Lakeland Community College

Indicators of animal health and welfare levels impacting beef cattle performance and productivity can be gathered through wearable remote sensor technology. GPS-enabled technology with accelerometers, often as ear tags or neck collars, is a suitable option available to provide near or real-time location tracking and activity monitoring of livestock for disease, oestrous, or calving alert detection, animal behaviour and well-being, or for anti-theft purposes. However, behaviours that are less frequently expressed, or with similar patterns, or those expressed during a short duration, are challenging to accurately detect and measure resulting in poorly fitted algorithms for certain animal types or management scenarios. Besides, technology limitations such as battery lifespan, transmission range, satellite orbit frequency, service coverage, storage capacity, and economic affordability for the average beef ranch also hinders its adoption. Equipment suitability is specific to environmental, climatic, and regional production practices, and even though the accuracy of location data is high, GPS can be subject to errors. Additionally, current prices of the technology may limit use on all animals within a herd and/or use in all seasons. Platforms for the GPS data generally include features to visualize cattle grazing patterns and alert to movement and activity over time as just a few examples of the valuable options that can contribute to improved management decisions.

Abstract This 3-yr study evaluated a comparative biomass yield and nutritive values of 2 forage systems: 1) a cereal monoculture (CDC-SO1 oats) and 2) a polycrops (PC) consisting of oat, brassicas (turnip and rape) and forage pea (4010) harvested at the hard dough (HD) stage for winter swath grazing purpose. A 12-ha field was divided into six, 2-ha paddocks, where each paddock was randomly assigned to 1 of 2 replicated (n = 3) forage systems. Forages were seeded in June and sampled for biomass yield and nutritive value at the soft dough (SD) and HD stages of oats. The seeding rate of oat monoculture (OM) was 157 kg/ha, while the PC was 45 kg/ha (oat), 11 kg/ha (forage pea) and 6 kg/ha (brassica). Forage samples were collected from a 0.6 m2 area at 24 pre-selected GPS points (4 per paddock), weighed and then oven-dried to a constant weight to determine DM yield. Data were analyzed using the PROC MIXED procedure of SAS and included treatment effects and treatments × stage interactions. Year was treated as a random effect due to climatic variations across years. For OM, there was a significant difference (P = 0.03) in biomass yield between SD (7,762.7 ± 1,217.9 kg/ha) and HD (8,902.8 ± 1,217.9 kg/ha) stages, while PC biomass yield did not differ (P = 0.94) between SD (5,922.4 ± 1,217.9 kg/ha) and HD (6,163.1±1,217.9 kg/ha) stages. The biomass yields between the two forage systems were different (P < 0.05) at the SD and HD stages. Crude protein (CP) concentration did not differ (P > 0.05) between the OM and PC at SD (10.4 vs 10.3%) and HD (8.9 vs 9.6%) stages. At the SD stage, significant differences (P < 0.05) between OM and the PC were observed for neutral detergent fiber (NDF, 50.9 vs 44.1%), calcium (0.2 vs 0.5%), phosphorus (0.2 vs 0.3%), and RFV-relative feed value (120.3 vs 142.2). Similarly, the starch (20.9 vs 16.5%), calcium (0.2 vs 0.5%), and phosphorus (0.2 vs 0.3%) values for OM and PC, respectively, also differed (P < 0.05) at the HD stage. Differences (P < 0.05) were observed between the SD and HD stages of OM for acid detergent fiber (ADF, 30.1 vs 27.0%), total digestible nutrient (TDN, 65.4 vs 67.9%), and starch (14.9 vs 20.9%) content, respectively. Study results suggest that swathing OM at the HD stage would be beneficial in terms of greater biomass yield without compromising quality, while PC can be harvested at either SD or HD stages based on the annual cereal component. Also, the lack of significant difference in the RFV, CP and TDN values between the PC and OM at the HD stage suggests that PC could be a viable alternative forage system for winter swath grazing.

Abstract Depending on the year, during the winter months, cattle begin to rub bare patches on their skin due to pruritus which leads to concern from cattle producers, especially the purebred breeders. Upon further investigation by veterinarians, the cause is not always caused by lice, as many may think. This study aimed to provide insight into the cause and potential prevention/treatment of pruritic beef cattle in western Canada by examining herds that met the study’s criteria of having more than 30% of the herd exhibiting pruritus. Seven herds were examined in the winter of 2023: one from Manitoba, two from Saskatchewan, and four from Alberta. Producers from each herd completed a detailed survey on treatments, nutrition, and environmental conditions and provided feed, water, and bedding samples. Within each herd, five cattle considered non-pruritic, and ten cattle considered pruritic by visual appraisal were enrolled for standard data collection consisting of documentation and photos of skin lesions localized to pruritic areas, general health clinical exam, lice exam/collection, mite exam/collection of hairs, skin hydration (corneometer), blood chemistry and vitamin/minerals, and kidney/liver enzymes for mycotoxins. A subset of the group (1 non-pruritic and 4 pruritic) was selected for advanced data collection, including dermal hypersensitivity (grass, alfalfa, grain, weeds, and molds) measured by swelling score and infrared camera temperature measurement compared with positive and negative controls, skin punch biopsies for eosinophils (IgE) and liver biopsies for copper levels. Only 21/101 cattle had lice (18 animals < 10 lice per 6.5 cm2). No significant correlation was observed between cattle with lice and being pruritic (P > 0.05). Dermal hypersensitivity was very low across both pruritic and non-pruritic cattle and was not different (P > 0.05). Skin hydration readings within animals comparing pruritic and non-pruritic areas on their body showed only one herd having significantly (P < 0.05) drier skin on pruritic locations compared with normal locations. Vitamin A, E, and copper blood analysis showed no significant difference between pruritic and non-pruritic cattle. However, liver biopsy copper levels were (P = 0.01) less in pruritic than non-pruritic cattle. Results suggest that the cause of pruritic cattle is not necessarily a result of intense lice infestations but rather multifactorial in nature, and a decision tree for producers and veterinarians should be developed to aid in determining the correct course of action to alleviate pruritic cattle in the field.

Abstract Historical data sets can be useful tools to aid in understanding the impacts of global change on natural ecosystems. Resampling of historically sampled sites (“snapshot resampling”) has often been used to detect long‐term shifts in ecological populations and communities, because it allows researchers to avoid long‐term monitoring costs and investigate a large number of potential trends. But recent simulation‐based research has called the reliability of resampling into question, and its utility has not been comprehensively evaluated. Here we combine long‐term empirical data sets with novel community‐level simulations to explore the accuracy of snapshot resampling of both population‐ and community‐level metrics under a variety of conditions. We show that snapshot resampling often yields spurious conclusions, but the accuracy of results increases when inter‐annual variability in the response variable is low or the magnitude of change through time is high. Snapshot resampling also generally performs better for community‐level metrics (e.g., species richness) as opposed to population‐level metrics pertaining to a single species (e.g., abundance). Finally, we evaluate strategies to improve the accuracy of snapshot resampling, including sampling multiple years at the end of the study, but these produce mixed results. Ultimately, we find that snapshot resampling should be used with caution, but under certain circumstances, can be a useful for understanding long‐term global change impacts.

The Northeast Team of the Ohio Action Coalition, composed of regional clinical and academic educators, identified a potential barrier for nurses pursuing a baccalaureate degree. Duplication of health assessment content was identified for some associate degree graduates enrolled in RN-BSN programs, thereby adding extra time and cost for attaining the baccalaureate degree. In response, the Northeast Team of the Ohio Action Coalition developed an assessment competency evaluation that, if successfully passed, would grant credit for the health assessment course. The assessment competency evaluation provided the opportunity for students to demonstrate competency in both health assessment and clinical judgment skills.

Abstract Effective pest-fly control strategies in grazing cattle will increase performance, reduce fly-borne diseases and the associated antimicrobial use. This 2-year project evaluated the effects of feeding garlic-powder to grazing cattle. Fly abundance (FA), average salt consumption (SC) and average fly avoidance behaviors (FAB, such as tail-flicks, head-throws and side-licks) were assessed in three independently-managed crossbred cow-calf groups (total=116 to 183 cow-calf pairs) within a subdivided large pasture. Each group received either salt-garlic-powder (SGP) supplement or salt (ST) only, free-choice. The SGP contained 2.1% and 5% garlic powder, respectively in both years. Fly surveys were conducted between June and September each year (approximately every 3 weeks) on cows (n = 5 to 66) randomly sampled from each group. Post-survey image analyses used digital footage and still-images of lateral views of cows and were used to evaluate resting flies (FA) on the cows and FAB. Majority were horn flies based on resting locations on the cows and close-up images. Statistical analyses were performed using generalized linear models adjusted for Year-effect. There was no treatment effect on average SC (P > 0.22) but the groups that received SGP (59g/hd/day) consumed numerically less salt-supplement than ST group (73g/hd/day). The average FA and average proportion of individuals exhibiting FAB were different (P < 0.04) between overall treatment groups where cows that received SGP had fewer flies (55 vs 125 flies) and less FAB (33% vs 42%) than the control group. However, one group that received SGP was not different (P > 0.2) from the control, suggesting that there may be differential insectifugal outcomes based on other factors. While these results suggest that infusing garlic powder into pasture trace-mineral salt does not significantly affect salt consumption and reduces the overall number of pest-flies across different grazing groups, additional studies are required to validate these findings in drylot conditions.

Institutional protocols designed for the oral administration of live microbial communities, either complex or microscopic (microcosmic), to mice do not exist. However, this approach is increasingly employed by investigators focusing on the gut microbiome in experimental research. Herein, we propose two analytically Kappa-based consensus protocols to promote reproducibility and standardization in research practices and describe biologically relevant factors in achieving optimal microbial engraftment of communities in germ-free mice.

Previous studies have used the zebrafish to investigate the biology of lens crystallin proteins and their roles in development and disease. However, little is known about zebrafish α-crystallin promoter function, how it compares to that of mammals, or whether mammalian α-crystallin promoter activity can be assessed using zebrafish embryos. We injected a variety of α-crystallin promoter fragments from each species combined with the coding sequence for green fluorescent protein (GFP) into zebrafish zygotes to determine the resulting spatiotemporal expression patterns in the developing embryo. We also measured mRNA levels and protein abundance for all three zebrafish α-crystallins. Our data showed that mouse and zebrafish αA-crystallin promoters generated similar GFP expression in the lens, but with earlier onset when using mouse promoters. Expression was also found in notochord and skeletal muscle in a small percentage of embryos. Mouse αB-crystallin promoter fragments drove GFP expression primarily in zebrafish skeletal muscle, with less common expression in notochord, lens, heart and in extraocular regions of the eye. A short fragment containing only a lens-specific enhancer region produced no GFP expression, suggesting that these lens responsive elements in the mouse are not used in the zebrafish. The two paralogous zebrafish αB-crystallin promoters produced subtly different expression profiles, with the αBa promoter driving expression equally in notochord and skeletal muscle while the αBb promoter resulted primarily in skeletal muscle expression. Messenger RNA for zebrafish αa, aBa and αBb were all detected by 1 day post fertilization (dpf). Parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) mass spectrometry was used to detect αA, αBa, and αBb peptides in digests of zebrafish embryos. In whole embryos, αA-crystallin was first detected by 2 dpf, peaked in abundance by 4-5 dpf, and was localized to the eye. αBa was also detected in whole embryo at nearly constant levels from 1-6 dpf, was also localized primarily to the eye, and its abundance in extraocular tissues decreased from 4-7 dpf. In contrast, due to its low abundance, no αBb protein could be detected in whole embryo, or dissected eye and extraocular tissues. Our results show that mammalian α-crystallin promoters can be efficiently screened in zebrafish embryos and that their controlling regions are well conserved, although their use in each species may reflect evolutionary changes in developmental roles for α-crystallins. An ontogenetic shift in zebrafish αBa-crystallin promoter activity provides an interesting system for examining the evolution and control of tissue specificity. Future studies that combine these promoter based approaches with the expanding ability to engineer the zebrafish genome via techniques such as CRISPR/Cas9 will allow the manipulation of protein expression to test hypotheses about lens crystallin function and its relation to lens biology and disease.