bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Effects of Dry Sow Housing Conditions on Bone Strength and Muscle Conformation
Authors: Marchant J.N. , Broom D.M. 
Published: January 2018

Lameness is the second commonest cause of culling in breeding sows after reproductive failure and can occur as a result of physical injury, infection or inherent leg weakness. Lameness incidence may be affected by both genetic and environmental factors, and is especially prevalent in confined systems such as stalls and tethers, which restrict the amount of exercise that the sows can perform. Confinement, with a corresponding lack of exercise, has been shown to affect bone strength in poultry but this weakness has not been documented in other species housed in confinement. The objectives of this experiment were to compare bone strength and muscle conformation in sows housed in two different dry sow systems.A total of 18 non-pregnant Large White X Landrace sows of similar age, parity and genetic stock, were studied in two different dry sows systems: 1) permanent stalls (n=8) and 2) a large group with Electronic Sow Feeder system (n=10). All sows were weighed and following slaughter by pentabarbitone injection, the left thoracic and pelvic limbs were dissected and five forelimb and nine hindlimb locomotory muscles were removed and weighed. The muscles were chosen partly on the basis of perceived importance for locomotion and partly on the basis of ease of identification and removal. A proportional muscle weight was then calculated by dividing individual muscle weight (in grams) by total body weight (in kilograms). This removed any differences in muscle weight due purely to differences in total body weight between systems. The left humerus and femur were also removed, and were broken by a three-point bend test using an Instron Universal Tester.
The Effect of Routine Handling of Pigs on Behaviour and Subsequent Meat Quality
Authors: Abbott T.A. , Hunter E.J. , Guise H.J. , Penny R.H.C. 
Published: January 2018

Many finishing pigs have little experience of handling, especially during the final management stage before slaughter. Earlier work (Weeding et al 1993) suggested that certain farms, producing pigs which were more difficult-to-handle than others, had a tendency towards dark, firm and dry meat (DFD). The effect of routine movement on behaviour during pre-slaughter handling and subsequent meat quality was evaluated using groups of finishing pigs.Forty pens of pigs (17-19 pigs per pen) from two similar, fully-slatted finishing houses were involved. When pigs reached 16 weeks of age, pens were randomly allocated to treatment or control. Pigs in control pens were not moved before transport to the abattoir.
The Effect of Feeding Barley Fractions on Viscosity and Non-Starch Polysaccharide Levels in Broiler Chickens
Authors: Petersen S.T. , Wiseman J. , Bedford M. 
Published: January 2018

Non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) which have been linked to antinutritional activity through elevated viscosity of intestinal contents may be found in greater amounts in certain regions of the cereal grain specifically the endosperm cell wall (Forrest & Wainwright 1977; Mulder, Hotten et al 1991).The current series of experiments was designed to investigate whether different levels of barley fractions contained within standard diets would influence the viscosity of broiler digesta and to examine the NSP content of the fractions and digesta supernatants.
Ruminants and their affects on pollution in Denmark
Authors: Kristensen Erik Steen , Kristensen Ib Sillebak , Halberg Niels 
Published: January 2018

Ruminant production systems can have a negative effect on the environment within three main areas 1) loss of nutrients to aquatic environment, 2) loss of nutrient to the aerial environment and 3) contribution to the global increase in temperature (green house effect).In Denmark area 1) is considered as a very serious problem in particular NO3-leaching from the agricultural land. Within area 2) the loss of NH3 from ruminant production is considered as a major problem. Concerning the green house effect (area 3)) the loss of N20, C02 and CH4 are considered as a problem in connection to ruminant production.
Effect of hindgut fermentation on urinary excretion of purine derivatives
Authors: Surra J.E.C. , Guada J.A. , Balcells J. , Castrillo C. 
Published: January 2018

Urinary excretion of allantoin or total purine derivatives (PD) may constitute a valuable index of rumen microbial production in sheep (Chen et al.1990; Balcells et al. 1991) provided the urinary recovery of absorbed purines is constant. Purine losses through saliva account for less than 10 % of the non-urinary losses as suggested by the low salivary concentrations of allantoin and uric acid (Surra et al. 1993). In addition to salivary secretion, a significant amount of blood PD may be directly excreted into the gut, as suggested by the fate of the uric acid and guanine infused, respectively, into the blood of humans (Sorensen, 1960) and pigs (Simmonds et al.1973). However little is known about these potential losses in ruminants and how they might be affected by variations in intestinal fermentation consequent to the site of digestion promoted by different feeding conditions.The aim of this experiment was to elucidate wether variations in hindgut fermentation may affect the urinary excretion of purine derivatives.The experiment was performed on four adult Rasa Aragonesa ewes (35 ±0.4 kg) fitted with permanent catheters in both duodenum and caecum and receiving 700 g DM/d of alfalfa hay. Treatments attempted to induce variations in hindgut fermentation and PD concentration and consisted in a continuous infusion (2 l/d) of saline solution as control or either 3 g/d of RNA, 100 g/d of starch, or 200 g/d of cellulose dissolved in water up to 21. All infusates were given via caecum in a complete randomized cross over design, except cellulose which was infused into the duodenum due to frequent clogging of the caecal catheter.
Effect of Rumen Fill on Voluntary Intake by Steers
Authors: Akingbade A.A. , Hovell F.D.DeB. 
Published: January 2018

Rumen capacity can constrain the voluntary intake of roughages. Few published experiments have combined manipulation of rumen digesta volumes with measurements of intake, eating behaviour, and rumen volume and outflow. All these measurements were made in the experiment reported here.Three Holstein steers (680-750kg) with large rumen canulae were used. They were given hay ad libitum (degradation characteristics a = 35.2, b = 45.6, c = 0.0397 when degradation (P) in ‘t’ hours is given by P = a + b(l-e-ct). The hay was ‘chopped’ to lengths of about 40-60mm and supplemented with urea, sodium sulphate, minerals & vitamins. There were seven periods of five days. Periods 1, 3, 5 & 7 were controls, and periods 2, 4 & 6 treatment (3x3 latin square). As treatments the reticulo-rumen was totally emptied once daily, and the digesta weighed, sampled, and A) 1.15 (add), B) 0.75 (remove), or C) 1.00 (replace) returned to the rumen (digesta from B was used to add to A). Daily DM intake and excretion, feeding behaviour, and digesta flow (pulse dose of PEG on the last day of all seven periods) measured. Digesta was manipulated at 11.30h, the process taking less than an hour. Treatment effects were analysed as differences from the means of the controls proceeding and succeeding the appropriate treatment. These differences (‘change’ or ‘Δ’ values) were analysed as 3 x 3 latin squares, with period and animal effects included in the residual variance.
Effect of slurry application on the microflora of grass and silage
Authors: Davies D.R. , Merry R.J. 
Published: January 2018

The spreading of slurry and other livestock wastes onto grassland is used as a means of recycling nutrients. Often these areas of grassland are subsequently used for silage production and there has been concern that the timing of slurry application may influence the outcome of the silage fermentation (O'Kiely et al. 1993). The application of slurry alters the microbial flora of the herbage and some of those added bacteria are associated with poor silage fermentations (Ostling and Lindgren, 1991).The objective of the experiment was to examine the effect of the timing of a high level of slurry application to grassland on survival of enterobacteria, lactic acid bacteria and Clostridia on the herbage, and subsequent effects on it's fermentation during ensilage.
Feeding of urea treated whole-crop wheat in grass silage based rations for growing beef cattle
Authors: Raza S.H. , Rowlinson P. 
Published: January 2018

Many feeding , economic and managemental problems have been observed to be associated with the silage feeding (Wilkinson, 1990) e.g.;1) The high cost of production, losses during storage and damage to the walls and floors of silos.2) Variation in feed characteristics due to multicut.3) Effluent and pollution problems.4) The unpredictable feeding value and tendency to enhance milk fat but not milk protein in lactating animals.All these factors have forced animal scientists to look for suitable alternatives to grass silage . Whole crop cereals have drawn the attention of workers as a substitute for grass silage due to the following advantages ;1) The number of cuts and the harvesting cost can be reduced .2) A high dry matter yield of crop can be obtained with modest application of fertiliser and no effluent problem.3) The early harvesting of the crop gives more time for the entry of the following crop.4) More predictable nutritive value , high grain content ( approaching 50 % ) of the total crop yield .
Sesbania Leaves as Sole Feed for Growing Black Bengal Boats
Authors: Shahjaiai Md , Khan K J , Akbar M A , Tareque A M M , Galbraith H 
Published: January 2018

Sesbania, a tropical legume browse, provides green foliage high in crude protein and low in crude fibre (Sen, Ray and Ranjhan, 1978). In Bangladesh two varieties of sesbania, Sesbania aculeata and a recently introduced African Sesbania rostrata are largely cultivated for green manuring in agricultural fields during kharif season. The leaves of sesbania may be used as good source of protein to supplement protein-poor roughages in ruminants diets. However, there is an extreme paucity of information on its nutritional value for goats. An attempt was therefore made to study the effect of feeding sesbania leaves as sole feed on growth performance and nutrient utilization in growing Black Bengal goats.Nine Black Bengal male castrated goats aged about 5 months and weighing 9.0 kg on average initially were used in a 56 day study.The goats were housed individually in a slatted floor and were introduced to the experimental feed over a period of 2 weeks.The animals were allocated at random to one of three dietary treatments in a randomised block design according to live weight.The control group A given road-side grass and the groups B and C offered green leaves of Sesbania aculeata and Sesbania rostrata, respectively.
Use of the choke-feeding system to enhance the health and performance of early weaned piglets fed low-cost diets
Authors: Gill B. P. , Robledo M. , English P. R. , Sanchez-Serrano A. P. 
Published: January 2018

Milk based diets remain one of the most successful means of introducing early-weaned piglets to solid food. However, the increased costs of dried milk by-products has stimulated the trend towards later weaning and the use of cheaper diets based on vegetable proteins. Such diets are often associated with digestive disturbance and reduced performance which necessitate the use of anti-microbial growth promoters.In this study, we examined the scope for using the choice-feeding system to enhance the health and performance of early weaned piglets fed low-cost diets by offering them free-access to feed ingredients which may be selected when there is a need to correct digestive disturbance.
The growth of three Greek dairy breeds of lamb to three slaughter weights as affected by different levels of nutrition
Authors: Zygoyiannisl D. , Stamatarisl C. , Katsaounis N. , Friggens N. , Emmans G. 
Published: January 2018

Lamb producers in the Less Favoured Areas (LFAs) of the European Community appear, for different reasons, to be constrained by the economic value of the indigenous small-sized sheep breeds. The trial reported here forms part of a collaborative project whose overall aim is to improve the quality and marketability of sheep meat produced in the LFAs. The objective of this trial was to measure the growth and body composition of entire male lambs of 3 Greek dairy breeds from early weaning to 3 slaughter weights chosen to be of potential commercial interest.In all 108 ram lambs were used with equal numbers from the 3 breeds: Karagouniko (K), Serres (S) and Boutsiko (B). The lambs were weaned at about 8 weeks of age onto one of 3 levels of concentrate allowance called H, M and L with ad libitum access to alfalfa hay. The concentrate contained 175 g crude protein and 11.0 MJ ME/kg as fed. The concentrate allowances were calculated on incremental time-based scales which were related to the ad libitum intake of each of the breeds as observed in a previous experiment. The highest allowance was intended to be at about 0.80 of the ad libitum intake previously seen. Allowance L was 1/3 and level M 2/3 of H. Lambs were housed in individual pens on sawdust. Liveweight and hay intake were recorded once per week; there were no overall refusals of concentrate between start and slaughter. Lambs were slaughtered at 23. 28 or 33 kg irrespective of breed and carcasses stored for compositional evaluation.
The effects of rearing nutrition on reproductive performance in red deer hinds
Authors: Chappie D.G. , Davies M.H. , Wade A.P. 
Published: January 2018

Female deer have a long productive life but there is little information available on what effect pattern of growth from weaning to puberty have on subsequent reproductive performance. The objective of this experiment was to investigate the effect of a high level of nutrition for hind calves during their first winter on their potential life time productivity.Sixty red deer hind calves born in May/June 1991 were weaned in mid September and on 3 October 1991 the hind calves were weighed and randomised into two treatments:1. Ad lib silage plus appropriate level of compound supplement, from 4-10 months of age, to achieve moderate growth rate, and a bodyweight of 75-80kg by 16 months of age (M).2. Ad lib all-compound ration, from 4-10 months of age, to achieve high growth rates (H).The hinds were housed in pens measuring 4m x 5m in a randomised block design with three pen replicates of 10 calves per treatment. Precision chopped high quality silage (ME=10.6) was fed ad libitum in swing-over troughs to treatment M. A supplementary compound ration of 125g whole barley and 75g soya bean meal per hind was fed until 23 December and subsequently increased to 32Sg barley and 75g soya bean meal per hind. The all-compound ration to treatment H consisted of 80% whole barley and 20% soya bean meal (ME=13.3) and was fed twice daily.
Nutritional and seasonal effects on fibre production in llamas
Authors: Russel A J F , Redden Hilary 
Published: January 2018

There is a scarcity of information in the scientific literature on the effects of seasonal and nutritional factors on fibre production in the South American camelids. Without such information it is difficult to develop systems of management incorporating nutritional regimes and fibre harvesting strategies which will optimise the efficiency of fibre production. This paper presents preliminary results from an experiment designed to provide basic information on the effects of season and nutrition on fibre growth in llamas.The experiment was conducted on 12 adult entire male llamas which were individually penned indoors under conditions of natural photoperiod and ambient temperature in north-east Scotland.Two levels of nutrition were applied: the lower level (L) was calculated to supply approximately maintenance energy requirements (calculated as 0.44 MJ/kg0.75) and the higher level (H) to supply twice maintenance. The feeding comprised only hay for the L level and hay plus a proprietary cattle concentrate for the H level.
A comparison of the rate of genetic gain and inbreeding in a Centralised and a dispersed open nucleus breeding system for sheep
Authors: Roden Janet A. 
Published: January 2018

Open nucleus breeding systems have been shown to result in higher genetic gains and lower rates of inbreeding than closed systems. The organisation of an open nucleus system is, however, complex and the long term success depends upon a consistency of objectives among, and strong commitment from the participating breeders. Initial genetic differences between flocks ultimately result in a greater advantage of the open nucleus system, but the short term effect, for the better flocks, is a reduction in genetic gain compared to closed flock selection. The open nucleus system also involves the physical transfer of breeding stock between flocks, which may represent a risk to sheep health.There are, at present, a number of sire referencing schemes operating in pedigree sheep populations. These schemes involve the mating of ‘reference’ sires to randomly nominated ewes in a number of flocks. The genetic links that are created between flocks enable accurate comparisons of estimated breeding values and therefore accurate selection across flocks.
Hypothyroidism in patients with Bipolar I Disorder treated primarily with lithium
Authors: Fagiolini Andrea , Kupfer David J. , Scott John , Swartz Holly A. , Cook David , Novick Danielle M. , Frank Ellen 
Published: January 2018

SUMMARYAims – This study evaluated the frequency and clinical significance of abnormal Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) and Free Thyroxine Index (FTI) in patients with bipolar I disorder treated primarily with lithium. Method – We evaluated the medical records of 143 participants in the Pittsburgh study of Maintenance Therapies in Bipolar Disorder who did not have a thyroid abnormality at entry. Results – Thirty-six percent of the 143 patients developed abnormal TSH and/or FTI values. Thirty-eight percent of the 135 patients who received lithium developed abnormal TSH and/or FTI, spent significantly longer time in the acute treatment phase (t = -3.6, df = 133, p = .0004), and had significantly higher mean Hamilton Scale for Depression scores over the course of the maintenance phase (t = -2.3, df = 71.6, p = .03). Time on lithium and development of abnormal TSH and/or FTI were positively correlated (r = .25, p = .004). Conclusions – Thyroid dysfunction can be frequent in patients exposed to lithium treatment for bipolar I disorder; it also appears to be correlated with a slower response to acute treatment, and may be related to poorer quality of long-term remission. A prospective study is needed to confirm our findings and determine whether more aggressive thyroid replacement can optimize thyroid function to facilitate clinical recovery.Declaration of Interest: Supported in part by National Institute of Mental Health Grants MH 029618 (Drs. Frank and Fagiolini) and MH 030915 (Drs. Kupfer and Fagiolini), and the Bosin Memorial Fund of The Pittsburgh Foundation (Drs. Fagiolini, Kupfer, Cook, Scott, Novick and Frank). Dr. Fagiolini is on the advisory board and a consultant to Pfizer Inc, and Bristol Myers Squibb, and is on the speaker bureau of Bristol Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly Italy, Pfizer Inc, and Shire. Dr. Frank is on the advisory board of Pfizer Inc. and Eli Lilly & Company, and is a consultant to Pfizer Italia and Sender Amerique. Dr. Kupfer is on the advisory board of Pfizer, Inc., Forest Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and Solvay-Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, and is a consultant to Servier Amerique.
Functional significance of variations in the central fold of shells of late Ordovician through Devonian biconvex brachiopod genera
Authors: Alexander Richard R. 
Published: January 2018

Flume experiments with models of Mid-Paleozoic atrypids, orthids, rhynchonellids, and spiriferids indicate that the central fold functions efficiently to separate lateral-margin incurrents from the anterior-medial margin excurrent in five of nine possible life orientations of the shell relative to the current direction and substrate. Anterior-medial incurrents and lateral excurrents are effectively separated in four of the nine orientations used with models of spiriferids and atrypids, but nonpediculate brachiopods drawing in water anterior-medially could not take advantage of reversing tidal currents to feed. The risk of refiltration of medial excurrent water is reduced with increasing relief of the central fold above the commissural plane. Downcurrent turbulance increases with increasing relief of the central fold. Eddies with a large radius of curvature are generated by large chevron-shaped central folds at low current velocities (5 cm/sec) and boomerang against the downcurrent lateral margin of models. Flume experiments on models also reveal that a well-developed sinus accelerated erosion of the supporting sediment around the weight-bearing posterior of the valves. Shells with high relief in the sinus destabilized comparatively quickly from valves-erect orientations when subjected to moderate current velocities (25 cm/sec).Morphospace (ternary) diagrams of sinus shape for Late Ordovician (Caradocian) through Devonian (Famennian) genera show the realized field among the potential morphotypic extremes, namely, 1) rectimarginate (no fold), 2) isoclinal, chevron-shaped, and 3) M-shaped anterior commissural outlines. Morphospace plots through successive stages suggest centripetal selection for taxa with moderately developed folds in the atrypids and spiriferids, with occasional evolution of “outlier” genera with chevron-shaped central folds. Orthids display progressive loss of rectimarginate genera through the Devonian. Weak directional selection is suggested by the succcessive stage-level plots of the rhynchonellid genera which expanded toward the extremes of chevron- and M-shaped central folds in potential morphospace during the Devonian.