Preference for feed bins shared with cows of the same or different parity and relationships with feeding behavior and feed efficiency.

Our objectives were to (1) evaluate cows' preferences for visiting feed bins limited to either same- versus mixed-parity social interactions, depending on their parity; (2) examine the effect of parity and bin social dynamic type on competition behavior and feeding patterns, and (3) investigate cow-level relationships between feed bunk competition behavior, feeding patterns, and feed efficiency. Twenty-eight primiparous and 28 multiparous (2.4 ± 0.6 lactations) lactating Holstein cows (127.8 ± 30.1 and 145.3. ± 10.4 DIM, respectively) were housed in a freestall pen with 28 roughage intake control bins (2:1 stocking density). Each cow was assigned to 2 bins, including 1 shared with 3 other cows of the same parity (SM) and 1 with 3 cows of mixed parities (MX, 50% primiparous and 50% multiparous). Feed bunk competition was recorded via video in the first hour after morning feed delivery for 2 d, and feeding patterns were recorded from 24-h roughage intake control data. Residual feed intake was calculated as the difference between predicted and observed dry matter intake after accounting for known energy sinks. Based on the first visit to the feed bunk after fresh feed delivery, multiparous cows tended to prefer the MX bin compared with the SM one; cows showed no other overall preference for bin type based on number of visits. Over time, multiparous cows remained consistent in their magnitude of preference for visiting each bin type, but involvement in competition was not consistent over time. Primiparous cows tended to be involved in more total competitive contacts and ate faster at the SM bin compared with the MX one. Those primiparous cows who visited the SM bin more often within the first hour after morning feed delivery tended to be less feed efficient. Multiparous cows initiated more successful replacements after a displacement at the MX versus SM bin, with no difference in feeding patterns between bin types. Regardless of parity or bin type, visiting the bunk sooner after feed delivery was correlated with involvement in more competitive interactions and more time eating within the first 30 min. Consuming more feed during a longer first visit to the bunk after fresh feed delivery was correlated with being less feed efficient. Overall, when given the choice of feeding from bins shared with cows of the same or mixed parities at a 2:1 stocking density, primiparous cows showed differences in behavior between those bin types, with implications for feed efficiency; these effects are perhaps an unintended consequence of compensatory strategies to avoid direct competition with multiparous cows.

Consistency of dry matter intake in Holstein cows: Heritability estimates and associations with feed efficiency.

Resilience can be defined as the capacity to maintain performance or bounce back to normal functioning after a perturbation, and studying fluctuations in daily feed intake may be an effective way to identify resilient dairy cows. Our goal was to develop new phenotypes based on daily dry matter intake (DMI) consistency in Holstein cows, estimate genetic parameters and genetic correlations with feed efficiency and milk yield consistency, and evaluate their relationships with production, longevity, health, and reproduction traits. Data consisted of 397,334 daily DMI records of 6,238 lactating Holstein cows collected from 2007 to 2022 at 6 research stations across the United States. Consistency phenotypes were calculated based on the deviations from expected daily DMI for individual cows during their respective feeding trials, which ranged from 27 to 151 d in duration. Expected values were derived from different models, including simple average, quadratic and cubic quantile regression with a 0.5 quantile, and locally estimated scatterplot smoothing (LOESS) regression with span parameters 0.5 and 0.7. We then calculated the log of variance (log-Var-DMI) of daily deviations for each model as the consistency phenotype. Consistency of milk yield was also calculated, as a reference, using the same methods (log-Var-Milk). Genetic parameters were estimated using an animal model, including lactation, days in milk and cohort as fixed effects, and animal as random effect. Relationships between log-Var-DMI and traits currently considered in the US national genetic evaluation were evaluated using Spearman's rank correlations between sires' breeding values. Heritability estimates for log-Var-DMI ranged from 0.11 ± 0.02 to 0.14 ± 0.02 across models. Different methods (simple average, quantile regressions, and LOESS regressions) used to calculate log-Var-DMI yielded very similar results, with genetic correlations ranging from 0.94 to 0.99. Estimated genetic correlations between log-Var-DMI and log-Var-Milk ranged from 0.51 to 0.62. Estimated genetic correlations between log-Var-DMI and feed efficiency ranged from 0.55 to 0.60 with secreted milk energy, from 0.59 to 0.63 with metabolic body weight, and from 0.26 to 0.31 with residual feed intake (RFI). Relationships between log-Var-DMI and the traits in the national genetic evaluation were moderate and positive correlations with milk yield (0.20 to 0.21), moderate and negative correlations with female fertility (-0.07 to -0.20), no significant correlations with health and longevity, and favorable correlations with feed efficiency (-0.23 to -0.25 with feed saved and 0.21 to 0.26 with RFI). We concluded that DMI consistency is heritable and may be an indicator of resilience. Cows with lower variation in the difference between actual and expected daily DMI (more consistency) may be more effective in maintaining performance in the face of challenges or perturbations, whereas cows with greater variation in observed versus expected daily DMI (less consistency) are less feed efficient and may be less resilient.

Genetic relationships between behavioral traits and feed efficiency traits in lactating Holstein cows.

The evaluation of dairy cow feed efficiency using residual feed intake accounts for known energy sinks. However, behavioral traits may also contribute to the variation in feed efficiency. Our objective was to estimate the heritability and repeatability of behavioral traits and their genetic correlations with feed efficiency and its components in lactating Holstein cows. The first data set consisted of 36,075 daily rumination and lying time records collected using a SMARTBOW ear tag accelerometer (Zoetis, Parsippany, NJ) and 6,371 weekly feed efficiency records of 728 cows from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The second data set consisted of 59,155 daily activity records, measured as number of steps, recorded by pedometers (AfiAct; S.A.E. Afikim, Kibbutz Afikim, Israel), and 8,626 weekly feed efficiency records of 635 cows from the University of Florida. Feed efficiency and its components included dry matter intake, change in body weight, metabolic body weight, secreted milk energy, and residual feed intake. The statistical models included the fixed effect of cohort, lactation number, and days in milk, and the random effects of animal and permanent environment. Heritability estimates for behavioral traits using daily records were 0.19 ± 0.06 for rumination and activity, and 0.37 ± 0.07 for lying time. Repeatability estimates for behavioral traits using daily data ranged from 0.56 ± 0.02 for activity to 0.62 ± 0.01 for lying time. Both heritability and repeatability estimates were larger when weekly records instead of daily records were used. Rumination and activity had positive genetic correlations with residual feed intake (0.40 ± 0.19 and 0.31 ± 0.22, respectively) while lying time had a negative genetic correlation with this residual feed intake (-0.27 ± 0.11). These results indicate that more efficient cows tend to spend more time lying and less time active. Additionally, less efficient cows tend to eat more and therefore also tend to ruminate longer. Overall, sensor-based behavioral traits are heritable and genetically correlated with feed efficiency and its components and, therefore, they could be used as indicators to identify feed efficient cows within the herd.

Dry matter intake in US Holstein cows: exploring the genomic and phenotypic impact of milk components and body weight composite.

Large data sets allow estimating feed required for individual milk components or body maintenance. Phenotypic regressions are useful for nutrition management, but genetic regressions are more useful in breeding programs. Dry matter intake (DMI) records from 8,513 lactations of 6,621 Holstein cows were predicted from phenotypes or genomic evaluations for milk components and body size traits. The mixed models also included days in milk, age-parity subclass, trial date, management group, and body weight change during 28- and 42-d feeding trials in mid-lactation. Phenotypic regressions of DMI on milk (0.014 ± 0.006), fat (3.06 ± 0.01), and protein (4.79 ± 0.25) were much less than corresponding genomic regressions (0.08 ± 0.03, 11.30 ± 0.47, and 9.35 ± 0.87) or sire genomic regressions multiplied by 2 (0.048 ± 0.04, 6.73 ± 0.94, and 4.98 ± 1.75). Thus, marginal feed costs as fractions of marginal milk revenue were higher from genetic than phenotypic regressions. According to the energy-corrected milk formula, fat production requires 69% more DMI than protein production. In the phenotypic regression, it was estimated that protein production requires 56% more DMI than fat. However, the genomic regression for the animal showed a difference of only 21% more DMI for protein compared with fat, while the sire genomic regressions indicated approximately 35% more DMI for fat than protein. Estimates of annual maintenance in kg DMI / kg body weight/lactation were similar from phenotypic regression (5.9 ± 0.14), genomic regression (5.8 ± 0.31), and sire genomic regression multiplied by 2 (5.3 ± 0.55) and are larger than those estimated by NASEM (2021) based on NEL equations. Multiple regressions on genomic evaluations for the 5 type traits in body weight composite (BWC) showed that strength was the type trait most associated with body weight and DMI, agreeing with the current BWC formula, whereas other traits were less useful predictors, especially for DMI. The Net Merit formula used to weight different genetic traits to achieve an economically optimal overall selection response was revised in 2021 to better account for these estimated regressions. To improve profitability, breeding programs should select smaller cows with negative residual feed intake that produce more milk, fat, and protein.

The Resilient Dairy Genome Project-A general overview of methods and objectives related to feed efficiency and methane emissions.

The Resilient Dairy Genome Project (RDGP) is an international large-scale applied research project that aims to generate genomic tools to breed more resilient dairy cows. In this context, improving feed efficiency and reducing greenhouse gases from dairy is a high priority. The inclusion of traits related to feed efficiency (e.g., dry matter intake [DMI]) or greenhouse gases (e.g., methane emissions [CH4]) relies on available genotypes as well as high quality phenotypes. Currently, 7 countries (i.e., Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, and United States) contribute with genotypes and phenotypes including DMI and CH4. However, combining data are challenging due to differences in recording protocols, measurement technology, genotyping, and animal management across sources. In this study, we provide an overview of how the RDGP partners address these issues to advance international collaboration to generate genomic tools for resilient dairy. Specifically, we describe the current state of the RDGP database, data collection protocols in each country, and the strategies used for managing the shared data. As of February 2022, the database contains 1,289,593 DMI records from 12,687 cows and 17,403 CH4 records from 3,093 cows and continues to grow as countries upload new data over the coming years. No strong genomic differentiation between the populations was identified in this study, which may be beneficial for eventual across-country genomic predictions. Moreover, our results reinforce the need to account for the heterogeneity in the DMI and CH4 phenotypes in genomic analysis.

Factors Associated with COVID-19 Public Health Workforce Pipeline.

Public health entities nationwide conducted historic hiring to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic. Post-pandemic recovery has seen recognition and investment in the need for public health infrastructure including workforce. This case study presents a descriptive analysis of COVID-19 case investigators and contact tracers who were part of the COVID-19 workforce in Michigan and associated factors in their ongoing interest in the field. The majority of these respondents have continued their public health career.

Social interactions, feeding patterns, and feed efficiency of same- and mixed-parity groups of lactating cows.

Social dynamics in group-housed animals can have important effects on their welfare, feed efficiency, and production potential. Our objectives were to: (1) evaluate the effects of parity and social grouping on competition behavior, feeding patterns, and feed efficiency, and (2) investigate cow-level relationships between competition and feeding behavior, production, and feed efficiency. Fifty-nine Holstein cows (144.5 ± 21.8 starting days in milk, mean ± SD) were housed in a freestall pen with 30 Roughage Intake Control (RIC) bins. We evaluated the effects of parity (primiparous [PR, n = 29] vs. multiparous [MU, n = 30]) and group composition at the feed bunk (same-parity [SM, n = 39] vs. mixed-parity [MX, n = 20, 50% of each parity]) with a 2 × 2 factorial design (SM-MU: n = 20; SM-PR: n = 19; MX-MU: n = 10; MX-PR: n = 10) on competition behavior, feeding patterns, and feed efficiency. Within the pen, groups of 9 to 10 cows were considered subgroups and assigned to treatments defined by sets of 5 assigned bins (2:1 stocking density). Feed bunk competition and feeding patterns were recorded via continuous video in the first hour after morning feed delivery and 24-h RIC data, respectively. Residual feed intake (RFI) was calculated as the difference between predicted and observed dry matter intake (DMI) after accounting for known energy sinks. Linear models were used to evaluate the effects and interactions of parity and group composition on competition, feeding behavior, and feed efficiency. Within-cow correlations were performed between competition, feeding behavior, and RFI. Cows in MX, compared with SM, were involved in more competitive interactions [mean (95% CI): competitive contacts: 11.5 (8.1, 16.3) vs. 7.2 (5.5, 9.3) events; displacements: 4.0 (3.0, 5.3) vs. 2.1 (1.7, 2.7) events, and replacements: 3.5 (2.6, 4.7) vs. 1.9 (1.5, 2.5) events]. Cows in MX vs. those in SM had more bunk visits/meal ( 4.3 [3.9, 4.8] vs. 3.7 [3.4, 3.9] visits/meal) and longer meals (31.2 vs. 27.4 ± 0.9 min/meal) and tended to have higher RFI (0.41 ± 0.3 vs. -0.21 ± 0.2) and were therefore less feed efficient. Multiparous versus PR cows had greater DMI per day (29.3 ± 0.6 vs. 25.5 ± 0.4 kg/d) and per meal (4.2 [4.0, 4.4] vs. 3.4 [3.2, 3.6] kg/meal), faster eating rates (0.14 [0.13, 0.15] vs. 0.12 [0.11, 0.13] kg/min), and fewer bunk visits/d (26.6 [24.0, 29.4] vs. 32.8 [29.7, 35.9]). Regardless of grouping or parity, cows with shorter latencies to first visit the bunk after feed delivery were involved in more competition and tended to be less feed efficient. Overall, individual cow- and group-level relationships among competition, feeding behavior, and feed efficiency play an important role in feed bunk social dynamics. At a competitive 2:1 stocking density, mixed-parity groups for lactating cows may have potentially negative animal welfare and feed efficiency implications that should be considered when selecting grouping strategies on the farm.

2023 AAHA Selected Endocrinopathies of Dogs and Cats Guidelines.

Canine and feline endocrinopathies reflect an endocrine gland disease or dysfunction with resulting hormonal abnormali ties that can variably affect the patient's wellbeing, quality of life, and life expectancy. These guidelines provide consensus recommendations for diagnosis and treatment of four canine and feline endocrinopathies commonly encountered in clini cal practice: canine hypothyroidism, canine hypercortisolism (Cushing's syndrome), canine hypoadrenocorticism (Addi son's disease), and feline hyperthyroidism. To aid the general practitioner in navigating these common diseases, a stepwise diagnosis and treatment algorithm and relevant background information is provided for managing each of these diseases. The guidelines also describe, in lesser detail, the diagnosis and treatment of three relatively less common endo crinopathies of cats: feline hyperaldosteronism, feline hypothyroidism, and feline hyperadrenocorticism. Additionally, the guidelines present tips on effective veterinary team utilization and client communication when discussing endocrine cases.

Graduate Student Literature Review: Considerations for nutritional grouping in dairy farms.

Each cow in a group has different nutritional requirements even if the group is formed by cows of similar age, number of lactations, and lactation stage. Common dairy farm management setup does not support formulating a diet that accurately matches individual nutritional requirements for each cow; therefore, a proportion of cows in the group will be overfed and another proportion underfed. Overfeeding and underfeeding cows increases the risk of metabolic diseases, decreases milk production, and increases nutrient waste. Consequently, profitability of dairy farms and the environment are negatively affected. Nutritional grouping is a management strategy that aims to allocate lactating cows homogeneously according to their nutritional requirements. Groups of cows with more uniform nutritional requirements facilitates the formulation of more accurate diets for the group. Current availability of large data streams on dairy farms facilitates the design of algorithms to implement nutritional grouping. Our review summarizes important factors to consider when grouping cows, describes nutritional grouping approaches, and summarizes benefits of implementing nutritional grouping in dairy farms.

Estimates of genetic parameters for feeding behavior traits and their associations with feed efficiency in Holstein cows.

Residual feed intake (RFI) is commonly used to measure feed efficiency but individual intake recording systems are needed. Feeding behavior may be used as an indicator trait for feed efficiency using less expensive precision livestock farming technologies. Our goal was to estimate genetic parameters for feeding behavior and the genetic correlations with feed efficiency in Holstein cows. Data consisted of 75,877 daily feeding behavior records of 1,328 mid-lactation Holstein cows in 31 experiments conducted from 2009 to 2020 with an automated intake recording system. Feeding behavior traits included number of feeder visits per day, number of meals per day, duration of each feeder visit, duration of each meal, total duration of feeder visits, intake per visit, intake per meal [kg of dry matter (DM)], feeding rate per visit, and feeding rate per meal (kg of DM per min). The meal criterion was estimated as 26.4 min, which means that any pair of feeder visits separated by less than 26.4 min were considered part of the same meal. The statistical model included lactation and days in milk as fixed effects, and experiment-treatment, animal, and permanent environment as random effects. Genetic parameters for feeding behavior traits were estimated using daily records and weekly averages. Estimates of heritability for daily feeding behavior traits ranged from 0.09 ± 0.02 (number of meals; mean ± standard error) to 0.23 ± 0.03 (feeding rate per meal), with repeatability estimates ranging from 0.23 ± 0.01 (number of meals) to 0.52 ± 0.02 (number of feeder visits). Estimates of heritability for weekly averages of feeding behavior traits ranged from 0.19 ± 0.04 (number of meals) to 0.32 ± 0.04 (feeding rate per visit), with repeatability estimates ranging from 0.46 ± 0.02 (duration of each meal) to 0.62 ± 0.02 (feeding rate per visit and per meal). Most of the feeding behavior measures were strongly genetically correlated, showing that with more visits or meals per day, cows spend less time in each feeder visit or meal with lower intake per visit or meal. Weekly averages for feeding behavior traits were analyzed jointly with RFI and its components. Number of meals was genetically correlated with milk energy (0.48), metabolic body weight (-0.27), and RFI (0.19). Duration of each feeder visit and meal were genetically correlated with milk energy (0.43 and 0.44, respectively). Total duration of feeder visits per day was genetically correlated with DM intake (0.29), milk energy (0.62), metabolic body weight (-0.37), and RFI (0.20). Intake per visit and meal were genetically correlated with DM intake (0.63 and 0.87), milk energy (0.47 and 0.69), metabolic body weight (0.47 and 0.68), and RFI (0.31 and 0.65). Feeding rate was genetically correlated with DM intake (0.69), metabolic body weight (0.67), RFI (0.47), and milk energy (0.21). We conclude that measures of feeding behavior could be useful indicators of dairy cow feed efficiency, and individual cows that eat at a slower rate may be more feed efficient.

Transcutaneous carbon dioxide pattern and trend over time in preterm infants.

BACKGROUND: Chronic lung disease remains a burden for extremely preterm infants. The changes in ventilation over time and optimal ventilatory management remains unknown. Newer, non-invasive technologies provide insight into these patterns. METHODS: This single-center prospective cohort study enrolled infants ≤32 0/7 weeks. We obtained epochs of transcutaneous carbon dioxide (TcCO2) measurements twice each week to describe the pattern of hypercarbia throughout their hospitalization. RESULTS: Patterns of hypercarbia varied based on birth gestational age and post-menstrual age (PMA) (p = 0.03), regardless of respiratory support. Infants receiving the most respiratory support had values 16-21 mmHg higher than those on room air (p < 0.001). Infants born at the youngest gestational ages had the greatest total change but the rate of change was slower (p = 0.049) compared to infants born at later gestational ages. All infants had TcCO2 values stabilize by 31-33 weeks PMA, when values were not significantly different compared to discharge. No rebound was observed when infants weaned off invasive support. CONCLUSIONS: Hypercarbia improves as infants approached 31-33 weeks PMA. Hypercarbia was the highest in the most immature infants and improved with age and growth despite weaning respiratory support. IMPACT: This study describes the evolution of hypercarbia as very preterm infants grow and develop. The pattern of ventilation is significantly different depending on the gestational age at birth and post-menstrual age. Average transcutaneous carbon dioxide (TCO2) decreased over time as infants became more mature despite weaning respiratory support. This improvement was most significant in infants born at the lowest gestational ages.

Hyperketonemia GWAS and parity-dependent SNP associations in Holstein dairy cows intensively sampled for blood ß-hydroxybutyrate concentration.

Hyperketonemia (HYK) is a metabolic disorder that affects early postpartum dairy cows; however, there has been limited success in identifying genomic variants contributing to HYK susceptibility. We conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) using HYK phenotypes based on an intensive screening protocol, interrogated genotype interactions with parity group (GWIS), and evaluated the enrichment of annotated metabolic pathways. Holstein cows were enrolled into the experiment after parturition, and blood samples were collected at four timepoints between 5 and 18 days postpartum. Concentration of blood ß-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) was quantified cow-side via a handheld BHB meter. Cows were labeled as a HYK case when at least one blood sample had BHB ≥ 1.2 mmol/L, and all other cows were considered non-HYK controls. After quality control procedures, 1,710 cows and 58,699 genotypes were available for further analysis. The GWAS and GWIS were performed using the forward feature select linear mixed model method. There was evidence for an association between ARS-BFGL-NGS-91238 and HYK susceptibility, as well as parity-dependent associations to HYK for BovineHD0600024247 and BovineHD1400023753. Candidate genes annotated to these single nuclear polymorphism associations have been previously associated with obesity, diabetes, insulin resistance, and fatty liver in humans and rodent models. Enrichment analysis revealed focal adhesion and axon guidance as metabolic pathways contributing to HYK etiology, while genetic variation in pathways related to insulin secretion and sensitivity may affect HYK susceptibility in a parity-dependent matter. In conclusion, the present work proposes several novel marker associations and metabolic pathways contributing to genetic risk for HYK susceptibility.

Performance of a Geosynthetic-Clay-Liner Cover System at a Cu/Zn Mine Tailings Impoundment.

The abandoned Kam Kotia Mine (Canada) is undergoing remediation. A geosynthetic-clay-liner (GCL) cover system was installed in the Northern Impounded Tailings (NIT) area in 2008 to isolate acid-generating tailings from water and oxygen and to mitigate sulfide oxidation. The cover system includes a vegetated uppermost soil layer underlain by a granular protective layer (sand), a clay moisture-retaining layer, a GCL, a granular capillary-break material (cushion sand), and a crushed waste rock-capillary break layer installed above the tailings. The goal of this study was to characterize the microbiology of the covered tailings to assess the performance of the cover system for mitigating sulfide bio-oxidation. Tailings beneath the GCL were characterized by high sulfur and low carbon content. The bulk pH of the tailings pore water was circumneutral (∼5.5 to 7.3). Total genomic DNA was extracted from 36 samples recovered from the constituent layers of the cover system and the underlying tailings and was analyzed in triplicates using high-throughput amplicon sequencing of 16S rRNA genes. Iron-oxidizing, sulfur-oxidizing, sulfate-reducing, and aerobic heterotrophic microorganisms were enumerated by use of most probable number enumeration, which identified heterotrophs as the most numerous group of culturable microorganisms throughout the depth profile. Low relative abundances and viable counts of microorganisms that catalyze transformations of iron and sulfur in the covered tailings, compared to previous studies on unreclaimed tailings, indicate that sulfide oxidation rates have decreased due to the presence of the GCL. Characterization of the microbial community can provide a sensitive indicator for assessing the performance of remediation systems.IMPORTANCE Mining activities are accompanied by significant environmental and financial liabilities, including the release of acid mine drainage (AMD). AMD is caused by accelerated chemical and biological oxidation of sulfide minerals in mine wastes and is characterized by low pH and high concentrations of sulfate and metal(loid)s. Microorganisms assume important roles in the catalysis of redox reactions. Our research elucidates linkages among the biogeochemistry of mine wastes and remediation systems and microbial community and activity. This study assesses the performance and utility of geosynthetic-clay-liner cover systems for management of acid-generating mine wastes. Analyses of the microbial communities in tailings isolated beneath an engineered cover system provide a better understanding of the complex biogeochemical processes involved in the redox cycling of key elements, contribute to the remediation of mine wastes, and provide a valuable tool for assessment of the effectiveness of the remediation system.

Improving nutritional accuracy and economics through a multiple ration-grouping strategy.

The objective of this study was to develop a model application to systematize nutritional grouping (NG) management in commercial dairy farms. The model has 4 sub-sections: (1) real-time data stream integration, (2) calculation of nutritional parameters, (3) grouping algorithm, and (4) output reports. A simulation study on a commercial Wisconsin dairy farm was used to evaluate our NG model. On this dairy farm, lactating cows (n = 2,374 ± 185) are regrouped weekly in 14 pens according to their parity and lactation stage, for which 9 diets are provided. Diets are seldom reformulated and nutritional requirements are not factored to allocate cows to pens. The same 14 pens were used to simulate the implementation of NG using our model, closely following the current farm criteria but also including predicted nutritional requirements (net energy for lactation and metabolizable protein; NEL and MP) and milk yield in an attempt to generate more homogeneous groups of cows for improved diet accuracy. The goal of the simulation study was to implement a continuous weekly system for cows' pen allocation and diet formulation. The predicted MP and NEL requirements from the NG were used to formulate the diets using commercial diet formulation software and the same feed ingredients, feed prices, and other criteria as the current farm diets. Diet MP and NEL densities were adjusted to the nutritional group requirements. Results from the simulation study indicated that the NG model facilitates the implementation of an NG strategy and improves diet accuracy. The theoretical diet cost and predicted nitrogen supply with NG decreased for low-nutritional-requirement groups and increased for high-nutritional-requirement groups compared with current farm groups. The overall average N supply in diets for NG management was 15.14 g/cow per day less than the current farm grouping management. The average diet cost was $3,250/cow per year for current farm management and $3,219/cow per year for NG, which resulted in a theoretical $31/cow per year diet cost savings.

Exploring the research culture in the health information management profession in Australia.

BACKGROUND: Research is an important activity that informs knowledge and practice. The research culture within the Australian Health Information Management (HIM) profession has not been previously reported. OBJECTIVE: This study explored the perceptions of HIM practitioners about research in their role to establish if there is a research culture in the Australian HIM profession. METHOD: An online survey was distributed to the HIM community using a snowball recruitment strategy. RESULTS: Of the 149 respondents, more than half (54%) identified they possessed research skills from prior education, whilst 40% considered they had a strong knowledgebase in conducting research. However, only a quarter of respondents indicated that they should undertake research in their role. Barriers to undertaking research included recognition, organisational support and time. DISCUSSION: The findings from this study reflected other studies within clinical workforces. The lack of recognition and support to incorporate research into practitioner roles has implications for the profession and its body of knowledge. CONCLUSION: Advocating for research to be incorporated into practitioner roles is required to inform knowledge and practice. Increased professional development opportunities may create a stronger research culture within the HIM profession in Australia and strengthen the position of the profession within health.

Short communication: The effect of increasing concentrations of different methionine forms and 2-hydroxy-4-(methylthio)butanoic acid on genes controlling methionine metabolism in primary bovine neonatal hepatocytes.

The d-isomer of Met cannot be used directly by the mammary gland in dairy cows; instead, it is transformed into l-Met, the proteogenic isomer, in the liver and other extramammary tissues. It remains unclear whether different Met forms and a Met hydroxy analog, 2-hydroxy-4-(methylthio)butanoic acid (HMB), are metabolized and function similarly in the liver. The objective of the present study was to examine the regulation of key genes in Met regeneration, transulfuration, and transmethylation pathways in response to increasing doses of different Met forms. Hepatocytes isolated from 4 calves between 4 and 7 d old were maintained as monolayer cultures for 24 h before addition of treatments. Treatments of (0, 10, 20, 40 µM) d-Met, l-Met, dl-Met, dl-HMB, or a 1:1 mixture of dl-Met and dl-HMB were added to Met-free medium in triplicate. After 24 h, cell lysates were collected for quantification of gene expression by quantitative PCR, and mRNA abundance was normalized to the mean of 3 reference genes. Data were analyzed with PROC MIXED of SAS 9.3 (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC). Analyses of covariance confirmed equivalent slopes of Met form, and the final model included form, dose, and random effect of calf within form. Data are reported as least squares means ± standard error. No main effect of Met form was observed for any genes examined. The enzymes encoded by betaine-homocysteine methyltransferase (BHMT) and 5-methyltetrahydrofolate-homocysteine methyltransferase use betaine and 5-methyltetrahydrofolate, respectively, to regenerate Met from homocysteine. Increasing concentration of Met did not alter 5-methyltetrahydrofolate expression, but decreased BHMT expression. Expression of glycine N-methyltransferase, the enzyme that controls transmethylation flux from S-adenosyl-methionine, was not affected by Met concentration. Methionine concentration had no effect on expression of cystathionine ß-synthase, a key enzyme for the transulfuration pathway. The decrease in BHMT expression indicates a decreased need for cellular Met regeneration with increasing Met concentration, independent of Met form. The lack of differences among Met forms on regulating genes examined indicates that all Met forms similarly reduced genes controlling Met regeneration and metabolism in primary bovine hepatocytes.

Low-fat yogurt consumption reduces biomarkers of chronic inflammation and inhibits markers of endotoxin exposure in healthy premenopausal women: a randomised controlled trial.

The anti-inflammatory mechanisms of low-fat dairy product consumption are largely unknown. The objective of this study was to determine whether low-fat yogurt reduces biomarkers of chronic inflammation and endotoxin exposure in women. Premenopausal women (BMI 18·5-27 and 30-40 kg/m2) were randomised to consume 339 g of low-fat yogurt (yogurt non-obese (YN); yogurt obese (YO)) or 324 g of soya pudding (control non-obese; control obese (CO)) daily for 9 weeks (n 30/group). Fasting blood samples were analysed for IL-6, TNF-α/soluble TNF II (sTNF-RII), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, 2-arachidonoyl glycerol, anandamide, monocyte gene expression, soluble CD14 (sCD14), lipopolysaccharide (LPS), LPS binding protein (LBP), IgM endotoxin-core antibody (IgM EndoCAb), and zonulin. BMI, waist circumference and blood pressure were also determined. After 9-week yogurt consumption, YO and YN had decreased TNF-α/sTNFR-RII. Yogurt consumption increased plasma IgM EndoCAb regardless of obesity status. sCD14 was not affected by diet, but LBP/sCD14 was lowered by yogurt consumption in both YN and YO. Yogurt intervention increased plasma 2-arachidonoylglycerol in YO but not YN. YO peripheral blood mononuclear cells expression of NF-κB inhibitor α and transforming growth factor ß1 increased relative to CO at 9 weeks. Other biomarkers were unchanged by diet. CO and YO gained approximately 0·9 kg in body weight. YO had 3·6 % lower diastolic blood pressure at week 3. Low-fat yogurt for 9 weeks reduced biomarkers of chronic inflammation and endotoxin exposure in premenopausal women compared with a non-dairy control food. This trial was registered as NCT01686204.

Regulation of inflammation, antioxidant production, and methyl-carbon metabolism during methionine supplementation in lipopolysaccharide-challenged neonatal bovine hepatocytes.

Supplementation of methionine (Met) may improve immunometabolic status, specifically during a period of inflammatory stress. The aim of the present study was to establish an inflammation model using primary neonatal bovine hepatocytes and to examine the effects of increasing concentrations of dl-Met and a maintained Met to lysine (Lys) ratio on hepatocyte inflammatory responses, antioxidant production, and Met metabolism during lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge. Hepatocytes isolated from 4 calves were maintained as monolayer cultures and exposed to 0, 10, or 40 µMdl-Met and 100 µM Lys (0Met100Lys, 10Met100Lys, or 40Met100Lys) or 10 µMdl-Met and 25 µM Lys (10Met25Lys). Cells were exposed to each treatment for 16 h and then challenged with either 0 or 100 ng/mL of LPS for 8 h. In the absence of LPS, glutathione (GSH) was not altered by 10Met100Lys or 10Met25Lys but was increased by 40Met100Lys. With LPS challenge, GSH concentration was decreased with 40Met100Lys and tended to be decreased with 10Met100Lys. Hepatocytes receiving 10Met100Lys treated with 100 ng/mL of LPS showed an inflammatory response with increased mRNA expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNFα), IL-6, IL-1ß, and interferon gamma, which was accompanied by increased nuclear factor κB inhibitor and serum amyloid A3 mRNA. The treatment 40Met100Lys was effective for preventing the LPS-induced increase in expression of the above genes except TNFα. Similar preventative effects were observed for 10Met25Lys; however, it did not prevent the LPS-induced increase in TNFα or IL-6 mRNA. Lipopolysaccharide challenge decreased mRNA expression of key genes controlling the transmethylation and Met regeneration pathways, which was not prevented by Met supplementation. The data suggest that bovine hepatocyte cultures can be used as a biological model to study the inflammatory cascade via an LPS challenge. Supplementation of Met prevents the LPS-induced hepatocyte cytokine expression and is associated with elevated intracellular GSH concentration.

Relationships between body condition score change, prior mid-lactation phenotypic residual feed intake, and hyperketonemia onset in transition dairy cows.

Extensive efforts have been made to identify more feed-efficient dairy cows, yet it is unclear how selection for feed efficiency will influence metabolic health. The objectives of this research were to determine the relationships between residual feed intake (RFI), a measure of feed efficiency, body condition score (BCS) change, and hyperketonemia (HYK) incidence. Blood and milk samples were collected twice weekly from cows 5 to 18 d postcalving for a total of 4 samples. Hyperketonemia was diagnosed at a blood ß-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) ≥1.2 mmol/L and cows were treated upon diagnosis. Dry period, calving, and final blood sampling BCS was recorded. Prior mid-lactation production, body weight, body weight change, and dry matter intake (DMI) data were used to determine RFI phenotype, calculated as the difference between observed DMI and predicted DMI. The maximum BHB concentration (BHBmax) for each cow was used to group cows into HYK or not hyperketonemic. Lactation number, BCS, and RFI data were analyzed with linear and quadratic orthogonal contrasts. Of the 570 cows sampled, 19.7% were diagnosed with HYK. The first positive HYK test occurred at 9 ± 0.9 d postpartum and the average BHB concentration at the first positive HYK test was 1.53 ± 0.14 mmol/L. In the first 30 d postpartum, HYK-positive cows had increased milk yield and fat concentration, decreased milk protein concentration, and decreased somatic cell count. Cows with a dry BCS ≥4.0, or that lost 1 or more BCS unit across the transition to lactation period, had greater BHBmax than cows with lower BCS. Prior-lactation RFI did not alter BHBmax. Avoiding over conditioning of dry cows and subsequent excessive fat mobilization during the transition period may decrease HYK incidence; however, RFI during a prior lactation does not appear to be associated with HYK onset.

The effect of increasing concentrations of dl-methionine and 2-hydroxy-4-(methylthio) butanoic acid on hepatic genes controlling methionine regeneration and gluconeogenesis.

Metabolizable methionine (Met) concentrations can be increased by feeding rumen-protected dl-Met or the isopropyl ester of 2-hydroxy-4-(methylthio) butanoic acid (HMBi). Hepatic responses to increasing concentrations of metabolizable Met as a result of supplementation of different Met sources have not been comparatively examined. The objective of this experiment was to examine the regulation of key genes for Met metabolism, gluconeogenesis, and fatty acid oxidation in response to increasing concentrations of dl-Met or 2-hydroxy-4-(methylthio) butanoic acid (HMB) in bovine primary hepatocytes. Hepatocytes isolated from 4 Holstein calves less than 7d old were maintained as monolayer cultures for 24h before addition of treatments. Cells were then exposed to treatments of dl-Met or HMB (0, 10, 20, 40, or 60 µM) in Met-free medium for 24h and collected for RNA isolation and quantification of gene expression by quantitative PCR. Expression of betaine-homocysteine methyltransferase (BHMT), 5-methyltetrahydrofolate-homocysteine methyltransferase (MTR), and 5,10 methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) genes, which catalyze regeneration of Met from betaine and homocysteine, decreased linearly with increasing dl-Met concentration. We observed similar effects with increasing HMB concentration, except expression of MTHFR, which was not altered. Expression of Met adenosyltransferase 1A (MAT1A), which catalyzes the first step of Met metabolism to generate S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), a primary methyl donor, was decreased with increasing dl-Met or HMB concentration. Expression of S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase (SAHH) was decreased linearly with increasing HMB concentration, but not altered by dl-Met. Increasing concentrations of dl-Met and HMB decreased cytosolic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PCK1) expression, but did not alter the expression of mitochondrial phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PCK2) or pyruvate carboxylase (PC). Expression of glucose-6-phosphatase(G6PC) decreased linearly with increasing HMB concentration, but not altered by dl-Met. Neither dl-Met nor HMB altered the expression of carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A(CPT1a). These findings demonstrate reduced necessity for Met regeneration with increased Met concentrations in the medium, regardless of the Met source. The lack of upregulation of gluconeogenesis indicates that increased dl-Met or HMB is not prioritized for glucose synthesis in primary bovine hepatocytes.