Far-Reaching Effects of Inflammation?

Introduction:?

The high emotion and intensity of election season have passed, and now excitement is building for the holidays! I can already taste the lefsa – if you haven’t had lefsa, you must try this magical Norwegian treat! Now, on to the business of cows…

What’s new in dairy science??

The more we investigate inflammation, the more we learn that it is related to a great deal of other conditions in lactating dairy cattle. We can add calcium dysregulation to that list.

Dr. Jessica McArt 's team at Cornell has written the book on calcium dynamics in fresh cows and recently published compelling data on the topic. They investigated how Ca dynamics are related to acute phase proteins, a marker for inflammation in dairy cattle. They went to two commercial dairy farms in New York to gather samples. They divided cows into two groups after calving: eucalcemic (total Ca >2.3 mmol/L) and dyscalcemic (total Ca <2.2 mmol/L).

They observed that dyscalcemic cows had increased acute phase proteins in their blood by the second day of lactation – and the differences were stark. Cows with dyscalcemia had 1.5 times more serum amyloid A and 1.8 times more haptoglobin. Interestingly, prior to calving, there were no differences observed in these acute phase proteins.

Figure 1.?The serum amyloid A (SAA) and haptoglobin (Hp) in the blood of cows with different calcium statuses.

Their work clearly demonstrates that blood calcium and inflammatory markers are associated, but as they state in their abstract – “the causal structure of this relationship remains unknown.” So, there is certainly more work to be done on the subject.

Read it all here: https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2024-25300

Leadership, Growth, and Development.

?Every presidential election brings out passions for issues and leaders. As an amateur historian, I always look back during election season to remind myself of leaders who have come and gone through America’s history as a nation. One of the best leaders of all is one who never held elected office but left one of the most profound changes on our nation – Martin Luther King Jr.

During his “I Have a Dream” speech, he used a line that I hold on to as I struggle through work or feel like I am up against a particularly difficult circumstance: “Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope.” This quote is inscribed on his monument in Washington, DC.

I love the sentiment in this quote because it acknowledges that hard times are a guarantee in life. It also portrays the importance of finding just a bit of hope when you’re in those hard times. Even during the most difficult moments, all it takes is a “stone of hope” to propel you forward. When I am struggling or languishing for any reason, I pause and search for that stone of hope. Sometimes that stone is an event, an accomplishment, or a person. For me, most often, it’s my wife. Remembering that no matter what happens, I have her by my side is what propels me forward when I am not sure I can find the energy or strength to move forward.

Find your stone of hope and cherish it!

Final thoughts:?

I have one more Norwegian holiday delight that you should try – R?mmegr?t. As kids, we called it “cream mush,” which should tell you how it may look…but it too is a magical holiday treat for me!

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