Review
Nutrition & Dietetics
Luciano Pinotti, Michele Manoni, Luca Ferrari, Marco Tretola, Roberta Cazzola, Ian Givens
Summary: Magnesium plays a crucial role as a cofactor of over 300 enzymes, and its supplementation is recommended in both farm animals and human nutrition to ensure adequate growth, health maintenance, and optimal performance. Adequate magnesium intake can improve meat quality, fertility, and yield in farm animals, while also preventing deficiency-related health conditions and supporting growth. Having an adequate magnesium content in animal-sourced food is important to prevent magnesium deficiency in farm animals and to serve as excellent magnesium sources in human diets, which is crucial for bone development, muscle function, and overall health maintenance.
Review
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Nesrein M. Hashem, Antonio Gonzalez-Bulnes
Summary: The emergence of nanotechnology in livestock farming systems offers innovative solutions for the existing reproductive management challenges by modulating drug behavior and improving biological effects. The optimal reproductive management involves biological, hormonal, nutritional strategies, and reproductive disease control, which should consider both practical and ethical aspects. Nanotechnology applications can enhance the physicochemical properties of drugs, biological molecules, and nutrients, leading to improved bioavailability, cellular uptake, sustained release, and lower toxicity compared to conventional forms.
Review
Cell Biology
Sophie Tesseraud, Pascale Avril, Muriel Bonnet, Anne Bonnieu, Isabelle Cassar-Malek, Beatrice Chabi, Frederic Dessauge, Jean-Charles Gabillard, Marie-Helene Perruchot, Iban Seiliez
Summary: Autophagy is a crucial cellular degradative process for maintaining cell homeostasis, but its role in species of agronomical interest remains largely unexplored.
Review
Veterinary Sciences
Federico Ghiselli, Barbara Rossi, Andrea Piva, Ester Grilli
Summary: This article discusses the importance of gastrointestinal health in animals and the use of in vitro and ex vivo models to better understand and improve animal gut health.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2021)
Review
Agronomy
Suresh Neethirajan
Summary: Sensor-enabled big data and artificial intelligence platforms have the potential to address global socio-economic trends related to the livestock production sector. However, current digital approaches do not meet the challenges due to a lack of efficient and real-time non-invasive precision measurement technologies that can detect and monitor animal diseases and identify resilience in animals.
Review
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Chenbin Cui, Lindeng Li, Lin Wu, Xinru Wang, Yao Zheng, Fangke Wang, Hongkui Wei, Jian Peng
Summary: A healthy intestine is crucial for the growth and development of farm animals. Little is known about Paneth cells in farm animals, but they have noticeable differences in cell shape and distribution. Understanding Paneth cells and their antimicrobial peptides in different livestock species is important for improving intestinal health.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Alberto Cesarani, Giuseppe Pulina
Summary: Animal welfare is a crucial issue, with a growing focus on understanding the relationship between selection and domestic animal behavior, including factors such as regulations, domestication, and selection. The concept of welfare for farm animals has evolved significantly, driven by increased awareness and the need to provide animals with high levels of well-being. Understanding the role of genetics in farm animal behavior is essential for challenging the simplistic approach of returning animals to their natural state and instead considering welfare assessments.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Siyu Chen, Shuyan Luo, Chao Yan
Summary: This review summarizes recent studies on the influence of gut microbiota on the health, immunity, behavior, and stress response of farm animals. The application of fecal microbiota transplantation is highlighted as a novel approach to regulate the composition and function of the microbiota in recipient animals. The review provides new insights into the evaluation and improvement of farm animal welfare through the study of gut microbiota.
Review
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Agustin Orihuela, Daniel Mota-Rojas, Ana Strappini, Francesco Serrapica, Ada Braghieri, Patricia Mora-Medina, Fabio Napolitano
Summary: This paper reviews the significance of bonding in the cow-calf relationship, focusing on sensory stimuli during the sensitive period after birth, classification of bonding based on predominant senses, learning mechanisms like imprinting, and neurobiological pathways involved. The development of the cow-calf bond is crucial for the fitness of offspring, and factors like lack of maternal experience or dystocic parturitions may impact this process. Understanding imprinting and the neurobiological mechanisms triggered during the sensitive period can provide valuable insights into the development of the mother-offspring bond in buffaloes and other mammalian farm species.
Review
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Paulo V. Steagall, Hedie Bustamante, Craig B. Johnson, Patricia V. Turner
Summary: Pain is a common cause of compromised animal welfare in farm animals, necessitating better pain management and improved welfare for food animals. Recommendations include enhancing pain assessment and mitigation in husbandry practices, promoting better agricultural practices and ethical considerations.
Article
Reproductive Biology
Borhan Shokrollahi, Jiang-Hua Shang, Nazila Saadati, Hafiz Ishfaq Ahmad, Chun-Yan Yang
Summary: Adipose tissue plays a significant role in mammalian reproduction by secreting adipokines that influence energy regulation, metabolism, and cardiovascular diseases. Studies have shown that adipokines are crucial for protecting the reproductive axis, promoting ovulation, and successful embryo implantation, with different adipokines having diverse functions in the reproductive system.
Review
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Daniel Mota-Rojas, Miriam Marcet-Rius, Aline Freitas-de-Melo, Ramon Muns, Patricia Mora-Medina, Adriana Dominguez-Oliva, Agustin Orihuela
Summary: Allonursing and allosuckling are behaviors displayed by some females, characterized by nursing and feeding non-filial offspring. While they can bring benefits, they can also pose health risks and pathogen transmission. Establishing a close bond between dams and newborns is essential for providing protection and nutrition, but these behaviors may have implications on animal welfare.
Article
Immunology
Ying He, Bo Liang, Sze Wan Hung, Ruizhe Zhang, Hui Xu, Jacqueline Pui Wah Chung, Chi Chiu Wang
Summary: This study compared the effects of different methods of establishing endometriosis models in mice on pathology and immunology. The results showed that models established using ovariectomy with estrogen supplement, solely endometrium fragments, and intraperitoneal injection are more suitable for studying the pathology and immunology of endometriosis in mice.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Microbiology
Gabriele Meroni, Alexios Tsikopoulos, Konstantinos Tsikopoulos, Francesca Allemanno, Piera Anna Martino, Joel Fernando Soares Filipe
Summary: Osteomyelitis is a bone infection that can spread through hematogenous, contiguous, or direct inoculation routes. Animal models can be used to study osteomyelitis, and different species are chosen for research. The clinical manifestation of hematogenous osteomyelitis varies due to multiple factors, but these variables can be controlled and tested through animal models.
Review
Plant Sciences
Doriana Eurosia Angela Tedesco, Alessandro Guerrini
Summary: Milk thistle is a medicinal plant with antioxidant and hepatoprotective properties. It is used as a feed additive or ingredient in animals to improve their performance and health. However, the specific effects and doses are not always clear in certain studies.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Yao Xiao, Froylan Sosa, Lesley R. de Armas, Li Pan, Peter J. Hansen
Summary: Gene expression analysis in preimplantation embryos using a direct synthesis and specific-target pre-amplification method showed reliable results for sexing and other gene expression studies. Calibration curve analysis of PCR results validated 93.75% of genes tested, demonstrating the method's robustness. The study also showed that within-assay variation increased when cycle threshold values exceeded 18, indicating limitations in sensitivity at higher levels of gene expression.
JOURNAL OF DAIRY SCIENCE
(2021)
Editorial Material
Reproductive Biology
Peter J. Hansen, Marc-Antoine Driancourt
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Eliab Estrada-Cortes, William Ortiz, Maria B. Rabaglino, Jeremy Block, Owen Rae, Elizabeth A. Jannaman, Yao Xiao, Peter J. Hansen
Summary: Provision of the methyl-donor choline to preimplantation embryos can alter their developmental program to increase gestation length, birth weight, and weaning weight, and cause postnatal changes in muscle DNA methylation associated with genes related to anabolic processes and cellular growth, highlighting the importance of embryo nutritional status for health and well-being after birth.
Article
Developmental Biology
Viju Vijayan Pillai, Tiffany G. Kei, Shailesh Gurung, Moubani Das, Luiz G. B. Siqueira, Soon Hon Cheong, Peter J. Hansen, Vimal Selvaraj
Summary: TGF beta 1 plays a crucial role in the differentiation of trophoblast cells, and inhibition of RhoA/Rock promotes self-renewal and proliferation.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Thiago F. Amaral, Joao Gabriel Viana de Grazia, Luany Alves Galvao Martinhao, Felipe De Col, Luiz Gustavo B. Siqueira, Joao Henrique M. Viana, Peter J. Hansen
Summary: The study aimed to optimize in vitro embryo production in cattle. The results showed that the proportion of embryos becoming blastocysts in culture was influenced by the type of serum in the medium and the addition of specific embryokines. The sire also had a significant effect on embryonic development and pregnancy rate.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
L. M. Jensen, E. A. Jannaman, J. E. Pryce, A. De Vries, P. J. Hansen
Summary: Heat stress has negative consequences for milk production and reproduction of dairy cattle, and there is genetic variation among cows in their ability to resist these effects. This study evaluated the effectiveness of the Australian breeding value for heat tolerance (ABVHT) in predicting cow differences in the effects of heat stress on body temperature regulation, milk production, and reproductive function.
JOURNAL OF DAIRY SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Erly Luisana Carrascal-Triana, Adriana Moreira Zolini, Antonio Ruiz de King, Jurandy Mauro Penitente-Filho, Peter J. Hansen, Ciro Alexandre Alves Torres, Jeremy Block
Summary: This study investigated the effects of supplementation with ascorbate, dithiothreitol (DTT) or caspase-3 inhibitor (z-DEVD-fmk) on the post-thaw survival of in vitro-produced bovine embryos. The results showed that the addition of 0.1 mM ascorbate to the freezing medium improved re-expansion rates and hatching rate of the embryos, while reducing intracellular ROS levels and DNA fragmentation.
REPRODUCTION IN DOMESTIC ANIMALS
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Froylan Sosa, Peter J. Hansen
Summary: The study found that CSF2 can protect the developmental competence of bovine embryos under heat shock, especially at the zygote and two-cell stages.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Maria Belen Rabaglino, Dessie Salilew-Wondim, Adriana Zolini, Dawit Tesfaye, Michael Hoelker, Pat Lonergan, Peter J. J. Hansen
Summary: This study developed a gene signature model to predict embryonic competence for survival by integrating transcriptomic data from blastocysts and elongating conceptuses. The potential biomarkers were validated with independent embryonic data sets using machine-learning algorithms. The results showed that the predictions of embryonic development fate based on these biomarkers were highly accurate.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Camila J. Cuellar, Muhammad Saleem, L. M. Jensen, P. J. Hansen
Summary: This study investigates the relationship between the ability of cattle to regulate body temperature during heat stress and their milk production capacity, as well as the impact of genetic groups on the seasonal depression in milk yield. The findings suggest that Brown Swiss and crossbred cows have better body temperature regulation during heat stress compared to Holsteins, but they are not more resistant to heat stress in terms of milk yield. Therefore, genetic differences in thermotolerance may exist independently of regulation of body temperature.
JOURNAL OF DAIRY SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Reproductive Biology
Froylan Sosa, Kyungjun Uh, Jessica N. Drum, Katy S. Stoecklein, Kimberly M. Davenport, M. Sofia Ortega, Kiho Lee, Peter J. Hansen
Summary: This study investigates the role of CSF2RA in the development of bovine embryos. The results show that inactivation of CSF2RA leads to lower development rates of embryos to the blastocyst stage and changes in gene expression. The CSF2 signaling pathway enhances the likelihood of blastocyst formation and affects functions such as cell signaling and glycosylation.
REPRODUCTION AND FERTILITY
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Quinn A. Hoorn, Maria Belen Rabaglino, Tatiane S. Maia, Masroor Sagheer, Dailin Fuego, Zongliang Jiang, Peter J. Hansen
Summary: The study characterizes the expression of genes encoding cell signaling ligands in bovine endosalpinx and endometrium and analyzes spatial changes in gene expression. It finds that these cell signaling ligands may influence early embryonic development and highlights the distinct expression profiles of the oviduct and endometrium.
PHYSIOLOGICAL GENOMICS
(2023)
Article
Developmental Biology
Daniel L. Stanton, Alexander Graf, Tatiane S. Maia, Helmut Blum, Zongliang Jiang, Peter J. Hansen
Summary: It is not known when a functional circadian clock is established in the developing embryo. Lack of expression of key genes involved in the clock mechanism is indicative that a functional circadian clock mechanism is absent in the mammalian preimplantation embryo through the blastocyst stage of development.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Quinn A. Hoorn, Gabriel A. Zayas, Eduardo E. Rodriguez, Laura M. Jensen, Raluca G. Mateescu, Peter J. Hansen
Summary: This study identified QTLs and candidate SNPs associated with pregnancy outcomes in beef heifers, including a large QTL associated with a group of protocadherin genes. Confirmation of these associations with larger populations could lead to the development of genomic predictions of reproductive function in beef cattle. Moreover, additional research is warranted to study the function of candidate genes associated with QTLs.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Peter J. Hansen
Summary: Graduate education is crucial for academic scientists as it carries the responsibility of guiding students towards their career and life goals. Being a good mentor involves developing an education framework and adapting it to each student's needs based on experience, advice, and individual personality. Most importantly, mentors should be invested in the success and well-being of their students.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE
(2023)