Season Of Birth Research Articles

PSVII-9 Heterosis Effects on Reproductive Traits in a Multibreed Beef Cattle Herd in Panama

Abstract The aim of this study was to estimate the influence of heterosis and breed percentage on calving interval (CI) and gestation length (GL), and the correlation between age at first calving (AFC) and CI, in beef cows. Data included 1,291 repeated observations of CI and GL from 502 cows with 2,840 individuals in the pedigree, including 3 generations from the multi-breed herd of the livestock experimental station of the Panama Agricultural Innovation Institute (IDIAP) in Gualaca, Panama. The herd was composed of the following genetic groups based on their breed percentage: tropically adapted Brahman (BR), Nellore (Ne), Undefined Bos indicus (BI), Guaymi Creole (CR), Senepol (SP) and Romosinuano (RS); Bos taurus (BT), Simmental (SM), Angus (A), Red Angus (AR), Limousin (LM), Charolais (CH), Wagyu (Wa), and Others (Oth); crossbreeds (cx), Beefmaster (BF), Three CX (F1 x different BT), R1(Backcross BR), R2 (Backcross BT), Composite (combination of at least 4 different breeds with less than 25% of Zebu), Upgrade (87.5% BR 12.5% BT), B1 (62.5% Zebu + 37.5% BT), and B2 (62.5% BT + 37.5% Zebu). The Zebu influenced breed group represents 50.03% of this population, followed by the F1, the three CX, composites, and R1, representing 22%, 13.89%, 6.11%, and 5.34%, respectively. The other breed groups represented less than 2.5% of the population. A repeated records animal model was used to estimate variance components for both CI and GL. A bivariate animal model was used to estimate the genetic correlation between CI and age at first calving (AFC). Fixed effects for all models consisted of contemporary group, age of dam, calf sex, degree of outcross, and breed percentage. Contemporary group was defined by calving year and season of birth. The average CI was 572.6 ± 140 d, with a range of 315 d to 910 d; and the average GL was 284.2 ± 6.3 d. The estimated regression coefficient for CI on heterosis was -0.114 ± 0.10 d/heterosis % (P = 0.266), and for GL was -0.01 ± 0.052 d/heterosis %. A shorter CI was observed for the F1, and three CX, with 558.7 days and 567.2 days, representing a 2.3% and 1.3% reduction in CI, respectively, when compared with the Zebu group. A larger CI was observed for the Nellore and Romosinuano breeds % with 0.17 ± 1.23 d, (P = 0.373) and 0.64± 0.13 d (P = 0.406), respectively. A low heritability (0.037 ± 0.026) for CI was estimated, with a positive genetic trend over the duration of the study. The analysis between CI and AFC revealed a moderate genetic correlation (0.49 ± 0.36) that allows the establishment of a selection program to improve AFC and CI, which would improve the fertility of this multi-breed herd in Panama.

PSVII-2 The Impact of Genomic Information Inclusion on Breeding Value Prediction for a Novel Parasite Resistance Indicator Trait in Brazilian Anglo-Nubian Goats: a Pilot Study

Abstract Infection by Haemonchus contortus is the gastrointestinal parasitosis of greatest economic and social importance in the production of goats, being the leading cause of mortality in the Brazilian goat industry. Genetic selection for resistance to parasites in Anglo-Nubian goats has proven to be a viable alternative to traditional methods of controlling gastrointestinal nematodes, producing animals genetically superior in resistance to parasites. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of including genomic information on the estimation of variance components, genetic parameters, and predictive accuracy of genetic values for the new trait Parasitic Resistance (PR) in Anglo-Nubian goats. The PR is generated by measuring Body Condition Score, FAMACHA chart (ranging from 1 to 5), and Fecal Egg Count on a regular scale. These three traits were used as input variables in the CAPRIOVI software, which uses fuzzy logic to create the PR score, ranging from 0 to 10. Animals with lower scores are more likely to be parasitized and require treatment, while animals with higher scores are less likely to be infected. We used information from 352 animals, totaling 3,855 repeated measurements of PR over the years (2001 to 2020) and 1,500 animals in the pedigree. Animals with less than three measurements for any of the three input traits were removed from the dataset. Contemporary groups were built from information from the year of birth, data collection season, birth season, and physiological stage of the animal, considered as fixed effects, and age at the time of data collection as a covariate in an animal repeatability model. A total of 89 animals were genotyped using the Bead Chip Goats SNP50. After quality control, the remaining 38,659 SNPs (Table 1) were used to build the hybrid matrix (H). The variance components (VC) were estimated using the Bayesian Gibbs Sampling method, and breeding values were predicted using the Best Linear Unbiased Prediction (BLUP) and single-step Best Linear Unbiased Prediction (ssGBLUP) methods. The additive genetic variance and heritability estimation ranged from 0.13 to 0.14 and 0.04 to 0.05, respectively (Table 2). The accuracies obtained for PR with BLUP and ssGBLUP were 0.12 and 0.14, respectively, representing a gain of 16.7%. The genomic information (25 % of all animals with phenotypes) with the repeated records improved the predictive model capability based on accuracy. It also improved the VC estimation for PR in Anglo-Nubian goats raised in the Brazilian semi-arid region. These results highlight the positive impact of genetic evaluation of goats for PR, even with few phenotypes and genotyped animals. In addition to elucidating the additive genetic influence of parasite resistance, it can be a great source of information on the selection and production of Anglo-Nubian goats.

374 Birth Season and Production System Effects on Post-Weaning Growth and Gastrointestinal Nematode Infection of Katahdin Lambs

Abstract The objective was to estimate birth season (F = fall, W = winter) and production system (C = conventional, O = organic) effects on Katahdin lamb growth and gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) infection. Lambs were weighed and weaned at ~60 d of age and body weight (BW, n = 5,089), fecal egg count (FEC, n = 4,772), and packed cell volume (PCV, n = 4,962) were recorded at ~90, 120, and 150 d of age. Records were analyzed from 599, 142, 1,113, and 126 F-C, F-O, W-C, and W-O lambs, respectively. Lambs were not dewormed and FEC was transformed as: LFEC = log10(FEC + 25). Traits were analyzed as repeated measures with fixed effects of time, sex, birth/rear type, and season-system, the linear covariate of actual age at 90 d, and random effects of sire, birth year, and contemporary group. The time x season-system interaction was significant for all traits (P < 0.001; Figure 1). At 90 d, BW was greater for W-C and W-O than F-C and F-O (P ≤ 0.05). By 150 d, W-O lambs had greater BW (P ≤ 0.04) than all other season-systems which weren’t different from each other. Lamb LFEC was greatest for F-C (P < 0.001), intermediate for F-O, and least for W-C and W-O at 90 d. All season-systems had similar LFEC at 120 d, but W-C lambs had greater LFEC at 150 d than all others (P < 0.01). At 90 d, PCV was less for F-C than all others (P ≤ 0.02) except W-O. Both F-C and F-O had greater PCV (P < 0.001) than W-C and W-O at 120 d and, at 150 d, PCV was less for W-C than all others (P < 0.001). To investigate production impacts of GIN infection in different season-systems, average daily gain from weaning to 90 d (ADG60-90, n = 1,842) was analyzed in a similar model with the additional linear covariate of LFEC at 90 d (LFEC90). The season-system x LFEC90 interaction was significant (P < 0.01), indicating differing impacts of GIN infection. A one-unit increase in LFEC90 (e.g., ~500 vs. 5000 eggs/g) had negative impacts on ADG60-90 for W-O, F-C, and W-C (-27.1, -22.4, and -12.5 g/d, respectively) and solutions were not different from one another. However, LFEC90 did not affect F-O ADG60-90 potentially due to decreased performance (158.4 g/d) than other season-systems (171.5 – 204.3 g/d). Overall, BW was less for F than W lambs and FEC decreased with age for F with the opposite for W lambs. Slight advantages in performance were observed for W-O compared with W-C lambs. Season-system differences could be attributed to varied forage quality and breeding objectives and results utilized in precision sheep management. USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Season of Birth in Patients with Schizophrenia in Thailand.

An excess of schizophrenia births in the winter or spring is a well-known finding in Western studies; however, few studies from equatorial regions have been done. Our purpose is to investigate the seasonality of schizophrenia births in Thailand. This was a retrospective study in which patients with schizophrenia were identified from computerized records at Thammasat University Hospital. The Edwards test was used to detect any birth seasonality patterns among the patients with schizophrenia. Subsequently, the data were compared against the general population birth month data to examine potential seasonal effects using the Walter-Elwood seasonality test. There are 949 patients with schizophrenia, with a mean age of 39.3 years. The results demonstrate no evidence of distinctive seasonality in birth patterns among patients with schizophrenia (P = .329). The overall monthly distribution of births did not differ between the general population and patients with schizophrenia (P = .365). In Thailand, a tropical country, there does not appear to be an effect of season of birth and the later development of schizophrenia.

No increased risk of intussusception after pentavalent rotavirus vaccination in China: a retrospective birth cohort using electronic health records of Ningbo city

ABSTRACT Some post-licensure studies have shown a potential increased risk of intussusception following vaccination with rotavirus vaccines. This is the first study that aimed to assess the incidence and risk of intussusception within 90 days after vaccination with RotaTeq in Chinese infants. A population-based birth cohort from 27th November 2018 to 30th June 2021 included all newborns in Ningbo city. The records of intussusception were identified through the ICD-10 code K56.1 or Chinese keywords “Chang Tao” from all hospital discharge records. Each episode was confirmed in line with the Brighton criteria, and only Brighton level 1 cases were included. The association of RotaTeq vaccination and intussusception was evaluated using the Poisson regression. A total of 108,405 eligible subjects from birth cohort were eligible, with 52.30% males. Among them, 26, 847 (24.77%) infants received at least one dose of RotaTeq, and 95.52% of them were fully vaccinated, with 76, 934 doses in total. After adjudication, none of the cases occurred post first, or second dose, the cumulative number of cases that occurred 1–7, 1–14, 1–21, 1–42, and 1–90 days post third dose was 0, 1, 1, 3, and 7, respectively. Adjusting for age, sex, birth year, birth season and location, the incidence rate ratio of intussusception after RotaTeq vaccination was 0.90 (90% two-sided CI: 0.46, 1.75). Increasing age and male gender were associated with higher risk of intussusception. In summary, no increased risk of IS was observed following 3 months of RotaTeq vaccination in this study.

Effect of some non-genetic factors on productive and reproductive traits of Mehsana buffaloes

The records of 7782 Mehsana buffaloes sired by 184 sires maintained at Dudhsagar Research and Development Association (DURDA), Dudhsagar Dairy, Mehsana, Gujarat born during 1989 to 2012 were collected and analysed to examine the effect of non-genetic factors viz. period and season of calving and age at first calving. The least squares analysis was used for estimation of various non-genetic factors on First Lactation Milk Yield (FLMY), First Lactation Fat Yield (FLFY), Average Fat Percentage (AFP) and Age at First Calving (AFC). The least squares mean with standard error of FLMY, FLMY, AFP and AFC were estimated to be 1900.68±7.65 lit., 135.04±0.57 kg, 7.11±0.11 percentage and 1407.18±4.36 days, respectively. Highly significant (P≤0.01) effect of all the non-genetic factors (period and season of calving and age at first alving group) under study was observed on FLMY, FLMY and AFP in Mehsana buffaloes. Further, highly significant (P≤0.01) effect of season and period of birth was recorded on AFC. It is worthy to note that in Mehsana breed evaluation programme these factors should be considered as they have great influence of them.

Incidence of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus in Hamadan West Region of Iran2019 - 2020

Objective: Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) results from the autoimmune destruction of insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas. The objective of the present study was to describe the one year (2019-2020) incidence of T1DM in Hamadan west region of Iran.
 Materials and Methods: All 25 new patients with T1DM resident of Hamadan and its suburbs registered in Besat Hospital, Hamadan, Iran, from March 2019 to 2020 were prospectively reviewed. Information including age, sex, place of residence (urban or rural), season of diagnosis and season of birth were taken from parents through face-to-face interviews.
 Results: During 1 year survey, a total of 57 cases of newly diagnosed T1DM were identified in our center. Among these, 25 patients were residents of Hamadan city and suburbs. Based on this15 per 100 000 per year new cases T1DM occurred in the resident population of Hamadan areas, higher in boys than in girls (18 vs. 11 per 100 000).The mean age of diagnosis was 8.03 yr. The peak incidence was observed at the age group of 10- 14 years. 92% were urban .Most cases were diagnosed in the autumn (44%). 52% had a history of neonatal jaundice and 16% had stressful life events in the family before the onset of diabetes.
 Conclusion: Our study showed a relatively high incidence of T1DM according category of the WHO, being greater in boys and in the age group of 10 to 14 years. The incidence is lower than in some Middle Eastern countries.

Associations between birth season and lumbar spine bone mineral density in perimenopausal Polish women

In European populations, the birth season significantly correlates with many biological features. It is thus possible that the observed clinical effects of bone metabolism disorders are a partial consequence of bone mineral density (BMD), modified by the season of prenatal development (the birth season). The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the birth season and BMD among Polish women in perimenopausal age. A total of 653 Polish women aged 50.0–59.9 years were included in the study. BMDs of lumbar vertebrae were measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Statistical analyses were based on measured lumbar BMD values, age, and body mass index (BMI). The analysis of variance (ANOVA) was applied to evaluate the season-related differentiation of mineral density of lumbar vertebrae. BMDs of lumbar vertebrae negatively correlated with age and positively with BMI. We regressed BMD on age and BMI and used the residuals as a measure of age- and BMI-independent lumbar BMD values. The ANOVA results showed that women born in summer had significantly lower BMD of the L1 vertebra compared to those born in autumn, regardless of age and BMI. The results of our study indicate the need to extend the group of risk factors for osteoporosis in Central Europeans with the season of woman’s birth.

Risk factors and genetic parameter estimates for preweaning survival of Fogera calves

This study utilised mortality records of 1 043 Fogera calves maintained at Andassa Livestock Research Center from 1984 to 2021 to investigate the factors that influence survival and estimate genetic parameters for the preweaning survival of Fogera calves. Survival was defined as the probability of surviving in a given length of time. Survival analysis was done using the Weibull proportional hazard model with Survival Kit version 6.1 software. Genetic variance and heritability estimates were estimated using the sire model. The proportion of right-censored calves up to 1, 4, and 8 months of age was 90.8, 87.8, and 83.5%, respectively. Around 55.8% of all deaths (16.5%) occurred up to one month of age. In addition to birth year, sex, season, and weight at birth were the most important risk factors for calf mortality. The heritability estimates for the survival of calves at 1, 4, and 8 months of age were 0.26 ± 0.14, 0.22 ± 0.13, and 0.38 ± 0.18, respectively. Moderate heritability was estimated at the age of eight months, implying that the inclusion of survival traits in the selection criteria and inclusion in the breeding goal will enhance the preweaning survival rate of calves. Similarly, higher differences in estimated breeding values of sires for survival suggest that the selection of sires with higher estimated breeding values could improve the survival potential of calves. The decreased genetic trend of 3.34% year−1 for the survival potential of Fogera calves during the study periods suggested that survival traits should be included in the breeding goal to reduce the mortality rate.

The Association between Charolais Cows' Age at First Calving, Parity, Breeding Seasonality, and Calf Growing Performance.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of cows' calving ages and newborn calf body weight on the pre-weaning growth rates of calves under the farming conditions of a northeastern European country. The females were purebred Charolais cows that calved between 2019 and 2022. A total of 130 calves (bulls = 76; heifers = 54) were observed during the evaluation. The investigation showed that, based on gender, bulls had a 4.28% higher birth weight than heifers (p < 0.05). The gender of the calves affected their weight, indicating that newborns bulls were significantly heavier. Calf gender affected calf growing performance. Male calves' weight gain was higher than that of females in the time before weaning (210 days). The highest gain of bulls was observed from 211 days to 365 days after birth. The average daily weight of male calves during this period was 6.16% (p < 0.001) higher compared to the period up to 210 days after birth. Heifers had a higher daily weight in the period up to 210 days after birth, and the daily weight gain was 12.9% (p < 0.001) higher in this period compared to the period from 211 to 365 days after birth. We observed a higher weight gain in calves from mothers with a higher number of calvings. Being born from cows with four or more calvings had a significant effect on the weight gain of calves in the period up to 210 days (p < 0.05). In the period up to 210 days, the weight gain of calves born from cows with two calvings was the lowest and was 9.79% lower compared to calves born from cows with four and more calvings (p < 0.05). The best weights were obtained from calves born in the spring and autumn seasons. Calves born in spring, summer, and autumn differed in weight by 0.37 kg. The calves of cows that were inseminated in the autumn season had the highest gain in the period up to 210 days and also from 210 to 365 days (p < 0.05). In our study, significantly higher average birth weight of calves was detected in autumn compared to summer and winter (p < 0.05). Also, the highest gain was found from 211 to 365 days after birth in the summer season, but the difference was only 1.47% (p < 0.05).

Analysis of DNA methylation at birth and in childhood reveals changes associated with season of birth and latitude

BackgroundSeasonal variations in environmental exposures at birth or during gestation are associated with numerous adult traits and health outcomes later in life. Whether DNA methylation (DNAm) plays a role in the molecular mechanisms underlying the associations between birth season and lifelong phenotypes remains unclear.MethodsWe carried out epigenome-wide meta-analyses within the Pregnancy And Childhood Epigenetic Consortium to identify associations of DNAm with birth season, both at differentially methylated probes (DMPs) and regions (DMRs). Associations were examined at two time points: at birth (21 cohorts, N = 9358) and in children aged 1–11 years (12 cohorts, N = 3610). We conducted meta-analyses to assess the impact of latitude on birth season-specific associations at both time points.ResultsWe identified associations between birth season and DNAm (False Discovery Rate-adjusted p values < 0.05) at two CpGs at birth (winter-born) and four in the childhood (summer-born) analyses when compared to children born in autumn. Furthermore, we identified twenty-six differentially methylated regions (DMR) at birth (winter-born: 8, spring-born: 15, summer-born: 3) and thirty-two in childhood (winter-born: 12, spring and summer: 10 each) meta-analyses with few overlapping DMRs between the birth seasons or the two time points. The DMRs were associated with genes of known functions in tumorigenesis, psychiatric/neurological disorders, inflammation, or immunity, amongst others. Latitude-stratified meta-analyses [higher (≥ 50°N), lower (< 50°N, northern hemisphere only)] revealed differences in associations between birth season and DNAm by birth latitude. DMR analysis implicated genes with previously reported links to schizophrenia (LAX1), skin disorders (PSORS1C, LTB4R), and airway inflammation including asthma (LTB4R), present only at birth in the higher latitudes (≥ 50°N).ConclusionsIn this large epigenome-wide meta-analysis study, we provide evidence for (i) associations between DNAm and season of birth that are unique for the seasons of the year (temporal effect) and (ii) latitude-dependent variations in the seasonal associations (spatial effect). DNAm could play a role in the molecular mechanisms underlying the effect of birth season on adult health outcomes.

Birth season and gross brain morphology associated with early neurodevelopment in schizophrenia spectrum patients and healthy subjects

This MRI study examined the effects of birth seasons on gross brain characteristics, such as the prevalence/size of midline brain structures (cavum septi pellucidi and adhesio interthalamica), orbitofrontal surface morphology, and insular gross anatomy, in 135 patients with schizophrenia, 47 with schizotypal disorder, and 88 healthy controls. Birth seasons only affected the insular anatomy. Summer-born subjects (N = 110) were characterized by more developed left insular gyri than winter-born subjects; however, this effect had no diagnostic specificity. The present results do not support birth seasons affecting the neurodevelopmental pathology of schizophrenia spectrum.

Which month to give a birth? The analysis on birth seasonality of China

A series of medical and biological studies have identified a strong link between the season during which a child is born and early childhood development and adult health. While providing an explanation for the seasonal determinants of birth remains one of the key challenges for demographers, understanding seasonal birth peaks and troughs can inform both public health planning and efforts to prevent childhood diseases. The seasonality of births varies across and within countries. Nonetheless, there has been scant research into the seasonality of births in China. This study takes an in depth look at the seasonal fluctuations in China’s births since 1960 and investigates the effects on seasonality of several key factors such as parity, residence (urban or rural area), and changes to fertility policies. Traditionally, winter has been the peak season of births in China, while spring and summer have been lean seasons, a pattern which is quite different than patterns in Europe and the United States. After 1990, the sweeping implementation of one-child policy and the wider use of modern contraceptives among Chinese women prompted a fundamental shift in the seasonality of births, with the deviation of births from month to month gradually diminishing over time. People's self-control may serve as a key determinant accounting for such seasonal changes. First births exhibit pronounced and steady seasonality, while second and subsequent births follow a vague seasonal pattern, suggesting that later births are more likely affected by self-choice and self-intervention. The analysis also reveals that the monthly distribution pattern of second births experienced a dramatic change following the roll-out of the selective-two-child policy and the Universal Two-child Policy in 2014 and 2016, changes that reflects the adjustments people made to achieve their fertility plans under the new policy.

Efecto de Akaushi (Wagyu), Angus y Brahman como razas paternas sobre el crecimiento pre-destete de becerros

Objective. To evaluate pre-weaning growth traits of Angus-, Brahman- and Wagyu-sired calves. Materials and methods. One-hundred seventy one calves were produced by artificial insemination in nine herds in the state of Puebla (subtropical environment; n=83) and four herds in the state of Veracruz (tropical environment; n=88), Mexico. Eleven Angus, 15 Brahman, and 5 Wagyu bulls, sired the calves. Average age at weaning was 219 days. The analyses were carried out with the MIXED procedure of SAS. The model included the effects of breed of sire, sex of calf, birth season, state of the country, and herd nested within state. In addition, the model for actual weaning weight included the linear effect of calf age at weaning. Results. Brahman-sired calves were heavier at birth (p&lt;0.05) than Angus- and Wagyu-sired calves; however, Angus-, Brahman- and Wagyu-sired calves had similar average daily gains from birth to weaning (p&gt;0.05). Angus- and Wagyu-sired calves had similar actual weaning weights (p&gt;0.05), but Brahman-sired calves were heavier at weaning (p&lt;0.05) than Wagyu-sired calves. Sex of calf and season of birth were not significant sources of variation (p&gt;0.05) for any trait. Calves reared in subtropical conditions were heavier at weaning (p&lt;0.05) than those reared in tropical conditions. Conclusions. In general, Brahman-sired calves had a better pre-weaning performance than Angus- and Wagyu-sired calves.

Genetic parameters for lifetime productivity in Holstein and Brown Swiss dairy cows in Honduras

Objective. To estimate the heritability (h2) of age at first parturition (AFP), longevity (L), useful life (UL), and productivity (P), as well as the genetic (rg) and phenotypic correlations between those traits in Brown Swiss and Holstein cows in Northwestern Honduras. Materials and methods. Cattle were raised under tropical conditions and intensive management. The model for AFP assessed the effect of contemporary group (herd, year and birth season combination) as fixed. The model used for L, UL and P included the contemporary group, age group at first calving and their interaction. Data were analyzed using restricted maximum likelihood procedure, adjusted to a univariate and to a bivariate animal model. Results. The h2 estimated for AFP, L, UL and P were 0.16, 0.18, 0.25 and 0.09, respectively, in Brown Swiss cows, and 0.53, 0.49, 0.7 and 0.22, respectively in Holstein. Negative but favorable rg among Brown Swiss cow traits ranged from 0.31 to 0.46 between AFP and the other traits. However, for Holsteins cows, positive rg among AFP and the other traits here studied varied from 0.49 to 0.96. In both cattle breeds, rg among L, UL and P, traits were positive. Conclusions. For all traits evaluated low to medium heritability’s for BS suggest that a slow genetic improvement could be achieved if independent selection of traits is applied, and better response could be expected for H breed. For both breeds the positive rg among L, UL and P suggest thar similar selection criteria could be used.

Season of birth and neonatal jaundice

Neonatal jaundice (NJ) is a multifactorial condition specific to the neonatal age. Clinical experience shows that seasons of the year influence the frequency and severity of NJ. Objective: To investigate the influence of annual seasons on the frequency and severity of NJ. Material and methods: The study was conducted at the Neonatology Department of University Hospital "Medica Ruse" with 566 full-term newborns. The follow-up of NJ was carried out with transcutaneous bilirubinometry. The newborns are residents of Ruse region, Republic of Bulgaria. Results: We found a significant difference in bilirubin (BR) levels depending on the season of birth during the early neonatal period. Summer-borns had the highest average levels, followed by spring-borns, and autumn-borns had the lowest. Вorn in the spring had significantly high levels of BR at the end of neonatal period. Climatic factors average and maximum monthly temperature, average monthly rainfall and monthly sunshine duration had a significant influence on the levels of bilirubin on Day 4 (p=0.014), Day 5 (p=0.016) and Day 14 (p=0.004). Prolonged NJ is most commonly observed in summer-borns (p&lt;0.001). Conclusion: Birth season along with meteorological factors affects the frequency of pathological neonatal jaundice.

Production of organic beef from dairy bull calves in Denmark - Effect of different production strategies on productivity, carbon footprint and biodiversity estimated by modelling

In Denmark, organic male calves from the dairy system are typically raised as steers leading to a high carbon footprint per kg meat produced, compared to other types of rearing. Therefore, there is a need to find mitigation options and develop future production systems with a lower climate impact. The aim of this study was to develop strategies for the rearing of organic bull calves considering the following factors: season of birth, feeding strategy, age at slaughter, and breed-type, where all strategies focus on achieving the lowest possible carbon footprint per kg carcass. A total of 10 strategies were compared for each of three breed types: Holstein, Charolais x Holstein, and Angus x Holstein. The carbon footprint was estimated using Life Cycle Assessment including all emissions until the animals leave the farm for slaughter and expressed per kg carcass taking into account different dressing percentages due to breed and age at slaughter.The carbon footprint per kg carcass including contribution from soil carbon changes was 18–32% lower for raising organic young bulls compared with that of organic steers. The strategy with a high feeding intensity and a slaughter age of 13 months had the lowest carbon footprint per kg carcass due to the lowest feed consumption per kg live weight gain (4.9 kg DM compared to 7.4 kg DM for the steer) and use of a high proportion of concentrated feed in the ration. In the strategy with slaughter age of 17 months, but the same high feeding intensity, carbon footprint per kg carcass increased around 6%. This was due to an increase in feed consumption and reduction in feed conversion due to the increasing age at slaughter. The strategy with a low feeding intensity and a high slaughter age (17 months) gave the highest carbon footprint per kg carcass amongst the rearing strategies compared for organically produced bulls, as a greater proportion of roughage in the ration increases enteric methane production from the digestion of the feed. The crossbred bulls compared to purebred dairy bulls had a lower carbon footprint (4–7%) due to higher dressing percentage, higher carcass weight (both types of crosses), and higher growth rates (Charolais crosses).

Characterizing light-dark cycles in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: a retrospective observational study.

Objectives: To characterize bedside 24-h patterns in light exposure in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and to explore the environmental and individual patient characteristics that influence these patterns in this clinical setting. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study that included 79 very preterm infants who stayed in an incubator with a built-in light sensor. Bedside light exposure was measured continuously (one value per minute). Based on these data, various metrics (including relative amplitude, intradaily variability, and interdaily stability) were calculated to characterize the 24-h patterns of light exposure. Next, we determined the association between these metrics and various environmental and individual patient characteristics. Results: A 24-h light-dark cycle was apparent in the NICU with significant differences in light exposure between the three nurse shifts (p < 0.001), with the highest values in the morning and the lowest values at night. Light exposure was generally low, with illuminances rarely surpassing 75 lux, and highly variable between patients and across days within a single patient. Furthermore, the season of birth and phototherapy had a significant effect on 24-h light-dark cycles, whereas no effect of bed location and illness severity were observed. Conclusion: Even without an official lighting regime set, a 24-h light-dark cycle was observed in the NICU. Various rhythmicity metrics can be used to characterize 24-h light-dark cycles in a clinical setting and to study the relationship between light patterns and health outcomes.

Intrinsic calf factors associated with the behavior of healthy pre-weaned group-housed dairy-bred calves.

Technology-derived behaviors are researched for disease detection in artificially-reared calves. Whilst existing studies demonstrate differences in behaviors between healthy and diseased calves, intrinsic calf factors (e.g., sex and birthweight) that may affect these behaviors have received little systematic study. This study aimed to understand the impact of a range of calf factors on milk feeding and activity variables of dairy-bred calves. Calves were group-housed from ~7 days to 39 days of age. Seven liters of milk replacer was available daily from an automatic milk feeder, which recorded feeding behaviors and live-weight. Calves were health scored daily and a tri-axial accelerometer used to record activity variables. Healthy calves were selected by excluding data collected 3 days either side of a poor health score or a treatment event. Thirty-one calves with 10 days each were analyzed. Mixed models were used to identify which of live-weight, age, sex, season of birth, age of inclusion into the group, dam parity, birthweight, and sire breed type (beef or dairy), had a significant influence on milk feeding and activity variables. Heavier calves visited the milk machine more frequently for shorter visits, drank faster and were more likely to drink their daily milk allowance than lighter calves. Older calves had a shorter mean standing bout length and were less active than younger calves. Calves born in summer had a longer daily lying time, performed more lying and standing bouts/day and had shorter mean standing bouts than those born in autumn or winter. Male calves had a longer mean lying bout length, drank more slowly and were less likely to consume their daily milk allowance than their female counterparts. Calves that were born heavier had fewer lying and standing bouts each day, a longer mean standing bout length and drank less milk per visit. Beef-sired calves had a longer mean lying bout length and drank more slowly than their dairy sired counterparts. Intrinsic calf factors influence different healthy calf behaviors in different ways. These factors must be considered in the design of research studies and the field application of behavior-based disease detection tools in artificially reared calves.

Growth Rate Performance of Sonadi Sheep in Terms of Growth Efficiency

The present study was conducted to assess the effect of non-genetic factors on growth efficiency of Sonadi sheep of different age groups. In this study, data on 1396 Sonadi sheep maintained from 2012 to 2019 under the Mega Sheep Seed Project, College of Veterinary and Animal Science, Navania, Vallabhnagar, Rajasthan, were analysed to assess the effect of non-genetic factors (sex, type of birth, year of birth, and season of birth) on growth efficiency viz. 0-3, 3-6, 6-9 and 9-12 months age groups. The overall least-squares means along with standard error for GE1 (0-3M), GE2 (3-6M), GE3 (6-9M) and GE4 (9-12M) were 2.57±0.10, 0.496±0.03, 0.244±0.24 and 0.266±0.02 kg/kg, respectively. Year of birth had a highly significant (P≤0.01) effect on all growth traits. The effect of the season of birth on growth efficiency was also highly significant (P≤0.01) for GE1 and GE2 groups while significant (P≤0.05) for GE3 and GE4 groups. The sex of lamb showed a significant (P≤0.05) effect on GE1 and non-significant on the rest of the groups (GE2, GE3, GE4), whereas the effect of the type of lamb on growth efficiency was found to be non-significant on all groups.