Cedar Rapids Research Articles

Effects of saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation products on growth performance, fecal short chain fatty acids, and microbiota of pre-weaning calves.

This research aims to explore the effects of incorporating saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation products (SCFP) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, antioxidant capacity, fecal SCFAs, and microbial composition of pre-weaning calves. Twenty Holstein calves, 10 days old and weighing an average of 48.63±0.91 kg, were randomly assigned to either the control group (CON) or the SCFP group, with 10 calves in each group. The CON group received only a basal diet, while the SCFP group received the starter diet supplemented with 5 g/head/d of SCFP products (NutriTek, Diamond V Cedar Rapids, IA 52404, United States). The pre-trial period lasted for 5 days, followed by a main experimental period of 45 days. The SCFP group had significantly higher final weight, ADG, and FE compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Moreover, the SCFP group exhibited increased apparent digestibility of DM, CP, EE, ADF, Ca, and P (p < 0.05). Additionally, supplementation with SCFP led to elevated content of GH, IGF-1, and GLP-1 in serum. The inclusion of SCFP also raised serum CAT content and reduced serum MDA content in pre-weaning calves. Furthermore, SCFP supplementation influenced the composition of intestinal microflora by decreasing Actinobacteriota abundance and increasing the abundance of Ruminococcus, Lachnospiraceae_AC2044_group, Parabacteroides, and Butyricimonas. The addition of SCFP has a positive impact on the growth performance, nutrient digestibility, antioxidant capacity, and intestinal microflora composition of pre-weaning calves.

Náš český Millet? Joža Uprka, lidové a české umění

In April 2022, the Albín Polášek Museum in Florida closed a large exhibition of paintings by Joža Uprka from the private collection of a collector living near Chicago. This exhibit was to be later shown at the Czech embassies in Washington and Paris. In the USA, the work of Joža Uprka is still popular, alongside expressions of folk culture, which take many forms. They range from collected items to observing folk traditions by the diaspora of many generations. The town of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, for example, has always had a strong Czech community, and today it houses the National Czech and Slovak Museum, which regularly exhibits folk art and works of art closely associated with folk culture of the homeland. The diaspora has preserved a specific Czechness, Slovakness and even a Czechoslovak character of folk art, as seen in the practices of folk culture or captured in the paintings by artists such as Uprka. The text examines understanding of folk art as Czech and national, while I focus mainly on the territory outside of today’s Czech Republic. Why has the Czech and Slovak diaspora, even in large urban agglomerations, associated folk art so intimately with the nation and national art? Who has been promoting these associations? Have they been accepted universally, or were there any alternatives of national art?

PSIII-7 Effects of Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product on total tract digestibility, ruminal fermentation, and plasma metabolome of beef steers fed a finishing diet

Abstract Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product (SCFP) has been widely studied; however, its mode of action on high-concentrate diets has not been fully elucidated. This study evaluated the impact of SCFP on total tract digestibility, fecal excretions of N, P, Zn, and Cu, rumen fermentation, and plasma metabolome of finishing beef steers. Ruminally cannulated Holstein steers [n = 8; body weight (BW) = 580 ± 29.2 kg] were enrolled in a crossover design study with 25-d treatment periods and a 24-d washout period. Steers were fed ad libitum a finishing diet consisting of 20% corn silage and 80% concentrate (on DM basis). Steers were blocked based on initial BW and randomly assigned to two treatments in period 1 and switched to the other treatment in period 2. The treatments were CON (Control, basal diet only) and SCFP (basal diet top-dressed with 12 gּ steer-1ּ ּ d-1 SCFP, NaturSafe, Diamond V, Cedar Rapids, IA). Feed and fecal samples were collected during d 22 to 24 for determination of digestibility. Blood was collected before morning feeding on d 25. Plasma samples were analyzed for metabolome with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Rumen fluid was collected via the rumen cannula at 0, 4, 8, and 12 h post-morning feeding on d 25 and analyzed for pH, volatile fatty acids (VFA), and NH3-N. Performance and ruminal fermentation characteristics data were analyzed using the GLIMMIX procedure of SAS 9.4. Metabolomic data analysis was conducted with Metaboanalyst 6.0. Supplementing steers with SCFP reduced DMI (10.6 vs. 11.4 kg/d, P = 0.05) without affecting (P &amp;gt; 0.05) average daily gain, feed efficiency, and digestibility of organic matter, crude protein, and neutral detergent fiber. Treatment did not affect (P &amp;gt; 0.10) fecal excretions of N, P, Cu, and Zn. Feeding SCFP increased ruminal pH (6.29 vs. 6.01, P = 0.01), numerically reduced concentrations of NH3-N (5.01 vs 6.25 mM, P = 0.16), and total VFA (96.8 vs. 102.5 mM, P = 0.15). SCFP also reduced the ruminal molar proportion of butyrate (11.2 vs. 12.8 molar %, P = 0.01) and tended to increase those of isobutyrate (1.03 vs. 0.90, molar %, P = 0.06) and isovalerate (2.62 vs. 2.29, molar %, P = 0.10). Supplementation of SCFP enriched (P ≤ 0.05) purine metabolism, amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism, and lysine degradation pathways in the plasma. Additionally, tryptophan metabolism and pyrimidine metabolism pathways tended to be enriched (0.05 &amp;lt; P ≤ 0.10) by SCFP. Our findings indicate that feeding SCFP improved the ruminal pH of finishing cattle, which may be beneficial for preventing subacute ruminal acidosis in feedlot cattle. Additionally, SCFP enriched several important plasma nitrogen metabolism pathways, potentially associated with microbial nitrogen metabolism in the rumen, warranting further research.

Postbiotics from Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation stabilize microbiota in rumen liquid digesta during grain-based subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA) in lactating dairy cows

BackgroundSubacute ruminal acidosis (SARA) is a common metabolic disorder of high yielding dairy cows, and it is associated with dysbiosis of the rumen and gut microbiome and host inflammation. This study evaluated the impact of two postbiotics from Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation products (SCFP) on rumen liquid associated microbiota of lactating dairy cows subjected to repeated grain-based SARA challenges. A total of 32 rumen cannulated cows were randomly assigned to 4 treatments from 4 weeks before until 12 weeks after parturition. Treatment groups included a Control diet or diets supplemented with postbiotics (SCFPa, 14 g/d Original XPC; SCFPb-1X, 19 g/d NutriTek; SCFPb-2X, 38 g/d NutriTek, Diamond V, Cedar Rapids, IA, USA). Grain-based SARA challenges were conducted during week 5 (SARA1) and week 8 (SARA2) after parturition by replacing 20% DM of the base total mixed ration (TMR) with pellets containing 50% ground barley and 50% ground wheat. Total DNA from rumen liquid samples was subjected to V3–V4 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Characteristics of rumen microbiota were compared among treatments and SARA stages.ResultsBoth SARA challenges reduced the diversity and richness of rumen liquid microbiota, altered the overall composition (β-diversity), and its predicted functionality including carbohydrates and amino acids metabolic pathways. The SARA challenges also reduced the number of significant associations among different taxa, number of hub taxa and their composition in the microbial co-occurrence networks. Supplementation with SCFP postbiotics, in particular SCFPb-2X, enhanced the robustness of the rumen microbiota. The SCFP supplemented cows had less fluctuation in relative abundances of community members when exposed to SARA challenges. The SCFP supplementation promoted the populations of lactate utilizing and fibrolytic bacteria, including members of Ruminococcaceae and Lachnospiraceae, and also increased the numbers of hub taxa during non-SARA and SARA stages. Supplementation with SCFPb-2X prevented the fluctuations in the abundances of hub taxa that were positively correlated with the acetate concentration, and α- and β-diversity metrics in rumen liquid digesta.ConclusionsInduction of SARA challenges reduced microbiota richness and diversity and caused fluctuations in major bacterial phyla in rumen liquid microbiota in lactating dairy cows. Supplementation of SCFP postbiotics could attenuate adverse effects of SARA on rumen liquid microbiota.

Effects of postbiotic products from Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation on lactation performance, antioxidant capacities, and blood immunity in transition dairy cows

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation with different types of Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation products (SCFP) on lactational performance, metabolism, acute phase protein response, and antioxidant capacities in dairy cows from -21 to 56 d in milk (DIM). One hundred and 80 multiparous Holstein dairy cows were blocked by parity, expected calving date, pre-trial body condition score, and previous 305-d ME yield, and then randomly assigned to 1 of 3 dietary treatments: basal diet (CON; n = 60), basal diet supplemented with 40 g/d of SCFP1 (XPC; n = 60; XPC, Diamond V, Cedar Rapids, IA), and basal diet supplemented with 19 g/d of SCFP2 (NTK; n = 60, NutriTek®, Diamond V, Cedar Rapids, IA). Blood (n = 15, 13 and 12 in the CON, XPC and NTK groups, respectively) was sampled at -7 ± 3, + 3, + 7, + 21, and + 28 d, and milk samples (n = 19, 18 and 15 in the CON, XPC and NTK groups, respectively) was sampled during 1-8 wk from a subset of cows from -21 to 56 d relative to calving. Data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure in SAS (SAS Institute Inc.). All data were subjected to repeated measures ANOVA. Dietary treatment (TRT), time, and their interaction (TRT × time) were considered as fixed effects and cow as the random effect. Cows fed XPC and NTK had greater energy-corrected milk (ECM). Supplementing NTK increased milk fat content and yield, and 3.5% fat-corrected milk (FCM) yield compared with CON. Milk urea nitrogen (MUN) was lower in XPC cows than CON. SCFP supplementation decreased plasma β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), ceruloplasmin (CER), haptoglobin (HPT), and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) concentrations, whereas increased plasma phosphorus (P) concentrations. In addition, cows fed NTK showed lower creatinine (CR) and cortisol (COR) concentrations but increased plasma calcium (Ca) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) concentrations than those in the CON cows. In addition, cows fed NTK and XPC both had reduced plasma concentrations of serum amyloid-A (SAA) at 3 DIM of lactation compared with CON fed cows. Furthermore, SCFP cows had greater concentrations of plasma glucose (GLU) and calcium (Ca) than CON cows at 7 DIM, and greater concentrations of plasma phosphorus (P) at 21 DIM. Between different SCFP type fed groups, plasma concentrations of nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA), MDA, creatinine (CR), SAA, and HPT were lower in cows fed NTK compared with cows fed XPC at 7 DIM. Overall, our results indicate the potential benefits of supplementing SCFP in transition dairy cows by modulating immunity, liver metabolic function and supporting ECM yield. The results also suggest that NutriTek at 19 g/d appears to support the performance and health of dairy cows better compared with XPC at 40 g/d, based on improved metabolic and inflammatory status during the transition period.

A web-based decision support framework for optimizing road network accessibility and emergency facility allocation during flooding

Transportation systems can be significantly affected by flooding, leading to physical damage and hindering accessibility. Despite flooding being a frequent occurrence, there are limited accessible online tools available for supporting routing and emergency planning decisions during flooding. Existing tools are generally based on complicated models and are not easily accessible to non-expert users, highlighting the need for efficient communication and decision-making tools for analyzing flood impacts on transportation networks for various stakeholders, including the public, to minimize the adverse impacts on those groups. This paper presents a web application that uses graph network methods and the latest web technologies and standards to assist in describing flood events in terms of operational constraints and provide analytical methods to support mobility and mitigation decisions during these events. The framework is designed to be user-friendly, enabling non-expert users to access information about road status, shortest paths to critical amenities, location-allocation, and service coverage. The study area includes the following two communities in the State of Iowa, Cedar Rapids and Charles City, which were used to test the application's functionality and explore the outcomes. Our research demonstrates that flooding can significantly affect bridge operation, routing from locations to critical amenities, arbitrary point-to-point routing, planning for emergency facility placement, and service area accessibility. The introduced framework can solve complex flood-related analytical decision tasks and provide an understandable representation of transportation vulnerability, enhancing mitigation strategies. Therefore, this web application provides a valuable tool for stakeholders to make informed decisions on transportation networks during flood events.

85 Evaluation of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product on performance, plasma metabolites, rumen parameters, and fecal pathogen shedding in feedlot steers

Abstract The objective of the experiment was to evaluate a commercial Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product (SCFP; NaturSafe, Dimond V, Cedar Rapids, IA) on performance, plasma metabolites, rumen parameters, and fecal pathogen shedding in feedlot steers. Crossbred steers (n = 61; 271 ± 48.1 kg) were sourced from 3 different research units at Oklahoma State University and assigned to 1 of 3 experimental treatments in a randomized complete block design. Steers were group housed in pens equipped with an automated individual feed intake system. Treatments consisted of a negative control (CON), CON with tylosin phosphate (TYL; 9.9 mg · kg-1 of diet DM), or CON with SCFP (1.63 g · kg-1 of diet DM). Body weight and feed efficiency did not differ among treatments (P ≥ 0.12). However, steers fed SCFP tended to have greater ADG from d 35 to 56 (P = 0.10). In addition, steers fed SCFP exhibited increased DMI from d 56 to 112 (P = 0.03), a tendency for increased DMI from d 112 to final (P = 0.07), and increased DMI overall (P = 0.05). There was no treatment × time interaction for pH, pH change, or lactate concentrations in rumen fluid (P ≥ 0.11), but all were impacted by time (P &amp;lt; 0.01). A treatment × time interaction (P &amp;lt; 0.01) was detected for fecal pH and fecal pH change, with the pH being greater in TYL fed steers on d 56 and in CON fed steers on the final day. Steers that consumed CON had a reduced fecal pH (P &amp;lt; 0.01) and steers consuming SCFP tended to have a reduced fecal pH (P = 0.08) from d 35 to 56 compared with TYL fed steers, while both CON and SCFP fed steers experienced an increase in fecal pH from d 56 to 112 (P &amp;lt; 0.01). A time effect was detected (P ≤ 0.04) for plasma glucose, lactate, urea nitrogen, and non-esterified fatty acid concentrations among treatment groups. A treatment × time interaction was observed (P &amp;lt; 0.02) for stx2 genes of Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in individual fecal samples where SCFP and TYL fed steers tended to exhibit an increased concentration compared with CON fed steers on d 14, while on d 190 CON and SCFP fed steers exhibited an increased concentration compared with TYL fed steers. Overall, STEC, E. coli O157:H7, and Salmonella concentrations were all impacted by time (P &amp;lt; 0.001). This experiment suggests that SCFP could be utilized as a potential alternative to TYL in feedlot cattle without adversely affecting cattle performance. However, SCFP did not impact pathogen shedding. In addition, CON fed steers performed similarly to both SCFP and TYL fed steers.

Postbiotics from Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation stabilize rumen solids microbiota and promote microbial network interactions and diversity of hub taxa during grain-based subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA) challenges in lactating dairy cows.

High-yielding dairy cows are commonly fed high-grain rations. However, this can cause subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA), a metabolic disorder in dairy cows that is usually accompanied by dysbiosis of the rumen microbiome. Postbiotics that contain functional metabolites provide a competitive niche for influential members of the rumen microbiome, may stabilize and promote their populations, and, therefore, may attenuate the adverse effects of SARA. This study used a total of 32 rumen-cannulated lactating dairy cows, which were randomly assigned into four treatments: no SCFP (control), 14 g/d Original XPC (SCFPa), 19 g/d NutriTek (SCFPb-1X), and 38 g/d NutriTek (SCFPb-2X) (Diamond V, Cedar Rapids, IA) from 4 weeks before until 12 weeks after parturition. Grain-based SARA challenges were conducted during week 5 (SARA1) and week 8 (SARA2) after parturition by replacing 20% dry matter of the base total mixed ration (TMR) with pellets containing 50% ground barley and 50% ground wheat. The DNA of rumen solids digesta was extracted and subjected to V3-V4 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The characteristics of rumen solids microbiota were compared between non-SARA (Pre-SARA1, week 4; Post-SARA1, week 7; and Post-SARA2, weeks 10 and 12) and SARA stages (SARA1/1, SARA1/2, SARA2/1, SARA2/2), as well as among treatments. Both SARA challenges reduced the richness and diversity of the microbiota and the relative abundances of the phylum Fibrobacteres. Supplementation with SCFP promoted the growth of several fibrolytic bacteria, including Lachnospiraceae UCG-009, Treponema, unclassified Lachnospiraceae, and unclassified Ruminococcaceae during the SARA challenges. These challenges also reduced the positive interactions and the numbers of hub taxa in the microbiota. The SCFPb treatment increased positive interactions among microbial members of the solids digesta and the number of hub taxa during the SARA and non-SARA stages. The SCFPb-2X treatment prevented changes in the network characteristics, including the number of components, clustering coefficient, modularity, positive edge percentage, and edge density of the microbiota during SARA challenges. These challenges reduced predicted carbohydrate and nitrogen metabolism in microbiota, whereas SCFP supplementation attenuated those reductions. Supplementation with SCFP, especially the SCFPb-2X attenuated the adverse effects of grain-based SARA on the diversity and predicted functionality of rumen solids microbiota.

PSI-13 Effects of a Postbiotic Program Consisting of Liquid and Solid Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Fermentation Products on Ruminal Microbiome Composition and Microbial Functions of Finishing Beef Steers

Abstract We assessed the effects of a postbiotic program consisting of liquid and solid Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation products (SCFP) on the ruminal microbiome and fermentation characteristics of beef steers. Eight Holstein steers (BW 467 ± 13.9 kg) with rumen cannulas were used in a crossover design study with 21-d per period and 7-d washout in between periods. Steers were blocked based on initial BW and assigned to one of two treatments: 1) Control, basal diet, or 2) SCFP, basal diet plus one day feeding of LiquiCare RTU (Diamond V, Cedar Rapids, IA; dosed via rumen cannula at 11 mL/100 kg BW), followed by daily feeding of 12 g/d NaturSafe (Diamond V, top-dressed). Rumen fluid samples were collected on d 0, 1, 2, 3, 5 and 21 at 0, 4, 8, or 12 h post morning feeding via rumen cannula for pH, VFA and NH3-N analyses. Samples collected at 4 h post morning feeding on d 0, 2 and 21 were subjected to DNA extraction and shotgun Nanopore sequencing to determine microbiome composition and carbohydrate active enzymes (CAZy) functional potential. Statistical model included the fixed effects of treatment, period, day and their interactions and random effect of animal. Feeding SCFP tended to reduce ruminal lactate (0.09 vs. 0.02 mM, P = 0.10), and reduced ruminal NH3-N (4.86 vs. 6.83 mg/dL, P = 0.04) on d 21. Ruminal total VFA concentration was increased (P = 0.01) by feeding SCFP 4-h post-feeding on d 5 and numerically increased 4-h post-feeding on day 21 (133.3 vs. 151.2 mM, P = 0.12). Treatments did not affect species or CAZy alpha- and beta-diversity. Steers received liquid postbiotic on d 2 exhibited a positive correlation (P &amp;lt; 0.05) between propionate molar proportion and glycosyl transferases (GT), glycoside hydrolases (GH), carbohydrate esterases, and carbohydrate binding modules (CBM); and a negative correlation (P &amp;lt; 0.05) between acetate molar proportion and polysaccharide lyases, GT, GH, and CBM, which was not observed in Control. Additionally, SCFP steers had higher (P = 0.05) CBM functional potential on d 21 than on d 0, while CAZy class abundances did not change over time in Control steers. Differential network analysis indicated a greater normalized degree for GT in the SCFP steers compared with Control on d 21. There were 2, 6 and 12 differently abundant species (P &amp;lt; 0.01) between SCFP and Control on d 0, 2 and 21, respectively, suggesting supplementing SCFP altered the abundances of more species over time. Our results showed that the postbiotic program altered the metabolic pathways of ruminal microbes toward greater propionate production, and improved abundance of carbohydrate binding modules. Our results also showed that glycosyl transferases had a greater promotive role in the ruminal enzymatic network of SCFP steers.

PSI-19 A Saccharomyces Cerevisiae-Derived Postbiotic Stimulates in Vitro Volatile Fatty Acid Production and Influences Hindgut Microbial Population Characteristics

Abstract Horses rely on volatile fatty acids (VFA) to provide a source of energy and fermentative end-products for their health and performance. Improvement in VFA production, has been associated in various species with improved feed conversion and availability of nutrients necessary to maintain epithelial cell growth, blood flow, and the normal secretory and absorptive functions of the intestine and positive changes in the microbial ecology of the gut. In this study, we characterized the effect of a dietary Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation postbiotic (SCFP; Diamond V, Cedar Rapids, IA) using an in vitro equine intestinal model to estimate the effects on VFA production and microbiome changes in the horse hindgut. Treatments contained inoculated medium containing a predigested blend of alfalfa and timothy hay substrate and a dilution of fresh equine excreta. The test article (SCFP) was evaluated at 150 mg (TEC) and 225 mg (TECP), in addition to a negative control containing inoculated medium alone, and the positive control containing inulin. The full array of treatments and replicates were incubated anaerobically at 37.2 C for 24 h. VFA concentrations were analyzed by gas chromatography and the microbiome was characterized through shotgun sequencing. Both levels of SCFP supported greater (P &amp;lt; 0.05) acetate, propionate, butyrate, and total VFA production versus the negative control. Greater production of acetate, propionate, butyrate and total VFA was observed for TECP compared with the positive control (P &amp;lt; 0.05). Between the two SCFP treatments, TECP promoted more acetate, propionate and total VFA (P &amp;lt; 0.01), and 18.3% more butyrate than TEC. Significant microbiome changes were also observed, with TEC and TECP promoting greater microbiome diversity (P &amp;lt; 0.05) compared with both negative and positive controls. Compared with the negative control, both levels of SCFP influenced an increased abundance (P &amp;lt; 0.05) of lactic acid producers (Veillonella), butyrate producers (Butyricicoccus, Anaerobutyricum), and an increased abundance of multiple Bacteroides species, all known for their enrichment of carbohydrate-degrading enzymes. Interestingly, our data show a distinct effect of inulin in microbial communities by promoting an increased abundance of Streptococcus species. This study provides evidence that a SCFP can stimulate VFA production, and this effect is incremental with the level of administration which could potentially provide gut health benefits in horses.

Non-structural flood mitigation optimization at community scale: Middle Cedar Case Study

Flooding is the leading natural hazard in Iowa and has resulted in billions of dollars of damage to properties and critical infrastructure over the past couple of decades. Land alterations, urbanization, and changing precipitation regimes increase the magnitude and frequency of flood events. Considering the increasing risk, flood mitigation efforts are significant to reduce future losses. In this study, we present a comprehensive flood mitigation assessment for the cities of Cedar Falls, Cedar Rapids, and Waterloo in Iowa, utilizing various datasets such as property information, flood inundation maps, mitigation costs, and depth-damage functions. The research revealed that flooding has a minimal impact on Waterloo below the 200-year return period flood scenario, but Cedar Falls and Cedar Rapids are significantly vulnerable, requiring more mitigation investments and planning. The study conducted a benefit-cost analysis, indicating that dry floodproofing is the most feasible option to reduce flood impacts in all studied communities. Moreover, the research conducted a climate data-driven analysis, which found that elevating structures significantly increases the number of feasible mitigation options, regardless of various long-term climate projections. The study also analyzed predetermined mitigation budgets, revealing potential avoided losses and benefit-cost ratios for properties with the highest BCRs and prioritizing them to maximize the total benefit to the communities. The study findings offer crucial insights and recommendations to guide decision-makers in the community on prioritizing cost-effective flood mitigation strategies and minimizing flood impact in the studied regions.

Flood susceptibility mapping using fuzzy analytical hierarchy process for Cedar Rapids, Iowa

ABSTRACT Floods affect over 2.2 billion people worldwide, and their frequency is increasing at an alarming rate compared to other disasters. Presidential disaster declarations have issued increasingly almost every year in Iowa for the past 30 years, indicating that the state is on the rise of flood risk. A multi-disciplinary approach is required, in which the underlying hydrologic processes that cause floods are closely linked with watershed-level socio-economic functions using effective collaboration tools to ensure community participation in the co-production of mitigation plans while paying attention to socio-environmental justice principles. Considering the existing limitations and needs, we conducted a flood risk assessment by utilizing geophysical and socio-economic datasets for a case study in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Flood risk outputs are generated based on three main risk groups: geophysical-based flood risk, socioeconomic risk, and combined flood risk. An extensive literature review is conducted to determine the pairwise comparison matrices for the parameters that are used in the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and fuzzy AHP methods. Our results indicate that high- and very-high-risk flood susceptibility zones are primarily located in central urban areas with lower elevations, regardless of the method type (AHP or FAHP). According to overall results, a large area of Cedar Rapids consists of a medium risk level according to the flood risk map combined with the fuzzy AHP method. The results show that high and very high-risk areas are 16% of the studied region, medium, low and very low-risk areas correspond to 84%. Besides, nearly 40% of the population lives in high to very high flood risk zones.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product improves robustness of equine gut microbiome upon stress.

Nutritional and environmental stressors can disturb the gut microbiome of horses which may ultimately decrease their health and performance. We hypothesized that supplementation with a yeast-derived postbiotic (Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product-SCFP) would benefit horses undergoing an established model of stress due to prolonged transportation. Quarter horses (n = 20) were blocked based on sex, age (22 ± 3 mo) and body weight (439 ± 3 kg) and randomized to receive either a basal diet of 60% hay and 40% concentrate (CON) or the basal diet supplemented with 21 g/d Diamond V TruEquine C (SCFP; Diamond V, Cedar Rapids, IA) for 60 days. On day 57, horses were tethered with their heads elevated 35cm above wither height for 12 h to induce mild upper respiratory tract inflammation. Fecal samples were collected at days 0, 28, and 56 before induction of stress, and at 0, 12, 24, and 72 h post-stress and subjected to DNA extraction and Nanopore shotgun metagenomics. Within sample (alpha) diversity was evaluated by fitting a linear model and between sample (beta) diversity was tested with permutational ANOVA. The SCFP stabilized alpha diversity across all time points, whereas CON horses had more fluctuation (P < 0.05) at 12, 24, and 72 h post-challenge compared to d 56. A significant difference between CON and SCFP was observed at 0 and 12 h. There was no difference in beta-diversity between SCFP and CON on d 56. Taken together, these observations led us to conclude that treatment with SCFP resulted in more robust and stable microbial profiles in horses after stress challenge.

Effects of feeding Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation postbiotic on the fecal microbial community of Holstein dairy calves

BackgroundThe livestock industry is striving to identify antibiotic alternatives to reduce the need to use antibiotics. Postbiotics, such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product (SCFP), have been studied and proposed as potential non-antibiotic growth promoters due to their effects on animal growth and the rumen microbiome; however, little is known of their effects on the hind-gut microbiome during the early life of calves. The objective of this study was to measure the effect of in-feed SCFP on the fecal microbiome of Holstein bull calves through 4 months of age. Calves (n = 60) were separated into two treatments: CON (no SCFP added) or SCFP (SmartCare®, Diamond V, Cedar Rapids, IA, in milk replacer and NutriTek®, Diamond V, Cedar Rapids, IA, incorporated into feed), and were blocked by body weight and serum total protein. Fecal samples were collected on d 0, 28, 56, 84, and 112 of the study to characterize the fecal microbiome community. Data were analyzed as a completely randomized block design with repeated measures when applicable. A random-forest regression method was implemented to more fully understand community succession in the calf fecal microbiome of the two treatment groups.ResultsRichness and evenness of the fecal microbiota increased over time (P < 0.001), and SCFP calves tended to increase the evenness of the community (P = 0.06). Based on random-forest regression, calf age as predicted by microbiome composition was significantly correlated with the calf physiological age (R2 = 0.927, P < 1 × 10−15). Twenty-two “age-discriminatory” ASVs (amplicon sequence variants) were identified in the fecal microbiome that were shared between the two treatment groups. Of these, 6 ASVs (Dorea-ASV308, Lachnospiraceae-ASV288, Oscillospira-ASV311, Roseburia-ASV228, Ruminococcaceae-ASV89 and Ruminoccocaceae-ASV13) in the SCFP group reached their highest abundance in the third month, but they reached their highest abundance in the fourth month in the CON group. All other shared ASVs reached their highest abundance at the same timepoint in both treatment groups.ConclusionsSupplementation of SCFP altered the abundance dynamics of age discriminatory ASVs, suggesting a faster maturation of some members of the fecal microbiota in SCFP calves compared to CON calves. These results demonstrate the value of analyzing microbial community succession as a continuous variable to identify the effects of a dietary treatment.

One Ranney Well Can Make a Difference: The Impacts of a Radial Collector Well on Groundwater Level and Quality in the Cedar River Alluvial Aquifer

AbstractThe City of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, depends on groundwater from the Cedar River alluvial aquifer for residential and industrial use. In 2020, the city completed an additional radial collector well, or Ranney well, and was concerned that pumping from the well at high rates may lower water level elevations in the aquifer, reduce yields from nearby production wells, and change the quality of produced water. During an operational test of the well's pumps, the U.S. Geological Survey and the city collected water level and water quality data to evaluate the effects of increased pumping rates on the aquifer and nearby production wells. Results indicated that a high rate of pumping from the new well caused sustained declines in water levels near the well and other nearby production wells, and, if maintained, the aquifer water level in the vicinity would continue to decline to levels observed during the 2012 drought. Aquifer specific conductance and temperature were altered and matched trends and values of the river, and river‐to‐well travel time was shortened from 7‐17 days to about 3 days. Results may also provide insights to other municipal water resource managers when considering wellfield design, production expectations, and long‐term management strategies for radial collector well production during drought, low streamflow, and times when high concentrations of nitrate‐N or organic pesticide compounds in the river may limit production options.

Feeding a Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product before and during a feed restriction challenge on milk production, plasma biomarkers, and immune function in Holstein cows.

Periods of decreased feed intake may disrupt function of the intestinal barrier. Feeding NutriTek® (NTK; Diamond V, Cedar Rapids, IA), a postbiotic from S. cerevisiae fermentation (SCFP), improved health and supported anti-inflammatory functions. We investigated the effects of feeding NTK to cows before and during a period of feed restriction (FR) designed to model periods of intestinal barrier dysfunction. In total, 16 multiparous cows (97.1 ± 7.6 DIM; n = 8/group) were fed a control diet (CON) or CON plus 19 g/d NTK for 9 wk (Phase 1; P1) and then were subjected to an FR challenge for 5 d, during which they were fed 40% of their ad libitum intake from the 7 d prior to FR. Milk yield (MY) and DMI were collected daily. During FR, milk was collected daily for composition, blood daily to measure plasma biomarkers and to measure monocyte and neutrophil phagocytosis and oxidative burst on d 1, 3, and 5. Data were analyzed using a mixed model in SAS 9.4. All data were subjected to repeated measures ANOVA. Dietary treatment (TRT), Day, and their interaction (TRT × Day) were considered as fixed effects and cow as the random effect. For analysis of P1, data collected during a 7-d adaptation phase were used as a covariate. During P1, NTK cows tended to have greater DMI and had greater fat, ECM and FCM yields, and feed efficiency (ECM/DMI and FCM/DMI). Protein yield tended to be greater in NTK compared with CON cows. A tendency for greater monocyte phagocytosis was detected with NTK. However, during FR, feeding NTK led to lower MY and lactose yield and tended to lower solids percentage. While NTK cows tended to have reduced neutrophil oxidative burst than CON cows during FR (NTK: 26.20%, CON: 36.93%), there was no difference in phagocytosis (NTK: 7.92%, CON: 6.31%). Plasma biomarkers of energy metabolism, liver function, inflammation, and oxidative stress during the FR period did not differ. Overall, results suggested that feeding NTK increased the yield of FCM, ECM, feed efficiency and milk components prior to FR.

Alterations in ileal transcriptomics during an intestinal barrier challenge in lactating Holstein cows fed a Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product identify potential regulatory processes.

Stressors such as lack of access to feed, hot temperatures, transportation, and pen changes can cause impairment of ruminal and intestinal barrier function, also known as "leaky gut". Despite the known benefits of some nutritional approaches during periods of stress, little is understood regarding the underlying mechanisms, especially in dairy cows. We evaluated the effect of feeding a Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product (SCFP; NutriTek, Diamond V, Cedar Rapids, IA) on the ileal transcriptome in response to feed restriction (FR), an established model to induce intestinal barrier dysfunction. Multiparous cows [97.1 ± 7.6 days in milk (DIM); n = 5/group] fed a control diet or control plus 19 g/d SCFP for 9 wk were subjected to an FR challenge for 5 d during which they were fed 40% of their ad libitum intake from the 7 d before FR. All cows were slaughtered at the end of FR, and ileal scrapping RNA was used for RNAseq (NovaSeq 6000, 100 bp read length). Statistical analysis was performed in R and bioinformatics using the KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) and GO databases. One thousand six hundred and ninety-six differentially expressed genes (DEG; FDR-adjusted P ≤ 0.10) were detected in SCFP vs. control, with 451 upregulated and 1,245 downregulated. "Mucin type O-glycan biosynthesis" was the top downregulated KEGG pathway due to downregulation of genes catalyzing glycosylation of mucins (GCNT3, GALNT5, B3GNT3, GALNT18, and GALNT14). An overall downregulation of cell and tissue structure genes (e.g., extracellular matrix proteins) associated with collagen (COL6A1, COL1A1, COL4A1, COL1A2, and COL6A2), laminin (LAMB2), and integrins (ITGA8, ITGA2, and ITGA5) also were detected with SCFP. A subset of DEG enriched in the GO term "extracellular exosome" and "extracellular space". Chemokines within "Cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction pathways" such as CCL16, CCL21, CCL14, CXCL12, and CXCL14 were downregulated by SCFP. The "Glutathione metabolism" pathway was upregulated by SCFP, including GSTA1 and RRM2B among the top upregulated genes, and GSTM1 and GPX8 as top downregulated genes. There were 9 homeobox transcription factors among the top 50 predicted transcription factors using the RNAseq DEG dataset, underscoring the importance of cell differentiation as a potential target of dietary SCFP. Taken together, SCFP downregulated immune-, ECM-, and mucin synthesis-related genes during FR. Homeobox transcription factors appear important for the transcriptional response of SCFP.

Impact of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product during an intestinal barrier challenge in lactating Holstein cows on ileal microbiota and markers of tissue structure and immunity.

Feeding a Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product (SCFP; NutriTek, Diamond V, Cedar Rapids, IA) during periods of metabolic stress is beneficial to the health of dairy cows partially through its effect on the gut microbiota. Whether SCFP alters the ileal microbiota in lactating cows during intestinal challenges induced by feed restriction (FR) is not known. We used 16S rRNA sequencing to assess if feeding SCFP during FR to induce gut barrier dysfunction alters microbiota profiles in the ileum. The mRNA abundance of key genes associated with tissue structures and immunity was also detected. Multiparous cows (97.1 ± 7.6 days in milk (DIM); n = 7 per treatment) fed a control diet or the control plus 19 g/d NutriTek for 9 wk were subjected to an FR challenge for 5 d, during which they were fed 40% of their ad libitum intake from the 7 d before FR. All cows were slaughtered at the end of FR. DNA extracted from ileal digesta was subjected to PacBio Full-Length 16S rRNA gene sequencing. High-quality amplicon sequence analyses were performed with Targeted Amplicon Diversity Analysis and MicrobiomeAnalyst. Functional analysis was performed and analyzed using PICRUSt and STAMP. Feeding SCFP did not (P > 0.05) alter dry matter intake, milk yield, or milk components during FR. In addition, SCFP supplementation tended (P = 0.07) to increase the relative abundance of Proteobacteria and Bifidobacterium animalis. Compared with controls, feeding SCFP increased the relative abundance of Lactobacillales (P = 0.03). Gluconokinase, oligosaccharide reducing-end xylanase, and 3-hydroxy acid dehydrogenase were among the enzymes overrepresented (P < 0.05) in response to feeding SCFP. Cows fed SCFP had a lower representation of adenosylcobalamin biosynthesis I (early cobalt insertion) and pyrimidine deoxyribonucleotides de novo biosynthesis III (P < 0.05). Subsets of the Firmicutes genus, Bacteroidota phylum, and Treponema genus were correlated with the mRNA abundance of genes associated with ileal integrity (GCNT3, GALNT5, B3GNT3, FN1, ITGA2, LAMB2) and inflammation (AOX1, GPX8, CXCL12, CXCL14, CCL4, SAA3). Our data indicated that the moderate FR induced dysfunction of the ileal microbiome, but feeding SCFP increased the abundance of some beneficial gut probiotic bacteria and other species related to tissue structures and immunity.

Effects of feeding a Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product and ractopamine hydrochloride to finishing beef steers on growth performance, immune system, and muscle gene expression.

The objective of this study was to determine impacts on immune parameters, anti-oxidant capacity, and growth of finishing steers fed a Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product (SCFP; NaturSafe; Diamond V, Cedar Rapids, IA) and ractopamine hydrochloride (RAC; Optaflexx; Elanco Animal Health, Greenfield, IN). Angus-crossbred steers (N = 288) from two sources were utilized in this 90-d study. Steers were blocked by source, stratified by initial body weight to pens of six steers, and pens randomly assigned to treatments (16 pens per treatment). Three treatments compared feeding no supplemental SCFP (control; CON) and supplemental SCFP for 57 d (SCFP57), and 29 d (SCFP29) before harvest. Supplementation of SCFP was 12 g per steer per d, and all steers were fed RAC at 300 mg per steer per d for 29 d before harvest. Blood samples were collected from3 steers per pen, and muscle samples were collected from 1 steer per pen at 57, 29 (start of RAC), and 13 (midRAC) days before harvest. Blood was analyzed from 2 steers per pen for ferric reducing anti-oxidant power (FRAP). Muscle gene expression of myokines, markers of anti-oxidant and growth signaling were assessed. Individual animal BW were also collected on 57, 29, 13, and 1 d before being harvested at a commercial facility (National Beef, Tama, IA). Data were analyzed using the Mixed procedure of SAS 9.4 (Cary, NC) with pen as the experimental unit. The model included fixed effects of treatment and group. Increased BW compared to CON was observed days -29, -13, and -1 in SCFP57 steers (P ≤ 0.05), with SCFP29 being intermediate days -13 and -1. Overall G:F was improved in SCFP29 and SCFP57 (P = 0.01). On day -29, FRAP was greater in SCFP57 than CON (P = 0.02). The percent of gamma delta T cells and natural killer cells in both SCFP29 and SCFP57 was greater than CON on day -13 (P = 0.02). There were no treatment × day effects for muscle gene expression measured (P ≥ 0.25). Interleukin 6 tended to decrease in SCFP29 and SCFP57 on day -13 (P = 0.10). No other treatment effects were observed for muscle gene expression. Muscle gene expression of interleukin 15 was increased (P = 0.01), and expression of interleukin 8 was decreased (P = 0.03) due to RAC feeding. Increased growth in SCFP-fed cattle may be related to changes in anti-oxidant capacity and the immune system.

PSXIV-17 Evaluation of Dietary Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Fermentation Products on Performance of Captive White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus)

Abstract The objective of this study was to determine the difference between two dietary Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation products (SCFP) on performance characteristics of young, captive white-tailed deer. Pregnant does were randomly assigned to one of two dietary treatment groups. Does were offered a commercially available pelleted deer feed (Record Rack, Cargill, Inc., Wayzata, MN) ad-libitum formulated to provide 10g SCFP/kg feed (XPC; n=52) or the same basal pellet containing the other product at 8.8g SCFP/kg feed (NaturSafe; n=52) to provide approximately 12.5g XPC or 11g NaturSafe per animal daily (Diamond V Mills, Cedar Rapids, IA). Does were on diets for 86±19d prior to fawning and through lactation. Upon discovery of a newborn fawn, BW and morphological measurements were obtained using a soft tape measure. Fawns were weaned at 90d of age and remained on trial for 270-d post-weaning. Fawns were provided with the same diet as their dam throughout the study. Body weights were recorded every 90d during the post-weaning period. Antlers of yearling bucks were scored and weighed after removal of antlers the subsequent fall. Data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure of SAS with main effects of treatment and sex with age of fawn as a covariate. There were no differences in morphological measurements of fawns at birth. Fawns in the NaturSafe group had a greater (P=0.02) weaning weight than fawns in the XPC group, but there were no differences in post-weaning weights. There was a tendency (P=0.11) for a lower mortality rate for fawns in the NaturSafe group. Yearling bucks in the NaturSafe group had a greater antler score (P&amp;lt; 0.01) and antler mass (P=0.02) than bucks in the XPC group. Results indicate a reduction in fawn mortality, improvement in weaning weight, and increased antler growth in yearling bucks supplemented with NaturSafe compared to those supplemented with XPC.