Lactational Evaluation of Recombinant Bovine Somatotropin with Corn and Barley Diets

Forty-eight Holstein cows were randomly assigned wk 3 postpartum to a corn or barley diet from wk 4 through 44 postpartum. Cows within diets at wk 14 were randomly assigned to receive 0 (control), 10.3, 20.6, and 30.9 mg/hd/d of recombinant bovine somatotropin injected wk 15 through 44 postpartum. Forage dry matter was 80% corn silage and 20% alfalfa hay. Forage to concentrate ratio in total mixed diets varied from 50:50 to 70:30 with milk production. For the entire lactation, milk production of (29.7 and 29.1 kg/d) and 4% FCM (27.3 and ·25.9 kg/d) was lower for cows fed barley based diets. Percentages of milk fat (3.44 and 3.25) were numerically lower for cows fed barley, while protein (3.36 and 3.36) was similar. Milk production (26.6, 31.0, 31.2, and 28.8 kg/d) and 4% FCM (23.9, 27.1, 27.5, and 28.0 kg/d) was higher for cows injected with somatotropin, while DM intakes (21.4, 22.4, 21.4, and 22.3 kg/d) were similar. Percentages of milk fat (3.39, 3.12, 3.21, and 3.66) and protein (3.43~ 3.29, 3.28, and 3.43) varied. Lactose, SCC, and body weights were similar for somatotropin and dietary treatments. Recombinant bovine somatotropin injected daily during the last 2/3 of lactation increased milk production 8 to 17% and DM intake 0 to 5% for the entire lactation and the increase was consistant across diets

Evaluation of the SPOT™ Photoscreener’s Efficacy for Detecting Amblyopia Risk Factors Compared to Optometrists’ Examinations in 305 South Dakota Children

Purpose: This study sought to further validate the efficacy of the SPOTTM photoscreener version (v) 3.0.0500 as a screening device for amblyopia risk factors (ARF). Methods: This was a cross-sectional study from five different western South Dakota outpatient clinics. Data from 610 eyes of 305 children aged 6 months to 13.5 years collected between July 2018 to September 2018 were analyzed, using both the out-of-box referral criteria and the 2013 American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (AAPOS) referral criteria. Optometrist (eye care provider or ECP) cycloplegia practice patterns were deferred to each clinics’ specific protocols. Power vector and Bland-Altman plot analyses were performed. Results: The average age of the 305 children in the study population is 99.6 months (~8.3 years), with a total of 42% of these subjects receiving no dilating drops prior to testing. From these cases, the SPOTTM v3.0.0500 photoscreener evaluation parameters for detecting ARFs using the out-of-box referral criteria yielded an overall sensitivity (SN) of 95.2%, specificity (SP) of 91.9%, positive predictive value (PPV) of 81.6%, and negative predictive value (NPV) of 98.1%; the SPOTTM v3.0.0500 photoscreener evaluation parameters for detecting ARFs using the 2013 AAPOS referral criteria yielded an overall SN of 96.3%, SP of 92.4%, PPV of 82.1%, and NPV of 98.6%. Conclusions: With SN and NPV values exceeding 95%, this study supports the efficacy of the SPOTTM v3.0.0500 photoscreener as a pediatric screening device to detect ARFs. Power vector analyses help to provide further objective comparisons of refractive measurements between photoscreening devices and refractive examinations

The Effects of the MOVE! Weight-management Program on Key Biomarkers in Veterans up to Two Years After Baseline

Objective The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of the MOVE! weight management program on Veterans body weight and body mass index (BMI) up to two years after baseline.Design This study was a retrospective cohort study conducted by chart extraction of data, for the years 2008-2012. The treatment included a 12-week MOVE! class followed by monthly aftercare appointments. Data were extracted from the time of baseline weight up to two years after baseline weight for the MOVE! and control groups.Participants This study compared Veterans who participated in the MOVE! class series and subsequent aftercare treatment (n=60) to a control group of Veterans who received no treatment (n=60).Main Outcome Measures The main outcome measure of this study was to determine the difference in mean weight and BMI at one year and two years after baseline between the MOVE! and control groups. The secondary outcome measure was to determine the difference in mean hemoglobin A1c, fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL), high density lipoprotein (HDL) and triglyceride levels between the treatment and control group one year after baseline.Statistical Analyses This investigation was a repeated measures analysis. An informal test of normality and test for outliers were conducted to verify assumptions prior to model fitting. The general linear model was implemented to model the mean structure by specification of the fixed effects. Covariance structures between subjects as well as within subjects were discussed and tested. The final mean model is fitted accounting for the most appropriate covariance structure and statistical inferences are made based on the final fitted model. The critical level was set at alpha=0.05 for statistical significance.Results The mean age was 62.0 +1.4 years for the control group and 61.5 +0.9 years for the treatment group. The majority of both groups were Caucasian males. MOVE! participants demonstrated a significant weight loss compared to the control group at one year and two years after baseline. The difference in weight between groups at one year was 31.7 +9.7 pounds (p=0.0013) and the difference between groups at two years was 28.0 +9.7 pounds (p=0.0046). Hemoglobin A1c, total cholesterol, and HDL all demonstrated statistically significant improvements from baseline to one year. Fasting blood glucose, LDL, and triglycerides did not change significantly from baseline to one year.Conclusions The results of this study indicate MOVE! was an effective tool for Veterans to lose weight and improve glucose control and lipid profile

Lactational evaluation of recombinant bovine somatotropin with corn and barley diets.

Forty-eight Holstein cows were randomly assigned to receive diets containing corn or barley as the primary energy concentrate from wk 4 through 44 postpartum. During wk 14, cows from each grain source group were randomly assigned to receive 0 (control), 10.3, 20.6, and 30.9 mg/cow per d of recombinant bST injected wk 15 through 44 postpartum. Grain source exerted no significant effect on production parameters and efficacy of bST, although milk production tended to be higher with corn diets. Milk production (24.2, 29.2, 31.7, and 29.5 kg/d) and 4% FCM (21.9, 26.2, 28.1, and 28.0 kg/d) were higher for cows injected with bST, and DM intakes (20.9, 22.8, 22.0, and 23.3 kg/d) increased slightly. Percentages of milkfat (3.47, 3.28, 3.39, and 3.52) and protein (3.48, 3.44, 3.44, and 3.38) varied. Lactose, SCC, and body weights were similar for bST and dietary treatments. Diet or bST had no detectable affect on health or reproduction. Injection of bST wk 15 through 44 increased milk production 21 to 31% relative to control animals. Limiting bST use to the latter two-thirds of lactation resulted in an 8 to 17% increase in total yield with only a 0 to 5% increase in lactational DM intake

Barley grain for ruminants: A global treasure or tragedy

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Barley grain (<it>Hordeum vulgare L.</it>) is characterized by a thick fibrous coat, a high level of ß-glucans and simply-arranged starch granules. World production of barley is about 30 % of that of corn. In comparison with corn, barley has more protein, methionine, lysine, cysteine and tryptophan. For ruminants, barley is the third most readily degradable cereal behind oats and wheat. Due to its more rapid starch fermentation rate compared with corn, barley also provides a more synchronous release of energy and nitrogen, thereby improving microbial nutrient assimilation. As a result, feeding barley can reduce the need for feeding protected protein sources. However, this benefit is only realized if rumen acidity is maintained within an optimal range (e.g., > 5.8 to 6.0); below this range, microbial maintenance requirements and wastage increase. With a low pH, microbial endotoxines cause pro-inflammatory responses that can weaken immunity and shorten animal longevity. Thus, mismanagement in barley processing and feeding may make a tragedy from this treasure or pearl of cereal grains. Steam-rolling of barley may improve feed efficiency and post-rumen starch digestion. However, it is doubtful if such processing can improve milk production and feed intake. Due to the need to process barley less extensively than other cereals (as long as the pericarp is broken), consistent and global standards for feeding and processing barley could be feasibly established. In high-starch diets, barley feeding reduces the need for capacious small intestinal starch assimilation, subsequently reducing hindgut starch use and fecal nutrient loss. With its nutritional exclusivities underlined, barley use will be a factual art that can either matchlessly profit or harm rumen microbes, cattle production, farm economics and the environment.</p