Design and analysis of static windrow piles for in-house broiler litter composting

In-house windrow composting of broiler litter has been studied to reduce microbial populations between flocks. Published time-temperature goals are used to determine the success of the composting process for microbial reductions. Spatial and temporal density of temperature measurement can influence the ability to determine what portion of a windrow pile has achieved specified time-temperature goals. Based on this motivation, an investigation of the heating profile in windrowed litter and the identification of the effects of spatial and temporal sampling densities on the prediction of the heating profile in windrowed broiler litter were executed. Likewise, an investigation of the effects of moisture content on heat generation during composting of broiler litter was conducted. Ultimately, the research projects were designed with the goal of determining the efficacy of windrow composting as a treatment method for reducing microbial populations in broiler litter and to produce recommendations for the implementation of future windrow temperature monitoring investigations. While past investigations have reported success of windrow composting for microbial population reductions, a lack of intense spatial and temporal temperature monitoring has likely mis-represented the pile heating profile and resultant effects on microbial populations

Dust, odor and gas control in swine finishing barns through oil sprinkling

AGRICULTURALMU GuidePUBLISHED BY MU EXTENSION, UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-COLUMBIASwine ManagementThe odors and gases produced by pigs raised in confinement buildings are a concern for producers working inside the buildings and for their neighbors living nearby. Poor air quality inside the building is a health and wellness issue for workers as well as the animals living in the buildings, while emissions of odors and gases can lead to complaints and nuisance lawsuits by neighbors. Research has shown that sprinkling vegetable oils on the floor and other pen surfaces in swine barns can significantly reduce airborne particulate matter (dust) concentrations. In a study recently conducted in northern Missouri, sprinkling soybean oil once a day in a swine finishing barn significantly reduced total suspended particulates (TSP) and particulate matter less than 10 microns in diameter (PM10). At an overall operational cost of about $1.00 per pig space (about$0.40 per finishing pig) for the basic oil sprinkling system, this technology appears to be cost-effective for swine producers.Amy M. Schmidt (Extension Agricultural Engineer, Food Science and Engineering Unit and Commercial Agriculture Program), Albert J. Heber (Extension Agricultural Engineer, Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Department, Purdue University)New November 2018 -- websit

Novel cell adhesion/migration pathways are predictive markers of HDAC inhibitor resistance in cutaneous T cell lymphoma

BACKGROUND: Treatment for Cutaneous T Cell Lymphoma (CTCL) is generally not curative. Therefore, selecting therapy that is effective and tolerable is critical to clinical decision-making. Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi), epigenetic modifier drugs, are commonly used but effective in only ~30% of patients. There are no predictive markers of HDACi response and the CTCL histone acetylation landscape remains unmapped. We sought to identify pre-treatment molecular markers of resistance in CTCL that progressed on HDACi therapy. METHODS: Purified T cells from 39 pre/post-treatment peripheral blood samples and skin biopsies from 20 patients were subjected to RNA-seq and ChIP-seq for histone acetylation marks (H3K14/9 ac, H3K27ac). We correlated significant differences in histone acetylation with gene expression in HDACi-resistant/sensitive CTCL. We extended these findings in additional CTCL patient cohorts (RNA-seq, microarray) and using ELISA in matched CTCL patient plasma. FINDINGS: Resistant CTCL exhibited high levels of histone acetylation, which correlated with increased expression of 338 genes (FDR \u3c 0·05), including some novel to CTCL: BIRC5 (anti-apoptotic); RRM2 (cell cycle); TXNDC5, GSTM1 (redox); and CXCR4, LAIR2 (cell adhesion/migration). Several of these, including LAIR2, were elevated pre-treatment in HDACi-resistant CTCL. In CTCL patient plasma (n = 6), LAIR2 protein was also elevated (p \u3c 0·01) compared to controls. INTERPRETATION: This study is the first to connect genome-wide differences in chromatin acetylation and gene expression to HDACi-resistance in primary CTCL. Our results identify novel markers with high pre-treatment expression, such as LAIR2, as potential prognostic and/or predictors of HDACi-resistance in CTCL. FUNDING: NIH:CA156690, CA188286; NCATS: WU-ICTS UL1 TR000448; Siteman Cancer Center: CA091842

Simulated Winter Incubation of Soil With Swine Manure Differentially Affects Multiple Antimicrobial Resistance Elements

Gastrointestinal bacteria that harbor antibiotic resistance genes (ARG) become enriched with antibiotic use. Livestock manure application to cropland for soil fertility presents a concern that ARG and bacteria may proliferate and be transported in the environment. In the United States, manure applications typically occur during autumn with slow mineralization until spring planting season. A laboratory soil incubation study was conducted mimicking autumn swine manure application to soils with concentrations of selected ARG monitored during simulated 120-day winter incubation with multiple freeze-thaw events. Additionally, the effects of two soil moistures [10 and 30% water holding capacity (WHC)] and two manure treatments [raw versus hydrated lime alkaline stabilization (HLAS)] were assessed. Fourteen tetracycline resistance genes were evaluated; tet(D), tet(G), and tet(L) were detected in background soil while swine manure contained tet(A), tet(B), tet(C), tet(G), tet(M), tet(O), tet(Q), and tet(X). By day 120, the manure-borne tet(M) and tet(O) were still detected while tet(C), tet(D), tet(L), and tet(X) genes were detected less frequently. Other tet resistance genes were detected rarely, if at all. The sum of unique tet resistance genes among all treatments decreased during the incubation from an average of 8.9 to 3.8 unique tet resistance genes. Four resistance elements, intI1, blactx−m−32, sul(I), erm(B), and 16s rRNA genes were measured using quantitative PCR. ARG abundances relative to 16S abundance were initially greater in the raw manure compared to background soil (−1.53 to −3.92 log abundance in manure; −4.02 to \u3c−6.7 log abundance in soil). In the mixed manure/soil, relative abundance of the four resistance elements decreased (0.87 to 1.94 log abundance) during the incubation largely because 16S rRNA genes increased by 1.21 log abundance. Throughout the incubation, the abundance of intI1, blactx−m−32, sul(I), and erm(B) per gram in soil amended with HLAS-treated manure was lower than in soil amended with raw manure. Under low initial soil moisture conditions, HLAS treatment reduced the abundance of intI1 and resulted in loss of blactx−m−32, sul(I), and erm(B)] compared to other treatment-moisture combinations. Although one might expect antibiotic resistance to be relatively unchanged after simulated winter manure application to soil, a variety of changes in diversity and relative abundance can be expected

Effectiveness of Composting as a Biosecure Disposal Method for Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDV)-Infected Pig Carcasses

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) is an enteric disease of swine that has emerged as a worldwide threat to swine herd health and production. Substantial research has been conducted to assess viability of the virus on surfaces of vehicles and equipment, in feed and water, and on production building surfaces, but little is known about the persistence in PEDV-infected carcasses and effective disposal methods thereof. This study was conducted to quantify the persistence of PEDV RNA via quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) at various time-temperature combinations and in infected piglet carcasses subjected to composting. Although this method does not distinguish between infectious and noninfectious virus, it is a rapid and sensitive test to evaluate materials for evidence of virus genome

Retention of Swine Slurry Constituents in Soil and Crop Residue as Affected by Setback Distance

Setbacks are prescribed distances from surface waters within which manure application is not allowed. Little information is available concerning the retention of swine slurry constituents in soil and crop residue materials within setback areas. This study was conducted to measure the retention of selected constituents within a setback area following the upslope application of swine slurry and the introduction of simulated rainfall. The no-till cropland site had a slope gradient of 4.9% and a mean winter wheat residue cover of 7.73 Mg ha−1 . Soil and vegetative samples were collected on 3.7 m wide by 23.2 m long plots with and without the addition of slurry. Slurry was added at the 0–4.9 m distance on selected plots, and simulated rainfall was then applied to the entire plot area during two separate events. Soil cores and vegetative samples were collected from each plot at distances of 2.44, 5.18, 7.92, 11.0, 14.0, 17.1, and 20.1 m from the upper plot border. The soil cores were separated into 0–10, 10–20, and 20– 30 cm depth increments. Significant increases in soil concentrations of chloride, nitrate, phosphorus, and zinc were found both within and downslope from the slurry application area. Residue materials located both within and downslope from the slurry application area contained significantly increased concentrations of boron, calcium, copper, magnesium, sulfur, and zinc. When estimating the downslope transport of constituents contained in swine slurry, contributions from runoff, soil, and residue should all be considered

Setback Distance Requirements for Removal of Swine Slurry Constituents in Runoff

The use of setback distances for manure application on cropland areas adjacent to surface water bodies could serve a function similar to vegetative filter strips. However, little information currently exists to identify the setback distances necessary to effectively reduce the transport of contaminants in runoff. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of setback distance and runoff rate on concentrations of selected constituents in runoff following land application of swine slurry to a no-till cropland area in southeast Nebraska. The study site had a residue cover of 7.73 Mg ha-1 and a slope gradient of 4.9%. The twenty plots examined during the investigation were 3.7 m across the slope by 4.9, 7.9, 11.0, 17.1, or 23.2 m long. An initial set of rainfall simulation tests were completed to identify background concentrations of selected constituents. Swine slurry was then applied to the upper 4.9 m of each plot, and additional rainfall simulation tests were conducted on the same plots examined previously. A first-order exponential decay function was used to estimate the effects of setback distance on concentrations of selected constituents. A setback distance of 12.2 m reduced runoff concentrations of dissolved phosphorus (DP), NH4-N, total nitrogen (TN), boron, chloride, manganese, potassium, sulfate, zinc, electrical conductivity (EC), and pH to background values similar to those measured for the no-slurry condition. Runoff rate significantly influenced transport of several of the constituents, with concentrations generally decreasing as runoff rate increased. The transport of selected pollutants in runoff was significantly reduced when setback areas were employed

Antibiotic resistance genes in swine manure slurry as affected by pit additives and facility disinfectants

Manure storage facilities are critical control points to reduce antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in swine manure slurry before the slurry is land applied. However, little is known about how exogenous chemicals entering the manure storage facilities may affect the fate of ARGs. The objective of this study was to analyze the impact of six commonly used pit additives and four facility disinfectants on the concentration of ARGs in swine manure slurry. Bench scale reactors, each containing approximately 50 L of liquid swine manure, were dosed with additives or disinfectants and were sampled for 40 days. Seven antibiotic resistance genes along with the intI1 gene and the 16S rRNA gene were monitored. Out of the six additives tested, Sludge Away significantly reduced the time-averaged absolute abundance of erm(C), erm(F), tet(Q), and the 16S rRNA gene as compared to the no additive control. Out of the four disinfectants tested, Tek-Trol significantly reduced the time-averaged absolute abundance of erm(B), erm(C), erm(F), intI1, tet(Q), and tet(X) than did the no-disinfectant control. According to Spearman\u27s rank correlation, three genes erm(F), tet(Q), and tet(X) showed a strong to perfectly positive correlation and the two genes erm(B) and tet(O) showed a moderate to strong correlation in both the additive and disinfectant tests. Overall, the disinfectants were more effective in controlling the absolute abundance of ARGs than were the pit additives

100 million years of turtle paleoniche dynamics enable the prediction of latitudinal range shifts in a warming world

Past responses to environmental change provide vital baseline data for estimating the potential resilience of extant taxa to future change. Here, we investigate the latitudinal range contraction that terrestrial and freshwater turtles (Testudinata) experienced from the Late Cretaceous to the Paleogene (100.5-23.03 mya) in response to major climatic changes. We apply ecological niche modeling (ENM) to reconstruct turtle niches, using ancient and modern distribution data, paleogeographic reconstructions, and the HadCM3L climate model to quantify their range shifts in the Cretaceous and late Eocene. We then use the insights provided by these models to infer their probable ecological responses to future climate scenarios at different representative concentration pathways (RCPs 4.5 and 8.5 for 2100), which project globally increased temperatures and spreading arid biomes at lower to mid-latitudes. We show that turtle ranges are predicted to expand poleward in the Northern Hemisphere, with decreased habitat suitability at lower latitudes, inverting a trend of latitudinal range contraction that has been prevalent since the Eocene. Trionychids and freshwater turtles can more easily track their niches than Testudinidae and other terrestrial groups. However, habitat destruction and fragmentation at higher latitudes will probably reduce the capability of turtles and tortoises to cope with future climate changes