Porcine endometrial heat shock proteins are differentially influenced by pregnancy status, heat stress, and altrenogest supplementation during the peri-implantation period.

Heat stress (HS) deleteriously affects multiple components of porcine reproduction and is causal to seasonal infertility. Environment-induced hyperthermia causes a HS response (HSR) typically characterized by increased abundance of intracellular heat shock proteins (HSP). Gilts exposed to HS during the peri-implantation period have compromised embryo survival, however if (or how) HS disrupts the porcine endometrium is not understood.

Muscle Lipid Droplets: Cellular Signaling to Exercise Physiology and Beyond.

Conventionally viewed as energy storage depots, lipid droplets (LDs) play a central role in muscle lipid metabolism and intracellular signaling, as recognized by recent advances in our biological understanding. Specific subpopulations of muscle LDs, defined by location and associated proteins, are responsible for distinct biological functions. In this review, the traditional view of muscle LDs is examined, and the emerging role of LDs in intracellular signaling is highlighted.

Methods for reproductive tract scoring as a tool for improving sow productivity.

Improving sow lifetime productivity is essential for maximizing farm profitability. Study objectives were to determine the accuracy for different vulva scoring methods in a commercial production system and to assess whether gilt reproductive tract scoring [evaluated by vulva width (VW)] prior to puberty could serve as useful gilt selection criteria. To accomplish this objective, 958 prepubertal replacement gilts in a commercial system were evaluated at approximately 15 wk of age.

Effects of an Exogenous Ketone Supplement on Five-Kilometer Running Performance.

Numerous oral ketone supplements are marketed with the claim that they will rapidly induce ketosis and improve exercise performance. The purpose of this study was to assess exercise performance time and related physiological, metabolic and perceptual responses of recreational endurance runners after ingestion of a commercially available oral ketone supplement. Recreational endurance runners (n = 10; age: 20.

Differentiating between the effects of heat stress and lipopolysaccharide on the porcine ovarian heat shock protein response1.

Heat stress (HS) negatively affects both human and farm-animal health and undermines efficiency in a variety of economically important agricultural variables, including reproduction. HS impairs the intestinal barrier, allowing for translocation of the resident microflora and endotoxins, such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS), from the gastrointestinal lumen into systemic circulation. While much is known about the cellular function of heat shock proteins (HSPs) in most tissues, the in vivo ovarian HSP response to stressful stimuli remains ill-defined.

EffFeu Project: Towards Mission-Guided Application of Drones in Safety and Security Environments.

The number of unmanned aerial system (UAS) applications for supporting rescue forces is growing in recent years. Nevertheless, the analysis of sensed information and control of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) creates an enormous psychological and emotional load for the involved humans especially in critical and hectic situations. The introduced research project EffFeu (Efficient Operation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle for Industrial Firefighters) especially focuses on a holistic integration of UAS in the daily work of industrial firefighters.

Effects of dietary chromium propionate on growth performance, metabolism, and immune biomarkers in heat-stressed finishing pigs1.

Study objectives were to determine the effects of chromium (Cr) propionate (Cr propionate 0.04%; 0.5 g/kg of feed to deliver 200 parts per billion Cr/d; KemTRACE Cr, Kemin Industries, Inc.

The effect of recovery from heat stress on circulating bioenergetics and inflammatory biomarkers.

Heat stress (HS) jeopardizes animal productivity and health. The intestinal barrier is sensitive to HS and heat-induced hyperpermeability plays a key role in its pathophysiology. However, the biology of recovery following HS is less understood.

Effects of zinc amino acid complex on biomarkers of gut integrity and metabolism during and following heat stress or feed restriction in pigs.

Study objectives were to determine the effects of zinc (Zn) amino acid complex (Availa Zn, Zinpro Corporation, Eden Prairie, MN) on metabolism, biomarkers of leaky gut, and inflammation during and following heat stress (HS) and nutrient restriction. Crossbred gilts (n = 50; 50 ± 2 kg BW) were blocked by initial BW and randomly assigned to one of five treatments: 1) thermoneutral (TN) and ad libitum fed a control diet (TNCtl), 2) TN and pair-fed a control diet (PFCtl), 3) TN and pair-fed a Zn-supplemented diet (PFZn), 4) HS and ad libitum fed a control diet (HSCtl), and 5) HS and ad libitum fed a Zn-supplemented diet (HSZn). The study consisted of 3 experimental periods (P): during P1 (7 d), all pigs were fed their respective diets ad libitum and housed in TN conditions (20.

Characterizing the acute heat stress response in gilts: II. Assessing repeatability and association with fertility.

Mitigating heat stress (HS) in swine production is important as it detrimentally affects multiple aspects of overall animal production efficiency. Study objectives were to determine if gilts characterized as tolerant (TOL) or susceptible (SUS) in response to HS maintain that phenotype later in life and if that phenotype influences reproductive ability during HS. Individual gilts identified as TOL (n = 50) or SUS (n = 50) from a prepubertal HS challenge were selected based on their rectal temperature (TR) during acute HS.

Characterization of the acute heat stress response in gilts: III. Genome-wide association studies of thermotolerance traits in pigs.

Heat stress is one of the limiting factors negatively affecting pig production, health, and fertility. Characterizing genomic regions responsible for variation in HS tolerance would be useful in identifying important genetic factor(s) regulating physiological responses to HS. In the present study, we performed genome-wide association analyses for respiration rate (RR), rectal temperature (TR), and skin temperature (TS) during HS in 214 crossbred gilts genotyped for 68,549 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) using the Porcine SNP 70K BeadChip.

Heat stress induces autophagy in pig ovaries during follicular development.

Hyperthermia or heat stress (HS) occurs when heat dissipation mechanisms are overwhelmed by external and internal heat production. Hyperthermia negatively affects reproduction and potentially compromises oocyte integrity and reduces developmental competence of ensuing embryos. Autophagy is the process by which cells recycle energy through the reutilization of cellular components and is activated by a variety of stressors.

Physiological mechanisms through which heat stress compromises reproduction in pigs.

Seasonal variations in environmental temperatures impose added stress on domestic species bred for economically important production traits. These heat-mediated stressors vary on a seasonal, daily, or spatial scale, and negatively impact behavior and reduce feed intake and growth rate, which inevitably lead to reduced herd productivity. The seasonal infertility observed in domestic swine is primarily characterized by depressed reproductive performance, which manifests as delayed puberty onset, reduced farrowing rates, and extended weaning-to-estrus intervals.

Heat stress causes dysfunctional autophagy in oxidative skeletal muscle.

We have previously established that 24 h of environmental hyperthermia causes oxidative stress and have implicated mitochondria as likely contributors to this process. Given this, we hypothesized that heat stress would lead to increased autophagy/mitophagy and a reduction in mitochondrial content. To address this hypothesis pigs were housed in thermoneutral (TN; 20°C) or heat stress (35°C) conditions for 1- (HS1) or 3- (HS3) days and the red and white portions of the semitendinosus collected.

The impact of in utero heat stress and nutrient restriction on progeny body composition.

We recently demonstrated that in utero heat stress (IUHS) alters future tissue accretion in pigs, but whether this is a conserved response among species, is due to the direct effects of heat stress (HS) or mediated by reduced maternal feed intake (FI) is not clear. Study objectives were to compare the quantity and rate of tissue accretion in rats exposed to differing in utero thermal environments while eliminating the confounding effect of dissimilar maternal FI. On d3 of gestation, pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats (189.

Heat stress increases insulin sensitivity in pigs.

Proper insulin homeostasis appears critical for adapting to and surviving a heat load. Further, heat stress (HS) induces phenotypic changes in livestock that suggest an increase in insulin action. The current study objective was to evaluate the effects of HS on whole-body insulin sensitivity.

Effects of heat stress on carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in growing pigs.

Heat stress (HS) jeopardizes human and animal health and reduces animal agriculture productivity; however, its pathophysiology is not well understood. Study objectives were to evaluate the direct effects of HS on carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. Female pigs (57 ± 5 kg body weight) were subjected to two experimental periods.

Gestational heat stress alters postnatal offspring body composition indices and metabolic parameters in pigs.

The study objectives were to test the hypothesis that heat stress (HS) during gestational development alters postnatal growth, body composition, and biological response to HS conditions in pigs. To investigate this, 14 first parity crossbred gilts were exposed to one of four environmental treatments (TNTN, TNHS, HSTN, or HSHS) during gestation. TNTN and HSHS dams were exposed to thermal neutral (TN, cyclical 18-22°C) or HS conditions (cyclical 28-34°C) during the entire gestation, respectively.

Evaluation of land use and water quality in an agricultural watershed in the USA indicates multiple sources of bacterial impairment.

Pathogens are the number one cause of impairments of assessed rivers and streams in the USA and pose a significant human health hazard. The Dry Run Creek Watershed in Northeast Iowa has been designated as impaired by the State of Iowa because of high levels of Escherichia coli bacteria. To investigate the nature of this impairment, land use and stream bank assessments were coupled with comprehensive water quality monitoring.

Phylogeography of the Percichthyidae (Pisces) in Patagonia: roles of orogeny, glaciation, and volcanism.

We used molecular evidence to examine the roles that vicariance mechanisms (mountain-building and drainage changes during the Pleistocene) have played in producing phylogeographical structure within and among South American fish species of the temperate perch family Percichthyidae. The percichthyids include two South American genera, Percichthys and Percilia, each containing several species, all of which are endemic to southern Argentina and Chile (Patagonia). Maximum-likelihood phylogenies constructed using mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region haplotypes and nuclear GnRH3-2 intron allele sequences support the current taxonomy at the genus level (both Percichthys and Percilia form strongly supported, monophyletic clades) but indicate that species-level designations need revision.