Using rumination and activity data for early detection of anaplasmosis disease in dairy heifer calves.

Bovine anaplasmosis causes considerable economic losses in dairy cattle production systems worldwide, ranging from $300 million to $900 million annually. It is commonly detected through rectal temperature, blood smear microscopy, and packed cell volume (PCV). Such methodologies are laborious, costly, and difficult to systematically implement in large-scale operations. The objectives of this study were to evaluate (1) rumination and activity data collected by Hr-Tag sensors (SCR Engineers Ltd.) in heifer calves exposed to anaplasmosis; and (2) the predictive ability of recurrent neural networks in early identification of anaplasmosis. Additionally, we aimed to investigate the effect of time series length before disease diagnosis (5, 7, 10, or 12 consecutive days) on the predictive performance of recurrent neural networks, and how early anaplasmosis disease can be detected in dairy calves (5, 3, and 1 d in advance). Twenty-three heifer calves aged 119 ± 15 (mean ± SD) d and weighing 148 ± 20 kg of body weight were challenged with 2 × 107 erythrocytes infected with UFMG1 strain (GenBank no. EU676176) isolated from Anaplasma marginale. After inoculation, animals were monitored daily by assessing PCV. The lowest PCV value (14 ± 1.8%) and the finding of rickettsia on blood smears were used as a criterion to classify an animal as sick (d 0). Rumination and activity data were collected continuously and automatically at 2-h intervals, using SCR Heatime Hr-Tag collars. Two time series were built including last sequence of -5, -7, -10, or -12 d preceding d 0 or a sequence of 5, 7, 10, or 12 d randomly selected in a window from -50 to -15 d before d 0 to ensure a sequence of days in which PCV was considered normal (32 ± 2.4%). Long short-term memory was used as a predictive approach, and a leave-one-animal-out cross-validation (LOAOCV) was used to assess prediction quality. Anaplasmosis disease reduced 34 and 11% of rumination and activity, respectively. The accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of long short-term memory in detecting anaplasmosis ranged from 87 to 98%, 83 to 100%, and 83 to 100%, respectively, using rumination data. For activity data, the accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity varied from 70 to 98%, 61 to 100%, and 74 to 100%, respectively. Predictive performance did not improve when combining rumination and activity. The use of longer time-series did not improve the performance of models to predict anaplasmosis. The accuracy and sensitivity in predicting anaplasmosis up to 3 d before clinical diagnosis (d 0) were greater than 80%, confirming the possibility for early identification of anaplasmosis disease. These findings indicate the great potential of wearable sensors in early identification of anaplasmosis diseases. This could positively affect the profitability of dairy farmers and animal welfare.

Valor nutricional do capim-elefante verde colhido em diferentes idades de rebrota / [Nutritional value of fresh elephantgrass harvested at different regrowth ages]

Avaliou-se o valor nutricional do capim-elefante verde colhido aos 56, 84 e 112 dias de idade, por meio do consumo e da digestibilidade em ovinos, da degradabilidade in situ e da cinética da fermentação ruminal. O capim-elefante colhido aos 56 dias proporcionou maiores valores de consumo da MS (1204,81g/dia), da EB (4910,41kcal/dia), da ED (3436,21kcal/dia) e da PB (130,90g/dia). Para o capim-elefante colhido aos 56 dias, ainda foram observados os maiores valores de digestibilidade da MS (70,64%), da EB (70,11%), da PB (68,96%), da FDN (71,4%) e do conteúdo ED (2,86Mcal/kg MS). Com o avanço da idade de corte, houve redução da degradabilidade potencial da MS (77,99% x 68,33%), da PB (84,80% x 56,52%) e da FDN (72,18% x 64,33%), para as idades de corte de 56 e 112 dias, respectivamente. O capim cortado aos 56 dias apresentou maior valor de produção cumulativa de gases (210,50mL/g de MS) e de degradabilidade da matéria seca (63,9%) após 96 horas de fermentação. O capim-elefante verde deve ser colhido aos 56 dias de rebrota em razão das características nutricionais apresentadas.(AU)

The nutritional value of fresh elephant grass harvested at 56, 84 and 112 days of age was evaluated by intake and digestibility in sheep, in situ degradability, and ruminal fermentation's kinetics. The elephant grass harvested at 56 days provided higher DM intake (1204.81g/day), GE (4910.41kcal/day), DE (3436.21kcal/day), and CP (130.90g/day) values. Furthermore, the highest DM (70.64%), GE (70.11%), DE (2.86%) and CP (68.96%) digestibility values were observed at 56 days. With the increase in the harvest age there was a reduction in the DM (77.99 x 68.33%), CP (84.80 x 56.52%) and NDF (72.18 x 64.33%) potential degradability in the treatments 56 and 112 days, respectively. Higher values of cumulative gas production (210,50mL/g DM) and DM degradability for elephant grass were observed at 56 days, after 96 hours of fermentation. The fresh elephant grass should be harvested at 56 days of regrowth due to the nutritional characteristics found in this study.(AU)

A metal-free blue chromophore derived from plant pigments.

Blue natural pigments are rare, especially among plants. However, flowering species that evolved to attract Hymenoptera pollinators are colored by blue anthocyanin-metal complexes. Plants lacking anthocyanins are pigmented by betalains but are unable to produce blue hues. By extending the π-system of betalains, we designed a photostable and metal-free blue dye named BeetBlue that did not show toxicity to human hepatic and retinal pigment epithelial cells and does not affect zebrafish embryonal development. This chiral dye can be conveniently synthesized from betalamic acid obtained from hydrolyzed red beetroot juice or by enzymatic oxidation of l-dopa. BeetBlue is blue in the solid form and in solution of acidified polar molecular solvents, including water. Its capacity to dye natural matrices makes BeetBlue the prototype of a new class of low-cost bioinspired chromophores suitable for a myriad of applications requiring a blue hue.

A metal-free blue chromophore derived from plant pigments

Blue natural pigments are rare, especially among plants. However, flowering species that evolved to attract Hymenoptera pollinators are colored by blue anthocyanin-metal complexes. Plants lacking anthocyanins are pigmented by betalains but are unable to produce blue hues. By extending the p-system of betalains, we designed a photostable and metal-free blue dye named BeetBlue that did not show toxicity to human hepatic and retinal pigment epithelial cells and does not affect zebrafish embryonal development. This chiral dye can be conveniently synthesized from betalamic acid obtained from hydrolyzed red beetroot juice or by enzymatic oxidation of L-dopa. BeetBlue is blue in the solid form and in solution of acidified polar molecular solvents, including water. Its capacity to dye natural matrices makes BeetBlue the prototype of a new class of low-cost bioinspired chromophores suitable for a myriad of applications requiring a blue hue.

A metal-free blue chromophore derived from plant pigments

Blue natural pigments are rare, especially among plants. However, flowering species that evolved to attract Hymenoptera pollinators are colored by blue anthocyanin-metal complexes. Plants lacking anthocyanins are pigmented by betalains but are unable to produce blue hues. By extending the p-system of betalains, we designed a photostable and metal-free blue dye named BeetBlue that did not show toxicity to human hepatic and retinal pigment epithelial cells and does not affect zebrafish embryonal development. This chiral dye can be conveniently synthesized from betalamic acid obtained from hydrolyzed red beetroot juice or by enzymatic oxidation of L-dopa. BeetBlue is blue in the solid form and in solution of acidified polar molecular solvents, including water. Its capacity to dye natural matrices makes BeetBlue the prototype of a new class of low-cost bioinspired chromophores suitable for a myriad of applications requiring a blue hue.

Effect of re-ensiling on the quality of sorghum silage.

The commercialization of silage in many countries, including Brazil, has increased in recent years. Re-ensiling of previously ensiled forage occurs when silage is relocated from one farm to another, where it will be compacted and sealed again. During this process, silage is exposed to oxygen before being ensiled, which may affect its quality. We exposed sorghum silage to air during the anaerobic storage phase to simulate the transportation of silages between farms. Experimental treatments included silage exposed to air for 0 or 12 h, with or without the use of an inoculant containing a mixture of Lactobacillus plantarum and the propionic bacteria Propionibacterium acidipropionici (1 × 106 cfu/g of forage; Biomax corn, Lallemand, Saint-Simon, France), totaling 4 treatments: conventional silage, conventional silage with inoculant use, re-ensilage after exposure to air, and re-ensilage after exposure to air with use of an inoculant. The sorghum was stored in experimental silos containing about 9.0 kg of fresh forage per replicate. Treatments were tested in a factorial 2 × 2 design with 5 replicates each. Chemical composition, in vitro dry matter digestibility, fermentative characteristics, losses (due to gas, effluents, and total dry matter), microorganism counts, and aerobic stability of sorghum silage were evaluated. Dry matter content of sorghum before ensiling was 273.12 g/kg. The 12-h re-ensiling process increased the effluent loss of the silage when compared with conventional silage (456.42 vs. 201.19 g/kg of FM, respectively). In addition, re-ensiled silages presented lower concentrations of lactic acid and higher concentrations of propionic acid than the silages that had not been opened during storage. The aerobic stability of silage was not affected by the re-ensiling process and the use of inoculant. The use of inoculant increased the pH and loss of dry matter of the silages (4.23 vs. 3.98 and 14.05 vs. 7.82%, respectively) and therefore did not provide any benefits in this study.

Prevalence of food allergy in infants and pre-schoolers in Brazil.

BACKGROUND: Food allergy is an increasing problem in public health, especially in childhood. Its incidence has increased in the last decade. Despite this, estimates of the actual incidence and prevalence are uncertain. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of food allergy in infants and pre-schoolers. METHODS: The parents of 3897 children completed questionnaires on the occurrence of any reaction to food. Children with parentally reported reactions were selected for further examination including a clinical interview, physical examination, allergic tests, and if necessary, oral food challenge to conclude the diagnosis of FA. RESULTS: The estimated prevalence of allergy in children aged 4-59 months was 0.61%, being, 1.9% in infants and 0.4% in pre-schoolers. Among the 604 patients physicians evaluated with parent-reported FA, 24 (4%) had a confirmed diagnosis of food allergy, and 580 (96%) were excluded in the remaining. Of these, approximately half (51/52.6%) of 97 infants and (128/48%) of 487 pre-schoolers already performed the diet exclusion suspected food for a period of time. CONCLUSION: This study shows that high overall prevalence of parental belief of current food allergy however the same was not observed in the in physician-diagnosed food allergy. The prevalence of food allergy was lower than that observed in the literature. This study alerts health professionals to the risk entailed by overestimation of cases of food allergy and unnecessary dietary exclusion, which may result in impairment in growth and development of children, especially in their first years of life.

Energy partitioning and methane emission by sheep fed sorghum silages at different maturation stages / Partição de energia e emissão de metano por ovinos alimentados com silagem de sorgo em diferentes estádios de maturação

Energy partitioning and methane production by sheep fed silages of three commercially available sorghum hybrids (BRS 610, BR 700 and BRS 655) harvested at three maturation stages (milk, soft dough and floury) were evaluated in open circuit respiration chambers. A complete randomized design was used in a 3 × 3 (hybrids × maturity stages) factorial arrangement, and the means were compared by the Student-Newman-Keuls (SNK) test (P<0.05). The intake of dry matter, digestible dry matter, gross energy, digestible energy and metabolizable energy were not affected by maturation stage, but were influenced by hybrid. The net energy intake was influenced by maturity and sorghum genetics. The fecal output represented the main source of energy loss, as percentage of gross energy intake (48% to 52%), followed by heat increment (10% to 19%), methane emissions (4% to 6%) and urine (1% to 2%). There were no differences (P>0.10) among the treatments for the apparent digestibility of gross energy and metabolizability (qm). An interaction (P<0.05) between sorghum hybrid and maturation stages was observed for the efficiency of metabolizable energy utilization for maintenance (km), which ranged between 0.53 and 0.78. No differences (P>0.10) among treatments occurred in the daily methane production. There is substantial genetic diversity within sorghum species, determining different nutritional values. Sorghum genetics and maturity at harvest should not be an opportunity to reduce the contribution of agriculture to methane emissions.

A partição de energia e a produção de metano por ovinos alimentados com silagens de três híbridos de sorgo comerciais (BRS 610, BR 700 e BRS 655), colhidos em três estádios de maturação (leitoso, pastoso e farináceo), foram avaliadas em câmaras respirométricas de circuito aberto. Utilizou-se delineamento inteiramente ao acaso, em arranjo fatorial 3 x 3 (híbridos x estádios de maturação), e as médias foram comparadas pelo teste Student-Newman-Keuls (SNK) (P<0,05). Os consumos de matéria seca, de matéria seca digestível, de energia bruta, de energia digestível e de energia metabolizável não foram afetados pelo estádio de maturação, mas foram influenciados pelo híbrido de sorgo. O consumo de energia líquida foi influenciado pela maturidade e pelo híbrido. As perdas de energia nas fezes representaram a principal fonte de perda energética como porcentagem do consumo de energia bruta (48% a 52%), seguida pelo incremento calórico (10% a 19%), pela emissão de metano (4% a 6%) e pela urina (1 a 2%). Não houve diferenças (P>0,10) entre os tratamentos para a digestibilidade aparente da energia bruta e para a metabolizabilidade (qm). Foi observada interação (P<0,05) entre híbrido de sorgo e estádio de maturação para eficiência de uso da energia metabolizável para mantença (Km), que variou entre 0,53 e 0,78. Não ocorreram diferenças (P>0,10) entre tratamentos na produção diária de metano. A emissão de metano em gramas por kg de matéria seca digestível e por kg de fibra em detergente neutro digestível foi inferior no estádio pastoso comparado ao estádio farináceo.

Silagem de capim-elefante adicionada de casca de maracujá / Elephant grass silage added to passion fruit's peel

Avaliaram-se-se as características fermentativas e químico-bromatológicas da silagem de capim-elefante contendo diferentes níveis de inclusão do coproduto da extração da polpa do maracujá, a casca de maracujá (CM). Utilizaram-se níveis crescentes de adição desse coproduto (0,0%; 12,5%; 25,0%; 37,5% e 50,0%) em relação à matéria natural do capim-elefante durante a ensilagem. As silagens foram obtidas a partir do corte da forrageira aos 150 dias de idade. O material foi ensilado em silos laboratoriais e, após 180 dias, os silos foram abertos e coletaram-se amostras para a determinação dos teores de matéria seca (MS); carboidratos solúveis (CHOS); potencial hidrogeniônico (pH); nitrogênio amoniacal em porcentagem do nitrogênio total (NNH3/NT); extrato etéreo (EE); proteína bruta (PB); proteína insolúvel em detergente neutro em porcentagem do nitrogênio total (PIDN/NT); proteína insolúvel em detergente ácido em porcentagem do nitrogênio total (PIDA/NT); fibra em detergente neutro (FDN); fibra em detergente ácido (FDA); celulose (CEL); lignina (LIG); nitrogênio insolúvel em detergente neutro (NIDN); nitrogênio insolúvel em detergente ácido (NIDA) e digestibilidade in vitro da matéria seca (DIVMS). Para a avaliação do efeito dos tratamentos, utilizou-se delineamento experimental inteiramente ao acaso, com quatro repetições, executando-se o estudo de regressão para cada variável analisada (P<0,05). De acordo com as equações de regressão, para as características fermentativas, as silagens podem ser consideradas de muito boa qualidade. Quanto às frações fibrosas da silagem, a inclusão de níveis crescentes desse coproduto contribuiu para diminuí-las, o que resultou em maior DIVMS. Os parâmetros analisados permitem concluir que a inclusão da CM in natura durante a ensilagem do capim-elefante é recomendada em todos os níveis avaliados.

We evaluated the fermentative, chemical and qualitative characteristics of elephant grass silage containing different levels of inclusion of coproduct extraction of the passion fruit pulp in nature, passion fruit peel (CM). We used increasing levels of addition of this coproduct (0.0, 12.5, 25.0, 37.5 and 50.0%) in relation to natural field of elephant grass during ensiling. The silages were obtained from the cut forage at 150 days of age. The material was ensiled in laboratory silos, and after 180 days, the silos were opened and samples were collected for determination of dry matter (DM); soluble carbohydrates (CHOS); hydrogen potential (pH); ammonia nitrogen in percentage of total nitrogen (NNH3/NT); ether extract (EE); crude protein (CP); neutral detergent insoluble protein as a percentage of total nitrogen (NDIP/NT); acid detergent insoluble protein as a percentage of total nitrogen (PIDA/NT); neutral detergent fiber (NDF); acid detergent fiber (ADF); cellulose (CEL); lignin (LIG); neutral detergent insoluble nitrogen (NDIN); acid detergent insoluble nitrogen (ADIN) and in vitro digestibility of dry matter (IVDDM). To assess the effect of the treatments we used a completely randomized design with four replications, running the regression analysis for each variable analyzed (P<0.05). According to the regression equations for the fermentative characteristics, silage can be considered very good quality. As for fiber digestibility of silage, the increasing levels of this coproduct contributed to decrease it, which resulted in higher IVDDM. The parameters analyzed showed that the inclusion of CM in nature with elephant grass silage is recommended at all levels evaluated.

Effect of fibrolytic enzymes added to a Andropogon gayanus grass silage-concentrate diet on rumen fermentation in batch cultures and the artificial rumen (Rusitec).

In vitro batch cultures were used to screen four fibrolytic enzyme mixtures at two dosages added to a 60 : 40 silage : concentrate diet containing the C(4) tropical grass Andropogon gayanus grass ensiled at two maturities - vegetative stage (VS) and flowering stage (FS). Based on these studies, one enzyme mixture was selected to treat the same diets and evaluate its impact on fermentation using an artificial rumen (Rusitec). In vitro batch cultures were conducted as a completely randomized design with two runs, four replicates per run and 12 treatments in a factorial arrangement (four enzyme mixtures×three doses). Enzyme additives (E1, E2, E3 and E4) were commercial products and contained a range of endoglucanase, exoglucanase and xylanase activities. Enzymes were added to the complete diet 2 h before incubation at 0, 2 and 4 µl/g of dry matter (DM). Gas production (GP) was measured after 3, 6, 12, 24 and 48 h of incubation. Disappearance of DM (DMD), NDF (NDFD) and ADF (ADFD) were determined after 24 and 48 h. For all four enzyme mixtures, a dosage effect (P>0.05) DM, N, NDF or ADF disappearance after 48 h of incubation nor daily ammonia-N, volatile fatty acids or CH(4) production. However, enzyme application increased (P<0.05) microbial N production in feed particle-associated (loosely-associated) and silage feed particle-bound (firmly associated) fractions. With A. gayanus silage diets, degradation may not be limited by microbial colonization, but rather by the ability of fibrolytic enzymes to degrade plant cell walls within this recalcitrant forage.