National market cow and bull beef quality audit-2007: a survey of producer-related defects

Packing plants (n = 23), were audited for producer-related defects found in cull cows and bulls. Interviews, live animal and carcass evaluations, and subprimal evaluations were conducted during each audit. A drastic reduction in downer incidence was found between 1999 and 2007. All loads met the AMI guidelines for spacing. Excessive use of electric prods must be addressed by packers and transporters alike. Fewer cattle had mud/manure contamination on hides, horns, and brands than in 1999. Predominant hide color for beef cattle was black, while the predominant dairy color was the Holstein (black and white) pattern. Fewer cattle displayed evidence of bovine ocular neoplasia than in 1994 and 1999. Knots present on live cattle were less in the round and more in the shoulder region than in 1999. Dairy cows were more frequently lame in 2007 than 1999, while beef cows were less lame. Carcass bruising was less evident during the 2007 audit than in previous audits. Fewer cattle had arthritic joints in 2007 than in 1999. An increase in liver, tripe, heart, head, and tongue condemnation was witnessed in 2007 than in 1999. Carcass weights increased since 1999, as well as having less fat, indicating heavier muscled animals being slaughtered. The average fat color score was higher for beef cows (3.14) than dairy cows (2.42). Fabrication trends are similar to data collected in 1999 as almost half of cull cow fabrication yields are primal and subprimal type products. The majority of all cattle (64%) were able to be traced back to their original owner. End-user audits revealed a higher incidence of injection site lesions in dairy rounds (48%) than in beef rounds (12%). Lastly, the incidence of dairy round injection site lesions has increased since 1999 (35%), while beef round lesions were fewer since 1999 (20%)

The Vegetation of the Paleozoic Plateau, Northeastern Iowa

The present vegetation of the Paleozoic Plateau region of Iowa is a fragmented representation of the original complex of oak-hickory forest mixed with more mesophytic forest, open oak savanna and hill prairie. Because of the topographic variation and the relatively cool, moist environment of the region, the forests are the best developed of those in Iowa, and show the greatest variation, including two types of alluvial forests (Salix thickets and alluvial hardwood forest), and several kinds of upland forests (Tilia, Acer, Quercus borealis, Q, alba and Pinus forests). These types represent points along a more-or-less continuous topographic gradient. Many of the native oak savannas have been eliminated, but oak-juniper glades may be found on cliff faces and steep ridges. The remaining hill prairies are rich in species characteristic of the dry prairies farther to the west. Cold, north-facing slopes ( algific slopes ) are the setting for a unique community containing a large number of rare and disjunct species. Outcrops of sandstones and limestone have characteristic microcommunities, often distinguished by their bryophyte or pteridophyte flora. There is a dearth of quantitative vegetation data from the region, and there are numerous research questions about the communities and their plant species that need answers. Preservation and conservation of plant communities and plant species are extremely important and should be addressed by a landscape approach to inventory and management

SS-31 and NMN: Two paths to improve metabolism and function in aged hearts

The effects of two different mitochondrial-targeted drugs, SS-31 and NMN, were tested on Old mouse hearts. After treatment with the drugs, individually or Combined, heart function was examined by echocardiography. SS-31 partially reversed an age-related decline in diastolic function while NMN fully reversed an age-related deficiency in systolic function at a higher workload. Metabolomic analysis revealed that both NMN and the Combined treatment increased nicotinamide and 1-methylnicotinamide levels, indicating greater NA

Twelve Not So Angry Men:Inclusive Masculinities in Australian Contact Sports

Sport’s utility in the development of a conservative orthodox ideal of masculinity based upon homophobia, aggression and emotional restrictiveness, is well evidenced in critical masculinities scholarship. However, contemporary research is reflecting a more nuanced understanding of male behaviour in many Western contexts, with men performing softer and more inclusive versions of masculinities. Through exploring the experiences of twelve Australian contact sport athletes, this research establishes findings to support the growing body of inclusive masculinities research. Results show that these men value a softer representation of masculinity based upon pro-gay sentiments and being emotionally open; while often being critical of aspects of orthodox masculinities which male team sport previously promoted

A Highly Contiguous and Annotated Genome Assembly of the Lesser Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus)

Article asserts that the Lesser Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus; LEPC) is an iconic North American prairie grouse, renowned for ornate and spectacular breeding season displays, a species that has been declining in population across much of its historical range, with corresponding precipitous declines in contemporary population abundance, largely due to climatic and anthropogenic factors. The authors describe an annotated reference genome that was generated from a LEPC sample collected from the southern DPS

Operationalizing frailty among older residents of assisted living facilities

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Frailty in later life is viewed as a state of heightened vulnerability to poor outcomes. The utility of frailty as a measure of vulnerability in the assisted living (AL) population remains unexplored. We examined the feasibility and predictive accuracy of two different interpretations of the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS) frailty criteria in a population-based sample of AL residents.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>CHS frailty criteria were operationalized using two different approaches in 928 AL residents from the Alberta Continuing Care Epidemiological Studies (ACCES). Risks of one-year mortality and hospitalization were estimated for those categorized as frail or pre-frail (compared with non-frail). The prognostic significance of individual criteria was explored, and the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was calculated for select models to assess the utility of frailty in predicting one-year outcomes.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Regarding feasibility, complete CHS criteria could not be assessed for 40% of the initial 1,067 residents. Consideration of supplementary items for select criteria reduced this to 12%. Using absolute (CHS-specified) cut-points, 48% of residents were categorized as frail and were at greater risk for death (adjusted risk ratio [RR] 1.75, 95% CI 1.08-2.83) and hospitalization (adjusted RR 1.54, 95% CI 1.20-1.96). Pre-frail residents defined by absolute cut-points (48.6%) showed no increased risk for mortality or hospitalization compared with non-frail residents. Using relative cut-points (derived from AL sample), 19% were defined as frail and 55% as pre-frail and the associated risks for mortality and hospitalization varied by sex. Frail (but not pre-frail) women were more likely to die (RR 1.58 95% CI 1.02-2.44) and be hospitalized (RR 1.53 95% CI 1.25-1.87). Frail and pre-frail men showed an increased mortality risk (RR 3.21 95% CI 1.71-6.00 and RR 2.61 95% CI 1.40-4.85, respectively) while only pre-frail men had an increased risk of hospitalization (RR 1.58 95% CI 1.15-2.17). Although incorporating either frailty measure improved the performance of predictive models, the best AUCs were 0.702 for mortality and 0.633 for hospitalization.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Application of the CHS criteria for frailty was problematic and only marginally improved the prediction of select adverse outcomes in AL residents. Development and validation of alternative approaches for detecting frailty in this population, including consideration of female/male differences, is warranted.</p