Hematological and inflammatory markers in beef-on-dairy neonatal calves: new insights into reference intervals

Colostrum early in life supports the development and function of the gastrointestinal tract while also influencing the endocrine and metabolic systems of the newborn calf. A complete blood count (CBC) analysis is a blood test that aids as a diagnostic tool and can provide insight into the overall health of the individual. While there are established reference intervals for adult cattle, there are no universally used intervals for neonatal or young calves. The objectives of this thesis research project were to evaluate the pattern of blood markers of animal health in beef-on-dairy calves challenged with Salmonella; and to evaluate the impact of colostrum feeding on the physiological and immune blood parameters in beef-on-dairy calves from birth until 21 days of age. To achieve the outlined objectives, a total of 24 newborn male and female beef-on-dairy calves were enrolled in this study. Twelve calves received colostrum at the first feeding, while the other half were given milk replacer at their first feeding (n = 12/group). Following this initial feeding, all calves were subsequently fed milk-replacer. At 8 days of age, a subset of calves from each group was orally inoculated with Salmonella Typhimurium to induce an inflammatory response. On day 11 of the trial, all calves inoculated with Salmonella were humanely euthanized for tissue collection while the remaining calves were kept until 21 days of age for further evaluation of health parameters in the blood

The Impact of Opioid Use Disorder on the Well-Being Capabilities of Texas Families

ABSTRACT The opioid epidemic in the U.S. is well-documented and continues to worsen annually. Opioid use, abuse, and overdose have become perennial problems that many families are likely to face in the future. This study aimed to explore the threats to family well-being capabilities and understand the cascading effects of these threats on Texas families concerning the global opioid crisis. It provides a realistic perspective on the opioid epidemic through the experiences of Texas families who have made critical decisions while dealing with a family member’s opioid use disorder (OUD). By utilizing the capability approach, the research examined both the security of family well-being capabilities and the ability of families to make risk-informed decisions in the face of OUD. A key contribution of this study is offering a higher degree of predictability for families who may encounter OUD in the future. Research involving families affected by OUD is crucial for informing policymakers as the United States continues to grapple with the opioid epidemic. The opioid epidemic has had a devastating impact on Texas families, compounded by the fentanyl crisis and the growing methamphetamine problem, which have introduced significant threats to the population. Public health officials and law enforcement officers consistently argue that Texas families remain a high threat, given the current state of the opioid epidemic. The short- and long-term outcomes of OUD often lead to one devastating conclusion: the death of a family member. Families dealing with OUD are highly likely to face threats to the security of their well-being capabilities

Effects on ruminal fermentation influenced by substrate, exogenous fibrolytic enzymes, and solventogenesis pathways

The effects of dietary pre-treatment with exogenous fibrolytic enzymes on ruminal substrate degradation kinetics and ruminal microbiome relative abundances were evaluated. A 5 × 4 unbalanced Latin square design using ruminally cannulated steers (n = 5; BW = 520 ± 30 kg; experimental units) was performed. A 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments was used, in which the first factor was a beef cattle grower diet type (high quality = HQ; and low = LQ); and the second factor being the dietary pre-treatment with exogenous fibrolytic enzymes (0 or 0.75 mL/kg of diet DM = ENZYME; AB Vista, UK). Steers were offered diets to ad libitum intake during four 21-d periods. The ruminal in situ degradation kinetics model was performed with pre-dehydrated (55ºC for 72 h) wheat hay substrate, which was ground (2 mm) and placed into 10 × 20 cm (28 µm) nylon bags (5g, as-is) in duplicates. Substrate in situ bags were placed within a nylon mesh (with weights) at the ruminal ventral sac on d 17, while reversely removed at 0, 3, 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, 48, 72, and 96 h after feeding. Upon removal, samples were rinsed and dehydrated for 72 h at 55oC (forced air oven). Degradation residues duplicates were composited and organized within period, steer, and incubation time. Samples were adjusted for residual moisture (100oC, 4 h), and analyzed for ash, NDF, and ADF content, while hemicellulose was calculated by difference (NDF - ADF). Substrate bag residues of each nutritional analysis was used to fit a first-order kinetics model using the NLIN procedure of SAS and the Glimmix procedure of SAS, in which the effective degradability of fractions among other variables were calculated. Ruminal content samples (45 mL) were collected on d 16 at 6 h after feeding from five locations within the rumen for DNA extraction and determination of microbial relative abundances. Microbiome data were sequenced by Illumnia® NovaSeq™ 6000 (16S rRNA). Data were analyzed using the GLIMMIX procedures of SAS using the fixed effects of dietary type, addition of enzyme, and the interaction between them, while steer within sequence of dietary treatments was used as random effect. ENZYME increased (P = 0.03) the substrate fraction B (potentially degradable) and decreased (P = 0.03) substrate fraction C (undegradable fraction) of HQ grower diets, while such effect was not observed for LQ diets. No diet × ENZYME interaction (P ≥ 0.14) was observed for other kinetic of degradation variables, except by tendencies (P = 0.09) in which ENZYME numerically increased rate of degradation (kd, %/h) of organic matter (OM) and the fraction B of hemicellulose of HQ diets while not affecting the LQ. Regardless of dietary type, ENZYME increased (P ≤ 0.05) the substrate effective degradability of OM, NDF, ADF; the kd (P ≤ 0.01) of DM, OM, and hemicellulose; and the fraction B of ADF (P ≤ 0.01); while decreasing (P ≤ 0.01) the fraction C of ADF, with few other tendencies (P = 0.06) following a similar positive pattern of response with the use of ENZYME. Regardless of the use of ENZYME, HQ diets had greater (P ≤ 0.01) DM kd, fraction B, while lower fraction C compared to LQ diets. Similar response was observed for OM, ADF, and hemicellulose. The ruminal microbiome relative abundance of the Class Bacilli tended (P = 0.11) to be numerically greater when ENZYME was used in LQ diets, while such indication was not observed for HQ diets. The same trend (P = 0.11) was also observed for the Order Lactobacillales, while no other interactions or main effects of ENZYME were observed (P ≥ 0.17). Regardless of ENZYME, steers offered LQ diet had greater (P ≤ 0.05) relative abundances of: Domain Bacteria; Phylum Bacteroidetes and Chloroflexi; Class Firmicutes (unclassified), Bacteroidia, Bacilli, Anaerolineae; Order Firmicutes (unclassified), Bacteroidales, and Lactobacillales; Family Firmicutes (unclassified), Prevotellaceae, and Ruminococcaceae; and Genus Firmicutes (unclassified) and Prevotella. Steers offered HQ diet had greater (P ≤ 0.05) relative abundances of: Domain Archea; Phylum Euryarchaeota; Class Clostridia, Methanobacteria, and Chloroplast; Order Clostridiales, Methanobacteriales, and Chloroplast; Clostridiales (unclassified) and Methanobacteriaceae; and Genus Clostridiales (unclassified). The pre-treatment of beef cattle grower diets with exogenous fibrolytic enzymes enhanced the ruminal effective degradable fraction of wheat hay substrate and tended to positively affect the relative abundance of ruminal microbiota within the Class Bacilli, represented by the Order Lactobacillales. A reduction in the ruminal degradation lag time does not seem to fully explain the effect of enzyme, but rather an improvement in the rate of degradation of organic matter, especially represented by hemicellulose. The effects of inoculum type and starch substrate level on in vitro ruminal fermentation gas production kinetics, volatile fatty acid (VFA) profile, ammonia-N, pH, lactate, and solvent production were evaluated. Ruminally cannulated crossbred beef steers (n = 6; BW = 550 ± 50 kg) were used in a 3 × 3 Latin square design with factors including ruminal fluid inoculum type (wheat-hay based diet [HAY]; steam-flaked corn-based grower diet [GROWER]; and steam-flaked corn-based finisher diet [FINISHER]); and corn starch substrate inclusion level (0, 6, and 12 g, as-is basis). The in vitro incubations were conducted on dry incubators for 24 h at 39°C with a constant agitation at 125 rpm. Gas kinetics were measured using 330 mL fermentation flask units equipped with pressure sensor (ANKOM system) and residual gas collection system (sealed foil sampling bag with septa and Tygon hoses) using 250 mL of inoculum with no buffer (the inoculum collected from the steer-pairs offered the same diet was mixed prior to the in vitro incubation). Fermentation units were incubated in triplicate, while results were averaged within each treatment lab-replication before being included in the statistical model. Metabolites were measured post-incubation (frozen samples [20oC] added with 1% of a 20% H2SO4 v/v solution), except by pH which was measured immediately after fermentation kill (ice bath) and room temperature stabilization. Data were analyzed using the GLIMMIX procedures of SAS using incubation batch as the experimental unit (n = 3), the fixed effects of inoculum type, starch level, and the interaction inoculum-type × starch-level, and the random effect of incubation batch (inoculum × starch). Ethanol production (mM) was not affected (P ≥ 0.24) by treatments and showed measurable levels (3.11) for HAY+12g and GROWER+12g combinations only. Maximum gas production (mL/g substrate) was greater (P < 0.01) for GROWER+0g (528) and FINISHER+0g (478) compared to other treatments (100). The greatest gas production lag time was observed for HAY+0g (5.75 h) compared to other treatments (0.97 h). The greatest (P = 0.04) CH4 production (mL/L ruminal fluid) was observed for GROWER+6g (482) while the least observed for HAY+0g (73), with other treatments being intermediate (269). The greatest (P = 0.05) molar proportion (mM/100mM of tVFA) of butyrate was observed for GROWER+0g & 6g (25.7), while the least was observed for HAY+0g and FINISHER+6g & 12 g (14.6), with other treatments being intermediate (20.7). Acetate molar proportion tended (P = 0.09) to increase (57.61) for HAY+0g compared to other treatments (42.16). Kill-time in vitro pH was the greatest (P = 0.02) for HAY+0g (6.16), and the least observed for GROWER & FINISHER+6g &12g (4.78), while other treatments were intermediate (5.21). The least (P < 0.01) ammonia-N (mg/dL) was observed for HAY+6g & 12g (2.12) compared to other treatments (25.56). No other inoculum × substrate interaction (P ≥ 0.24) was observed. Regardless of starch inclusion level, HAY produced the least (P < 0.01) total gas, CO2, total VFA, and propionate molar proportion, while the largest (P < 0.01) acetate and C4:C3 ratio. Other subtle differences (P < 0.01) were observed for less prominent short chain fatty acids. Regardless of inoculum, 6 & 12g of starch substrate showed the greatest (P ≤ 0.02) % and volume of CO2, total gas production, total VFA, propionate, and lactate; while the least C4:C3 ratio, and acetate compared to 0g. Other subtle differences (P < 0.01) were observed for less prominent short chain fatty acids. Current in vitro ruminal fermentation model was capable to ratify expected outcomes of ruminal inoculums collected from beef steers consuming hay, grower, and finisher diets, as well as raising starch levels. However, it was not able to detect meaningful differences in cumulative 24 h solvent production

The timescale of photosynthetic acclimation in Glycine max

Plants acclimate to fluctuating light by adjusting traits to optimize photosynthesis, a costly process requiring resource acquisition or remobilization over a timescale that remains uncertain. Potential disruptions to carbon assimilation during this period can affect carbon cycling predictions in terrestrial ecosystem models, which are sensitive to photosynthetic acclimation. The timescale may be influenced by resource investment trends: high-light conditions require more resources to sustain a higher photosynthetic capacity, leading to potentially longer acclimation rates, while low-light conditions reduce resource investment and may allow for faster rates. Leaf lifespan may also influence the timescale, where short-lived leaves may prioritize producing new leaves over acclimating mature ones, due to mature leaves being less capable of adjusting traits. To test whether reduced investment leads to faster acclimation and if new leaves fully acclimate to new light conditions, a fully factorial light-swap experiment was conducted on soybean (Glycine max), where plants were swapped from low to high light and high to low light conditions with measurements of gas exchange and fluorescence. Results were inconsistent with typical light acclimation responses, with high-light plants showing reduced photosynthetic capacity compared to low-light plants, likely due to increased investment in non-photochemical quenching. This adjustment may have contributed to faster acclimation in plants transferred from high to low light, supporting hypothesis one; however, it may not reliably predict acclimation timescales, as the acclimation of traits was inconsistent, with simultaneous up- and downregulation occurring. New leaves showed a limited acclimation response under high-light transfers, as several traits did not acclimate. Overall, while reduced investment may shorten acclimation time, investment trends may not correspond to acclimate rates, which may instead correspond with leaf lifespan. However, short-lived species may still exhibit incomplete acclimation under high-light transfers, especially when non-photochemical quenching is present

Qualitative Study on the Perspective of Rural Inhabitants Facing the Agricultural Land Conflict in Antioquia, colombia

This qualitative case study explored, identified, and described the experiences, reflections, and expectations of 13 participants of rural origin from Northwest Antioquia, Colombia, regarding the agrarian conflict understood as dispossession, access, and accumulation of land, forced displacement, and rural development programs to alleviate rural poverty and violence. Through in-depth interviews, study participants revealed the deep impact that the agrarian conflict has had on the lives of smallholder farmers. The participants indicated that they lacked essential information regarding important issues such as agrarian reform and other channels of participation in land restitution, as well as profound feelings of distrust and dissatisfaction towards agrarian policy and reparation for victims of the armed conflict. The findings indicated a critical lack of confidence in the government and public institutions, highlighting an urgency for state transparency in the development of rural communities and the reconstruction of the countryside during the current post-conflict phase

Identity Negotiation Strategies for Academic Success: A Qualitative Study of Latina Women’s Experiences in Highly Selective Institutions

A lack of academic preparation, deficient knowledge of the United States’ higher education systems, and low socioeconomic status have ranked highest in contributing to Latinos not achieving the same level of academic access and completion when compared to their peers. In the last decade, the number of Latinos who were able to successfully overcome such barriers and gain access to higher education has increased; however, there is still a clear underrepresentation at higher education institutions. A recently explored topic is identity negotiation and the strategies used to reconcile, adapt, or assert different aspects of a person’s identity to be more culturally attuned to higher education. While there is ample literature as to Latinos in higher education, generally, there is a gap in the literature regarding the strategies employed by Latinos who do successfully complete their education to understand the strategies employed to succeed, with little to none found specifically to understand the strategies that Latina women employ to negotiate their identities within highly selective, predominantly White institutions. This qualitative study seeks to further investigate those strategies of Latinas who successfully achieved their educational goals at their highly selective institutions

Directed Evolution Identifies Herbicide-Resistant Variants of 4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate Dioxygenase

Herbicide application is an integral component of contemporary agriculture, offering a critical means to manage weed populations and safeguard crop productivity. However, the pervasive use of these chemicals has raised environmental concerns and accelerated the evolution of herbicide-resistant weeds, which poses a significant challenge to crops, the environment, and human health. In particular, the development of herbicide resistance among weeds poses a significant challenge to sustainable agricultural production worldwide. Soybean (Glycine max L.) as a major global crop plays a pivotal role in food security, feed production, and industrial applications. The increasing demand for soybeans underscores the importance of enhancing its productivity through innovative approaches. One such approach involves modifying the HPPD (4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase, EC 1.13.11.27) gene in soybeans to confer resistance against herbicides like mesotrione, a member of the HPPD inhibitor class. HPPD is a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of carotenoids and tocopherols in plants as well as a target of a class of triketone herbicides. The evolution of protein structure simulation techniques, coupled with advanced MD simulations of protein-ligand complexes, presents a formidable platform for deciphering and optimizing biomolecular interactions. By simulating the binding of mesotrione to various HPPD variants, the key residues involved in the binding process can be further understood, which paves the way for the engineering of crops with enhanced herbicide resistance. This study aims to explore the modification of HPPD in soybean to enhance resistance to mesotrione by using gene editing technologies. To identify mutations in the soybean HPPD gene that confer herbicide resistance while maintaining its native activity, we established a highthroughput mutant screening system in E. coli. By employing this approach, nine single nucleotide polymorphisms resulting in amino acid substitutions were found as key contributors to mesotrione resistance. Furthermore, various combinations of these mutations in HPPD exhibited synergistic effects in enhancing mesotrione resistance. To validate the functionality of these HPPD variants, we carried out genetic complementation of the Arabidopsis athppd mutant, and our results demonstrated that the modified HPPD enzymes retain sufficient activity to support normal plant growth and development. When these HPPD variants were overexpressed in Arabidopsis, the transgenic plants exhibited an elevated level of herbicide resistance compared to those expressing the wild-type soybean HPPD. By performing molecular dynamics simulations on the wild-type HPPD and five of its mutant variants, we conducted an in-depth residue energy decomposition analysis, van der Waals (VdW) interaction changes, and binding free energies. This comprehensive computational approach enabled us to derive results that are consistent with those obtained from our experimental studies. These findings provide valuable insights into the identified amino acid residues in HPPD as potential targets for gene editing to develop herbicide-resistant soybean cultivars and perhaps other crops in the future

Soil Moisture Prediction Using Machine Learning Techniques

In the Texas High Plains, water is mainly obtained through groundwater pumping from the Ogallala Aquifer. However, this source of water is being depleted faster than it can be replenished creating a groundwater shortage. The main draw from the Ogallala Aquifer in the Texas High Plains region is for irrigation. This research aims to begin creating a series of models with the end goal of producing a tool producers can use to predict when irrigation is necessary or not using an economic threshold for irrigation. By using a soil moisture predictive model in a tool producers can use to determine irrigation necessity, the goal is to allow producers to become more profitable while focusing on water use and allocate their resources more effectively. The soil moisture predictions will allow the final tool to determine whether irrigation is needed to help maintain the growth of the crop or if it is not timely and will cost more than the producer will profit from irrigation use. Initial outcome of the model created in this research would be to create a baseline for the irrigation threshold under West Texas environments, thus, allowing for irrigation use to be optimized on farms based on profitability. The first step in building this tool is to utilize machine learning techniques to develop models using data on weather, soil characteristics, and existing stocks of soil moisture that best predict future soil moisture. The value of additional data is analyzed to determine best predictions for use in optimization and management decisions. In the long term, the developed model will be further tested using different management systems on various fields to better deliver a robust and flexible model for the enhancement of regional water use efficiency

Sustainable and Resilient Cropping Practices to Mitigate Wind Erosion and Enhance Soil Health

In the Texas High Plains (THP) region, implementation of sustainable agricultural management systems improves aggregate stability, increases soil water retention, protects soil organic carbon, and mitigates topsoil losses due to wind erosion. This study sought to determine the effects of agricultural management practices on topsoil losses and remaining soil health through the quantification and analysis of dust collected in four locations across the THP (Martin County, Dawson County, Terry County, and Lubbock County, TX). Each location is split into paired sites based on current management practice (combinations of reduced tillage, cover cropping, and crop rotations) and designated as conservation or conventional with Modified Wilson and Cooke (MWAC) sediment samplers. Additionally, monthly soil samples and moisture readings were taken using a CPN 503 lab-calibrated neutron probe (InstroTek Inc., Raleigh, NC, USA). Annual cores were taken following one year of sampling. Particle size distribution was run on samples from April 2023 and April 2024 in Martin and Terry Counties. In Terry County, TX, the mean particle diameters were 2.295 µm and 2.021 µm in April 2023 and April 2024, respectively. The mean particle diameters in Martin County, TX for April 2023 and April 2024 were 2.313 µm and 2.033 µm, respectively. In Martin, Dawson, and Terry Counties, TX, there were statistical differences in the weight of dust collected between the conservation and conventional practices, both monthly and total. In Martin County, TX, there was a decrease of 95.6% in topsoil eroded by wind due to the implementation of conservation management systems. Dawson County, TX, conservation practices resulted in a decrease of 82.2% in dust collected compared to the conventionally cropped cotton. Similarly, Terry County, TX, suggested an 85.8% decrease in dust in the CRP land compared to more conventionally managed soil. There were not any notable decreases at the Lubbock County, TX location. Dawson, Terry, and Lubbock Counties, TX, had weak to moderate negative correlations between MWD and dust collected in the conventional practices. Our study confirmed the conservation sites in the annual core samples typically maintained a lower pH, greater MWD, and greater total N and P concentrations in all locations when compared monthly. Following a full year of sampling, overall practice comparisons were conducted, resulting in improved aggregation in Martin County and Dawson County, TX within the sustainably managed sites, compared to their paired locations, observing 0.921 mm as opposed to 0.648 mm in Martin County, TX (p < 0.0001) and 0.709 mm as opposed to 0.650 mm in Dawson County, TX (p= 0.045). Similarly, as the study was conducted across a 13-month period, April 2023 and April 2024 collections were evaluated, finding that as the conservation practices were implemented, locations generally observed improved MWD, greater POX-C, and lower erosion rates within the month. Additionally, annual core samples concluded the sustainable systems had a lower bulk density than their counterpart land practice, as well as increased organic C in Martin County and Terry County, TX. Within the 0-15 cm depth of Terry County, TX organic C increased from 5.3 g kg- to 6.7 g kg- (p= 0.045) between the conventional practice to the CRP managed land. This study emphasizes the importance of conservation agriculture practices in the reduction of wind erosion and further demonstrates the need for research concerning dust mitigation through agroecosystem management changes

SWCPC 438 Negatives #35 Joe B. Matthews, undated.

The collection features portraits of sixty-one prominent cattle ranchers, both male and female, who were considered to be the “Cattle Kings of Texas.