Natural Panola Mountain Ehrlichia infections in cattle in a longitudinal study of Angus beef calves.

Panola Mountain Ehrlichia (PME) is an emerging zoonotic pathogen, transmitted by Amblyomma americanum ticks in the southeastern United States. It is closely related to Ehrlichia ruminantium, the causative agent of heartwater disease. Heartwater disease is an often-fatal illness of ruminant livestock present in Africa and the Caribbean.

A Multicomponent Microneedle Patch for the Delivery of Meloxicam for Veterinary Applications.

This study evaluates the use of poly(vinyl alcohol), collagen, and chitosan blends for developing a microneedle patch for the delivery of meloxicam (MEL). Results confirm successful MEL encapsulation, structural integrity, and chemical stability even after ethylene oxide sterilization. Mechanical testing indicates the patch has the required properties for effective skin penetration and drug delivery, as demonstrated by load-displacement curves showing successful penetration of pig ear surfaces at 3N of normal load.

Phenotypic and Functional Characterization of Bovine Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stromal Cells.

Background: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are increasingly trialed in cellular therapy applications in humans. They can also be applied to treat a range of diseases in animals, particularly in cattle to combat inflammatory conditions and aging-associated degenerative disorders. We sought to demonstrate the feasibility of obtaining MSCs from adipose tissue and characterizing them using established assays.

Supplemental trace minerals as complexed or inorganic sources for beef cattle during the receiving period.

To investigate effects of inorganic or complexed trace mineral source (zinc, copper, manganese, and cobalt) on receiving period performance and morbidity, crossbred beef heifer calves (n = 287) arriving on three delivery dates were used in a 42-d receiving trial. Heifers were processed after arrival, stratified by day -1 body weights (BW) and allocated randomly to eight pens (11 to 13 heifers/pen, 24 pens total). Within truckload, pens were assigned randomly to dietary treatment (n = 12 pens/treatment).

Genomic loci involved in sensing environmental cues and metabolism affect seasonal coat shedding in Bos taurus and Bos indicus cattle.

Seasonal shedding of winter hair at the start of summer is well studied in wild and domesticated populations. However, the genetic influences on this trait and their interactions are poorly understood. We use data from 13,364 cattle with 36,899 repeated phenotypes to investigate the relationship between hair shedding and environmental variables, single nucleotide polymorphisms, and their interactions to understand quantitative differences in seasonal shedding.

A fecal egg count reduction test in grazing beef steers using topical pioneer and generic eprinomectin and fenbendazole oral suspension.

Many generic anthelmintics are commercially available; however, little information exists regarding product effectiveness compared to pioneer brands. The objective of this study was to compare the effectiveness of a generic eprinomectin to the pioneer eprinomectin, as well as to fenbendazole and fenbendazole in combination with the pioneer eprinomectin in grazing beef steers via a fecal egg count reduction test. Forty naturally infected steers were allocated into five treatment groups based on ranked fecal egg counts: 1.

Effect of bovine respiratory disease on the respiratory microbiome: a meta-analysis.

Background: Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is the most devastating disease affecting beef and dairy cattle producers in North America. An emerging area of interest is the respiratory microbiome's relationship with BRD. However, results regarding the effect of BRD on respiratory microbiome diversity are conflicting.

Association of maternal temperament and offspring disposition on growth performance.

Animal behavior is complex and varies in definition, depending upon specific traits under observation. Temperament is one component of behavior, that in cattle, is described as the level of fearfulness to a novel or threatening environment. Temperament is a heritable trait which is important since aggressiveness and docility contribute to reproductive success, growth, and carcass quality.

Biodegradable microneedle patch for delivery of meloxicam for managing pain in cattle.

Microneedle patches are a promising source for transdermal diffusion of macromolecules and are designed to painlessly penetrate the skin. In this study, a biodegradable chitosan microneedle patch to deliver meloxicam for managing pain in cattle was tested. The potential of reuse of the polymeric solution to fabricate the patches, optimization of fabrication, morphological analysis of the microneedle patch and analysis of preservation of the chemical composition after sterilization were evaluated.

Bovine respiratory microbiota of feedlot cattle and its association with disease.

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD), as one of the most common and costly diseases in the beef cattle industry, has significant adverse impacts on global food security and the economic stability of the industry. The bovine respiratory microbiome is strongly associated with health and disease and may provide insights for alternative therapy when treating BRD. The niche-specific microbiome communities that colonize the inter-surface of the upper and the lower respiratory tract consist of a dynamic and complex ecological system.

Identification of Breed Differences in Known and New Fescue Toxicosis Associated Phenotypes in Charolais-and Hereford-Sired Crossbred Beef Cows.

Beef cattle phenotypes are affected by the consumption of toxic fescue. Toxic fescue's impact is dependent on heat stress and breed composition, with genetic variability for robustness to toxin exposure believed to exist within and across breeds. The study objective was to characterize the effect of fescue toxicosis across breeds for known and novel heat and fescue stress-associated phenotypes.

Design, characterization, and modeling of a chitosan microneedle patch for transdermal delivery of meloxicam as a pain management strategy for use in cattle.

This work describes the formulation and evaluation of a chitosan microneedle patch for the transdermal delivery of meloxicam to manage pain in cattle. Microneedle patches composed of chitosan and chitosan/meloxicam were evaluated regarding their chemical composition, uniformity of physical characteristics, capacity to penetrate the skin, and response to thermal and thermo-mechanical changes. Microneedle patches were prepared by varying the percentage of acetic acid used during solution preparation, including 90% (v/v), 50% (v/v), and 10% (v/v).

Genetic Basis of Blood-Based Traits and Their Relationship With Performance and Environment in Beef Cattle at Weaning.

The objectives of this study were to explore the usefulness of blood-based traits as indicators of health and performance in beef cattle at weaning and identify the genetic basis underlying the different blood parameters obtained from complete blood counts (CBCs). Disease costs represent one of the main factors determining profitability in animal production. Previous research has observed associations between blood cell counts and an animal's health status in some species.

The need for a Serious Illness Digital Ecosystem (SIDE) to improve outcomes for patients receiving palliative and hospice care.

Palliative and hospice care services produce immense benefits for patients living with serious illness and for their families. Due to the national shift toward value-based payment models, health systems and payers share a heightened awareness of the need to incorporate palliative and hospice services into their service mix for seriously ill patient populations. During the last decade, a tremendous amount of capital has been invested to better integrate information technology into healthcare.

Influence of an immune-modulatory feed supplement on performance and immune function of beef cows and calves preweaning.

The ability to positively alter immune and stress response with nutritional compounds is of great interest and importance to the beef industry. There is a proprietary product (OmniGen-AF [OG]; Phibro Animal Health, Quincy, IL) reported to have performance-enhancing benefits by altering animal response to stress and immune challenges. The objective of this 2-yr research project was to study the effect of supplementing OG to beef cows and their calves on breeding and growth performance.

Archaeological assessment reveals Earth's early transformation through land use.

Environmentally transformative human use of land accelerated with the emergence of agriculture, but the extent, trajectory, and implications of these early changes are not well understood. An empirical global assessment of land use from 10,000 years before the present (yr B.P.

Carcass traits and consumer acceptability of striploin steaks from band-castrated, intratesticular zinc-injected, or sexually intact beef cattle.

One hundred and eighty beef bulls (BW = 337 ± 10.9 kg) were blocked by BW (6 blocks) and assigned randomly to one of three treatments on day 0: 1) INJ; received 1 mL (100 mg Zn) of a Zn solution in each testis, 2) BAN; received blood-restrictive rubber band placed upon the dorsal aspect of the scrotum, and 3) BUL; bulls with testicles remaining intact. Cattle were grouped by weight block in a randomized complete block design (three treatment pens/block and 10 cattle/pen) and harvested by block on three separate dates when blocks reached similar BW and visual subcutaneous fat thickness depth.

Zinc injection as a novel castration method in beef bulls: effects on performance, behavior, and testosterone and haptoglobin concentration.

Crossbred beef bulls (n = 180) were blocked by initial BW (337 ± 10.9 kg; six blocks) and assigned randomly to one of three treatments on day 0: 1) INJ; received 1 mL (100 mg Zn) of a Zn solution in each testis, 2) BAN; received blood- restrictive rubber band placed around the dorsal aspect of the scrotum, 3) BUL; bulls with testicles remaining intact in a randomized complete block design (three treatment pens per block and 10 cattle per pen). A subset of 54 animals (n = 3 per pen) was fitted with accelerometers on day 0 to quantify behavior variables continuously for 28 d.

Current Status of Parasite Control at the Feed Yard.

Fly and louse infestations are readily discerned and remedied in feedlot cattle. Tapeworm and fluke infections are accepted as probable but, given the lack of anthelmintics with realistic efficacy against these infections, these helminths are allowed to persist without treatment. Nematode infections are considered ubiquitous with cattle coming from pasture and are targeted with a macrocyclic lactone, usually in combination with a benzimidazole.

Association of hematologic variables and castration status at the time of arrival at a research facility with the risk of bovine respiratory disease in beef calves.

Objective: To determine the association of CBC variables and castration status at the time of arrival at a research facility with the risk of development of bovine respiratory disease (BRD).

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Animals: 1,179 crossbred beef bull (n = 588) and steer (591) calves included in 4 experiments at 2 University of Arkansas research facilities.