Vitamin and mineral supplementation and rate of gain during the first trimester of gestation affect concentrations of amino acids in maternal serum and allantoic fluid of beef heifers

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of feeding vitamin and mineral (VTM) supplement and (or) rate of gain (GAIN) during early gestation on amino acid (AA) concentrations in allantoic fluid (ALF) and amniotic fluid (AMF) and maternal serum. Seventy-two crossbred Angus heifers (initial BW = 359.5 ± 7.1 kg) were randomly assigned to one of four treatments in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement with main effects of VTM supplement (VTM or NoVTM) and rate of gain (GAIN; low gain [LG], 0.28 kg/d, vs. moderate gain [MG], 0.79 kg/d). The VTM treatment (113 g•heifer⁻¹•d⁻¹, provided macro and trace minerals and vitamins A, D, and E to meet 110% of the requirements specified by the NASEM in Nutrient requirements of beef cattle. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi:10.17226/19014, 2016) was initiated 71 to 148 d before artificial insemination (AI). To complete the factorial arrangement of treatments, at breeding heifers were either maintained on the basal diet (LG), or received MG diet which was implemented by adding a protein/energy supplement to the LG diet. Thirty-five gestating heifers with female fetuses were ovariohysterectomized on d 83 of gestation and maternal serum, ALF, and AMF were collected. Samples were analyzed for concentrations of neutral AA: Ala, Asn, Cys, Gln, Gly, Ile, Leu, Met, Phe, Pro, Ser, Thr, Trp, Tyr, and Val; cationic AA: Arg, His, and Lys; and anionic AA: Asp and Glu. In serum, a VTM × GAIN interaction (P = 0.02) was observed for Glu, with greater concentrations for VTM-LG than VTM-MG. Concentrations of serum Cys, Met, and Trp were greater (P ≤ 0.03) for MG than LG. In ALF, concentrations of Glu were affected by a VTM × GAIN interaction, where VTM-MG was greater (P < 0.01) than all other treatments. Further, ALF from VTM had increased (P ≤ 0.05) concentrations of His, Asp, and 12 of the 14 neutral AA; whereas GAIN affected concentrations of Arg, Cys, and Asp, with greater concentrations (P ≤ 0.05) in MG heifers. In AMF, AA concentrations were not affected (P ≥ 0.10) by VTM, GAIN, or their interaction. In conclusion, increased concentrations of AA in maternal serum and ALF of beef heifers were observed at d 83 of gestation in response to VTM supplementation and rate of gain of 0.79 kg/d, which raises important questions regarding the mechanisms responsible for AA uptake and balance between the maternal circulation and fetal fluid compartments.     

The effects of maternal nutrition during the first 50 d of gestation on the location and abundance of hexose and cationic amino acid transporters in beef heifer uteroplacental tissues

We hypothesized that maternal nutrition during the first 50 d of gestation would influence the abundance of hexose transporters, SLC2A1, SLC2A3, and SLC2A5, and cationic amino acid transporters, SLC7A1 and SLC7A2, in heifer uteroplacental tissues. Angus-cross heifers (n = 43) were estrus synchronized, bred via artificial insemination, and assigned at breeding to 1 of 2 dietary intake groups (CON = 100% of requirements to achieve 0.45 kg/d of BW gain or RES = 60% of CON intake) and ovariohysterectomized on day 16, 34, or 50 of gestation (n = 6 to 9/d) in a completely randomized design with a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement of treatments. Uterine cross-sections were collected from the horn ipsilateral to the corpus luteum, fixed in 10% neutral buffered formalin, sectioned at 5 µm, and stained via immunofluorescence for transporters. For each image, areas of fetal membrane (FM; chorioallantois), luminal epithelium (ENDO), superficial glands (SG), deep glands (DG), and myometrium (MYO) were analyzed separately for relative intensity of fluorescence as an indicator of transporter abundance. Analysis of FM was only conducted for days 34 and 50. No transporters in target areas were influenced by a day × treatment interaction (P ≥ 0.06). In ENDO, all transporters were differentially abundant from days 16 to 50 of gestation (P ≤ 0.04), and SLC7A2 was greater (P = 0.05) for RES vs. CON. In SG, SLC7A1 and SLC7A2 were greater (P ≤ 0.04) at day 34 vs. day 16. In DG, SLC2A3 and SLC7A1 were greater (P ≤ 0.05) for CON vs. RES heifers; furthermore, SLC7A1 was greater (P < 0.01) at day 50 vs. days 16 and 34 of gestation. In MYO, SLC7A1 was greater (P < 0.01) for CON vs. RES and was greater (P = 0.02) at days 34 and 50 vs. day 16. There were no differences in FM (P ≥ 0.06). Analysis of all uterine tissues at day 16 determined that SLC2A1, SLC2A3, and SLC7A2 were all differentially abundant across uterine tissue type (P < 0.01), and SLC7A1 was greater (P = 0.02) for CON vs. RES. Analysis of all uteroplacental tissues at days 34 and 50 demonstrated that all transporters differed (P < 0.01) across uteroplacental tissues, and SLC7A1 was greater (P < 0.01) for CON vs. RES. These data are interpreted to imply that transporters are differentially affected by day of gestation, and that hexose and cationic amino acid transporters are differentially abundant across utero-placental tissue types, and that SLC7A1 is responsive to maternal nutritional treatment.     

Proteomic profiling of plasma-derived small extracellular vesicles: a novel tool for understanding the systemic effects of tick burden in cattle

Cattle ticks pose a significant threat to the health and profitability of cattle herds globally. The investigation of factors leading to natural tick resistance in cattle is directed toward targeted breeding strategies that may combat cattle tick infestation on the genetic level. Exosomes (EXs), small extracellular vesicles (EVs) of 50 to 150 nm diameter, are released from all cell types into biofluids such as blood plasma and milk, have been successfully used in diagnostic and prognostic studies in humans, and can provide essential information regarding the overall health state of animals. Mass spectrometry (MS) is a highly sensitive proteomics application that can be used to identify proteins in a complex mixture and is particularly useful for biomarker development. In this proof of principle study, EXs were isolated from the blood plasma of cattle (Bos taurus) with high (HTR) and low tick resistance (LTR) (n = 3/group). Cattle were classified as HTR or LTR using a tick scoring system, and EXs isolated from the cattle blood plasma using an established protocol. EXs were subjected to MS analysis in data-dependent acquisition mode and protein search performed using Protein Pilot against the B. taurus proteome. A total of 490 unique proteins were identified across all samples. Of these, proteins present in all replicates from each group were selected for further analysis (HTR = 121; LTR = 130). Gene ontology analysis was performed using PANTHER GO online software tool. Proteins unique to HTR and LTR cattle were divided by protein class, of which 50% were associated with immunity/defense in the HTR group, whereas this protein class was not detected in EXs from LTR cattle. Similarly, unique proteins in HTR cattle were associated with B-cell activation, immunoglobins, immune response, and cellular iron ion homeostasis. In LTR cattle, unique exosomal proteins were associated with actin filament binding, purine nucleotide binding, plasma membrane protein complex, and carbohydrate derivative binding. This is the first study to demonstrate that MS analysis of EXs derived from the blood plasma of HTR and LTR cattle can be successfully applied to profile the systemic effects of tick burden.     

Plant-growth-regulating N-(phosphonoacetyl)amines

A series of N-(phosphonacetyl)amine derivatives were synthesized and screened for plant-growth regulating activity on Lepidium sativum L. and Cucumis sativus L. Aromatic N-(phosphonoacetyl)amines. which may be considered as possible analogues of N-acylaniline herbicides obtained by replacement of their acyl group by the phosphonacetyl moiety, exhibited significant or moderate herbicidal activity. In contrast, N-(phosphonoacetyl)amino acids and N-(phosphonoacetyl)aminophosphonic acids promoted the growth of L. sativum and C. sativus roots.     

Herbicidal activity of phosphonic and phosphinic acid analogues of glutamic and aspartic acids

Phosphonic and phosphinic acid analogues of glutamic and aspartic acids were synthesized and screened for herbicidal activity on Lepidium sativum L. Depending on the chemical structure, they exhibited significant or moderate herbicidal activity against L. sativum roots (with some representatives being equipotent with phosphinothricin), while their influence on shoot growth was negligible. Cucumis sativus L. appeared to be more tolerant to these analogues. The origin of this selectivity remains to be determined.     

The effect of large burns in ruminants on the edibility of meat]

The effect of non-contact burns was studied on a model of a slaughter ruminant. The study included the examination of the penetration of germs into the blood stream and into the meat and of the main changes characterizing the ripening of the obtained meat. The tests were conducted with two groups of animals, killed 1) at the beginning of the development of the infection process in the burn, 2) in a health state in which the prognosis was unfavourable quo ad vitam. It was found on the basis of haemocultivation, microbiological examination of the samples of organs and meat, and examination of pH values in the meat that the natural body barriers were destructed and the biochemistry of the muscular tissue was impaired. The penetration of the germs through the natural barriers of the organism was recorded also before the initiation of the development of the infection in the burn. The acidification of the meat worsened post mortem. It is possible, on the basis of the facts which were revealed, to present the following recommendations for the practical use of the results in the veterinary inspection of meat in ruminants with large burns: to take samples for microbial examination, even though the animal has been slaughtered in the earliest stage of the disease; to determine the pH in the meat obtained from the slaughtered animals and to expect worse acidification and imperfect ripening of the meat.     

QTL controlling partial resistance to Stagonospora nodorum leaf blotch in winter wheat cultivar Alba

Stagonospora nodorum blotch (SNB) is an important foliar and glume disease in cereals. Inheritance of SNB resistance in wheat appears quantitative. The development of partially resistant cultivars seems to be the only effective way to combat the pathogen. Partial resistance components like length of incubation period (INC), disease severity (DIS) and length of latent period (LAT) were evaluated on a population of doubled-haploids derived from a cross between the partially resistant cultivar Alba and the susceptible cultivar Begra. Experiments were conducted in controlled environments and the fifth leaf was examined. Molecular analyses were based on bulked segregant analyses (BSA) and screening with 240 microsatellites DNA markers. The QTL analysis revealed QTL on chromosome 6AL (designated as QSnl.ihar-6A) and putative QTL on chromosome 6D. The QSnl.ihar-6A accounted for 36% of the phenotypic variance for DIS and 14% for INC. The putative QTL accounted for 10% of the variability in INC and 8% of DIS components of SNB resistance.     

Differences between tight and loose cultures: a 33-nation study

With data from 33 nations, we illustrate the differences between cultures that are tight (have many strong norms and a low tolerance of deviant behavior) versus loose (have weak social norms and a high tolerance of deviant behavior). Tightness-looseness is part of a complex, loosely integrated multilevel system that comprises distal ecological and historical threats (e.g., high population density, resource scarcity, a history of territorial conflict, and disease and environmental threats), broad versus narrow socialization in societal institutions (e.g., autocracy, media regulations), the strength of everyday recurring situations, and micro-level psychological affordances (e.g., prevention self-guides, high regulatory strength, need for structure). This research advances knowledge that can foster cross-cultural understanding in a world of increasing global interdependence and has implications for modeling cultural change.