A comprehensive study of the angular distributions in the bottom-baryon decays Λ^0_b→Λ_c^+ h^-(h=π, K), followed by Λ_c^+→Λ h^+ with Λ→pπ^- or Λ_c^+→pK^0_S decays, is performed using a data sample of proton-proton collisions corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9 fb^-1 collected by the LHCb experiment at center-of-mass energies of 7, 8 and 13 Te -0.1em V. The decay parameters and the associated charge-parity (CP) asymmetries are measured, with no significant CP violation observed. For the first time, the Λ^0_b →Λ_c^+ h^- decay parameters are measured. The most precise measurements of the decay parameters α, β and γ are obtained for Λ_c^+ decays and an independent measurement of the decay parameters for the strange-baryon Λ decay is provided. The results deepen our understanding of weak decay dynamics in baryon decays.

Our objective was to identify genomic regions with pleiotropic effects on carcass and meat quality traits in a multibreed Angus-Brahman population. Data included phenotypes from 2,384 steers, of which 1,038 were genotyped. Single-trait genome-wide association studies were first used to investigate the relevance of additive genetic effects. A second analysis was performed to capture genomic regions with pure direct effects on each trait, removing regions with indirect effects. Four pleiotropic (BTA5, BTA7 and BTA18) and two suggestive pleiotropic regions (BTA10 and BTA19) were identified. Candidate genes encode key players in cell growth, muscle development, lipid metabolism and fat deposition. Functional analysis revealed GO terms directly related to carcass quality, meat quality, and tenderness in beef cattle, including calciumrelated processes, and modulation of cell-cell adhesion. These results contribute with novel information about the complex genetic architecture of carcass and meat quality traits in crossbred beef cattle.

Carcass and meat quality are two important attributes for the beef industry because they drive profitability and consumer demand. These traits are of even greater importance in crossbred cattle used in subtropical and tropical regions for their superior adaptability because they tend to underperform compared to their purebred counterparts. Many of these traits are challenging and expensive to measure and unavailable until late in life or after the animal is harvested, hence unrealistic to improve through traditional phenotypic selection, but perfect candidates for genomic selection. Before genomic selection can be implemented in crossbred populations, it is important to explore if pleiotropic effects exist between carcass and meat quality traits. Therefore, the objective of this study was to identify genomic regions with pleiotropic effects on carcass and meat quality traits in a multibreed Angus–Brahman population that included purebred and crossbred animals. Data included phenotypes for 10 carcass and meat quality traits from 2,384 steers, of which 1,038 were genotyped with the GGP Bovine F-250. Single-trait genome-wide association studies were first used to investigate the relevance of direct additive genetic effects on each carcass, sensory and visual meat quality traits. A second analysis for each trait included all other phenotypes as covariates to correct for direct causal effects from identified genomic regions with pure direct effects on the trait under analysis. Five genomic windows on chromosomes BTA5, BTA7, BTA18, and BTA29 explained more than 1% of additive genetic variance of two or more traits. Moreover, three suggestive pleiotropic regions were identified on BTA10 and BTA19. The 317 genes uncovered in pleiotropic regions included anchoring and cytoskeletal proteins, key players in cell growth, muscle development, lipid metabolism and fat deposition, and important factors in muscle proteolysis. A functional analysis of these genes revealed GO terms directly related to carcass quality, meat quality, and tenderness in beef cattle, including calcium-related processes, cell signaling, and modulation of cell–cell adhesion. These results contribute with novel information about the complex genetic architecture and pleiotropic effects of carcass and meat quality traits in crossbred beef cattle.

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) offer a unique platform through which Extension can provide valuable education. We explored The Meat We Eat, a MOOC designed to create a more informed meat consumer and increase perceptions of transparency surrounding meat production. Compared to pretest respondents (n = 490), students who completed the posttest (n = 226) had an improved attitude toward meat and slaughter, an improved perception of the meat industry’s transparency, and increased knowledge. These findings suggest the relevance and value of MOOCs as Extension activities for improving knowledge and attitudes toward animal agriculture and other topics.

Beef from Bos taurus indicus is associated with toughness compared to Bos taurus taurus, suggesting there is antagonism between adaptability to heat and beef quality. Resistance to cellular stress in muscle may be protective postmortem, thereby delaying its conversion to meat. Therefore, our objective was to determine pH decline, calpain-1 and caspase 3 activation, and proteolysis in different biological cattle types. Angus, Brangus, and Brahman steers (n = 18) were harvested, and Longissimus lumborum were assessed postmortem for pH decline, ATP content, protease activation, and calpastatin content; and myofibrillar protein degradation was evaluated in beef aged to 14d. Brahman Longissimus lumborum exhibited resistance to pH decline, greater ATP content at 1 h, and delayed calpain-1 autolysis. Although content of caspase-3 zymogen was lower in Brahman, there was no evidence of caspase-3 mediated proteolysis. Greater resistance to energetic and pH changes early postmortem in Brahman Longissimus lumborum are associated with calpain-1 autolysis but not mitochondria mediated apoptosis.

AIM:Our objectives were to describe the approach used in the National Dental Practice-Based Research Network to capture patient-reported outcomes and to compare electronic and paper modes of data capture in a specific network study.METHODS:This was a prospective, multicenter cohort study of 1862 patients with dentin hypersensitivity. Patient-reported outcomes were assessed based on patients' perception of pain using Visual Analog Scales and Labeled Magnitude scales at baseline and at 1, 4 and 8 weeks post-baseline.RESULTS:Eighty-five percent of study patients chose to complete follow-up assessments via an electronic mode; 15% completed them via a paper mode. There was not a significant difference in the proportions of patients who completed the 8-week assessment when comparing the electronic mode to the paper mode (92% vs. 90.8%, P = 0.31, Rao-Scott clustered χ2 -test).CONCLUSION:The electronic mode of data capture was as operational as the traditional paper mode, while also providing the advantage of eliminating data entry errors, not involving site research coordinators in measuring the patient-reported outcomes, and not incurring cost and potential delays due to mailing study forms. Electronic data capture of patient reported outcomes could be successfully implemented in the community dental practice setting.

Introduction. The purpose of the study was to quantify the impact of packaging type, storage temperature, and length of postmortem aging to consistently increase palatability and color stability of Longissimus lumborum (LL) and TBmuscles that represent the bulk of today's supply. Materials and methods. Paired longissimus lumborum (LL) and triceps brachii (TB) muscles were selected from 27 and 54 A-maturity beef carcasses with marbling scores of Slight 50 to Small 50 at grading. One muscle from each pair was stored at 0 and 4 degrees C, respectively, for 21, 32, or 42 days for LL, and 21, 28, or 35 days for TB, in one of three packaging options; DryBag (R), traditional vacuum-bag, or no bag. Result and discussion. Saleable yields were similar forDryBag (R) and traditional dry agedsubprimals. Aging temperature and packaging type had little impact on any quality parameters evaluated. Steaks from LL muscles aged for 42 days had lower shear force values and more tender trained sensory panel values than steaks from LL aged for 21 days, although the actual difference was marginal. Tenderness of steaks from TB muscles was similar regardless of aging. Length of aging had more influence on saleable yields than palatability, and storage temperature and packaging had little influence on either. Conclusion. Traits measured from subprimals aged in a DryBag (R) were similar to traditional dry aging. Packaging (vacuum vs. non) had a slight influence on palatability. Storage temperature (0 vs. 4 degrees C) had little impact on any trait evaluated. Length of aging (21 to 42) had more influence on cutting yields than palatability

BACKGROUND:Meat quality related phenotypes are difficult and expensive to measure and predict but are ideal candidates for genomic selection if genetic markers that account for a worthwhile proportion of the phenotypic variation can be identified. The objectives of this study were: 1) to perform genome wide association analyses for Warner-Bratzler Shear Force (WBSF), marbling, cooking loss, tenderness, juiciness, connective tissue and flavor; 2) to determine enriched pathways present in each genome wide association analysis; and 3) to identify potential candidate genes with multiple quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with meat quality.RESULTS:The WBSF, marbling and cooking loss traits were measured in longissimus dorsi muscle from 672 steers. Out of these, 495 animals were used to measure tenderness, juiciness, connective tissue and flavor by a sensory panel. All animals were genotyped for 221,077 markers and included in a genome wide association analysis. A total number of 68 genomic regions covering 52 genes were identified using the whole genome association approach; 48% of these genes encode transmembrane proteins or membrane associated molecules. Two enrichment analysis were performed: a tissue restricted gene enrichment applying a correlation analysis between raw associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) by trait, and a functional classification analysis performed using the DAVID Bioinformatic Resources 6.8 server. The tissue restricted gene enrichment approach identified eleven pathways including "Endoplasmic reticulum membrane" that influenced multiple traits simultaneously. The DAVID functional classification analysis uncovered eleven clusters related to transmembrane or structural proteins. A gene network was constructed where the number of raw associated uncorrelated SNPs for each gene across all traits was used as a weight. A multiple SNP association analysis was performed for the top five most connected genes in the gene-trait network. The gene network identified the EVC2, ANXA10 and PKHD1 genes as potentially harboring multiple QTLs. Polymorphisms identified in structural proteins can modulate two different processes with direct effect on meat quality: in vivo myocyte cytoskeletal organization and postmortem proteolysis.CONCLUSION:The main result from the present analysis is the uncovering of several candidate genes associated with meat quality that have structural function in the skeletal muscle.

ObjectivesThe National Beef Quality Audit (NBQA)– 2016 instrument-grading assessment evaluated beef carcass traits over the course of a year from selected beef processors. The objective of this study was to determine frequency distributions of ribeye areas within USDA quality grades. Materials and MethodsThere were 4,544,635 beef carcasses represented in the NBQA–2016 instrument-grading assessment. These data were collected from 18 federally-inspected processing facilities owned by 5 major beef processors over a 12-mo period (January 2016 through December 2016). Information was recorded during 1 wk of production each month at each facility. A variety of carcass trait information was collected at each facility including hot carcass weight, ribeye area, and marbling score, from which quality grades were determined. In an effort to create uniform ribeye area categories, ribeye area measurements were rounded down to a whole figure (i.e., 13.0 to 13.9 in² rounded down to 13.0 in²) and then were converted to metric units after data analysis. ResultsAnalysis of the NBQA–2016 data revealed ribeye area frequency within USDA Prime, Choice, and Select quality grades reached its highest rate in the 83.9 cm² category, at 23.2, 22.4, and 20.1%, respectively. Of the 183,856 Prime carcasses evaluated, over two-thirds (67.7%) were recorded in the 4 smallest ribeye area categories, ranging from 64.5 cm² to 83.9 cm². For Select, 30.1% of the 960,157 carcasses possessed a ribeye area falling into 1 of the 4 largest categories between 96.8 cm² to 116.1 cm² compared to 24.1% Choice and 12.7% Prime. Additionally, evaluation of all 4484,420 carcasses from NBQA–2016 found that the majority of each quality grade, 62.4% Prime, 60.4% Choice, and 55.2% Select, yielded a ribeye area between 77.4 cm² and 90.3 cm². The mean ribeye area for all carcasses recorded was 88.9 cm², an increase in area from 88.45 cm² in the NBQA–2011. When considering USDA Certified Programs, ribeye area mean was within qualification parameters with 86.2% of carcasses evaluated meeting the ribeye area specification for Certified Angus Beef (not considering additional specification requirements). Notably for Prime, 92.5% of the carcasses met the ribeye area specifications for Certified Angus Beef. Moreover, the NBQA–2016 demonstrated an increase in hot carcass weight when compared to the previous study, at 393.6 kg and 371.28 kg, for NBQA–2016 and NBQA–2011, respectively. The correlation between ribeye area and hot carcass weight (r = 0.40) is indicative of a moderate, positive relationship, meaning a heavier carcass weight tends to result in a greater ribeye area. ConclusionThese results show the relationship between ribeye area and USDA quality grade that can be considered in future industry specification and/or sorting programs.

The objective of this study was to identify genomic regions associated with meat tenderness related traits using a whole-genome scan approach followed by a gene enrichment analysis. Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) was measured on 673 steaks, and tenderness and connective tissue were assessed by a sensory panel on 496 steaks. Animals belong to the multibreed Angus-Brahman herd from University of Florida and range from 100% Angus to 100% Brahman. All animals were genotyped with the Bovine GGP F250 array. Gene enrichment was identified in two pathways; the first pathway is involved in negative regulation of transcription from RNA polymerase II, and the second pathway groups several cellular component of the endoplasmic reticulum membrane.

The objective of this study was to determine the influence of Brahman genetics on muscle contractile and metabolic phenotype and postmortem proteolysis. Cattle used in this study represent a continuous spectrum of Angus-Brahman genetic variation. Steers were harvested and Longissimus samples were collected at 1.5h, 24h, and 14d postmortem. Proteolysis during the 14d aging period was evaluated, along with Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) and trained sensory panel tenderness. Myosin heavy chain composition and enzymatic activity were used to evaluate fiber type characteristics. As Brahman influence increased, WBSF increased and sensory tenderness decreased. Calpain-1 autolysis decreased as Brahman percentage increased, and corresponded with reduced degradation of troponin-T, desmin, and titin. Increasing Brahman percentage was associated with greater citrate synthase activity and greater cross-sectional area of type IIx fibers. Brahman-influenced cattle produced tougher steaks and exhibited decreased protein degradation. Thus, Brahman genetics impacted not only the calpain-calpastatin system, but also muscle fiber size and metabolic properties.

Consumers demand meat that is both healthy and palatable, 2 attributes of meat that are affected by lipid content. Many cattle in the southern United States are Bos indicus influenced, as this improves the ability to survive and thrive in these subtropical regions. However, these animals tend to have leaner carcasses and less marbled meat products. Thus, the objective of this study was to examine the effect of percent Brahman genetics on carcass characteristics, palatability, fatty acids profile, and minerals content in LM of steers from a multibreed population ranging from 100% Angus to 100% Brahman. Breed effect was significant for birth weight (P = 0.0003), weaning weight (P < 0.0001), HCW (P < 0.0001), dressing percentage (P = 0.0008), ribeye area (P = 0.002), quality grade (P < 0.0001), and marbling score (P < 0.0001), and all these traits except dressing percentage decreased as the percentage of Brahman increased. Among palatability traits, breed group had a significant effect only on tenderness (TEND) and connective tissue (CT) scores (P < 0.0001). Least squares means decreased from Angus (5.75 ± 0.13 TEND score and 6.29 ± 0.14 CT score, respectively) to Brahman (4.84 ± 0.10 TEND score and 5.49 ± 0.11 CT score, respectively) as indicated by a significant linear effect. Breed group significantly affected the percentage of several individual fatty acids, saturated fatty acids (SFA), and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), but not monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA). The 100% Angus group had the highest percentage of SFA at 49.92%, which was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than the SFA percentage in the 50%, 75%, and 100% Brahman breed groups. Brangus animals also had an increased SFA percentage compared with the 100% Brahman animals (P < 0.05). No significant effect was identified for the concentration of PUFA across the 6 breed groups (P = 0.14). Least squares means decreased from 100% Angus to 100% Brahman for concentration of total fat, SFA, and MUFA (g/mg meat). The concentration of magnesium (P < 0.0001), phosphorus (P = 0.06), and potassium (P = 0.06) increased as the percentage of Brahman increased. Our study shows that breed has a significant effect on the fatty acid profile of beef. Cattle with high Brahman percentage, which are characterized by lower marbled meat, will present a more favorable healthfulness profile with reduced content of SFA and MUFA but the same content of PUFA as purebred Angus animals.

Structural equation models involving latent variables are useful tools for formulating hypothesized models defined by theoretical variables and causal links between these variables. The objectives of this study were: (1) to identify latent variables underlying carcass and meat quality traits and (2) to perform whole-genome scans for these latent variables in order to identify genomic regions and individual genes with both direct and indirect effects. A total of 726 steers from an Angus-Brahman multibreed population with records for 22 phenotypes were used. A total of 480 animals were genotyped with the GGP Bovine F-250. The single-step genomic best linear unbiased prediction method was used to estimate the amount of genetic variance explained for each latent variable by chromosome regions of 20 adjacent SNP-windows across the genome. Three types of genetic effects were considered: (1) direct effects on a single latent phenotype; (2) direct effects on two latent phenotypes simultaneously; and (3) indirect effects. The final structural model included carcass quality as an independent latent variable and meat quality as a dependent latent variable. Carcass quality was defined by quality grade, fat over the ribeye and marbling, while the meat quality was described by juiciness, tenderness and connective tissue, all of them measured through a taste panel. From 571 associated genomic regions (643 genes), each one explaining at least 0.05% of the additive variance, 159 regions (179 genes) were associated with carcass quality, 106 regions (114 genes) were associated with both carcass and meat quality, 242 regions (266 genes) were associated with meat quality, and 64 regions (84 genes) were associated with carcass quality, having an indirect effect on meat quality. Three biological mechanisms emerged from these findings: postmortem proteolysis of structural proteins and cellular compartmentalization, cellular proliferation and differentiation of adipocytes, and fat deposition.

To continue the series that began in 1994, the National Beef Quality Audit (NBQA) - 2016 was conducted to quantify the quality status of the market cow and bull beef sector, as well as determine improvements made in the beef and dairy industry since 2007. The NBQA-2016 was conducted from March through December of 2016, and assessed hide-on carcasses (n = 5,278), chilled carcasses (n = 4,285), heads (n = 5,720), and offal items (n = 4,800) in 18 commercial processing facilities throughout the United States. Beef cattle were predominantly black-hided; 68.0% of beef cows and 67.2% of beef bulls possessed a black hide. Holstein was the predominant type of dairy animal observed. Just over half (56.0%) of the cattle surveyed had no mud contamination on the hide, and when mud was present, 34.1% of cattle only had small amounts. Harvest floor assessments found 44.6% of livers, 23.1% of lungs, 22.3% of hearts, 20.0% of viscera, 8.2% of heads, and 5.9% of tongues were condemned. Liver condemnations were most frequently due to abscess presence. In contrast, contamination was the primary reason for condemnation of all other offal items. Of the cow carcasses surveyed, 17.4% carried a fetus at the time of harvest. As expected, mean carcass weight and loin muscle area values observed for bulls were heavier and larger than cows. The marbling scores represented by cull animal carcasses were most frequently slight and traces amounts. Cow carcasses manifested a greater amount of marbling on average than bull carcasses. The predominant fat color score showed all carcasses surveyed had some level of yellow fat. Only 1.3% of carcasses exhibited signs of arthritic joints. Results of the NBQA-2016 indicate there are areas in which the beef and dairy industries have improved and areas that still need attention to prevent value loss in market cows and bulls.