The early life immune dynamics and cellular drivers at single-cell resolution in lamb forestomachs and abomasum

Background Four-chambered stomach including the forestomachs(rumen,reticulum,and omasum)and abomasum allows ruminants convert plant fiber into high-quality animal products.The early development of this four-chambered stomach is crucial for the health and well-being of young ruminants,especially the immune development.However,the dynamics of immune development are poorly understood.Results We investigated the early gene expression patterns across the four-chambered stomach in Hu sheep,at 5,10,15,and 25 days of age.We found that forestomachs share similar gene expression patterns,all four stomachs underwent widespread activation of both innate and adaptive immune responses from d 5 to 25,whereas the metabolic function were significantly downregulated with age.We constructed a cell landscape of the four-chambered stomach using single-cell sequencing.Integrating transcriptomic and single-cell transcriptomic analyses revealed that the immune-associated module hub genes were highly expressed in T cells,monocytes and macrophages,as well as the defense-associated module hub genes were highly expressed in endothelial cells in the four-stomach tissues.Moreover,the non-immune cells such as epithelial cells play key roles in immune maturation.Cell communication analysis predicted that in addition to immune cells,non-immune cells recruit immune cells through macrophage migration inhibitory factor signaling in the forestomachs.Conclusions Our results demonstrate that the immune and defense responses of four stomachs are quickly developing with age in lamb's early life.We also identified the gene expression patterns and functional cells associated with immune development.Additionally,we identified some key receptors and signaling involved in immune regulation.These results help to understand the early life immune development at single-cell resolution,which has implications to develop nutritional manipulation and health management strategies based on specific targets including key receptors and signaling pathways.

The application of omics technologies for understanding tropical plants-based bioactive compounds in ruminants:a review

Finding out how diet impacts health and metabolism while concentrating on the functional qualities and bioactive components of food is the crucial scientific objective of nutritional research. The complex relationship between metabolism and nutrition could be investigated with cutting-edge "omics" and bioinformatics techniques. This review paper provides an overview of the use of omics technologies in nutritional research, with a particular emphasis on the new applications of transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and genomes in functional and biological activity research on ruminant livestock and products in the tropical regions. A wealth of knowledge has been uncovered regarding the regulation and use of numerous physiological and pathological processes by gene, m RNA, protein, and metabolite expressions under various physiological situations and guidelines. In particular, the components of meat and milk were assessed using omics research utilizing the various methods of transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and genomes. The goal of this review is to use omics technologies—which have been steadily gaining popularity as technological tools—to develop new nutritional, genetic, and leadership strategies to improve animal products and their quality control. We also present an overview of the new applications of omics technologies in cattle production and employ nutriomics and foodomics technologies to investigate the microbes in the rumen ecology. Thus, the application of state-of-the-art omics technology may aid in our understanding of how species and/or breeds adapt, and the sustainability of tropical animal production, in the long run, is becoming increasingly important as a means of mitigating the consequences of climate change.

Could natural phytochemicals be used to reduce nitrogen excretion and excreta‑derived N_(2)O emissions from ruminants?

Ruminants play a critical role in our food system by converting plant biomass that humans cannot or choose not to consume into edible high-quality food.However,ruminant excreta is a significant source of nitrous oxide(N_(2)O),a potent greenhouse gas with a long-term global warming potential 298 times that of carbon dioxide.Natural phytochemicals or forages containing phytochemicals have shown the potential to improve the efficiency of nitrogen(N)utilization and decrease N_(2)O emissions from the excreta of ruminants.Dietary inclusion of tannins can shift more of the excreted N to the feces,alter the urinary N composition and consequently reduce N_(2)O emissions from excreta.Essential oils or saponins could inhibit rumen ammonia production and decrease urinary N excretion.In grazed pastures,large amounts of glucosinolates or aucubin can be introduced into pasture soils when animals consume plants rich in these compounds and then excrete them or their metabolites in the urine or feces.If inhibitory compounds are excreted in the urine,they would be directly applied to the urine patch to reduce nitrification and subsequent N_(2)O emissions.The phytochemicals’role in sustainable ruminant production is undeniable,but much uncertainty remains.Inconsistency,transient effects,and adverse effects limit the effectiveness of these phytochemicals for reducing N losses.In this review,we will identify some current phytochemicals found in feed that have the potential to manipulate ruminant N excretion or mitigate N_(2)O production and deliberate the challenges and opportunities associated with using phytochemicals or forages rich in phytochemicals as dietary strategies for reducing N excretion and excreta-derived N_(2)O emissions.

Productivity of Commercial Feedlot Beef Production Significantly Improved by Asparagopsis Bioactives Stabilized in Canola Oil

Research using open-circuit respiration chambers has established that Asparagopsis bioactive compounds stabilized in canola oil (Asp-Oil), delivering a range of inclusion between 34 - 51 mg bromoform (CHBr3)/kg dry matter intake (DMI), inhibits methane (CH4) emissions > 98% in feedlot cattle. In this study, Asp-Oil was fed at 35 mg CHBr3/kg DMI in the feedlot finisher diet under highly replicated and commercially relevant conditions, and adequately powered to confirm differences as low as 3.3% in feed conversion efficiency (FCE). The study also evaluated the effect of Asp-Oil on CH4 production (g/day), carcass and meat-eating qualities, animal health, and food safety. The experiment consisted of 300 Angus-Shorthorn (Bos taurus) steers in 30 pens of 10 and fed a barley-based ration supplemented with canola oil (Control, n = 15), or Asp-Oil (n = 15) for total 81-d, inclusive of 21-d transition to full Asp-Oil and grain inclusion in the finisher ration. Reduction of CH4 was measured using GreenFeed Emissions Monitors (GEM) in a subset of 2 pens in both Control and Asp-Oil. However, 67% of CH4 measurements were recorded below the GEM’s limit of detection. An inhibition range of 58% - 98% was demonstrated by collectively using GEM and preliminary respiration chamber measurements. Asp-Oil improved FCE 7.4% in the finisher diet, and 5.6% across transition and finisher periods. During the transition steps the steers had not yet received their full allocations of grain and Asp-Oil which is responsible for the lower FCE benefits. A 4.1% lower DMI in the finisher period contributed to benefits in FCE with no effect on daily weight gains. Cost of feed and weight gain were reduced $0.35/head/day and $0.23/kg, respectively, in steers receiving Asp-Oil. Residues of Asparagopsis CHBr3 were not detected in any sample and only trace iodide and bromide were detected in livers and kidneys of both Control and Asp-Oil steers at levels safe for human consumption. Steers demonstrated normal rumen development typical of feedlot diets. This study confirms that Asp-Oil safely induces significant productivity benefits and CH4 reductions in feedlot beef production. Commercial adoption of Asparagopsis can benefit feedlot beef production and reduces the climate change contribution of livestock production.

Real-Time Monitoring Method for Cow Rumination Behavior Based on Edge Computing and Improved MobileNet v3

[Objective]Real-time monitoring of cow ruminant behavior is of paramount importance for promptly obtaining relevant information about cow health and predicting cow diseases.Currently,various strategies have been proposed for monitoring cow ruminant behavior,including video surveillance,sound recognition,and sensor monitoring methods.How‐ever,the application of edge device gives rise to the issue of inadequate real-time performance.To reduce the volume of data transmission and cloud computing workload while achieving real-time monitoring of dairy cow rumination behavior,a real-time monitoring method was proposed for cow ruminant behavior based on edge computing.[Methods]Autono‐mously designed edge devices were utilized to collect and process six-axis acceleration signals from cows in real-time.Based on these six-axis data,two distinct strategies,federated edge intelligence and split edge intelligence,were investigat‐ed for the real-time recognition of cow ruminant behavior.Focused on the real-time recognition method for cow ruminant behavior leveraging federated edge intelligence,the CA-MobileNet v3 network was proposed by enhancing the MobileNet v3 network with a collaborative attention mechanism.Additionally,a federated edge intelligence model was designed uti‐lizing the CA-MobileNet v3 network and the FedAvg federated aggregation algorithm.In the study on split edge intelli‐gence,a split edge intelligence model named MobileNet-LSTM was designed by integrating the MobileNet v3 network with a fusion collaborative attention mechanism and the Bi-LSTM network.[Results and Discussions]Through compara‐tive experiments with MobileNet v3 and MobileNet-LSTM,the federated edge intelligence model based on CA-Mo‐bileNet v3 achieved an average Precision rate,Recall rate,F1-Score,Specificity,and Accuracy of 97.1%,97.9%,97.5%,98.3%,and 98.2%,respectively,yielding the best recognition performance.[Conclusions]It is provided a real-time and effective method for monitoring cow ruminant behavior,and the proposed federated edge intelligence model can be ap‐plied in practical settings.

Establishment of Double-antigen Sandwich Time-resolved Fluorescence Immunoassay for Detection of Pest des Petits Ruminants Virus

[Objectives]This study was conducted to explore rapid and large-scale screening and detection of peste des petits ruminants(PPR),so as to provide important technical means for prevention,control and purification of PPR.[Methods]Soluble N protein and NH fusion protein were successfully obtained in an Escherichia coli expression system by optimizing E.coli codon and expression conditions.Furthermore,based on purified soluble N protein and NH fusion protein,a double-antigen sandwich time-resolved fluorescence immunoassay method for detection of peste des petits ruminants virus(PPRV)was established.[Results]The method has high sensitivity and specificity and can specifically detect the antibody against PPRV in sheep serum,and it has no cross reaction with other related diseases.The method was used to detect 292 clinical samples,and compared with French IDVET competition ELISA kit.The coincidence rates of positive samples and negative samples from the two kinds of test kits were 92.47%and 97.26%,respectively,and the overall coincidence rate was 94.86%.The intra-group and inter-group coefficients of variation in the repeatability test were less than 10%.[Conclusions]Compared with the traditional ELISA method,the double-antigen sandwich time-resolved fluorescence immunoassay for detection of PPRV has equivalent sensitivity and specificity,and simple and rapid operation,and thus high application and popularization value.

Evaluation of Ruminal Dry Matter Disappearance and pH of Dry Corn, High-Moisture Corn, and Rye under in Vitro Conditions

An in vitro experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of grain type on in vitro dry matter disappearance (IVDMD) and pH using ruminal fluid and a buffer reagent. Five beef cows were used for ruminal fluid collection and ruminal fluid was pooled prior to use. The cows used for ruminal fluid collection were maintained on a forage-based diet (60:40 forage to concentrate) for 28 d prior to ruminal fluid collection. Three grain types were evaluated: 1) dry corn (89% dry matter;DRC), 2) high-moisture corn (72% dry matter;HMC) and 3) rye (89% dry matter;RYE). Data were analyzed as a completely randomized design. A total of twenty-one replications of each grain type were used for statistical analysis (n = 63 tubes total). IVDMD was greater (P ≤ 0.05) by 97.1% and 46.4% for RYE compared to DRC and HMC, respectively. Additionally, IVDMD was greater (P = 0.05) by 34.6% for HMC compared to DRC. Final pH was decreased (P ≤ 0.05) for RYE by 12.3% and 2.8% for RYE compared to DRC and HMC, respectively. Also, final pH was decreased (P = 0.05) by 9.8% for HMC compared to DRC. These data indicate that corn harvest method (dry vs. high-moisture) influences IVDMD and final pH and that rye has a greater disappearance of dry matter and lower final pH than corn under in vitro conditions.

Study on the Effect of Self-Help Mindfulness Therapy on Rumination in Patients with Depression

Objective:To evaluate the nursing effect of self-help mindfulness therapy for patients with depression.Methods:120 cases of depression patients admitted to the Department of Psychosomatic Disorders of our hospital between January 2020 and January 2023 were selected.After being grouped by the random draw method,60 cases in the observation group adopted self-help mindfulness therapy and 60 cases in the control group adopted conventional nursing care,the nursing effects were subsequently compared.Results:Before nursing,there was no difference in the comparison of clinical symptom scores,rumination scores,positive psychological scores,and self-esteem scores between the two groups(P>0.05).After nursing,the clinical symptom scores of the observation group were lower than those of the control group;the rumination scores were lower than those of the control group;the positive psychological scores were higher than those of the control group;and the self-esteem scores were higher than those of the control group,and all of them were statistically significant(P<0.05).Conclusion:Self-help mindfulness therapy can improve the clinical symptoms of patients with depression and their rumination,and enhance their positive psychological state and self-esteem level,which has high nursing advantages.

Biological function of resveratrol and its application in animal production:a review

With the prohibition of antibiotics in feed,plant functional substances have been widely studied as feed additives.Resveratrol,a natural stilbene,and a non-flavonoid polyphenol found in plants,possesses antioxidant,anti-inflammatory,and metabolic regulatory features.Resveratrol generated intense scientific and public interest,primarily due to its widely reported ability to prevent cancer,delay aging and alleviate related metabolic diseases.Recently,resveratrol has been studied and applied as a feed additive in animal production.This review focuses on the outline of the absorption and metabolism and biological functions of resveratrol and summarizes the application of dietary resveratrol in animal production up to the present,including pigs,poultry,and ruminants.In pigs,dietary resveratrol improved intestinal health,mitochondrial function,meat quality,and more.In poultry,studies have shown that dietary resveratrol improves growth performance and meat and egg quality and alleviates heat stress induced adverse effects.There are few studies on dietary resveratrol in ruminants;however previous studies have indicated that dietary resveratrol increases nutrient digestibility and reduces methane emissions in sheep.It is hoped that this review could provide a specific theoretical basis and research ideas for the research and application of resveratrol.

The age at first consumption of forage in calves and its effect on growth and rumination in the short‑and long‑term

Background Previous investigations into the effect of dietary forage on calf performance have been inconsistent,and there is a paucity of information exploring the effect of age on the growth performance and rumination of calves.Eighty-four female Holstein calves(41.5±4.2 kg)were enrolled at birth,a subset of the calves were fed calf starter only(CON,n=21)while the rest(n=63)were classified into three treatment groups:the early(EHAY,n=26,5.1±0.8 d),the middle(MHAY,n=21,7.9±0.8 d)and the late(LHAY,n=16,12.1±1.4 d)hay consumers.The short-term effect of the age at first forage consump-tion(AFF)on calves’feed intake was monitored until d 84.In addition,the long-term effects of AFF on body weight,structural growth and rumination behavior were recorded until d 196.Rumen samples were collected on d 1,7,35,84 and 196 to ana-lyze the rumen fermentation,while fecal samples were collected from d 78 to 84 to estimate digestibility parameters.Results Treatment had no effect on feed intake.While,the EHAY calves tended to have lower BW and ADG compared to LHAY and CON calves.Several total-tract apparent digestibility parameters and digestible nutrients intake were significantly lower in EHAY calves compared with CON and LHAY calves.Calves in the EHAY group tended to begin ruminating ealier,while CON calves were the latest(12.3 vs.15.5 days of age).A treatment and time interaction was present for rumination time due to greater rumination in calves consuming hay compared to CON calves in week 10 to 12,the differences in rumination disappeared afterwards,no long-lasting significant differences in the rumina-tion and rumen fermentation parameters were found between treatments.Conclusions In conclusion,this study showed that hay consumption earlier in life(in the first week,around 5 days of life)could negatively affect the growth of the calf in the short and long term.Compared to consuming hay from the second week(around 12 days of life)or feeding concentrate only without hay,starting to consume hay from the first week could compromise nutrient digestibility and digestible nutrient intake independent of developing rumination behaviour and rumen fermentation.

Multi‑omics reveals that the host‑microbiome metabolism crosstalk of differential rumen bacterial enterotypes can regulate the milk protein synthesis of dairy cows

Background Dairy cows’lactation performance is the outcome of the crosstalk between ruminal microbial metabo-lism and host metabolism.However,it is still unclear to what extent the rumen microbiome and its metabolites,as well as the host metabolism,contribute to regulating the milk protein yield(MPY).Methods The rumen fluid,serum and milk of 12 Holstein cows with the same diet(45%coarseness ratio),parity(2–3 fetuses)and lactation days(120–150 d)were used for the microbiome and metabolome analysis.Rumen metabolism(rumen metabolome)and host metabolism(blood and milk metabolome)were connected using a weighted gene co-expression network(WGCNA)and the structural equation model(SEM)analyses.Results Two different ruminal enterotypes,with abundant Prevotella and Ruminococcus,were identified as type1 and type2.Of these,a higher MPY was found in cows with ruminal type2.Interestingly,[Ruminococcus]gauvreauii group and norank_f_Ruminococcaceae(the differential bacteria)were the hub genera of the network.In addition,differential ruminal,serum and milk metabolome between enterotypes were identified,where the cows with type2 had higher L-tyrosine of rumen,ornithine and L-tryptophan of serum,and tetrahydroneopterin,palmitoyl-L-carnitine,S-lactoylglutathione of milk,which could provide more energy and substrate for MPY.Further,based on the identi-fied modules of ruminal microbiome,as well as ruminal serum and milk metabolome using WGCNA,the SEM analysis indicated that the key ruminal microbial module1,which contains the hub genera of the network([Ruminococcus]gauvreauii group and norank_f_Ruminococcaceae)and high abundance of bacteria(Prevotella and Ruminococcus),could regulate the MPY by module7 of rumen,module2 of blood,and module7 of milk,which contained L-tyrosine and L-tryptophan.Therefore,in order to more clearly reveal the process of rumen bacterial regulation of MPY,we established the path of SEM based on the L-tyrosine,L-tryptophan and related components.The SEM based on the metabolites suggested that[Ruminococcus]gauvreauii group could inhibit the energy supply of serum tryptophan to MPY by milk S-lactoylglutathione,which could enhance pyruvate metabolism.Norank_f_Ruminococcaceae could increase the ruminal L-tyrosine,which could provide the substrate for MPY.Conclusion Our results indicated that the represented enterotype genera of Prevotella and Ruminococcus,and the hub genera of[Ruminococcus]gauvreauii group and norank_f_Ruminococcaceae could regulate milk protein synthesis by affecting the ruminal L-tyrosine and L-tryptophan.Moreover,the combined analysis of enterotype,WGCNA and SEM could be used to connect rumen microbial metabolism with host metabolism,which provides a fundamental understanding of the crosstalk between host and microorganisms in regulating the synthesis of milk composition.

The dual antimicrobial and immunomodulatory roles of host defense peptides and their applications in animal production

Host defense peptides(HDPs)are small molecules with broad-spectrum antimicrobial activities against infectious bacteria,viruses,and fungi.Increasing evidence suggests that HDPs can also indirectly protect hosts by modulating their immune responses.Due to these dual roles,HDPs have been considered one of the most promising antibiotic substitutes to improve growth performance,intestinal health,and immunity in farm animals.This review describes the antimicrobial and immunomodulatory roles of host defense peptides and their recent applications in animal production.

Evaluation of in vitro digestibility of Aspergillus oryzae fungal biomass grown on organic residue derived‑VFAs as a promising ruminant feed supplement

Background As demand for high quality animal feed continues to raise,it becomes increasingly important to mini-mize the environmental impact of feed production.An appealing sustainable approach to provide feed fractions is to use organic residues from agro-food industry.In this regard,volatile fatty acids(VFAs)such as acetic,propionic and butyric acids,derived from bioconversion of organic residues can be used as precursors for production of micro-bial protein with ruminant feed inclusion potential.This study aims to investigate the in vitro digestibility of the Asper-gillus oryzae edible fungal biomass cultivated on VFAs-derived from anaerobic digestion of residues.The produced fungal protein biomass,along with hay clover silage and rapeseed meal were subjected to various in vitro assays using two-stage Tilley and Terry(TT),gas,and bag methods to evaluate and compare its digestibility for application in ruminant feed.Results The produced fungal biomass contained a higher crude protein(CP)(41%–49%)and rather similar neutral detergent fiber(NDF)(41%–56%)compared to rapeseed meal.The rumen in vitro dry matter digestibility(IVDMD)of the fungal biomass in the TT method ranged from 82%to 88%(statistically similar to that of the gas method(72%to 85%)).The IVDMD of fungal biomass were up to 26%and 40%greater than that of hay clover silage and rapeseed meal,respectively.The type of substrate and bag method had pronounced effect on the fermentation products(ammonium-N(NH4+-N),total gas and VFAs).Fungal biomass digestion resulted in the highest release of NH4+-N(340–540 mg/L)and the ratio of acetate to propionate ratio(3.5)among subjected substrates.Conclusion The results indicate that gas method can be used as a reliable predictor for IVDMD as well as fermenta-tion products.Furthermore,the high IVDMD and fermentation product observed for Aspergillus oryzae fungal biomass digestion,suggest that the supplementation of fungal biomass will contribute to improving the rumen digestion by providing necessary nitrogen and energy to the ruminant and microbiota.

Susceptibility of dairy cows to subacute ruminal acidosis is reflected in both prepartum and postpartum bacteria as well as odd-and branched-chain fatty acids in feces

Background:The transition period is a challenging period for high-producing dairy cattle.Cows in early lactation are considered as a group at risk of subacute ruminal acidosis(SARA).Variability in SARA susceptibility in early lactation is hypothesized to be reflected in fecal characteristics such as fecal pH,dry matter content,volatile and odd-and branched-chain fatty acids(VFA and OBCFA,respectively),as well as fecal microbiota.This was investigated with 38 periparturient dairy cows,which were classified into four groups differing in median and mean time of reticular pH below 6 as well as area under the curve of pH below 6.Furthermore,we investigated whether fecal differences were already obvious during a period prior to the SARA risk(prepartum).Results:Variation in reticular pH during a 3-week postpartum period was not associated with differences in fecal pH and VFA concentration.In the postpartum period,the copy number of fecal bacteria and methanogens of unsusceptible(UN)cows was higher than moderately susceptible(MS)or susceptible(SU)cows,while the genera Ruminococcus and Prevotellacea_UCG-001 were proportionally less abundant in UN compared with SU cows.Nevertheless,only a minor reduction was observed in iso-BCFA proportions in fecal fatty acids of SU cows,particularly iso-C15:0and iso-C16:0,compared with UN cows.Consistent with the bacterial changes postpartum,the lower abundance of Ruminococcus was already observed in the prepartum fecal bacterial communities of UN cows,whereas Lachnospiraceae_UCG-001 was increased.Nevertheless,no differences were observed in the prepartum fecal VFA or OBCFA profiles among the groups.Prepartum fecal bacterial communities of cows were clustered into two distinct clusters with 70%of the SU cows belonging to cluster 1,in which they represented 60%of the animals.Conclusions:Inter-animal variation in postpartum SARA susceptibility was reflected in post-and prepartum fecal bacterial communities.Differences in prepartum fecal bacterial communities could alert for susceptibility to develop SARA postpartum.Our results generated knowledge on the association between fecal bacteria and SARA development which could be further explored in a prevention strategy.

Serial Multiple Mediation of the Relationshipbetween Positive Coping Style and PostTraumatic Growth among Chinese CollegeStudents in the Aftermath of COVID-19

Given the ongoing character of COVID-19, higher-education students encountered multifaceted pressures brought about by thepandemic and had to overcome many difficulties during this period. Accordingly, it is imperative to identify the factors that mayhave protective effects on the social functioning and mental status of college students in the aftermath of COVID-19. This crosssectional study sought to ascertain the internal mechanism of positive coping (PC) styles affecting post-traumatic growth (PTG)and considered the mediating roles of cognitive reappraisal (CR), psychological resilience (PR), and deliberate rumination (DR),which are essential for understanding how and to what extent these factors shaped PTG in the context of the present pandemic. 463Chinese college students recruited via a convenience sampling method completed a set of online self-report measures of PC, PTG,CR, PR and DR. The findings revealed that the abovementioned five variables were positively correlated with each other, and theindependent variable directly predicted the dependent variable. More importantly, two out of three mediators in parallel mediatedthe relationship between PC and PTG, illustrating that more PC adoption was associated with increased PTG through high levels ofPR and DR, respectively. The two significant serial mediating effects also indicated that PC could contribute to CR, which furtherfacilitates either PR or DR and subsequently promotes the development of PTG. Colleges should adopt routine protectivebehaviors in accordance with such evidence to strengthen students’ mental health education and establish scientific methods toboost their psychological well-being. Overall, our results may shed new light on the process of positive adaption and providetheoretical support for targeted crisis intervention during the late phase of the pandemic.

The type of lipid supplement has crucial implications for forage particle size in calf starter diets

Background Forage inclusion in starters of young dairy calves has become an acceptable strategy in the last decade.To compensate for the lower energy provided by forage,concurrent lipid supplementation can be proposed.How-ever,ruminal microbial activity and forage digestibility may be decreased by lipid supplementation.We hypothesized that the composite effect of forage and lipid supplements may be dependent on forage particle size and the type of lipid supplement.Therefore,we evaluated the effect of long(LP;geometric mean,4.97 mm)vs.short alfalfa hay particle sizes(SP;geometric mean,1.26 mm)with either soybean oil(SBO)or palm fatty acids(PLF)as lipid source in a 2×2 factorial design with treatments SP-SBO,SP-PLF,LP-SBO,and LP-PLF.Treatments(n=13 with 6 males and 7 females each)were offered to Holstein calves(3 days old)with equal amounts of lipid(25 g/kg DM)through-out the experimental period.The milk offering scheme(d 1 to 53)was equal for all groups.Data collection continued until 20 d post-weaning.Results Interaction between forage particle size and lipid supplement was significant for the following readouts:the highest and lowest starter intakes during the pre-weaning period occurred in LP-PLF and LP-SBO,respectively.This was associated with similarly contrasting changes in average daily gain(ADG)during the post-weaning period,body weight at the end of experiment,withers height,digestibility of organic matter and neutral detergent fiber,and blood serum concentrations of glucose,beta-hydroxybutyrate,and insulin during the pre-weaning period.Dur-ing both pre-and post-weaning periods,the highest and lowest urinary excretion of allantoin and total purine deriva-tives,representing microbial protein synthesis,were observed in LP-PLF and LP-SBO,respectively,indicating that those diets were most and least favorable for rumen development.Irrespective of forage particle size,supplemental SBO vs.PLF increased serum malondialdehyde as an oxidative stress indicator across periods,increased blood urea nitrogen and feed efficiency in the pre-weaning period,and reduced hip height during the post-weaning period.Conclusions It can be concluded that feeding a rumen-inert,mostly saturated fatty acid source with alfalfa hay as long particle size is recommended with view on performance,whereas a combination soybean oil rich in unsatu-rated fatty acids should not be provided to milk-fed Holstein calves together with long particle forage.Feeding soybean oil and alfalfa hay as long particles is not advisable mainly due to lower starter consumption and impaired development of ruminal function.If dietary supplementation of soybean oil is applied,incorporation of forage as small particles should be preferred to support rumen development.

Coordinated response of milk bacterial and metabolic profiles to subacute ruminal acidosis in lactating dairy cows

Background Bovine milk is an important source of nutrition for human consumption,and its quality is closely associated with the microbiota and metabolites in it.But there is limited knowledge about the milk microbiome and metabolome in cows with subacute ruminal acidosis.Methods Eight ruminally cannulated Holstein cows in mid lactation were selected for a 3-week experiment.The cows were randomly allocated into 2 groups,fed either a conventional diet(CON;40%concentrate;dry matter basis)or a high-concentrate diet(HC;60%concentrate;dry matter basis).Results The results showed that there was a decreased milk fat percentage in the HC group compared to the CON group.The amplicon sequencing results indicated that the alpha diversity indices were not affected by the HC feeding.At the phylum level,the milk bacteria were dominated by Proteobacteria,Actinobacteria,Bacteroidetes,and Firmicutes both in the CON and HC groups.At the genus level,the HC cows displayed an improved proportion of Labrys(P=0.015)compared with the CON cows.Results of both the principal components analysis and partial least squares of discriminant analysis of milk metabolome revealed that samples of the CON and HC groups clustered separately.A total of 31 differential metabolites were identified between the two groups.Of these,the levels of 11 metabolites decreased(α-linolenic acid,prostaglandin E2,L-lactic acid,L-malic acid,3-hydroxysebacic acid,succinyladenosine,guanosine,pyridoxal,L-glutamic acid,hippuric acid,and trigonelline),whereas the levels of the other 20 metabolites increased in the HC group with respect to the CON group(P<0.05).Conclusion These results suggested that subacute ruminal acidosis less impacted the diversity and composition of milk microbiota,but altered the milk metabolic profiles,which led to the decline of the milk quality.

Enzootic epidemiology of Brucella in livestock in central Gansu Province after the National Brucellosis Prevention and Control Plan

Brucellosis remains one of the most common zoonoses spread worldwide,inducing enormous economic losses to the livestock industry and posing serious health threats to humans.Brucellosis re-emerged in China in the mid-1990s and reached a historically high level in 2015.The National Brucellosis Prevention and Control Plan(NBPCP)was initiated from 2016 to 2020.However,the present epidemiological status in livestock has not been elucidated,and whether Brucella variation occurred remains unclear.This study performed an extensive serological investigation in ruminant livestock from 2019 to 2021 in central Gansu Province,China.In total,11,296 samples from 337 farms were collected to detect the specific antibodies of Brucella.The yearly average serological prevalence of Brucella at the flock level and individual level declined from 11.32%to 8.26%and 1.17%to 0.57%,respectively.The apparent individuallevel seroprevalence of small and large ruminants was 0.89%and 0.52%,respectively.The brucellosis distribution has shifted from pastoral areas to agro-pastoral areas.Flock size and gender may be major risks of Brucella infection.Then,the B.melitensis TZ strain was isolated from female Tibetan sheep blood cell lysates.Phonotypical characterization demonstrated that it belongs to B.melitensis.biovar 3,and multilocus sequencing typing results indicated that it belongs to ST8.The whole genome and subsequent phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that the B.melitensis TZ strain is genetically more closely related to the B.melitensis QH61 strain.The B.melitensis TZ strain has similar growth characteristics to the B.melitensis 16 M strain.Overall,our study suggests that after strengthening control and prevention measures based on the NBPCP,there is a very low prevalence or absence of B.melitensis in the central Gansu Province of China,and the genotype of an epidemic strain of Brucella in Northwest China is relatively stable.

Effectiveness of Post-Traumatic Growth Intervention to Promote Positive Post-Traumatic Traits in Chinese Breast Cancer Patients:A Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective:The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of post-traumatic growth(PTG)model-based intervention to improve positive psychological traits in Chinese breast cancer patients.Design:A randomized control trial of a psychological group intervention based on PTG model.Methods:The Clinical Trial was registered on 17 August 2019 at Chinese Clinical Trials.gov with Registration number ChiCTR1900025264.A total of 92 patients with breast cancer were recruited.The participants were randomly assigned to the experimental group(n=46)and the control group(n=46).A six-session psychological group intervention based on PTG model was implemented in the experimental group,and a six-session health education was implemented in the control group.The outcomes weremeasured at baseline(pre-intervention),3 weeks,6 weeks after the intervention.The primary outcome was posttraumatic growth assessed by the Chinese version of the Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory(PTGI);Secondary outcomes included psychological resilience,family resilience,rumination,and self-disclosure.Results:A total of 87 patients with breast cancer completed this study,including 44 patients in the experimental group and 43 patients in the control group.There was no significant difference in baseline data of breast cancer patients between the two groups except for the treatment regimen(p>0.05).The two groups were compared after the intervention;the interaction effects between the total scores of posttraumatic growth,family resilience,and self-disclosure and the time term were statistically significant(p<0.05),indicating that the trend of change in total scores of post-traumatic growth,family resilience,and self-disclosure differed between the experimental and control groups over time,and the scores improved in the experimental group were significantly higher than those in the control group.The comparison of psychological resilience and total score of rumination at each time point was statistically significant(p<0.05),indicating that group intervention based on the PTG model could improve the psychological recovery ability and rumination level of the experimental group.Conclusion:The psychological group intervention based on the PTG model significantly improved post-traumatic growth,family resilience,and self-disclosure in patients with breast cancer.However,the impact on psychological resilience and rumination was relatively small.Long-term intervention is needed to further test the effect of the PTG model on psychological resilience and rumination.

Small ruminant value chain in Al-Ruwaished District,Jordan

This study aims to assess the small ruminant value chain in Al-Ruwaished District,Jordan,to identify the potential intervention areas that could improve the production efficiency and guarantee the sustainability of the small ruminant sector in this area.Sheep breeding is the source of livelihood for most of the people in Al-Ruwaished District,which is characterized by the large number of sheep and goats.We surveyed 5.0% of the small ruminant holders in the study area and conducted individual interviews and surveys with the potential actors in the value chain to undertake a small ruminant value chain analysis.From the survey,we found that the small ruminant value chain consists of five core functions,namely,input supply,production management,marketing,processing,and consumption.Despite the stable impression given by the large number of holdings in the small ruminant sector,the surveyed results show a clear fragility in the value chain of small ruminants in this area.The small ruminant production system is negatively impacted by climate change,especially continuous drought.In addition,the high prices of feed that the farmer cannot afford with clear and real absence of the governmental and non-governmental support activities also impact the development of the value chain.The results of strengths,weaknesses,opportunities,and threats(SWOT)analysis reveal that the major constraints faced by this value chain could be divided into external and internal threats.Specifically,the most prominent external threats are the nature of the desert land and continuous drought,while the major internal threats are the absence of appropriate infrastructure,shortage of inputs,and weakness in the production management and marketing.We proposed solutions to these challenges to ensure the sustainability and effectiveness of the sector,such as the formulation of emergency response plans to severe weather,qualifying farmers’skills,and establishment of agricultural cooperative societies.