Effect of Somatic Cell Count on Milk Yield in Diff erent Parities and Stages of Lactation in Holstein Cows of Iran

The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between somatic cell score (SCS) and milk yield in different stages of lactation for cows in different parities. Records between June 2003 and January 2014 from 209,781 cows in lactations one to nine in 845 herds, comprising 2,500,407 monthly test-day (TD) records extracted from the animal breeding center, were used. The MIXED procedure of SAS software was used to investigate the effect of SCS on milk yield in different stages of lactation. Defined model considered herd, year-season of calving, month of TD, weeks in lactation and previous dry period length as fixed effects and calving age and SCS as covariate. Lactations were divided into six stages and analyses were performed within each stage. Also, different lactations were analyzed separately. The amount of daily milk yield loss associated with increased SCS was higher with increased number of parity and also later in lactation (especially after peak in week nine). The regression coefficient for milk yield on SCS was -0.539 to -0.635 in different stages of lactation in first parity cows, while that was between -0.777 to -1.053 in third lactation cows

Breeding Dairy Cattle for Resource Efficiency and Environmental Sustainability : Final report of the A++COW -project (2019-2023)

Cows consuming less feed than average of the population for a given level of production and body weight are considered as resource and feed efficient. The main aim of the A++Cow project, conducted during 2019 and 2023, was to develop tools to improve the feed efficiency of dairy cows through animal breeding, to increase knowledge on the genetic background of these traits and thereby improve the environmental and economic sustainability of dairy production. The development of reliable genomic breeding values for the Nordic dairy population is essential to achieve this goal. Therefore, the four main objectives of the A++Cow project were to 1) advance the development of novel phenotypes of feed efficiency, 2) model feed efficiency traits for Maintenance, Metabolic Efficiency and Metabolic Resilience breeding objectives, 3) develop single-step genomic prediction models for Nordic dairy cattle, and 4) assess the economic and environmental benefits, and disseminate the feed efficiency breeding indices. During the project data were collected from dairy cows at Luke Jokioinen research farm on i.e., feed intakes, milk production and composition, body weights and blood NEFA and BHB levels. When combining the data with the data collected in previous studies, the total data set included 148 715 feed efficiency records from 828 primiparous Nordic Red Dairy cattle cows. The first Saved Feed index was published in 2019 and the index was included into the Nordic Total Merit index in 2020. Based on the results of A++Cow project, the new single-step genomic prediction model of Maintenance, where carcass weight was included in the model, resulted in higher validation reliability and better predictive ability compared with traditional BLUP approach. Current genetic trend in metabolic body weight (MBW) appeared to be somewhat underestimated in all breeds and the new model corrected the genetic trend of MBW. The reliability of the Metabolic Efficiency genomic predictions has been rather low. This could be improved by switching to a model based on regression on expected feed intake (ReFI) that has been developed during the project and which has a better ability to describe the metabolic efficiency of a cow. In addition, more feed intake records are needed. CFIT 3D-camera imaging could offer a technological solution for recording feed intake on-farms. The accuracy of measuring feed intake by CFIT 3D-cameras was studied in the project and a correlation of 0.71 was found between the average feed intake of 4 to 7 days assessed by CFIT 3D-camera and the average feed intake measured by scales. This is a reasonable correlation, and the technology and algorithms can be further developed in future. The project assessed animal breeding as highly relevant to improve the sustainability of dairy production – a 10% improvement in resource efficiency would reduce the carbon footprint by 8% and reduce eutrophication impacts by 10%. In addition, the economic impact is significant, and we found that by including two feed efficiency traits, MBW for Maintenance and ReFI for Metabolic Efficiency, into a selection index with production traits and fertility, improved the total economic gain about 30 %. In addition, the welfare of the cows in early lactation can now be considered through the prediction of blood NEFA and BHB levels from the milk MIR spectral readings. The coefficients of determination were 0.53 and 0.63 for NEFA and BHB, respectively, indicating that the prediction models perform well for both animal breeding and herd management purposes

Effect of calf sex on some productive, reproductive and health traits in Holstein cows

Records of Holstein cows from March 1992 to April 2008 from 194 large herds and comprising from 402,716 records for productive traits to 178,344 records of somatic cell count were used to study the effect of calf sex in different parities and calving season on the subsequent productive, reproductive and health traits in Holstein cows. T-test procedure of SAS software was used to investigate the effect of calf sex and season of calving on aforementioned traits. Cows with female calves had higher milk and fat yield, persistency of milk and fat yield and longer lactation length, while cows that gave birth to male calves had shorter calving interval and longer productive life. Also, cows with female calves had higher milk yield per day of lactation in the first two parities, but there was no difference in milk yield per day of lactation for parities ≥ 3. There was no relationship among mean somatic cell count and sex of born calf. Fall calves had the highest adjusted milk yield and milk yield per day of lactation, however, winter calves had the longest lactation lengthand productive life and the highest somatic cell count. Results from this study demonstrate that it seems necessary to consider the effect of calf sex on aforementioned traits when making decision to use sexed semen or conventional semen

Effect of somatic cell count on milk fat and protein in different parities and stages of lactation in Holstein cows

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of somatic cell score (SCS) on milk fat and protein in different parities and stages of lactation in Iranian Holstein cows. Records between June 2003 and January 2014 from 208,478 cows in lactations one to nine in 845 herds, comprising 2,456,303 monthly test-day (TD) records were used. The MIXED procedure of the SAS software with repeated measurements was used. The fixed effects of the model were herd, year-season of calving, month of TD, weeks of lactation, previous dry period length and somatic cell score (SCS) and covariate was calving age. Lactations were divided into six stages and analyses were performed within each stage. Also, different lactations were analyzed separately. Increase of SCS led to increase of milk fat and protein percentage and the increase of milk fat and protein associated with SCS was higher in early stages of lactation relative to later stages of lactation. Also, increase of milk fat and protein associated with SCS was higher in the first lactation rather than later lactations and decreased with increase of parity.</p

Genetic and environmental relationships among milk yield, persistency of milk yield, somatic cell count and calving interval in Holstein cows

Abstract Background: Fertility and health traits, other than production traits, have a major role in the profitability of dairy cattle. Therefore, it seems necessary to include the afore mentioned traits in breeding programs. Hence, genetic parameters are needed to establish breeding plans. Objective: To estimate heritabilities as well as genetic and environmental relationships among total milk yield (TMY), persistency of milk yield (PMY), mean somatic cell count (SCC), mean loge somatic cell count (LnSCC), standard deviation of somatic cell count (stdSCC), and calving interval (CI) using two-trait and multi-trait analyses in Iranian Holstein. Methods: The dataset consisted of 25,883 first lactation records collected from 2002 to 2007 in 97 Holstein dairy herds in Iran. Four criteria of persistency of milk yield (PMY) were calculated using the Wood’s gamma function. The WOMBAT1.0 software was used to estimate the (co)variance components using the Average Information Restricted Maximum Likelihood algorithm. Results: Total milk yield (TMY) resulted in the highest heritability estimate (0.29). Heritability estimates for different criteria of persistency of milk yield (PMY) ranged from 0.05 to 0.10. The unfavorable genetic correlation between TMY and calving interval (CI) was 0.71, while that of PMY with CI was 0.46. The estimated environmental correlations were lower than the genetic correlations for all traits, but the trends were generally similar. Conclusion: The results indicate that including PMY in the breeding goals could increase TMY and CI, and decrease somatic cell count (SCC).Resumo Antecedentes: As características de fertilidade e saúde, além das características de produção, têmum papel importante narentabilidade das vacas leiteiras. Por isso, parece necessário incluir as características já mencionadas nos sistemas de melhoramento genético. Assim, são necessários parâmetros genéticos para estabelecer planos de melhoramento genético. Objetivo: Estimar herdabilidade, bem como as relações genéticas e ambientais entre a produção total de leite (TMY), persistância da produção de leite (PMY), contagem médiade células somáticas (SCC), contagem média de células somáticas loge (LnSCC), desviopadrao da contagem média de células somáticas (stdSCC) e intervalo de pertosem (CI) vacas Holstein por duas análises de características e traços multiplos. Métodos: O conjunto de dados consistiuem registros de 25.883 vacas Holstein de primeira lactação coletadas de 2002 a 2007 em 97 rebanhos leiteiros em Iran. Foram calculados quatrocritérios de persistência da produção de leite utilizando a função gama de Wood. O software Wombat1.0 foi usado para estimar os componentes de (co)variância que empregam o algoritmo de máxima verossimilhança com informações restritas. Resultados: A maior herdabilidade (0,29) foi estimada para produção de leite. As estimativas de herdabilidade para diferentes critérios de persisténcia da produção de leite variaram 0,05 a 0,10. A correlação genética desfavorável entre o intervalo TMY eo intervalo de parto foi de 0,71 enquanto que a de PMY com CI foi de 0,46. As correlações ambientais estimadas foram inferiores às correlações genéticas para todos os traços, mas as tendencias foram geralmente semelhantes. Conclusão: Os resultados indicaram que a inclusão de PMY na meta de reprodução poderia aumentar TMY e CI, no entanto, diminuir a contagem de células somáticas.Resumen Antecedentes: Las características de fertilidad y salud, además de las de producción, tienen un papel importante en la rentabilidad de los hatos lecheros. Por lo tanto, parece necesario incluir los rasgos mencionados en los sistemas de mejoramiento. Por ende, los parámetros genéticos son necesarios para establecer planes de cría. Objetivo: Estimar la heredabilidad, así como las relaciones genéticas y ambientales entre el rendimiento total de leche (TMY), la persistencia del rendimiento lechero (PMY), el recuento medio de células somáticas (SCC), el recuento de células somáticas de loge promedio (LnSCC), la desviación estándar del recuento de células somáticas (stdSCC) y el intervalo de partos (CI) en vacas Holstein mediante análisis de dos rasgos y análisis múltiples. Métodos: Se analizaron registros de primera lactancia de 25.883 vacas Holstein, recolectados entre 2002 y 2007 en 97 rebaños lecheros de Irán. Se calcularon cuatro criterios de persistencia del rendimiento lácteo utilizando la función gamma de Wood. El software Wombat1.0 se utilizó para estimar los componentes de (co)varianza que emplean el algoritmo de máxima verosimilitud restringida de información promedio. Resultados: El rendimiento de leche (TMY) obtuvo la mayor heredabilidad estimada (0,29). Las estimaciones de heredabilidad para diferentes criterios de persistencia del rendimiento de la leche variaron de 0,05 a 0,10. La correlación genética desfavorable entre TMY e intervalo entre partos fue 0,71, mientras que la de PMY con el CI fue de 0,46. Las correlaciones ambientales estimadas fueron inferiores a las correlaciones genéticas para todos los rasgos, pero las tendencias fueron, en general, similares. Conclusión: Incluir el PMY en la meta de cría podría aumentar el TMY y CI, además de disminuir el recuento de células somáticas (SCC)

<b>Estimation of genetic and environmental relationships between milk yield and different measures of mastitis and hyperkeratosis in Holstein cows

In this research, records of milk yield, mastitis occurrence and teats hyperkeratosis of 453 Holstein cows from a large herd with calving dates from December 2012 to December 2014 was used to estimate genetic and environmental correlations between milk yield, mastitis and hyperkeratosis. The highest and the lowest number of mastitis occurrence were in winter (January to March) and spring (April to June), respectively. Also, the highest and the lowest averages of days in milk at the time of mastitis occurrence were observed in winter and spring, respectively (162.53 vs. 29.67 days). The total number of mastitis occurrence was 151 times and in average a sick cow was infected 1.649 times. Obtained results showed low heritabilities for measures of mastitis (ranging from 0.048 to 0.134). Genetic correlations between measures of mastitis and milk yield were negative (from -0.502 to -0.183). Genetic correlation between hyperkeratosis and mastitis was positive which showed that selection for udder type traits would decrease mastitis occurrence. The results of this study can provide a background about the relationships between aforementioned traits and serve as a starting point for further study on these traits.

Biodegradation of Alprazolam in Pharmaceutical Wastewater Using Mesoporous Nanoparticles-Adhered Pseudomonas stutzeri

The release of pharmaceutical wastewaters in the environment is of great concern due to the presence of persistent organic pollutants with toxic effects on environment and human health. Treatment of these wastewaters with microorganisms has gained increasing attention, as they can efficiently biodegrade and remove contaminants from the aqueous environments. In this respect, bacterial immobilization with inorganic nanoparticles provides a number of advantages, in terms of ease of processing, increased concentration of the pollutant in proximity of the cell surface, and long-term reusability. In the present study, MCM-41 mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) were immobilized on a selected bacterial strain to remove alprazolam, a persistent pharmaceutical compound, from contaminated water. First, biodegrading microorganisms were collected from pharmaceutical wastewater, and Pseudomonas stutzeri was isolated as a bacterial strain showing high ability to tolerate and consume alprazolam as the only source for carbon and energy. Then, the ability of MSN-adhered Pseudomonas stutzeri bacteria was assessed to biodegrade alprazolam using quantitative HPLC analysis. The results indicated that after 20 days in optimum conditions, MSN-adhered bacterial cells achieved 96% biodegradation efficiency in comparison to the 87% biodegradation ability of Pseudomonas stutzeri freely suspended cells. Kinetic study showed that the degradation process obeys a first order reaction. In addition, the kinetic constants for the MSN-adhered bacteria were higher than those of the bacteria alone

Injury burden in individuals aged 50 years or older in the Eastern Mediterranean region, 1990–2019: a systematic analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background: Injury poses a major threat to health and longevity in adults aged 50 years or older. The increased life expectancy in the Eastern Mediterranean region warrants a further understanding of the ageing population's inevitable changing health demands and challenges. We aimed to examine injury-related morbidity and mortality among adults aged 50 years or older in 22 Eastern Mediterranean countries. Methods: Drawing on data from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019, we categorised the population into adults aged 50–69 years and adults aged 70 years and older. We examined estimates for transport injuries, self-harm injuries, and unintentional injuries for both age groups, with sex differences reported, and analysed the percentage changes from 1990 to 2019. We reported injury-related mortality rates and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs). The Socio-demographic Index (SDI) and the Healthcare Access and Quality (HAQ) Index were used to better understand the association of socioeconomic factors and health-care system performance, respectively, with injuries and health status in older people. Healthy life expectancy (HALE) was compared with injury-related deaths and DALYs and to the SDI and HAQ Index to understand the effect of injuries on healthy ageing. Finally, risk factors for injury deaths between 1990 and 2019 were assessed. 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs) are given for all estimates. Findings: Estimated injury mortality rates in the Eastern Mediterranean region exceeded the global rates in 2019, with higher injury mortality rates in males than in females for both age groups. Transport injuries were the leading cause of deaths in adults aged 50–69 years (43·0 [95% UI 31·0–51·8] per 100 000 population) and in adults aged 70 years or older (66·2 [52·5–75·5] per 100 000 population), closely followed by conflict and terrorism for both age groups (10·2 [9·3–11·3] deaths per 100 000 population for 50–69 years and 45·7 [41·5–50·3] deaths per 100 000 population for ≥70 years). The highest annual percentage change in mortality rates due to injury was observed in Afghanistan among people aged 70 years or older (400·4% increase; mortality rate 1109·7 [1017·7–1214·7] per 100 000 population). The leading cause of DALYs was transport injuries for people aged 50–69 years (1798·8 [1394·1–2116·0] per 100 000 population) and unintentional injuries for those aged 70 years or older (2013·2 [1682·2–2408·7] per 100 000 population). The estimates for HALE at 50 years and at 70 years in the Eastern Mediterranean region were lower than global estimates. Eastern Mediterranean countries with the lowest SDIs and HAQ Index values had high prevalence of injury DALYs and ranked the lowest for HALE at 50 years of age and HALE at 70 years. The leading injury mortality risk factors were occupational exposure in people aged 50–69 years and low bone mineral density in those aged 70 years or older. Interpretation: Injuries still pose a real threat to people aged 50 years or older living in the Eastern Mediterranean region, mainly due to transport and violence-related injuries. Dedicated efforts should be implemented to devise injury prevention strategies that are appropriate for older adults and cost-effective injury programmes tailored to the needs and resources of local health-care systems, and to curtail injury-associated risk and promote healthy ageing. Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation