bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effects of low doses of dexamethasone on productive traits and meat quality of veal calves
Authors: Tarantola M. , Schiavone A. , Preziuso G. , Russo C. , Biolatti B. , Bergero D. 
Published: May 2019

AbstractAn experimental administration of dexamethasone was carried out on 15 veal calves in order to assess the rôle of low doses of exogenous glucocorticoids on productive traits and meat quality. Three groups, of five veal calves each, were formed: one group received oral dexamethasone (0·4 mg per calf per day for 25 days), another intramuscular (i. m.) dexamethasone (2 mg at days 14 and 21), and the third was the control. Calves were slaughtered at 165 days of age (day 31). Food conversion ratio (FCR), hot dressing percentage (HDP), chilled dressing percentage (CDP) and shrinkage were determined. From all carcasses, samples of m. longissimus thoracis (between the 8th and 10th rib) were taken in order to evaluate the chemical composition and some organoleptic characteristics: meat colour, waterholding capacity and tenderness. The animals treated with oral dexamethasone showed the lowest daily weight gain (P 0·05) and the poorest FCR (P 0·05). Hot dressing percentage, cold dressing percentage and shrinkage were not affected by the oral treatment. The i. m. injections of dexamethasone did not influence the overall performance. Muscle chemical composition and pH were not affected by the treatments; the meat of calves treated with oral dexamethasone was significantly lighter (P 0·05) and tended to be paler, while i. m. treatment induced intermediate characteristics. The shear force of the meat was rather low. Shear force of cooked meat from animals treated with dexamethasone (both oral and i. m.) was significantly lower than the control (P < 0·05). Treatment with dexamethasone i. m. induced a decrease in water-holding capacity; the oral treatment had no effect on this parameter.
Effects of food quality on growth and carcass composition in lambs of two breeds and their cross
Authors: Lewis R. M. , Macfarlane J. M. , Simm G. , Emmans G. C. 
Published: May 2019

AbstractThe effects of food quality, breed type and sex (ram and ewe) on lamb growth and carcass composition, and their changes throughout growth, were measured. The three breed types were Scottish Blackface (B; no. = 24), Suffolk (S; no. = 28) and their reciprocal crosses (X; no. 33). The lambs had free access to a nutritionally non-limiting food, H, or a bulky food, L. Each lamb was scanned using X-ray computed tomography to measure the weights of fat, lean and bone in the carcass at three degrees of maturity (0.30,0.45 and 0.65) in live weight. Live weight and food intake data were recorded weekly. Average daily gains in live weight (ADG) and carcass tissues, intake (ADI) and efficiency (EFF = ADG/ADI) were calculated for each lamb between degrees of maturity. Gompertz and Spillman functions were used to investigate relationships between weight and both time and cumulative food intake.There was a breed by food interaction for fat and lean proportions (P < 0.05). Only on H was there a breed difference (P < 0.05) with S having less fat and more lean than either B or X, which did not differ from each other (P > 0.1). On food L there were no breed effects (P > 0.1). Across breeds, sexes and stages of maturity, food L caused lambs to have 0.810 as much fat and 1.063 as much lean compared with H (P < 0.001). There were breed by food interactions for ADG (P < 0.05) and EFF (P < 0.01). ADG on L was 0.72 of that on H for S, as compared with 0.79 for B and X. EFF on L was 0.463 of that on H for S, as compared with 0.586 for B and X. These were such that S was more sensitive to food effects on growth. The Gompertz and Spillman functions described growth well.
Deposition of protein, fat and energy in lambs of the breed German Merino Landsheep
Authors: Bellof G. , Pallauf J. 
Published: May 2019

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to assess the deposition of fat, protein and energy during the growth period of lambs. Male and female lambs (no. = 54 of each) were fattened (three feeding levels) and slaughtered at various body weights (BW): 18, 30, 45, and 55 kg. Based on the method of the comparative slaughter technique the total body of each animal was analysed. From the data of empty-body gain, fat, protein and energy deposition in the different fattening periods was calculated.The male lambs showed at all body weights tested and in all feeding level groups a lower daily fat deposition and a higher daily protein deposition compared with the female lambs. The deposition of fat increased in both genders with increasing body weight. The amount of increase differed between the three feeding levels. The male lambs showed at all body weights and in all feeding level groups a higher daily gain in body weight but a lower daily deposition of energy compared with the female lambs. However, for the latter, the gender difference rarely reached statistical significance. Parallel to the daily deposition of fat the daily deposition of energy increased in both genders with increasing body weight.Based on the deposition of fat and protein during the growth period of the lambs the body composition was estimated by allometric equations. The equations showed a consistent pattern of protein concentration falling and fat concentration rising with increasing empty body weight. Compared with the literature a higher protein and lower fat concentration in empty body gain was predicted.
Describing and predicting potential growth in the pig
Authors: Wellock I. J. , Emmans G. C. , Kyriazakis I. 
Published: May 2019

AbstractMost animal growth models contain an explicit growth function. It determines the pattern of growth over the lifetime of the animal and defines an upper limit to growth rate (the potential). The criterion of the ‘goodness-of-fit’ to one or more sets of data is frequently used to select a suitable growth function. Alternative criteria are described here that can be used to choose between forms that describe potential growth. Of the functions reviewed only a few fulfilled all of the proposed criteria. Of these the Logistic and Gompertz functions were favoured because of an economy of parameters and their ability to describe relative growth rate as a simple function of size. The Logistic function was rejected on the grounds of its numerical consequences for growth in pigs over a wide range of degrees of maturity, leaving the Gompertz function to be tested for its ability to make sensible predictions of potential growth. Pre-natal growth data, assumed to occur under non-limiting conditions as long as the mother is not subjected to extremely adverse nutritional conditions or incidence of infection, were used to estimate the values of the two Gompertz function parameters-the growth coefficient and the initial condition-given an estimate of mature size. The values were comparable with literature estimates based on post-natal growth and predictions of growth rate over a wide range of degree of maturity were thus sensible. On these grounds, and because it uses few parameters all with biological meaning, the Gompertz function is proposed as a suitable descriptor of potential growth.
Effect of a supplement rich in linolenic acid added to the diet of mares on fatty acid composition of mammary secretions and the acquisition of passive immunity in the foal
Authors: Duvaux-Ponter C. , Tournié M. , Detrimont L. , Clément F. , Ficheux C. , Ponter A. A. 
Published: May 2019

AbstractDue to the structure of the placenta in the horse (epitheliochorial) and the as yet un-activated immune system of the foal at birth, the transfer of maternal immunoglobulin G (IgG) is essential in the protection of the young foal until its own immune system develops. The fluidity of intestinal cell membranes may affect the transfer of IgG by receptor mediated endocytosis. In the present experiment we studied the effect of the addition of supplements rich in either alpha-linolenic acid or oleic acid to the diet of the mares starting 1·5 months before foaling and for 1 month after foaling on the passive transfer of IgG and the fatty acid composition of mammary secretions and plasma of foals. Twenty-six mares were allocated to one of two treatment groups (L: linseed supplement, no. = 13 and R: rapeseed supplement, no. = 13) according to date of foaling and live weight to produce two homogeneous groups. Mammary secretions were collected to measure IgG and fatty acid composition. Jugular blood samples were taken from the foals at time 0, 12 h, 24 h, 48 h, 1 week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks and 4 weeks after foaling to measure the concentration of IgG. A subsample of foals was used to measure the IgG absorption coefficient and the plasma fatty acid compositon. There was no effect of dietary treatment on the length of gestation, the production and transfer of IgG. Group L mares produced mammary secretions which were richer in C18: 3 and poorer in C18: 1 than group R mares (P < 0·001). Contrary to expectations the C18: 3 content of blood from foals at birth from both dietary treatments was very low and there was no difference between dietary groups. The percentage of C18: 3 and C18: 2 in fatty acids increased in foal blood only after sucking had occurred, with a difference between dietary groups (L > R). In addition, the percentages of C20: 3 and C20: 4 were higher in the foals at birth than 48 h later (P < 0·001) and at birth they were highest in the R group compared with the L group foals (P < 0·05 and P 0·10, respectively). In conclusion, the attempt to increase the supply of C18: 3 during gestation to foals and to improve the transfer of IgG post partum did not appear to succeed, perhaps because the foal uses C22: 6 (produced from C18: 3) for brain growth.
The interaction between lactofeed level and soya-bean meal on growth performance of weanling pigs
Authors: O’Doherty J. V. , Nolan C. S. , Callan J. J. , McCarthy P. 
Published: May 2019

AbstractA 3 ✕ 2 factorial experiment was conducted to investigate the interaction between lactofeed 70 (LF70) (860 g/kg whey permeate, 140 g/kg soya-bean meal, Volac International, UK) levels and soya-bean meal inclusion (SBM) (90 and 225 g/kg) from day 0 to day 25 after weaning (starter period) on growth performance and diet digestibility. A common diet was offered from day 25 to day 38. Dietary treatments were established by substituting LF70 for extruded wheat and soya-bean meal for potato protein (PP) and soya protein concentrate (SPC). Digestible energy and amino acids were maintained by adjusting soya oil and synthetic amino acids. A total of 252 pigs (7·7 kg and 28 ± 2 days of age) were allotted randomly to six treatments containing (1) 0 LF70 with 40 g/kg PP and 40 g/kg SPC and 90 g/kg SBM (2) 0 LF70 with 225 g/kg SBM (3) 175 g/kg LF70 with 40 g/kg PP and 40 g/kg SPC and 90 g/kg SBM (4) 175 g/kg LF70 with 225 g/kg SBM (5) 350 g/kg LF70 with 40 g/kg PP, 40 g/kg SPC and 90 g/kg SBM and (6) 350 g/kg LF70 with 225 g/kg SBM. There was an increase in average daily gain (ADG) (0·182 v. 0·292 v. 0·318 kg, s.e. 0·0089; P < 0·001) and food intake (0·413 v. 0·472 v. 0·489 kg, s.e. 0·0139; P < 0·01) and an improvement in food conversion ratio (FCR) (2·31 v. 1·63 v. 1·55 kg, s.e. 0·037; P < 0·001) as the level of LF70 increased during the starter period. From day 25 to day 38, the pigs given the starter diets containing no LF70 had an improved ADG (P < 0·05) and FCR (P < 0·001) compared with the pigs given 175 and 350 g/kg LF70. The pigs offered diets containing 350 g/kg lactofeed had a significantly higher N digestibility (P < 0·05) than the pigs offered diets containing no lactofeed. There was a significant interaction (P < 0·001) between LF70 and SBM in the apparent digestibility of gross energy (GED). Pigs given higher SBM diets had a higher GED at the 350 g/kg LF70 inclusion than pigs given PP + SPC diets. However, there was no difference in GED at the 0 and 175 g/kg LF70 inclusion. In conclusion, the inclusion of LF70 increased ADG, food intake and apparent N digestibility and improved FCR.
Different modes of food restriction and compensatory growth in double-muscled Belgian Blue bulls: plasma metabolites and hormones
Authors: Cabaraux J.F. , Kerrour M. , Eenaeme C. van , Dufrasne I. , Istasse L. , Hornick J.-L. 
Published: May 2019

AbstractThe effects of different sequences of food restriction and fattening have been studied on plasma metabolites and hormones in double-muscled Belgian Blue bulls. Twenty animals were divided into five groups. The first group (control, CG) was given,ad libitum, a fattening diet based on sugar-beet pulp. In G2 and G3, fattening was interrupted after 103 and 187 days, respectively, by a period of food restriction lasting about 2 months during which the animals received a maintenance ration. They were finished with the same diet as CG. The last two groups, G4 and G5, received a limited amount of the restriction diet to support 0·5 and 0 kg gain per day, respectively, for 4 months, before being fattened as CG. Plasma glucose, alpha-amino nitrogen, non-esterified fatty acids, urea, creatinine, thyroxine (T4), 3, 3’, 5’-tri-iodothyroxine (T3), and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) were measured in blood samples taken every 2 weeks. Plasma GH and insulin profiles were measured in serial blood samples obtained at three different times during growth. Animals that showed compensatory growth had lower plasma urea, associated with high levels of T3, T4 and IGF–1. Animals from G2 and G3 failed to show compensatory growth. In Belgian Blue bulls, compensatory growth is markedly affected when food restriction is severe or fattening interrupted.
Body fat content, composition and distribution in Landrace and Iberian finishing pigs givenad libitummaize- and acorn-sorghum-maize-based diets
Authors: Morales J. , Baucells M.D. , Pérez J.F. , Mourot J. , Gasa J. 
Published: May 2019

AbstractWe aimed to determine whether the dietary carbohydrate source altered body fat composition and distribution in finishing lean (Landrace) and obese (Iberian) swine. To this end, twenty-four finishing castrated male pigs (12 Iberian and 12 Landrace; 108 kg live weight) were offered two diets differing in the main carbohydrates source, maize (diet M) or acorn-sorghum-maize (diet A). Diets were formulated to have the same nutrient content, except for carbohydrate fractions: diet M contained higher amount of starch (537v. 389 g/kg) but less non-starch polysaccharides (118v. 148 g/ kg) than diet A. At an average weight of 133 kg live weight pigs were slaughtered and their carcasses were sampled to study lipogenesis, backfat and intramuscular fat composition. Iberian pigs showed a higher voluntary food intake than Landrace pigs (3·6v. 2·4 kg/day;P< 0·001) but no significant differences in the daily weight gain. Diet M tended to promote the highest food intake (P= 0·09). Iberian pigs showed higher (P< 0·01) lipogenic enzyme activities, backfat thickness (71·7v. 31·9 mm) and intramuscular fat content (40 to 95 g/kg fresh muscle) than Landrace pigs, which was associated with their higher food intake. Furthermore, fat depots from Iberian pigs had higher (P< 0·001) monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and lower (P< 0·05) polyunsaturated (PUFA) proportions than those from Landrace pigs. The backfat thickness of pigs given diet M tended to be higher (P= 0·07) than that of pigs given diet A, without differences in the intramuscular fat content. The higher backfat thickness found for diet M was correlated with a lower PUFA proportion in diet than for diet A (P< 0·001). We conclude that body fat content, composition and lipogenic enzyme activities are markedly influenced by the animal breed and to a lesser extent by dietary characteristics.
Hope in the general Norwegian population, measured using the Herth Hope Index
Authors: RUSTØEN TONE , WAHL, ASTRID K. , HANESTAD, BERIT R. , LERDAL, ANNERS , MIASKOWSKI, CHRISTINE , MOUM TORBJØRN 
Published: May 2019

Objective:The aims of this study were to describe hope in a large sample that was drawn from the general Norwegian population and to examine how sociodemographic and health-related variables were related to hope.Methods:Of 4,000 adult citizens, randomly drawn from the National Register, 1,912 (49%) returned the Norwegian version of the Herth Hope Index (HHI).Results:When demographic and health-related variables were controlled for, age, gender, marital status, and employment status were significantly related to hope. The most important health-related variable was self-assessed health status, with participants who were satisfied with their health reporting significantly higher levels of hope. Participants who indicated that they had a chronic disease reported significantly higher hope scores compared to those without a chronic disease. Older men, individuals who were receiving a pension or were unemployed, and individuals who were widowed or unmarried reported the lowest levels of hope. In this study, an individual's subjective evaluation of his/her health was the most important health-related predictor of hope.Significance of the research: The most important health-related variable that predicted hope was self-assessed health in that participants who were satisfied with their health reported higher levels of hope. This finding suggests that an individual's subjective assessment of health is a better predictor of hope than the presence a chronic disease. Knowledge about levels of hope in the general population can be used as reference values against which an individual score or a group mean may be compared.
Design and performance analysis of a conformal CPW fed wideband antenna with Mu-Negative metamaterial for wearable applications
Authors: Negi Deepa , Khanna Rajesh , Kaur Jaswinder 
Published: May 2019

AbstractIn this paper, a flexible CPW fed ultrawide band (UWB) antenna with mu-negative (MNG) metamaterial is designed, fabricated, and tested for wearable applications. Initially, a UWB antenna of size 50 mm × 43 mm is fabricated on two different substrates, viz. flexible FR4 and semi-flexible Rogers RT/duroid 5880. A metamaterial structure fabricated on flexible FR4 shows a magnetic resonance from 7.2 GHz to 9.2 GHz with maximum stop band attenuation (−49 dB) and high MNG value (−2121.6) at 7.87 GHz. Then a (3 × 3) array of designed MNG metasurface is used as ground plane with flexible UWB antenna, which improves its overall gain and radiation pattern. The performance of the flexible antenna with/without metamaterial at various distances from flat and cylindrical three-layered human phantom of skin, fat, and muscle is studied. Further, the bending characteristics at different angles and performance over thin metallic sheet is also evaluated. Additionally, the peak specific absorption rate value averaged over 1 g of tissue at three chosen frequencies from UWB range (3, 5, 10 GHz) with/without metamaterial using 0.3 and 0.1 W of input power is also analyzed. The simulated and measured results are in good agreement which confirms that the designed antenna is a good candidate for wearable applications.
Hearing Loss: Stigma Consciousness, Quality of Life and Social Identity
Authors: Privado Jesús , Carrasco Luis , Durán Rocío 
Published: May 2019

AbstractIn the present research, three tests, Pinel’s Stigma Consciousness (1999); Quality of Life by Ruiz and Baca (1993); and the Social Identity by Cameron (2004), were adapted and validated by hearing loss of different ages, educational levels, marital status and occupation in order to make the sample more representative. The content validity was established using a group of experts formed by disabled people and technicians in disability with the purpose of adapting the items of the different tests. The reliability of the three tests was adequate with values higher than .70. The Stigma Consciousness test presented a unifactorial structure, that of Quality of Life with four factors (General Satisfaction, Free Time, Physical and Psychological Well-being and Social Support) and Social Identity with three factors (Centrality, Ingroup Ties and Ingroup Affect). Goodness-of-fit tests showed adequate values. We also analyzed the convergent and discriminant validity of the scale in order to see which tests presented major and minor associations and the criterion validity relating the scales to the level of studies, the percentage of disability and the work place of the evaluated ones. Finally, we analyzed the similarities between our results and those obtained in the original tests.
Profiling older community-dwellers with hypovitaminosis D: A classification tree analysis
Authors: Chevallereau Gaelle , Legeay Mathilde , Duval Guillaume T. , Karras Spyridon N. , Fantino Bruno , Annweiler Cedric 
Published: May 2019

Abstract. Despite the high prevalence of hypovitaminosis D in older adults, universal vitamin D supplementation is not recommended due to potential risk of intoxication. Our aim here was to determine the clinical profiles of older community-dwellers with hypovitaminosis D. The perspective is to build novel strategies to screen for and supplement those with hypovitaminosis D. A classification tree (CHAID analysis) was performed on multiple datasets standardizedly collected from 1991 older French community-dwelling volunteers ≥ 65 years in 2009–2012. Hypovitaminosis D was defined as serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D ≤ 50 nmol/L. CHAID analysis retained 5 clinical profiles of older community-dwellers with different risks of hypovitaminosis D up to 87.3%, based on various combinations of the following characteristics: polymorbidity, obesity, sadness and gait disorders. For instance, the probability of hypovitaminosis D was 1.42-fold higher [95CI: 1.27–1.59] for those with polymorbidity and gait disorders compared to those with no polymorbidity, no obesity and no sadness. In conclusion, these easily-recordable measures may be used in clinical routine to identify older community-dwellers for whom vitamin D supplementation should be initiated.
Soil Organic Matter Temperature Sensitivity Cannot be Directly Inferred From Spatial Gradients
Authors: Abramoff Rose Z. , Torn Margaret S. , Georgiou Katerina , Tang Jinyun , Riley William J. 
Published: May 2019

AbstractDeveloping and testing decadal‐scale predictions of soil response to climate change is difficult because there are few long‐term warming experiments or other direct observations of temperature response. As a result, spatial variation in temperature is often used to characterize the influence of temperature on soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks under current and warmer temperatures. This approach assumes that the decadal‐scale response of SOC to warming is similar to the relationship between temperature and SOC stocks across sites that are at quasi steady state; however, this assumption is poorly tested. We developed four variants of a Reaction‐network‐based model of soil organic matter and microbes using measured SOC stocks from a 4,000‐km latitudinal transect. Each variant reflects different assumptions about the temperature sensitivities of microbial activity and mineral sorption. All four model variants predicted the same response of SOC to temperature at steady state, but different projections of transient warming responses. The relative importance of Qmax, mean annual temperature, and net primary production, assessed using a machine‐learning algorithm, changed depending on warming duration. When mineral sorption was temperature sensitive, the predicted average change in SOC after 100 years of 5 °C warming was −18% if warming decreased sorption or +9% if warming increased sorption. When microbial activity was temperature sensitive but mineral sorption was not, average site‐level SOC loss was 5%. We conclude that spatial climate gradients of SOC stocks are insufficient to constrain the transient response; measurements that distinguish process controls and/or observations from long‐term warming experiments, especially mineral fractions, are needed.