3709 research outputs found
Sort by
Effect of calfhood nutrition on insulin kinetics and insulin signalling pathway genes in muscle
No full textThe objectives of this study were to examine systemic insulin and glucose responsiveness to a glucose tolerance test
(GTT) and transcript abundance of genes of the insulin signalling pathway in skeletal muscle in calves offered an
enhanced plane of nutrition from 3 to 21 weeks of life. Angus × Holstein-Friesian heifer calves (19±5 days of age,
BW: 51.2±7.8 kg, mean ± SD) were offered either a high (HP, n=15) or moderate plane of nutrition (MP, n=15) from
3 to 21 weeks of age. Target growth rates were 1.2 kg/d and 0.5 kg/d, for HP and MP groups, respectively. At 19 wk of
age a GTT was performed and at 21 weeks of age all calves were euthanized and skeletal muscle tissue was harvested
and RNA-Seq analysis was performed. No difference was detected between treatments for area under curve (AUC)
at 60 min for blood glucose concentrations. However, clearance rate of blood glucose was faster (P<0.05) for calves
from the HP versus those on the MP diet. Calves on HP diet had a greater AUC at 60 min for blood concentrations
of insulin compared MP diet. The change in systemic insulin from max to basal levels were greater for HP than MP
dietary treatments, and a faster clearance rate of blood insulin (P<0.05) was observed in HP compared to MP diet.
There was no evidence of insulin sensitivity differences (P>0.10) between the dietary treatments, nor an association
between insulin sensitivity index with early life calf growth. Genes of the insulin signalling pathway involved in fatty
acid synthesis were up-regulated, while genes involved in glucose metabolism were down-regulated in HP compared
to MP calves, suggesting a greater requirement of nutrients in the skeletal muscle of MP treatment calves. Taken
together, these results indicate that a high plane of nutrition up to 21 week of age does not negatively impact insulin
responsiveness in calves
Effects of early spring N-fertilisation strategies on grass production and nitrogen recovery
Get PDFpeer-reviewedApplication rate and application date of fertiliser nitrogen (N) are important factors determining grass production response and N recovery by grassland in spring. This study was conducted at two sites with different soil types (sandy loam and clay loam) in Ireland in spring 2005 and 2006. In comparison with a non-fertilised (zero-N) control, urea N was applied at rates of 60 and 90 kg N/ha either as single or split applications on eight dates ranging between 11 January and 14 March. Grass was harvested on four occasions between 21 February and 25 April. Split fertiliser N applications provided the best outcome in relation to grass DM production, apparent recovery of fertiliser N (ARFN) and cost of additional grass produced compared with single applications. Likewise, in this study the optimum date to commence fertiliser N application was 21 January combined with a second application on 26 February in terms of the cost-effectiveness of the fertiliser N input to increase grass DM production
Factors affecting retention of veterinary practitioners in Ireland: a cross-sectional study with a focus on clinical practice
Get PDFpeer-reviewedBackground
Retention of veterinary practitioners has arisen as a significant problem in recent years in Ireland. No prior Irish peer-reviewed publications have addressed this problem. An online questionnaire was available through social media and via email to Irish vets from January to November 2019. The aim of this survey was to ascertain the factors contributing to the problem of vet retention in Ireland.
Results
A total of 370 eligible responses were received. The median age of respondents was 31 and the gender balance was 250 females (68%) to 118 males (32%). The majority of respondents worked in clinical practice 322 (89%), with 138 (42.8%) in mixed practice, 115 (35.7%) in small animal practice, 49 (15.2%) solely with farm animals and 20 (6.2%) in equine practice.
Fifty-four percent of respondents described themselves as likely to be leaving their current job within two years and 32.8% as being likely to leave the profession. In total, 44 variables were assessed by univariate analysis and 27 variables were significantly (P < 0.05) associated with the likelihood of a respondent leaving their current job within 2 years (LCJ2), as a proxy measure of the problem of retention. All variables significant on univariate analysis at P < 0.2 were included in a multivariable logistic regression model. Factors associated with LCJ2 included satisfaction with work-life balance (Odds Ratio (OR) 0.33); satisfaction with working hours (OR 0.2); number of years qualified (OR 0.91); position as a practice owner/partner/director (OR 0.15); and log10salary (OR 0.03).
Four variables were retained in a separate multivariable linear regression model as significant (P < 0.05) predictors of log10salary. Log10salary increased with years qualified. Males had an increased salary compared to females irrespective of years qualified. Part-time employees, vets on maternity leave or postgraduate vets had a lower log10salary. Compared to veterinary employees, self-employed or locum vets had a higher log10salary.
Conclusions
Veterinary employers should consider salary, working hours and the facilitation of a good work-life balance in order to successfully retain veterinary employees. The significant difference in salaries currently offered to male and female vets, and the high percentage of respondents considering leaving the profession, are important findings and warrant further investigation
Increasing Tree Cover on Irish Dairy and Drystock Farms
Get PDFWhat are the main barriers and perceptions that impede agroforestry uptake
Developments in nutrition for pasture-based cattle and sheep systems in Ireland
Get PDFpeer-reviewedFor ruminant production systems, the requirement to meet specific nutrient targets in the animal’s diet must be balanced with the aim of achieving high utilisation of forage in the overall feed budget. A focus of research and extension in an Irish industry context has been to meet these objectives using grazed pasture as the predominant forage source. This has prompted investigation to improve understanding of the components defining forage nutritive value, as well as the management factors affecting its intake and utilisation by animals. Similarly, quantifying the animal performance responses to varying type, rate and timing of dietary supplementation has been an important area of investigation. This review summarises some of the principal outcomes and developments over recent years across beef, sheep and dairy production systems. In addition, ruminant production systems are increasingly challenged to reduce potential environmental impacts by mitigating nutrient and gaseous emissions across their production cycles. Current and emerging research with regard to this issue, and enteric methane production in particular, is discussed
Effect of pasteurisation and foaming temperature on the physicochemical and foaming properties of nano-filtered mineral acid whey
Get PDFpeer-reviewedFoaming can pose a major challenge during processing of acid whey (AW). In this study, nano-filtered mineral AW was collected from a commercial plant before (AW0) and after pasteurisation (AWpast; 75 °C, 15 s). Both AW samples were foamed at 21 °C and in addition, AWpast was foamed at 61 °C, corresponding to the temperature of in-plant foaming. Physicochemical, foaming, and surface properties of AW samples were compared. Foaming at 21 °C resulted in less pronounced foam characteristics for AWpast compared with AW0. Pasteurisation was found not to significantly affect physicochemical properties; however, interfacial kinetics during foaming were altered, which affected foaming behaviour. Foaming of AWpast at 61 °C produced more stable, “dry” foams. FTIR spectra confirmed the influence of protein unfolding at elevated temperatures on foaming, which was reversible upon cooling. This is significant as it gives processors a mean of controlling foaming through temperature control, where possible.Horizon 2020This research was performed under Marie Sklodowska-Curie Career-FIT Fellowship, Project Code MF20180049, organised by Enterprise Ireland. The project received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 713654
Vegan Egg: A Future-Proof Food Ingredient?
Get PDFpeer-reviewedVegan eggs are designed with the aim to provide a healthier and more sustainable alternative to regular eggs. The major drivers of this industry are the increasing prevalence of egg allergies, awareness towards environmental sustainability, and the shift to vegan diets. This study intends to discuss, for the first time, the vegan egg market, including their formulation, nutritional aspects, and some applications (i.e., mayonnaise and bakery products). Recreating the complete functionality of eggs using plant-based ingredients is very challenging due to the complexity of eggs. Current, but scarce, research in this field is focused on making mixtures of plant-based ingredients to fit specific food formulations. Nutritionally, providing vegan eggs with similar or higher nutritional value to that of eggs can be of relevance to attract health-conscious consumers. Claims such as clean labels, natural, vegan, animal-free, gluten-free, and/or cholesterol-free can further boost the position of vegan eggs in the market in the coming year. At present, this market is still in its infancy stages, and clear regulations of labeling, safety, and risk assessment are deemed mandatory to organize the sector, and protect consumers
Association between the prion protein genotype and animal performance traits in a large multibreed sheep population
Get PDFpeer-reviewedGenetic susceptibility to scrapie, a fatal disease of sheep and goats, is modulated by polymorphisms in the prion protein (PrP). Neither the frequency of the PrP genotypes nor their association with animal performance has been investigated in a large multibreed Irish sheep population. Scrapie genotypes were available on 16 416 animals; the breeds represented included purebred Belclare (733), Charollais (333), Suffolk (739), Texel (1 857), Vendeen (191), and crossbreds (12 563). Performance data on lambing, lamb and ewe performance as well as health traits were available. The association between alternative approaches of describing the PrP genotype (i.e. 15 individually called PrP genotypes, five genotype classes representing susceptibility to scrapie, or number of ARR haplotypes) and animal performance were quantified using animal linear mixed models. All 15 of the possible scrapie genotypes were detected, although the frequency differed by breed. The frequency of the five PrP haplotypes in the entire population were 0.70 (ARR), 0.15 (ARQ), 0.11 (ARH), 0.02 (AHQ) and 0.01 (VRQ); the most susceptible haplotype (VRQ) was only detected in purebred Texels and crossbreds. No association was detected between the PrP genotype of either the animal or dam and any of the lambing traits (i.e. lambing difficulty score, perinatal mortality and birth weight). With the exception of ultrasound muscle depth, no association between the PrP genotype and any of the lamb performance traits (i.e. lamb BW and carcass) was observed. Lambs carrying the category four PrP genotype (i.e. ARR/VRQ) had 1.20 (SE = 0.45) mm, 1.38 (SE = 0.12) mm, 1.47 (S = 0.25) mm shallower ultrasound muscle depth relative to lambs of the less susceptible scrapie categories of 1, 2, 3, respectively (P 0.05). For ewe mature BW, ARH/VRQ ewes differed from most other ewe PrP genotypes and were, on average, 3.79 (SE = 1.66) kg heavier than ARR/ARR genotype ewes. Lamb dag score differed by dam PrP genotype (P < 0.05), although the differences were small. Results from this study show that scrapie is segregating within the Irish sheep population, but the PrP genotype was not associated with most traits investigated and, where associations were detected, the biological significance was minimal. This suggests minimal impact of selection on PrP genotype on performance, at least for the traits investigated in the present study
Metagenomic and HT-qPCR analysis reveal the microbiome and resistome in pig slurry under storage, composting, and anaerobic digestion
Get PDFpeer-reviewedDirect application of pig slurry to agricultural land, as a means of nutrient recycling, introduces pathogens, antibiotic resistant bacteria, or genes, to the environment. With global environmental sustainability policies mandating a reduction in synthetic fertilisation and a commitment to a circular economy it is imperative to find effective on-farm treatments of slurry that maximises its fertilisation value and minimises risk to health and the environment. We assessed and compared the effect of storage, composting, and anaerobic digestion (AD) on pig slurry microbiome, resistome and nutrient content. Shotgun metagenomic sequencing and HT-qPCR arrays were implemented to understand the dynamics across the treatments. Our results identified that each treatment methods have advantages and disadvantages in removal pollutants or increasing nutrients. The data suggests that storage and composting are optimal for the removal of human pathogens and anaerobic digestion for the reduction in antibiotic resistance (AMR) genes and mobile genetic elements. The nitrogen content is increased in storage and AD, while reduced in composting. Thus, depending on the requirement for increased or reduced nitrogen the optimum treatment varies. Combining the results indicates that composting provides the greatest gain by reducing risk to human health and the environment. Network analysis revealed reducing Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes while increasing Firmicutes will reduce the AMR content. KEGG analysis identified no significant change in the pathways across all treatments. This novel study provides a data driven decision tree to determine the optimal treatment for best practice to minimise pathogen, AMR and excess or increasing nutrient transfer from slurry to environment
Thermal Death Kinetics of Three Representative Salmonella enterica Strains in Toasted Oats Cereal
Get PDFpeer-reviewedSeveral reports have indicated that the thermal tolerance of Salmonella at low-water activity
increases significantly, but information on the impact of diverse food matrices is still scarce. The
goal of this research was to determine the kinetic parameters (decimal reduction time, D; time
required for the first decimal reduction, ) of thermal resistance of Salmonella in a previously cooked
low water activity food. Commercial toasted oats cereal (TOC) was used as the food model, with
or without sucrose (25%) addition. TOC samples were inoculated with 108 CFU/mL of a single
strain of one of three Salmonella serovars (Agona, Tennessee, Typhimurium). TOC samples were
ground and equilibrated to aw values of 0.11, 0.33 and 0.53, respectively. Ground TOC was heated at
temperatures between 65 C and 105 C and viable counts were determined over time (depending on
the temperature for up to 6 h). Death kinetic parameters were determined using linear and Weibull
regression models. More than 70% ofWeibull’s adjusted regression coefficients (R2a
dj) and only 38%
of the linear model’s R2a
dj had values greater than 0.8. For all serovars, both D and values increased
consistently at a 0.11 aw compared to 0.33 and 0.53. At 0.33 aw, the values for Typhimurium,
Tennessee and Agona were 0.55, 1.01 and 2.87, respectively, at 85 C, but these values increased to 65,
105 and 64 min, respectively, at 0.11 aw. At 100 C, values were 0.9, 5.5 and 2.3 min, respectively,
at 0.11 aw. The addition of sucrose resulted in a consistent reduction of eight out of nine values
determined at 0.11 aw at 85, 95 and 100 C, but this trend was not consistent at 0.33 and 0.53 aw.
The Z values (increase of temperature required to decrease -value one log) were determined with
modified values for a fixed (a fitting parameter that describes the shape of the curve), and ranged
between 8.9 C and 13.4 C; they were not influenced by aw, strain or sugar content. These findings
indicated that in TOC, high thermal tolerance was consistent among serovars and thermal tolerance
was inversely dependent on aw