bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spatiotemporal variability of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) pollution in Manchester (UK) city centre (2017–2018) using a fine spatial scale single-NOx diffusion tube network
Authors: Niepsch Daniel , Clarke Leon J. , Tzoulas Konstantinos , Cavan Gina
Published: November 2021

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is linked to poor air quality and severe human health impacts, including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases and being responsible annually for approximately 23,500 premature deaths in the UK. Automated air quality monitoring stations continuously record pollutants in urban environments but are restricted in number (need for electricity, maintenance and trained operators), only record air quality proximal to their location and cannot document variability of airborne pollutants at finer spatial scales. As an alternative, passive sampling devices such as Palmes-type diffusion tubes can be used to assess the spatial variability of air quality in greater detail, due to their simplicity (e.g. small, light material, no electricity required) and suitability for long-term studies (e.g. deployable in large numbers, useful for screening studies). Accordingly, a one passive diffusion tube sampling approach has been adapted to investigate spatial and temporal variability of NO2 concentrations across the City of Manchester (UK). Spatial and temporal detail was obtained by sampling 45 locations over a 12-month period (361 days, to include seasonal variability), resulting in 1080 individual NO2 measurements. Elevated NO2 concentrations, exceeding the EU/UK limit value of 40 µg m−3, were recorded throughout the study period (N = 278; 26% of individual measurements), particularly during colder months and across a wide area including residential locations. Of 45 sampling locations, 24% (N = 11) showed annual average NO2 above the EU/UK limit value, whereas 16% (N = 7) showed elevated NO2 (> 40 µg m−3) for at least 6 months of deployment. Highest NO2 was recorded in proximity of highly trafficked major roads, with urban factors such as surrounding building heights also influencing NO2 dispersion and distribution. This study demonstrates the importance of high spatial coverage to monitor atmospheric NO2 concentrations across urban environments, to aid identification of areas of human health concern, especially in areas that are not covered by automated monitoring stations. This simple, reasonably cheap, quick and easy method, using a single-NOx diffusion tube approach, can aid identification of NO2 hotspots and provides fine spatial detail of deteriorated air quality. Such an approach can be easily transferred to comparable urban environments to provide an initial screening tool for air quality and air pollution, particularly where local automated air quality monitoring stations are limited. Additionally, such an approach can support air quality assessment studies, e.g. lichen or moss biomonitoring studies.
One-Stage Tree: end-to-end tree builder and pruner
Authors: Xu Zhuoer , Zhu Guanghui , Yuan Chunfeng , Huang Yihua
Published: November 2021

Decision trees have favorable properties, including interpretability, high computational efficiency, and the ability to learn from little training data. Learning a decision tree is known to be NP-complete. The researchers have proposed many greedy algorithms such as CART to learn approximate solutions. Inspired by the current popular neural networks, soft trees that support end-to-end training with back-propagation have attracted more and more attention. However, existing soft trees either lose the interpretability due to the continuous relaxation or employ the two-stage method of end-to-end building and then pruning. In this paper, we propose One-Stage Tree to build and prune the decision tree jointly through a bilevel optimization problem. Moreover, we leverage the reparameterization trick and proximal iterations to keep the tree discrete during end-to-end training. As a result, One-Stage Tree reduces the performance gap between training and testing and maintains the advantage of interpretability. Extensive experiments demonstrate that the proposed One-Stage Tree outperforms CART and the existing soft trees on classification and regression tasks.
Using activated charcoal to remove substances interfering with the colorimetric assay of inorganic phosphate in plant extracts
Authors: Dayrell Roberta L. C. , Cawthray Gregory R. , Lambers Hans , Ranathunge Kosala
Published: November 2021

Aim

Organic substances in leaves of several southwest Australian native species interfere with sensitive colorimetric assays and prevent quantification of inorganic phosphate concentration ([Pi]). We aimed to develop a reproducible routine procedure for treating leaf extracts with activated charcoal (AC) to remove interfering substances, allowing the determination of [Pi] by the malachite green spectrophotometric assay.

Methods

Leaf extracts of native plants from southwest Australia in 1% (v/v) acetic acid were treated with 10 mg mL−1 acid-washed AC for removal of interfering substances. Standard solutions (0 to 18 μM Pi) with and without AC treatment were compared to quantify Pi loss. A spiking and recovery test was performed to validate the AC treatment.

Results

Leaf extracts treated with AC exhibited distinguishable absorbance peaks for the malachite green-orthophosphate complex between 630 and 650 nm, as opposed to untreated samples. The Pi-adsorption by AC represented a relatively larger fraction of [Pi] in solutions at 0–4 μM Pi range and stabilised at higher [Pi] when maximum adsorption capacity of AC reached at 11.7 μg Pi g−1AC. The Pi recovery after AC treatment in spiked samples ranged between 100 and 111%.

Conclusion

The AC treatment successfully removed interfering substances from samples but caused Pi loss. Thus, quantification of [Pi] in AC-treated extracts requires sample [Pi] ≥ 6 μM Pi and the use of AC-treated standards. The error of the AC treatment was minor compared with environmental variability of leaf [Pi]. The AC treatment was a reproducible time- and cost-effective method to remove interfering substances from leaf extracts.
Porous Surface State Analysis of Anodized Titanium for Biomedical Applications
Authors: Jakubowicz J. , Adamek G. , Smardz L.
Published: November 2021

In this work, pure Ti was anodically oxidized using 1M H3PO4 + 2–10 pct HF electrolytes at 10 V vs open circuit potential (OCP). The structure of the anodized samples’ surfaces was investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results show the presence of titanium dioxide (TiO2) and titanium hydrogen phosphate (Ti(HPO4)2) in the surface layer. Due to the chemical composition and properties that the materials have, they do not pose a threat and support the osseointegration process. The rough and porous anodic oxide morphology shown by the AFM is useful for tissue growth, as well as for improving corrosion resistance. The XPS confirms that the short anodization results in thin anatase-type TiO2, which is a candidate for hard tissue implant applications. The corrosion is improved after oxidation in 1M H3PO4 + 2 pct HF electrolyte for 15 minutes. The wetting analysis shows hydrophilic properties and suggests good bioadhesion of the anodically oxidized surface. The surface supports osteoblast cell proliferation, indicating that the material has a surface state appropriate for hard tissue implant applications.
Hemodynamic Study of a Patient-Specific Intracranial Aneurysm: Comparative Assessment of Tomographic PIV, Stereoscopic PIV, In Vivo MRI and Computational Fluid Dynamics
Authors: Wu Xiaolin , Gürzing Stefanie , Schinkel Christiaan , Toussaint Merel , Perinajová Romana , van Ooij Pim , Kenjereš Saša
Published: November 2021

Introduction

Wall shear stress (WSS) is associated with the growth and rupture of an intracranial aneurysm. To reveal their underlying connections, many image-based computational fluid dynamics (CFD) studies have been conducted. However, the methodological validations using both in vivo medical imaging and in vitro optical flow measurements were rarely accompanied in such studies.

Methods

In the present study, we performed a comparative assessment on the hemodynamics of a patient-specific intracranial saccular aneurysm using in vivo 4D Flow MRI, in silico CFD, in vitro stereoscopic and tomographic particle imaging velocimetry (Stereo-PIV and Tomo-PIV) techniques. PIV experiments and CFD were conducted under steady state corresponding to the peak systole of 4D Flow MRI.

Results

The results showed that all modalities provided similar flow features and overall surface distribution of WSS. However, a large variation in the absolute WSS values was found. 4D Flow MRI estimated a 2- to 4-fold lower peak WSS (3.99 Pa) and a 1.6- to 2-fold lower mean WSS (0.94 Pa) than Tomo-PIV, Stereo-PIV, and CFD. Bland-Altman plots of WSS showed that the differences between PIV-/CFD-based WSS and 4D Flow MRI-based WSS increase with higher WSS magnitude. Such proportional trend was absent in the Bland-Altman comparison of velocity where the resolutions of PIV and CFD datasets were matched to 4D Flow MRI. We also found that because of superior resolution in the out-of-plane direction, WSS estimation by Tomo-PIV was higher than Stereo-PIV.

Conclusions

Our results indicated that the differences in spatial resolution could be the main contributor to the discrepancies between each modality. The findings of this study suggest that with current techniques, care should be taken when using absolute WSS values to perform a quantitative risk analysis of aneurysm rupture.
Furostanol Saponins from Asparagus cochinchinensis and Their Cytotoxicity
Authors: Zhang Ruo-Song , Liu Yang-Yang , Zhu Pei-Feng , Jin Qiong , Dai Zhi , Luo Xiao-Dong
Published: November 2021

Phytochemical investigation on the roots ofAsparagus cochinchinensisled to the isolation of one new furostanol saponin, named 26-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-22α-hydroxyl-(25R)-Δ5(6)-furost-3β,26-diol-3-O-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-[β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 4)-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 4)]-β-d-glucopyranoside (1), along with three known congeners (2‒4). The structure of new saponin was elucidated via comprehensive inspection of its HRMS and NMR spectral data as well as chemical technology, whereas those of known ones were identified by comparison of their NMR and MS spectral data with those reported in literatures. All isolated saponins were evaluated for their cytotoxic effects on two human liver (MHCC97H) and lung adenocarcinoma (H1299) cancer cells in vitro. Among them, both1and2showed significant cytotoxicity against above mentioned cell lines. Further studies revealed that these two saponins could significantly inhibit their proliferation of MHCC97H and H1299 cells.

Graphic Abstract
Higher testosterone is associated with increased inflammatory markers in women with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia: preliminary results from an observational study
Authors: Di Stasi V. , Rastrelli G. , Inglese F. , Beccaria M. , Garuti M. , Di Costanzo D. , Spreafico F. , Cervi G. , Greco G. F. , Pecoriello A. , Todisco T. , Cipriani S. , Maseroli E. , Scavello I. , Glingani C. , Franchini M. , Maggi M. , De Donno G. , Vignozzi L.
Published: November 2021

Purpose

Objective of this study was to assess the association between testosterone (T) levels and biochemical markers in a cohort of female patients admitted for SARS-CoV-2 infection in a respiratory intensive care unit (RICU).

Methods

A consecutive series of 17 women affected by SARSCoV-2 pneumonia and recovered in the RICU of the Hospital of Mantua were analyzed. Biochemical inflammatory markers as well as total testosterone (TT), calculated free T (cFT), sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), and luteinizing hormone (LH) were determined.

Results

TT and cFT were significantly and positively associated with PCT, CRP, and fibrinogen as well as with a worse hospital course. We did not observe any significant association between TT and cFT with LH; conversely, both TT and cFT showed a positive correlation with cortisol. By LOWESS analysis, a linear relationship could be assumed for CRP and fibrinogen, while a threshold effect was apparent in the relationship between TT and procalcitonin, LDH and ferritin. When the TT threshold value of 1 nmol/L was used, significant associations between TT and PCT, LDH or ferritin were observed for values above this value. For LDH and ferritin, this was confirmed also in an age-adjusted model. Similar results were found for the association of cFT with the inflammatory markers with a threshold effect towards LDH and ferritin with increased LDH and ferritin levels for values above cFT 5 pmol/L. Cortisol is associated with serum inflammatory markers with similar trends observed for TT; conversely, the relationship between LH and inflammatory markers had different trends.

Conclusion

Opposite to men, in women with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia, higher TT and cFT are associated with a stronger inflammatory status, probably related to adrenal cortex hyperactivity,
Impact of Long-Term Weathering on the Properties of a Digestate-Based Biocomposite
Authors: Gebhardt Marion , Milwich Markus , Gresser Götz T. , Lemmer Andreas
Published: November 2021

Natural fibre composites are increasingly used. For many applications, the long-term stability of the mechanical properties is crucial. Therefore, the effects of weathering of a biocomposite made from fibrous digestate and bio-based thermoset are investigated. The fibre component of the composite comes from digestate of a German biogas station which processes hop vines as main substrate. The matrix is a plant-oil-based epoxy resin. The samples were alternately exposed to UV radiation and moisture for various lengths of time. Afterwards, the material strength and water absorption were tested. As a result, the weathering leads to a decrease of strength but not to a high increase of water uptake.
Does sexting predict sexual behaviors among adolescents? Gender and race effects
Authors: Hicks Megan R. , Kernsmith Poco , Smith‐Darden Joanne
Published: November 2021

Introduction

Sexting has emerged as a significant public health issue. Sexting is associated with substance use and other sexual behaviors, such as oral and vaginal sex (Houck et al., 2014; Temple & Choi, 2014). Current studies on sexting are often cross‐sectional, limiting the ability to determine the temporal order of sexting and sexual behaviors. Additionally, studies focus on samples of young adults (Benotsch et al., 2013). The current study extends the literature by examining sexting and sexual behaviors longitudinally among adolescents and examines race and gender differences that play a role in sexting.

Methods

The current study utilizes a prospective, 4‐year longitudinal study of 1240 adolescents (aged 11–17) living in the Midwestern United States. Overall, the sample was 10% Black males, 11% Black females, 34% White Males, 31% White females, and 15% identified as Other. Analysis includes an autoregressive model with cross‐lagged effects in MPlus.

Results

Sexting (T1) predicted oral and sexual encounters (T4) for Black males, White males, and White females but not for Black females. Oral sex and sexual encounters (T4) did not predict any sexting (T1) for all groups. Therefore, analysis establishes sexting as an antecedent to sexual behaviors for Black males, White males, and White females. Sexting and sexual behaviors did not have a significant association for Black females.

Conclusions

This study identifies sexting as a precursor to sexual behaviors among adolescents. Therefore, when tailoring programs for safe sex among these populations, focusing on sexting may reduce other sexual risky behaviors.
Justice and Good Trouble
Authors: Franklin Robert M.
Published: November 2021

This essay examines the life and leadership of the late congressman John Lewis as it illustrates key dimensions of American history, including slavery, the exploitative sharecropping economy, the protests of the Civil Rights Movement and student activism. This embodiment of the American experience rendered him a unique national leader and conscience of the Congress. Lewis is presented as fulfilling key rhetorical dimensions of the public intellectual as moralist for the nation.
AA-RM WRESTLING: COMPARING ANALOGICAL APPROACHES AND RULE MODELS FOR LEGAL REASONING
Authors: Rigoni Adam
Published: November 2021

Legal reasoning is commonly thought of as being based on either rules or analogies. More specifically, there is ongoing debate regarding whether precedential reasoning is best characterized as rule-based or analogical. This article continues that work by comparing recent and representative approaches from each camp, namely, Stevens's analogical model and the “rule-based” model of Horty and Rigoni. In the course of the comparison improvements on each approach are suggested and the improved models serve as the basis for the ultimate evaluation. The evaluation demonstrates that the “best” approach depends on the goals one has in theorizing legal reasoning as well as the jurisprudential assumptions one is willing to make.
The effect of increasing starch intake and source in supplements fed in a complete diet to dairy cows on total dry matter intake, milk yield and milk composition, and fatty acid content of milk fat when supplements were fed in complete diets or three times a day
Authors: Mansbridge R.J. , Blake J.S. , Spechter H.H.
Published: November 2021

Dietary starch can increase milk protein and reduce milk fat content, but when fed in single meals may cause problems with rumen stability. To overcome the risk of acidosis, complete diet feeding or reducing the rate of starch degradation (by feeding sodium hydoxide treated whole wheat rather than ground wheat) may provide solutions. In addition, there is evidence to suggest that feeding high levels of cereals alters fatty acid composition of body fat (Garton et al 1972), and similar changes may occur in milk fat.

Ninety six multiparous Holstein cows were fed grass silage to appetite and supplements designed to provide increasing amounts of wheat starch either as wheat ground to pass through a 3 mm screen (GW) or as sodium hydroxide treated whole wheat (STW), prepared by adding 30 kg sodium hydroxide per tonne of wheat plus water to bring the total dry matter to 700 g/kg, and stored for 5 days before feeding.
Report of the 1994 braude scholarship to the british society of animal science: improving reproductive performance in pigs
Authors: Kerr J. C.
Published: November 2021

In recent years, the emphasis on reproductive performance in pigs has increased, although the favourable impact of improving reproductive performance on the overall efficiency of production has long been recognised. There is widespread agreement that increasing the number of pigs per sow per year should be a major objective of the pig industry, particularly as limits in fat reduction are approached. The 1994 British Society of Animal Science Braude Scholarship was used to investigate current research in the area of swine reproduction and identify particular areas of concern as perceived by the North American pig industry. The main objectives of the scholarship were to (1) present a paper at the Fifth World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production (2) visit research establishments in the USA to discuss current research projects in pigs, with particular emphasis on genetic variation in reproduction traits and (3) visit major pig breeding companies in the USA to discuss the application of research results in modern pig breeding programmes and the required future research.
The Efect of Sample Prepararion and Incubation Sequence on Dry Matter Disappearance of Fresh Grass In Situ
Authors: Huntington J. A. , Givens D. I.
Published: November 2021

Predictive models for estimating the nutrient requirements of ruminant livestock have become increasingly complex in their approach, and implicitly they have a need for accurate characterisation of feed degradability kinetics (AFRC, 1992; Russell et al., 1992; Sniffen et al., 1992; Fox et al., 1992). The rumen in situ technique has been adopted as the standard method (AFRC, 1992) for the characterisation of nitrogen degradability in feeds for ruminants. Recent ring tests (Madsen and Hvelplund. 1994) and reviews (Huntington and Givens. in press) have highlighted the need for improved standardisation of the procedure. The aim of this experiment was to determine the effect of sample preparation and incubation sequence on dry matter (DM) losses of fresh grass from polyester bags.
Prediction of silage intake by cattle
Authors: Steen R.W.J. , Gordon F.J. , Mayne C.S. , Agnew R.E. , Kilpatrick D.J. , Unsworth E.F. , Barnes R.J. , Porter M.G. , Pippard C.J.
Published: November 2021

Efficient production of high quality milk and beef is dependent on dairy cows and beef cattle receiving the correct intake of nutrients. However the intake of grass silage is very variable and consequently an effective method for predicting the voluntary intake of silage is essential if animals are to be allocated the correct amount of concentrates to provide the optimum input of nutrients. Two changeover design experiments have been carried out with the aim of providing an effective method for predicting silage intake by cattle.
An examination of possible interactions between silage type and concentrate composition on the intake characteristics of grass silage offered to growing cattle and dairy cows
Authors: Mayne C.S. , Agnew Rosemary , Patterson D.C. , Steen R.W.J. , Gordon F.J. , Kilpatrick D.J. , Unsworth E.F.
Published: November 2021

Considerable progress has been made recently in improving the accuracy of prediction of silage intake, when offered as the sole food, to growing cattle (Steen et al, 1995). However, in order to incorporate this information into feed rationing programmes, it is essential to obtain information on how silages of differing characteristics interact when offered with a range of levels and types of supplementary feeds. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of concentrate energy source and crude protein concentration, when offered at a range of feed levels, on the voluntary food of a diverse range of grass silages with both growing beef cattle and dairy cows.
The effect of grouping time and gonadotrophin treatment on lactational oestrus in multisuckled sows
Authors: Edwards S A , Gall K , Shanks M , Hamilton H
Published: November 2021

Loose housing of sows and their litters during lactation and removal of the need for early weaning offers substantial benefits for both animal welfare and cost of production. However, commercial application of such a system is dependent on achieving early and synchronous pregnancy in lactating sows. It is known that the occurrence of lactational oestrus can be facilitated by the combined stimuli of grouping, a high plane of nutrition and the presence of a mature boar. However these stimuli were only partially successful in inducing synchronised oestrus in an earlier experiment (Hatet et al, 1994). Administration of exogenous gonadotrophin to newly weaned sows has been shown to shorten and reduce variation in weaning to oestrus interval (Lancaster et al, 1985). The endocrine response of lactating sows to exogenous gonadotrophin has been shown to vary with stage of lactation (Britt et al, 1985). In this experiment, the role of these two factors in the successful induction of early and synchronous pregnancy in multisuckled sows was investigated.
A comparison of two genotypes of finishing pig housed in outdoor paddocks, straw yards and fully-slatted pens
Authors: Guy J. H. , Rowlinson P. , Chadwick J. P.
Published: November 2021

With a growing interest in less-intensive housing systems, pig breeding companies have developed genotypes which are supposedly better suited to these conditions. The aim of this experiment was to compare the performance of progeny from sows of 2 types:

a)

‘indoor’ - Large White x Landrace

b)

‘outdoor’ - 25% Meishan or 25% Duroc with 50%Large White and 25% Landrace

All sows were mated to a Large White boar and the progeny housed in one of three finishing systems - outdoor paddocks, straw yards or fully slatted pens. The systems were typical of commercial practice, with an automatically controlled natural ventilation system and 0.6 m2 of floor space per pig in fully-slatted pens. Outdoor paddocks and straw yards had minimal environmental control and space allowances of 20.0 m2 and 1.6 m2 per pig respectively. Pigs in outdoor paddocks were retained on cereal stubble with electric fencing and had free access to a bedded shelter hut.
A comparison of two genotypes of finishing pig housed in outdoor paddocks straw yards and fully-slatted pens
Authors: Guy J. H. , Rowlinson P. , Chadwick J. P.
Published: November 2021

In a companion paper reporting on ‘indoor’ and ‘outdoor’ genotypes of finishing pigs housed in outdoor paddocks, straw yards and fully-slatted pens, materials and methods are detailed along with performance results. The aim of this experiment was to assess the welfare of progeny from both genotypes in these three finishing systems.

For the 6 treatments (2 genotypes x 3 finishing systems), the welfare of each group of 20 growing-finishing pigs was measured using a combination of objective and subjective means.

i)

Behaviour observations - recording the numbers of animals engaged in each of 5 behaviours at 5 minute intervals for a total of 6 hours (1.5 hours per day for 4 consecutive days). This value of pig minutes was then expressed as a proportion of the total time budget.

ii)

Mortality / Morbidity records - recording the number of pigs that died or were noted as being diseased or injured following daily inspection, and expressing this as a mean group score.

iii)

Body Damage scores - at the start and end of the experiment, each animal was restrained within a weighcrate for a few moments to determine levels of body damage (cuts, bruises and scratches) and hind leg bruising of the hock region (bursitis). Using scoring systems adapted from de Koning (1985), and Smith and Smith (1990), a mean injury score was subsequently calculated for each group of animals.

iv)

Stomach Damage scores - the number and severity of lesions and ulcers in the pars oesophagea region of the stomach were recorded following slaughter and translated into a mean pen score using a graded scoring system (Potkins et al 1989), where 1 = normal and 6 = ulcer.
Effect of inclusion rate and withdrawal of full-fat rapeseed on the performance and carcass fatty acid profile of finishing pigs
Authors: Gill B. P. , McCone S. , Onibi G. E. , Peatfield S. , Gall K.
Published: November 2021

Full-fat rapeseed (FFR) is a nutrient rich product (containing about 400 g/kg oil and 180 g/kg ideal protein) and is used in pig diets at low inclusion rates (5 to 10%) as an energy supplement. Progress in the development of rapeseed varieties with lower levels of antinutrients and recent changes in subsidy payment have promoted interest in increased feeding of whole milled rapeseed to pigs. At higher levels of dietary inclusion, this may result in the problem of fat softness in the carcass as rapeseed oil contains high levels (32 g/100 g) of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). However, this may be avoided by early withdrawal of FFR from the diet to allow mobilisation of PUFAs from body fat before slaughter. The aim was to evaluate the effect of inclusion rate and withdrawal of FFR on the performance and carcass fatty acid profile of finishing pigs.
The effect of genotype on lamb carcass characteristics
Authors: Johnston S.D. , Steen R.W.J.
Published: November 2021

The most important consideration in quality lamb production is the breed genotype used. Much work has examined a selection of terminal sire breeds, but less emphasis has been placed on assessing the influence of the female genotype on carcass quality. The benefits of the Texel breed in terms of higher carcass lean content has been highlighted (More O’Ferrall and Timon, 1977; Kempster et al 1987), but it has been suggested that Texel lambs are penalised under current MLC grading guidelines. Leymaster and Jenkins (1993) reinforced this suggestion by indicating that Texel sired lambs deposited proportionally more subcutaneous and less intermuscular fat than Suffolk sired lambs.

This study was carried out to compare the Dutch Texel (DT) and Suffolk (S) breeds as terminal sires and crossed with Greyface (GF) and Suffolk Cheviot (SC) dams. The effect of the proportion of DT blood in lambs on carcass quality was also examined. For this purpose GF, DT x GF and pure DT lambs were compared.
Effects of inoculant application to silage immediately prior to feeding to young growing cattle on silage intake, digestibility and rumen volatile fatty acid concentrations
Authors: Keady T.W.J. , Steen R.W.J.
Published: November 2021

In a series of production studies undertaken at this Institute with growing and finishing beef and dairy cattle an inoculant based on a single strain of Lactobacillus plantarum ,when applied to easy and difficult-to-ensile herbage, has produced considerable benefits in terms of silage intake and animal performance without any apparent improvement in silage fermentation. More recently detailed studies have shown that treatment of herbage at ensiling with the same inoculant has resulted in increased degradability of nitrogen (N) in the rumen, and total tract digestibility of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), N, neutral detergent fibre (NDF), and modified acid detergent fibre (MADF). Treatment with the inoculant has also altered rumen volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentrations by increasing rumen propionate and decreasing acetate concentrations.

It has been suggested that the effects of inoculant treatment on silage DM intake may be due to the presence of the applied bacteria when they reach the rumen rather than their effects in the silo.
Difficulties implementing diet selection strategies on the farm
Authors: Rose S.P.
Published: November 2021

This paper deals with practical systems where growing pigs or poultry are allowed to self select from two or more feeds. Most commonly a selection between just two feeds has been studied. Only systems are discussed that gave a choice of two feeds where a combination of these feeds gave a combined diet composition that approximately met the nutrient requirements of the pigs or poultry.

Data from singly housed choice-fed animals is most valuable in evaluating their ability to select a suitable nutrient intake. A number of experiments have been published indicating that growing pigs have a poor ability to select different proportions of two feeds. Pigs can discriminate between feeds on the basis of their concentration of crude protein or amino acid. However, the majority of pigs eat predominantly one feed even though a mixture of two feeds would be a more appropriate choice.
An investigation into the potential use of a second order schedule of operant reinforcement for measuring feeding motivation in the pig
Authors: Day J.E.L. , Busch M.E. , Kyriazakis I. , Lawrence A.B.
Published: November 2021

The measurement of feeding motivation is of central importance in the study of the factors which control feeding behaviour. Current behavioural models describing the control of feeding behaviour define feeding motivation as a temporary and reversible brain state induced by both internal and external stimuli which result in the tendency to perform feeding behaviour (for a review see Lawrence et al., 1993). One of the most sensitive methodologies to measure feeding motivation is operant conditioning where an individual is trained to perform an operant response (behavioural work) to obtain food reinforcement. An index of feeding motivation can then be obtained by varying the quantity of behavioural work required to obtain each unit of food reinforcement and observing the subsequent operant responding. However, this methodology is flawed because it requires a feed restricted animal to regularly ingest food during the test which results in feedback, affecting the underlying level of feeding motivation. A possible solution to this problem is the use of a second order schedule of food reinforcement which assesses an animal's feeding motivation without allowing it to ingest food. During a second order schedule an individual is required to express an operant response for the repeated presentation of a conditioned stimulus (CS) which has previously been associated with the delivery and ingestion of food, with the schedule terminating with food reinforcement. Using this schedule the quantity of behavioural work required per unit food reinforcement could be gradually increased such that a measure of feeding motivation could be obtained in the period prior to the terminal food reinforcement. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate whether the CS presented within a second order schedule had reinforcing properties which were linked to the level of feeding motivation. The experiment formed a part of a larger study which had the ultimate objective of developing a methodology to measure feeding motivation without allowing an individual to ingest food.
Effect of ammonia treatment on rate of adaptation of newly-housed store lambs to eating wheat straw
Authors: Adesogan A T , Owen E
Published: November 2021

Earlier work has shown that newly-housed, previously-pastured lambs are reluctant to eat straw. This experiment monitored intake and diet-induced behaviour patterns in newly-housed lambs with the aim of determining the effect of ammoniation on rate of adaptation to straw diets.

Sixteen, 35 kg lambs were selected from a flock of seven month old, Suffolk cross Mule lambs which had been pastured from weaning and had no previous experience of straw. Lambs were housed in October in individual, continuously- lit, open-side pens and fed untreated or ammonia-treated (100 1/t of 320 g/kg ammonia) winter wheat straw. Ammonia treatment was by the stack method (Sundstol and Coxworth, 1984) and the straw offered was collected in 20 kg wads every other day from stacks kept in an open-sided barn. A completely randomised design with eight replicate lambs per treatment was used to compare straw types. Sufficient straw was offered to allow daily refusals of at least 300 g/kg offered during the 21-day trial. A barley-based supplement was fed at 240 g dry matter (DM)/d. Nitrogen contents of both straw types were monitored with a LECO FP-228 automatic nitrogen determinator while the total content of neutral and acid detergent fibres were analysed using the method of Goering and Van Soest (1970). Thein vitro dry matter digestibility (DMD, Tilley and Terry, 1963) of the straw offered was also monitored. A concurrent behaviour study involved recording the activity (eating, drinking, idling or ruminating) every 5 minutes for 9 h on day 1 and 12 h on days 8 and 16 of the 21-day trial.
A Comparison of Supplementary Feeding Systems for Twin Rearing Mule Ewes during Late Pregnancy and Early Lactation
Authors: Merrell B G , Marsh S P , Hedley B A
Published: November 2021

The results of a previous experiment showed that when the amount of compound feed fed to crossbred ewes during late pregnancy and early lactation was reduced, being replaced by feed-blocks, animal performance was maintained and that the cost of supplementary feeding was similar. In the same experiment, when compound was replaced totally by feed-blocks plus ScotmolÂ® (a blend of molasses and pot ale syrup), feed costs were considerably reduced, but animal performance was not acceptable (Merrell and Marsh, 1994). In the current experiment done at ADAS Redesdale in 1994 the proportion of compound feed replaced by feed-blocks was increased compared with the previous experiment, in an attempt to reduce feed costs, and the feasibility of replacing part or all of the copmound with cane molasses and fishmeal was tested.
The use of sheep to predict methane production by cattle fed grass silage based rations
Authors: Newbold C. J. , Moss A.R. , Mollinson G.S. , Harbron C.G
Published: November 2021

Increasing concern over the role of greenhouse gases in global warming has led to a renewed interest in models for predicting methane production in ruminants. For economic reasons it would be preferable if such models could be derived from data obtained in smaller ruminants. The objective of this project is to establish whether differences in methane production exist between sheep and cattle and to measure the magnitude of these differences under various dietary situations.
Digestive utilization during postweaning period in churra lambs: effect of previous level of milk intake and protein content in the diet
Authors: Manso T. , Mantecón A.R. , Castro T. , Chaso M.A. , GirÃ¡ldez F.J.
Published: November 2021

Some recents studies (Manso et al., 1993; Iason and Mantecon, 1992) have indicate changes in dimensions of digestive tract in response to pattern of nutrient supply during lamb growth. The extent of this changes could be influenced with the age or stage of maturity at wich the different feeding strategies are applied (O 'Donovan, 1984; Ryan, 1990) and could affect the digestive diet utilization during lamb growth. Knowledge of variation of digestive diet utilization can help in developing strategies to optimize the use of feedstuff by animals.

The objetive of this work was to study the effect of level of intake during milk fed period and undegradable protein content in the diet during post-weaning period on the apparent digestibility of postweaning diet in Churra lambs two weeks after weaning and at 20 Kg live weight (LW).
Tethering of grazing goats in tanzania: effect of tethering for 4 or 8 hours daily on intake and milk yield of norwegian cross local goats grazing brachiaria in the wet season
Authors: Sendalo D S C , Owen E , Mtenga L A , Romney D L , Penning P D , Mayes R W
Published: November 2021

The experiment formed part of a development programme to improve tethering practice and increase liquid milk production from grazed goats on smallholder farms. A local survey in upland (Mgeta) and lowland (Mlali) districts near Morogoro (Sendalo, Mtenga, Ngapongora, Minde, Owen, Romney and Gill, 1994) indicated that goats were tethered at sites of grazing for 4 to 8 hours (h) daily (d), with the animals being housed, generally without additional feeding, at other times. The survey also indicated that tethering was a particularly common method of controlling grazing during the wet, crop-planting/crop growing period.

The experiment therefore compared the milk production of lactating goats tethered to graze during the wet season for 4 or 8 h per day. An attempt was made to measure intake during grazing. The experiment tested the hypothesis that goats tethered to graze for 4 h/d would be unable to consume as much grass as those grazed for 8 h/d and consequently, would produce less milk.
Effect of extended photoperiod on appetite, growth and reproductive endocrinology in red deer stag calves
Authors: Davies M H , Parkinson T J , Douthwaite J A , Deakin D W
Published: November 2021

Deer experience a period of reduced appetite and growth in winter which has a major impact on venison supply. Photoperiod manipulation has been shown to modify this. The objective of this experiment was to investigate the effect of extended photoperiod and the modifying effect of dietary energy supply in red deer stag calves

Forty red deer stag calves born in May/June 1992 were weaned in mid-September and put indoors on a grass silage-based ration. On 30 September the stag calves were weighed and randomised to four treatments groups on the basis of liveweight.
Effect of photoperiod manipulation and feed energy level on carcass composition and meat quality in red deer (cervus elaphus)
Authors: Fisher A.V. , Davies M.H. , Nute G.R.
Published: November 2021

Winter inappetance in farmed deer affects the growth and development of carcass tissues and dictates the time of year when stock can be finished to standards of carcass weight and fleshing desired by the meat industry. Artificial winter daylight may be a means of overcoming some of these restrictions, allowing fresh venison to be supplied throughout the year. The objectives of this study, carried out over two consecutive years, were to compare the effects of artificially extended winter daylength with those of normal light on carcass composition and the quality of meat from red deer stags.
The relationship between gas production from washed and unwashed feeds and in sacco dry matter, degradability of feeds
Authors: Harris D. M. , Chamberlain A. T.
Published: November 2021

An in vitro technique (Theodorou, 1993) to determine the Dry Matter degradation by measuring the amount of gas produced may reduce the need for in situ degradability studies. A strong relationship has been shown for cereal straws (Blummel and Orskov 1993) but little work has used concentrate feeds. Washing a feed contained in a dacron bag will remove a fraction containing soluble material and fine particles. The relative contributions of these components to the gas production in vitro is unknown. This work investigated if removal of this ‘a’ fraction from concentrate feeds used in vitro would improve the relationship with the in situ degradablility.

Samples of four feeds, winter beans (WB), soyabean meal (SBM), rapeseed meal (RSM) and spring barley (SPB) were ground through a 1mm screen. Half was machine washed in a dacron bag of pore size 43 um using a cold water cycle to provide the Washed feed (W) and the remainder left Unwashed (UW).
Influence of feed processing on the in vitro fermentation profiles of ruminant feeds using the gas production technique
Authors: Deaville E. R.
Published: November 2021

As feed evaluation methods for ruminants move towards a more dynamic approach of assessing nutrient supply, in order to reflect the complex nature and microbial intervention in the digestion process in ruminant animals, it is becoming increasingly important to predict the rate, extent and site of digestion. Presently the main method for measuring feed degradation is the in situ polyester bag technique. However, it is now known that this method is not appropriate for starch rich feeds due to the loss of fine particles. An alternative approach is to measure the rumen fermentation kinetics using the gas production technique as this may also give a better estimate of energy available for microbial growth. An experiment was undertaken to study the influence of feed processing on the fermentation profiles of ruminant feeds using an automated gas production system.
The effects of ruminal and duodenal casein infusion on intake of red clover silage, milk production and microbial protein synthesis
Authors: Khalili H. , Huhtanen P. , Jaakkola S. , Varvikko T.
Published: November 2021

Enhanced cellulolytic activity in the rumen and improved balance between amino acids and energy have been suggested to increase silage dry matter intake in cows given high quality protein supplements. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of casein infused continuously into the rumen, duodenum or both on forage intake, milk yield, milk composition and microbial protein production.
A comparison of the efficiency of the repeatability model on observed or transformed yields to a multi-variate analysis
Authors: Mrode R , Swanson G J T
Published: November 2021

A multi-variate animal model Best Linear Unbiased Prediction (BLUP) on milk, fat and protein yields in different lactations, as different traits, is the optimum method for genetic evaluation in dairy cattle for production. However, this is computationally demanding and usually a repeatability model is performed separately for milk, fat and protein yields. A simulation study by Visscher (1991) showed that the repeatability model on canonical transformed yield rather than on observed yield was a better approximation to a multi-variate analysis using selection index. The aim of this study is to verify, using an animal model, the efficiency of the repeatability model relative to a multi-variate analysis on observed or transformed yields.
A spectrophotometric method for the assessment of vigour of ram semen
Authors: Ahangari Y.J. , Axford R.F.E. , Ap Dewi I.
Published: November 2021

An ideal method of assessment of semen would be simple, rapid and objective with a high correlation with the ability of semen sample to cause conception in the ewes (Ahangari, 1992). Currently the proportion of motile spermatozoa is determined by visual microscopic appraisal. Although, this method of assessment is rapid and easy, it is subjective. Jasko et al (1989) described a spetrophotometric procedure for measuring equine spermatozoan motility objectively. In the present study a modification of the method of Jasko et al (1989) was tested and applied to ram semen.
Characterisation of the oestrous cycles of maiden simmental heifers and their response to superovulation
Authors: Singh S P , Broadbent P J , Hutchinson J S M
Published: November 2021

The ovarian status of the donor animal before and at the time of gonadotrophin treatment appears to be a major determinant of superovulatory response in cattle. Transrectal ultrasonography is a non-invasive means of assessing the morphological status of the ovary which can be used on a repeated basis. Detailed evaluation of ovarian status by this means may enable superovulatory treatment protocols to be devised which are tailored to the individual donor animal. This possibility was evaluated in a preliminary study reported here.
Establishing twin pregnancies in cattle by embryo transfer
Authors: Sinclair K D , Broadbent P J , Dolman D F , Watt R G , Mullan J S
Published: November 2021

Various methods of creating twin pregnancies in cattle have been investigated by other authors (see review by Sreenan and Diskin, 1987). However, virtually all of these methods have involved in vivoproduced embryos which, in separate studies, have employed either surgical or non-surgical transfer techniques, where embryos were transplanted either unilaterally or bilaterally in recipients which may or may not have been previously artificially inseminated. There have been no studies where all of these factors were examined collectively, and included with the transplantation of either frozen-thawed in vivoor in vitroproduced embryos. The objectives of the current study were, therefore, to compare pregnancy, twinning and embryo survival rates of recipients in which twin pregnancies were induced by various combinations of embryo source and transfer method to animals inseminated or not prior to embryo transfer, and the distribution of the embryos in the uterus.
Grassland management systems for suckler cows and progeny
Authors: Drennan M.J.
Published: November 2021

Spring calving suckler cows generally receive moderate energy intakes in winter resulting in a loss of body condition. When subsequently provided with adequate good quality pasture there is rapid recovery of liveweight and body condition and provided cows are in good body condition at housing in autumn there are no ill-effects of winter under nutrition on fertility or calf performance. Good pasture performance can be achieved at relatively high stocking rates with high inputs of nitrogen (N) fertiliser or, as is common practise with lower stocking rates and relatively low N inpyts. Lower stocking rates allows an opportunity to reduce costs by providing all (or most) of the winter feed requirements from 1 as opposed to 2 silage cuts. The objectives of the study, carried out over 2 years, were to determine the effects of 1) reducing N fertiliser on the grazing area, 2) allowing more land per animal, and 3) simplifying grass conservation (1 instead of 2 silage cuts) on cow and calf performance.