Investigating relationships between the host genome, rumen microbiome, and dairy cow feed efficiency using mediation analysis with structural equation modeling.

The rumen microbiome is crucial for converting feed into absorbable nutrients used for milk synthesis, and the efficiency of this process directly impacts the profitability and sustainability of the dairy industry. Recent studies have found that the rumen microbial composition explains part of the variation in feed efficiency traits, including dry matter intake, milk energy, and residual feed intake. The main goal of this study was to reveal relationships between the host genome, rumen microbiome, and dairy cow feed efficiency using structural equation models. Our specific objectives were to (i) infer the mediation effects of the rumen microbiome on feed efficiency traits, (ii) estimate the direct and total heritability of feed efficiency traits, and (iii) calculate the direct and total breeding values of feed efficiency traits. Data consisted of dry matter intake, milk energy, and residual feed intake records, SNP genotype data, and 16S rRNA rumen microbial abundances from 448 mid-lactation Holstein cows from 2 research farms. We implemented structural equation models such that the host genome directly affects the phenotype (GP → P) and the rumen microbiome (GM → P), while the microbiome affects the phenotype (M → P), partially mediating the effect of the host genome on the phenotype (G → M → P). We found that 7 to 30% of microbes within the rumen microbial community had structural coefficients different from zero. We classified these microbes into 3 groups that could have different uses in dairy farming. Microbes with heritability <0.10 but significant causal effects on feed efficiency are attractive for external interventions. On the other hand, 2 groups of microbes with heritability ≥0.10, significant causal effects, and genetic covariances and causal effects with the same or opposite sign to feed efficiency are attractive for selective breeding, improving or decreasing the trait heritability and response to selection, respectively. In general, the inclusion of the different microbes in genomic models tends to decrease the trait heritability rather than increase it, ranging from -15% to +5%, depending on the microbial group and phenotypic trait. Our findings provide more understanding to target rumen microbes that can be manipulated, either through selection or management interventions, to improve feed efficiency traits.

Host and rumen microbiome contributions to feed efficiency traits in Holstein cows.

It is now widely accepted that dairy cow performance is influenced by both the host genome and rumen microbiome composition. The contributions of the genome and the microbiome to the phenotypes of interest are quantified by heritability (h2) and microbiability (m2), respectively. However, if the genome and microbiome are included in the model, then the h2 reflects only the contribution of the direct genetic effects quantified as direct heritability (hd2), and the holobiont effect reflects the joint action of the genome and the microbiome, quantified as the holobiability (ho2). The objectives of this study were to estimate h2, hd2,m2, and ho2 for dry matter intake, milk energy, and residual feed intake; and to evaluate the predictive ability of different models, including genome, microbiome, and their interaction. Data consisted of feed efficiency records, SNP genotype data, and 16S rRNA rumen microbial abundances from 448 mid-lactation Holstein cows from 2 research farms. Three kernel models were fit to each trait: one with only the genomic effect (model G), one with the genomic and microbiome effects (model GM), and one with the genomic, microbiome, and interaction effects (model GMO). The model GMO, or holobiont model, showed the best goodness-of-fit. The hd2 estimates were always 10% to 15% lower than h2 estimates for all traits, suggesting a mediated genetic effect through the rumen microbiome, and m2 estimates were moderate for all traits, and up to 26% for milk energy. The ho2 was greater than the sum of hd2 and m2, suggesting that the genome-by-microbiome interaction had a sizable effect on feed efficiency. Kernel models fitting the rumen microbiome (i.e., models GM and GMO) showed larger predictive correlations and smaller prediction bias than the model G. These findings reveal a moderate contribution of the rumen microbiome to feed efficiency traits in lactating Holstein cows and strongly suggest that the rumen microbiome mediates part of the host genetic effect.

Modified biplanar (0-90°) endoscopic-guided puncture technique for percutaneous nephrolithtomy: refinement with endoscopic combined intrarrenal surgery to reduce fluoroscopy and operative time.

INTRODUCTION: We aim to publish our innovative modified biplanar 0-90 endoscopic guided puncture technique for percutaneous nephrolithotomy in supine recorded with a GoPro® camera for standardization of the technique. It solves drawbacks of the fluoroscopic technique, i.e., in kidneys with complex anatomy, it may be challenging to distinguish calyces as they are often superposed, and it does not allow for all benefits of a combined endoscopic approach (1, 2). Our technique shortens puncture and fluoroscopic time and is easy to teach and reproduce. METHODS: A 77-year-old female patient had previous double J insertion due to an obstructing stone in the right distal ureter. She managed to pass the distal stone but remained with the double J and a 20mm stone (1300HU) in the right renal pelvis. The shared decision was for the actual standard of care (3, 4) endoscopic combined intrarenal surgery (ECIRS). The MiniECIRS started with flexible ureteroscopy and a posterior calix which gave direct access to the stone was chosen. The tip of the flexible scope was used to mark point A with the C-arm in the 0-degree position and line B in the 90-degree position. Puncture was fast and the MiniECIRS was uneventful with a single mid-pole access guided by the flexible scope. The surgeon had a Full-HD GoPro® camera mounted on his head, controlled by the surgical staff. All essential surgical steps were recorded. RESULTS: The quality of the recorded movie was graded as excellent, and the camera did not cause any discomfort to the surgeon. Operative and X-Ray time were 120minutes and 2minutes (7.64mGy). Hemoglobin drop was 0.8g/dL. The post-operative day-1 computed tomography scan was stone-free. The patient was discharged 24h after surgery. Kidney stent was left with a string and removed after 5days. The patient remained asymptomatic and metabolic evaluation revealed a calcium oxalate stone, low urinary volume and hypocitraturia which were treated with potassium citrate and hydration. CONCLUSION: The Modified Biplanar (0-90 degree) Endoscopic-Guided Puncture Technique for Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy joins the reproducibility of the same technique under fluoroscopy with advantages regarding safety and efficiency of ECIRS.

Late-Stage Aryl C-H Bond Cyclopropenylation with Cyclopropenium Cations.

Herein, we disclose the first regio-, site- and chemoselective late-stage (hetero)aryl C-H bond cyclopropenylation with cyclopropenium cations (CPCs). The process is fast, operationally simple and shows an excellent functional group tolerance in densely-functionalized drug molecules, natural products, agrochemicals and fluorescent dyes. Moreover, we discovered that the installation of the cyclopropene ring in drug molecules could not only be used to shield against metabolic instability but also as a synthetic tool to reach medicinally-relevant sp3 -rich scaffolds exploiting the highly-strained nature of the cyclopropene ring with known transformations.

Reliable Functionalization of 5,6-Fused Bicyclic N-Heterocycles Pyrazolopyrimidines and Imidazopyridazines via Zinc and Magnesium Organometallics.

DFT-calculations allow prediction of the reactivity of uncommon N-heterocyclic scaffolds of pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidines and imidazo[1,2-b]pyridazines and considerably facilitate their functionalization. The derivatization of these N-heterocycles was realized using Grignard reagents for nucleophilic additions to 5-chloropyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidines and TMP2 Zn ⋅ 2 MgCl2 ⋅ 2 LiCl allowed regioselective zincations. In the case of 6-chloroimidazo[1,2-b]pyridazine, bases such as TMP2 Zn ⋅ MgCl2 ⋅ 2 LiCl, in the presence or absence of BF3 ⋅ OEt2 , led to regioselective metalations at positions 3 or 8. Subsequent functionalizations were achieved with TMPMgCl ⋅ LiCl, producing various polysubstituted derivatives (up to penta-substitution). X-ray analysis confirmed the regioselectivity for key functional heterocycles.

Defining clinical diagnosis and treatment of puerperal metritis in dairy cows: A scoping review.

Although puerperal metritis (PM) is a common infectious disease in dairy cattle, there are currently discrepancies between clinical case definitions within and between available peer-reviewed literature and on-farms practices. The inconsistent use of PM criteria across studies and on-farms practices can result in disparities related to recommendations for treating cows, affecting judicious use of antimicrobials. The objective of this study was to systematically review the peer-reviewed literature for clinical signs used for case definition of PM. The criteria used included local (e.g., vaginal discharge) and systemic clinical signs of infection (e.g., fever, drop in milk). The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis extension for scoping reviews protocols were used to screen commonly used databases. Following this protocol, one reviewer screened title and abstract for eligibility (n = 2,096), followed by full-text screening of selected articles (n = 396) by 2 reviewers to confirm eligible articles (n = 174). The most frequently cited reference article (37.5%) for the definition of PM was published in 2006, followed by articles published between 1998 and 2009 (13%). In 40.2% of articles, no reference was provided for definition of PM; vaginal discharge was described in terms of color, odor, and viscosity when related to the PM definition. Terms used for description of vaginal discharge color were red-brown (61.4%), red (5.1%), brown (8.6%), chocolate (4%), white (1.7%), yellow (0.5%), pink (5.7%), or gray (0.5%); vaginal discharge color was not reported in 24.1% articles. The vaginal discharge odor was described as fetid (75.8%), putrid (5.1%), foul (10.3%), or other (5.7%; e.g., abnormal, malodorous, odoriferous); odor was not mentioned in 7.4% of articles. The vaginal discharge viscosity was described as watery (74.1%), purulent (27%), mucopurulent (8.6%), thin (4%), serous (2.8%), or abnormal (2.3%) and was not mentioned in 11.5% of articles. Fever was included in 59.7% of articles as a criterion for PM diagnosis. The most used rectal temperature threshold was ≥39.5°C (56.8%), followed by ≥39.2°C (2.8%). Approaches used for vaginal discharge evaluation included rectal palpation (37.3%), intravaginal exploration with a gloved hand (18.4%), Metricheck (9.8%), or speculum (5.7%); and in 28.7% of articles, diagnostic tools used were not mentioned. Many of the color and odor vaginal discharge descriptions observed in the literature, used synonymous words to describe the same vaginal discharge sample, highlighting a lack of terminology consensus that could result in disagreements, especially due to the subjective character of these clinical evaluations of vaginal discharge color and odor. Although select consensus articles are available, it is common for studies to disregard a reference when defining PM cases. Furthermore, our findings highlight the need for a robust and clear consensus on criteria and terminology used to diagnose PM.

Efficacy and safety of percutaneous patent foramen ovale closure in patients with a hypercoagulable disorder.

BACKGROUND: Transcatheter closure of patent foramen ovale (PFO) in patients with cryptogenic stroke reduces the rate of recurrent events. Although presence of thrombophilia increases the risk for paradoxical emboli through a PFO, such patients were excluded from large randomized trials. OBJECTIVES: We compared the safety and efficacy of percutaneous PFO closure in patients with and without a hypercoagulable state. METHODS: Data from 800 consecutive patients undergoing percutaneous PFO closure in our medical center were analyzed. All patients were independently evaluated by specialists in neurology, cardiology, hematology, and vascular medicine. A post-procedural treatment of at least 3 months of anticoagulation was utilized in patients with thrombophilia. Follow-up events included death, recurrent neurological events, and the need for reintervention for significant residual shunt. RESULTS: A hypercoagulable state was found in 239 patients (29.9%). At median follow-up of 41.9 months, there were no differences in the frequencies of stroke or transient ischemic attack between patients with or without thrombophilia (2.5% in non-hypercoagulable group vs. 3.4% in hypercoagulable group, log-rank test p = 0.35). There were no significant differences in baseline demographics, echocardiographic characteristics, procedural success, or complications between groups. CONCLUSION: Percutaneous PFO closure is a safe and effective therapeutic approach for patients with cryptogenic stroke and an underlying hypercoagulable state.

Continuous flow as an enabling technology: a fast and versatile entry to functionalized glyoxal derivatives.

We herein report two complementary strategies employing organolithium chemistry for the synthesis of glyoxal derivatives. Micro-mixer technology allows for the generation of unstable organometallic intermediates and their instantaneous in-line quenching with esters as electrophiles. Selective mono-addition was observed via putative stabilized tetrahedral intermediates. Advantages offered by flow chemistry technologies facilitate direct and efficient access to masked 1,2-dicarbonyl compounds while mitigating undesired by-product formation. These two approaches enable the production of advanced and valuable synthetic building blocks for heterocyclic chemistry with throughputs of grams per minute.

Thirty-day readmissions after transcatheter versus surgical mitral valve repair in high-risk patients with mitral regurgitation: Analysis of the 2014-2015 Nationwide readmissions databases.

OBJECTIVE: Determine the rates, reasons, predictors, and costs of 30-day readmissions following transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVR) versus surgical mitral valve repair (SMVR) in the United States. BACKGROUND: Data on 30-day readmissions after TMVR are limited. METHODS: High-risk patients with mitral regurgitation (MR) undergoing TMVR or SMVR were identified from the 2014-2015 Nationwide Readmissions Databases. Multivariable stepwise regression models were used to identify independent predictors of 30-day readmission. Risk of 30-day readmission was compared between the two groups using univariate and propensity score adjusted regression models. RESULTS: Among 8,912 patients undergoing mitral valve repair during 2014-2015 (national estimate 17,809), we identified 7,510 (84.7%) that underwent SMVR and 1,402 (15.3%) that underwent TMVR. Thirty-day readmission rates after SMVR and TMVR were 10.7% and 11.7%, respectively (unadjusted OR 1.11, 95% CI 0.89-1.39, p = .35). After propensity score adjustment, TMVR was associated with a lower risk of 30-day readmissions compared with SMVR (adjusted OR 0.70, 95% CI 0.51-0.95, p = .02). Heart failure and arrhythmias were the leading cardiac reasons for readmission. Anemia and fluid and electrolyte disorder were independent predictors of 30-day readmission after TMVR. Demographics, comorbidities, and length of stay were independent predictors of 30-day readmission after SMVR. CONCLUSIONS: One in 10 patients are readmitted within 30 days following TMVR or SMVR. Approximately half of the readmissions are for cardiac reasons. The predictors of 30-day readmission are different among patients undergoing TMVR and SMVR, but can be easily screened for to identify patients at highest risk for readmission.

Thirty-day readmissions after atrial fibrillation catheter ablation in patients with heart failure.

BACKGROUND: Randomized clinical trial data have demonstrated catheter ablation (CA) as a viable treatment modality for atrial fibrillation (AF). Patients with heart failure (HF) undergoing AF CA appear to derive improvements in quality of life and mortality compared to those treated with medical therapy (MT). Contemporary national data on 30-day readmissions after CA compared to MT among patients with HF are lacking. METHODS: From the 2016 Nationwide Readmissions Databases, 749 776 (weighted national estimate: 1 421 673) AF HF patients were identified of which 2204 (0.3%) underwent CA and 747 572 (99.7%) received MT. Propensity matching balanced baseline clinical characteristics. Thirty-day readmission rates, causes, predictors, and costs of 30-day readmission were compared. RESULTS: Among both the unmatched and matched cohorts, 30-day readmissions were lower for patients treated with CA compared to MT (16.8% vs 20.1%, P < .001 and 16.8% vs 18.8%, P = .020). CA was associated with reduced risk of readmission compared to MT (odds ratio 0.86, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.77-0.97). HF exacerbation and arrhythmias were the most common cause for 30-day readmission after CA. CA costs were higher during index hospitalization but similar to MT during readmission among the matched cohort ($15 858 ± $21 636 vs $16 505 ± $29 171, P = .67). Predictors of readmission were largely nonmodifiable risk factors among both the CA and MT groups. CONCLUSIONS: Nearly one in six patients with HF is readmitted within 30-days after undergoing CA. In propensity matched analyses, CA was associated with decreased rate and risk for readmission compared to MT. CA has higher index hospitalization costs, but lower readmission costs.

Effects of 12 Weeks of Resistance Training on Cardiovascular Risk Factors in School Adolescents.

Background and objectives: The practice of physical exercise, especially resistance exercise, is important for the treatment and/or prevention of cardiovascular risk factors in adult individuals. However, there are few studies on its effects on adolescent individuals. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of applying a 12-week resistance training program on cardiovascular risk factors in adolescents. Materials and Methods: Thus, 122 adolescents aged 13-16 years of both genders participated in the study from school in the city of Lagarto, Sergipe (SE), Brazil, divided into two groups: Control Group (CG) and Group undergoing resistance training (RTG). Blood collection and anthropometric measurements were performed before and after the 12-week resistance training program (RTP). Results: After 12 weeks of the RTP in the adolescents, there was a reduction in the triglyceride variables (9.55%, p = 0.0286), Low-Density Lipoproteins (LDL) (5.42%, p = 0.0244), non-High-Density Lipoproteins (HDL) (5.40%, p = 0.0019), blood glucose (6.71%, p = 0.0040), systolic blood pressure (10.13%, p < 0.0001), as well as an increase in the body weight variable (1.73%, p = 0.0003). Conclusions: It was concluded that a 12-week RTP can prevent and/or alleviate the development of several chronic degenerative diseases in adulthood and that resistance training is important for maintaining the health of adolescents.

Carbon Corrosion in Proton-Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells: Spectrometric Evidence for Pt-Catalysed Decarboxylation at Anode-Relevant Potentials.

The carbon oxidation reaction (COR) is a critical issue in proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), as carbon in various forms is the most used electrocatalyst support material. The COR is thermodynamically possible above the C/CO2 standard potential, but its rate becomes significantly important only at high overpotential (e. g. PEMFC cathode potential). Herein, using on-line differential electrochemical mass spectrometry, we show that oxygen-containing carbon surface groups present on high-surface aera carbon, Vulcan XC72 or reinforced graphite are oxidized at PEMFC anode-relevant potential (E=0.1 V vs. the reversible hydrogen electrode, RHE), but not at E=0.4 V vs. RHE. We rationalized our findings by considering a Pt-catalysed decarboxylation mechanism in which Pt nanoparticles provide adsorbed hydrogen species to the oxygen-containing carbon surface groups, eventually leading to evolution of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. These results shed fundamental light on an unexpected degradation mechanism and facilitate the understanding of the long-term stability of PEMFC anode nanocatalysts.

Thirty-day readmission after endovascular or surgical revascularization for chronic mesenteric ischemia: Insights from the Nationwide Readmissions Database.

There are limited contemporary data on readmission after revascularization for chronic mesenteric ischemia (CMI). This study aimed to determine the rates, reasons, predictors, and costs of 30-day readmission after endovascular or surgical revascularization for CMI. Patients with CMI discharged after endovascular or surgical revascularization during 2013 to 2014 were identified from the Nationwide Readmissions Database. The rates, reasons, length of stay, and costs of 30-day all-cause, non-elective, readmission were determined using weighted national estimates. Independent predictors of 30-day readmission were determined using hierarchical logistic regression. Among 4671 patients with CMI who underwent mesenteric revascularization, 19.5% were readmitted within 30 days after discharge at a median time of 10 days. More than 25% of readmissions were for cardiovascular or cerebrovascular conditions, most of which were for peripheral or visceral atherosclerosis and congestive heart failure. Independent predictors of 30-day readmission included non-elective index admission, chronic kidney disease (CKD), and discharge to home healthcare or to a skilled nursing facility. Revascularization modality did not independently predict readmission. In a nationwide, retrospective analysis of patients with CMI undergoing revascularization, approximately one in five were readmitted within 30 days. Predictors were largely non-modifiable and included non-elective index admission, CKD, and discharge disposition.

Early suppression of adipocyte lipid turnover induces immunometabolic modulation in cancer cachexia syndrome.

Cancer cachexia is a multifactorial syndrome characterized by body weight loss, atrophy of adipose tissue (AT) and systemic inflammation. However, there is limited information regarding the mechanisms of immunometabolic response in AT from cancer cachexia. Male Wistar rats were inoculated with 2 × 107 of Walker 256 tumor cells [tumor bearing (TB) rats]. The mesenteric AT (MeAT) was collected on d 0, 4, 7 (early stage), and 14 (cachexia stage) after tumor cell injection. Surgical biopsies for MeAT were obtained from patients who had gastrointestinal cancer with cachexia. Lipolysis showed an early decrease in glycerol release in TB d 4 (TB4) rats in relation to the control, followed by a 6-fold increase in TB14 rats, whereas de novo lipogenesis was markedly lower in the incorporation of glucose into fatty acids in TB14 rats during the development of cachexia. CD11b and CD68 were positive in TB7 and TB14 rats, respectively. In addition, we found cachexia stage results similar to those of animals in MeAT from patients: an increased presence of CD68+, iNOS2+, TNFα+, and HSL+ cells. In summary, translational analysis of MeAT from patients and an animal model of cancer cachexia enabled us to identify early disruption in Adl turnover and subsequent inflammatory response during the development of cancer cachexia.-Henriques, F. S., Sertié, R. A. L., Franco, F. O., Knobl, P., Neves, R. X., Andreotti, S., Lima, F. B., Guilherme, A., Seelaender, M., Batista, M. L., Jr. Early suppression of adipocyte lipid turnover induces immunometabolic modulation in cancer cachexia syndrome.

The impact of unfractionated heparin or bivalirudin on patients with stable coronary artery disease undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.

OBJECTIVES: To compare bleeding and clinical events of patients with stable angina or silent ischemia undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) treated with unfractionated heparin (UFH) or bivalirudin. BACKGROUND: Few direct comparisons between UFH monotherapy versus bivalirudin exist for patients with stable ischemic heart disease undergoing PCI. METHODS: A prospective, investigator-initiated, single-center, single-blinded, randomized trial of UFH versus bivalirudin was conducted. The primary endpoint was all bleeding (major and minor) from index-hospitalization to 30 days post discharge. Secondary endpoints included major adverse cerebral and cardiovascular events (MACCE) and net adverse clinical events (NACE). RESULTS: Two-hundred-sixty patients were randomized for treatment with either UFH (n = 123) (47%) or bivalirudin (n = 137) (53%) There were no significant differences in baseline clinical and angiographic characteristics between the two groups. Primary endpoint was similar in both groups (10.9% with bivalirudin vs 7.3% with UFH [P = 0.31]). Major bleeding rates were 5.8% and 2.4%, respectively (P = 0.17). There was a higher MACCE (3.5% vs 0%, P = 0.03) and NACE (8.8% vs 2.4%, P = 0.03) rate with bivalirudin compared to UFH, respectively. Bivalirudin had increased odds of NACE (OR = 3.65, 95% CI: 1.00-13.3.6). Death and stent thrombosis rates were low and similar in both groups. Radial access was associated with fewer bleeding events compared to femoral access but not statistically significant (P = 0.29). CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with stable angina or silent ischemia, there was no difference between UFH and bivalirudin in bleeding rates up to 30-days post-PCI. MACCE and NACE were higher among the bivalirudin group. Radial access was associated with a numerically lower rate of bleeding compared with femoral access.

ACE-modulated adiposity is related to higher energy expenditure and independent of lipolysis and glucose incorporation into lipids in adipocytes.

Emerging evidence suggests that both systemic and white adipose tissue-renin-angiotensin system components influence body weight control. We previously demonstrated that higher angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene expression is associated with lower body adiposity in a rodent model. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that a higher ACE gene dosage reduces fat accumulation by increasing energy expenditure and modulating lipolysis and glucose incorporation into lipids in adipocytes. After a 12 wk follow-up period, transgenic mice harboring three ACE (3ACE) gene copies displayed diminished WAT mass, lipid content in their carcasses, adipocyte hypotrophy, and higher resting oxygen uptake (V̇o2) in comparison with animals with one ACE gene copy (1ACE) after long fasting (12 h). No differences were found in food intake and in the rates of lipolysis and glucose incorporation into lipids in adipocytes. To assess whether this response involves increased angiotensin II type I receptor (AT1R) activation, AT1R blocker (losartan) was used in a separate group of 3ACE mice with body weight and adiposity comparable to that in the other 3ACE animals. We suggest that fasting-induced lower adiposity observed in animals with 3ACE gene copies might be associated with a higher expense of energy reserves; this response did not involve AT1R activation.

The bovine colostrum microbiome and its association with clinical mastitis.

In an effort to characterize colostrum microbial diversity and its potential associations with early-lactation clinical mastitis, we used high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene to investigate the bovine colostrum microbiome. A prospective observational study was conducted that included 70 Holstein cows; colostrum samples were collected from all 4 mammary gland quarters. Colostrum samples were categorized according to whether the quarter was diagnosed (CMC) or not diagnosed (NCMC) with clinical mastitis during the first 30 d postpartum. Colostrum samples were dominated by Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Fusobacteria, and Tenericutes phyla, with the 6 most common taxa [order (o), family (f), and genus (g)] being g_Staphylococcus, g_Prevotella, f_Ruminococcaceae, o_Bacteroidales, o_Clostridiales, and g_Pseudomonas. The colostrum microbiota of primiparous cows was significantly richer (higher number of bacterial species) than that of multiparous cows, and differences in colostrum taxonomic structure between parities were also observed. The microbial community of NCMC samples of primiparous cows was significantly more diverse than that of CMC samples, and the relative abundances of the Tenericutes and Fusobacteria phyla as well as the Mycoplasma and Fusobacterium genera were significantly higher in NCMC than in CMC samples of primiparous cows. The colostrum core microbiome, defined as the bacterial taxa common to all colostrum samples examined, was composed of 20 taxa and included bacterial genera already known to be associated with mastitis (e.g., Staphylococcus, Mycoplasma, and Streptococcus spp.). Our results indicate that the colostrum microbiome of primiparous cows differs from that of multiparous cows, and it harbors some diversity and taxonomic markers of mammary gland health specific to primiparous cows only.

A Lewis Base Catalysis Approach for the Photoredox Activation of Boronic Acids and Esters.

We report herein the use of a dual catalytic system comprising a Lewis base catalyst such as quinuclidin-3-ol or 4-dimethylaminopyridine and a photoredox catalyst to generate carbon radicals from either boronic acids or esters. This system enabled a wide range of alkyl boronic esters and aryl or alkyl boronic acids to react with electron-deficient olefins via radical addition to efficiently form C-C coupled products in a redox-neutral fashion. The Lewis base catalyst was shown to form a redox-active complex with either the boronic esters or the trimeric form of the boronic acids (boroxines) in solution.

Biology of Preimplantation Conceptus at the Onset of Elongation in Dairy Cows.

The objectives of this study were to characterize changes in transcriptome of preimplantation conceptuses at the onset of elongation and associated changes in uterine histotroph composition and endometrial physiology. Lactating dairy cows (n = 160) had their ovulation synchronized by artificial insemination (study Day 0). On Day 15, uteri were flushed and endometrium tissue collected. Recovered conceptuses were classified based on morphology/length as ovoid (1-4 mm), tubular (5-19 mm), and filamentous (20-60 mm). Total RNA (n = 48) was subjected to transcriptome analysis. The uterine fluid (n = 30) was evaluated by mass spectrophotometry. Transcriptome analyses revealed drastic changes in the transition from ovoid to tubular and from tubular to filamentous. Differentially expressed genes were associated with cellular movement, cell-to-cell signaling, cellular assembly and organization, lipid metabolism, small molecule biochemistry, and molecular transport. Specific changes included reorganization of cytoskeleton and cell migration, arginine metabolism, growth factors signaling, and lipid metabolism. Functional analysis revealed fatty acids and peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma as upstream regulators of transcriptome changes. Expression of PPARG increased 17-fold during the onset of elongation and was highly correlated with genes involved in lipid metabolism. The histotroph was rich in amino acids, lipids, saccharides, and other intermediate metabolites, and important changes in composition occurred in the presence of a conceptus. Pregnancy had a major impact on the concentrations of important lipids in the uterine fluid and expression of genes in the endometrium. Collectively, conceptus elongation involves remarkable changes in transcriptome, composition of the histotroph, and endometrial physiology, which help elucidate important events in uterine and conceptus biology at the onset of elongation.

Ultrasensitive determination of carbendazim in water and orange juice using a carbon paste electrode.

A carbon paste electrode was used for the electrochemical quantification of carbendazim in water and orange juice samples. Carbendazim oxidation on the electrode surface was found to be controlled by adsorption. The novel electrochemical procedure for carbendazim quantification employed differential pulse voltammetry using a carbon paste electrode under optimal conditions. Carbendazim oxidation currents were linear at concentrations of 2.84 to 45.44 µg L(-1), with a limit of detection of 0.96 µg L(-1). The proposed method was applied to carbendazim quantification in ultrapurified water, river water, and orange juice. Recovery rates in water and orange juice samples were in the 97%-101% range, indicating that the method can be employed to determine carbendazim in these matrices, with advantages including shorter analysis time and lower cost than routine methods such as chromatography or spectroscopy. The electrode showed good reproducibility, remarkable stability, and especially good surface renewability by simple mechanical polishing. The recovery rates observed were highly concordant with those obtained for high-performance liquid chromatography, having a relative standard deviation of less than 1.3%.