Effect of dietary nitrogen level and source on mRNA expression of urea transporters in the rumen epithelium of fattening bulls

This paper aims to study the effect of the dietary treatments on mRNA expression of urea transporter B (UT-B) and some aquaporins (AQP) in rumen epithelium of Italian Simmental young bulls. Eighty animals allocated to 16 pens were fed from about 500 to 650 kg body weight with four experimental diets, which resulted from the combination of two crude protein levels (125 and 110 g/kg dry matter, diets M and L, respectively) and two nitrogen sources (soybean meal (SBM) or SBM partly replaced by an isonitrogenous mixture of corn and urea; diets −U and +U, respectively). At slaughtering samples of blood and rumen epithelium were collected from six bulls for each diet. Blood samples were analysed for haematological parameters and quantitative PCR was carried out on the mRNA extracted from the rumen epithelium samples. The bulls fed diets M had lower plasma concentrations of aspartate aminotransferase than those receiving diets L (78.9 vs. 88.3 U/l, p = 0.04). Plasma urea was higher (p = 0.03) for diets M and lower for diets +U (2.0 vs. 2.5 and 1.73 vs. 2.00 mmol/l, respectively, in M and L diets, p = 0.04). The effect of dietary treatments on rumen UT expression were limited to AQP3, which was down regulated (p = 0.01) in diets +U. Finally, a high positive correlation (R2 = 0.871) between the expressions of AQP7 and AQP10 was found. In conclusion, the AQP3 appears very responsive to dietary treatments and therefore it is a candidate to be further studied in rumen metabolism experiments. The close relationship between mRNA expression of AQP7 and AQP10 indicates a similar function of these two proteins

Postnatal and postweaning endocrine setting in dairy calves through hair cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate

Importance of the work: The care of calves on dairy farms between birth and weaning can improve their long-term development and growth. In fact, a poor newborn health status and a high allostatic load may adversely affect development in dairy cows. To determine cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEA-S) individually is useful for an understanding of the individual state, being biomarkers of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity. Objectives: As a preliminary study, to investigate the hair concentrations of cortisol, DHEA, DHEA-S and their ratios in dairy calves in two key periods of their growth characterized by considerable environmental changes. Materials & Methods: Hair sampling was conducted on clinically healthy dairy calves during the postnatal period at age 64.8±0.65 d (POP; mean±standard error; n = 73) and during the postweaning period at age 155.3±0.85 d (PWP, n = 62). The hair hormone concentrations were measured using a radioimmunoassay. Results: Hair cortisol concentrations were higher in the POP than in the PWP. Furthermore, the cortisol:DHEA and cortisol:DHEA-S ratios were higher in the first period of evaluation, showing a higher animal allostatic load at birth. Main finding: Identification was achieved non-invasively of calves with a high allostatic load through biomarkers of HPA axis activity. The evaluation of this activity is very important given its influence on many biological processes, such as energy balance, development of the reproductive system and immune response

Heat stress and feeding behaviour of dairy cows in late lactation

Heat stress is one of the most important problems that dairy cows have to face and the use of cooling systems is becoming more and more important. The first reaction that has the animal to cope with the environmental variations is to modify its behaviour. This study was aimed to investigate the effect of heat stress and a cooling system on the feeding behaviour of Italian Holstein Friesian dairy cows in late lactation. Two experiments were performed. In the first experiment, eight dairy cows were firstly kept 7 d under thermoneutral condition, and then under mild heat stress (temperature humidity index, THI, ranging between 72 and 78) for others 7 d. The second experiment consisted of 8 dairy cows used in a two-period cross-over design where the treatment was the use or not of a sprinkler system for cooling cows under mild heat stress. Cows were equipped with a noseband pressure sensor able to detect rumination and eating time, number of rumination and eating chews, number of rumination boluses and rumination intensity. Heat stress reduced rumination time, number of rumination chews and boluses (p <.05), and tended to reduce the number of eating chews (p <.10). Cooled cows increased rumination and eating time (p <.05), rumination intensity (p <.01), and the number of rumination and eating chews (p <.05). In conclusion, feeding behaviour was deeply influenced even by mild heat stress, which was effectively improved by the use of a sprinkler system.HIGHLIGHTS Mild heat stress reduced rumination time, number of rumination chews and boluses of dairy cows in late lactation Cooling cows with sprinklers was effective in alleviating heat stress in terms of feeding behaviour

Characteristics of carcass, meat and subcutaneous fat of Mangalica pigs reared outdoors

Importance of the work: Mangalica pig meat has a reputation for superior quality. Little information is available on this breed reared for heavy pig production. Objectives: To evaluate the effects of sex on the carcass, loin and lard characteristics (inner and outer layers) of Blonde Mangalica pigs. Materials & Methods: In total, 15 Blonde Mangalica pigs were considered (10 castrated males and 5 females) that were reared together outdoors. The pigs had ad libitum access to the same diet and were slaughtered at age 22.9 mth, with an average carcass weight of 141.4 kg. Results: Sex did not affect the carcass, meat or lard characteristics. In general, the Mangalica pigs had an average fat thickness of 70 mm and a loin cholesterol content of 0.674 mg/g. The loin had 39.0%, 52.5% and 8.5% saturated (SFA), monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), respectively. Significant differences were found in the characteristics of the two lard layers. In particular, the inner layer was brighter and had a higher dry matter content than the outer layer. Regarding the fatty acids content, the inner layer had a lower PUFA but higher SFA content. Main finding: Sex did not influence the carcass, meat or lard characteristics of the Mangalica pigs. The results improved the characterization and filled knowledge gaps regarding meat and lard quality parameters of heavy Mangalica pigs reared outdoors

Impronta ambientale degli allevamenti montani di vacche da latte

L’obiettivo era quello dianalizzare l’impronta ambientale (metodo Life Cycle Assessment) della produzione di latte inallevamenti bovini delle Alpi orientali. Lo studio (Progetto TOPValue, Programma Interreg V-A Italia-Austria 2014-2020)ha coinvolto 75 aziende (38±25 UBA, 20.9±5.4 kg/vacca/ddi latte corretto per il tenore di proteina e grasso), per le quali sono stati raccolti dati circa la gestione degli animali e dei reflui, le produzioni agrarie e gli approvvigionamenti extra-aziendali. Gli indicatori di sostenibilità sono stati i seguenti: impronta del carbonio (CC, kg CO2-eq), del potenziale eutrofizzante (EP, g PO4-eq), per 1 kg di latte (1.2±0.2 kg CO2-eq e 6.0±1.7 g PO4-eq) e per 1 m2di superficie agraria (0.5±0.2 kg CO2-eq e 2.7±1.0 g PO4-eq), e l’efficienza di conversione dell’energia grezza degli alimenti potenzialmente edibilida parte dell’uomo (HeECR, MJ alimenti/MJ latte). Gli indicatori sono stati testati per l’effetto della classe di dimensione aziendale (3 classi) e per l’effetto dell’uso del pascolo per le vacche in produzione (presenza/assenza). L’effetto dimensionale non è risultato significativo per nessun indicatore. Le aziende con vacche in produzione al pascolo presentano valori simili di impatto (CC e EP) per 1 kg di latte, significativamente inferiori (P<0.01) per 1 m2e circa HeECR (-41%), rispetto le aziende con vacche in stalla tutto l’anno. I risultati mostrano come le aziende a gestione più tradizionale (aziende di piccola scala che utilizzano il pascolo) riescano a sfruttare in modo ottimale le risorse foraggere locali senza penalizzazioni circa la loro impronta ambientale

"Delirium Day": A nationwide point prevalence study of delirium in older hospitalized patients using an easy standardized diagnostic tool

Background: To date, delirium prevalence in adult acute hospital populations has been estimated generally from pooled findings of single-center studies and/or among specific patient populations. Furthermore, the number of participants in these studies has not exceeded a few hundred. To overcome these limitations, we have determined, in a multicenter study, the prevalence of delirium over a single day among a large population of patients admitted to acute and rehabilitation hospital wards in Italy. Methods: This is a point prevalence study (called "Delirium Day") including 1867 older patients (aged 65 years or more) across 108 acute and 12 rehabilitation wards in Italian hospitals. Delirium was assessed on the same day in all patients using the 4AT, a validated and briefly administered tool which does not require training. We also collected data regarding motoric subtypes of delirium, functional and nutritional status, dementia, comorbidity, medications, feeding tubes, peripheral venous and urinary catheters, and physical restraints. Results: The mean sample age was 82.0 \ub1 7.5 years (58 % female). Overall, 429 patients (22.9 %) had delirium. Hypoactive was the commonest subtype (132/344 patients, 38.5 %), followed by mixed, hyperactive, and nonmotoric delirium. The prevalence was highest in Neurology (28.5 %) and Geriatrics (24.7 %), lowest in Rehabilitation (14.0 %), and intermediate in Orthopedic (20.6 %) and Internal Medicine wards (21.4 %). In a multivariable logistic regression, age (odds ratio [OR] 1.03, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 1.01-1.05), Activities of Daily Living dependence (OR 1.19, 95 % CI 1.12-1.27), dementia (OR 3.25, 95 % CI 2.41-4.38), malnutrition (OR 2.01, 95 % CI 1.29-3.14), and use of antipsychotics (OR 2.03, 95 % CI 1.45-2.82), feeding tubes (OR 2.51, 95 % CI 1.11-5.66), peripheral venous catheters (OR 1.41, 95 % CI 1.06-1.87), urinary catheters (OR 1.73, 95 % CI 1.30-2.29), and physical restraints (OR 1.84, 95 % CI 1.40-2.40) were associated with delirium. Admission to Neurology wards was also associated with delirium (OR 2.00, 95 % CI 1.29-3.14), while admission to other settings was not. Conclusions: Delirium occurred in more than one out of five patients in acute and rehabilitation hospital wards. Prevalence was highest in Neurology and lowest in Rehabilitation divisions. The "Delirium Day" project might become a useful method to assess delirium across hospital settings and a benchmarking platform for future surveys

Recent results supporting the Montasio PDO cheeses labelled \u201cMountain product\u201d and \u201cOnly Italian Simmental breed\u201d

Montasio is one of the most important PDO cheeses in North-East Italy. Despite its mountain ori- gin, it is mainly produced in lowlands. Recently, in order to differentiate mountain products and to link them to the breed more present in the territory, the PDO Montasio specification allows to labell products as \u2018Mountain Product\u2019 and \u2018Only Italian Simmental breed\u2019. A project is in progress with the aim of assessing the economic and technical frame of a possible production system and studying the range of variability of the product qualitative characteristics. In the first phase of the project, one cheese factory with 20 associated dairy farms and one alpine farm, for a total of 350 Italian Simmental cows, were involved. A survey at farm level provided data useful to support a marketing strategy. A first experimental trial focused on the quality of cheese produced from cows grazing on alpine pasture or kept indoors. A more recent study aimed to define the quality of the Montasio cheese in relation to pasture type and level of supplementation. The results of the project within the framework of the increase of product value will be discussed

Animal Welfare and Farmers' Satisfaction in Small-Scale Dairy Farms in the Eastern Alps: A “One Welfare” Approach

The multidimensional concept of animal welfare includes physical health, good emotional state, and appropriate behavior of the animals. The most recent methods for its assessment are inspired by the Welfare Quality, a project compiling animal-, resource-, and management-based measures. Recently, animal welfare assessment has also considered the human factor in a so-called “One Welfare” approach. The One Welfare framework highlights the interconnections between animal welfare, human well-being, and the environment. The concept seems to fit particularly well to mountain areas where the relationship between human, animals, and the environment is stronger. In such disadvantaged areas, farmers' well-being plays a key role in maintaining livestock farming profitably and sustainably. This study aims to investigate the relationship between farmers' satisfaction, animal welfare outcomes, and overall farm performance in 69 small-scale dairy farms in the Eastern Alps. Animal welfare assessment consisted of animal-based measures and was performed using the methodology proposed by the European Food Safety Authority for this type of farm. Moreover, the farmers were interviewed to retrieve data on farm characteristics and on their level of satisfaction toward workload, land organization, relationship with the agricultural/non-agricultural community, and the future of local agriculture. The results show that good animal welfare can be obtained in a mountain farming system. Clinical indicators show a low prevalence of diseases and of very lean cows as opposed to integument alterations. The workload is not perceived as a problem in traditional farms (i.e., tie-stall and with no participation in quality-certification schemes). Animal welfare is higher in those farms where farmers have a positive engagement with both the agricultural and non-agricultural community and where farmers are satisfied with their land organization. A One Welfare approach could be applied on a larger scale to fully understand the links between animal and human well-being in mountain areas