bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of red and white clover on beef meat quality
Authors: Enser M. , Richardson R.I. , Nute G.R. , Fisher A.V. , Scollan N.D. , Wood J.D.
Published: June 2019

Legumes, such as red and white clover, are potentially important constituents of low input, environmentally friendly beef production systems. However, the effects of grazing clover on the quality of beef have not been assessed fully. Important aspects of meat quality are shelf-life (colour and lipid stability), flavour and human nutritional value, all of which are affected by components of the animals diet such as antioxidants and fatty acids. Tissues from lamb finished on swards containing white clover were reported to contain more linoleic and a-linolenic acid and less eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5 n-3) (Vipond et al., 1993) compared to animals grazing grass. The objective of this study was to determine the quality of meat from two beef breeds raised on grass or grass plus white or red clover.
Influence of maturity stage on in situ dry matter degradability of six maize varieties in fistulated sheep
Authors: Akbar M. A. , Lebzien P. , Flachowsky G.
Published: June 2019

The fresh weight, dry matter (DM) contents and nutritional quality in maize vary considerably with variation in varieties, stages at which harvested, climatic conditions and agronomic factors. Recently, agronomists, nutritionists, and dairy producers have placed increased emphasis on factors affecting the nutritive value of maize. However, very little information is available on quantitative variability of the feed value of maize fodder as affected by such factors. This study was, therefore, carried out to assess the effect of harvesting of six different maize varieties at two stages (dates) of grain maturity on quality of both the stover and cobs.
Urea preserved grain for finishing lambs
Authors: Vipond J. E. , Lewis M. , Allcroft D. J.
Published: June 2019

Urea treatment of moist wheat at harvest preserves the grain, increases its crude protein content, allows it to be fed whole, and results in savings in feed costs when fed to intensively finished cattle (Lewiset al., 1999). The objective of this experiment was to evaluate urea treated wheat and barley for finishing lambs.
Evaluation of pressed sugar beet pulp ensiled with dried maize distillers grains as a feed for finishing lambs
Authors: Pattinson S. E. , C. A. Williams  , Witt M. W.
Published: June 2019

Lamb concentrate costs account for around 30% of the variable costs of an early lambing system and can account for up to 33% of the variable costs for store lamb finishing (MLC, 2000). Over recent years the price for finished lambs has declined. It is against this background of declining lamb prices and reduced gross margins that cheaper alternatives to proprietary lamb concentrates are being sought. The aim of this work was to evaluate an ensiled mix of pressed sugar beet pulp and dried maize distillers dark grains (Praize, Trident Feeds Limited) for finishing lambs.
Differentiation of energy supplements using in vitro fermentation rates generated with the Reading Pressure Technique
Authors: Witt M. , Mould F.L.
Published: June 2019

The in sacco technique has been successfully utilised to differentiate feedstuffs in terms of their rate and extent of degradation. However, the large initial particle losses associated with the requirement to finely divide the substrates prior to incubation and the inability of the technique to examine liquid feed supplements has led to alternative methodologies being adopted. This study examined the ability of the Reading Pressure Technique (RPT) to differentiate a number of minimally processed energy supplements, in terms of their rate of degradation.
Influence of Natuphos® phytase and organic acids on the performance of growing/finishing pigs
Authors: Blanchard P.J. , Coonan C. , Guy J.H. , Feuerstein D.
Published: June 2019

Numerous studies have clearly shown that the digestibility of phosphorus in pig diets can be improved 20-30% by supplementation with Natuphos® phytase allowing the phosphate content of the feed to be reduced without the P-intake becoming deficient. It is also well accepted that organic acids can significantly improve performance of pigs, particularly up to 30kg liveweight, and recently that synergistic benefits result when both Natuphos® phytase and organic acids are included in the same ration. The objective of this study was to investigate the influence combining Natuphos® phytase (replacing calcium and phosphorus) and organic acids (liquid v dry product) on growing/finishing pig performance.
Growth performance and bone strength of piglets fed Natuphos®™
Authors: Guy J.H. , Scott K. , Blanchard P. , Coonan C. , M.Tomblin  , Dixon N.
Published: June 2019

Concerns over pollution from intensive animal production has lead to developments in enzyme technology to improve the utilisation of minerals such as phosphorous (P) from the diet, and to reduce levels of added inorganic minerals. BASF Natuphos® (registered trademark of Gist-brocades) is a formulation of microbial phytase which improves digestibility of P from plant origin. The aim of this study was to determine whether reducing levels of inorganic P (Dicalcium Phosphate-18%P) and including quantities of Natuphos® would effect have any effect on growth performance and bone strength.
Use of soluble spray dried porcine plasma in the water supply enhances piglet growth and intestinal integrity post weaning
Authors: Miller H.M. , Toplis P. , Broom L.J. , Ilsley S.
Published: June 2019

A number of antibiotic growth promoters commonly used in EU pig diets have recently been banned following increasing public concern about antibiotic resistance and residues in meat products. Consumer and retail pressure has led to calls for research to identify alternatives to antibiotic growth promoters. It is therefore appropriate to investigate the use of feed ingredients which promote growth and intestinal health for the newly weaned piglet. Piglets which receive diets containing spray dried porcine plasma (SDPP) in the first week after weaning usually show improved feed intakes and growth rates when compared to piglets receiving conventional skim milk based starter diets (Toplis and Miller, 1999). The aim of this experiment was to determine whether similar improvements in piglet performance could be achieved when piglets received a soluble form of SDPP in their water supply instead of in the feed. In addition we investigated whether supplementation of the water supply of piglets already receiving a plasma containing diet further improved their post weaning performance. Although commonly used in Europe SDPP is currently excluded from piglet diets in the UK.
The effects of farrowing system design on welfare of sows and piglets of different genotypes
Authors: Marchant J.N. , Broom D. M. , Corning S.
Published: June 2019

Although often described as “welfare-friendly”, the greater freedom of movement and choice of environments offered by communal farrowing systems does have potential welfare risks, primarily for the piglets. The maternal qualities of the sow will have a greater influence on the survival and growth of piglets in this communal farrowing system, than in a conventional farrowing crate and may be influenced by genotype. The objectives of this study were to compare the welfare of sows and piglets housed in farrowing crates and a communal farrowing system and to investigate whether sow genotype influences the quantity and quality of maternal behaviour and subsequent litter performance.
Use of Sunflower Seed Meal (SSM) in broiler ration
Authors: Rezaei M
Published: June 2019

Soyabean meal (SBM) is used extensively in poultry rations. As the cultivation of soya bean is limited in Iran, annually a large amounts of SBM is imported. In recent years cultivation of some oil seed such as sunflower seed (Heliantus annus) is undertaken in some provinces of Iran. This plant will grow in cooler and dried climates than the soya bean or cotton plants. It contains 45 percent oil and a good source of protein and B-group vitamins. Due to high fibre content and low lysine content, use of sunflower meal (SSM) is limited in poultry feeds, but dehulled SSM is suitable for broiler feeds (Church, 1988 and Scott et al., 1982). The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of SSM on performance of broiler chicken.
The effect of crossbred ewe type and ram genotype on lamb output and carcass quality
Authors: Dawson L.E.R. , Carson A.F.
Published: June 2019

In view of the stratified nature of the sheep industry, changes in breeding policies in the hill sector impinge on the performance of the lowland sector. Carson et al (2000) investigated the effect of choice of ram and ewe breed on lamb output and carcass quality in the hill sheep sector. First cross (F1) ewes were produced as a result of crossing Scottish Blackface and Cheviot ewes with a range of ram breeds. The primary objective of the present study was to provide information on the performance of these crossbred females in terms of lamb output and carcass quality and thus determine the impact of changing hill genetics on all strata of the sheep industry. Within the terminal sire breeds significant improvements in lean growth potential have been made through genetic improvement schemes. The secondary objective of this study was to provide information on the effects of using high lean growth index rams on lamb growth and carcass quality.
Biotechnology and Livestock Production
Authors: Webb A. J.
Published: June 2019

For over thirty years livestock improvement programmes have exploited mainly statistical technology for the process of selective breeding. This has been safe, non-controversial, and highly cost-effective. The present revolution in knowledge of DNA now offers the possibility of much faster change in a wider range of traits, including meat quality and disease resistance which are difficult to measure in the live animal. However this new technology presents a threat as well as an opportunity. This paper examines the possible role of the new technology in genetic improvement, and considers the scientific strategy that the industry should adopt.
Milk Fat Composition and Nutritional Value
Authors: Murphy J. J.
Published: June 2019

The perception of milk has changed over the past 25 years from one of being the ideal food to one of being detrimental nutritionally, mainly due to the fatty acid composition of its fat component. Now however, it has been discovered that milk contains a number of compounds, which may have positive nutritional benefits. It also appears that the association between saturated fatty acids in milk and effects on cholesterol may have been an oversimplification. It is accepted that the hypercholesterolaemic saturated fatty acids in milk fat are confined to lauric (C12:0), myristic (C14:0) and palmitic acid (C16:0) with the shorter chain saturated fatty acids and stearic acid having no cholesterol raising effect. Indeed bovine milk fat contains two fatty acids which may have important beneficial effects on human health, namely conjugated linoleic acid (cis-9,trans-11 linoleic acids – C18:2, CLA) and butyric acid (C4:0). Also monounsaturated fatty acids have been shown to be beneficial in altering the proportions of LDL and HDL cholesterol and it is possible to increase the concentration in milk of the principal monounsaturated fatty acid, oleic acid (C18:1), by optimising the diet of the cow. This paper will discuss nutritional strategies to optimise milk fat composition with particular reference to work from my own Research Centre in relation to oleic acid and CLA.
Behavioural diversity within groups of juvenile pigs
Authors: Hayne S.M. , Gonyou H.W.
Published: June 2019

Understanding behavioural diversity is important for commercial production, animal behaviour and welfare. One interpretation of individual differences in behaviour is that these represent different strategies for coping with a changing environment. For example, Hessing et al. (1994) categorized pigs as active/resistant or passive/non-resistant, based on each pig’s reaction to restraint. However, these conclusions have been criticized. For example, Jensen et al. (1995) argued that for two such categories to exist, there must be a bimodal distribution of the scores from a population, which Hessing et al. (1994) failed to demonstrate. Determining individual behavioural characteristics and any relationship they may have with performance has been the focus of recent research. The objective of this experiment was to determine the primary characteristics that distinguish individual pigs.
The effect of paddock rotation management on pasture damage by organic dry sows
Authors: Kelly H , Browning H , Day J , Martins A , Edwards S A
Published: June 2019

Nose ringing is widely used in conventional outdoor pig production as the only reliable method of preventing sows destroying pasture by rooting (Edwards et al., 1998), but is prohibited by some organic sector bodies as it inhibits the sows’ behaviour. Some organic producers use a rotation policy in which the sows are moved to fresh pasture about three times a year, after green cover has been destroyed. As well as limiting nutrient leaching, frequent movement also limits parasite build-up in a system which prohibits the routine use of anthelmintics. However, it has a high labour demand. An alternative strategy is to maintain the sows on a larger area for the whole year. This abstract presents initial data on comparison of the two systems regarding annual pattern of pasture damage by sows.
Production responses of weaner pigs after chronic exposure to airborne dust and ammonia
Authors: Wathes C. M. , Demmers T. G. M. , Teer N. , White R. P. , Taylor L. L. , Bland V. , Jones P. , Armstrong D. , Gresham A. , Hartung J. , Chennells D. J. , Done S.
Published: June 2019

Housed pigs are exposed chronically to aerial pollutants, principally dust and ammonia, at concentrations that may affect performance, possibly by raising the incidence and prevalence of multi-factorial respiratory diseases. Tolerable limits for aerial pollutants are unknown. The aim of this experiment was to test the hypothesis that chronic exposure of weaner pigs to controlled concentrations of aerial dust and ammonia lead to slower growth and lower feed intake compared with controls kept in ‘fresh air’.
Reducing the degree of protein scarcity rapidly increases immunity to nematodes in ewes
Authors: Houdijk J.G.M. , Kyriazakis I. , Jackson F. , Coop R.L.
Published: June 2019

There is an increasing body of evidence to support the view that the periparturient breakdown of immunity to parasites has a nutritional basis; an increased supply of metabolizable protein (MP), at times of MP scarcity, would reduce gastrointestinal nematode egg excretion and worm burdens in periparturient ewes (Houdijk et al., 2001). However, the rate at which MP supply can improve expression of immunity to gastrointestinal nematodes is not known. The objective of this experiment is to assess this rate, which will be studied through reducing the degree of MP scarcity.
Effect of mixing piglets prior to weaning on immune responses of piglets
Authors: Allen M. J. , Harrison C.M. , Stewart A. H. , Mackenzie A.M.
Published: June 2019

Mixing piglets pre-weaning at 14 days of age has been shown to improve post-weaning performance and reduce skin lesions caused by fighting without any detrimental affects on pre-weaning performance and behaviour (Allen et al., 2000). The stress associated with weaning has been shown to alter immune function of piglets and increase their susceptibility to infections. The aim of this experiment was to assess the effect of mixing piglets pre-weaning on their humoral and cell-mediated immune responses post-weaning.
Developing a UK Dairy Fertility Index
Authors: Wall E. , Coffey M.P. , Brotherstone S. , Woolliams J.A. , Flint A.P.F.
Published: June 2019

National dairy records have shown that correlations between production and fertility are generally unfavourable. There has therefore been a genetic downward trend for fertility due to the increase selection pressure on yield and as a genetic problem it requires a genetic solution. The effect of sire genetics on daughter fertility is included in many genetic indices around the world. As part of a DEFRA LINK project to produce an UK fertility index this study estimates genetic parameters and sire predicted transmitting ability (PTAs) for fertility traits in the UK.
Estimation of microbial N yield on red clover silages supplemented with barley by rumen simulation technique (RUSITEC)
Authors: Jaurena G. , Moorby J. M. , Davies D. R.
Published: June 2019

Despite many promising characteristics as a low-input home-grown protein source, red clover (Cv) silage supplies deficient amounts of rumen available carbohydrates to allow an efficient use of the available forms of soluble N. An in vitro experiment was designed in order to determine the optimum rate of inclusion of a rumen degradable carbohydrate source to optimise rumen microbial N yield of Cv silage.
The influence of cow genetic merit for milk production on response to level of concentrate supplementation in a grass based system
Authors: Dillon P. , Kennedy J. , Faverdin P. , Delaby L. , Buckley F. , Rath M.
Published: June 2019

Pre-1990 published responses to supplementation at pasture ranged from 0.4 to 0.6kg milk/kg concentrate fed. However since 1990 higher responses to concentrate supplementation at pasture have been published (Delaby 2001). The objective of this study was to determine if milk production responses of Holstein-Friesian dairy cows to concentrate supplementation at pasture are influenced by genetic merit (milk yield potential) in a spring calving grass based system of milk production.
The effect of vitamin E and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation of pregnant and lactating ewes on the transfer of vitamin E to the lamb
Authors: Capper J. L. , Wilkinson R. G. , Kasapidou E. , Pattinson S. E. , Mackenzie A. M. , Sinclair L. A.
Published: June 2019

It is reported that supplementing pregnant ewes with supra-optimal levels of vitamin E improves neonatal lamb vigour and growth rate (Merrell, 1998). The biochemical mechanism behind these observations has yet to be elucidated as several studies report negligible placental vitamin E transfer in ruminants (Van Saun et al., 1989); consequently, lambs may be clinically deficient in this nutrient at birth and achieve a satisfactory vitamin E status via colostrum ingestion. Lamb vitamin E status may be further diminished by the addition of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) to the maternal diet. However, PUFA supplementation demonstrably enhances foetal and neonatal development in human studies (Morley, 1998) although these effects have not been investigated in ruminants to any depth. The objective of this experiment was to investigate the effects of dietary vitamin E in combination with long-chain PUFA supplementation of ewes on ewe and lamb performance.
Effects of diet and vitamin E supplementation on the distribution of vitamin E in plasma, muscle, liver and adipose tissue in lambs fed on concentrates alone or with grass silage
Authors: Kasapidou E. , Richardson R.I. , Wood J.D. , Sinclair L.A. , Wilkinson R.G. , Enser M.
Published: June 2019

Vitamin E protects the animal from oxidative stressin vivoand when it is administered at supranutritional levels it enhances the oxidative stability of meat. Studies have shown that poor absorption of vitamin E often occurs when concentrates are fed to lambs. Distribution of vitamin E in plasma, skeletal muscle, liver (short-term and fast release depot) and adipose tissue (long-term and slow release depot) provides useful information about the overall vitamin E status of the animals. This work studied the distribution of vitamin E in the tissues after supplementation in relation to diet and to the dietary level.
Modelling the effects of the thermal environment and dietary composition on pig performance
Authors: Wellock I.J. , Kyriazakis I. , Emmans G.C.
Published: June 2019

Simulation models allow the effects of a range of environmental and other variables on animal performance to be considered simultaneously in a way that cannot be done by direct experimentation. Consequently, limiting factors within a system can be identified, the effects of genetic selection predicted and areas needing further research highlighted. The aim here is to develop, test and evaluate a deterministic dynamic model that predicts over time the effect of genotype, the nutritional and thermal environments, including any interactions, on the voluntary feed intake (VFI), growth and body composition of pigs.
Plasma metabolite and hormone responses to rumen inert fat and protein supplies during the dry period in dairy cows
Authors: Jaurena G. , Moorby J. M. , Beck N.F.G.
Published: June 2019

Nutritional regime during the dry period (DP) has been shown to affect lactational performance in dairy cows. These responses could be mediated by a variety of mechanisms (e.g.increased labile body proteins, function of the mammary gland or the liver, or modifying endocrine status), which are likely to exert an overlapping function.This study analysed the effect of protein (P) and/or fat (F) supplementation in the DP on plasma metabolite and hormone concentrations, as a complement to studies on body composition (Jaurena et al. 2001b.) and subsequent milk production (Jaurenaet al., 2001a.) performance. Other results also associated with this work are presented in Jaurenaet al. (2003).
The effect of melatonin treatment during the seasonal anoestrus on the superovulatory response and embryo production of high-prolificacy Rasa Aragonesa ewes before culling
Authors: Forcada F. , Abecia J.A. , Valares J.A.
Published: June 2019

The efficacy of melatonin implants inserted around the spring equinox to improve fertility and ovulation rate or litter size in Mediterranean ewes has been previously reported (Chemineau et al., 1996; Forcada et al., 2002a.), indicating the ability of the hormone to regulate the hypothalamic activity (Viguié et al., 1995). Moreover, a direct effect of melatonin on corpora lutea and embryonic development has been also reported (Wallace et al., 1988; Abecia et al., 2002). The use of prolific Rasa Aragonesa (RA) ewes (a Mediterranean breed) before culling as embryo donors has been previously tested in the breeding season (Forcada et al., 2002b.). The aim of this experiment was to improve embryo production during the seasonal anoestrus period in selected superovulated RA ewes at the end of their reproductive lives through the use of melatonin.
Nutritional effects on maternal blood metabolites and on outcome of pregnancy of dry season kidding Tswana goats
Authors: Madibela O. R. , Segwagwe B.V.E
Published: June 2019

Reproductive wastage in terms of abortion, foetal loss and neonatal loss is one of the factors undermining goat productivity in Botswana. Abortion storms occur during the winter months, (Binta et al., 1996) which coincide with the dry season. Though infectious causes were found in aborting goats, these accounted for a relatively small proportion of the total number of animals aborting (Binta et al., 1998). Due to relatively few cases of abortions caused by infectious agents in Norwegian dairy goats, Hussain et al., (1996) suggested that nutritional and environmental factors might be important. The aim of study was to evaluate the nutritional effects on blood metabolites and pregnancy outcome of Tswana goats under tropical conditions.
Influence of dietary fatty acids on the fatty acid composition of gut mucosa in calves during the first 3 weeks of life
Authors: Muturi K.N. , Birnie M. , Wallace M. , Struthers J. , Scaife J. R. , Lomax M.A.
Published: June 2019

The balance between pro and anti-inflammatory elements of the immune system can be influenced by provision of specific dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) (Calder, 1998). The gut associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) is the largest immune organ and an important regulator of tolerance and sensitivity to dietary and environmental antigens in the gut (Harbige and Fisher, 2001). Changing the fatty acid composition of the gut mucosa could influence the immune function of the GALT. This study was carried out to establish the extent to which dietary n-3 or n-6 PUFA-rich oil supplements could change the fatty acid composition of gut mucosa of the neonatal calf.
The effect of ammoniated and roasted barley on rumen pH, milk yield and milk composition of lactating dairy cows
Authors: Fathi M. H. , Nikkhah A.
Published: June 2019

Cereal grains can provide the major source of energy in diets in order to meet the nutrient requirements of high producing dairy cows. However the amount of starch that can be included in the diets of dairy cows is limited particularly if starch is rapidly fermented such as barley starch. Reduction of feed intake, rumen pH, milk fat test, microbial growth and other metabolic disorders are expected if ruminally degradable starch is fed in amount that cant be efficiently metabolized by rumen microbs. Various techniques for processing barley grain have been developed to decrease the degradability of dry matter in rumen without reducing its extent of digestion. McNiven (1995) showed roasting of barley is more effective treatment. The objective of this experiment was to study of effects the roasting and ammoniation of barley grain on rumen pH, feces pH, milk yield and milk composition in dairy cows.
Validation of a model to predict live weight and estimate dry matter intakes of individual dairy cows on commercial farms
Authors: Wicks H. C. F. , Leaver J. D.
Published: June 2019

A method to estimate total dry matter intake (DMI) of individual dairy cows on commercial farms was developed to aid nutritional research on commercial farms (Wicks, 2001). Recently a second validation of the model was carried out using cows from the Agricultural Research Institute of Northern Ireland (ARINI) dairy herd. The results from the validation process at Wye and ARINI are shown and the mean square prediction error (MSPE) of the model for live weight prediction and DMI estimation were calculated.
Effect of season and parity on the milk production of Iranian Holstein cows
Authors: Naserian A. A. , Alavi G.
Published: June 2019

The variation in milk production is a regular phenomenon in all milking animals, broadly the factors which are responsible for such variations can be divided into 1) Physiological, which will be governed by the genetically make up and 2) Environmental, such as age, number of previous lactations, pregnancy, season of calving, calving interval and nutrition status. The season of calving has got a marked effect on the total production. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of season of calving and parity of Iranian Holstein dairy cows on the milk production.
Environmental constraints in habitat use by free-ranging beef-cattle in the Natural Park of Gorbeia (Basque Country)
Authors: Mandaluniz N. , Oregui L. M.
Published: June 2019

Mountain pastures utilisation in the Basque Country by means of a free-range mixed-grazing system has suffered substantial changes during the last decades. Beef cattle production has increased partially favoured by CAP (Common Agricultural Policy) measures, mainly milk-quotas and the extensification premium. The use of mountain areas is constrained by both biotic and abiotic factors in cattle (Senft et al, 1985; Bailey, 1995) which are necessary to be identified in order to improve habitat management of these mountain zones, usually declared as protected areas. The objective of the current work was to study the influence of physical factors on the behaviour of beef-cattle herds managed in a transhumant free-range system.
Multivariate REML estimates of genetic parameters of monthly test day milk production traits in first parity Iranian Holstein cows with the use of a repeatability test day model
Authors: Farhangfar H. , Rowlinson P. , Willis M. B.
Published: June 2019

In practical dairy cattle breeding programmes, usually a small number of animals (selected from a large population) have a major influence on the genetic gain of the concerned population over a period of time (Hofer, 1998). Candidate animals are usually selected based on their breeding values that are predicted by using animal models. In order to predict breeding values, genetic parameters (calculated from variance and covariance components) of the traits under consideration should be estimated to be used in genetic evaluation systems either based on lactation or test day models. The use of test day models has increasingly become of interest in genetic evaluation of dairy cattle due to the fact that they can take more accurate account of the effects of environmental factors influencing test day milk yield over the course of lactation. The main objective of this study was to use a repeatability test day animal model to estimate genetic parameters of monthly test day milk production traits in first parity Iranian Holsteins.
Prediction of chemical composition of maize silage by near infrared reflectance spectroscopy in Uruguay
Authors: Cozzolino D. , Fassio A.
Published: June 2019

Whole–plant maize silage dorms the basis of winter rations for the vast majority of dairy and beef cattle production in Uruguay. Microbiological examination of silage is of little value in gauging the outcome of silage, and so chemical analysis is more reliable and meaningful indicator of quality. Chemical assessments of the principal fermentation products provide an unequivocal basis on which to judge quality. Silage fermentation and chemical composition are important to preservation of forage with respect of feeding value and animal performance. Many of the important chemical components of silage must be assayed in fresh (wet presentation) or by extraction of the fresh material, since drying either by heat or lyophilisation, volatilises components such as acids or nitrogenous components, or effects conversion to other compounds (fibre and carbohydrates) (Abrams et al., 1987). Chemical and biological methods for assess maize silage quality are laborious and considered to slow to be used for routine analysis of large number of forage samples. Near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) is increasingly used as a rapid, accurate method of evaluating chemical constituents in cereals and dried forages. The objective of this study was to determine the potential of NIRS to assess the chemical composition of dried maize silage samples for advisory purposes.
The use of near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) for the prediction of the digestible energy content of barley for growing pigs
Authors: McCann M. E. E. , McCracken K. J. , Agnew R. E.
Published: June 2019

It is not possible to carry out in vivo pig digestibility studies on each feed or feed ingredient therefore there is a need for a rapid means of predicting the digestible energy content of a feed or feed ingredient. Near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) is an extremely rapid technique and has been used to predict chemical composition and nutritive value for a wide range of feeds and feed ingredients (Leeson et al 2000). In the literature, some workers have reported that NIRS has a high degree of accuracy for determining chemical composition and nutritive value while others have reported a lower degree of accuracy. The aim of the current study was to examine the value of NIRS in predicting the digestible energy (DE) content of barley from which pig diets were formulated.
In vitrogas production, digestibility and estimated energy value of grass/fodder tree silages
Authors: Medina J. V. Cardenas , Sandoval-Castro C. A. , Sanchéz F. J. Solorio
Published: June 2019

Use of grass/forage tree silages have prove to be a viable alternative for animal production in the tropics (Solet al., 2002a,b). It is also an adequate strategy to cope with seasonal fluctuation of biomass availability (both grass and forage tree). However, limited data is available on the nutritive value (e.g. digestibility, energy content) of this mixtures. Therefore, the objective of the present work was to evaluation the in vitro gas production, apparent digestibility and energy content of silages containing grass and forage trees.
Nutritive evaluation of heat-treated cottonseed with in vitro gas production
Authors: Foroughi A. R. , Naserian A. A. , Valizadeh R. , Mesgaran M. Danesh , Mirhady A.
Published: June 2019

Biological methods are more meaningful since microorganisms and enzymes are more sensitive to factors influencing the rate and extent of digestion than are chemical methods (Getachew and et al,1997).Gas measurements provides a useful data on digestion kinetics of both soluble and insoluble fractions of feedstuffs. The objective of this experiment was to determine nutritive value evaluation of heat-treated cottonseed with in vitro gas production.
Egg selenium concentrations in breeder hens fed Na-selenite or Sel-Plex® supplemented diets
Authors: Kenyon S. , Spring P.
Published: June 2019

Feed grains available in Britain contain low concentrations of natural selenium. As the grains in most cases do not cover the requirements of the animals, selenium supplementation of diets is a standard practice in feed manufacturing. Selenium supply to the breeder hens impacts the selenium content of the egg, the developing embryo and therefore the antioxidant status of the chick at hatch (Surai, 2000). The aim of this study was to determine the effect of selenium from Sel-Plex® (Alltech Inc.) on the transfer of selenium into the egg of broiler breeder hens under commercial conditions.
Influence of grass silage fermentation and concentrate composition on the appearance and sensory characteristics of bovine M. longissimus dorsi
Authors: Moloney A.P. , McGilloway D. , Mooney M.T. , Vidal M. , Troy D.J.
Published: June 2019

Satisfying consumer preferences is an important element in ensuring the sustainability of the beef industry. An array of feed ingredients are available to beef producers but the effects of pre-slaughter ration composition on determinants of consumers’ decisions to purchase beef, such as appearance and sensory characteristics, are unclear. Previous research has shown that the diet of cattle can influence fat colour, but that concentrates per se had little effect on sensory attributes of beef when compared with a grass silage or grass-based ration (French et al., 2000). The objective of the current study was to examine the effect of silage fermentation and concentrate composition on the appearance and eating quality characteristics of beef.
Dietary manipulation of the polyunsaturated to saturated and n- 6:n- 3 fatty acid ratios in lamb
Authors: Cooper S.L. , Sinclair L.A. , Wilkinson R.G. , Enser M. , Wood J.D.
Published: June 2019

Lamb is characterized as having a low ratio of polyunsaturated (PUFA) to saturated fatty acids (P:S ratio) of approximately 0.1-0.2; considerably less than the minimum recommended ratio of 0.45 for the human diet as a whole (Department of Health 1994). Offset against this, lamb has a favourable ratio of the beneficial PUFA of the n -3 series with the n -6/n -3 ratio being well within the recommended value of < 4.0, and is a particularly rich source of the longer chain n -3 PUFA. One of the major obstacles to improving the P:S ratio of lamb is the extensive biohydrogenation of PUFA in the rumen, resulting in some form of protection being required. The objective of the current experiment was to manipulate the P:S ratio in lamb, whilst maintaining the n- 6/n -3 ratio, through feeding protected fat sources.
GM technology: a tool to benefit livestock production in less developed and developed countries
Authors: Cockburn A. , Phipps R.H.
Published: June 2019

The combined effects of improved varieties, increased fertiliser use and irrigation coupled with increased pesticide use was instrumental in allowing world food production to double in the last 35 years. However, as we enter the 21st century world population is set to increase by a further 1.5 billion by 2020, with the rate of increase being higher in less developed than developed countries. At the same time the rate crop improvement is slowing. In addition the area of land available/appropriate for the production of food and feed resources are at best static and at worst decreasing, often due to wind and water erosion. It has also been estimated that the demand for livestock products will increase dramatically in the next 20 years, with the increase being markedly higher in developing countries (3% per year), where much of the increased demand will be generated from an increasing urban population, than developed countries (1% per year). This projected increase in demand for livestock products will require very significant increased production of cereal grain and sources of oilseeds in a manner ensuring safety for the public and the environment. It will be a major challenge for global food and feed production to decrease the environmental impact of agriculture while maintaining or improving its productivity and sustainability. This paper will discuss how GM technology can contribute a way forward with the aim of combining higher yields, improved food and feed quality, increased competitiveness with environmentally and agriculturally sustainable practices.
Control of endoparasites in organic livestock systems
Authors: Gray D.
Published: June 2019

Endoparasite control in organic and non organic livestock shares many features. The difference is that organic farmers are constrained by the requirements of the standards which regulate organic production (UKROFS, 2001). This paper reviews the alternative strategies currently available.
Kiobel and the Law of Nations
Authors: Clopton Zachary D.
Published: June 2019

Since 1789, the Alien Tort Statute (ATS) has provided federal court jurisdiction for tort suits by aliens for violations of the law of nations. Though debate certainly exists about the method by which ATS-appropriate torts are identified, the Supreme Court has acknowledged that the substantive content of ATS causes of action is derived from the law of nations. In Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum Co., the SupremeCourt justices addressed not the substance of ATS cases but the reach of that statute.
Kiobel's Broader Significance: Implications for International Legal Theory
Authors: Parrish Austen L.
Published: June 2019

The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum Co. has ushered in a new era for human rights enforcement. Unanimously, the Court ended so–called foreigncubed human rights cases, that is, litigation where foreign plaintiffs sue foreign defendants for activity occurring abroad. The broadest form of universal civil jurisdiction that the Second Circuit's decision in Filártiga v.Pena–Irala once appeared to promise is over. Alien Tort Statute (ATS) litigation, while not foreclosed, has become more limited.
The Age of Things Found in the Earth
Authors: McKinney Frank K.
Published: June 2019

One of my favorite places from which to collect fossils is a steep, high railway cut in a rural part of southern Kentucky, where a ridge made of limestone sat right across the most efficient route the railway could take. When that cut was first made, professional paleontologists and amateur fossil collectors came by to have a look at the newly exposed rock; but although the fossils could be seen, we could hardly get anything out because they were almost all too firmly locked within the rock. Within just a couple of years, weathering had caused some of the weaker, clay-rich layers to break down a little, yielding loads of fossils. The rock around the fossils broke apart into small grains, and the fossils themselves, skeletal remains of marine animals, could be picked up by the hundreds of thousands: crinoids, blastoids, brachiopods, screw-shaped parts of bryozoans, trilobites, individual cone-shaped corals, strange conical snails, even rare starfish.
Long/Short Term Influences on Change
Authors: Roy Kaustuv
Published: June 2019

Change has been the rule in the history of life. Mammals today dominate the terrestrial habitats where dinosaurs once held sway. In modern oceans, ecologists can study many species of arthropods, but trilobites are long gone. Using data from the fossil record, David Raup estimated that only about one in a thousand species that ever lived on this planet is still alive today (Raup, 1991). On the other hand, the number of species and higher taxa has increased steadily over geologic time. Thus the history of life is essentially a history of turnover of species, lineages and higher taxa over time.
Creating Models for Interpreting Data
Authors: Plotnick Roy E.
Published: June 2019

For many of us, the word model may trigger remembrances of long-ago afternoons spent painstakingly gluing a small plastic car or airplane model together (for others, it may conjure up images of a somewhat emaciated young woman staring out of the cover of Vogue or Elle). The model car is not the same as a real car; it is made of different materials; it has many fewer parts, and it does not move. Nevertheless, it resembles a real automobile sufficiently that we recognize it as a realistic representation. Similarly, scientists use the term model to refer to a reconstruction of nature for the purpose of study (Levins, 1966). In other words, in order to understand nature, one may not always want to study it directly. Instead, understanding may come from studying a facsimile of nature that captures what is perceived to be its essential properties. In the same way, a child may learn how a car is built by building a plastic model of it, even if this model contains no moving parts.
Immunological Methods for Determining Phylogenetic Relationships
Authors: Lowenstein Jerold M.
Published: June 2019

The concept of organic evolution implies descent of all living and extinct forms from one or more common ancestors in the distant past of earth history. During recent decades, traditional phylogenetic deductions from the anatomy of living and fossil organisms have been supplemented by a vast and growing new body of molecular evidence. Each living creature contains a genome consisting of linear sequences of DNA bases, millions or billions of them, which determine all the developmental, anatomical and physiological characteristics of that species. This DNA is transcribed into messenger RNA (mRNA) which uses the machinery of the cell to make proteins. The sequence of mRNA bases determines the sequence of amino acids of the resultant protein (Lowenstein, 1986).
Amino Acids and Proteins from Fossils
Authors: Curry Gordon B.
Published: June 2019

The fossilization potential of organic molecules is extremely variable. Some organic compounds which are very common in living organisms are extremely rare in the fossil record, and are only preserved under exceptional conditions. For example DNA, despite its abundance in living organisms, is apparently only rarely preserved in recognizable form as fossils, primarily because it is concentrated in vulnerable soft-tissues, and the molecule itself is highly reactive and therefore easily broken down. In contrast the recognizable remains of molecules such as proteins, lipids and certain pigments are extremely abundant in the fossil record, to the extent that a group of fossilized molecules derived from bacterial cell walls is present in quantities which exceed that of the total organic carbon in the present day biosphere. Such preservation reflects the inherent relative stability of the molecular structure, or at least the relative stability of the building blocks of which it is constructed. Even simple biological molecules tend to be constructed from smaller molecular subunits, and their long-term stability, and ultimately their fossilization potential, depends both on the strength of the bonding between these smaller modular building blocks as well as on the durability of the building blocks themselves if they become dissociated during or after fossilization. As would be expected from their geological record, the constituent nucleic acids of DNA are much less stable than the amino acids which make up proteins.
The Role of Macromolecules in the Formation of Mineralized Skeletons
Authors: Weiner Stephen
Published: June 2019

Organisms from all five phylogenetic kingdoms form minerals. No less than 60 different mineral types are known, to date, to be formed by organisms and these are located at a wide variety of tissue sites and fulfill a host of different functions (Lowenstam and Weiner, 1989). A prominent and well known function of biogenic minerals is to provide mechanical strength to skeletons and often at the same time to act as a reservoir for the supply of ions necessary for vital metabolic functions. A characteristic of the mineral component of most skeletons is that it is formed under unusually well controlled conditions, such that the mineral form bears no morphological resemblance to its inorganic counterpart. This is, for the most part, achieved by inducing the minerals to precipitate in preformed spaces located by complex assemblies of macromolecules or vesicles or in some cases by combinations of both.
Biochemical Evolution and the History of Life
Authors: Doolittle W. Ford
Published: June 2019

Molecular biology has contributed to the construction of the neoDarwinian synthesis, as it is articulated in the 1980's, in two ways. First, it has provided a nearly complete understanding of the processes of DNA replication and expression, and mutation. We know in detail how genotypes are passed on and how random mutation can provide the variation which must be present in populations if natural selection is to “cause” evolution. (We do not yet understand in detail how genotype determines phenotype in any complex multicellular organism, but there is probably no barrier other than complexity in our way.) Second, molecular biology has provided us with a data base from which to draw conclusions about phylogenetic relationships between species, or between genes, and a powerful way of approaching that data base. Zuckerkandl and Pauling's (1965) contention – that comparisons of amino acid or nucleotide sequences of homologous proteins or nucleic acids from contemporary species should allow measurements of phylogenetic distance – has been amply confirmed. Earlier chapters in this volume provide some details about methods and their application to major groups of organisms. Here I would like to discuss what molecular sequence data, and phylogenetic conclusions drawn from them, might have to say about the very earliest stages of Darwinian evolution, before there were cells.
Contrasting ENSO Types With Satellite‐Derived Ocean Phytoplankton Biomass in the Tropical Pacific
Authors: Sharma Priya , Singh A. , Marinov I. , Kostadinov T.
Published: June 2019

Observed variations in the tropical phytoplankton community structure and biogeochemical processes have been linked to the El Niño Southern Oscillation, a driver of large‐scale natural climate variability on interannual timescales. Satellite bio‐optical algorithms have allowed us to derive complex biological parameters from the surface ocean via remote sensing, providing a scientific platform to investigate biological relationships with climate indices. Studies have focused in‐depth on contrasting types of the ENSO types with various physical parameters with only a few recent studies focusing on satellite‐observed chlorophyll‐a, with however none focusing on phytoplankton biomass itself. Here we review the types of ENSO and its effect on backscattering‐based biomass using different statistical techniques, over the 1997‐2007 period. We also contrast the responses of phytoplankton biomass with those of chlorophyll‐a and their physical drivers in various types of ENSO. Signatures of various ENSO types are observed in the physical and biological fields.