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Sep
01
Biden Administration supports pork producers in Prop 12
The Solicitor General of the United States, Elizabeth Prelogar, has filed a brief in support of the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) and the American Farm Bureau Federation’s (AFBF) lawsuit against California’s Proposition 12. The Proposition mandates farm animal confinement standards and directs the Department and the Department of Public Health to jointly promulgate regulations to implement the provisions for specified farm animals and the sale of specified products derived from them.
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Sep
01
Americans prefer in-store grocery shopping, according to study
A new study from researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign looked at how American food-buying behaviors have changed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The researchers also examined how these behaviors changed through the development of vaccines and as case numbers fluctuated.
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Aug
24
Interpretive Summary: Meta-analysis of the effects of the dietary application of exogenous alpha-amylase preparations on performance, nutrient digestibility, and rumen fermentation of lactating dairy cows
For more than a decade, starch-degrading enzymes (amylolytic enzymes) have been used as a strategy to increase total-tract starch degradation to increase milk yield of dairy cows. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of starch-degrading enzymes on starch digestion and milk yield in dairy cows.
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Aug
24
Interpretive Summary: Effect of feeding calcium gluconate embedded in a hydrogenated fat matrix on feed intake, gastrointestinal fermentation and morphology, intestinal brush border enzyme activity and blood metabolites in growing lambs
Gluconate salts have been reported to be metabolized by microbes in the gastrointestinal tract to yield butyrate. Butyrate has shown potential to enhance functionality of the gastrointestinal tract by increasing the absorptive surface area, enzyme activity, and the barrier function.
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Aug
24
Interpretive Summary: Effect of live yeast supplementation in sow diet during gestation and lactation on sow and piglet fecal microbiota, health, and performance
Feeding live yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii (SB) in pig diets is recommended to promote a better health and reduce antibiotic use during critical periods like weaning. Our study was conducted to determine if SB added to the diet of sows during the last 2 mo of gestation and the 4 wk of lactation may contribute to support the health and performance of their piglets before and after weaning.
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Aug
24
Interpretive Summary: Postbiotic effects of Lactobacillus fermentate on intestinal health, mucosa-associated microbiota, and growth efficiency of nursery pigs challenged with F18+Escherichia coli
Newly weaned pigs are susceptible to multiple stressors that may lead to postweaning diarrhea, thereby causing significant economic losses in the swine industry. Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli strains are the major agents causing diarrhea in newly weaned pigs.
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Aug
24
Interpretive Summary: Improvement in feed efficiency and reduction in nutrient loading from rainbow trout farms: the role of selective breeding
Resource efficiency, the ratio of inputs to outputs, is essential for both the economic and environmental performance of aquaculture. The data from commercial rainbow trout farms showed that from 1980 onwards, the farm-level feed conversion ratio (FCR) improved by 53.4%, and the specific nitrogen and phosphorus loading from the farms decreased by over 70%.
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Aug
24
Interpretive Summary: Sensory attributes, dog preference ranking, and oxidation rate evaluation of sorghum-based baked treats supplemented with soluble animal proteins
Treats are commonly given to dogs to create a better relationship with the owner. Most treats on the market are baked and wheat based as this grain has gluten that provides good texture attributes and facilitates production.
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Aug
24
Interpretive Summary: Oral microbiota populations of adult dogs consuming wet or dry foods
Canned wet foods are often blamed for poor oral health in dogs, but comparison between wet and dry foods is not commonly done. We used 12 healthy adult dogs to determine differences in oral health measures, breath odor, and oral bacteria populations of dogs consuming wet or dry foods.
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Aug
24
Interpretive Summary: Impact of prepartum administration of a vaccine against infectious calf diarrhea on nonspecific colostral immunoglobulin concentrations of dairy cows
Unlike human babies, calves do not receive protective immune proteins (immunoglobulins) from the mother before birth, so a sufficient volume of immunoglobulin-rich colostrum of adequate quality must be consumed within hours of birth. It can be a challenge to meet this requirement for all dairy calves.
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Aug
11
Interpretive Summary: Effects of in ovo injection of nicotinamide riboside on high-yield broiler myogenesis
Broiler chicken weight gain is a result of genetics and nutrition, with increased muscle mass attributed to accelerated embryonic myogenesis and posthatch muscle growth. During the avian incubation period, in ovo injection may be used as a strategy to deliver exogenous supplements into growing embryos for improving skeletal muscle development and growth.
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Aug
11
Interpretive Summary: Short Communication: Beta-adrenergic agonists alter oxidative phosphorylation in primary myoblasts
Beta-adrenergic agonists (β-AAs) are supplemented to pigs and cattle to improve growth performance, carcass weight, and loin muscle area. Little is known about the mechanism taking place within individual cells by which β-AAs achieve this outcome.
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Aug
11
Interpretive Summary: Short Communication: Supplementation with calcium butyrate causes an increase in the percentage of oxidative fibers in equine gluteus medius muscle
The largest tissue in the body, skeletal muscle, is a heterogeneous mix of fibers that are categorized based on their primary source of energy production and speed of contraction. Evidence suggests that Thoroughbred horses with a greater percentage of type IIA, fast-twitch, oxidative fibers are more successful than those with fewer.
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Aug
11
Interpretive Summary: The impact of Zearalenone on heat-stressed skeletal muscle in pigs
Heat stress (HS) and Zearalenone (ZEN), a toxic feed contaminant, affect growth, production efficiency, and animal welfare, and can cause death. As HS and ZEN independently increase oxidative stress, an imbalance of free radical production and clearance, and the likelihood of ZEN contamination during heat events, we hypothesized concomitant exposure would induce oxidative stress in pig skeletal muscle more than either agent alone.
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Aug
04
Infographic: NC1184: Molecular Mechanisms Regulating Skeletal Muscle Growth and Differentiation
One of the longest standing regional projects, the NC1184 group consists of 26 member agriculture experiment stations with a rich history of benchtop discovery in muscle biology with translation to the meat and livestock production sectors.
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Aug
04
Interpretive Summary: Molecular and biochemical regulation of skeletal muscle metabolism
Skeletal muscle is a heterogenous population of cells that are classified into muscle types based on contractile speed and metabolism. The various types of muscle cells utilize different biochemical pathways to produce energy to support cellular functions.
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Aug
04
Interpretive Summary: The initial delay to mitotic activity in primary cultures of equine satellite cells is reduced by combinations of growth factors
Satellite cells are the resident stem cells found within skeletal muscle. Following strenuous exercise, the cells become mitotically active to supply progenitors for muscle repair. The signals responsible for their exit from the dormant state are largely unknown.
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Aug
04
Interpretive Summary: Thermal stress and selection for growth affect myogenic satellite cell lipid accumulation and adipogenic gene expression through mechanistic target of rapamycin pathway
Turkey breast muscle growth and development are sensitive to temperatures immediately after hatch due to an immature thermoregulatory system. Meat yield or quality problems may arise from external thermal stress during this period.
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Aug
04
Interpretive Summary: Effect of combined maternal and post-hatch dietary 25-hydroxycholecalciferol supplementation on broiler chicken Pectoralis major muscle growth characteristics and satellite cell mitotic activity
Skeletal muscle growth is largely dependent on the proliferation and differentiation of muscle-specific stem cells known as satellite cells (SC). Previous work has shown that dietary inclusion of the vitamin D3 metabolite, 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25OHD3), also called calcidiol, can promote skeletal muscle growth in post-hatch broiler chickens.
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Aug
04
Interpretive Summary: Supplementation with artificial sweetener and capsaicin alters metabolic flexibility and performance in heat-stressed and feed-restricted pigs
Heat stress reduces pig performance due to metabolic responses to heat. During heat stress, pigs lose the ability to metabolize fatty acids for energy and rely on carbohydrates to fuel growth.
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