bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Influence of manure gases on the onset of puberty of replacement gilts
Authors: Malayer J. R. , Brandt K. E. , Green M. L. , Kelly D. T. , Sutton A. L. , Diekman M. A. 
Published: September 2010

AbstractTo determine whether gases generated during the breakdown of accumulated manure in an environmentally regulated building affects the onset of puberty in gilts, 42 crossbred gilts, born from 1 o t 15 September 1985, were reared indoors from 10 to 30 weeks of age on concrete slats over a pit that was drained and refilled with clean water biweekly (clean group). Forty-two gilts were reared over a pit where manure was allowed to accumulate (control group). These two groups had similar feeding, water, floor space, lighting and room temperature. A third group of 42 crossbred gilts was reared from 10 to 30 weeks of age in an open-front building with a concrete apron (outdoor group). Concentration of aerial ammonia in the control environment was three- to five-fold higher than in either the clean or the outdoor environment (P < 0·001). Average daily gain and food conversion efficiency were similar for the two indoor treatment groups, but the outdoor group gained less weight than either indoor group (P < 0·05). At 26 weeks of age all gilts were exposed to mature boars daily for 2 weeks, then every 2nd day for an additional 2 weeks. A greater proportion of gilts in the clean environment attained puberty 7 days (P < 0·05) and 10 days (P < 0·07) after first exposure to boars. These data suggest that odorous gases, such as ammonia, in the air of environmentally regulated buildings may diminish the stimulatory influence of boars on the onset of puberty in gilts.
Dynamic and static selection policies when generations overlap
Authors: Hopkins I. R. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTWhere genetic differences between age groups change during a selection programme, proportional contributions of each age group to replacements should also change in order to maximize genetic responses to selection. Sums of discounted returns were estimated for such a ‘dynamic’ selection policy and these were compared with those from ‘static’ selection policies in which genetic contributions of different age groups remained unchanged. Four selection methods, two sets of genetic differences between age groups at the outset, three age structures and two discount rates were used.The results showed that the superiority of the dynamic policy was greatest where genetic differences at the outset differed most markedly from their steady-state values, where discount rates are high and where there are large numbers of age groups and the selection method allows culling in all age groups. Under most conditions initial genetic differences are probably the most important factor. The proportional advantage in sums of discounted returns is variable and generally small within the framework of this study ranging from zero to roughly 8% unless breeding objectives before and during the programme were negatively correlated. In the latter case the proportional superiority of the dynamic policy was much greater.
Growth, food intake and cold exposure in mice. 1. Cold exposure of adolescent mice
Authors: Bateman N. , Slee J. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACT1. Adolescent mice were exposed from 33 to 84 days of age to a warm (30°C) or to one of four cold (15°C, 10°C, 5°C or 1°C) environments. Before and after exposure the mice were kept at a normal mouseroom temperature of 23°C. Controls remained at this temperature throughout. Voluntary food intake, live weight and growth efficiency were individually monitored before, during and after exposure, i.e. from 19 to 112 days of age.2. Food intake during exposure was linearly related to temperature, ranging from 4 g/day at 30°C to 14 g/day at 1 °C. Intakes differed only slightly between males and females. Food intake at 10°C was 70% above controls. Oxygen consumption in adults at 10°C was 74% above controls.3. Male growth was unaffected by temperature. Superiority over females (56% at 30°C) diminished at lower temperatures (12% at 1 °C) because females grew 41% faster at 1 °C than at 30°C. Females whose growth was depressed at 30°C, showed compensatory growth on returning to 23°C.4. Growth efficiency was strongly, but not entirely linearly, related to temperature, and increased approximately three-fold between 1°C and 30°C. Efficiency was maximal at 30°C in males and at 23 °C in females. Males grew 76% more efficiently than females at 30°C and only 12% more efficiently at 1°C.5. Increased food intake in the cold satisfied energy requirements and allowed females to grow faster.6. Individual differences in appetite persisted throughout life, but rankings in growth and efficiency changed with age. Food intake was strongly correlated with growth rate in weanlings, but growth rate was always the main determinant of growth efficiency.7. The variance of adolescent growth rate was unaffected by the treatments.
Circularly polarized modes in magnetized spin plasmas
Authors: MISRA A. P. , BRODIN G. , MARKLUND M. , SHUKLA P. K. 
Published: September 2010

AbstractThe influence of the intrinsic spin of electrons on the propagation of circularly polarized waves in a magnetized plasma is considered. New eigenmodes are identified, one of which propagates below the electron cyclotron frequency, one above the spin-precession frequency, and another close to the spin-precession frequency. The latter corresponds to the spin modes in ferromagnets under certain conditions. In the non-relativistic motion of electrons, the spin effects become noticeable even when the external magnetic field B0 is below the quantum critical magnetic field strength, i.e. B0 < BQ = 4.4138 × 109T and the electron density satisfies n0 ≫ nc ≃ 1032m−3. The importance of electron spin (paramagnetic) resonance (ESR) for plasma diagnostics is discussed.
Five-year outcome of cognitive behavioral therapy and exposure with response prevention for bulimia nervosa
Authors: McIntosh V. V. W. , Carter F. A. , Bulik C. M. , Frampton C. M. A. , Joyce P. R. 
Published: September 2010

BackgroundFew data exist examining the longer-term outcome of bulimia nervosa (BN) following treatment with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and exposure with response prevention (ERP).MethodOne hundred and thirty-five women with purging BN received eight sessions of individual CBT and were then randomly assigned to either relaxation training (RELAX) or one of two ERP treatments, pre-binge (B-ERP) or pre-purge cues (P-ERP). Participants were assessed yearly following treatment and follow-up data were recorded.ResultsEighty-one per cent of the total sample attended long-term follow-up. At 5 years, abstinence rates from binging were significantly higher for the two exposure treatments (43% and 54%) than for relaxation (27%), with no difference between the two forms of exposure. Over 5 years, the frequency of purging was lower for the exposure treatments than for relaxation training. Rates of recovery varied according to definition of recovery. Recovery continued to increase to 5 years. At 5 years, 83% no longer met DSM-III-R criteria for BN, 65% received no eating disorder diagnosis, but only 36% had been abstinent from bulimic behaviors for the past year.ConclusionsThis study provides possible evidence of a conditioned inoculation from exposure treatment compared with relaxation training in long-term abstinence from binge eating at 5 years, and the frequency of purging over 5 years, but not for other features of BN. Differences among the groups were not found prior to 5 years. CBT is effective for BN, yet a substantial group remains unwell in the long term. Definition of recovery impacts markedly on recovery rates.
The interest group analogy: international non-governmental advocacy organisations in international politics
Authors: BLOODGOOD ELIZABETH A. 
Published: September 2010

AbstractWhat can models of interest group behaviour from American politics tell us about the existence, activities, and influence of international non-governmental advocacy organisations (advocacy INGOs) in International Relations? In this article I detail an analogy between traditional American interest groups and advocacy INGOs in order to suggest a new approach to theorising INGOs. American politics theories of interest groups provide insights to questions which International Relations has been unable to answer satisfactorily, including where INGOs are likely to be found; how INGOs will grow in the future; the organisational structure of INGOs; the impact of competing groups on the quality and content of foreign policy and international agreements; and the roles of INGOs in different stages of the policy process. Viewing INGOs as interest groups provides a curative to the tendency to view them as self-sacrificing knights in shining armour. Competing INGOs representing narrow interests can nevertheless contribute to the common good in the form of effective, efficient policy.
Valuing complex environmental goods: landscape and biodiversity in the North Pennines
Authors: BLACK JULIE , MILNER-GULLAND E.J. , SOTHERTON NICK , MOURATO SUSANA 
Published: September 2010

SUMMARYHuman activities may have detrimental effects on biodiversity, and appropriate economic valuation of biodiversity can provide additional motivation to protect it. To date, there are no estimates of visitor values for landscape and wildlife changes in the North Pennines (UK) and very few studies have explored competing influences of landscape and biodiversity in public preferences. Contingent valuation estimates of visitor values for the North Pennines landscape and biodiversity, as expressed in voluntary contributions, were used to assess the importance of different factors in influencing these valuations. Policy-linked scenarios were developed, each representing the outcome of a particular policy direction such as grouse-moor specific subsidies, back-to-nature subsidies, or a ban or decline in red grouse shooting. The influence of management information provision was tested and economic values were elicited for a number of alternatives. Landscape and biodiversity were both found to be important in preference formation. In particular, respondents highly valued a mosaic landscape with increases in blanket bog and the associated increases in rare and threatened birds and mammals. Notably, significant negative valuations were obtained for some of the scenarios presented. Provision of land use information did not significantly influence visitors' valuations, a surprising result given the controversial nature of one of the primary land uses, namely red grouse shooting.
Stable isotope (δ13C and δ15N) composition of particulate organic matter, nutrients and dissolved organic matter during spring ice retreat at Terra Nova Bay
Authors: Cozzi Stefano , Cantoni Carolina 
Published: September 2010

AbstractConcentration and isotope composition of particulate organic matter were analysed from five coastal sites on the annual fast ice and in the underlying water column at Terra Nova Bay. The highest increases of POC (< 2767 μM C) and PON (< 420 μM N) were reached in bottom ice and the unconsolidated platelet layer, linked with a large accumulation of nutrients and dissolved organic matter. Isotope POM composition in ice habitats was highly varied (δ13CPOC: -30.7 to -15.0‰, δ15NPON: 1.8–9.9‰). Constant negative δ13CPOC (> -29.3‰) and positive δ15NPON (< 9.4‰) values characterized the upper ice horizons, indicating the prevalence of aged detritus in these assemblages. By contrast, isotope composition (δ13CPOC: -15.0 to -29.7‰, δ15NPON: 1.8–9.6‰) and POC/PON ratios (6.2–12.6) changed markedly in bottom ice and interstitial water, even on short time scales, because of the combined effects of internal growth and mixing among freshly produced biomass. Sea ice breakout caused a large settling of particulates in the water column. It changed δ13CPOC (from 7.9 to 1.8‰) and δ15NPON (7.9–1.8‰) values in suspended particulate matter, indicating that inputs from fast ice strongly affect the isotopic signature of the particulate assemblage Antarctic coastal waters.
Cloning and sequence analysis of Bufo arenarum oviductin cDNA and detection of its orthologous gene expression in the mouse female reproductive tract
Authors: Barrera Daniel , Valdecantos Pablo A. , García E. Vanesa , Miceli Dora C. 
Published: September 2010

SummaryThe glycoprotein envelope surrounding the Bufo arenarum egg exists in different functional forms. Conversion between types involves proteolysis of specific envelope glycoproteins. When the egg is released from the ovary, the envelope cannot be penetrated by sperm. Conversion to a penetrable state occurs during passage through the pars recta portion of the oviduct, where oviductin, a serine protease with trypsin-like substrate specificity, hydrolyzes two kinds of envelope glycoproteins: gp84 and gp55. The nucleotide sequence of a 3203 bp B. arenarum oviductin cDNA was obtained. Deduced amino acid sequence showed a complete open reading frame encoding 980 amino acids. B. arenarum oviductin is a multi-domain protein with a protease domain at the N-terminal region followed by two CUB domains and toward the C-terminal region another protease domain, which lacked an active histidine site, and one CUB domain. Expression of ovochymase 2, the mammalian orthologous of amphibian oviductin, was assayed in mouse female reproductive tract. Ovochymase 2 mRNA was unnoticeable in the mouse oviduct but expression was remarkable in the uterus. Phylogenetic relationship between oviductin and ovochymase 2 opens the possibility to understand the role of this enzyme in mammalian reproduction.
The effect of supplementation with Leucaena leucocephala and maize bran on voluntary food intake, digestibility, live weight and milk yield of Bos indicus × Bos taurus dairy cows and rumen fermentation in steers offered Pennisetum purpureum ad libitum in the semi-humid tropics
Authors: Muinga R. W. , Topps J. H. , Rooke J. A. , Thorpe W. 
Published: September 2010

AbstractAn experiment was carried out to evaluate dairy performance and rumen fermentation from a forage-based diet supplemented with Lucaena leococephala (leucaena) and maize bran. Bos indicus (Ayrshire/Brown Swiss) х Bos taurus (Sahiwal) cattle were offered Pennisetum purpureum (napier grass) ad libitum either unsupplemented (N) or supplemented on a dry-matter (DM) basis with 1 kg (LL) or 2 kg leucaena (LH) or 2 kg leucaena together with 1 kg DM maize bran (LHM). Food intake, milk yield, diet apparent digestibility and nitrogen balance were measured using eight cows (mean live weight 384 (s.d. 41) kg in two 4х4 Latin squares. Rumen fermentation was measured using four rumen fistulated steers (mean live weight 352 (s.d. 12) kg in a 4 х 4 Latin square. Performance was recorded during the last 7 days of each 21-day experimental period. Supplementation increased food intake (6·3, 7·6, 7·9 and 8·7 kg DM per day; P < 0·01; s.e.d. 0·24) and milk yield (5·1, 5·4, 5·5 and 6·5 kg/day; P < 0·01; s.e.d. 0·28) for N, LL, LH and LHM respectively. Supplemented diets tended to be more digestible compared with napier grass as the sole food (organic matter apparent digestibility coefficients 0·54, 0·55, 0·57 and 0·57; s.e.d. 0·020; N, LL, LH and LHM, respectively) and N balance increased progressively with supplementation.Supplementation progressively increased rumen ammonia-nitrogen concentrations in steers and the rate of rumen degradation of napier grass increased when leucaena (diets LL and LH) was offered. The results suggest that supplementation of napier grass with leucaena increased DM intake owing to increased ammonia concentrations and rates of napier degradation in the rumen. Supplementation of the forage diet with 1 kg DM maize bran did not significantly reduce the rumen degradation of napier grass and increased the molar proportions of propionate which may have increased the efficiency of utilization of metabolizable energy and therefore milk production.
Synchronization of ingestive behaviour by grazing dairy cows
Authors: Rook A. J. , Huckle C. A. 
Published: September 2010

AbstractThe synchronization of eating, ruminating and idling activity by lactating dairy cows grazing a perennial ryegrass-white clover sward was studied. Synchronization was defined as the number of pairs of cows engaged in a particular activity as a proportion of the total possible number of pairs and was compared with random expectation using a kappa statistic. All three activities were significantly more synchronized than random expectation. This suggests that wherever possible individual cows should not be treated as replicates in grazing experiments.
Effect of prolactin inhibition on thermoregulation, water and food intakes in heat-stressed fat-tailed male lambs
Authors: Salah M. S. , AlShaikh M. A. , Al-Saiadi M. Y. , Mogawer H. H. 
Published: September 2010

AbstractTwo groups each of six lambs of the fat-tailed Naeimi breed, well adapted to a semi-arid climate, were housed under semi-controlled temperature (43·2 to 43·8°C) with low relative humidity (<0·8). After a 1-week adaptation period, the first group (control) was injected subcutaneously with 1 ml vehicle solution of 40% ethanol in saline, twice daily at 08.00 and 17.00 hfor the 11-day experimental period. In the other group, each lamb was injected daily for 6 days with 0·18 mg/kg per day of the prolactin inhibitor, 2 bromo-a-ergocryptine (CB154) dissolved in the vehicle solution. Treatment during the next 5 days was as for the control animals. Rectal temperature (RT), respiratory rate (RR), water and food intakes were recorded before injections. Daily average data were used in the statistical analysis, except those of the 1st day of bromocryptine injection. Lambs of the control group were able to maintain their RT (39·5 (s.e. 0·04) °C) during heat exposure, but those treated with the bromocryptine could not (40·3 (s.e. 0·07) °C). However, the latter group continued to respire more rapidly (P < 0·01) after cessation of the CB154 treatment, reducing their body temperature slightly (39·9 (s.e. 0·06) °C). This shows that, following prolactin suppression, heat-stressed lambs were unable to regulate their body temperature despite their RR. Water intake did not change during bromocryptine treatment, but the ratio of water to dry-matter intake did increase due to lower food consumption. These results suggest that prolactin might have an important role in thermoregulation of the fat-tailed male sheep during elevated ambient temperature.
Heritabilities and genetic correlations of body weight, testis growth and ewe lamb reproductive traits in crossbred sheep
Authors: Fossceco S. L. , Notter D. R. 
Published: September 2010

AbstractHeritabilities (h2) and genetic correlations (rc) involving body weights, measures of testes size and ewe lamb reproduction were calculated using 953 spring-born lambs produced during formation of a three-breed composite population containing 0·50 Dorset, 0·25 Rambouillet and 0·25 Finnish Landrace breeding. The h2of body weight ranged from 0·2 to 0·3 between 45 and 150 days of age, but increased to 0·41 at the start of breeding of ewe lambs at about 6 months of age. Additive maternal effects were not important, perhaps because intensive housing encouraged cross-suckling. Testes size was measured as scrotal circumference (SC), SC with linear adjustment for weight (SCW) and SC divided by the one-third power of body weight (RSC). The h2of SC traits was highest at 90 days (0·52 for SC, 0·62 for RSC and 0·57 for SCW), and h2for age at maximum SC growth rate (i.e. TI, the inflexion point of a logistic SC growth curve) was 0·49. The h2of ewe lamb fertility in autumn was 0·09 but the h2for frequency of remating the following spring was 0·41. The h2for ewe lamb litter size in these data was zero. At 90 days, rcbetween alternative measures of testes size exceeded 0·86; rGwith body weight were 0·67 for SC, 0·53 for RSC and –0·74 for TI. The rGwith ewe lamb fertility for 90-day weight, SC, RSC and SCW and for TI were –0·25, 0·20, 0·25, 0·38 and –0·32, respectively. The rcfor these traits with spring remating were 0·34, 0·34, 0·26, 0·10 and –0·48, respectively.
Automatic assessment of sheep carcasses by image analysis
Authors: Horgan G. W. , Murphy S. V. , Simm G. 
Published: September 2010

AbstractThe commercial value of animal carcasses depends not only on their weight but also on their composition and shape (termed conformation). This is usually assessed subjectively by a skilled inspector. In this paper an attempt is described to assess the saleable meat yield of sheep carcasses by automatic digital image analysis. A low-cost system based on a still video camera and a personal computer was used. The results indicate that better prediction of saleable meat yield can be obtained using objective measures of carcass shape than from subjective conformation scores. Information from the intensities of colour components was not found to be useful, possibly due to difficulties with lighting and image quality. Recommendations are made for implementing a practical system.
Comparative reproductive performance in Meishan and Large White pigs and their crosses
Authors: Haley C. S. , Lee G. J. , Ritchie M. 
Published: September 2010

AbstractA crossbreeding trial extending over three generations was used to investigate the genetic components contributing to the prolificacy of the Meishan breed in comparison with the Large White breed. Information on the number of teats and on body weight and litter size in the first two parities was recorded on purebred Meishan and Large White females and on reciprocal F1 and backcross females. Ovulation rate was also recorded for all litters, allowing the estimation of per litter prenatal survival. Crossbreeding parameters for direct, maternal and grandmaternal effects were estimated using restricted maximum likelihood analysis. There was a consistent advantage of three to four piglets born alive to the Meishan female compared with the Large White female. This was controlled by the maternal genotype, with no effect of the genotype of the litter itself. Both additive and heterosis effects were important, the contribution of additive maternal effects to the breed difference being similar across parities (4·0 (s.e. 1·1) and 4·2(s.e. 1·1), in the two parities respectively) and the maternal heterosis increasing slightly across parities (2·2 (s.e. 0·8) and 2·9 (s.e. 0·8), in the two parities respectively). The number born alive to F 1 females was similar to, or greater than, the number born alive to Meishan females. Ovulation rate was significantly higher in Meishan than in Large White females and this was controlled by additive gene effects which had a similar effect across parities, the weighted average of their contribution to the breed difference being 5·7 (s.e. 0·8) ova. Differences between the breeds in prenatal survival were small, although there was significant maternal heterosis, however, the maternal additive effect became significant after the inclusion of ovulation rate as a covariate. After adjustment for ovulation rate, the weighted average estimates across parity of the maternal additive contribution to the breed difference and the maternal heterosis for the proportional prenatal survival loere 0-14 (s.e. 0·05) and 0·13 (s.e. 0·03), respectively. This suggests that a combination of a high ovulation rate and especially a high level of prenatal survival for that ovulation rate led to the prolificacy observed in this sample of Meishan pigs. The inclusion of ovulation rate as a covariate in the analysis of number born alive confirms this view, as the maternal additive effect on litter size was only reduced by about one third and the heterosis effect was largely unchanged. Both numbers stillborn and mummified were increased in litters born to Meishan sows due to maternal additive effects, but the effects seemed largely a consequence of the increased ovulation rate as they became non-significant after its inclusion as a covariate in the model.