Biomarkers of fitness and welfare in dairy cattle: healthy productivity

Animal-based welfare indicators for dairy cows and their validity and practicality: a systematic review of the existing literature

Animal welfare is of increasing importance, with consumers preferring animal products made with ethical practices due to growing awareness. This shift highlights the need for reliable methods to evaluate welfare. This systematic review aims to assess the validity of current animal-based welfare indicators for dairy cows to aid farmers and agricultural professionals in evaluating and improving welfare amidst the lack of a clear legislative definition. The literature search spanned five databases: CAB Direct, PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar and Livivo, covering publications in English and German from 2011 to 2021. Specific search terms were employed, and abstracts were screened for relevance. Publications were categorized based on exclusion criteria, with a final verification process conducted by three independent scientists. Research highlights correlations between welfare measures, farm characteristics and innovative indicators like hair cortisol concentration. Farming systems and housing methods significantly affect welfare, with pasture-based systems generally resulting in reduced lameness and improved behavior. Proper housing design and management practices are important, as they influence indicators like lameness and cleanliness. Heart rate variability and heart rate monitoring provide insights into dairy cow stress levels during milking and other stressors, making them valuable for welfare assessment. Biomarker research emphasizes the need to balance productivity and health in breeding strategies, as high milk production alone does not indicate good welfare. Behavioral studies and the human-animal relationship are key to understanding welfare. Precision Livestock Farming offers real-time assessment capabilities, although validation is needed. Stress physiology is complex, and while cortisol measurement methods are promising, further research is necessary. Assessment tools like the Animal Needs Index and routine herd data analysis are valuable for identifying welfare concerns. Key findings highlight the WQ® protocol's effectiveness and versatility, the challenge of its time demands, and the DCF protocol's promise for more practical and efficient welfare assessments. Commercial animal welfare audits should prioritize easily observable indicators and herd records due to logistical constraints in measuring biomarkers or heart rate variability. This focus on easily accessible indicators, such as body condition score, lameness, claw health, cleanliness, and somatic cell count allows effective welfare assessments, enabling prompt action to enhance wellbeing.

Genetic analysis of milk citrate predicted by milk mid-infrared spectra of Holstein cows in early lactation

Milk citrate is regarded as an early biomarker of negative energy balance in dairy cows during early lactation and serves as a suitable candidate phenotype for genomic selection due to its wide availability across a large number of cows through milk mid-infrared spectra prediction. However, its genetic background is not well known. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to (1) analyze the genetic parameters of milk citrate; (2) identify genomic regions associated with milk citrate; and (3) analyze the functional annotation of candidate genes and quantitative trait loci (QTL) related to milk citrate in Walloon Holstein cows. In total, 134,517 test-day milk-citrate phenotypes (mmol/L) collected within the first 50 d in milk on 52,198 Holstein cows were used. These milk-citrate phenotypes, predicted by milk mid-infrared spectra, were divided into 3 traits according to the first (citrate1), second (citrate2), and third to fifth parity (citrate3+). Genomic information for 566,170 SNPs was available for 4,479 animals. A multiple-trait repeatability model was used to estimate genetic parameters. A single-step GWAS was used to identify candidate genes for citrate and post-GWAS analysis was done to investigate the relationship and function of the identified candidate genes. The heritabilities estimated for citrate1, citrate2, and citrate3+ were 0.40, 0.37, and 0.35, respectively. The genetic correlations among the 3 traits ranged from 0.98 to 0.99. The genomic correlations among the 3 traits were also close to 1.00 across the genomic regions (1 Mb) in the whole genome, which means that citrate can be considered as a single trait in the first 5 parities. In total, 603 significant SNPs located on 3 genomic regions (chromosome 7, 68.569-68.575 Mb; chromosome 14, 0.15-1.90 Mb; and chromosome 20, 54.00-64.28 Mb), were identified to be associated with milk citrate. We identified 89 candidate genes including GPT, ANKH, PPP1R16A, and 32 QTL reported in the literature related to the identified significant SNPs. These identified QTL were mainly reported associated with milk fatty acids and metabolic diseases in dairy cows. This study suggests that milk citrate in Holstein cows is highly heritable and has the potential to be used as an early proxy for the negative energy balance of Holstein cows in a breeding objective.

Short communication: Temporal profiles of colostrum and milk haptoglobin and substance P in early lactation multiparous Holstein cows

Milk markers have the potential to aid in the detection of cow disease in early lactation if the automation of milk analysis becomes commonplace. Characterising temporal profiles of milk markers in dairy cows will improve the understanding of basal concentrations in clinically healthy cows. The objective of this observational study was to characterise the variation and temporal profiles of colostrum and milk haptoglobin (Hp) and substance P concentrations within 21 days postcalving in clinically healthy multiparous Holstein dairy cows. Ninety Holstein dairy cows from a commercial dairy herd were included. Milk samples were collected on the day of calving (day 0), and on days 1 to 4, 7, 14, and 21 postcalving and concentrations of Hp and substance P in colostrum (days 0 to 3) and milk (days 4, 7, 14, and 21) were determined using Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent assay. Haptoglobin and substance P concentrations were, on average (raw means ± SD), 0.40 ± 0.26 µg/ml and 56.2 ± 38.7 pg/ml in colostrum, respectively, and 0.23 ± 0.23 µg/ml and 37.1 ± 27.8 pg/ml in milk, respectively. Haptoglobin and substance P were elevated and greatest 1 day postcalving (least squares mean ± SE of the mean; 0.53 ± 0.05 µg/ml and 46.5 ± 3.64 pg/ml, respectively) and substance P varied widely within 21 days postcalving. The presence of substance P in dairy cow colostrum was not documented previously. Elevated concentrations of Hp and substance P immediately postcalving may be due to physiological roles these inflammatory markers have in the dairy cow or neonate or may simply represent an accumulation in colostrum before the first milk is removed.

Advances in human reproductive biomarkers

Reproductive biomarkers are important regulators in women, especially during pregnancy and childbirth. Because of their essential role in women's health, the discovery and quantification of reproductive biomarkers is of great clinical importance. Nowadays, there are many detection strategies to detect these biomarkers, including VEGF, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), etc. Consider the limitations and problems of conventional diagnostic methods, new methods are being developed, one of the most important being methods based on nanotechnology. This review includes a review of methods for diagnosing reproductive biomarkers, ranging from mainstream to nanotechnology-based methods. The bulk of this article is an in-depth introduction to the latest advances in biosensor and nanosensor research for the detection and quantitative identification of reproductive biomarkers.

Feed restriction around parturition does not affect colostrum immunoglobulin G concentration in dairy fat-tailed sheep but does affect performance and blood metabolites in newborn lambs

This study aimed to investigate the effect of prepartum and postpartum feed restriction of fat-tailed dairy sheep on colostrum IgG concentration, and performance and blood metabolites of newborn fat-tailed lambs. Twenty fat-tailed dairy sheep were randomly allocated into control (Ctrl; n = 10) and feed restriction (FR; n = 10) groups. The Ctrl group received a diet that met 100% of energy requirements, both prepartum (from wk -5 to parturition) and postpartum (from parturition to wk 5). The FR group received a diet equivalent to 100, 50, 65, 80, and 100% of the energy requirements in wk -5, -4, -3, -2, and -1 relative to parturition, respectively. After parturition, the FR group received a diet equivalent to the 100, 50, 65, 80, and 100% of the energy requirements in wk 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, respectively. At birth, lambs were assigned to their dam's experimental group. Both the Ctrl lambs (n = 10) and the FR lambs (n = 10) were allowed to suck colostrum and milk from the dams. Colostrum samples (50 mL) were collected at parturition (0 h) and then at 1, 12, 24, 36, 48, and 72 h postpartum. Blood samples were collected from all lambs before suckling colostrum (0 h) and then at 1, 12, 24, 36, 48, and 72 h after birth and weekly until the end of the experimental period (i.e., wk 5 relative to birth). The data were evaluated using the MIXED procedure of SAS (SAS Institute Inc.). The model included feed restriction, time, and the interaction feed restriction × time as fixed effects. The individual lamb was set as a repeated subject. Variables measured in colostrum and plasma were considered dependent variables, and significance was set at P < 0.05. Prepartum and postpartum feed restriction in fat-tailed dairy sheep did not affect colostrum IgG concentration. Consequently, no differences in blood IgG concentrations were observed in the lambs. In addition, the prepartum and postpartum feed restriction experienced by fat-tailed dairy sheep caused decreased body weight and milk intake in lambs from the FR group compared with the Ctrl group. Feed restriction also promoted increased concentration of blood metabolites such as triglycerides and urea in FR lambs compared with control lambs. In conclusion, prepartum and postpartum feed restriction in fat-tailed dairy sheep did not affect either colostrum IgG concentration or blood IgG concentration of the lambs. However, prepartum and postpartum feed restriction decreased lamb milk intake and, therefore, lamb body weight gain during the first 5 wk after birth.

Innovations in Cattle Farming: Application of Innovative Technologies and Sensors in the Diagnosis of Diseases

Precision livestock farming has a crucial function as farming grows in significance. It will help farmers make better decisions, alter their roles and perspectives as farmers and managers, and allow for the tracking and monitoring of product quality and animal welfare as mandated by the government and industry. Farmers can improve productivity, sustainability, and animal care by gaining a deeper understanding of their farm systems as a result of the increased use of data generated by smart farming equipment. Automation and robots in agriculture have the potential to play a significant role in helping society fulfill its future demands for food supply. These technologies have already enabled significant cost reductions in production, as well as reductions in the amount of intensive manual labor, improvements in product quality, and enhancements in environmental management. Wearable sensors can monitor eating, rumination, rumen pH, rumen temperature, body temperature, laying behavior, animal activity, and animal position or placement. Detachable or imprinted biosensors that are adaptable and enable remote data transfer might be highly important in this quickly growing industry. There are already multiple gadgets to evaluate illnesses such as ketosis or mastitis in cattle. The objective evaluation of sensor methods and systems employed on the farm is one of the difficulties presented by the implementation of modern technologies on dairy farms. The availability of sensors and high-precision technology for real-time monitoring of cattle raises the question of how to objectively evaluate the contribution of these technologies to the long-term viability of farms (productivity, health monitoring, welfare evaluation, and environmental effects). This review focuses on biosensing technologies that have the potential to change early illness diagnosis, management, and operations for livestock.

Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Activity in Milk May Serve as a Non-Invasive Metabolic Biomarker of Energy Balance in Postpartum Dairy Cows

Negative energy balance (EB) postpartum is associated with adverse outcomes in dairy cows; therefore, non-invasive biomarkers to measure EB are of particular interest. We determined whether specific metabolites, oxidative stress indicators, enzyme activity, and fatty acid (FA) profiles in milk can serve as indicators of negative EB. Forty-two multiparous Holstein dairy cows were divided at calving into 2 groups: one was milked 3 times daily and the other, twice a day for the first 30 d in milk (DIM). Cows were classified retrospectively as being in either negative EB (NEB, n = 19; the mean EB during the first 21 DIM were less than the overall median of -2.8 Mcal/d), or in positive EB (PEB, n = 21; the mean EB was ≥-2.8 Mcal/d). The daily milk yield, feed intake, and body weight were recorded individually. Blood samples were analyzed for metabolites and stress biomarkers. Milk samples were taken twice weekly from 5 to 45 DIM to analyze the milk solids, the FA profile, glucose, glucose-6-P (G6P), G6P-dehydrogenase (G6PDH) activity, malic and lactic acids, malondialdehyde (MDA), and oxygen radical antioxidant capacity (ORAC). The NEB cows produced 10.5% more milk, and consumed 7.6% less dry matter than the PEB cows. The plasma glucose concentration was greater and β-hydroxybutyrate was lower in the PEB vs. the NEB cows. The average concentrations of milk glucose, G6P, malic and lactic acids, and MDA did not differ between groups; however, the G6PDH activity was higher and ORAC tended to be higher in the milk of NEB vs. the PEB cows. The correlation between milk G6PDH activity and EB was significant (r = -0.39). The percentages of oleic acid and total unsaturated FA in milk were higher for the NEB vs. the PEB cows. These findings indicate that G6PDH activity in milk is associated with NEB and that it can serve as a non-invasive candidate biomarker of NEB in postpartum cows, that should be validated in future studies.

Technological Tools for the Early Detection of Bovine Respiratory Disease in Farms

Simple Summary

The inclusion of remote automatic systems that use continuous learning technology are of great interest in precision livestock cattle farming, since the average size of farms is increasing while time for individual observation is decreasing. Bovine respiratory disease is a main concern in both fattening and heifer rearing farms due to its impact on antibiotic use, loss of performance, mortality, and animal welfare. Much scientific literature has been published regarding technologies for continuous learning and monitoring of cattle’s behavior and accurate correlation with health status, including early detection of bovine respiratory disease. This review summarizes the up-to-date technologies for early diagnosis of bovine respiratory disease and discusses their advantages and disadvantages under practical conditions.

Abstract

Classically, the diagnosis of respiratory disease in cattle has been based on observation of clinical signs and the behavior of the animals, but this technique can be subjective, time-consuming and labor intensive. It also requires proper training of staff and lacks sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp). Furthermore, respiratory disease is diagnosed too late, when the animal already has severe lesions. A total of 104 papers were included in this review. The use of new advanced technologies that allow early diagnosis of diseases using real-time data analysis may be the future of cattle farms. These technologies allow continuous, remote, and objective assessment of animal behavior and diagnosis of bovine respiratory disease with improved Se and Sp. The most commonly used behavioral variables are eating behavior and physical activity. Diagnosis of bovine respiratory disease may experience a significant change with the help of big data combined with machine learning, and may even integrate metabolomics as disease markers. Advanced technologies should not be a substitute for practitioners, farmers or technicians, but could help achieve a much more accurate and earlier diagnosis of respiratory disease and, therefore, reduce the use of antibiotics, increase animal welfare and sustainability of livestock farms. This review aims to familiarize practitioners and farmers with the advantages and disadvantages of the advanced technological diagnostic tools for bovine respiratory disease and introduce recent clinical applications.

Genomic integration to identify molecular biomarkers associated with indicator traits of gastrointestinal nematode resistance in sheep

This study aimed to integrate GWAS and structural variants to propose possible molecular biomarkers related to gastrointestinal nematode resistance traits in Santa Inês sheep. The phenotypic records FAMACHA, haematocrit, white blood cell count, red blood cell count, haemoglobin, platelets and egg counts per gram of faeces were collected from 700 naturally infected animals, belonging to four Brazilian flocks. A total of 576 animals were genotyped using the Ovine SNP12k BeadChip and were imputed using a reference population with Ovine SNP50 BeadChip. The GWAS approaches were based on SNPs, haplotypes, CNVs and ROH. The overlapping between the significant genomic regions detected from all approaches was investigated, and the results were integrated using a network analysis. Genes related to the immune system were found, such as ABCB1, IL6, WNT5A and IRF5. Genomic regions containing candidate genes and metabolic pathways involved in immune responses, inflammatory processes and immune cells affecting parasite resistance traits were identified. The genomic regions, biological processes and candidate genes uncovered could lead to biomarkers for selecting more resilient sheep and improving herd welfare and productivity. The results obtained are the start point to identify molecular biomarkers related to indicator traits of gastrointestinal nematode resistance in Santa Inês sheep.

Extensive Sheep and Goat Production: The Role of Novel Technologies towards Sustainability and Animal Welfare

Simple Summary

New technologies have been recognized as valuable in controlling, monitoring, and managing farm animal activities. It makes it possible to deepen the knowledge of animal behavior and improve animal welfare and health, which has positive implications for the sustainability of animal production. In recent years, successful technological developments have been applied in intensive farming systems; however, due to challenging conditions that extensive pasture-based systems show, technology has been more limited. Nevertheless, awareness of the available technological solutions for extensive conditions can increase the implementation of their adoption among farmers and researchers. In this context, this review addresses the role of different technologies applied to sheep and goat production in extensive systems. Examples related to precision livestock farming, omics, thermal stress, colostrum intake, passive immunity, and newborn survival are presented; biomarkers of metabolic diseases and parasite resistance breeding are discussed.

Abstract

Sheep and goat extensive production systems are very important in the context of global food security and the use of rangelands that have no alternative agricultural use. In such systems, there are enormous challenges to address. These include, for instance, classical production issues, such as nutrition or reproduction, as well as carbon-efficient systems within the climate-change context. An adequate response to these issues is determinant to economic and environmental sustainability. The answers to such problems need to combine efficiently not only the classical production aspects, but also the increasingly important health, welfare, and environmental aspects in an integrated fashion. The purpose of the study was to review the application of technological developments, in addition to remote-sensing in tandem with other state-of-the-art techniques that could be used within the framework of extensive production systems of sheep and goats and their impact on nutrition, production, and ultimately, the welfare of these species. In addition to precision livestock farming (PLF), these include other relevant technologies, namely omics and other areas of relevance in small-ruminant extensive production: heat stress, colostrum intake, passive immunity, newborn survival, biomarkers of metabolic disease diagnosis, and parasite resistance breeding. This work shows the substantial, dynamic nature of the scientific community to contribute to solutions that make extensive production systems of sheep and goats more sustainable, efficient, and aligned with current concerns with the environment and welfare.

Historical Evolution of Cattle Management and Herd Health of Dairy Farms in OECD Countries

This work aimed to review the important aspects of the dairy industry evolution at herd level, interrelating production with health management systems. Since the beginning of the industrialization of the dairy cattle sector (1950s), driven by the need to feed the rapidly growing urban areas, this industry has experienced several improvements, evolving in management and technology. These changes have been felt above all in the terms of milking, rearing, nutrition, reproductive management, and design of facilities. Shortage of labor, emphasis on increasing farm efficiency, and quality of life of the farmers were the driving factors for these changes. To achieve it, in many areas of the world, pasture production has been abandoned, moving to indoor production, which allows for greater nutritional and reproductive control of the animals. To keep pace with this paradigm in milk production, animal health management has also been improved. Prevention and biosecurity have become essential to control and prevent pathologies that cause great economic losses. As such, veterinary herd health management programs were created, allowing the management of health of the herd as a whole, through the common work of veterinarians and farmers. These programs address the farms holistically, from breeding to nutrition, from prevention to consultancy. In addition, farmers are now faced with a consumer more concerned on animal production, valuing certified products that respect animal health and welfare, as well as environmental sustainability.

Influence of Healthy Physical Fitness on the Teaching of Aerobics Course Based on Big Data Mining Technology

Healthy physical fitness is one of the hot topics discussed by scholars at home and abroad in recent years, and it is a key indicator for evaluating students' physical function and body shape. Aerobics, also known as bodybuilding, means that the body and health of students should have a better promotion effect, but in reality, many students found that after elective aerobics, body shape and health level basically did not improve, which is related to the setting of aerobics courses, especially the lack of physical training. Aerobics and other sports have common requirements in physical training, such as strength quality, speed quality, endurance quality, agility quality, and flexibility quality. This article is aimed at studying the impact of healthy physical fitness based on big data mining technology on the teaching of aerobics. On the basis of analyzing the process of data mining, the composition of healthy physical fitness, and the role of aerobics, it is used to test students in a certain university through experimental methods and statistical methods. Carry out aerobics teaching experiment, and compare and analyze the data measured by the experimental samples. The experimental results show that the use of healthy physical fitness in aerobics teaching can effectively promote the learning and improvement of aerobics skills.

Moving towards sustainable breeding objectives and cow welfare in dairy production: a South African perspective

Genetic advancements have resulted in improved dairy production over many decades, due to the focus of breeding objectives on production as the driving force for genetic progress and overall farm profitability. Major advancements were made in the easy-to-measure traits with moderate to high heritability, which resulted in unintended consequences on herd fertility, health, and welfare of cows. In addition, climate change and animal welfare concerns demanded balanced breeding objectives and selection approaches for sustainable production-including health and longevity. The inclusion of genomic information into genetic evaluations has been proved to benefit traits associated with welfare and sustainable production. Cow welfare traits remain complex and suitable phenotypes are not always easy to measure or readily available for genetic evaluations. The challenge for improvement of cow welfare often lies within implementation of sensitive and measurable parameters. The aim of this review was to explore the reconsideration of breeding objectives in the dairy industry towards sustainable dairy production and cow welfare with reference to selection of dairy animals in South Africa.

Alleviation of heat stress by Chlorophytum borivilianum: impact on stress markers, antioxidant, and immune status in crossbred cows

Eighteen crossbred Karan Fries (KF) cows in mid-lactation (av. 130 days) were selected from the livestock herd of the institute. The treatment for the experimental cows was as follows: no supplement (control), a low dose of Chlorophytum borivilianum (CB) at a dose rate of 40 mg/kg BW/day (T1, n = 6), and a high dose of CB at a dose rate of 80 mg/kg BW/day (T2, n = 6) for a period of 90 days in hot-humid season. Physiological responses like respiration rate (RR), pulse rate (PR), and rectal temperature (RT) were recorded in the morning (8.00 A.M.) and afternoon (2.30 P.M.) at weekly intervals. The expression of pro-inflammatory (IL-1β and TNF-α) and anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-10) in PBMCs, the plasma level of antioxidants (SOD, catalase, TBARS, and TAC), hormones (cortisol, prolactin), and energy metabolites (glucose, NEFA, urea, and creatinine) were determined. Dry and wet bulb temperatures and minimum and maximum temperatures were recorded, and the THI was calculated. The values of PR and RT were decreased (p < 0.01) in the T2 group in comparison to T1. Plasma glucose level was lower, and NEFA, urea, and creatinine level were higher (p < 0.01) in the control group as compared to T2 and T1 groups, respectively. Plasma cortisol and prolactin levels were significantly higher (p < 0.01) in the control group and were lower in T1 and T2 groups. Feeding of CB in high dose decreased (p < 0.01) plasma SOD, catalase, TBARS, and improved TAC levels in T2 over the T1 group. The dietary supplementation of CB at a dose rate of 80 mg/kg BW/day was more effective in lowering the stress level and augments the immunity by downregulating pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokine levels. Therefore, dietary CB supplementation could be used as an effective heat stress ameliorator in dairy cows.

Prepartum and Postpartum Feed Restrictions Affect Blood Metabolites and Hormones Reducing Colostrum and Milk Yields in Fat-Tailed Dairy Sheep

Simple Summary

Despite the fact that fat-tailed sheep raised for meat production are well known for being resilient to harsh environmental conditions such as pasture scarcity or low-quality feedstuffs, no studies regarding feed restriction have been performed on fat-tailed dairy sheep. In this study, prepartum feed restriction from week −5 to week −1 relative to parturition did not affect body weight. Similarly, postpartum feed restriction from week 1 to week 5 relative to parturition did not affect body weight. However, both prepartum and postpartum feed restrictions affected blood metabolites and hormones, which decreased both colostrum and milk yields postpartum.

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the effect of prepartum and postpartum feed restriction on body weight (BW), blood metabolites, and hormones as well as colostrum and milk yields and compositions in fat-tailed dairy sheep. In this study, 20 multiparous and pregnant ewes were randomly allocated to either the control (Ctrl; n = 10) or the feed-restricted (FR; n = 10) groups from week −5 to week 5 relative to parturition. Despite dry matter intake being decreased in the FR group compared to the Ctrl throughout both prepartum and postpartum periods, no differences in BW were detected between groups in any of the studied periods. Feed restriction increased both free fatty acids and beta-hydroxybutyrate concentrations during both prepartum and postpartum periods. Similarly, feed restriction increased triglyceride concentration postpartum. Additionally, feed restriction increased insulin and growth hormone and decreased prolactin concentrations during both prepartum and postpartum periods. Feed restriction caused a decreased colostrum yield and a relative increase of the main colostrum components in the FR group. Similarly, milk yield decreased in the FR group compared to the Ctrl group, although milk components were not affected. In conclusion, feed restriction did not affect BW but decreased colostrum and milk yield in fat-tailed dairy sheep.

Domestic animal proteomics in the 21st century: A global retrospective and viewpoint analysis

Animal production and health are of significant economic importance, particularly regarding the world food supply. Animal and veterinary sciences have evolved immensely in the past six decades, particularly in genetics, nutrition, housing, management and health. To address major challenges such as those posed by climate change or metabolic disorders, it is of utmost importance to use state-of-the-art research tools. Proteomics and the other post-genomic tools (transcriptomics or metabolomics) are among them. Proteomics has experienced a considerable development over the last decades. This brought developments to different scientific fields. The use and adoption of proteomics tools in animal and veterinary sciences has some limitations (database availability or access to proteomics platforms and funding). As a result, proteomics' use by animal science researchers varies across the globe. In this viewpoint article, we focus on the developments of domestic animal proteomics over the last decade in different regions of the globe and how the researchers have coped with such challenges. In the second part of the article, we provide examples of funding, educational and laboratory establishment initiatives designed to foster the development of (animal-based) proteomics. International scientific collaboration is a definitive and key feature in the development and advancement of domestic animal proteomics. SIGNIFICANCE: Animal production and health are very important for food supply worldwide particularly as a source of proteinaceous foods. Animal and veterinary sciences have evolved immensely in the last decades. In order to address the major contemporary challenges facing animal and veterinary sciences, it is of utmost importance to use state-of-the-art research tools such as Proteomics and other Omics. Herein, we focus on the major developments in domestic animal proteomics worldwide during the last decade and how different regions of the world have used the technology in this specific research field. We address also major international efforts aiming to increase the research output in this area and highlight the importance of international cooperation to address specific problems inherent to domestic animal proteomics.

Genetic Regulation of Biomarkers as Stress Proxies in Dairy Cows

Stress in livestock reduces productivity and is a welfare concern. At a physiological level, stress is associated with the activation of inflammatory responses and increased levels of harmful reactive oxygen species. Biomarkers that are indicative of stress could facilitate the identification of more stress-resilient animals. We examined twenty-one metabolic, immune response, and liver function biomarkers that have been associated with stress in 416 Italian Simmental and 436 Italian Holstein cows which were genotyped for 150K SNPs. Single-SNP and haplotype-based genome-wide association studies were carried out to assess whether the variation in the levels in these biomarkers is under genetic control and to identify the genomic loci involved. Significant associations were found for the plasma levels of ceruloplasmin (Bos taurus chromosome 1-BTA1), paraoxonase (BTA4) and γ-glutamyl transferase (BTA17) in the individual breed analysis that coincided with the position of the genes coding for these proteins, suggesting that their expression is under cis-regulation. A meta-analysis of both breeds identified additional significant associations with paraoxonase on BTA 16 and 26. Finding genetic associations with variations in the levels of these biomarkers suggests that the selection for high or low levels of expression could be achieved rapidly. Whether the level of expression of the biomarkers correlates with the response to stressful situations has yet to be determined.

Modulatory Effect of Dietary Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on Immunity, Represented by Phagocytic Activity

Lately, dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have shown substantial importance in human and animal nutrition, especially those of the n-3 group. Development and optimal functioning of the immune system are directed affected by diet. These dietary fatty acids have an important impact on the health and immune competence of various species including human beings. They are essential for the modulation of immune responses in health and disease. Fatty acid composition of immune cells can be modulated by the action of dietary fats and the outcomes in the composition can produce functional effects on reactivity and functioning of immune cells in a short period. There are several mechanisms involved in impacting dietary fatty acids on immune function; however, lipid mediator synthesis from PUFAs is of great importance in terms of inflammation. The objectives of this article are reviewing studies on the impact of PUFA in the diet on phagocytosis of chickens, murine, rats, ruminants, and humans. It also sheds light on the possible mechanism by which this immunomodulation occurs.

DairyCare 'blueprint for action': husbandry for wellbeing

'Keep calm and carry on' was a wartime message to the British public that has achieved renewed fame in the last few years. The strategy was simple: in times of extreme difficulty a cool head combined with stoicism is an appropriate response to ensure a successful outcome. The latest major challenge to society (COVID-19) met with a very different response, and only history will reveal whether 'Stay home and worry' will be equally effective. In devising blueprints or strategies it is extremely important to have a clear idea of what you are trying to achieve, whether it be maintaining world freedom or stopping a pandemic. In the case of livestock agriculture, it is helping to feed a rapidly growing global population in harmony with the needs of current and future generations. I hope that I have stated this clearly, and calmly. If so, I ask you to picture a scene. We are on a Calm Farm. Dairy animals go about their daily lives contented, unhurried and focused on the simple feeding and socialising activities that are so important to them. Unstressed, their productive capacities and abilities to avoid and, when necessary, cope with physiological and pathological challenges are maximised. They are not alone: the exact same characteristics also apply to the farmer and husbandry staff that we meet. How is this calm farming approach relevant to the aspirations we had when we established the EU COST Action DairyCare? Our objective was to harness the power of computing technologies to assist our management of dairy livestock. A simple rearrangement leads us to Computing Assisted Livestock Management, CALM. In this short Research Reflection I shall assess how far we have come towards the achievement of sensible goals related to technological assessment of dairy animal wellbeing, and speculate on what more things both can and need to be done to finish the job. It is a personal account. DairyCare was a major collaboration involving several hundred active researchers. To involve them all would be impossible, and I do not pretend to speak for them all. As will become evident, the wide skills base that was assembled was so successful in its primary objectives that different skills, chiefly in economics, are now needed to exploit all of the technological advance that has been achieved. DairyCare succeeded in a second direction. Whilst the focus was technology development, by assembling a large cohort of biologists with animal welfare interests, it soon became apparent that technology should run alongside and help to enable improved management practices. This Special Issue is, therefore, in two sections. The first is dedicated to technology development and the second to a novel management practice that has the potential to significantly improve the wellbeing of cows and calves: cow-calf contact rearing. That section is introduced by my DairyCare colleague, Sigrid Agenäs.

Review: Sensor techniques in ruminants: more than fitness trackers

In this position paper, I shall summarise the current status of sensor technologies in ruminant livestock farming with emphasis on dairy cattle, outline the case for why I believe that sensor technologies could revolutionise global dairy farming in a positive way, describe the significant barriers that exist if that goal is to be achieved and highlight the benefits to animal wellbeing, profitability and sustainability that could result if the technologies are implemented to a significant extent. I shall not provide a comprehensive review of the sensor technology literature since that has been done before, but I intend to provide a sensible amount of background information and data that will allow the reader to obtain a picture not only of today's sensor usage but, more importantly, the possible future direction of dairy animal-oriented sensor technologies, and I shall substantiate my claims and conclusions with relevant literature.

A novel T177P missense variant in the HSPA8 gene associated with the low tolerance of Awassi sheep to heat stress

This study was conducted to identify the association of coding variations in the HSPA8 gene with heat stress in two different breeds of sheep. All the coding regions of the HSPA8 gene of Awassi and Arabi sheep were covered by amplifying nine exons. A single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) was utilized to assess the genetic variations in both breeds. The possible association of the observed genotypes with rectal temperature (RT), respiratory rate (RR), and heat tolerance coefficient (HTC) was analyzed in different seasons. While all the coding regions of both sheep were monomorphous, a remarkable heterogeneity was observed in exon 4, of which two SSCP patterns, a normal TT and a mutant TG, were detected. The TG genotype was characterized by a missense variant of T177P with frequencies of 77% in Awassi and 54% in Arabi. Cumulative in silico tools indicated extremely deleterious consequences for T177P on protein structure, function, and stability. Results indicated that sheep with the TT genotype had significantly (P < 0.05) lower RT, RR, and HTC values than sheep with the TG genotype. Therefore, a significant association of T177P with a lower tolerance of Awassi to higher temperature conditions was revealed. In conclusion, the identified T177P may have damaging effects in the HSPA8, which affects the ability of Awassi sheep to cope up with elevated temperatures compared with Arabi sheep. This manuscript describes a novel description of a highly deleterious missense variant in the HSPA8 gene that may reduce the ability of sheep to withstand high-temperature conditions.