Effects of nicotinamide riboside in ovo feeding on high-yield broiler performance, meat quality, and myopathy incidence.

Introduction: The objective of this study was to examine the effects of in ovo nicotinamide riboside (NR) feeding on high-yield broiler growth and meat quality. Methods: Fertilized Cobb 700 by-product eggs (N = 3,240) were randomly assigned to one of four in ovo treatments and injected with 0 (0NR), 250 (250NR), 500 (500NR), or 1,000 (1,000NR) mM NR at incubation-day 10. Chicks were hatched, vent sexed, and randomly placed 18 per pen in one of 32 floor pens. On day 48, birds were processed and deboned. Results: There were dose effects for all part weights (p < 0.05). Pectoralis major weight of 250, 500, and 1,000NR carcasses were heavier than 0NR (p < 0.03) but did not differ from remaining NR doses (p > 0.26). Pectoralis minor weight of 250NR carcasses was greater (p < 0.01) than 0NR and did not differ from other NR tenders (p > 0.21). Pectoralis minor weight of 500 and 1,000NR carcasses was greater than 0NR (p < 0.09), but did not differ (P = 0.82) from each other. There were no dose effects for all Pectoralis major and minor myopathy scores and incidence except incidence of tenders scoring "0" and "1" for woody-like tender. Percentage of NR1,000 tenders scoring 0 and 1 for woody-like tender were less than and greater than all other treatments, respectively (p < 0.05). There were no differences among remaining NR doses and NR0 tenders (p > 0.10). There were dose effects for muscle fiber number (P = 0.03). There tended to be more muscle fibers within 250 and 1,000NR muscles compared to 0NR (p < 0.09). Pectoralis major muscle from 500NR did not differ in muscle fiber number compared to 250 and 1,000NR (p > 0.18), but had more (p < 0.01) fibers than 0NR muscle. There tended to be more fibers in 250 and 1,000NR muscles compared to 0NR muscle (p < 0.09). Discussion: Nicotinamide riboside in ovo feeding caused birds to produce heavier parts; however, myopathy scores and incidence were minimally affected which may have been due greater muscle fiber number.

National Beef Quality Audit-2022: Transportation, mobility, live cattle, and hide assessments to determine producer-related defects that affect animal welfare and the value of market cows and bulls at processing facilities.

The National Beef Quality Audit (NBQA)-2022 serves as a benchmark of the current market cow and bull sectors of the U.S. beef industry and allows comparison to previous audits as a method of monitoring industry progress. From September 2021 through May 2022, livestock trailers (n = 125), live animals (n = 5,430), and post-slaughter hide-on animals (n = 6,674) were surveyed at 20 commercial beef processing facilities across the U.S. Cattle were transported in a variety of trailer types for an average distance of 490.6 km and a mean transport time of 6.3 h. During transit, cattle averaged 2.3 m2 of trailer space per animal indicating sufficient space was provided according to industry guidelines. Of all trailers surveyed, 55.3% transported cattle from an auction barn to a processing facility. When surveyed, 63.6% of all truck drivers reported to be Beef Quality Assurance certified. The majority (77.0%) of cattle were sound when evaluated for mobility. Mean body condition scores (9-point scale) for beef cows and bulls were 3.8 and 4.4, respectively, whereas mean body condition scores (5-point scale) for dairy cows and bulls were 2.3 and 2.6, respectively. Of the cattle surveyed, 45.1% had no visible live animal defects, and 37.9% had only a single defect. Of defects present in cows, 64.6% were attributed to an udder problem. Full udders were observed in 47.5% of all cows. Nearly all cattle were free of visible abscesses and knots (97.9% and 98.2%, respectively). No horns were observed in 89.4% of all cattle surveyed. Beef cattle were predominantly black-hided (68.9% and 67.4% of cows and bulls, respectively). Holstein was the predominant dairy animal observed and accounted for 85.7% of the cows and 98.0% of the bulls. Only 3.1% of all animals had no form of identification. Findings from the NBQA-2022 show improvements within the industry and identify areas that require continued education and research to improve market cow and bull welfare and beef quality.

Outcomes of patients in Chagas disease of the central nervous system: a systematic review.

Chagas disease is a parasitic infection caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi. One of the complications of the disease is the infection of the central nervous system (CNS), as it can result from either the acute phase or by reactivation during the chronic phase, exhibiting high mortality in immunocompromised patients. This systematic review aimed to determine clinical and paraclinical characteristics of patients with Chagas disease in the CNS. Articles were searched from PubMed, Scopus and LILACS until January 2023. From 2325 articles, 59 case reports and 13 case series of patients with Chagas in the CNS were retrieved from which 138 patients were identified. In this population, 77% of the patients were male, with a median age of 35 years old, from which most of them came from Argentina and Brazil. Most of the individuals were immunocompromised from which 89% were HIV-positive, and 54 patients had an average of 48 cells per mm3 CD4+ T cells. Motor deficits and seizures were the most common manifestation of CNS compromise. Furthermore, 90 patients had a documented CNS lesion by imaging from which 89% were supratentorial and 86% were in the anterior/middle cranial fossa. The overall mortality was of 74%. Among patients who were empirically treated with anti-toxoplasma drugs, 70% died. This review shows how Chagas disease in the CNS is a devastating complication requiring prompt diagnosis and treatment to improve patients' outcomes.

Influence of age and vaccination interval on canine parvovirus, distemper virus, and adenovirus serum antibody titers.

Canine core vaccine titer screenings are becoming increasingly popular in veterinary practice as a tool to guide vaccination decisions, despite a lack of supportive, peer-reviewed evidence-based literature. Additionally, it has been suggested that the canine core vaccine duration of host protective immunity can persist past the currently recommended vaccination interval. Thus, this study evaluated serum antibody titers against three core antigens in dogs with known vaccination histories and lifestyles, analyzing the effect of life stage, exposure risk, and time since last vaccination (TSLV). Clinically healthy dogs (n = 188) presenting to the primary care services of three colleges of veterinary medicine were selected to represent a variety of ages, breeds, and vaccination history. Serum antibody titers for canine parvovirus (CPV), canine distemper virus (CDV), and canine adenovirus-2 (CAV2) were measured via virus neutralization and hemagglutination inhibition. CAV2 and CPV titers decreased, while CDV titers had a decreasing trend with increasing time since last vaccination or vaccination interval. When assessing circulating antibody levels historially associated with protective immunity across various vaccination intervals, 62% (95%CI 36-82%; 8/13) of dogs had positive titers for CDV 5 years post last vaccination, while 92% (95%CI 67-99%; 12/13) of dogs were positive for CAV2 and CPV. Both advanced age and life stage were associated with lower titers and thus, identify a canine population cohort likely at higher disease risk. The results of this study revealed that patient duration of core vaccine-mediated immunity changes with a number of variables, with animal aging and time since vaccination influencing host humoral immunity. This provides further support for the performance of canine core antibody titers to assess whether a vaccine booster and/or specific type of booster is warranted.

False positive serology of prepandemic chagasic samples with SARS-CoV-2 antigen.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether prepandemic sera from patients with Chagas disease recognise SARS-CoV-2 antigens. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty sera from patients with Chagas disease were tested for the presence of IgG cross-reactivity against the nucleocapsid protein (NP) and spike (S) SARS-CoV-2 proteins by ELISA. Positive samples were tested again using a different ELISA and CLIA, both against NP. RESULTS: None of the sera from patients with Chagas disease, previously confirmed as positive for the presence of anti-Trypanosoma cruzi antibodies reacted against the SARS-CoV-2 S protein, and six samples tested positive for the NP antigen (15%). The six positive samples were re-tested, five remained positive by ELISA and all were negative by CLIA. CONCLUSION: According to our data, false-positive results might be a concern in the detection of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in patients with Chagas disease.

The immunomodulatory potential of phage therapy to treat acne: a review on bacterial lysis and immunomodulation.

Background: Characterized by an inflammatory pathogenesis, acne is the most common skin disorder worldwide. Altered sebum production, abnormal proliferation of keratinocytes, and microbiota dysbiosis represented by disbalance in Cutibacterium acnes population structure, have a synergic effect on inflammation of acne-compromised skin. Although the role of C. acnes as a single factor in acne development is still under debate, it is known that skin and skin-resident immune cells recognize this bacterium and produce inflammatory markers as a result. Control of the inflammatory response is frequently the target for acne treatment, using diverse chemical or physical agents including antibiotics. However, some of these treatments have side effects that compromise patient adherence and drug safety and in the case of antibiotics, it has been reported C. acnes resistance to these molecules. Phage therapy is an alternative to treat antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains and have been recently proposed as an immunomodulatory therapy. Here, we explore this perspective about phage therapy for acne, considering the potential immunomodulatory role of phages. Methodology: Literature review was performed using four different databases (Europe PubMed Central-ePMC, Google Scholar, PubMed, and ScienceDirect). Articles were ordered and selected according to their year of publication, number of citations, and quartile of the publishing journal. Results: The use of lytic bacteriophages to control bacterial infections has proven its promising results, and anti-inflammatory effects have been found for some bacteriophages and phage therapy. These effects can be related to bacterial elimination or direct interaction with immune cells that result in the regulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Studies on C. acnes bacteriophages have investigated their lytic activity, genomic structure, and stability on different matrices. However, studies exploring the potential of immunomodulation of these bacteriophages are still scarce. Conclusions: C. acnes bacteriophages, as well as other phages, may have direct immunomodulatory effects that are yet to be fully elucidated. To our knowledge, to the date that this review was written, there are only two studies that investigate anti-inflammatory properties for C. acnes bacteriophages. In those studies, it has been evidenced reduction of pro-inflammatory response to C. acnes inoculation in mice after bacteriophage application. Nevertheless, these studies were conducted in mice, and the interaction with the immune response was not described. Phage therapy to treat acne can be a suitable therapeutic alternative to C. acnes control, which in turn can aid to restore the skin's balance of microbiota. By controlling C. acnes colonization, C. acnes bacteriophages can reduce inflammatory reactions triggered by this bacterium.

Effects of in ovo injection of nicotinamide riboside on high-yield broiler myogenesis.

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of in ovo injection of high-yield broiler embryos with nicotinamide riboside (NR) on pectoralis major muscle (PMM) development, growth, and gene expression. Fertilized Cobb 700 broiler eggs were randomly assigned to one of four treatments within a 2 × 2 factorial design. Factor 1 consisted of NR dose (DOS) with eggs receiving 0 or 2.5 mM NR. Factor 2 consisted of injection location (LOC), with treatments injected into either the yolk sac or albumen. At day 10 of incubation, 100 µL of the assigned NR dose was injected into the yolk sac of the developing embryo and chicks were euthanized within 24 h of hatching. Chick PMM and individual fiber morphometrics, and expression of genes associated with cell cycle progression were analyzed. There were DOS × LOC interactions for hatched chick PM weight and length (P < 0.04). When NR was injected into the albumen, PMM weight decreased (P < 0.05); when NR was injected into the yolk, PMM weight increased (P < 0.05). Pectoralis major length was not affected (P > 0.05) when NR was injected into the albumen but was increased (P < 0.05) when NR was injected into the yolk. There was a DOS × LOC interaction (P = 0.04) for muscle fiber density and tended to be a DOS × LOC interaction (P = 0.07) for muscle fiber CSA. Pectoralis major muscle fiber density was not affected when NR was injected into the albumen (P > 0.05), but density increased when NR was injected into the yolk (P < 0.05). There were DOS × LOC interactions for hatched chick COXII, cyclin D, and SIRT1 expression (P ≤ 0.04), which may indicate NR improves skeletal muscle development and growth by enhancing myoblast proliferation during embryonic development.

Broiler chicken weight gain is a result of genetics and nutrition, with increased muscle mass attributed to accelerated embryonic myogenesis and posthatch muscle growth. During the avian incubation period, in ovo injection may be used as a strategy to deliver exogenous supplements into growing embryos for improving skeletal muscle development and growth. Nicotinamide riboside (NR), a vitamin B3 analog, is a human performance supplement used to stimulate mitochondria biogenesis and elevate tissue NAD+ levels. Research showed injecting NR into the chick embryonic yolk sac increased breast muscle weight and muscle satellite cell numbers and proliferation rate. Therefore, our objective was to determine the effects of in ovo injection of high-yield broilers with NR on broiler breast muscle development and growth. Our study showed in ovo injection of NR into the yolk sac increased hatched chick breast muscle morphometrics, which coincided with an increase in muscle fiber density and tended to decrease fiber cross-sectional area. Increased Sirtuin1 and cyclin D mRNA expression of hatched chicks from eggs injected with 2.5 mM NR into yolk sac indicate a potential NR regulated Sirtuin1/cyclin D molecular mechanism mediating chicken muscle early development.

Multicenter international assessment of a SARS-CoV-2 RT-LAMP test for point of care clinical application.

Continued waves, new variants, and limited vaccine deployment mean that SARS-CoV-2 tests remain vital to constrain the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Affordable, point-of-care (PoC) tests allow rapid screening in non-medical settings. Reverse-transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) is an appealing approach. A crucial step is to optimize testing in low/medium resource settings. Here, we optimized RT-LAMP for SARS-CoV-2 and human ß-actin, and tested clinical samples in multiple countries. "TTTT" linker primers did not improve performance, and while guanidine hydrochloride, betaine and/or Igepal-CA-630 enhanced detection of synthetic RNA, only the latter two improved direct assays on nasopharygeal samples. With extracted clinical RNA, a 20 min RT-LAMP assay was essentially as sensitive as RT-PCR. With raw Canadian nasopharygeal samples, sensitivity was 100% (95% CI: 67.6% - 100%) for those with RT-qPCR Ct values ≤ 25, and 80% (95% CI: 58.4% - 91.9%) for those with 25 < Ct ≤ 27.2. Highly infectious, high titer cases were also detected in Colombian and Ecuadorian labs. We further demonstrate the utility of replacing thermocyclers with a portable PoC device (FluoroPLUM). These combined PoC molecular and hardware tools may help to limit community transmission of SARS-CoV-2.

Trypanosoma cruzi-specific CD8+ T cells and other immunological hallmarks in chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy: Two decades of research.

Trypanosoma cruzi, the causal agent of Chagas disease, has coexisted with humans for thousands of years. Therefore, the parasite has developed several mechanisms of antigenic variability that has allowed it to live inside the cells and evade the host immune response. Since T. cruzi displays an intracellular cycle-stage, our research team focused on providing insights into the CD8+ T cells immune response in chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy. We began our work in the 2000s studying parasite antigens that induce natural immune responses such as the KMP11 protein and TcTLE, its N-terminal derived peptide. Different approaches allowed us to reveal TcTLE peptide as a promiscuous CD8+ T cell epitope, able of inducing multifunctional cellular immune responses and eliciting a humoral response capable of decreasing parasite movement and infective capacity. Next, we demonstrated that as the disease progresses, total CD8+ T cells display a dysfunctional state characterized by a prolonged hyper-activation state along with an increase of inhibitory receptors (2B4, CD160, PD-1, TIM-3, CTLA-4) expression, an increase of specific terminal effector T cells (TTE), a decrease of proliferative capacity, a decrease of stem cell memory (TSCM) frequency, and a decrease of CD28 and CD3ζ expression. Thus, parasite-specific CD8+ T cells undergo clonal exhaustion, distinguished by an increase in late-differentiated cells, a mono-functional response, and enhanced expression of inhibitory receptors. Finally, it was found that anti-parasitic treatment induces an improved CD8+ T cell response in asymptomatic individuals, and a mouse animal model led us to establish a correlation between the quality of the CD8+ T cell responses and the outcome of chronic infection. In the future, using OMICs strategies, the identification of the specific cellular signals involved in disease progression will provide an invaluable resource for discovering new biomarkers of progression or new vaccine and immunotherapy strategies. Also, the inclusion of the TcTLE peptide in the rational design of epitope-based vaccines, the development of immunotherapy strategies using TSCM or the blocking of inhibitory receptors, and the use of the CD8+ T cell response quality to follow treatments, immunotherapies or vaccines, all are alternatives than could be explored in the fight against Chagas disease.

In Ovo Feeding of Commercial Broiler Eggs: An Accurate and Reproducible Method to Affect Muscle Development and Growth.

Within the past three decades, red meat and poultry scientists focused on developing strategies and technologies to manipulate muscle development during embryonic and fetal development. This area continues to be an area of focus because muscle fiber number is established during this time and determines the basis for all future growth. In poultry, numerous studies demonstrated in ovo feeding of growth factors, vitamins, or other nutrients improved chick embryonic muscle and intestinal development. Improving in ovo muscle development could benefit the poultry industry by possibly influencing meat yield, growth rate, or myopathy conditions. During the past five years, the Gonzalez Laboratory at the University of Georgia developed a nicotinamide riboside in ovo feeding methodology for broiler-chicken embryos, which altered muscle development. When injected into a developing embryo's yolk sac, nicotinamide riboside increased pectoralis major muscle weight and muscle fiber density at hatch. This protocol will demonstrate a methodology to accurately and reproducibly conduct in ovo feeding studies utilizing commercial standard- and high-yielding broiler embryos. These data and methods will allow other research groups to perform in ovo feeding studies with much success and reproducibility.

Effects of extended postmortem aging and intramuscular location on protein degradation, muscle fiber morphometrics, and tenderness of beef longissimus lumborum and semitendinosus steaks.

The objective of this study was to determine effects of extended aging and intramuscular location on Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF), muscle fiber cross-sectional area (CSA), and protein degradation of semitendinosus (ST) and longissimus lumborum (LL) steaks. Left ST and LL were removed from 40 carcasses at 6 d postmortem. The ST was fabricated into five locations (LOC), with LOC 1 being most proximal and LOC 5 being most distal. The posterior LL was fabricated into 3 LOC, with LOC 1 being most anterior. Vacuum sealed ST steaks were aged 7, 14, 28, 56, or 112 d postmortem, while LL steaks were aged 7, 28, or 112 d postmortem at 2 ± 1 °C. A steak from each LOC was assigned to WBSF or laboratory analyses. There were no Day of Aging (DOA) × LOC interactions for all dependent variables (P > 0.06). There were DOA effects for ST and LL WBSF values and degraded 38-kDa desmin (DES; P < 0.01). Day-7 ST-steak WBSF value was greater than all other days (P < 0.01) and day-14 steaks had greater WBSF value than remaining days (P < 0.05). Day-28 ST-steak WBSF values were greater than day 56 and 112 (P < 0.01), which did not differ (P = 0.53). In the LL, day-7 steaks had greater WBSF values than the other two timepoints (P < 0.01) and day-28 steaks had greater (P < 0.01) WBSF values than day-112 steaks. Degraded ST 38-kDa DES content was less on day 7 and 14 compared to all other days (P < 0.03), but did not differ (P = 0.79) from each other. Days 28 and 56 38-kDa DES content was less than day 112 (P < 0.01), but did not differ (P = 0.34) from each other. Degraded LL 38-kDa DES content was less on day 7 than day 28 and 112 (P < 0.02), which did not differ (P = 0.67). There were LOC effects for only ST WBSF and muscle fiber CSA (P < 0.05). Semitendinosus steak LOC 1 and 2 had greater WBSF values than all other locations (P < 0.01), but did not differ (P = 0.32) from each other. Semitendinosus steak LOC 3 and 5 had greater WBSF values than LOC 4 (P < 0.01), but did not differ (P = 0.85) from each other. The CSA of all ST fiber types were largest in LOC 1 compared to all other fiber types (P < 0.01). The CSA of all LOC 2 and 3 fiber types was greater than LOC 4 and 5 (P < 0.01), but were not different from each other (P > 0.81), and LOC 4 had greater CSA than LOC 5 (P < 0.01). Steak aging WBSF value improvements seemed proteolysis catalyzed, while the ST intramuscular tenderness gradient was more likely due to muscle fiber CSA.

The effects of in ovo nicotinamide riboside dose on broiler myogenesis.

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of in ovo injection of nicotinamide riboside (NR) on broiler embryonic myogenesis. Fertilized Cobb 500 broiler eggs (N = 240) were sorted by weight and within each strata, randomly assigned to 1 of 4 NR dose treatments (0 mmol, 250 mmol, 500 mmol, or 1 mol; final concentration in yolk of 0, 2.5, 5.0, or 10.0 mmol) of NR. At day 10 of incubation, 100 µL of the assigned NR dose was injected into the yolk sac of the developing embryo, and chicks were euthanized within 24 h of hatching. Pectoralis major muscle (PMM) and individual fiber morphometrics were collected. Chicks injected with NR had greater PMM weight and length (P < 0.01), but did not differ from each other (P > 0.14). Chicks from eggs injected with NR had greater PMM weight and width than control chicks (P < 0.01), but did not differ from each other (P = 0.86). Chicks from eggs injected with 500 mmol NR had greater PMM depth than control and 1M chicks (P < 0.04), which did not differ (P = 0.24) from each other. Chicks from eggs injected with 250 mmol NR did not differ in PMM length compared with all other treatments (P > 0.06). There was no treatment effect (P = 0.20) for PMM fiber cross-sectional area; however, there was a treatment effect (P < 0.01) for muscle fiber density. Chicks from eggs injected with 1 mol NR had greater fiber density than all other treatments (P < 0.01). Chicks injected with 250 and 500 mmol NR had greater fiber density than control chicks (P < 0.01), but did not differ (P < 0.06) from each other. Injecting developing embryos at day 10 of incubation increased hatched chick PMM morphometrics, which were partly because of the NR catalyzed increase in muscle fiber density.

Measurement of the three-axis vibration, temperature, and relative humidity profiles of commercial transport trailers for pigs.

The objective of this study was to collect and interpret three-axis acceleration, temperature, and relative humidity data from six locations within commercial transport trailers shipping market-weight pigs. Transport was observed in Kansas (n = 15) and North Carolina (n = 20). Prior to loading, three-axis accelerometers were affixed to six locations on the trailers: top fore (TF), top center (TC), top aft (TA), bottom fore (BF), bottom center (BC), and bottom aft (BA) compartments. Data were post-processed to calculate root-mean-square (RMS) accelerations and vibration dose values (VDV) in the vertical direction and the horizontal plane. These values were compared with exposure action values (EAV) and exposure limit values (ELV), vibration levels deemed uncomfortable and potentially dangerous to humans. Additionally, RMS and VDV were compared among the trailer compartments. The vertical RMS accelerations for all compartments exceeded the EAV for loads measured in Kansas, and for the majority of the compartments measured in North Carolina. Many compartments, specifically the BA compartment from all trips, exceeded the vertical ELV. Regardless of where the data were collected, fewer compartments exceeded the EAV in the horizontal orientation. Only BA compartments exceeded the ELV in the horizontal orientation. There were Area × Level interactions for vertical and horizontal RMS and VDV (P < 0.01). The BF compartment had a greater vertical RMS value than the TF, TC, and BC (P < 0.02) compartments, but did not differ (P = 0.06) from the TA compartment. The vertical RMS of the TA compartment did not differ from the TF, TC, and BC compartments (P > 0.13). The BF compartment had a greater (P = 0.02) vertical VDV value than the TC location, but did not differ from the other locations (P > 0.16). All other locations did not differ in vertical VDV (P > 0.12). The BF compartment had greater horizontal RMS than the TC and TA compartments (P < 0.01), but did not differ from TF and BC compartments (P > 0.12). All other compartments did not differ in horizontal RMS (P > 0.34). All compartments, aside from the BA compartment, did not differ in horizontal VDV (P > 0.19). Vibration analyses indicated the BA compartment had the greatest vertical and horizontal vibrations and a large percentage of the compartments exceed the EAV and ELV, which indicated pigs may have experienced uncomfortable trips that could cause discomfort or fatigue.

Seroprevalence of Antitransglutaminase and Antiendomysium Antibodies in Adult Colombian Blood Bank Donors.

Celiac disease (CD) is an autoimmune enteropathy induced by the ingestion of gluten from wheat, barley, and rye in genetically susceptible individuals. The global prevalence of CD is 1.4%. However, most of the prevalence studies have been conducted in Caucasian populations; few studies have been performed in Latin America. The aim of this study is to determine the seroprevalence of auto-antibodies used as markers for CD in a Colombian cohort. In this cross-sectional study, the serum samples from Colombian donors of the National Red Cross Blood Bank were collected between June and September 2017 in Bogotá, Colombia. All sera were tested for IgA antitissue transglutaminase (TTG) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Seropositive sera were tested for IgA antiendomysium (EMA) using indirect immunofluorescence assay. The ancestral genetic composition was determined in donor samples with antibody assay reactivity. Those with two seroreactive assays were typed for HLA class II DQ2 and DQ8. In total, 228 blood donors participated in the study. Among them, 113 were females (49.56%) with an average age of 31.63 years (SD ± 12.99); males had an average of 34.71 years (SD ± 13.01). Only 3 (1.31%) donors reported chronic diarrhea and nonintentional weight loss; 11 (4.82%) had a family history of CD. For the serological assays, 11 donors (4.82%) were seroreactive to IgA anti-TTG: 3 had high reactivity and 8 had low reactivity. Of those seroreactive to IgA anti-TTG, 3 (1.32%) were also seroreactive to anti-EMA, and they were typed as HLA-DQ8 or HLA-DQ2. The baseline ancestral percentage of the seroreactive donors was higher for European and Native American than for African genes. The seroprevalence for anti-TTG and anti-EMA with the presence of HLA-DQ8 and HLA-DQ2 was 1.32%. Additionally, 4.82% donor participants were reactive only for anti-TTG. Compared with other studies, our findings suggest that Colombia has a high prevalence of CD markers.

In ovo feeding of nicotinamide riboside affects broiler pectoralis major muscle development.

The objective of this study was to examine the effect of nicotinamide riboside (NR) on pectoralis major muscle (PM) development and growth. Fertilized Cobb 500 broiler eggs (N = 156; average weight of 70.3 g) were ordered by weight, and within each four egg strata, eggs were randomly assigned to treatments within a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement. Factor 1 consisted of NR treatment with eggs receiving 0 or 250 mM NR. Factor 2 consisted of injection location, with treatments injected into either the yolk sac or albumen. Eggs were incubated at a temperature of 37 °C and a relative humidity of 40 ± 2% for the first 18 d of incubation and humidity was increased to 60 ± 2 °C for the final 3 d. On day 10 of incubation, eggs were injected in their designated location with 100 µL of 0.9% sterile saline containing the assigned NR dose. Chicks were hatched, euthanized, and morphometric measurements of the body and left PM were collected. The left PM was also analyzed for muscle fiber cross-sectional area (CSA) and density. There were no treatment × location or main effects for all body morphometric measurements (P > 0.07), except chest width of chicks from eggs injected in the yolk were wider (P = 0.01) than chicks from eggs injected in the albumen. There were only treatment × location interactions for PM weight and length (P < 0.01). When NR was injected into the albumen, PM weight did not differ (P = 0.09); however, when NR was injected into the yolk sac, PM weight increased (P < 0.01). When NR was injected into both locations, PM length increased (P < 0.01), but increased to a greater extent when NR was injected into the yolk sac. There were treatment main effects for PM width and depth (P < 0.01), with NR injected chicks having PM with greater width and depth. There were no treatment × location or main effects for PM fiber CSA (P > 0.06). There was a treatment × location interaction (P < 0.01) for fiber density. When NR was injected into the albumen, fiber density did not differ (P = 0.09); however, when NR was injected into the yolk sac, fiber density increased (P < 0.01). Injecting NR into the yolk sac of the developing embryo at day 10 of incubation increased PM development which was due to an increase in muscle density.

Effects of supplementing docosahexaenoic acid-rich microalgae and antioxidants on beef longissimus lumborum steak color stability and sensory characteristics.

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of four microalgae and antioxidant feeding regimens on beef longissimus lumborum color stability and palatability. Steers were blocked by weight and randomly assigned to one of four dietary treatments fed during a 45-d feeding period. Treatments (n = 10 per treatment) consisted of a control diet (CON) and control diet plus 100 g∙steer-1∙d-1 microalgae (ALGAE), ALGAE plus antioxidants (103 IU/d vitamin E and Sel-Plex) fed throughout feeding (AOX), and AOX fed for the final 10 d of finishing (LATE). The longissimus lumborum muscle was removed, aged for 14 d, and fabricated into steaks for objective and subjective color and palatability analyses. There were treatment × day of display interactions for a* value and steak surface metmyoglobin percentage (P < 0.01). There were no treatment differences through day 4 of display for a* value (P > 0.16) and day 5 of display for surface metmyoglobin (P > 0.10). By day 10 of display, ALGAE steaks had a smaller a* value than all other treatments (P < 0.01). Steaks from AOX steers had a greater (P < 0.01) a* value than CON steaks, whereas both a* values did not differ from LATE steaks (P > 0.19). By the end of display, ALGAE steaks had more metmyoglobin than the other treatments (P < 0.01). Steaks from AOX steers had less metmyoglobin than CON and LATE steaks (P < 0.04), which did not differ (P > 0.25). Treatment did not affect trained panel ratings (P > 0.15); however, treatment did affect (P < 0.01) off-flavor intensity. Steaks from ALGAE and AOX steers had greater off-flavor ratings than CON steaks (P < 0.03), but did not differ (P = 0.10). Steaks from LATE steers did not differ in off-flavor ratings from the other treatments (P > 0.07). Use of antioxidants improved color stability of steaks from microalgae fed steers; however, panelists still detected off-flavors.

The effects of the LIPEX finishing diet regimen on pork quality, fatty acid profile, palatability, and color stability.

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of the LIPEX finishing diet regimen on pork chop n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content and fresh meat quality. Twenty-eight finishing pigs (PIC 359 × F1 Hermitage/NGT; initial BW 81.5 ± 2.55 kg) were subjected to a 49-d feeding trial. Treatments consisted of a 2 × 2 factorial design with Sex (n = 14 barrows and gilts each) and Diet as main effects. Dietary treatments consisted of a 2-phase standard finishing diet regimen or a 2-phase LIPEX finishing diet regimen (EXL Milling, Lloydminster, SK, Canada). The LIPEX diet regimen added the EXL LIPEX.FA369 additive during phase 1 and the EXL LIPEX.FA369 and XFE Omega-3 Finishing Touch during phase 2. Five-days postmortem, whole boneless pork loins were transported to the Kansas State University Meats Laboratory, aged 14 d, and halved immediately behind the spinalis dorsi. After blooming for 30 min, chops were evaluated for Japanese color score and National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) color and marbling scores. A 2.54-cm chop was taken immediately anterior to the loin cut and was used for fatty acid and proximate composition analyses. Four 2.54-cm chops were cut from the posterior portion of the loin and were utilized for a 7-d simulated retail display analyses, Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF), and trained sensory panel. There were no Sex × Diet interactions for all variables measured in the study (P > 0.10). The LIPEX finishing regimen increased chop C18:3n-3, C20:5, and C22:5, which decreased the n-6:n-3 ratio (P < 0.01). There were no Diet effects on pH, Japanese and NPPC color and marbling scores, and proximate composition (P > 0.23). Diet did not affect cook loss, WBSF, and trained sensory panel scores (P > 0.012). There were no 2- or 3-way interactions between Diet, Sex, and Day, or Diet and Sex main effects for L*a* values, surface oxy- and metmyoglobin percentages, or visual panel chop redness and surface discoloration scores (P > 0.14). Feeding the LIPEX finishing diet regimen increased chop n-3 PUFA content without negatively impacting fresh chop palatability or color stability.

Effects of space allowance and marketing strategy on growth performance of pigs raised to 165 kg.

A total of 976 pigs (PIC 327 × Camborough; PIC, Hendersonville, TN; initially 22.0 ± 1.53 kg body weight [BW]) were used in a 160-d growth study to evaluate the effects of increasing space allowance and varying marketing strategies on growth performance of pigs raised to market weights of ~165 kg. Pens of pigs were blocked by location within the barn and allotted to one of six treatments. Pen served as the experimental unit, and there were eight replicate pens per treatment. The first four treatments consisted of increased initial stocking density and did not utilize topping strategies: (1) 14 pigs/pen (1.17 m2/pig), (2) 17 pigs/pen (0.97 m2/pig), (3) 20 pigs/pen (0.82 m2/pig), and (4) 23 pigs/pen (0.71 m2/pig). The fifth treatment began with 25 pigs/pen (0.66 m2/pig) and had four marketing events with the heaviest 3 pigs/pen removed on day 93, and additional pigs removed to a common inventory of 20 pigs/pen on day 122 and 17 pigs/pen on day 147 with final marketing on day 160. The final treatment began the experiment with 23 pigs/pen (0.71 m2/pig) with three marketing events to achieve a common inventory of 20 pigs/pen on day 108 and 17 pigs/pen on day 147. Pens of pigs were weighed and feed disappearance measured on days 0, 55, 93, 108, 122, 135, 147, and 160. As space allowance decreased from 1.17 to 0.71 m2/pig via increased initial pen inventory (treatments 1 to 4), overall average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) decreased (linear, P < 0.001), while gain:feed ratio (G:F) did not differ (P > 0.05). The treatments with multiple marketing events were compared with each other and with the treatment that began with 0.71 m2/pig and only marketed once at the end of the study. Overall ADG and ADFI were not different (P > 0.05) among these three treatments. Marketing pigs three or four times improved (P < 0.05) G:F compared with the treatment that began the study with 0.71 m2/pig and marketed only once. Reducing floor space allowance for heavy weight pigs decreased intake, which resulted in lower growth rate and final BW, with these reductions occurring before the critical k-value was reached. Total weight gain per pen was maximized with the lowest space allowance and the multiple marketing treatments. Thus, strategic use of pig removals prior to final marketing may allow producers to maximize both number of pigs and total weight marketed through a barn when feeding to heavy weights.

Effects of quality grade and intramuscular location on beef semitendinosus muscle fiber characteristics, NADH content, and color stability.

The objective of this study was to determine the impact of quality grade and steak location on color stability of semitendinosus (ST) steaks during a 9-d refrigerated study. Twenty-one ST muscles (12 Choice and 9 Select) were purchased from a commercial beef packing plant and fabricated into twelve 2.54-cm thick steaks per muscle. Steaks 1, 6, and 12 were designated for immunohistochemistry while remaining steak locations of proximal (steaks 2 to 4), middle (5 to 8), and distal (9 to 11) were randomly assigned to 0, 4, or 9 d of simulated retail display. Surface color attributes of day-9 steaks were recorded daily by a visual color panel and spectrophotometer. On days 0, 4, and 9 of display, steaks were analyzed for metmyoglobin reducing ability (MRA) and oxygen consumption (OC). Grade × day of display (DOD) interactions were detected for L*, a*, surface oxymyoglobin (OMb) and metmyoglobin (MMb) percentages, and visual panel surface redness and discoloration scores (P ≤ 0.02); however, no Grade × DOD interactions were observed for MRA or OC (P > 0.17). There were location main effect (LOC) × DOD interactions for L*, a*, surface MMb, visual panel surface redness and discoloration, and MRA (P ≤ 0.02). Distal steaks had lower L* values compared with the other locations (P < 0.01), which coincided with steaks being rated visually darker red (P < 0.01). Proximal steaks had greater a* values and had less surface discoloration than middle steaks (P < 0.05), which had an increased percentage of surface MMb (P ≤ 0.04). Distal and proximal steaks had increased MRA compared with middle steaks on days 0 and 4 (P < 0.05), and distal steaks had greater OC than the other locations throughout display (P < 0.01). There were fewer type I fibers at the proximal end with a greater percentage located at the middle and distal ends, and an increased percentage of type IIX fibers at the middle and proximal locations (P ≤ 0.01). Less type IIA fibers were detected at the middle LOC compared with the other two locations (P < 0.10). Larger type I, IIA, and IIX fibers were located at the proximal and middle locations compared with the distal LOC (P < 0.01). ST color and color-stability characteristics were influenced by DOD and LOC, which may partially be explained by differences in fiber types among locations.