (ADG) by ~10%, and tended to increase (P = 0.06, Table 1) the dry matter intake (DMI). No differences were observed in the gain to feed ratio (G:F) between treatments (P = 0.67, Table 1). At the conclusion of the 84-d period, cattle fed MFE were heavier (P = 0.04, Table 1) than cattle in the CON treatment. In the finishing phase, no treatment differences were observed (P ≥ 0.36) for the ADG, DMI, and G:F. At the end of the experiment, cattle supplemented with MFE were heavier (P = 0.04, Table 1) than cattle in the CON treatment. The quantity of days on feed in the finishing diet required to reach harvesting target was not different (P = 0.60) among treatments. For the carcass characteristics, dietary inclusion of the MFE tended to increase the hot carcass weight (P = 0.10, Table 2) and increased the marbling score (P = 0.01, Table 2). No treatment effect was detected (P ≥ 0.25, Table 2) for the dressing, longissimus muscle area, 12th rib fat thickness, kidney-pelvic-heart fat content, and yield grade. Results from this study suggest that dietary inclusion of a multispecies fungal culture extract might improve the growth performance of beef cattle fed forage-based diets, as well as their carcass characteristics after conclusion of the feedlot finishing phase.
332 Effects of Ruminal Lipopolysaccharides on Primary Bovine Ruminal Epithelial Cells
Authors: Sarmikasoglou Efstathios , Chu Leah , Yue Feng , Faciola Antonio P 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
The objective of this study was to investigate the immunopotential of mixed ruminal lipopolysaccharides (LPS) on cultured primary bovine ruminal epithelial cells (RECs). Primary bovine RECs were isolated from 6 yearling steers and grown in culture for 3 experiments. In Exp. 1 the objective was to determine the immunopotential of ruminal LPS, in Exp. 2 the objective was to assess tolerance to chronic LPS exposure, and the objective of Exp. 3 was to evaluate antagonistic interactions between ruminal and E.coli LPS. In exp. 1 & 2, RECs were exposed to nonpyrogenic water (CON), 20 μg/mL of E. coli LPS (E. COLI), 10 μg/mL of mixed ruminal-LPS (RUM10), 20 μg/mL of mixed ruminal-LPS (RUM20) and 40 μg/mL of mixed ruminal-LPS (RUM40) either continuously or intermittently. For the continuous exposure, RECs underwent a 6 h exposure, while for the intermittent exposure, the procedure was 1) a 12 h continuous exposure to treatments followed by LPS removal for 24 h and then another 12 h of exposure (RPT), and 2) a 12 h continuous exposure to treatments followed by LPS removal and a recovery period of 36 h (RCV). In exp 3, RECs were exposed to nonpyrogenic water (0:0), 1 μg/mL E. coli LPS (0:1), 1 μg/mL mixed ruminal-LPS:1 μg/mL E. coli LPS (1:1), 10 μg/mL mixed ruminal-LPS :1 μg/mL E. coli LPS (10:1) and 50 μg/mL mixed ruminal-LPS :1 μg/mL E. coli LPS (50:1). Each experiment was done as a complete randomized block design with 6 REC donors. The REC donor was used as a blocking factor. Each treatment had 2 technical replicates, and treatment responses for all data were analyzed with the MIXED procedure of SAS. For all exp., total RNA was extracted from RECs and real-time quantitative PCR was performed to determine the relative expression of genes for toll-like receptors (TLR2 & TLR4), proinflammatory cytokines (TNFα, IL1β, and IL6), chemokines (CXCL2 & CXCL8), growth factor-like cytokines (CSF2 & TGFβ), and a lipid mediator (PTGS2). In exp. 1, the targeted genes were upregulated in response to E. COLI (P&lt;0.01), while all ruminal LPS treatments resulted in a lower transcript abundance (P&lt;0.01). Regarding RPT and RCV condition, in Exp. 2, the expression of targeted genes was downregulated or not affected in response to ruminal LPS treatments. Lastly, in Exp. 3 all targeted genes resulted in decreased transcript abundance on all ruminal LPS ratios (P&lt;0.01). Overall, our results indicate that ruminal LPS have a limited capacity to activate the TLR4/NF-κB pathway and to induce the expression of inflammatory genes.
331 Investigating the Ruminal Metagenome of Grass and Forage-Fed Bison to Uncover Metabolic Activities That Impact the Efficiency of Plant Fiber Utilization
Authors: Fresno Rueda Anlly M , Kruse Carter , St-Pierre Benoit 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
The ability of bison to thrive on grass and forage-based diets is of great interest for the bison industry. However, raising bison on pasture presents challenges, including longer finishing times. While some producers overcome this by feeding grain or concentrate to bison, this practice conflicts with the concept of natural production. Considering that bison maintain better on feed of poor quality compared with domesticated grazers, it can be inferred that there is great potential for improving their productivity on pastures. Because ruminants rely on symbiotic microorganisms to break down and ferment plant polysaccharides into nutrients they can absorb and assimilate, the metabolic capabilities of rumen microbial communities in bison would likely have an important role in contributing to the efficiency of their host. To gain further insight, we investigated the ruminal metagenome of six grass-fed bison. Raw sequence reads generated using an Illumina Miseq (2x250) platform from ruminal microbial genomic DNA were assembled into genomic contigs using custom written Perl scripts. A total of 6,297 contigs, representing a combined total length of 23,822,104 nucleotides, were obtained for all samples. Coding sequences were identified and annotated using RAST (Rapid Annotation using Subsystem Technology), which was followed by assignment to metabolic pathways using references from KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes), with a particular focus on carbohydrate metabolism and amino acid synthesis. This analysis resulted in the identification of nine of the ten enzymes necessary for glycolysis, indicating the capacity to metabolize glucose into pyruvate. Two outcomes were predicted for pyruvate: conversion to lactate through lactate dehydrogenases (EC 1.1.1.27, EC 1.1.1.28), as well as the production of acetate through the sequential activity of pyruvate-flavodoxin oxidoreductase (EC 1.2.7.1), phosphate acetyltransferase (EC 2.3.1.8), and acetate kinase (EC 2.7.2.1). Propionate and butyrate were also predicted as end-products being produced in bison rumen, as well as synthesis of precursors for aromatic amino synthesis through the Chorismate-Shikimate pathway. In addition, enzymes involved in the fermentation of five-carbon sugars, such as arabinose (EC 5.1.3.4, EC 2.7.1.16, and EC 5.3.1.4) and xylose (EC 2.7.1.17 and EC 5.3.1.5), were also identified. Characterization of the metabolic potential of ruminal bacteria from pasture-fed bison, such as the utilization of glucose and pentose sugars that form the backbone of structural polysaccharides to produce short chain fatty acids and essential amino acids, will provide further insight on the use of forage and grass-based diets by these animals.
375 Effects of Breed Type and Gender on Performance, Feeding Behavior, and Feed Efficiency in Growing goats
Authors: Irvin Merrick E , Kidane Negusse F , Carstens Gordon E , Foxworth William B , O'Reilly Keara , Horner Scott 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
The objectives of this study were to examine the effects of gender and breed type on performance, feed efficiency, and feeding behavior traits in growing goats. The trial was conducted with 36 intact male (n = 16) and female (n = 20) goats of 4 breed types;12 purebred Spanish, 12 F1 Spanish x Boer (dam-sire), 8 F1 Boer x Spanish, and 4 purebred Boer. Goats with initial BW of 30.9 ± 6.0 kg and 38.8 ± 7.4 kg for females and males, respectively, were fed a concentrate diet in pens equipped with electronic feed bunks (GrowSafe System). Individual dry matter intake (DMI) and feeding behavior traits were collected daily for 44 d and BW measured weekly. Residual feed intake (RFI) was calculated as the residual from the regression of DMI on ADG and mid-test BW0.75. Feeding behavior traits evaluated were frequency and duration of bunk visit (BV) events, head-down (HD) duration, BV eating rate (BVER), and day-to-day variation of these traits, defined as the root mean squared error (RMSE) from linear regression of each trait on the day of trial. A mixed model (JMP) with fixed effects of gender, breed type, and gender x breed type interaction with pen as a random effect was used. Gender x breed type interactions were not significant for any traits. Male goats had heavier (P &lt; 0.01) initial and final BW, but similar ADG during the trial. Male goats consumed more (P &lt; 0.05) DMI, but had similar F:G and RFI compared with female goats. Gender did not affect feeding behavior traits, but male goats had greater BVER and more (P &lt; 0.05) day-to-day variation in DMI than female goats. Purebred Boer goats had heavier (P &lt; 0.05) initial and final BW and greater ADG than purebred Spanish and both F1 crosses. However, DMI and RFI were not affected by breed type. G:F was greater (P &lt; 0.05) in Boer and Boer x Spanish goats (0.183, 0.153) than Spanish goats (0.115), with Spanish x Boer (0.132) goats being intermediate. Breed type did not affect feeding behavior traits in this trial. Minimal effects of gender and breed type on feed efficiency were detected in growing goats in this trial. Further research is warranted to examine effects of breed type on life-cycle feed efficiency including growing goats and female goats during pregnancy and lactation.
386 Effects of Different Soy Protein Sources on Gut Microbiome Composition and Relationship with Performance in Pigs in Regular Nursery and F4 Enterotoxigenic Escherichia Coli (ETEC) Challenged Conditions
Authors: Hu Qiong , Sardi Maria I , Naqvi S Ali , Hackenhaar Leandro , Pluk Patricia , de Laat John , Newcomb Mark D , Khafipour Ehsan 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
Provisoy, produced by hydro, thermal, and mechanical process using soybean meal (SBM) has been shown to improve both post-weaning pig growth and gut health compared with SBM. It was hypothesized that Provisoy could improve the utilization of both protein and fiber fractions along the gastrointestinal tract of a nursery pig resulting in a more balanced nutrient environment and robust microbiome in the hindgut compared with SBM. A total of 268 weaned pigs (body weight, 6.82 ± 0.85 kg) were allotted to either a regular nursery condition (5 pigs/pen, 10-11 pens/treatment) or subjected to ETEC challenge (3 pigs/pen, 12 pens/treatment, 1 pig per pen was orally gavaged with O149:K91:K88 strain on d 5 post-weaning). Pigs received one of the following diets: SBM, Provisoy or HP300 (soy protein from Hamlet Protein, used as a benchmark). A standard wheat-barley-SBM based diet was used, and test soy products were added to replace SBM in the treatment diets during the first three weeks of nursery program. All diets were isocaloric with the same standardized ileal digestible lysine level in a three-phase (38 days) nursery program. Fecal samples were collected on d 13 or d 14 post-weaning and subjected to DNA extraction and Nanopore shotgun sequencing. Data were center-log-ratio transformed and subjected to statistical analysis. Microbiome composition was affected by dietary treatment (P &lt; 0.01) and challenge (P &lt; 0.05), but their interaction was not significant. In regular nursery condition, both Provisoy and HP300 tended (P &lt; 0.10) to have greater microbiome alpha-diversity compared with SBM, but no difference was observed between these two treatments. Only SBM fed pigs subjected to ETEC challenge had greater (P = 0.02) alpha-diversity compared with their non-challenged counterparts. Compared with the SBM treatment, pigs that received Provisoy in the regular condition had greater abundance of Coprococcus and Dialister, which were positively correlated with greater average daily gain (ADG; r = 0.53, P &lt; 0.01, and r = 0.45, P = 0.01, respectively). Under ETEC challenge, an increase in abundance of Dialister was observed in pigs that received Provisoy treatment with a positive correlation with ADG (r = 0.42, P = 0.01). In conclusion, dietary inclusion of Provisoy or HP300 improved microbiome alpha-diversity compared with SBM. Provisoy helped promote the growth of beneficial bacteria in the hindgut of nursery pigs which were positively correlated with gain.
49 Leveraging Big Data Analytics to Improve Disease Surveillance and Welfare in Pig Production
Authors: Rosa Guilherme J M , Passafaro Tiago L 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
Large amounts of data are routinely collected in pig production, including operational farm data and, more recently, data from digital tools such as remote and on-site sensing technologies. Furthermore, additional sources of information, such as demographic, economic, and weather variables, can be combined with farm data. Integrating and analyzing such data can generate valuable insights and data-driven decision-making tools for disease surveillance, animal welfare, and production system optimization. This presentation discusses two examples of big data integration and analysis in the context of optimizing management practices in pig production. The first example pertains to a data analytics project related to total transportation losses (TTL) of market-weight pigs, an important animal welfare concern that economically impacts producers and abattoirs. After merging and checking data for errors, the final dataset included 4.5M+ pigs from 420 farms loaded in 26,819 shipments delivered to two abattoirs. Results from a generalized additive mixed model (GAMM) technique showed that the risk of loss per shipment was constant for temperature-humidity index (THI) values between −10 and 10. Additionally, a strong interaction between wind speed and precipitation was associated with TTL. TTL were strongly associated with the type of driver and the distance traveled, in addition to weather variables. The second example pertains to swine disease surveillance, in which data from a multi-site system, where pigs are transported between farms after each particular production phase, were investigated. Reports of 76,566 shipments across sites were obtained and used to characterize pig movement flow, conduct percolation analysis to investigate network robustness to interventions for diseases with different transmissibility, and assess the potential impact of each farm type on disease dissemination across the system. Topological properties of networks were investigated, such as the number of nodes and edges, degree assortativity, density, average path length, diameter, clustering coefficients, giant strongly connected component, giant weakly connected component, giant in component, and giant out component. Overall, the results indicated that gilt development units, nursery, and sow farms have a more central role in the pig production hierarchical structure. As such, they are potential major factors in the introduction and spread of diseases in the system. Wean-to-finishing and finishing sites displayed high in-degree values, indicating that they are more susceptible to infection. Additionally, the characteristics of a disease should have strong implications for biosecurity practices across production sites.
394 Transformative Animal Science Fellows Program for a Sustainable, Efficient, Profitable Beef Production Future
Authors: Mulvaney Donald , Dyce Paul W W , Mullenix Kimberly , Dillard S Leanne , Da Silva Diniz Wellison Jarles j , Brandebourg Terry D , Muntifering Russell B , Bergen Werner G , Rodning Soren P , Hamberlin Lawrence , Smith Brandon B 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
Food production globally must double to meet demand by 2050. Demand for animal protein, coupled with reductions in grazing lands, intensifies a need for greater efficiency in beef production. Beef production relies on farms and ranches raising calves for later sale. Our goal is preparation of fellows which are cross-trained to gain inter- and intra-disciplinary knowledge and experiences, capable of bringing creative solutions to critical challenges, within the industry. Applicants were solicited via advertisements, list-serve networks, and recruitment webinars. Selection was guided by a rubric which included interviews and essays above a basic application. Through coaching/mentorship and leadership training, fellows were charged with creation of Individualized Development/Experience Plans (IDP) involving learning community dynamics, common experiences, shared/collaborative research, professional leadership & empowerment, stakeholder engagement, scholarly immersion, translational communication skills and classroom teaching. Fellows increased competencies in critical-thinking fundamentals of environmental/production sustainability emphasizing forages, beef systems, economics and more. Immersion experiences with stakeholders utilized a “design thinking” framework promoting complex creative problem-solving. Fellows were immersed in an ‘Experiential Learning Cycle’ via comprehensive planning and execution of a high-impact experience in a regional outreach stockman and stewardship event. The ANSC-NNF program creates a pipeline to industry and extension careers with graduates who understand modern challenges within production agriculture and specifically beef production. Assessments indicate the program permeated the entire graduate program within the department of animal sciences and in addition to thesis research, Fellows gained knowledge through leadership, process management, systems & sustainability and obtained skills and abilities including professional certifications. The department has initiated recruitment of a second cohort of six master’s-level Fellows for 2023-2025.