The Effect of Fermentation Product Supplementation on Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines in Holstein Friesian Cattle Experimentally Inoculated with Digital Dermatitis.

Digital dermatitis (DD) poses a major animal welfare concern for the dairy industry, with even broader economic implications for the agricultural industry worldwide. The postbiotic, a fermentation product (SCFP), has had a positive influence on the innate immune system of cattle, which makes it a potential candidate as a feed supplement as part of a prevention strategy for DD. This study investigated the effect of a commercial SCFP feed supplement compared to a control feed supplement on the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β and IL-6) by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in Holstein Friesian steers experimentally infected with DD.

Computer vision model for the detection of canine pododermatitis and neoplasia of the paw.

Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) has been used successfully in human dermatology. AI utilises convolutional neural networks (CNN) to accomplish tasks such as image classification, object detection and segmentation, facilitating early diagnosis. Computer vision (CV), a field of AI, has shown great results in detecting signs of human skin diseases.

Novel prediction models for hyperketonemia using bovine milk Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy.

Metabolic diseases driven by negative energy balance in dairy cattle contribute to reduced milk production, increased disease incidence, culling, and death. Cow side tests for negative energy balance markers are available but are labor-intensive. Milk sample analysis using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) allows for sampling numerous cows simultaneously.

Dynamics of metabolic characteristics in dairy cows and their impact on disease-free survival time.

Dairy cows are at a greater risk of disease due to increased energy demand during the transition period. Blood biomarkers including beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA) and non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) are routinely used to identify animals in a state of negative energy balance (NEB). Recent research demonstrates cattle have varied response to NEB, that requires multiple blood biomarkers to characterize.

Developing a predictive model for beta-hydroxybutyrate and non-esterified fatty acids using milk fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy in dairy cows.

Negative energy balance following parturition predisposes dairy cattle to numerous metabolic disorders. Current diagnostics are limited by their labor requirements and inability to measure multiple metabolic markers simultaneously. Fourier-transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) data, measured from milk samples, could improve the detection of metabolic disorders using routine milk samples from dairy farms.

Full model selection using regression trees for numeric predictions of biomarkers for metabolic challenges in dairy cows.

Dairy cows suffer poor metabolic adaptation syndrome (PMAS) during early post-calving periods caused by negative energy balance. Measurement of blood beta-hydroxy butyric acid (BHBA) and blood non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) allow early and accurate detection of negative energy balance. Machine learning prediction of blood BHBA and blood NEFA using milk testing samples represents an opportunity to identify at-risk animals, using less labor than direct blood testing methods.

Hot topic: Detecting digital dermatitis with computer vision.

Digital dermatitis (DD) is linked to severe lameness, infertility, and decreased milk production in cattle. Early detection of DD provides an improved prognosis for treatment and recovery; however, this is extremely challenging on commercial dairy farms. Computer vision (COMV) models can help facilitate early DD detection on commercial dairy farms.

Self-supported Pt-CoO networks combining high specific activity with high surface area for oxygen reduction.

Several concepts for platinum-based catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) are presented that exceed the US Department of Energy targets for Pt-related ORR mass activity. Most concepts achieve their high ORR activity by increasing the Pt specific activity at the expense of a lower electrochemically active surface area (ECSA). In the potential region controlled by kinetics, such a lower ECSA is counterbalanced by the high specific activity.

Evaluation of the prevalence of digital dermatitis and the effects on performance in beef feedlot cattle under organic trace mineral supplementation.

Bovine digital dermatitis (DD) is a contagious and multifactorial disease that leads to painful, ulcerative lesions of the skin near the heel-horn border of the foot, most commonly in dairy cattle. With regard to beef cattle, the pathogenesis and etiology of DD has not been widely reported or studied over the past several decades. A longitudinal field trial in a commercial feedlot was conducted to compare prevalence and effects of DD in beef steers provided a diet supplemented with a novel formulation of inorganic and organic trace mineral sources (OTM diet) compared to a diet provided with similar levels of trace minerals solely from inorganic sources (CON diet).

Development of real-time PCR and loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assays for the differential detection of digital dermatitis associated treponemes.

Bovine digital dermatitis (DD) is a severe infectious cause of lameness in cattle worldwide, with important economic and welfare consequences. There are three treponeme phylogroups (T. pedis, T.

Evaluating the efficacy of beef slaughter line interventions by quantifying the six major non-O157 Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli serogroups using real-time multiplex PCR.

Six major Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) serogroups: O26, O103, O145, O111, O121, and O45 have been declared as adulterants in federally inspected raw beef in the USA effective June 4th, 2012 in addition to the routinely tested STEC O157: H7. This study tests a real-time multiplex PCR assay and pooling of the samples to optimize the detection and quantification (prevalence and contamination) of six major non-O157 STEC, regardless of possessing Shiga toxins. To demonstrate the practicality, one large-scale slaughter plant (Plant LS) and one small-scale slaughter plant (Plant SS) located in the Mid-Western USA were sampled, in 2011, before the establishment of 2013 USDA laboratory protocols.

Gene markers of generic Escherichia coli associated with colonization and persistence of Escherichia coli O157 in cattle.

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157 are important foodborne pathogens whose major reservoir are asymptomatic cattle. There is evidence suggesting that nonpathogenic E. coli and bacteriophages in the gastro-intestinal tract can influence the pathogenicity of EHEC O157.

Immune response against Treponema spp. and ELISA detection of digital dermatitis.

The objective of this longitudinal study was to evaluate the immune response against Treponema spp. infection in dairy heifers affected with digital dermatitis (DD). In addition, the accuracy of an indirect ELISA detecting anti-Treponema IgG antibodies in identifying clinical DD status has been assessed.

Short communication: minimum bactericidal concentration of disinfectants evaluated for bovine digital dermatitis-associated Treponema phagedenis-like spirochetes.

The bacterial spirochetes, Treponema spp., are thought to be a major contributor to the etiology of bovine digital dermatitis (DD), a skin disease with worldwide economic impact. Hoofbath strategies are commonly used in an attempt to control and prevent the development of DD and continuing research has been done to develop an optimal hoofbath strategy for this purpose.

Growth curves and morphology of three Treponema subtypes isolated from digital dermatitis in cattle.

Digital dermatitis (DD) is an infectious claw disease of cattle that causes painful lesions, principally along the coronary band of the claws. In the US alone, the estimated economic impact of DD is estimated to be $190 million. The etiology of DD remains unclear and there is no reliable laboratory test, so DD is most often diagnosed clinically.

Rapid and reliable detection of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli by real-time multiplex PCR.

Escherichia coli O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, O145, and O157 are the predominant Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) serogroups implicated in outbreaks of human foodborne illness worldwide. The increasing prevalence of these pathogens has important public health implications.

A high-throughput open-array qPCR gene panel to identify, virulotype, and subtype O157 and non-O157 enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli.

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC), including O157 and non-O157 serotypes are significant foodborne pathogens that require sensitive and discriminatory methods for detection and characterization. There are numerous PCR-based methods for the detection of EHEC virulence factors, but the time and cost involved with large-scale screening efforts and population level analyses have limited the size and scope of studies. Recent technological advancements have combined the high-throughput performance of the microarray with the specificity and sensitivity of real-time qPCR to make large-scale screening efforts both time- and cost-effective.

Efficient differentiation of Mycobacterium avium complex species and subspecies by use of five-target multiplex PCR.

Infections caused by the Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) are on the rise in both human and veterinary medicine. A means of effectively discriminating among closely related yet pathogenetically diverse members of the MAC would enable better diagnosis and treatment as well as further our understanding of the epidemiology of these pathogens. In this study, a five-target multiplex PCR designed to discriminate MAC organisms isolated from liquid culture media was developed.

Rapid mycobacterial liquid culture-screening method for Mycobacterium avium complex based on secreted antigen-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Sensors in automated liquid culture systems for mycobacteria, such as MGIT, BacT/Alert 3D, and Trek ESP II, flag growth of any type of bacteria; a positive signal does not mean that the target mycobacteria are present. All signal-positive cultures thus require additional and often laborious testing. An immunoassay was developed to screen liquid mycobacterial cultures for evidence of Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC).

Effects of dog ownership and genotype on immune development and atopy in infancy.

Background: Exposure to furred pets might confer protection against the development of allergic sensitization through a mechanism that is incompletely understood.

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the effects of pet exposure and genotype on immunologic development and the incidence of atopic markers and diseases in the first year of life.

Methods: Pet exposure in the home was compared with cytokine secretion patterns (mitogen-stimulated mononuclear cells at birth and age 1 year) and indicators of atopy (allergen-specific and total IgE, eosinophilia, food allergy, atopic dermatitis) in 285 infants.

Developmental cytokine response profiles and the clinical and immunologic expression of atopy during the first year of life.

Background: Allergic diseases have been linked to abnormal patterns of immune development, and this has stimulated efforts to define the precise patterns of cytokine dysregulation that are associated with specific atopic phenotypes.

Objective: Cytokine-response profiles were prospectively analyzed over the first year of life and compared with the clinical and immunologic expressions of atopy.

Methods: Umbilical cord and 1-year PBMCs were obtained from 285 subjects from allergic families.

Relationships among specific viral pathogens, virus-induced interleukin-8, and respiratory symptoms in infancy.

Both virus-mediated damage to airway tissues and induction of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-8 (IL-8) could contribute to symptom severity during viral respiratory infections in children. To test the hypothesis that IL-8 contributes to the pathogenesis of respiratory symptoms during naturally acquired respiratory viral infections in children, nasal wash samples collected from infants with acute viral infections (n = 198) or from healthy uninfected infants (n = 31) were analysed for IL-8. Nasal wash IL-8 was positively related to age in uninfected children (rs = 0.