I would like to call your attention to the series of Invited Reviews that were published in the April 2014 Issue of the Professional Animal Scientist (30:125-191). These were based on the 2013 ARPAS Symposium, “Applied Nutrition of Ruminants—Current Status and Future Directions. Dr. M. L. Galyean prepared an introductory paper titled, “Nutrient requirements of ruminants: Derivation, validation, and application.” It is followed by, “Applied nutrition of ruminants: Fermentation and digestive physiology”, by Dr. C. R. Krehbiel; “Carbohydrate and fat: Considerations for energy and more”, by Drs. M. B. Hall and M. L. Eastridge; “Applied protein nutrition of ruminants—Current status and future directions”, by Drs. F. N. Owens, S. Qi, and D. A. Sapienza; and “Mineral and vitamin nutrition in ruminants”, by Drs. J. W. Spears and W. P. Weiss. The information presented should be of great importance to nutritionists.

Additionally, PAS has published reviews titled, “The rumen microbiome: Composition, abundance, diversity, and new investigative tools”, by Drs. F. Chaucheyras-Durand and F. Ossa; “Use of a web-based nutrient –requirement-calculation system to assess potential influences of various factors on nutrient needs of goats while grazing”, by Drs. A. L. Goetsch and T. A. Gipson; “How well have United States dairy producers adopted mastitis-control technologies for reducing herd somatic cell counts and improving milk quality?” by Dr. S. C. Nickerson and S. P. Oliver; and “Life-cycle, total-industry genetic improvement of feed efficiency in beef cattle: Blueprint for the Beef Improvement Federation”, by Dr. M. K. Nielson, et al. We are grateful to these authors for their diligence in preparing the manuscripts!

Our goal is to assist certified professionals in keeping abreast of rapidly changing technology and publishing reviews on contemporary issues has an important role in continuing education.