Review: Establishing precision, bias, and reproducibility standards for dairy cattle behavior sensors.

This scoping review addressed the disparity in statistical approaches for validating wearable sensors in dairy cattle behavior research. The objective of this scoping review was to (1) synthesize 101 original research articles that validated wearable sensors to observe dairy cattle behavior (activity and feeding behavior) from the past 11 years to build a reference point for researchers, (2) make recommendations for statistical reporting (precision, bias, and minimum reporting standards) for future validation research that uses wearable sensors to record dairy cattle behavior, focusing on calculating precision, and bias, and reporting reproducibility criteria, and (3) evaluate which validated wearables met our criteria for validity; ≥ 85% precision, reported repeatability criteria, and no bias was observed. A systematic search across PubMed and Web of Science yielded 2 955 articles, which were reduced to 101 after duplicate removal.

A workflow of open-source tools for drone-based photogrammetry of marine megafauna.

Drones have revolutionized researchers' ability to obtain morphological data on megafauna, particularly cetaceans. The last decade has seen a surge in studies using drones to distinguish morphological differences among populations, calculate energetic reserves and body condition, and identify decreasing body sizes over generations. However, standardized workflows are needed to guide data collection, post-processing, and incorporation of measurement uncertainty, thereby ensuring that measurements are comparable within and across studies.

A scoping review on pair housing dairy calves: health and performance outcomes and tactics to reduce cross-sucking behavior.

Calves raised in pairs or triplets often experience better growth performance outcomes when compared to their individually housed peers. However, veterinarians may be concerned that pair housing compromises calf health, and producers are concerned about abnormal oral behavior (e.g.

Esophageal Epidermoid Metaplasia Treated With Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection.

Esophageal epidermoid metaplasia (EEM) is a rare condition characterized by well-demarcated leukoplakia affecting the middle-to-distal esophagus. EEM commonly presents in middle-aged females with dysphagia and gastroesophageal reflux. EEM is thought to be associated with high-grade squamous dysplasia and squamous cell carcinoma.

Integrating cultural dimensions in sperm whale () conservation: threats, challenges and solutions.

Culture-socially transmitted behaviours shared within a community-can influence animal populations' structure, vulnerability and resilience. Clans of sperm whales in the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP) exemplify the profound influence of culture on these dynamics and highlight the challenges of accounting for culture in conservation efforts. Globally, sperm whales are classified as vulnerable, and the ETP sperm whale population has struggled to reach a positive growth rate.

Ecology and conservation of socially learned foraging tactics in odontocetes.

Culture-group-typical behaviour shared by community members that rely on socially learned and transmitted information-can drive animal adaptations to local environments and thus has the potential of generating specialized behavioural tactics to solve fundamental life challenges, including capturing prey. However, as human activities rapidly change the world in unprecedented ways, animal foraging cultures may no longer represent optimal solutions to local environments. Odontocetes (toothed whales, dolphins and porpoises) are of particular concern because they rely on learned, specialized foraging tactics in habitats highly affected by human activities.

METTL14 regulates chondrogenesis through the GDF5-RUNX-extracellular matrix gene axis during limb development.

mA RNA methylation is essential for many aspects of mammalian development but its roles in chondrogenesis remain largely unknown. Here, we show that mA is necessary for chondrogenesis and limb morphogenesis using limb progenitor-specific knockout mice of Mettl14, an essential subunit in the mA methyltransferase complex. The knockout disrupts cartilage anlagen formation in limb buds with 11 downregulated proteins known to dysregulate chondrogenesis and shorten limb skeletons upon mutation in mice and humans.

Evaluating the change in immunoglobulin G and accuracy of assessing transfer of passive immunity during the first 7 days of age in Holstein dairy calves fed colostrum replacer.

Accurate diagnosis of failure of transfer of passive immunity is an important component for dairy herd management goals and involves measurement of serum IgG in young calves. However, it is not well understood how IgG concentration changes over the first week of life. The primary objective of this cohort study was to evaluate how blood serum IgG concentrations change in dairy calves fed colostrum replacer during the first 7 d of life.

Catch Data Can Unravel Elasmobranch Aggregation Dynamics and Group Behaviours.

Elasmobranchs (i.e., sharks, skates, rays), known for their cognitive abilities and complex behaviours, often form aggregations that are thought to be crucial for their survival and evolutionary success.

Aerial urination suggests undescribed sensory modality and social function in river dolphins.

Scent marking through urine spraying is known to aid mate selection, territory marking and chemical communication in terrestrial, but not in aquatic mammals. We quantify an unusual aerial urination behaviour in botos (Inia geoffrensis) and discuss its potential functions. Between 2014 and 2018, we conducted land-based behavioural surveys on wild botos in central Brazil, recording the sequence, duration and social context of aerial urination.

Suction tube uterine tamponade versus uterine balloon tamponade for treatment of refractory postpartum hemorrhage: A randomized clinical feasibility trial.

Objective: To compare low-cost "Suction Tube Uterine Tamponade" (STUT) treatment for refractory postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) with uterine balloon tamponade (UBT) using a randomized feasibility study.

Methods: After verbal assent, we allocated participants with refractory PPH by randomly ordered envelopes to STUT or routine UBT at 10 hospitals in South Africa and one tertiary referral center in Colombia between January 10, 2020, and May 3, 2024. In the STUT group, we inserted a 24 FG Levin stomach tube into the uterine cavity and applied suction.

The association of lung consolidation and respiratory pathogens identified at weaning on the growth performance of beef-on-dairy calves.

This observational study evaluated the relationship between lung consolidation (LC) observed at weaning and calf ADG, and the association of pathogen shedding at weaning on ADG in beef × dairy calves up to 238 d. Beef × Holstein calves (n = 143) were sourced from 2 dairies. Calves were managed in 3 cohorts and fed milk replacer and calf starter before weaning.

Effect of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on neonatal calf diarrhea when administered at a disease alert generated by automated milk feeders.

The objective of this randomized clinical trial was to assess whether early intervention with a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) following a disease alert generated by automated milk feeders could reduce diarrhea severity and improve performance in dairy calves. A total of 71 Holstein calves were enrolled on an automated milk feeder (recorded milk intake and drinking speed) at 3 d of age and received up to 15 L/d (150 g/L) of milk replacer until 35 d of age. An alert that was previously validated as diagnostically accurate to identify calves at risk for diarrhea was used using automated milk feeder data (≤60% rolling dividends in milk intake or drinking speed over 2 d).

The Influence of Technological Factors on the Structure and Chemical Composition of Tuberous Roots Determined Using Vibrational Spectroscopy.

This research investigated the structural and chemical modifications of 'Kennemerland' across different technological conditions and throughout the vegetation period. Using FT-IR imaging, this study focused on the changes in the inulin, lignin, and suberin contents of tuberous roots. FT-IR maps were generated to visualize the distribution of these compounds across scanned areas, highlighting variations across cultivation methods and seasonal stages.

Investigating nutritional strategies during a rest period to improve health, growth, and behavioral outcomes of transported surplus dairy calves.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of feeding surplus dairy calves a milk replacer (MR) or one of 2 different oral rehydration solutions (ORS) during a midtransportation rest period on metabolic and clinical health indicators, growth, and behavioral outcomes after arrival at a calf-raising facility. Surplus dairy calves (n = 128) were transported in 4 cohorts from February to July 2022 for 12 h to a holding facility, rested for 8 h, then transported for an additional 6 h to a calf-raising facility. Upon arrival at the holding facility, calves were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatments: MR (n = 43), a high-sodium ORS developed for diarrhea (ORS-D; n = 43), or a high-potassium ORS developed for transportation (ORS-T; n = 42).

Effects of supplementing colostrum beyond the first day of life on growth and health parameters of preweaning Holstein heifers.

The preweaning period for a dairy calf is characterized by high morbidity and mortality rates, leading to financial losses for producers. Identifying strategies to improve the health and welfare of calves while reducing antimicrobial use continues to be crucial to the success of the dairy industry. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of feeding colostrum replacer (CR) to dairy heifer calves beyond d 1 of life on growth, serum IgG, the incidence of diarrhea and bovine respiratory disease (BRD), and the risk of mortality in the preweaning period.

The development and validation of a milk feeding behavior alert from automated feeder data to classify calves at risk for a diarrhea bout: A diagnostic accuracy study.

The objective of this diagnostic accuracy study was to develop and validate an alert to identify calves at risk for a diarrhea bout using milk feeding behavior data (behavior) from automated milk feeders (AMF). We enrolled Holstein calves (n = 259) as a convenience sample size from 2 facilities that were health scored daily preweaning and offered either 10 or 15 L/d of milk replacer. For alert development, 132 calves were enrolled and the ability of milk intake, drinking speed, and rewarded visits collected from AMF to identify calves at risk for diarrhea was tested.

Activity behaviors and relative changes in activity patterns recorded by precision technology were associated with diarrhea status in individually housed calves.

The objective of this case-control study was to quantify any association of daily activity behaviors and relative changes in activity patterns (lying time, lying bouts, step count, activity index) with diarrhea status in preweaning dairy calves. Individually housed calves sourced from auction were health-scored daily for signs of diarrhea (fecal consistency loose or watery for 2 consecutive days) for the 28 d after arrival. Calves with diarrhea were pair-matched with healthy controls (n = 13, matched by arrival date, arrival weight, and diagnosis days to diarrheic calves).

Converging evidence from exome sequencing and common variants implicates target genes for osteoporosis.

In this study, we leveraged the combined evidence of rare coding variants and common alleles to identify therapeutic targets for osteoporosis. We undertook a large-scale multiancestry exome-wide association study for estimated bone mineral density, which showed that the burden of rare coding alleles in 19 genes was associated with estimated bone mineral density (P < 3.6 × 10).