Changes in vaginal cytokines concentrations during artificial insemination and natural service in beef heifers.

Objective: Heifer development is crucial for the optimization of reproductive efficiency in beef production. Heifer development is largely influenced by nutrition. Nutritional status of these heifers can influence immunological responses that are crucial for reproduction.

Promoting public engagement in interdisciplinary biological systems education by leveraging American sports-inspired bracket contests on social media and web.

The complexity of modern biology poses challenges in fostering interdisciplinary understanding, particularly between practicing scientists and the public. Furthermore, scientists often lack formal training in science communication, despite various motivations to engage the public. The science literacy of the public in the biological sciences can also vary across socio-economic and cultural backgrounds.

Effects of protein concentration and beta-adrenergic agonists on ruminal bacterial communities in finishing beef heifers.

To improve animal performance and modify growth by increasing lean tissue accretion, beef cattle production has relied on use of growth promoting technologies such as beta-adrenergic agonists. These synthetic catecholamines, combined with the variable inclusion of rumen degradable (RDP) and undegradable protein (RUP), improve feed efficiency and rate of gain in finishing beef cattle. However, research regarding the impact of beta-adrenergic agonists, protein level, and source on the ruminal microbiome is limited.

Complexation of histone deacetylase inhibitor belinostat to Cu(II) prevents premature metabolic inactivation in vitro and demonstrates potent anti-cancer activity in vitro and ex vivo in colon cancer.

Purpose: The histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi), belinostat, has had limited therapeutic impact in solid tumors, such as colon cancer, due to its poor metabolic stability. Here we evaluated a novel belinostat prodrug, copper-bis-belinostat (Cubisbel), in vitro and ex vivo, designed to overcome the pharmacokinetic challenges of belinostat.

Methods: The in vitro metabolism of each HDACi was evaluated in human liver microsomes (HLMs) using mass spectrometry.

Beta-Adrenergic Agonists, Dietary Protein, and Rumen Bacterial Community Interactions in Beef Cattle: A Review.

Improving beef production efficiency, sustainability, and food security is crucial for meeting the growing global demand for beef while minimizing environmental impact, conserving resources, ensuring economic viability, and promoting animal welfare. Beta-adrenergic agonists and dietary protein have been critical factors in beef cattle production. Beta-agonists enhance growth, improve feed efficiency, and influence carcass composition, while dietary protein provides the necessary nutrients for muscle development and overall health.

Blood parameters associated with residual feed intake in beef heifers.

Blood chemistry may provide indicators to greater feed efficient cattle. As a side objective to previous research, 17 Angus heifers approximately two years old underwent a feed efficiency trial to determine residual feed intake (RFI) and identify variation in blood chemistry in beef cattle divergent in feed efficiency. Heifers were categorized as high- or low-RFI based ± 0.

The Impacts of Supplemental Protein during Development on Amino Acid Concentrations in the Uterus and Pregnancy Outcomes of Angus Heifers.

Replacement heifer development is one of the most critical components in beef production. The composition of the ideal uterine environment could maximize fertility and reproductive efficiency. Our hypothesis was that protein supplementation would affect the uterine environment of beef heifers without inhibiting development or reproduction.

Rumen Biogeographical Regions and Microbiome Variation.

The rumen is a complex organ that is critical for its host to convert low-quality feedstuffs into energy. The conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to volatile fatty acids and other end products is primarily driven by the rumen microbiome and its interaction with the host. Importantly, the rumen is demarcated into five distinct rumen sacs as a result of anatomical structure, resulting in variable physiology among the sacs.

Comparative Effectiveness of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors vs Chemotherapy in Patients With Metastatic Colorectal Cancer With Measures of Microsatellite Instability, Mismatch Repair, or Tumor Mutational Burden.

Importance: The KEYNOTE-177 trial demonstrated that patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (MCRC) with high microsatellite instability (MSI-H) and/or mismatch repair deficiency (DMMR) have better outcomes when receiving first-line immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) compared with chemotherapy. Data on performance of ICIs in patients with MCRC in standard practice settings remain limited, and direct MMR vs MSI outcome association comparisons are lacking.

Objective: To validate MSI (determined by next-generation sequencing [NGS]) as a biomarker of ICI effectiveness among patients with MCRC in standard practice settings and examine the association of MSI assessed by NGS, DMMR by immunohistochemistry, and tumor mutational burden (cutoff, 10 mutations/megabase) with ICI outcomes.

Preovulatory follicular fluid and serum metabolome profiles in lactating beef cows with thin, moderate, and obese body condition.

Extremes in body condition reduce fertility and overall productivity in beef cattle herds, due in part to altered systemic metabolic conditions that influence the intrafollicular and uterine environment. Follicular fluid and serum metabolome profiles are influenced by body composition in women and dairy cattle; however, such information is lacking in beef cattle. We hypothesized that body condition score (BCS)-related alterations in the metabolome of preovulatory follicular fluid and serum may influence oocyte maturation while impacting the oviductal or uterine environment.

Master Transcription Regulators and Transcription Factors Regulate Immune-Associated Differences Between Patients of African and European Ancestry With Colorectal Cancer.

Background And Aims: Individuals of African (AFR) ancestry have a higher incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) than those of European (EUR) ancestry and exhibit significant health disparities. Previous studies have noted differences in the tumor microenvironment between AFR and EUR patients with CRC. However, the molecular regulatory processes that underpin these immune differences remain largely unknown.

Clinical genomic profiling in the management of patients with soft tissue and bone sarcoma.

There are more than 70 distinct sarcomas, and this diversity complicates the development of precision-based therapeutics for these cancers. Prospective comprehensive genomic profiling could overcome this challenge by providing insight into sarcomas' molecular drivers. Through targeted panel sequencing of 7494 sarcomas representing 44 histologies, we identify highly recurrent and type-specific alterations that aid in diagnosis and treatment decisions.

Stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes explain methylmercury concentrations in stream food webs of Lake George, New York (USA).

Mercury has been studied extensively in lakes due to health risks associated with the consumption of contaminated fish, while stream ecosystems have received less attention. To better understand mercury bioavailability in the lower food web of streams, we collected macroinvertebrates (predators and detritivore) along with autochthonous (epilithic algae) and allochthonous (leaf litter) basal resources in eight streams entering Lake George. Samples were analyzed for methylmercury (MeHg), total mercury, and carbon and nitrogen isotopes (δC & δN) to determine how mercury concentrations in basal resources, biomagnification rates, and environmental factors (watershed characteristics and water chemistry) effected MeHg concentrations in predatory macroinvertebrates.

An examination of mercury levels in the coastal environment and fish of Cote d'Ivoire.

Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM), energy production and other industrial inputs are a major source of anthropogenic mercury (Hg) to the aquatic environment globally, and these inputs have led to environmental contamination and human exposure. While studies have documented the effects of Hg inputs to rivers and marine waters of the West African region, estuarine waters of Cote d'Ivoire have been understudied, besides the waters surrounding Abidjan. To fill this gap, and to examine the potential for human exposure to methylmercury (MeHg), we measured the concentrations of total Hg, MeHg, and ancillary parameters in water (dissolved and particulate phases), sediment and fish to determine the extent of environmental impact and the potential for MeHg exposure for people consuming these fish.

The Genomics of Colorectal Cancer in Populations with African and European Ancestry.

Unlabelled: Black people have a higher incidence of colorectal cancer and worse survival rates when compared with white people. Comprehensive genomic profiling was performed in 46,140 colorectal adenocarcinoma cases. Ancestry-informative markers identified 5,301 patients of African descent (AFR) and 33,770 patients of European descent (EUR).

Feeding an acetate-based oral electrolyte reduces the ex vivo Escherichia coli growth potential in the abomasum of calves fed oral electrolytes alone or 30 minutes following a milk feeding compared with feeding a bicarbonate-based oral electrolyte.

Oral electrolyte solutions (OES) are a common, on-farm therapy to reestablish hydration and electrolyte balances in scouring and stressed calves. The objectives were to determine the effects of OES alkalinizing agent and the presence of a milk replacer feeding before OES administration on the abomasal environment in healthy Holstein calves. Abomasum cannulation was performed on 16 Holstein bull calves at 5 d of age.

Data of bacterial community dynamics resulting from total rumen content exchange in beef cattle.

Objectives: Extensive efforts have been made to characterize the rumen microbiome under various conditions. However, few studies have addressed the long-term impacts of ruminal microbiome dysbiosis and the extent of host control over microbiome stability. These data can also inform host-microbial symbioses.

Ruminal Protozoal Populations of Angus Steers Differing in Feed Efficiency.

Feed accounts for as much as 70% of beef production costs, and improvement of the efficiency with which animals convert feed to product has the potential to have substantial financial impact on the beef industry. The rumen microbiome plays a key role in determining feed efficiency; however, previous studies of rumen microbiota have not focused on protozoal communities despite the estimation that these organisms represent approximately 50% of rumen content biomass. Protozoal communities participate in the regulation of bacterial populations and nitrogen cycling-key aspects of microbiome dynamics.

The effects of protein level on cytokines and chemokines in the uterine environment of beef heifers during development.

The development of replacement heifers is crucial for breeding success and herd efficiency. Nutritional management can affect not only reproductive development but also the inflammatory status of the uterine environment, which may impact reproductive functions such as pregnancy establishment and development. The study herein evaluated the concentration of cytokines and chemokines in the uterus of heifers supplemented with different levels of protein.

Rumen and Serum Metabolomes in Response to Endophyte-Infected Tall Fescue Seed and Isoflavone Supplementation in Beef Steers.

Fescue toxicosis impacts beef cattle production via reductions in weight gain and muscle development. Isoflavone supplementation has displayed potential for mitigating these effects. The objective of the current study was to evaluate isoflavone supplementation with fescue seed consumption on rumen and serum metabolomes.

Classification of 16S rRNA reads is improved using a niche-specific database constructed by near-full length sequencing.

Surveys of microbial populations in environmental niches of interest often utilize sequence variation in the gene encoding the ribosomal small subunit (the 16S rRNA gene). Generally, these surveys target the 16S genes using semi-degenerate primers to amplify portions of a subset of bacterial species, sequence the amplicons in bulk, and assign to putative taxonomic categories by comparison to databases purporting to connect specific sequences in the main variable regions of the gene to specific organisms. Due to sequence length constraints of the most popular bulk sequencing platforms, the primers selected amplify one to three of the nine variable regions, and taxonomic assignment is based on relatively short stretches of sequence (150-500 bases).

Effect of stocking density and effective fiber on the ruminal bacterial communities in lactating Holstein cows.

Overstocking can be a major issue in the dairy cattle industry, leading to negative changes in feeding and resting behavior. Additional stress imposed and alterations in feeding behavior may significantly impact the rumen microbiome. The rumen microbiome is responsible for the successful conversion of feed to usable energy for its host.