Short communication: Socio-psychological factors influencing dairy farmers' intention to adopt high-grain feeding in Brazil.

This study aimed to apply the theory of planned behavior to determine the effects of attitude, perceived behavioral control, and subjective norms on the intention of dairy farmers toward high-grain feeding. Quantitative data were collected through interviews with 150 dairy farmers in Paraná, Brazil. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data. We observed that farmers with a positive perception of grain feeding (attitude) and a positive perception of their ability to increase the use of grains (perceived behavioral control) had higher intention to increase grain feeding. Social pressure (subjective norm) had no effect on the intention to grain feed. These results can contribute to the development of public strategies and policies that encourage the use of high-grain diets in dairy farms.

Milk yield, milk composition, and hepatic lipid metabolism in transition dairy cows fed flaxseed or linola.

The response of transition dairy cows to dietary supplementation with fat sources of various fatty acid profiles could affect hepatic fat metabolism differently. Twenty-eight Holstein cows were blocked for similar calving date 4wk before expected parturition to compare the effects of feeding sources of n-3 and n-6 fatty acids on milk production and composition, plasma metabolites, and liver parameters. Cows within each block were assigned to 1 of 3 isonitrogenous and isoenergetic diets: control with a source of calcium salts of palm oil (MEG; 1.1 and 2.6% of the dry matter in prepartum and postpartum diets, respectively); n-3 fatty acids supplied as whole flaxseed (WFL; 4.8 and 7.7% of the dry matter in prepartum and postpartum diets, respectively); and n-6 fatty acids supplied as whole linola (WLO; 4.8 and 7.7% of the dry matter in prepartum and postpartum diets, respectively). Diets were fed until wk 14 of lactation. Contrasts of WFL versus WLO and polyunsaturated fatty acids versus MEG were compared. Cows fed polyunsaturated fatty acids increased dry matter intake over time at a greater extent than those fed MEG, which resulted in enhanced energy balance. Cows fed MEG produced more milk compared with those fed polyunsaturated fatty acids, and there was no difference between those fed WFL and WLO. We found no effect on body condition score and body weight. Plasma concentrations of glucose, fatty acids, and BHB were similar among diets. There was no effect of diet on concentration of glycogen and activities of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase in the liver. We observed higher concentrations of hepatic lipids and triacylglycerol in cows fed MEG compared with those fed polyunsaturated fatty acids, and no difference between WFL and WLO. Hepatic catalase activity tended to be higher on wk 4 after calving for cows supplemented with WFL compared with those fed WLO. Feeding linoleic and linolenic acids as unprotected oilseeds increased dry matter intake over time at a greater extent for cows fed MEG, improved the energy status, and lowered hepatic lipids and triacylglycerol contents, which may contribute to enhance the health status of transition dairy cows.

The impact of the association between Val16Ala-SOD2 SNP and SOD2 immunohistochemistry expression in the prognosis of patients with esophageal cancer.

INTRODUCTION: Esophageal cancer is an extensive public health issue worldwide, warranting the search for biomarkers related to its risk and progression. Previous studies have indicated an association between Val16AlaSOD2 single nucleotide polymorphism in the gene encoding the enzyme superoxide dismutase 2 and esophageal cancer. However, further investigations are needed to clarify its role in disease risk and progression. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of Val16AlaSOD2-SNP in esophageal cancer progression and in the survival of patients METHODS: Tumor samples were utilized for Val16Ala-SNP genotyping, while SOD2 expression levels in tissue were assessed using immunohistochemistry. A SOD2 Val16Ala-SNP database was used to obtain information on the genotype of healthy individuals. Risk and overall survival analyzes were performed. RESULTS: The Val16Ala SNP was associated with an increased risk of esophageal cancer (RR 2.18, 95%CI 1.23-3.86), regardless of age and gender, but did not have a significant effect on patient survival. In contrast, weak SOD2 expression demonstrated a significantly associated with poor overall survival after treatment, independent of other clinicopathological variables (HR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.22-0.79 P = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS: Val16Ala SNP was positively associated with esophageal cancer, and the expression of SOD2 was an independent prognostic marker.

Intake, digestibility, and ruminal degradability of shredded hay.

Thirty-two Outaouais intact male lambs averaging 39.1 kg were assigned randomly to a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments consisting of two forages and two methods of harvesting to determine intake and digestibility. The four treatments fed during the experiment consisted of alfalfa and timothy hays harvested with either a prototype mat maker or a conventional mower conditioner. Hays were fed for ad libitum intake for the entire experiment, and data on digestibility and intake were collected for 9 d after a 21-d adaptation. Ruminal degradability of DM, N, and ADF of hays was estimated with two fistulated cows using nylon bags incubated up to 96 h. Harvesting with the prototype mat maker compared with the conventional mower generally increased intake and digestibility of alfalfa and timothy hays. Ruminal degradability of DM and the potentially degradable fraction of DM and ADF was higher when hay was harvested with the prototype mat maker than with the conventional mower. The increased digestibility of hay harvested with the prototype mat maker could be explained by the increased digestibility in the rumen because harvesting with the prototype mat maker increased the potentially degradable fraction of DM and ADF. These results suggest that the digestible energy content of hay was increased by shredding.

Effect of cultivars on in vitro and ruminal degradation of the nitrogen fraction in birdsfoot trefoil silage.

Experiments were carried out to determine the effects of tannin content on N fractions and DM digestibility of birdsfoot trefoil harvested at 20% bloom stage. Five trefoil cultivars, harvested in both June and August, were used: Upstar, Mirabel, Empire, Leo, and Bt-8861. Forage was ensiled in 1.3-kg laboratory silos for 60 d with 4 silos per cultivar and harvest. Concentrations of DM and tannin in forage were determined prior to ensiling, and N fractions, DM digestibility, and pH in silage were also determined. Tannin concentration and protein N content of silage were lower in Empire than in the other cultivars. Ruminal degradability of DM and CP of Empire (low tannin) and Upstar (high tannin) birdsfoot trefoil were estimated with two fistulated cows using nylon bags that were incubated < or = 96 h. The DM-soluble fraction of Empire was significantly lower than that of Upstar for the first harvest only. This difference was partly due to the high proportions of dry shoots. The CP-soluble fraction of Empire was higher than that of Upstar, but the percentage of CP that was potentially degradable in the rumen was lower for Empire. This difference could result in different CP availability over time even for similar effective degradability of CP. Tannin had no additional effect on total CP degradability in the rumen.

[Effect of hypoxia on plasma concentrations of gastrin and gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP) in newborn calves]. / Effet de l'hypoxie sur les concentrations plasmatiques de gastrine et de polypeptide inhibiteur gastrique (GIP) chez le veau nouveau-né.

Calves were subjected to experimental hypoxia from 0.5 to 4 h after birth. The plasma level of immunoreactive gastric inhibitory polypeptide was higher (P less than 0.05) than in control calves during hypoxia and 2 and 7 h later. However, the gastrin level was not lower during treatment and was higher (P less than 0.05) 3, 6, and 13 h later. Hypoxia could have changed circulating levels or degradation rates of these peptides and could have delayed abomasal emptying.