bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The response of overwintering and finishing beef cattle to Salinomycin sodium
Authors: Southgate J R , Jones D W , Wilson J D
Published: June 2019

Dairy- and suckler-bred cattle of several breed types and sex either overwintered in yards prior to grass finishing or finished in yards during the winter of 1982/3 were involved in farm trials to determine the effect of Salinomycin sodium on daily gain. To a large extent breed and sex were confounded with farm group. Overall 520 winter finished and 728 overwintering cattle were involved (Table 1).
The effect of three sources of rumen degradable protein on the digestibility of hay and silage diets fed to sheep
Authors: Bax J.A. , Offer N.W.
Published: June 2019

Protein supplementation of silage diets using fishmeal can increase both the voluntary intake of silage and liveweight gain in young growing calves. In association with these responses, increases in ration digestibility have also been observed which are not predicted by ARC (1980) (Bax, J.A. and Offer, N.W., 1982). Similar unpredicted responses have also been observed in older cattle (Waterhouse, A., Laird, R., Holliday, R.J., 1983). ARC (1980) assumes that increases in digestibility following supplementation with RDP occur only if the basal diet provides less than 7.8 g RDP/MJ ME irrespective of the source of RDP. The objective of the present study was to subject the microbial requirements proposed in ARC (1980) to a critical evaluation.
Development of an intensive care unit to rear weakly pigs
Authors: Lightfoot A.L. , Egan B.J.
Published: June 2019

Pre-weaning mortality results in a national loss of about 3 million piglets annualy so a system which reared weakly or non-competitive pigs would be of value to the industry. A review of the literature concerned with very early weaning or weaning at birth showed the standards required for feeding, temperature control and hygiene to make a successful system. An apparatus designed and built to provide these standards is being tested at Terrington.

The apparatus houses 10 piglets, each in individual compartments, within a moulded glass-fibre module. A pressurised, part re-circulation fan/heater, system maintains accurate temperature control up to 34°C.
Effects of roughage on the development of rumen volume in calves
Authors: Williams P. E. V. , Magadi J. P. , Innes G. M.
Published: June 2019

When straw was included in a ration and given to calves from 14 up to 84 days of age, dry matter intake was increased by up to 30 per cent from 1.36 to 1.77 kg per day compared with calves given the diet without straw (Williams, unpublished data). The calves given straw apparently gained an extra 8 kg in weight by 84 days of age compared with calves given the diet without straw. In order to assess the effect of roughage inclusion on the live-weight gains of calves an estimate of the rumen volume of the calves was required. Further since the majority of measurements of the volume of the digestive tract of calves were made after slaughter no studies have described the relationship between diet and the development of rumen volume in individual calves. Differences in rumen volume may be responsible for the large coefficients of variation in intake reported in groups of calves.
Evaluation of the Ewesplint Method for Treating Broken Mouth in Sheep
Authors: Vipond J. E.
Published: June 2019

The ewesplint method of treating broken mouth in sheep was evaluated on five farms in Caithness and Sutherland. The ewesplint is a commercially available technique for splinting together the eight incisor teeth of sheep using a stainless steel brace and acrylic resin. The technique of splinting proved to require considerable skill and practice and is likely to remain a contractor's operation rather than a farm skill. Three lowland Caithness farms which had park-type North Country Cheviot sheep co-operated in the trial. On these farms the sheeps’ teeth were short and broad (“good teeth“) and tooth loss was not a major problem. Two Sutherland farms, one of which was Achany, with hill Cheviots and Blackface X Cheviot sheep co-operated. On these farms incisors were long and rat-like (“bad teeth“) and tooth loss was a major problem. Results on the effectiveness of splinting are shown in Table 1. Most of the sheep on the Caithness farms were unsuitable for splinting because the teeth were too short to carry a splint. Of those that were splinted most lost their splints (62 %) after one year because of inadequate amounts of cement penetrating between the teeth. A more brittle dental cement was used in the Caithness farms which may also have contributed to the higher rate of splint loss.
Energy standards for growing rabbits: performance and diet digestibility as affected by hay content, fineness of grinding and level of feeding
Authors: Ward Siobhan , Owen E. , Capper B.S. , Wood J.F.
Published: June 2019

There are no published feed-energy standards for growing rabbits. Even nutritional factors that affect intake and digestibility, and consequently performance, are not well documented. Two experiments were carried out, as part of a programme to develop energy feeding standards for growing rabbits. Experiment 1 investigated the effect of physical and chemical characteristics on intake and digestibility of diets. Experiment 2 investigated the effects of level of feeding on digestibility of diets varying in energy density.

A 3 x 2 factorial design was used in both experiments, with 20 Individually-fed weaned rabbits per treatment (initial weight approximately 800 g). Diets were pelleted (4 mm die diameter) and were of the same formulation in both experiments. Diets (LH, MB, HH) were formulated to contain different crude fibre levels (Table 1) by varying, the inclusion rates of grass hay - (LH, Low Hay, 273 g/kg; MB, Medium Hay, 556 g/kg and HH, High Hay, 831 g/kg). Diets were formulated to contain the same amounts of crude protein. In Experiment 1 the hay component In diets LHf, MHf and HHf was ground through a 1 mm screen whereas that in diets LHc, MHc and HHc was ground using a 6 mm screen. In Experiment 2, diets LHf, MHf and HHf were fed ad libitum or at 70% of ad libitum Intake.
The influence of the dietary inclusion of the antibiotic avoparcin on the lactation performance of dairy cows
Authors: Abubakar M.M. , Rowlinson P. , Armstrong D.G.
Published: June 2019

Avoparcin is a feed antibiotic which has been widely used as a growth promoter for broiler chickens, pigs and beef cattle throughout Europe. This paper presents results from a trial investigating the potential of Avoparcin as a performance enhancer when included in the diet of lactating dairy cows.
Breeding Value Estimation for Pigs in Closed Nucleus Herds
Authors: Wray Naomi R.
Published: June 2019

Best Linear Unbiased Prediction (BLUP) is now the method of choice for the estimation of breeding values in dairy and beef populations. The advantages of this mixed model methodology over traditional methods are well documented and include the simultaneous estimation of fixed effects and prediction of random effects and the utilization of records from all relatives to predict an individuals breeding value. In addition, account is taken of genetic trend and of reduction in genetic variance due to selection. In Canada, BLUP is now used for breeding value estimation of pigs but the structure of the Canadian pig industry is one of many herds practising selection with the herds linked by a widespread use of artificial insemination. The advantages of BLUP have not been investigated for the situation of the UK pig industry where most selection is performed within closed nucleus herds.

The objectives of this study were to use computer simulation to determine rates of response, accuracy of prediction and accummulation of inbreeding for pigs in closed nucleus herds when selection decisions were based on estimated breeding values (EBVs) derived from BLUP compared to more traditional methods of phenotypic selection and index selection.
Relationships between Digestibility and Energy Value in Primary Growth Fresh Herbage
Authors: Givens D I , Everington Jeannie M
Published: June 2019

Despite its importance, relatively few measurements have been made of the metabolisable energy (ME) content of fresh herbage. Changes in the nutritive value of spring herbage are commonly described in terms of its digestible organic matter content (DOMD) either measured in vitro or predicted from a fibre fraction. ME is normally assumed to be directly proportional to DOMD.

Energetic studies of herbage such as those of Armstrong (1964) and Beever et al (1985) have been restricted to pure species and one location. The purpose of the present experiment was to examine changes in DOMD and energy values with increasing maturity in vivo using sheep in commercial swards over several years.
Effects of Offering Malt Distillers Grains (Draff) as a Replacement for Concentrates in Silage based Diets for Dairy cows
Authors: Hyslop J J , Roberts D J
Published: June 2019

The control of milk production costs has gained even greater importance when striving to improve profitability under a quota regime. Consequently there is a resurgence of interest in the use of competitively priced byproduct feedstuffs for dairy cows. However detailed information concerning the use of distillery byproducts under UK conditions is scarce. This experiment examines the effect of replacing a proprietary pelleted concentrate with malt distillers grains (draff).

In a changeover design experiment consisting of 4 three week periods, sixteen autumn calving British Friesian cows were offered four treatments, in which draff plus a mineral supplement replaced part of the concentrate allocation. The mineral supplement was formulated and fed to ensure that levels of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium and potassium supplied by the concentrate plus draff/mineral fraction of the diet were equal for all treatments. Cows were offered silage ad libitum with both concentrates and draff/mineral being offered separately in two feeds per day.
The Influence of Fatness at Parturition. Nutrition during Lactation and Litter Size on the Performance of Breeding Sows
Authors: Yang H. , Phillips P. , Whittemore C.T. , Eastham P.R.
Published: June 2019

To help resolve the dynamics of fatty tissue mobilisation, and interactions with milk yield and reproductive performance, the experiment reported here takes gilts and sows over four parities to one of two levels of strategic fatness at parturition, and then studies the consequences of high or low lactation feed intakes in conjunction with strong or weak milk withdrawal potentials as achieved by manipulation of litter size.

One hundred and two Large White x Landrace F1 hybrid gilts were purchased from the Cotswold Pig Development Company Limited at about 30 kg live weight. At mating, animals were allocated at random to one of B treatments comprising: two levels [fat and thin) of target backfat thickness at parturition (10-14 mm. T vs 20-24 mm. F): two daily feeding levels (high and low) during 4-week lactation [3 kg, L vs ad libitum to a maximum of 7 kg. H): and two sizes of sucking litter (5 vs 9 in parity I. and 6 vs 10 in parities 2. 3 and 4).
The influence of fatness at parturition. nutrition during lactation and litter size on the performance of breeding sows
Authors: Whittemore C.T. , Yang H. , Phillips P. , Eastham P.R.
Published: June 2019

The influence of fatness at parturition, nutrition during lactation and the size of litter upon changes in backfat depth, live weight and conformation of sows over four parities has been presented in the first report. The present report will deal with the consequences for reproductive performance and production efficiency.

One hundred and two Large White x Landrace Fl hybrid gilts were purchased from the Cotswold Pig Development Company Limited at about 30 kg live weight. At mating, animals were allocated at random to one of B treatments comprising: two levels (fat and thin) of target backfat thickness at parturition (10-14 mm. T vs 20-24 mm. F): two daily feeding levels (high and low) during 4-week lactation (3 kg. L vs ad libitum to a maximum of 7 kg. H): and two sizes of sucking litter (5 vs 9 in parity 1, and 6 vs 10 in parities 2, 3 and 4).
The effect of food intake prior to farrowing on the body composition of first-litter sows
Authors: Mullan B.P. , Williams I.H.
Published: June 2019

Body reserves are important in reproduction because they can be used by the sow to buffer the nutritional stress through a low intake of food in lactation (Mullan and Williams, 1988). Quantitative information on the body composition of first-litter sows during lactation is clearly required to establish what body reserves are mobilized during lactation, and how this relates to subsequent reproductive performance. The aim of this study was to quantify the body reserves of first-litter sows at farrowing and to measure the change in these reserves during lactation.

Animals selected for body composition studies were from the High-High, High-Low, Low-High and Low-Low groups of an experiment described by Mullan and Williams (1988). Animals were selected according to bodyweight, depth of backfat and litter size, with the object to have animals that were representative of those in the earlier experiment. Sows were removed from their litter, weighed and the depth of backfat measured by ultrasound at the P2. Within three hours of weaning animals were slaughtered and the head, trotters, tail, viscera one side of the carcass were frozen, minced and chemically analysed for lipid, protein, water and ash.
Evaluation of seven ultrasonic machines for estimating carcase composition in live bulls
Authors: Porter S J , Chadwick J P , Owen M G , Page S J
Published: June 2019

The application of ultrasonics to the evaluation of live cattle has been carried out in bull performance testing for several years. The machine used for this was the Scanogram. The fact that this machine is no longer being produced and the emergence of several new machines has prompted this trial to evaluate seven ultrasonic machines.

A total of 49 bulls, 27 Limousin x Friesian and 22 Charolais x Friesian, were evaluated and slaughtered in four batches of approximately equal size, over four weeks. Each batch was of one breed.

Age, live weight at evaluation and subjective assessments of fatness and conformation were recorded together with fat and muscle measurements by the Delphi (Delphi Instruments Ltd, New Zealand), Meritronics (Merit, Lowson and French, England), Scanogram (Ithaco Incorporated, USA), Vetscan (Company no longer in existence), Kaijo Denki (Medata Systems Ltd, England), Velocity of Sound (Prototype developed at IFR-Bristol, England) and Warren (Prototype developed by J Warren) ultrasonic machines.
The Use of Sodium Bicarbonate in Barley Beef Diets
Authors: Neilson D.R. , Lowman B.G. , Parkinson H. , Browne J.W. , Hunter E.A.
Published: June 2019

Feed accounts for over 75 per cent of the variable costs in beef production systems. Any improvement in feed conversion efficiency will therefore have a beneficial effect on enterprise profitability. Growth promoters are commonly used to improve animal performance by increasing liveweight gain and/or improving feed conversion efficiency. With the recent ban on hormone implants in EEC countries, more emphasis has been put on the use of feed additives to improve performance.

Producer experience would suggest that the routine inclusion of sodium bicarbonate into barley beef rations can show beneficial responses in terms of animal performance. The magnitude of these responses is not well quantified, nor is the potential interaction between sodium bicarbonate and other feed additives.

Rogers and Davis (1982) reported that sodium bicarbonate decreases the in vivo production rate of propionate, decreases retention time of liquids and alters digestibility of nutrients. Increasing ruminal bypass of nutrients may improve utilisation by altering the site of digestion with a subsequent improvement in animal performance. Rogers and Davis (1982) also described the effect of monensin; which increased in vivo ruminal production of propionate, increased ruminal retention time of solids and liquids and improved digestibility of nutrients.
Carcass fat quality and performance of lambs given diets containing protected fat
Authors: Davies D.A.R. , Gallo C.B. , Butler-Hogg B.W. , Buxton P.
Published: June 2019

Protected fat has been used successfully in diets for lactating and growing ruminants. This study was carried out to investigate the effects of including a source of protected fat - Megalac ® -in complete diets for artificially reared lambs.

The trial involved 39 lambs which were weaned at 30 to 35 days following a period of artificial rearing on a ewe milk replacer containing 60 g fat per kg and fed at a restricted level.

The lambs were penned individually on sawdust and were given access to one of three complete diets from 20 days of age. The diets were in pellet form and differed mainly in the level of Megalac included (Table 1). Megalac is a protected fat which is a calcium soap and contains (g/kg) oil 850, calcium 90 and has the approximate fatty acid composition (g/kg) C14 15, C16 110, C18 50, C18:1 400, C18:2 95. Lambs were allocated to diets within blocks which varied according to sex (entire male or female) and breed (Cambridge or Suffolk x Cambridge).
Incidence of Soft Fat in British Pigs
Authors: Dransfield E. , Kempster A.J.
Published: June 2019

Both the quality and physical properties of fat are important attributes of pig carcass quality. The physical properties of fatty tissue, particularly its softness, affect its appearance, ease of cutting and carcasses with excessively soft fat are unsuitable for processing. Concern about soft fat is highlighted as one of the most serious problems judging from the level of industrial complaints and queries.

Softness judged by a sensory thumb test may vary considerably between assessors and therefore a portable pentrometer which measures the resistance to penetration by a small probe was developed. The probe indicates firmness in units from 0 to 100O. Units less than 575 are equivalent to a sensory score of 1 or 2, values of 575 to 775 a score of 3 or 4; 776 to 875 a score of 5 or 6 and values more than 875, a score of 7 or 8 on a firmness scale of 1 to 8. Six probes were used by MLC regional officers in 28 meat plants which were stratified by size and throughput and chosen from diferent regions of the country.
A comparison of the effects of ram introduction and treatment with melatonin upon the breeding activity of seasonally anovular ewes
Authors: Rekik M. , Bryant M.J. , Cunningham F.J.
Published: June 2019

Both the introduction of rams and treatment with melatonin will hasten the onset of the breeding season of sheep. The response of British breeds of sheep to the introduction of rams is generally considered to be confined to a period of only a few weeks before the usual date of onset of the breeding season (Fraser, Stamp and Cunningham, 1987). However, treatment with melatonin and the “ram effect” may work synergistically as melatonin would be expected to advance the period when the ewes are sensitive to the introduction of rams. This experiment investigated the hypothesis that exposure to high, sustained levels of melatonin from an intravaginal implant would lead to a response to the introduction of rams in mid-seasonal anoestrus similar to that obtained around the onset of the breeding season.
Effects of Grass Silage Quality and three Levels of Flat Rate Concentrate Feeding to upland Ewes in the Last Trimester of Pregnancy upon Voluntary Food Intake
Authors: Black W.J.M. , Henderson A.R. , Lewis M. , Fitzsimons J.
Published: June 2019

With increasing flock sizes and the uncertainty of the hay-making process, silage has a part to play as the basal diet of Greyface type ewes during the latter half of pregnancy. Silage also varies considerably in feeding value and there is a demand for advice upon the contribution which grass silage can make to the diet, and also what level of concentrate feeding should be associated with any given silage. Silage is commonly subjected to a number of laboratory analytical procedures to provide estimates of:

ME, D value, amonia nitrogen, dry matter, crude protein, pH and MAD fibre

The present series of feeding experiments sets out to provide evidence about the voluntary intake of a range of silages by ewes in late pregnancy and to examine any relationships which would help in predicting intake from laboratory analysis.
Carcase Composition of Lambs from Greek Dairy Breeds of Sheep
Authors: Zygoyiannis D. , Stamataris K. , Kouimtzis S. , Doney J.M.
Published: June 2019

There are many locally-named breeds in Greece, all of which are derived from Zackel or Tsigai types in various combinations. One of the most numerous is the Karagouniko, described as a medium-sized, hardy breed of Zackel origin, probably with some introduction of a fat-tail breed. A ewe in good body condition weighs about 60 kg. In most regions there is little consistent breeding policy except to improve milk production and fecundity of the local breed by crossbreeding to the semi-indigenous Chios or, less commonly, the imported East Friesland. The Chios is reputed to be derived from a Turkish fat-tail breed crossed with ingenous sheep of Zackel and/or Tsigai origin. Adult ewes in good condition weigh around 65 kg.

The traditional marketing period for lambs is December to Easter and 80% are sold off milk at an age of 30 to 50 days and a carcase weight (including head) of 5 to 9 kg. Despite the highest, number of sheep per head of population in the EEC, some 16% of consumption is imported, usually in the 13 to 15 kg carcase range. The consumer discriminates against fat but there is no recognised standards of assessment or grading.
Suckling in Intensive Hill Sheep and in Sheep Housed Intensively Indoors
Authors: Horrell Ian
Published: June 2019

In recent years, an increasingly high proportion of the country's ewes have been housed indoors for lambing, penned at high population densities. When observing suckling, for other purposes (Horrell et al. , 1987), we noticed that there seemed to be frequent disturbances of the normal suckling routine. The general pattern of suckling in extensive conditions has been described (Ewbank 1967). It involves suckling at fairly regularly intervals, with uninterrupted sucking for a period of 1-5 mins (in the first week) declining to 10-25 seconds in older lambs, until either the ewe moves away or the lamb ceases spontaneously; lambs rarely attempt to suck at unrelated ewes and twins tend to suck together. In contrast, we saw many attempts by lambs in indoor pens to suck at unrelated ewes, and ongoing suckling often seemed to be disturbed early on by alien lambs intruding, aggression on lambs by the ewe, lambs knocked off by other ewes, and other external events. If these differences are considerable, Intensive lambing conditions may have important implications for the efficiency of milk interchange. This project was designed to compare systematically the pattern of suckling in extensive and intensive conditions and to quantify the Incidence of various disturbances of suckling.
Responses by Grazing Dairy Cows given a Polymer Gel (PH20)
Authors: Garnsworthy P.C. , Alford R.J.
Published: June 2019

PH20 (IPT (International) Ltd, Newark) is a water-insoluble polymer gel of acrylic acid which has been shown to improve the digestion of silage in the rumen, leading to improved live-weight gain and feed conversion efficiency in beef cattle (Garnsworthy, 1987) and, on a large number of commercial dairy farms, has led to savings in concentrate usage. Increases in milk yield have been found on only a minor number of farms and it appears that with cows in mid to late lactation unless the concentrate allocation is reduced, feeding PH20 will result in greater deposition of body reserves. The objective of the trial reported here was to study the response by cows in late lactation to PH20 under grazing conditions.
Limits for Utilization of Medium Chain and Long Chain Triacylglycerols by Neonatal Piglets
Authors: Pettigrew J.E. , Chiang S.H. , Cornelius S.G. , Moser R.L. , Clarke S. D.
Published: June 2019

Energy insufficiency appears to be one of the major causes of the high preweaning mortality rate prevalent in the swine industry (English and Smith, 1975). This observation is supported by (1) the limited energy reserves in the neonatal piglet and (2) the increased survival rate found in some studies in piglets whose dams received supplemental fat during late gestation and thus provided the piglets more milk fat (Pettigrew, 1981). Oral doses of fat, for example corn oil, have been given to piglets as energy supplements, without improving their survival rate (Pettigrew et al., 1986). This lack of response may be due to the high survival rate in the unsupplemented controls, to an inadequate amount of fat dosed, and/or to an insufficient ability of the piglets to utilize the fat.
Evaluation of a system based on the combination of liquid and dry diets for establishing early weaned pigs
Authors: English P. R. , MacLean K. , MacPherson O.
Published: June 2019

Pigs which are small and relatively ill-thriving when their litter-mates are due to be weaned constitute a major problem in practice because they are much more difficult to establish after weaning than their larger litter-mates. Because of this, many producers foster 8 to 10 of these poorer pigs to a newly weaned ‘nurse’ sow following weaning from their own dam and delay weaning them for a further week or more. Such fostering of poor pigs when weaned from their own dam suffers from the disadvantage that it delays the rebreeding of the ‘nurse’ sow and it can be ineffective if the sow fails to milk well. The chore-time Baby Pig Feeder, developed at North Carolina State University, has the potential to cater for the needs of poorer pigs at weaning and to reduce the need for ‘nurse’ sows. The Chore-time is an automatic feeder which involves the mixing of dry milk substitute and cold water and delivery of the mixture to a round trough, around which up to 10 pigs can feed. It can be programmed for milk to be delivered at hourly intervals or less frequently. The usefulness of this equipment was evaluated on a 200 sow commercial unit in which weaning took place around 3 weeks of age.
Pre-Weaning food intake and its effects on post-weaning digestibility of piglet diets containing milk or soya protein
Authors: Partridge G.G. , Findlay M.
Published: June 2019

Offering dry food to piglets prior to weaning at 3 weeks of age is a common commercial practice. Although it familiarises animals to dry food there is little quantitative information on the effects of the amount of food eaten on the young pigs' ability to utilise nutrients in the post-weaning period. In this preliminary study we compared the digestive utilisation of two diets (Table 1) based on either skimmed milk powder (diet M) or soya bean meal (diet S). Variations in pre-weaning food intake between individuals were imposed by the use of gavage feeding. No other supplementary food was offered before weaning.
The influence of energy Intake during pregnancy and lactation on weight and backfat change of the sow and on piglet performance
Authors: Lee Pauline A. , Close W.H.
Published: June 2019

The present experiment has been designed to investigate the influence of variations in energy intake during both pregnancy and lactation on short- and long-term sow and litter performance. There is now sufficient evidence to suggest that the ARC (1981) factorial estimates of the energy requirements of the sow during pregnancy are too high, due, possibly, to an over-estimation of the maintenance energy component (MEm). Revised values, based on a constant ME value throughout psregnancy of 439 kJ ME/kg0.75 per day, have therefore been calculated and applied in the present experiment. An additional feature of the experiment is to provide information on the effect of lactation feed intake on the utilization of energy in subsequent pregnancies for maternal body weight gain.
Nutritive Value of Pig Diets Containing Extruded or Milled Full Fat Rapeseed
Authors: Maskell I. , Ellis M. , Smithard R.
Published: June 2019

Full fat rapeseed is not usually used in livestock feeds because the extracted oil is too valuable. However in some circumstances it may be worthwhile using full fat rapeseed as a protein and energy supplement. Intact seeds are only poorly digested so it is necessary to physically disrupt the seed to allow efficient digestion. Milling the seeds may allow myrosinase catalysed hydrolysis of glucosinolates yielding products which adversely affect palatability and nutritive value. Dry extrusion offers a means of simultaneously crushing the seed and denaturing the myrosinase by high temperature (130°C). Previous short term studies with rats and pigs have indicated that extrusion may improve the nutritive value of diets containing 12.5% high glucosinolate rapeseed (HG-RS).

The present work involved a production trial to study the longer term effects of diets containing 12.5% rapeseed and a metabolism study to investigate the digestion and short term effects of pig diets containing 25% rapeseed.
Factors influencing dystokia in heifer replacement for the stickler herd
Authors: Brydon A.W. , Lowman B.G. , Spedding A.W.
Published: June 2019

To investigate possible factors influencing ease of calving in heifers, records from 392 calvings of replacement heifers on 10 research farms were analysed. Sire breeds were classified as either British or Continental, the majority of the Continental sires used being Limousin. Calving difficulty was recorded on a 1-3 scale. The data were analysed by regression analysis, dropping factors until the minimum r.s.d. value was obtained. Heifers in-calf to Continental bulls were mated at heavier weights, had heavier post-calving weights and greater pregnancy gains. Continental sires increased birth weights (3 ± 0.6 kg), gestation length (3.8 ± 2.55 days) and calving difficulties (calving score 1.14 and 1.41 ± 0.063 for British and Continental sires respectively). Birth weight was the major factor influencing calving difficulty (0.04 ± 0.012) with pregnancy weight gain the next most important. The effect of calf sex, gestation length and sire breed on calving difficulty were non-significant. This can be explained by the influence of birth weight, which alone accounted for most of the variation in calving difficulty.
Recent developments in predicting the nutritive value grass silage for ruminants
Authors: Givens D I
Published: June 2019

Nutritive value 1n the context of this paper refers to metabolisable energy (ME) content. Silage composition and hence ME content 1s determined essentially by the composition of the ensiled crop, pre-ensiling treatments such as wilting or additive use and the conditions within the silo. Consequently the ME content of silage 1s very variable and means of predicting it are required for routine purposes.

Until 1985 the prediction of ME was based on a series of digestibility trials carried out on MAFF EHFs between 1967 and 1972. A relationship between DOMD content and modified add detergent fibre (MADF) content (Clancey and Wilson, 1966) was calculated and the assumption that ME: (MJ/kg DM)= DOMD (%) X 0.16 was made. This did not take account of the energy contribution from volatile components.
Supplementation of silage for finishing lambs
Authors: Minter C. M. , Tempest W. M.
Published: June 2019

The importance of dietary fibre in rumen buffering has long been overlooked, despite the realisation that the primary mechanism to achieve maximum ruminant production is by the maintenance of a rumen pH suitable for microbial digestion and growth. It has been demonstrated that the rumen pH following cereal based supplementation is depressed to a far greater degree than when the concentrate supplement is non-cereal based (Rymer, 1986).

Two trials are reported, firstly in which silage fed to finishing lambs was supplemented with either dried molassed sugar beet pulp, a source of highly digestible fibre and low in starch; whole barley (55.6% of D.M. content as starch, (British Sugar, 1986)); or a commercial lamb creep pellet and secondly in which silage plus dried molassed sugar beet pulp was supplemented with undegradeable protein or not.
An optimal dietary amino acid pattern for growing pigs
Authors: Wang T. C. , Fuller M. F.
Published: June 2019

An animal's rate of protein accretion (or nitrogen retention) is determined by the most deficient (or first limiting) amino acid in the diet, in a perfectly balanced (or ideal) protein all essential amino acids and the sum of the non-essential amino acids are equally limiting. If a dietary protein had any amino acids in excess of the ideal pattern, then the removal of any of the excess should not affect nitrogen retention. This principle was used to determine the ideal dietary amino acid pattern for growing pigs.

Three nitrogen balance trials were carried out with a total of 64 gilts of weight from 30 to 55 kg. Casein and a mixture of amino acids were used in the semi-purified diets. The animals were given the diets at the rate of 93 g/kg BW0.75/d in three equal meals mixed with 0.3 L water. The feeding times were 08.30, 12.30 and 17.30. All pigs received their experimental diets for 7 days, made up of 3 days preliminary and a 4-day collection, except that the preliminary period before the first collection in the first period was 7 days. Before the first collection bladder catheters were introduced.
The performance of summer calving dairy cows
Authors: Leaver J D
Published: June 2019

Seasonality payments for milk are intended to encourage milk production in the months July to September, and to discourage production from April to June. Summer calving to match this pattern of production is not popular as the margins achieved on farms are generally poorer than for cows calving in autumn and winter. The reasons for the poor margins appear to be lower lactation yields due to late season grazing coinciding with peak yields, and high concentrate intakes due to the long feeding period from summer to the following spring. This study aimed to develop profitable systems of calving in the summer.
‘In nomine Dei summi’: Seven Hiberno-Latin Sermons
Authors: McNally Robert E.
Published: June 2019

In two early medieval manuscripts, Vat. Pal. lat. 220 and Vat. Pal. lat. 212, there are contained seven short sermons or homilies which provide convincing evidence of being Irish in character. They are worthy of publication because the amount of homiletical literature coming from Irish circles at this early time is not very great, and because a careful consideration of them is apt to throw light on the Irish literary method. They reveal various internal characteristics which are known to be symptomatic of the Hiberno-Latin element; and they present sufficient material to allow one to study closely how the Irish used sources in the preparation of their homilies. The approach of our anonymous author to Scripture stands in the Antiochene rather than the Alexandrian tradition. Thus his interest is in the literal more than in the spiritual sense of the text; and in this he shows a certain affinity with the Irish exegetes of this period. I should like to reproduce here the text of these sermons and to elucidate their character by relating them in parallel fashion to other contemporary works that are known to be part of the Hiberno-Latin tradition.
The Theory of Papal Monarchy in the Thirteenth Century: The Contribution of the Canonists
Authors: Watt J. A.
Published: June 2019

The work of the medieval canonists has always formed a significant chapter in the histories of medieval political thought. The law of the Church and its attendant juristic science forms the proper source material for the examination of the system of ideas which lay behind the functioning of papal government. Ecclesiastical jurisprudence was the practical branch of sapientia Christiana. It was concerned with a constitution and the exercise of power within its terms; with an organization and the methods by which it was to be run. It had of necessity to be articulate about the nature of the papacy, the constitutional and organizational linchpin. In consequence the canonists were the acknowledged theorists of papal primacy. To them rather than to the theologians belonged that segment of ecclesiology which treated of the nature of the Church as a visible corporate society under a single ruler. In that period of nearly a century which lay between the accession of Alexander III and the death of Innocent IV, canonists were required to register the increasingly numerous and more diverse applications of papal rulership to the problems of Christian society. The concept of papal monarchy came to be reexamined in academic literature because of the accelerating tempo of papal action. Under the stimulus of an active papacy, the canonists were led to examine many of the assumptions on which the popes based their actions and claims. The world of affairs conditioned the evolution of a political-theory, which in turn helped to shape the course of events.
A Philosophical Session in a Tannaite Academy
Authors: Goldin Judah
Published: June 2019

Commenting on the verse which reports the devastation of Jerusalem by Nabuzaradan, that ‘he burnt the house of the Lord, and the king's house; and all the houses of Jerusalem, even every great man's house,’the Midrash makes the following remark:

And to what does the clauseevery great man's houserefer? That's the academy (bet midrash) of Rabban Johanan ben Zakkai. And why is it calledbet gadol[literally, the house of the great one]? Because there theshebah(shevah) of the Holy One, blessed be He, was rehearsed, related, recited

— the verb used isteni,which means not only to recite but to study and to teach. To translateshebahby the neutral word ‘praise’, is to miss the real intent of the statement.Shebahin the present sentence, as in a great many others in talmudic-midrashic literature, is clearlyδόξα; and one of the traditional commentators on our midrashic passage has already correctly explained it: in Johanan ben Zakkai's academy they were engaged in the Creation and Merkabah (Chariot) speculations. The parallel passage in the Palestinian Talmud bears him out.
Logica Algazelis Introduction and Critical Text
Authors: Lohr Charles H.
Published: June 2019

The (‘The Meanings of the Philosophers’) of Abū al-Ghazālī († 1111) is the first part of a composite work in which the author — the theologian of Islam par excellence — takes a considered stand with regard to the teachings of the philosophers, especially al-Fārābī and Ibn Sīnā. In the first part his purpose is simply the presentation of their doctrines in logic, metaphysics and physics. The second part, the famous Tahāfut al-falāsifa (‘The Incoherence of the Philosophers’), aims at exposing their self-contradictions on many points — the eternity of the world, God's knowledge of singulars, etc.
Deux collections de questiones
Authors: Fransen Gérard
Published: June 2019

Les collections que nous présentons aujourd'hui ne sont conservées que dans deux MSS: Zwettl, Stiftsbibl. 162 (Zw) et Wien, Nationalbibl. 2163 (Wi). St. Kuttner, qui les a signalées il y a plus de vingt ans, estime qu'elles pourraient provenir de l'école de Vicence. Il a relevé l'attribution d'un grand nombre de solutions à Ber. qu'il estime être Bernard de Compostene l'Ancien. Nous n'avons aucun motif de discuter ces deux points, qui nous paraissent convenablement établis.
Near-infrared spectroscopy for prediction of extubation success after neonatal cardiac surgery
Authors: Gradidge Eleanor A. , Grimaldi Lisa M. , Cashen Katherine , Gowda Keshava M. N. , Piggott Kurt D. , Wilhelm Michael , Costello John M. , Mastropietro Christopher W.
Published: June 2019

Introduction:

Reliable predictors of extubation readiness are needed and may reduce morbidity related to extubation failure. We aimed to examine the relationship between changes in pre-extubation near-infrared spectroscopy measurements from baseline and extubation outcomes after neonatal cardiac surgery.

Materials and Methods:

In this retrospective cross-sectional multi-centre study, a secondary analysis of prospectively collected data from neonates who underwent cardiac surgery at seven tertiary-care children’s hospitals in 2015 was performed. Extubation failure was defined as need for re-intubation within 72 hours of the first planned extubation attempt. Near-infrared spectroscopy measurements obtained before surgery and before extubation in patients who failed extubation were compared to those of patients who extubated successfully using t-tests.

Results:

Near-infrared spectroscopy measurements were available for 159 neonates, including 52 with single ventricle physiology. Median age at surgery was 6 days (range: 1–29 days). A total of 15 patients (9.4 %) failed extubation. Baseline cerebral and renal near-infrared spectroscopy measurements were not statistically different between those who were successfully extubated and those who failed, but pre-extubation cerebral and renal values were significantly higher in neonates who extubated successfully. An increase from baseline to time of extubation values in cerebral oximetry saturation by ≥ 5 % had a positive predictive value for extubation success of 98.6 % (95%CI: 91.1–99.8 %).

Conclusion:

Pre-extubation cerebral near-infrared spectroscopy measurements, when compared to baseline, were significantly associated with extubation outcomes. These findings demonstrate the potential of this tool as a valuable adjunct in assessing extubation readiness after paediatric cardiac surgery and warrant further evaluation in a larger prospective study.
An update on the epidemiology, length of stay, and cost of Kawasaki disease hospitalisation in the United States
Authors: Ghimire Laxmi V. , Chou Fu-Sheng , Mahotra Narayan B. , Sharma Sharan P.
Published: June 2019

Background:

Kawasaki disease is an acute vasculitis of childhood and is the leading cause of acquired heart disease in the developed countries.

Methods:

Data from hospital discharge records were obtained from the National Kids Inpatient Database for years 2009 and 2012. Hospitalisations by months, hospital regions, timing of admission, insurance types, and ethnicity were analysed. Length of stay and total charges were also analysed.

Results:

There were 10,486 cases of Kawasaki disease from 12,678,005 children hospitalisation. Kawasaki disease was more common between 0 and 5 years old, in male, and in Asian. The January–March quarter had the highest rate compared to the lowest in the July–September quarter (OR=1.62, p < 0.001). Admissions on the weekend had longer length of stay [4.1 days (95 % CI: 3.97–4.31)] as compared to admissions on a weekday [3.72 days (95 % CI: 3.64–3.80), p < 0.001]. Blacks had the longest length of stay and whites had the shortest [4.33 days (95 % CI: 4.12–4.54 days) versus 3.60 days (95 % CI: 3.48–3.72 days), p < 0.001]. Coronary artery aneurysm was identified in 2.7 % of all patients with Kawasaki disease. Children with coronary artery aneurysm were hospitalised longer and had higher hospital charge. Age, admission during weekend, and the presence of coronary artery aneurysm had significant effect on the length of stay.

Conclusions:

This report provides the most updated epidemiological information on Kawasaki disease hospitalisation. Age, admissions during weekend, and the presence of coronary artery aneurysm are significant contributors to the length of stay.
The role of fossils in the phylogenetic reconstruction of Echinodermata
Authors: Sumrall Colin D.
Published: June 2019

Morphological data can be used effectively in phylogenetic analyses to determine relationships among echinoderm clades. These data in the form of characters are simply hypotheses that any observed morphological state among taxa results from a single character state transformation and is therefore, homologous. All such character states must be scored as potentially homologous unless the hypothesis of homology can be rejected by the tests of similarity, conjunction (a priori), or character congruence (a posteriori). Fossils are not always more incomplete than extant forms and incompleteness originates from non-preservation and long phylogenetic branches. The greatest strength of fossil data lies in its ability to effectively shorten long phylogenetic branches by occurring on the tree nearer to the nodes than extant terminal taxa and thus circumventing positively misleading results encountered in parsimony analysis under long branch conditions.
Calyx plate homologies and early evolutionary history of the Crinoidea
Authors: Ausich William I.
Published: June 2019

New, competing ideas on crinoid plate circlet homologies and the desire for a phylogenetically-based classification have led to a reexamination of the Crinoidea. The most primitive crinoids had four plate circlets, from bottom to top: lintels, infrabasals, basals, and radials. Dicyclic camerates, cladids, flexibles, and dicyclic articulates are composed of infrabasals, basals, and radials. Monocyclic camerates and monocyclic articulates are composed of basals and radials. These all follow traditional ideas on homologies. In contrast, disparids with “compound radials” are composed of lintels, infrabasals, and radials, rather than “basals,” “inferradials,” and “superradials;” and disparids without “compound radials” have lintels and infrabasals rather than “basals” and “radials.”

Parsimony-based phylogenetic interpretation of Ordovician crinoids with rhombiferans as the outgroup shows that crinoids are divisible into six clades, two paraphyletic and four monophyletic, including four-circlet crinoids, cladids, disparids, camerates, flexibles, and articulates.
Opportunities and Challenges of a Highly Resolved Geological Timescale
Authors: Erwin Douglas H.
Published: June 2019

The advent of greatly improved radiometric dating techniques with lower uncertainties, the development of new dating and correlation techniques, including vastly expanded quantitative biostratigraphic methods, and the possibility of reliable extension of orbital cyclostratigraphy into the Paleozoic all promise a great improvement in the ability of geologists to construct high-resolution temporal frameworks far deeper into the past. Such techniques have already allowed the generation of a high-resolution temporal framework for the Ediacaran-Cambrian radiation of metazoa, helped greatly narrow the duration of the great Permo-Triassic mass extinction and eliminated several hypothesized causes, and narrowed the duration of the oceanic anoxic event at the Cenomanian-Turonian (Late Cretaceous boundary). Temporal resolution of 100 kyr (0.02%) or even better into the early Paleozoic now seems likely, opening a host of new questions for reliable investigation. Further exploiting the possibilities of these techniques will require paleontologists to improve methods to integrate these disparate techniques, improve our understanding of the analysis of evolutionary rates, and confront the challenges of settings where geochronologic resolution may be greater than paleontologic resolution.