Demographic Factors Affecting the Adoption of Multiple Value-Added Practices by Oklahoma Cow-Calf Producers

The utilization of marketing programs to enhance feeder calf value has been met with modest success in Oklahoma. Value-added programs are continually promoted as avenues for improving cow-calf profitability, but producer adoption of value-added practices lags in spite of research showing the value of these practices. Identifying producer characteristics that increase their likelihood to adopt value-added practices is critical to developing successful outreach efforts. Results from a survey of Oklahoma producers on value-added practice adoption indicate that multiple demographic variables influence a producer’s likelihood of practice adoption. For Extension specialists, results can help in targeting likely adopters and developing methods to overcome barriers to adoption by producers less likely to adopt.Beef producers, value-added practices, practice adoption, negative binomial regression, Poisson regression, Farm Management, Livestock Production/Industries, Q12, Q16,

The serine protease hepsin mediates urinary secretion and polymerisation of Zona Pellucida domain protein uromodulin.

Uromodulin is the most abundant protein in the urine. It is exclusively produced by renal epithelial cells and it plays key roles in kidney function and disease. Uromodulin mainly exerts its function as an extracellular matrix whose assembly depends on a conserved, specific proteolytic cleavage leading to conformational activation of a Zona Pellucida (ZP) polymerisation domain. Through a comprehensive approach, including extensive characterisation of uromodulin processing in cellular models and in specific knock-out mice, we demonstrate that the membrane-bound serine protease hepsin is the enzyme responsible for the physiological cleavage of uromodulin. Our findings define a key aspect of uromodulin biology and identify the first in vivo substrate of hepsin. The identification of hepsin as the first protease involved in the release of a ZP domain protein is likely relevant for other members of this protein family, including several extracellular proteins, as egg coat proteins and inner ear tectorins

Financing Beef Cow Herd Building for Beginning Ranchers

Intensive capital requirements relative to cash flows available inhibit the entry of beginning producers into the cattle industry. Here, we propose and analyze a strategy for beginning ranchers to build a herd. Over a three-year cycle, new producers borrow cash needed to purchase 450- pound heifers in the first year, breed heifers, sell open heifers and bull calves, retain heifer replacements, rebreed the two- year-old cows, and eventually sell bred two-turning-three cows 27 months after the initial heifer purchase. The goal is to retain a group of debt-free heifers. Analyses conducted over 14 cycles of 27 months each across three cattle markets, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and North Dakota, indicate that this herd- building strategy appears to be financially feasible for new producers, in most cycles. Positive net cash flows occurred for producers in Oklahoma for 13 of 14 cycles, 11 of 14 cycles in North Dakota, and 10 of 14 cycles in Nebraska. Positive net returns were realized in at least 12 cycles in each location. Sensitivity analyses were conducted on revenues and costs to evaluate the robustness of the strategy

Human neutrophil clearance of bacterial pathogens triggers anti-microbial gamma delta T cell responses in early infection

Human blood Vc9/Vd2 T cells, monocytes and neutrophils share a responsiveness toward inflammatory chemokines and are rapidly recruited to sites of infection. Studying their interaction in vitro and relating these findings to in vivo observations in patients may therefore provide crucial insight into inflammatory events. Our present data demonstrate that Vc9/Vd2 T cells provide potent survival signals resulting in neutrophil activation and the release of the neutrophil chemoattractant CXCL8 (IL-8). In turn, Vc9/Vd2 T cells readily respond to neutrophils harboring phagocytosed bacteria, as evidenced by expression of CD69, interferon (IFN)-c and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-a. This response is dependent on the ability of these bacteria to produce the microbial metabolite (E)-4-hydroxy-3-methyl-but-2-enyl pyrophosphate (HMB-PP), requires cell-cell contact of Vc9/Vd2 T cells with accessory monocytes through lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1), and results in a TNF-a dependent proliferation of Vc9/Vd2 T cells. The antibiotic fosmidomycin, which targets the HMB-PP biosynthesis pathway, not only has a direct antibacterial effect on most HMB-PP producing bacteria but also possesses rapid anti-inflammatory properties by inhibiting cd T cell responses in vitro. Patients with acute peritoneal-dialysis (PD)-associated bacterial peritonitis – characterized by an excessive influx of neutrophils and monocytes into the peritoneal cavity – show a selective activation of local Vc9/Vd2 T cells by HMB-PP producing but not by HMB-PP deficient bacterial pathogens. The cd T celldriven perpetuation of inflammatory responses during acute peritonitis is associated with elevated peritoneal levels of cd T cells and TNF-a and detrimental clinical outcomes in infections caused by HMB-PP positive microorganisms. Taken together, our findings indicate a direct link between invading pathogens, neutrophils, monocytes and microbe-responsive cd T cells in early infection and suggest novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.Martin S. Davey, Chan-Yu Lin, Gareth W. Roberts, Sinéad Heuston, Amanda C. Brown, James A. Chess, Mark A. Toleman, Cormac G.M. Gahan, Colin Hill, Tanya Parish, John D. Williams, Simon J. Davies, David W. Johnson, Nicholas Topley, Bernhard Moser and Matthias Eber

Value Indicators in Feeder Cattle: An Analysis of Multi-State Auction Data

Data from feeder cattle auctions across multiple states were analyzed in a hedonic regression to estimate the value of factors affecting the auction price of sale lots. The data set included over 275,000 head of cattle in more than 18,000 sale lots from 92 sales in 21 locations across seven states. Results quantify the value of sale factors, management factors, animal characteristics, and location on the auction price of feeder cattle

Feedlot Profitability in Wagyu-influenced Cattle

Feedlot profitability of Wagyu-influenced cattle is examined using data from a privately owned feedlot in the Midwest. The data contain more than 15,000 head of cattle, including full blood Angus and Wagyu-Angus crossbred cattle of 12.5%, 25% and 50% Wagyu heritage. Results indicate that steers with 25% Wagyu had higher net real returns at the mean than all other genetic combinations in the study. Heifer results are more mixed. Mean net returns for 12.5% Wagyu heifers were statistically different from full blood Angus heifers, but other pairwise comparisons were not. Cattle with 25% Wagyu exhibited the most consistent mean net returns across feedlot start weights. Angus cattle had consistently lower net returns across feedlot start weights than Wagyu-influenced cattle. This increased profitability is arguably due in part to increasing the proportion of cattle that grade USDA Prime via Wagyu genetics while also lessening Wagyu’s potentially negative physical performance impacts with Angus genetics

Financial Impacts of Postdrought Beef Cow Herd Rebuilding through Debt Financing

Drought conditions in much of the western United States have improved, leading to opportunities for cow-calf producers to rebuild beef cow herds. Given lower beef cow herds, many producers will need to borrow funds to purchase replacement heifers. We investigate how financial positions are impacted by leveraged replacement heifer purchases. The results are useful to producers and bankers. We suggest alternatives for financially struggling producers, including delay rebuilding to avoid significantly increased financial stres