Aligning valid research outcomes with stakeholder values-what do they need for decision-making?

This paper is derived from a presentation given by the first author at the 2024 Symposium for the Calvin Schwabe Award, presented to Dr. Jan Sargeant for Lifetime Achievement in Veterinary Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine. Researchers must work toward ensuring validity throughout the research process, but we also should ensure that our resulting outcomes are specified to appropriately inform and enable decision-making by the end-users.

H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b dynamics in experimentally infected calves and cows.

In March 2024, highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) clade 2.3.4.

Evaluation of precision feeding standardized ileal digestible lysine and other amino acids to determine and meet the lactating sow's requirement estimates.

Two experiments evaluated the effects of precision feeding standardized ileal digestible (SID) Lys during lactation. Sows were blocked by parity and allotted to treatment on day 2 of lactation. In both experiments, sow body weight (BW), backfat (BF), loin depth (LD), and estimated N excretion were evaluated as well as litter growth performance.

Evaluation of Methods for Identifying Poultry Wing Rinses With Salmonella Concentrations Greater Than or Equal to 10 CFU/mL.

In the United States, the Proposed Regulatory Framework to Reduce Salmonella Illnesses Attributable to Poultry published by the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has highlighted the need for simple, rapid methods that identify poultry wing rinse samples harboring Salmonella concentrations ≥10 CFU/mL. One of eight cold-stressed and nutrient-starved Salmonella strains was inoculated into post-chill two-joint poultry wing rinses (48 turkey and 72 chicken) at levels from 0.22 to 3.

Uterine cyclin A2-deficient mice as a model of female early pregnancy loss.

Proper action of the female sex steroids 17β-estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) on the endometrium is essential for fertility. Beyond its role in regulating the cell cycle, cyclin A2 (CCNA2) also mediates E2 and P4 signaling in vitro, but a potential role in modulating steroid action for proper endometrial tissue development and function is unknown. To fill this gap in our knowledge, we examined human endometrial tissue from fertile and infertile cisgender women for CCNA2 expression and correlated this with pregnancy outcome.

Pain pathophysiology and pharmacology of cattle: how improved understanding can enhance pain prevention, mitigation, and welfare.

Globally, humans rely on cattle for food production; however, there is rising societal concern surrounding the welfare of farm animals. From a young age, cattle raised for dairy and beef production experience pain caused by routine management procedures and common disease conditions. The fundamental mechanisms, nociceptive pathways, and central nervous system structures required for pain perception are highly conserved among mammalian species.

Prefrontal Metabolite Alterations in Individuals with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A 7T Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Study.

Background: Evidence from animal and human studies suggests glutamatergic dysfunction in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The purpose of this study was to investigate glutamate abnormalities in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLFPC) of individuals with PTSD using 7T MRS, which has better spectral resolution and signal-to-noise ratio than lower field strengths, thus allowing for better spectral quality and higher sensitivity. We hypothesized that individuals with PTSD would have lower glutamate levels compared to trauma-exposed individuals without PTSD and individuals without trauma exposure.

Salmonella Prevalence and Quantification in Market Hog Lymph Nodes and Tonsils in Several Regions and Seasons of the United States.

Market hog lymph nodes (LNs) can contaminate carcasses with Salmonella, as well as ground and comminuted pork products. The objective of this study was to perform a qualitative and quantitative analysis of LNs from several regions and seasons in the United States to establish a Salmonella prevalence and concentration baseline. Six types of LNs (axillary, mesenteric, subiliac, tracheobronchial, superficial inguinal, prescapular), and tonsils were sampled from market hog carcasses from different regions (east, central, and west) and seasons (winter, spring, and summer/fall).

Foodprint 2.0: A computational simulation model that estimates the agricultural resource requirements of diet patterns.

Reducing the environmental pressures stemming from food production is central to meeting global sustainability targets. Shifting diets represents one lever for improving food system sustainability, and identifying sustainable diet opportunities requires computational models to represent complex systems and allow users to evaluate counterfactual scenarios. Despite an increase in the number of food system sustainability models, there remains a lack of transparency of data inputs and mathematical formulas to facilitate replication by researchers and application by diverse stakeholders.

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.

Evaluation of formaldehyde when complete feed and soybean meal were inoculated with porcine epidemic diarrhea virus, porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus, and Seneca Valley virus 1.

Formaldehyde has been found to decrease virus concentrations in feed and ingredient matrices. Continued research is needed to identify the appropriate inclusion levels and application time for different viruses in these matrices. The objective was to evaluate different inclusion levels of formaldehyde when applied either pre- or postinoculation of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (), type 2 porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (), and Seneca Valley virus 1 () to complete feed or soybean meal.

Correction: Schilling-Hazlett et al. On-Farm Methane Mitigation and Animal Health Assessment of a Commercially Available Tannin Supplement in Organic Dairy Heifers. 2024, , 9.

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Limpograss [] Silage and Protein Supplementation as an Alternative Feed Option for Growing Heifers in North Florida.

Limpograss () is a warm-season perennial grass that has the potential to feed livestock during scarcity periods. This study evaluated the intake, nutrient digestibility, and animal performance of beef heifers fed 'Gibtuck' limpograss silage combined with different levels of a range cube supplementation. Twenty-four heifers (330 ± 16 kg live weight) were submitted to four different treatments with 6 replicates: (1) control, no supplementation + limpograss silage ad libitum; (2) 1.

Ability of Nicotinamide Riboside to Prevent Muscle Fatigue of Barrows Subjected to a Performance Test.

The objective of this study was to determine the daily dietary nicotinamide riboside (NR) dose required to maximize the delay of subjective muscle fatigue onset. Barrows ( = 100) were assigned to one of five treatments: a conventional swine finishing diet containing 0 (CON), 15 (15NR), 30 (30NR), 45 (45NR) mg·kg body weight·d NR, or CON supplemented with 45 mg·kg body weight·d NR by drench or cookie dough (DRE). All treatments were administered for the final 11 days of feeding.

Effects of added 25(OH)D3 with varying standardized total tract digestible phosphorus concentrations on nursery pig performance, bone characteristics, and serum vitamin D status.

A total of 360 pigs (DNA 600 × 241; initially 5.8 kg) were used in a 45-d growth study to evaluate the effects of adding 25(OH)D3 with 3 levels of standardized total tract digestible (STTD) P on nursery pig growth performance, bone and urine characteristics, and serum vitamin D. Pigs were weaned at 19 d of age and randomly allotted to 1 of 6 dietary treatments with 5 pigs per pen and 12 replications per treatment.

Innovating Beef Cattle Veterinary Practices: Leveraging Genetic and Genomic Tools.

In the evolving landscape of beef cattle management, veterinarians are transitioning from their traditional role of treating diseases to becoming proactive advisors. This article explores how veterinarians with knowledge of genetic tools are poised to be vital in addressing the fundamental industry challenges. It highlights the role of genetic selection in reducing calving difficulties, emphasizing its benefits for animal health and welfare.

Bayesian group testing regression models for spatial data.

Spatial patterns are common in infectious disease epidemiology. Disease mapping is essential to infectious disease surveillance. Under a group testing protocol, biomaterial from multiple individuals is physically combined into a pooled specimen, which is then tested for infection.

Loss of symmetric cell division of apical neural progenitors drives DENND5A-related developmental and epileptic encephalopathy.

Developmental and epileptic encephalopathies (DEEs) feature altered brain development, developmental delay and seizures, with seizures exacerbating developmental delay. Here we identify a cohort with biallelic variants in DENND5A, encoding a membrane trafficking protein, and develop animal models with phenotypes like the human syndrome. We demonstrate that DENND5A interacts with Pals1/MUPP1, components of the Crumbs apical polarity complex required for symmetrical division of neural progenitor cells.

Outcome of H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b virus infection in calves and lactating cows.

In March 2024, highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) clade 2.3.4.

Predicting tissue distribution and tumor delivery of nanoparticles in mice using machine learning models.

Nanoparticles (NPs) can be designed for targeted delivery in cancer nanomedicine, but the challenge is a low delivery efficiency (DE) to the tumor site. Understanding the impact of NPs' physicochemical properties on target tissue distribution and tumor DE can help improve the design of nanomedicines. Multiple machine learning and artificial intelligence models, including linear regression, support vector machine, random forest, gradient boosting, and deep neural networks (DNN), were trained and validated to predict tissue distribution and tumor delivery based on NPs' physicochemical properties and tumor therapeutic strategies with the dataset from Nano-Tumor Database.

Exposure variables in veterinary epidemiology: are they telling us what we think they are?

This manuscript summarizes a presentation delivered by the first author at the 2024 symposium for the Calvin Schwabe Award for Lifetime Achievement in Veterinary Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, which was awarded to Dr. Jan Sargeant. Epidemiologic research plays a crucial role in understanding the complex relationships between exposures and health outcomes.