Dairy cow performance and nutrient utilization when offered high or low digestibility grass silages at 2 levels of total diet crude protein.

The hypothesis of this study was that grass silage digestibility would influence the response of dairy cows offered diets differing in CP content. Thirty-two mid-lactation Holstein dairy cows were used in a 2-period (21-d adaption phase, 7-d measurement phase), partially balanced change-over experiment. Four treatments were organized in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement, comprising 2 grass silages differing in digestible OM in the DM (D-value; 748 and 668 g/kg DM, high-D and low-D, respectively) and 2 total diet CP levels (target 145 and 175 g/kg DM, high CP and low CP, respectively).

Reducing dietary crude protein levels while meeting metabolizable protein requirements: Performance of dairy cows over a full lactation period.

A total of 90 Holstein dairy cows (24 primiparous, 66 multiparous, mean parity = 3.0) were fed diets containing either 150, 160, or 170 g CP/kg DM from 8 to 180 DIM, with all diets designed to supply at least 100% MP requirements. On d 181, half of the cows in each treatment changed to a diet containing 140 g CP/kg DM (supplying 100% MP requirements), with the remaining cows continuing to be offered their original treatment diets.

Palmitoylethanolamide causes dose-dependent changes in brain function and the lipidome.

The present studies were undertaken to understand the effects of the commonly used nutraceutical PEA on brain function and lipid chemistry. These studies using MRI and broad-scale lipidomics are without precedent in animal or human research. During the MRI scanning session awake rats were given one of three doses of PEA (3, 10, or 30 mg/kg) or vehicle and imaged for changes in BOLD signal and functional connectivity.

The microbiome's influence on the neurobiology of opioid addiction and brain connectivity.

Background: Opioids are the most effective and potent analgesics available for acute pain management. With no viable alternative for treating chronic or post operative pain, it is not surprising that over 10 million people misuse opioids. This study explores the developmental influence of the microbiome on resistance to opioid addictive behavior and functional connectivity.