Consumer acceptance of eggs from Hy-Line Brown layers fed soybean or soybean-free diets using cage or free-range rearing systems.

Consumers have begun to awaken to the food on their plates with respect to human health and the environment, as well as animal welfare. They have become more demanding about what they buy or prefer in their food, such as soy-free, gluten-free, or organic products. The objective of this study was to evaluate consumer acceptance of eggs from hens fed soybean meal or soybean-free diets utilizing cottonseed meal and distillers' dried grains, using cage or free-range rearing systems.

Effect of yeast cell wall on the growth performance and gut health of broilers challenged with aflatoxin B1 and necrotic enteritis.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of yeast cell walls (YCW) on the growth performance, visceral lesions, intestinal integrity, enterotoxicity, and bacteria of broilers challenged with aflatoxin B1 (AF) and necrotic enteritis (NE) from 1 to 21 d of age. A total of 576 one-day-old broilers were assigned to a 2 × 2 × 2 design for diets containing AFB1 (0 or 40 μg/kg), NE (challenged or unchallenged), or YCW (0 or 500 mg/kg). The main effect analysis showed that AF depressed (P < 0.

National Beef Quality Audit-2016: Transportation, mobility, live cattle, and carcass assessments of targeted producer-related characteristics that affect value of market cows and bulls, their carcasses, and associated by-products.

The National Beef Quality Audit-2016 marks the fourth iteration in a series assessing the quality of live beef and dairy cows and bulls and their carcass counterparts. The objective was to determine the incidence of producer-related defects, and report cattle and carcass traits associated with producer management. Conducted from March through December of 2016, trailers ( = 154), live animals ( = 5,470), hide-on carcasses ( = 5,278), and hide-off hot carcasses ( = 5,510) were surveyed in 18 commercial packing facilities throughout the United States.

The comparison of the lactation and milk yield and composition of selected breeds of sheep and goats.

The objective of this study was to characterize the milk yield (MY) and milk composition of relevant sheep and goat breeds raised around the world to be used with nutrition models for diet formulation and nutrient balancing. A 2-step approach was used. First, a database developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization was used to identify relevant breeds (i.

Characterization of the Serralysin-Like Gene of 'Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum' Associated with Potato Zebra Chip Disease.

The nonculturable bacterium 'Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum' is the causative agent of zebra chip disease in potato. Computational analysis of the 'Ca. L.

National Beef Quality Audit-2016: Phase 1, Face-to-face interviews.

The National Beef Quality Audit (NBQA) is conducted every 5 yr and was most recently again conducted in 2016. Face-to-face interviews gauged progress in quality associated with live cattle production using procedures first utilized in NBQA 2011. The 2016 NBQA was the first in which interviews concerning fed steers and heifers were combined with an audit of market cow and bull beef.

In-silico and in-vitro investigation of a photonic monitor for intestinal perfusion and oxygenation.

The quantification of visceral organ oxygenation after trauma-related systemic hypovolemia and shock is critical to enable effective resuscitation. In this work, a photoplethysmography-based (PPG) sensor was specifically designed for probing the perfusion and oxygenation condition of intestinal tissue with the ultimate goal to monitor patients post trauma to guide resuscitation. Through Monte Carlo modeling, suitable optofluidic phantoms were determined, the wavelength and separation distance for the sensor was optimized, and sensor performance for the quantification of tissue perfusion and oxygenation was tested on the in-vitro phantom.

Stem cell factor-induced AKT cell signaling pathway: Effects on porcine trophectoderm and uterine luminal epithelial cells.

Stem cell factor (SCF) is a multipotent growth factor that elicits diverse biological actions in various aspects of embryogenesis and animal development. The aim of the present study was to assess SCF-induced intracellular signaling and cellular activities in porcine trophectoderm (pTr) and uterine luminal epithelial (pLE) cells which are well known as useful to elucidate developmental events. SCF induced abundances of p-AKT, p-P70RSK and RPS6 proteins in pTr cells reached to their maximum, and then returned to basal levels by 120min.

National Beef Quality Audit-2016: Transportation, mobility, and harvest-floor assessments of targeted characteristics that affect quality and value of cattle, carcasses, and by-products.

The National Beef Quality Audit-2016 (NBQA-2016) was conducted to assess current transportation, mobility, and quality characteristics of U.S. fed steers and heifers.

Development of highly digestible animal feed from lignocellulosic biomass Part 2: Oxidative lime pretreatment (OLP) and shock treatment of corn stover.

Oxidative lime pretreatment (OLP) increases lignocellulose digestibility by removing lignin and hemicellulose acetyl content. Digestibility is improved further by adding mechanical shock treatment, which subjects aqueous slurry of biomass to an explosive pressure pulse. Shock treatment mechanically disrupts the microscopic structure while maintaining the macroscopic integrity of the biomass particle.

Development of highly digestible animal feed from lignocellulosic biomass Part 1: Oxidative lime pretreatment (OLP) and ball milling of forage sorghum.

To feed a growing population, alternative sources of animal feed (e.g., lignocellulose) are needed to replace grains (e.

High throughput selection of antibiotic-resistant transgenic Arabidopsis plants.

Kanamycin resistance is the most frequently used antibiotic-resistance marker for Arabidopsis transformations, however, this method frequently causes escape of untransformed plants, particularly at the high seedling density during the selection. Here we developed a robust high-density selection method using top agar for Arabidopsis thaliana. Top agar effectively suppressed growth of untransformed wild-type plants on selection media at high density.

Effect of oral calcium administration on the cure and reproductive performance of Holstein cows diagnosed with puerperal metritis.

Our objective was to evaluate the effect of oral calcium administration on clinical cure, survival, subsequent presentation of peripartal health disorders, and reproductive performance of Holstein cows diagnosed with puerperal metritis (PM) under certified organic management. A second objective was to evaluate the metabolic status at calving and at the time of PM diagnosis (d 0) in affected and matched healthy cows. Cows diagnosed with PM (n = 200) were assigned randomly to receive 1 of 2 treatments: (1) control received 3.

Investigation of the effect of pegbovigrastim on some periparturient immune disorders and performance in Mexican dairy herds.

This study analyzed the efficacy of pegbovigrastim (Imrestor, Elanco Animal Health, Greenfield, IN) on some health and production parameters in lactating dairy cows. Primiparous and multiparous Holsteins from 17 Mexican dairy herds (n = 10,238) were included in this study, which was conducted in 2015. Treated cows (n = 5,025) received Imrestor approximately 7 d before expected calving and again within 24 h after calving; control cows (n = 5,213) did not receive a placebo.

Weaned pigs experimentally infected with display sexually dimorphic innate immune responses without affecting pathogen colonization patterns.

Sexually dimorphic innate immune responses have been observed in several species, but have not been studied in response to a live pathogen challenge in pigs. This study aimed to elucidate sexually dimorphic innate immune responses along with translocation patterns in newly weaned pigs orally inoculated with . Newly weaned pigs ( = 8 gilts and 12 barrows; 6.

Beyond the Hofmeister Series: Ion-Specific Effects on Proteins and Their Biological Functions.

Ions differ in their ability to salt out proteins from solution as expressed in the lyotropic or Hofmeister series of cations and anions. Since its first formulation in 1888, this series has been invoked in a plethora of effects, going beyond the original salting out/salting in idea to include enzyme activities and the crystallization of proteins, as well as to processes not involving proteins like ion exchange, the surface tension of electrolytes, or bubble coalescence. Although it has been clear that the Hofmeister series is intimately connected to ion hydration in homogeneous and heterogeneous environments and to ion pairing, its molecular origin has not been fully understood.

Uterine glands impact uterine receptivity, luminal fluid homeostasis and blastocyst implantation.

Uterine glands are essential for pregnancy in mice and likely humans, because they secrete or transport bioactive substances that regulate uterine receptivity for blastocyst implantation. In mice, the uterus becomes receptive to blastocyst implantation on day 4, but is refractory by day 5. Here, blastocysts could be recovered from progesterone-induced uterine gland (PUGKO) but not wildtype (WT) mice on day 5 post-mating.

Desmoplasia suppression by metformin-mediated AMPK activation inhibits pancreatic cancer progression.

Emerging evidence suggests that metformin, an activator of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), may be useful in preventing and treating pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). However, whether metformin has an effect on the stromal reaction of PDAC remains unknown. In this study, we first evaluated the expression of AMPK and phosphorylated-AMPK (P-AMPK) in normal and PDAC tissues, our data indicate that reduced P-AMPK expression is a frequent event in PDAC and correlated with poor prognosis and the dense stromal reaction.

Estimation of the maximum safe level of feed ingredients by spline or broken-line nonlinear regression models.

The use of non-linear regression models in the analysis of biological data has led to advances in poultry nutrition. Spline or broken-line nonlinear regression models are commonly used to estimate nutritional requirements. One particular application of broken-line models is estimating the maximum safe level (MSL) of feed ingredients beyond which the ingredients become toxic, resulting in reduced performance.

Marbling and Its Nutritional Impact on Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease.

This review addresses the role of fat in beef palatability and healthfulness. Particular emphasis is placed on the content of oleic acid in beef, and how this increases with time when cattle are fed a grain-based diet. Oleic acid decreases the melting point of lipids from beef, increasing the perception of juiciness and improving beef flavor.

The Next Generation Non-competitive Active Polyester Nanosystems for Transferrin Receptor-mediated Peroral Transport Utilizing Gambogic Acid as a Ligand.

The current methods for targeted drug delivery utilize ligands that must out-compete endogenous ligands in order to bind to the active site facilitating the transport. To address this limitation, we present a non-competitive active transport strategy to overcome intestinal barriers in the form of tunable nanosystems (NS) for transferrin receptor (TfR) utilizing gambogic acid (GA), a xanthanoid, as its ligand. The NS made using GA conjugated poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) have shown non-competitive affinity to TfR evaluated in cell/cell-free systems.

Roles of Biogenic Amines in Intestinal Signaling.

Biogenic amines in the gastrointestinal tract are important metabolites of dietary protein and amino acids with the help of gut digestive enzymes and microbes, which play a crucial role in the regulation of intestinal functions, including digestion, absorption, and local immunity. However, high concentrations of biogenic amines can induce adverse reactions and are harmful to animal's health. Therefore, it is crucial to have a clear understanding of how different biogenic amines interact with a body's intestinal function signaling pathways and to monitor the content of biogenic amines in the gastrointestinal tract.

Removal of cadmium by bioflocculant produced by Stenotrophomonas maltophilia using phenol-containing wastewater.

Bioflocculants have been applied in numerous applications including heavy metals removal. A major bottleneck for commercial application of bioflocculant is its high production cost. Phenol-containing wastewater are abundantly available.

Screening Brassicaceous Plants as Biofumigants for Management of Rhizoctonia solani AG1-IA.

Brassicaceae plants rich in glucosinolates have been used as biofumigants for management of Rhizoctonia solani (teleomorph: Thanatephorus cucumeris) and other soilborne pathogens. Efficacy of brassica plant tissue has mainly been attributed to toxic isothiocyanates released upon hydrolysis of glucosinolates. Management of R.

Morphology, Molecular Identity, and Pathogenicity of Verticillium dahliae and V. longisporum Associated with Internally Discolored Horseradish Roots.

During 2008 to 2009, 255 isolates of Verticillium were obtained from internally discolored horseradish roots collected from California, Illinois, and Ontario. Twenty representative isolates were selected according to morphological features and geographic origin for further characterization. Based on the conidial size, the isolates were divided into two groups: Verticillium dahliae (4.