INCREASING EFFICIENCY OF FINISHING BEEF PRODUCTION: STRATEGIES TO OPTIMIZE STARCH DIGESTION, IMPROVE FLAKE QUALITY, AND REDUCE METHANE EMISSIONS

To continue to meet the demands of increasing food production and environmental sustainability, new strategies are needed to enhance the efficiency of finishing cattle production. A review of the literature identified several nutritional and physiological constraints that limit the ability for cattle to digest starch and absorb glucose from the small intestine. Comparative sequencing analyses revealed a missing region of the sucrase-isomaltase protein which could affect the capacity for starch digestion in cattle. Post-flaking sampling and handling recommendations were generated based on a series of experiments to improve estimates of starch availability and flaking consistency for commercial feedlots and laboratories. Increasing flake density and increasing starch retrogradation could potentially be implemented as processing strategies to shift the site of starch digestion to the small intestine and reduce substrate available for ruminal methanogenesis. For smaller cattle feeders where flaking corn is not an option, low to moderate inclusion of fine-ground corn in finishing rations might be a suitable processing alternative. Feeding anti-coccidial compounds with saponins did not decrease methane production; yet, future attempts to replace antibiotics in finishing cattle diets should attempt to replace the anti-coccidial and anti-methanogenic activity of ionophores. A novel, in vivo animal model was developed to selectively target increased endogenous pancreatic and/or small intestinal carbohydrase activities to evaluate physiological mechanisms to increase small intestinal starch digestion. Next-generation RNA sequencing revealed that exogenous glucagon-like peptide 2 administration affected several metabolic pathways and molecular functions of the jejunal mucosa, which could potentially improve growth, health, and feed efficiency of feedlot cattle. These findings could be used to further develop strategies to optimize starch digestion, improve flake quality, and reduce methane emissions of finishing beef cattle

A Conversation With Margarethe von Trotta: Painting with the Soul

October 18, Margarethe von Trotta spoke at Columbia College Chicago. A director, writer, and actress, she was an artist in the Visiting Director Program of the Directing Concentration, Film and Video Department, Columbia College Chicago. This program was co-sponsored by the Chicago International Film Festival. Ron Falzone served as moderator and editor of this work. 25 pages.https://digitalcommons.colum.edu/conversations/1012/thumbnail.jp

Prenatal and Postnatal Nutrition Influence Pancreatic and Intestinal Carbohydrase Activities of Ruminants

In ruminant livestock species, nutrition can play an important role in the long-term programming of gastrointestinal function. Pancreatic and small intestinal digestive enzymes are important for postruminal digestion of carbohydrates and protein. Carbohydrases have been shown to respond to changes in the level of feed intake and the dietary inclusion of specific nutrients, including arginine, butyrate, folic acid, fructose, and leucine. Understanding how diet influences enzyme development and activity during prenatal and postnatal life could lead to the development of dietary strategies to optimize offspring growth and development to increase digestive efficiency of ruminant livestock species. More research is needed to understand how changes in fetal or neonatal carbohydrase activities in response to nutrition influence long-term growth performance and efficiency in ruminant livestock species to optimize nutritional strategies

Nutritional and Physiological Constraints Contributing to Limitations in Small Intestinal Starch Digestion and Glucose Absorption in Ruminants

Increased efficiency of nutrient utilization can potentially be gained with increased starch digestion in the small intestine in ruminants. However, ruminants have quantitative limits in the extent of starch disappearance in the small intestine. The objective is to explore the nutritional and physiological constraints that contribute to limitations of carbohydrate assimilation in the ruminant small intestine. Altered digesta composition and passage rate in the small intestine, insufficient pancreatic α-amylase and/or small intestinal carbohydrase activity, and reduced glucose absorption could all be potentially limiting factors of intestinal starch assimilation. The absence of intestinal sucrase activity in ruminants may be related to quantitative limits in small intestinal starch hydrolysis. Multiple sequence alignment of the sucrase-isomaltase complex gives insight into potential molecular mechanisms that may be associated with the absence of intestinal sucrase activity, reduced capacity for intestinal starch digestion, and limitations in the efficiency of feed utilization in cattle and sheep. Future research efforts in these areas will aid in our understanding of small intestinal starch digestion and glucose absorption to optimize feeding strategies for increased meat and milk production efficiency

Mortality and pulmonary complications in patients undergoing surgery with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection: an international cohort study

Background: The impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on postoperative recovery needs to be understood to inform clinical decision making during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. This study reports 30-day mortality and pulmonary complication rates in patients with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods: This international, multicentre, cohort study at 235 hospitals in 24 countries included all patients undergoing surgery who had SARS-CoV-2 infection confirmed within 7 days before or 30 days after surgery. The primary outcome measure was 30-day postoperative mortality and was assessed in all enrolled patients. The main secondary outcome measure was pulmonary complications, defined as pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, or unexpected postoperative ventilation. Findings: This analysis includes 1128 patients who had surgery between Jan 1 and March 31, 2020, of whom 835 (74·0%) had emergency surgery and 280 (24·8%) had elective surgery. SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed preoperatively in 294 (26·1%) patients. 30-day mortality was 23·8% (268 of 1128). Pulmonary complications occurred in 577 (51·2%) of 1128 patients; 30-day mortality in these patients was 38·0% (219 of 577), accounting for 81·7% (219 of 268) of all deaths. In adjusted analyses, 30-day mortality was associated with male sex (odds ratio 1·75 [95% CI 1·28–2·40], p\textless0·0001), age 70 years or older versus younger than 70 years (2·30 [1·65–3·22], p\textless0·0001), American Society of Anesthesiologists grades 3–5 versus grades 1–2 (2·35 [1·57–3·53], p\textless0·0001), malignant versus benign or obstetric diagnosis (1·55 [1·01–2·39], p=0·046), emergency versus elective surgery (1·67 [1·06–2·63], p=0·026), and major versus minor surgery (1·52 [1·01–2·31], p=0·047). Interpretation: Postoperative pulmonary complications occur in half of patients with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection and are associated with high mortality. Thresholds for surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic should be higher than during normal practice, particularly in men aged 70 years and older. Consideration should be given for postponing non-urgent procedures and promoting non-operative treatment to delay or avoid the need for surgery. Funding: National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland, Bowel and Cancer Research, Bowel Disease Research Foundation, Association of Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeons, British Association of Surgical Oncology, British Gynaecological Cancer Society, European Society of Coloproctology, NIHR Academy, Sarcoma UK, Vascular Society for Great Britain and Ireland, and Yorkshire Cancer Research

Retrospective evaluation of whole exome and genome mutation calls in 746 cancer samples

Funder: NCI U24CA211006Abstract: The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) curated consensus somatic mutation calls using whole exome sequencing (WES) and whole genome sequencing (WGS), respectively. Here, as part of the ICGC/TCGA Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes (PCAWG) Consortium, which aggregated whole genome sequencing data from 2,658 cancers across 38 tumour types, we compare WES and WGS side-by-side from 746 TCGA samples, finding that ~80% of mutations overlap in covered exonic regions. We estimate that low variant allele fraction (VAF < 15%) and clonal heterogeneity contribute up to 68% of private WGS mutations and 71% of private WES mutations. We observe that ~30% of private WGS mutations trace to mutations identified by a single variant caller in WES consensus efforts. WGS captures both ~50% more variation in exonic regions and un-observed mutations in loci with variable GC-content. Together, our analysis highlights technological divergences between two reproducible somatic variant detection efforts

Biological Abnormalities in the Ruminant Small Intestine and Its Relationship to Carbohydrate Assimilation

Several biological abnormalities exist between the ruminant and nonruminant small intestine and influences carbohydrate assimilation. Two experiments were conducted to identify potential mechanisms to improve carbohydrate utilization in cattle. Experiment 1 evaluated the effects of duodenal starch infusions with casein or glutamic acid on post-ruminal carbohydrase activities. Experiment 2 evaluated the effects of dietary fructose on visceral organ development and expression of nutrient transporters and digestive enzymes involved in carbohydrate assimilation. In experiment 1, the results suggest that small intestinal starch digestion may be improved in cattle with increased small intestinal flow of casein through increases in post-ruminal carbohydrase activities. In experiment 2, dietary fructose supply influenced nutrient utilization, visceral organ growth, and digestive enzyme mRNA expression and activity in neonatal calves

Nutritional and Physiological Constraints Contributing to Limitations in Small Intestinal Starch Digestion and Glucose Absorption in Ruminants

Increased efficiency of nutrient utilization can potentially be gained with increased starch digestion in the small intestine in ruminants. However, ruminants have quantitative limits in the extent of starch disappearance in the small intestine. The objective is to explore the nutritional and physiological constraints that contribute to limitations of carbohydrate assimilation in the ruminant small intestine. Altered digesta composition and passage rate in the small intestine, insufficient pancreatic &alpha;-amylase and/or small intestinal carbohydrase activity, and reduced glucose absorption could all be potentially limiting factors of intestinal starch assimilation. The absence of intestinal sucrase activity in ruminants may be related to quantitative limits in small intestinal starch hydrolysis. Multiple sequence alignment of the sucrase-isomaltase complex gives insight into potential molecular mechanisms that may be associated with the absence of intestinal sucrase activity, reduced capacity for intestinal starch digestion, and limitations in the efficiency of feed utilization in cattle and sheep. Future research efforts in these areas will aid in our understanding of small intestinal starch digestion and glucose absorption to optimize feeding strategies for increased meat and milk production efficiency

Effects of dietary supplement sources on the rate and extent of in vitro ruminal degradation of alfalfa-based diets for cattle

Two ruminally cannulated steers [928 ± 25.5 kg body weight (BW)] were fed alfalfa hay at 2.0% of BW and served as donors of rumen fluid. Treatments were early-bud alfalfa (CON) or a combination [dry matter (DM) basis] of 80% early-bud alfalfa with 20% of corn silage (CS), brome grass hay (BGH), soybean hulls (SBH), beet pulp (BP), corn grain (CORN), dried corn distillers’ grains with solubles (DDGS), or wheat middlings (MIDD). Tubes were incubated at multiple time points over a 72 h period and assessed for rate and extent of digestion. Samples were run in duplicate and replicated over 3 d. The potential extent of DM and organic matter (OM) degradation increased (P < 0.001) with CS, SBH, BP, CORN, and DDGS supplementation compared with CON. All supplements except MIDD decreased (P < 0.001) the fractional rates of DM and OM degradation compared with CON, with BGH, SBH, and DDGS having the lowest rates. Supplementation of SBH had the lowest (P < 0.001) initial rate of DM and OM degradation. These data indicate that SBH increases the extent of digestion while reducing the initial rate of degradation, suggesting that SBH has potential to reduce the incidence of frothy legume bloat.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author