Short- and long-term effects of initial serum total protein, average starter feed intake during the last week of the preweaning period, and rearing body gain on primiparous dairy heifers' performance.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the short- and long-term effects of initial serum total protein (STP) concentration, average starter feed intake (SI) during the last week of the preweaning period, and average daily gain (ADG) on the growth, fertility, and performance of Holstein heifers during their first lactation. Eighty-four female Holstein dairy calves were weaned at d 56 of age and then the study continued until the end of the first lactation. Growth performance, including body weight, ADG, withers height, and its change were analyzed monthly from 3 to 450 d of life, and reproduction data and performance in the first lactation of primiparous dairy heifers over a 4-yr period (2015 to 2019) were recorded. In the first 24 h of life, calves received 4 L of colostrum (<2 h and <12 h after birth); on d 2 and 3: 2 feedings/d of 2 L of transition milk; from d 4 to 49: 6 L/d of milk replacer (150 g of powder/L as-fed) in 3 feedings; and from d 50 to 56: 2 L/d of milk replacer in 1 feeding. The calves were fed pelleted starter feed from d 4 to 56, and after that from 8 wk until 3 mo of age, a dry total mixed ration with an 85:15 ratio of weaning pelleted starter to straw. From 3 to 7 mo and from 8 mo of age to calving, the total mixed ration contained 16.9% and ~14.0% crude protein, respectively, on a dry matter basis and ~2.40 Mcal of metabolizable energy/kg on a dry matter basis. The results of the current study showed that the initial STP concentration of primiparous dairy heifers was associated with improved growth performance, especially greater body weight and withers height. In addition, with increasing levels of initial STP concentration, age at first estrus, artificial insemination (AI) service, pregnancy, and calving was decreased by 16, 18, 25, and 25 d, respectively. Initial STP concentration was positively correlated with milk production and increased total milk yield and yield of energy-corrected milk by about 1,558 kg and 1,149 kg during first lactation. Calves with higher average starter feed intake during the last week of the preweaning period had better growth performance, which in turn was positively associated with fertility parameters, accelerated first estrus (by 17 d), and reduced age at AI service (by 13 d). Preweaning ADG was favorably associated with fertility performance of heifers, with faster occurrence of first estrus and a reduction in age at AI service, pregnancy, and calving. Also, increasing preweaning ADG increased milk yield, energy-corrected milk, and 4% fat-corrected milk at 305 DIM by about 829, 754, and 763 kg at first lactation of primiparous heifers. These results indicate that in the rearing period, particular attention should be paid to the initial STP concentration, average SI during the last week of this period, and rearing ADG to increase growth, fertility, and performance in the first lactation of primiparous dairy heifers.

Effect of oat hay provision method on growth performance, rumen fermentation and blood metabolites of dairy calves during preweaning and postweaning periods.

The comparison of the effects of all forage offering methods would be particularly useful information in modeling growth performance and rumen fermentation of dairy calves. Therefore, this study attempted to evaluate the effects of methods of oat hay provision on growth performance, rumen fermentation and biochemical blood indices of dairy calves during preweaning and postweaning periods. At birth, 40 female Polish Holstein-Friesian calves (3 days of age; 39.6 ± 0.39 kg BW) were randomly assigned to four treatment groups differing in the access to chopped oat hay: CON (control, starter without oat hay), OH (starter feed containing 10% DM basis oat hay), OH-FC (starter feed containing 10% DM basis oat hay and oat hay fed as free-choice provision in different buckets) and FC (starter feed and oat hay fed as free-choice provision in different buckets). The calves were weaned on day 56, and then the study continued until day 84. Intakes of starter feed and oat hay were recorded daily, whereas BW and hip height (HH) on day 3 and then every 14 days. Samples of blood were collected on the initiation of experiment and then every 14 days, and rumen contents on day 28, 56 and 84. No treatment effects were found for starter, starch, CP, total DM intake, average daily gain, feeding efficiency, change in HH, ruminal fluid pH, concentrations of ruminal propionate and NH3-N, concentrations of urea nitrogen and non-esterified fatty acids in the blood. There were differences between treatments in terms of ruminal total volatile fatty acids and molar concentrations of acetate, butyrate and acetate to propionate ratio; highest in OH and OH-FC groups, especially during the postweaning period. On the other hand, lower concentrations of iso-valerate were found in OH and OH-FC groups on day 56 and 84. The concentrations of IGF-I throughout the experiment and ß-hydroxybutyrate during the postweaning period in the blood were influenced by treatment, with the greatest values observed in OH and OH-FC calves. Results of this study indicate that starter feed containing chopped oat hay improves rumen fermentation parameters, which might allow successful transition from preruminant to mature ruminant state. Also, providing chopped oat hay with pelleted starter feed seems to be a better method than free-choice supplementation.

Seasonal variability of microbial biomass phosphorus in urban soils.

Urban soils have been formed through human activities. Seasonal evaluation with time-control procedure are essential for plant, and activity of microorganisms. Therefore, these processes are crucial in the urban area due to geochemical changes in the past years. The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes of content of microbial biomass phosphorus (P) in the top layer of soils throughout the season. In this research, the concentration of microbial biomass P ranged from 0.01 to 6.29 mg·kg(-1). We used single-factor repeated-measure analysis of variance to test the effect of season on microbial biomass P content of selected urban soils. We found no statistically significant differences between the concentration of microbial biomass P in the investigated urban and sub-urban soils during the growing season. This analysis explicitly recognised that environmental urban conditions are steady. Specifically, we have studied how vegetation seasonality and ability of microbial biomass P are useful for detecting quality deviations, which affect the equilibrium of urban soil. In conclusion, seasonal variability of the stringency of assurance across the different compounds of soil reveals, as expected, the stable condition of the urban soils. Seasonal responses in microbial biomass P under urban soil use should establish a framework as a reference to the activity of the microorganisms.

Pharmacokinetics and toxicity of oral (-)-(S)-bromofosfamide in lung cancer patients.

The pharmacokinetics and toxicity of (-)-(S)-bromofosfamide ((2S)-(2-chloroethylamino)-3-(2-bromoethyl)-1,3,2-oxazaphosphorinae 2-oxide, CAS 146452-37-1, CBM-11) were determined in ten patients with non-small cell lung cancer following an oral dose of 1.38 g/m2 B.S.A. (Body Surface Area). The drug was given as a powder in gelatine capsules to fasting patients. Plasma samples were collected during the first 24 h after administration. All samples, after extraction with chloroform, were assayed by a reverse phase HPLC method using UV detection at 200 nm. Orally administered (-)-(S)-bromofosfamide showed relatively fast absorption kinetics. Peak concentration of 47 micrograms/ml was observed after 1 h. The average half-life was about 5 h. Toxicities associated with oral (-)-(S)-bromofosfamide therapy consisted of symptoms regarding the central nervous system, gastrointestinal tract and urinary tract. Neurotoxic symptoms were the most common clinically significant side effects and probably dose limiting.