ABSTRACT: Fermented milk is a widely popular probiotic food. In addition to starter cultures, its production process is often enhanced with specific probiotic strains, such as Bifidobacterium spp., Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, and Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus, although the particular strains employed vary among different products. Because the efficacy of probiotics is strain-specific, determining the composition and abundance of probiotic strains in fermented milk is critical for the quality assessment and regulation of these products. In this study, L. plantarum YZH81, a probiotic strain previously isolated and preserved by our laboratory, was selected as the research subject. Based on whole-genome sequencing and SNP analysis, the whole-genome sequences of 19 other L. plantarum strains were compared, leading to the design of a pair of strain-specific primers and a minor groove binder-modified probe. Subsequent specificity assays confirmed the capability of these oligonucleotides to effectively distinguish L. plantarum YZH81 from other strains. Accordingly, a propidium monoazide (PMA)-droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) method was developed and optimized to effectively differentiate viable from nonviable cells. Compared with quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR), the ddPCR method offers superior specificity, sensitivity, and interference resistance, with a detection limit as low as 102 cfu/mL, demonstrating higher sensitivity than qPCR. When the target strain YZH81 was quantitatively added to fermented milk, the PMA-ddPCR method showed accurate quantification within the range of 104 to 107 cfu/mL, meeting the requirements for strain-level detection in fermented milk. This strain-specific PMA-ddPCR method provides a rapid, sensitive, and effective solution for quality control and regulatory compliance assessment of probiotic fermented milk, enabling precise quantification of viable target strains even in complex product matrices with high specificity and reproducibility.
Jessica C.L. Motta, Rodrigo V. Sala, Cameron B. Hayden
et al.
ABSTRACT: Female cattle with low-anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) have fewer antral follicles and reduced in vitro embryo production (IVEP) potential than high-AMH females. In addition, granulosa cells of low-AMH females have a diminished responsiveness to FSH, despite elevated circulating FSH concentrations. However, AMH phenotype is generally not considered when establishing FSH dosage for ovarian superstimulation. Thus, this study aimed to assess the effect of FSH dosage on IVEP outcomes in high- and low-AMH female cattle. Pregnant Holstein heifers (∼50 d of gestation) with high (>331 pg/mL; n = 31) and low (<192 pg/mL; n = 31) circulating AMH were enrolled at 2 different locations for experiment 1 and experiment 2, respectively. Heifers were assigned to receive 0, 280, or 525 IU of FSH in a crossover design at 14 d intervals. Follicular wave emergence was synchronized using follicular ablation and FSH treatments, comprising 4 decreasing doses administered 12 h apart, were initiated 36 h after follicular ablation. Cumulus oocyte complexes (COC) were retrieved using ovum pick-up (OPU) 40 h after the last FSH administration and subjected to IVEP. Data were analyzed using generalized linear mixed models and orthogonal polynomial contrasts. In high-AMH heifers, total follicles and COC increased in a linear FSH dose-dependent manner. Similarly, blastocyst percentage increased linearly with increasing FSH dose, resulting in a linear increase in blastocyst yield (0 IU: 2.8 ± 0.4; 280 IU: 4.9 ± 0.7; 525 IU: 6.5 ± 0.8). In low-AMH heifers, there was a quadratic effect of FSH dose on total follicles, whereby there was a greater increase in number of follicles between 0 and 280 IU of FSH than between 280 and 525 IU. Conversely, the number of COC increased linearly with increasing FSH dose. There was a quadratic effect of FSH dose on blastocyst percentage, whereby the blastocyst percentage increased between 0 and 280 IU of FSH but not between 280 and 525 IU. Nevertheless, the number of blastocysts produced increased linearly with FSH dose (0 IU: 2.0 ± 0.4; 280 IU: 3.8 ± 0.6; 525 IU: 4.8 ± 0.8). In conclusion, the administration of FSH before OPU enhances IVEP in both high- and low-AMH heifers in a dose-dependent manner. Notably, the FSH-driven improvement in oocyte developmental competence reached a threshold at 280 IU of FSH in low- but not high-AMH heifers, suggesting that the optimal FSH dosage to maximize IVEP efficacy may be less for low- than high-AMH phenotype heifers.
This study aimed to evaluate the quality of milk produced by Peranakan Friesian Holstein (PFH) cows at Moosa Edufarm, Solok Regency, West Sumatra. Six fresh milk samples from cows at different lactation stages were analyzed for the boiling test (protein stability), total solids (TS), solid nonfat (SNF), protein content, and lactose content. TS and SNF were measured using the gravimetric method, while protein and lactose were analyzed using a Lactoscan device. The results indicated that all milk samples were negative for coagulation in the boiling test, indicating casein stability and freshness. The average TS content was 18.95 ± 4.37% and SNF was 14.45 ± 3.76%, both exceeding the minimum standards set by the Indonesian National Standard (SNI 3141.1-2011). The average protein content was 2.84 ± 0.14%, with the SNI minimum standard of 2.8%. The average lactose content was 4.25 ± 0.21%, within the normal range according to the literature. Variation in results among samples was influenced by feeding regime, lactation stage, cow health, age and post-milking handling. Overall, the milk produced met national quality standards and was suitable for direct consumption and processing into dairy products.
ABSTRACT: During the transition period, dairy cows often experience negative energy balance (NEB), leading to excessive mobilization of adipose tissue and elevated circulating nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA). These excess NEFA can be taken up by the mammary gland, triggering redox imbalances and pro-inflammatory cascades that compromise its function. In nonruminants, sinomenine hydrochloride (SINH) has been shown to modulate oxidative stress and inflammation across a range of pathological conditions. However, its effects on NEFA-induced injury in bovine mammary epithelial cells (BMEC) remain largely unexplored. Therefore, this study aimed to determine whether SINH can alleviate NEFA-induced oxidative stress and inflammation in BMEC and to investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms. Primary BMEC isolated from healthy cows were treated with various concentrations of SINH (0, 40, 80, 120, 200, or 400 μM) for 24 h or with 120 μM SINH for different durations (0, 6, 12, 24, 36, or 48 h) to assess dose- and time-dependent effects. For the injury model, cells were co-treated with 1.2 mM NEFA and different concentrations of SINH for 24 h. To investigate the role of autophagy, cells were pretreated with 5 mM 3-methyladenine (3-MA), an autophagy inhibitor, for 1 h before co-treatment with 120 μM SINH and 1.2 mM NEFA for an additional 24 h. The SINH treatment significantly attenuated NEFA-induced oxidative stress, as evidenced by increased activities of antioxidant enzymes including superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase, along with upregulated expression of antioxidant proteins such as heme oxygenase-1 and NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1. Concurrently, SINH reduced malondialdehyde content and intracellular reactive oxygen species levels. Inflammatory responses were also mitigated by SINH, as indicated by decreased protein expression of NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3), caspase-1, and phosphorylated nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), as well as downregulated mRNA expression of proinflammatory cytokines including IL6, IL1B, IL18, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFA). Notably, SINH also restored the mRNA expression of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL10. Importantly, SINH reversed the NEFA-induced inhibition of autophagy in BMEC. However, pharmacological blockade of autophagy with 3-MA abrogated the protective effects of SINH, as reflected by reduced antioxidant enzyme activities and re-elevated oxidative and inflammatory markers. In conclusion, SINH may serve as a promising therapeutic agent to alleviate oxidative stress and inflammation in the mammary gland by restoring autophagic activity during the transition period in dairy cows.
The theoretical relationship between the macroscopic textural quality and microscopic structural quality appearing in the phase inversion processes from fresh cream via whipped cream to butter is revealed by the multi-scale simulation of coupled map lattice (CML) based on the mesoscopic elementary processes of the emulsion interfaces. Using the Young-Laplace equation, we derive the microscopic particle quantities of the size and density of air bubbles and butter grains in an emulsion from the macroscopic rheological quantities of the overrun and viscosity of the emulsion. In doing so, we focus on the size determined by the "tug-of-war" between air bubbles and butter grains via their cohesion pressures, and on the density determined by the "costume change" of the emulsion molecular complexes (clad particles, e.g., butter grain-clad air bubbles) to their suitable size. Using the obtained microscopic particle quantities, we now propose a microscopic state diagram, the size-density plane, in addition to the previously proposed macroscopic state diagram, the viscosity-overrun plane. These state diagrams reveal that while the two well-known different phase inversion processes at high and low whipping temperatures appear as the two parallel processes of viscosity dominance and overrun dominance in the viscosity-overrun plane, they appear as the two orthogonal processes of isodensity/size dominance and isosize/density dominance in the size-density plane. This theoretical simulation result is significant for the quality design of butter because it demonstrates that differences in macroscopic textural quality can be easily controlled by differences in microscopic structural quality.
Fiona L. Guinan, Robert H. Fourdraine, Francisco Peñagaricano
et al.
The availability of daily milk weights and pen location information provides an interesting opportunity to capture additional data and review how contemporary groups are defined for dairy cattle genetic evaluations. In the United States, dairy cows in larger herds are grouped into pens according to various characteristics such as parity, production level, reproductive status, lactation stage, and health status. Our dataset included pen location information for each daily milk weight, so instead of using herd-year-season of calving to form contemporary groups, we used herd-pen-milking date to more precisely model the environmental effects cows experience at the pen level on a given day. Our dataset included 21,000,951 aggregated daily milk records from 114,243 first-parity Holstein cows milked 3 times daily in conventional parlor systems in 157 herds representing 29 US states. Our phenotype of interest was daily milk weight, and alternative repeatability animal models were used to estimate genetic parameters and predict breeding values. Age at first calving (6 levels) and DIM (10 levels) were included as fixed effects and cow (114,243 levels) was included as a random effect. Contemporary group effects included a fixed or random herd-year-season of calving effect (1,492 levels) and a fixed or random herd-pen-milking date effect (285,592 levels). Genetic parameters (kg2; posterior SD) were estimated using GIBBSF90+ software. The additive genetic variance ranged from 10.48 (0.60) to 24.12 (0.66), herd-year-season variance was 10.34 (0.40), herd-pen-milking date variance ranged from 4.91 (0.02) to 4.96 (0.02), permanent environmental variance ranged from 10.65 (0.44) to 16.94 (0.30), and residual variance ranged from 11.81 (0.01) to 14.60 (0.01). Heritability estimates ranged from 0.21 (0.01) to 0.47 (0.01), and repeatability estimates ranged from 0.51 (0.01) to 0.71 (0.01), and mean reliability of sires' breeding value predictions ranged from 0.81 to 0.89. Although caution is needed when disentangling associations between genetic effects, permanent environmental effects, and herd-pen-milking date contemporary groups, our results suggest that using daily milk weights and pen locations may improve the precision of genetic evaluations through increased sire PTA reliabilities for milk production traits in dairy cattle.
Fatty acid esters of hydroxy fatty acids (FAHFA) are a novel class of bioactive lipids with demonstrated antidiabetic and anti-inflammatory properties in rodent models and humans but have not been investigated in cows. The major FAHFA are synthesized from palmitic (PA), stearic (SA), and oleic acid. The PA can be esterified to hydroxy fatty acids, such as hydroxy PA or hydroxy SA, or SA can be esterified to hydroxy SA, forming PAHPA, PAHSA, or SAHSA, respectively. The objective of the current study was to determine the effect of increasing intake of PA, SA, or both PA and SA on nonesterified FAHFA in the plasma and milk of dairy cows. We hypothesized that increasing PA and SA in the diet would increase PA and SA containing FAHFA in plasma and milk. Samples were analyzed from a previous experiment that used 12 multiparous Holstein cows in a 4 × 4 Latin square design. Treatments were a no-fat supplement control (CON) and fat supplements that were high in PA (91% C16:0), high in SA (92.6% C18:0), or contained a blend of PA and SA (PA/SA; 45.3% C16:0 and 49.1% C18:0) at 1.95% of diet DM. The concentrations of nonesterified FAHFA in plasma and milk fat were quantified using liquid chromatography tandem MS, and data were analyzed using a mixed model that included treatment as a fixed effect and cow and period as random effects. The relationship between plasma FAHFA and milk production variables were analyzed using regression analysis. Five nonesterified FAHFA (9-PAHPA, 5-PAHSA, 9-PAHSA, 10-PAHSA, and 9-SAHSA) were quantified in plasma and all were affected by treatment. Plasma concentration of 9-PAHPA was increased 2.9-fold by PA compared with CON, whereas 9-SAHSA was increased 2.7-fold by SA compared with CON. The concentrations of 5-PAHSA, 9-PAHSA, and 10-PAHSA were highest with PA/SA. In milk, 8 nonesterified FAHFA were quantified, and only 12-PAHSA was increased by SA and 12-PAHPA tended to be increased by PA. Plasma 9-PAHPA was positively associated with milk fat yield and mixed FA and negatively associated with milk preformed FA, de novo FA, and odd- and branched-chain fatty acids, whereas plasma 9-SAHSA was positively associated with milk preformed FA. Overall, FA supplements affected nonesterified FAHFA concentration in plasma, demonstrating a direct effect of dietary FA on this emerging regulator of metabolism. There were limited effects of FA supplements on nonesterified FAHFA in milk fat. Functional roles for these lipids require further exploration.
ABSTRACT: Several studies have described variations in lactose content (LC) in dairy cows during udder quarter health disorder or negative energy balance (NEB). However, their joint effects on LC have never been described. This was the aim of a longitudinal observational study performed on 5 Quebec dairy farms using automatic milking systems. Quarter milk samples were collected every 14 d from 5 to 300 DIM. Quarter health status was described by combining SCC level (SCC− or SCC+: < or ≥100,000 cells/mL, respectively) and infectious status (Patho− or Patho+: absence or presence of pathogens on a milk culture, respectively). Cows with NEB in early lactation (DIM <70) were identified using milk BHB content: <0.15 mM = BHB−; 0.15 to 0.19 mM = BHB+; >0.19 mM = BHB++. A total of 14,505 quarter cisternal milk samples were collected from 380 lactating cows. The quarter LC was analyzed using a mixed linear regression model with the following fixed effects: quarter health status, parity, time interval between last milking and sampling, quarter milk yield (in kg/d), DIM, and herd. A random quarter intercept with a repeated measures correlation structure and a cow random intercept were also specified. The LC of SCC+ quarters was lower (−0.17 ± 0.013 percentage points) compared with LC of SCC- quarters for both primiparous and multiparous cows. Of the 162 bacterial species identified, only 8 species had a prevalence greater than 4.0%, and just 5 of them were associated with a reduction in LC: Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus chromogenes, Streptococcus dysgalactiae, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Staphylococcus simulans. Cows identified as BHB+ and BHB++ in early lactation had a lower LC (−0.05 ± 0.019 and −0.13 ± 0.020 percentage points, respectively) compared with BHB− cows. For BHB++ cows, in both parity groups the decrease in LC (−0.20 ± 0.025 percentage points) was higher in SCC+ quarters compared with SCC− quarters. Moreover, the additive effect of the quarter health status and NEB on milk LC was greater with larger increases in BHB. Our findings highlight the necessity to jointly take into consideration both quarter health status and milk BHB concentration when using LC as a biomarker for NEB.
ABSTRACT: The transition period in dairy cows is a critical stage and peripartum oxidative status, negative energy balance (NEB), and inflammation are highly prevalent. Fecal microbial metabolism is closely associated with blood oxidative status and nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA) levels. Here, we investigated dynamic changes in total oxidative status markers and NEFA in blood, fecal microbiome, and metabolome of 30 dairy cows during transition (−21, −7, +7, +21 d relative to calving). Then the Bayesian network and 9 machine-learning algorithms were applied to dismantle their relationship. Our results show that the oxidative status indicator (OSI) of −21, −7, +7 d was higher than +21 d. The plasma concentration of NEFA peaked on +7 d. For fecal microenvironment, a decline in bacterial α diversity was observed at postpartum and in bacterial interactions at +7 d. Conversely, microbial metabolites involved in carbohydrate, lipid, and energy metabolism increased on +7 d. A correlation analysis revealed that 11 and 10 microbial metabolites contributed to OSI and NEFA variations, respectively (arc strength >0.5). The support vector machine (SVM) radial model showed the highest average predictive accuracy (100% and 88.9% in the test and external data sets) for OSI using 1 metabolite and 3 microbiota. The SVM radial model also showed the highest average diagnostic accuracy (100% and 91% in the test and external data sets) for NEFA with 2 metabolites and 3 microbiota. Our results reveal a relationship between variation in the fecal microenvironment and indicators of oxidative status, NEB, and inflammation, which provide a theoretical basis for the prevention and precise regulation of peripartum oxidative status and NEB.
Internal teat sealant products have been used alone or in combination with antibiotic dry cow treatment to prevent new IMI over the dry period in dairy cows. Conversely, knowledge about the efficacy of external teat sealants in the prevention of IMI is scarce. The objective of our study was to investigate the effect of 2 different teat sealants, one internal teat sealant and one external teat sealant, on the (1) risk of new IMI during the dry period, (2) risk of IMI cure, (3) first test day linear SCS, (4) first test day milk yield, (5) incidence of farm-diagnosed clinical mastitis ≤30 DIM, and (6) incidence of culling ≤30 DIM. In a randomized clinical trial, Holstein cows (n = 1,378) from one commercial dairy were assigned to treatment and control groups. At dry-off, cows in the treatment groups received an antibiotic dry cow treatment in combination with either an internal teat sealant (INT) or a single application of an external teat sealant (EXT). Control (CON) cows received the antibiotic dry cow treatment alone. Data on linear SCS from the last DHI test day before dry-off and the first test after calving, first test day milk yield, and the occurrence of farm-diagnosed clinical mastitis and culling ≤30 DIM were obtained from the farm management program. New IMI and cure of IMI during the dry period were calculated. Linear SCS (mean ± SD) at first test day after calving differed among groups and was 3.2 ± 2.2 in CON, 2.8 ± 2.0 in INT, and 3.0 ± 2.1 in EXT groups. The risk of new IMI differed among groups and was 30.2% for CON cows, 18.2% for INT cows, and 22.6% for EXT cows. A Poisson regression analysis revealed that, compared with CON cows, the risks of new IMI were 40% lower for INT cows (risk ratio [RR] = 0.60, 95% CI = 0.41 to 0.88) and 25% lower for EXT cows (RR = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.52 to 1.07). By contrast, no meaningful differences were documented for cure risk, clinical mastitis risk during the first 30 DIM, or culling risk within the first 30 DIM. In summary, cows dried off with an INT in combination with antibiotic dry cow treatment had a lower linear SCS at first test day after calving and reduced risk of new IMI than cows dried off with an EXT in addition to antibiotic dry cow treatment or cows dried off using antibiotic dry cow treatment alone. Further, we found supporting evidence that cows dried off with an EXT in addition to antibiotic dry cow treatment might have an advantage in reduced new IMI over cows dried off with an antibiotic dry cow treatment alone.
Fatty liver is a more common than expected metabolic disease affecting dairy cattle around parturition, which generates high economic losses for the dairy industry. The disease has evolved from a low incidence of moderate cases to a greater increase of severe cases in recent years. This evolution could be explained by the higher rate of genetic selection that has been carried out for milk production, which concomitantly brings pleiotropic genes that determine greater abdominal adiposity, ketosis, and other diseases. Abdominal fat is much more reactive, pro-inflammatory, saturated, and low in adiponectin than subcutaneous fat. In this review, we will mainly address the epidemiological aspects, the pathophysiology concerning the different types of fat depots (subcutaneous and abdominal), and the early diagnosis of the disease to carry out efficient control and preventive strategies.
Background: Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) of dairy processing waste was performed to investigate the effect of temperature and initial pH on the yield and composition of the solid (hydrochar) and liquor produced. All hydrochars met the EU requirements of organo-mineral solid fertilizers defined in the Fertilizing Products Regulation in terms of phosphorus (P) and mineral content. Methods: Laboratory scale HTC was performed using pressurized reactors, and the products (solid and liquid) were collected, stored and analyzed for elemental composition and nutrient content using Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry (UV-Vis) and other analytic techniques. Results: Maximum hydrochar yield (60.67%) was observed at T=180℃ and pH=2.25, whereas the maximum P-recovery was 80.38% at T=220℃ and pH=4.6. The heavy metal content of the hydrochars was mostly compliant with EU limitations, except for Ni at T=220℃ and pH=8.32. Meanwhile, further study of Chromium (Cr) species is essential to assess the fertilizer quality of the hydrochars. For the liquid product, the increase in temperature beyond 200℃, coupled with an increase in initial acidity (pH=2.25) drove P into the liquor. Simultaneously, increasing HTC temperature and acidity increased the concentration of NO 3 - and NH 4 + in the liquid products to a maximum of 278 and 148 mg/L, respectively, at T=180℃ and pH=4.6. Furthermore, no direct relation between final pH of liquor and NH 4 + concentration was observed. Conclusions: HTC allows for the production of hydrochar as a potential fertilizer material that requires further processing. Adjusting HTC conditions enhanced P-recovery in the hydrochar, while retrieving higher nitrate concentrations in the liquid product. Optimizing HTC for the production of qualified hydrochars requires further treatment of Cr content, studying the availability of P in the products and enhancing the hydrochar yield for economic feasibility.
Anina Vogt, Uta König von Borstel, Susanne Waiblinger
et al.
ABSTRACT: Measurement of fecal cortisol metabolites (FGCM) is a well-established, noninvasive method to assess stress in adult dairy cattle. However, this procedure has not yet been validated for unweaned dairy calves, and it can be expected that the milk proportion of the diet may influence the resulting FGCM concentrations. The aim of this study was therefore to assess whether a peak in FGCM concentrations in response to a stressor can be measured in unweaned dairy calves on a largely milk-based diet. If so, further objectives were to examine whether maximum FGCM concentrations, as well as the time lag until they are reached, are comparable to the values in the same calves on a solid-based diet after weaning. For this study, 5 German Holstein calves of about 3 mo of age (93 to 102 d preweaning) were exposed to a 45 min transport stressor once before and once after weaning, which was 3 wk apart. All voided fecal samples were collected for 24 h after termination of the transport. Fecal cortisol metabolites were analyzed with an 11-oxoetiocholanolone enzyme immunoassay and changes in FGCM concentrations relative to the individual baseline (FGCMrel) were calculated. Results showed a clear peak in FGCM concentrations on both diet types. The peak FGCMrel concentrations tended to be higher when the calves were on the preweaning diet (at peak: +233 ± 25% increase relative to baseline) in comparison to the postweaning diet (+124 ± 23%). Considering the whole 24 h sampling period, the FGCMrel concentrations for all calves were significantly higher on the preweaning diet than on the postweaning diet. There was also a numerical difference in the delay between occurrence of the stressor and appearance of the peak FGCMrel concentrations in feces, as the time lag was 1.5 ± 1.2 h longer when the calves were on the preweaning diet compared with the postweaning diet. In conclusion, our results suggest that FGCM concentrations are a useful stress marker for unweaned dairy calves in the same way they are for older cattle, but that FGCMrel concentrations tend to be higher in unweaned than in weaned calves and are thus not directly comparable.
ABSTRACT: The objectives were to test the effects of dietary vitamin D3 [cholecalciferol (CHOL)] compared with 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 [calcidiol (CAL)] on vitamin D status and response to an endotoxin challenge. Forty-five Holstein bull calves (5 ± 2 d of age) were blocked into weekly cohorts, fed a basal diet that provided 0.25 µg/kg body weight (BW) CHOL, and assigned randomly to 1 of 5 treatments: control [(CON) no additional vitamin D], 1.5 µg/kg BW CHOL (CHOL1.5), 3 µg/kg BW CHOL (CHOL3), 1.5 µg/kg BW CAL (CAL1.5), or 3 µg/kg BW CAL (CAL3). Calves were fed milk replacer until weaning at 56 d of age and had ad libitum access to water and starter grain throughout the experiment. Treatments were added daily to the diet of milk replacer until weaning and starter grain after weaning. Measures of growth, dry matter intake, and serum concentrations of vitamin D, Ca, Mg, and P were collected from 0 to 91 d of the experiment. At 91 d of the experiment, calves received an intravenous injection of 0.1 µg/kg BW lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Clinical and physiological responses were measured from 0 to 72 h relative to LPS injection. Data were analyzed with mixed models that included fixed effects of treatment and time, and random effect of block. Orthogonal contrasts evaluated the effects of (1) source (CAL vs. CHOL), (2) dose (1.5 vs. 3.0 µg/kg BW), (3) interaction between source and dose, and (4) supplementation (CON vs. all other treatments) of vitamin D. From 21 to 91 d of the experiment, mean BW of supplemented calves was less compared with CON calves, but the effect was predominantly a result of the CHOL calves, which tended to weigh less than the CAL calves. Supplementing vitamin D increased concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in serum compared with CON, but the increment from increasing the dose from 1.5 to 3.0 µg/kg BW was greater for CAL compared with CHOL (CON = 18.9, CHOL = 24.7 and 29.6, CAL = 35.6 and 65.7 ± 3.2 ng/mL, respectively). Feeding CAL also increased serum Ca and P compared with CHOL. An interaction between source and dose of treatment was observed for rectal temperature and derivatives of reactive metabolites after LPS challenge because calves receiving CHOL3 and CAL1.5 had lower rectal temperatures and plasma derivatives of reactive metabolites compared with calves receiving CHOL1.5 and CAL3. Supplementing vitamin D increased plasma P concentrations post-LPS challenge compared with CON, but plasma concentrations of Ca, Mg, fatty acids, glucose, β-hydroxybutyrate, haptoglobin, tumor necrosis factor-α, and antioxidant potential did not differ among treatments post-LPS challenge. Last, supplementing vitamin D increased granulocytes as a percentage of blood leukocytes post-LPS challenge compared with CON. Supplementing CAL as a source of vitamin D to dairy calves was more effective at increasing serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D, Ca, and P concentrations compared with feeding CHOL. Supplemental source and dose of vitamin D also influenced responses to the LPS challenge.
ABSTRACT: Limited research has examined the interaction between dietary crude protein (CP) level and CP feeding pattern. We tested CP level (low protein [LP], 13.8%; high protein [HP], 15.5% CP, dry matter [DM] basis) and CP feeding pattern (OF = oscillating, SF = static) using a 2 × 2 factorial in 16 mid- to late-lactation Holsteins (initially 128 ± 12 d in milk; mean ± SD). Cows ate total mixed rations formulated by exchanging soy hulls and ground corn with solvent soybean meal to keep constant ratios of neutral detergent fiber to starch (1.18:1), rumen-degradable protein to CP (0.61:1), and forage-to-concentrate (1.5:1) in DM. The OF treatments alternated diets every 48 h to vary CP above and below the mean CP level (OF-LP = 13.8% ± 1.8%; OF-HP = 15.5% ± 1.8% CP [DM basis]) whereas diets were constant in SF (SF-LP = 13.8%; SF-HP = 15.5% CP [DM basis]). In four 28-d periods, 8 rumen-cannulated and 8 noncannulated cows formed 2 Latin rectangles. On d 25 to 28 of each period, each cow's feed intake and milk production were recorded, and samples were taken of orts (1×/d) and milk (2×/d). We fit linear mixed models with fixed CP level, CP feeding pattern, and period effects, and a random intercept for cow, computing least squares means and standard errors. Neither CP level, CP feeding pattern, nor the interaction affected DM intake, feed efficiency, or production of milk, fat- and protein-corrected milk (FPCM), fat, true protein, or lactose. Milk urea-N (MUN) yield was lesser for LP. The LP and OF conditions decreased MUN concentration. The CP level tended to interact with CP feeding pattern so that milk protein concentration was greatest for OF-HP. The OF and LP conditions increased the ratio of true protein to MUN yield. Within OF, cosinor mixed models of selected variables showed that cows maintained production of FPCM across dietary changes, but MUN followed a wave-pattern at a 2-d delay relative to dietary changes. A tendency for lesser MUN with OF contradicted prior research and suggested potential differences in urea-N metabolism between OF and SF. Results showed that cows maintained production of economically-relevant components regardless of CP feeding pattern and CP level. Contrary to our hypothesis, the effects of 48-h oscillating CP were mostly consistent across CP levels, suggesting that productivity is resilient to patterned variation in dietary CP over time even when average CP supply is low (13.8% of DM) and despite 48 h restrictions at 12.2% CP.
Betty A. Ogwaro, Hazel Gibson, Dave J. Hill
et al.
In this study, the microbiological quality of traditionally fermented milk from Northern Uganda and Western Kenya was analysed. Six samples of typical traditionally fermented milk were collected randomly from traditional cattle keepers in Karamojong (UG 1) and Acholi (UG 2) in Northern Uganda and Kalenjin in Western Kenya (KE). The microbial quality of the collected samples was assessed through the use of conventional methods for total aerobic mesophilic bacteria, total coliform, lactic acid bacteria, <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>, <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i>, yeasts, and mould counts. The mean aerobic mesophilic bacterial counts were 5.14 × 10<sup>9</sup> coliform forming units (cfu)/mL. The mean counts for mesophilic lactobacilli ranged from 10<sup>6</sup> to 10<sup>8</sup> cfu/mL. The mean thermophilic lactobacilli count ranged from 10<sup>7</sup> to 10<sup>9</sup> cfu/mL, while the mean thermophilic lactococci counts ranged from 10<sup>6</sup> to 10<sup>9</sup> cfu/mL. On the other hand, the Streptococci counts were between 10<sup>6</sup> and 10<sup>8</sup> cfu/mL. The mean count for the non-sorbitol <i>E. coli</i> was 3.87 × 10<sup>3</sup> cfu/mL. These results suggest that although the pH of the traditional yoghurt in this study was low, the acidity was not sufficient to inhibit growth of microorganisms in the product. Although it is difficult to avoid the microbial contamination of milk during milking, it is of the utmost importance to maintain a very high level of hygiene in dairy farming practices, and the correct cleaning of teats during milking is very important for good udder health and optimum milk quality, and to ensure safety. The results regarding microbial contamination pose public health concerns, and therefore the appropriate government agencies must pay attention to ensure that the environment in which yoghurt is produced is in the best condition to reduce contamination.
Neuromorphic imaging reacts to per-pixel brightness changes of a dynamic scene with high temporal precision and responds with asynchronous streaming events as a result. It also often supports a simultaneous output of an intensity image. Nevertheless, the raw events typically involve a large amount of noise due to the high sensitivity of the sensor, while capturing fast-moving objects at low frame rates results in blurry images. These deficiencies significantly degrade human observation and machine processing. Fortunately, the two information sources are inherently complementary -- events with microsecond-level temporal resolution, which are triggered by the edges of objects recorded in a latent sharp image, can supply rich motion details missing from the blurry one. In this work, we bring the two types of data together and introduce a simple yet effective unifying algorithm to jointly reconstruct blur-free images and noise-robust events in an iterative coarse-to-fine fashion. Specifically, an event-regularized prior offers precise high-frequency structures and dynamic features for blind deblurring, while image gradients serve as a kind of faithful supervision in regulating neuromorphic noise removal. Comprehensively evaluated on real and synthetic samples, such a synergy delivers superior reconstruction quality for both images with severe motion blur and raw event streams with a storm of noise, and also exhibits greater robustness to challenging realistic scenarios such as varying levels of illumination, contrast and motion magnitude. Meanwhile, it can be driven by much fewer events and holds a competitive edge at computational time overhead, rendering itself preferable as available computing resources are limited. Our solution gives impetus to the improvement of both sensing data and paves the way for highly accurate neuromorphic reasoning and analysis.
Sébastien Buczinski, Marie-Pascale Morin, Jean-Philippe Roy
et al.
ABSTRACT: The objective of this observational cross-sectional study was to describe the cleanliness of various equipment used for colostrum harvest and calf feeding procedures on dairy farms in Québec, Canada. The study was performed on 42 commercial dairy herds also enrolled in another study aiming to determine the transfer of passive immunity over a 14-mo period. Information on colostrum quality (using Brix value) and cleanliness (total aerobic and total coliform count) were recorded as well as various practices focused on colostrum-feeding equipment and preweaning period using a standard questionnaire. During the study period, colostrum and milk-feeding equipment cleanliness was assessed using direct surface swabbing with Hygiena Ultrasnap swabs. A total of 155 swab samples were obtained from 6 pieces of equipment. Adenosine triphosphate collected from the swabbed surface reacts with the luciferase solution present in the swab by bioluminescence, which is proportional to the quantity of ATP present and quantified as relative light units (RLU). The description of feed equipment cleanliness (defined as the maximal RLU found for a specific herd, dichotomized as <1,000 RLU vs. ≥1,000 RLU) was compared with the herds' descriptive characteristics, focusing on the first 2 components of a multiple correspondence analysis. The median (range) RLU for buckets used for colostrum harvest, bucket or bottle used for feeding, tube feeders, milking colostrum line, and internal surface of the nipples were 41 RLU (3–1,625 RLU), 78 RLU (<1–3,765 RLU), 29 RLU (<1–2,177 RLU), 83 RLU (<1–9,968 RLU), and 1,101 RLU (2–9,546 RLU), respectively. The first 2 components of multiple correspondence analysis explained 24.7% of data variances and were related to the farms' hygiene and health (13.0%) and feeding practices (11.7% of data variance). The maximal dichotomized luminometry value (<1,000 RLU or ≥1,000 RLU) was associated with hygiene and health dimension. This study gave promising results concerning the potential application of ATP luminometry for calf rearing practices assessment.