Effect of methionine type and levels on performance of broiler chicken

The experiment was conducted at Hybrid Farms, Kaukau, Kaduna State on one hundred and ninety eight 7-day old broiler chicks to determine the effect of methionine type and levels on performance of broiler starter chickens. The DL-Methionine and L-Methionine were supplemented at 0.15, 0.20 and 0.25% levels of inclusion respectively. The birds were divided into six treatments and replicated three times with eleven birds per replicate in a 2 x 3 factorial arrangement using a completely randomized design (CRD). Feed and water were given ad libitum. Data collected were analysed using GLM procedure of SAS. Differences between means were compared for significance (P˂0.05) using Duncan Multiple Range Test. Methionine type, inclusion levels and interaction had significant (P˂0.05) effects on the growth performance. Birds fed dietary L-Methionine type performed better than those fed on DL-methionine. Birds fed dietary methionine at 0.20% inclusion levels performed significantly (P˂0.05) better than those on 0.15 and similar with those on 0.25. It was concluded that type and levels of methionine had influence on the growth performance of broiler chicken.Keywords: DL-Methionine; L-Methionine; Broiler; Starter; Chicke

Growth performance of broiler chickens fed replacement levels of red and black finger millet (Eleusine coracana) varieties at starter phase

This study examined effect of red and black finger millet (RBFM) (Eleusine coracana) on performance of broiler chicks as replacement for maize using 600 chicks for 28 days. Using 2x5 factorial arrangement in completely randomized design with RBFM inclusion at 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100% replacing maize in diets. Ten dietary treatments replicated 3 times containing 20 chicks/replicate and growth parameters determined. Results showed improvement in weights of birds fed diets containing 25% (669.50g) and 50% (677.50g) RBFM which had no statistical difference with birds fed control diets (679.80g) in main effect. Final weight and weight gain of birds fed diets containing RBFM up to 50% (684.90g and 670.00g) performed better than birds fed control diets (679.80g) in interaction. Feed intake was poorest in birds fed black finger millet at 75% (748.22g). FCR of chicks fed diets at 25% (1.70) red finger millet compared with birds fed control (1.62) diets. Cost/kg gain was increasing as RBFM were increasing, least cost was at 25% (₦222.60) red finger millet which can be compared with control (₦189.10). It can be concluded that RBFM can be alternative for maize as source of energy in chicks’ diets up to 50% without affecting performance

Phenotypic relationship between body weight and subsequent milk production of Friesian-Bunaji halfbreds

The study reported was conducted to investigate if fast growing heifers eventually become good milkers in a bid to assist dairy farmers in selecting their replacement stock at an early age. The data analysed consisted of body weight records at birth, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months of age of half-bred Friesian-Bunaji heifers as well as records on their subsequent lactation length, total lactation yield and estimated 305-day yield, collected over a twenty-three year period (1967-1989). Phenotypic correlations between body weights at fixed ages were all positive and highly significant (P<0.01), ranging from 0.30 to 0.79. The same trend was obtained for correlations among milk traits, the range being 0.74 to 0.95. Correlations between body weights and milk traits on the other hand, were very low and non-significant, ranging from 0.01 to 0.14. Equations fitted from simple, multiple and polynomial regressions of body weights on total lactation yield gave very low R-squared values. It was therefore concluded that body weights at birth, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months of age have little value in the prediction of future milk yield of Friesian-Bunaji heifers

Measurement of the polarisation of W bosons produced with large transverse momentum in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV with the ATLAS experiment

This paper describes an analysis of the angular distribution of W->enu and W->munu decays, using data from pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector at the LHC in 2010, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of about 35 pb^-1. Using the decay lepton transverse momentum and the missing transverse energy, the W decay angular distribution projected onto the transverse plane is obtained and analysed in terms of helicity fractions f0, fL and fR over two ranges of W transverse momentum (ptw): 35 < ptw < 50 GeV and ptw > 50 GeV. Good agreement is found with theoretical predictions. For ptw > 50 GeV, the values of f0 and fL-fR, averaged over charge and lepton flavour, are measured to be : f0 = 0.127 +/- 0.030 +/- 0.108 and fL-fR = 0.252 +/- 0.017 +/- 0.030, where the first uncertainties are statistical, and the second include all systematic effects.Comment: 19 pages plus author list (34 pages total), 9 figures, 11 tables, revised author list, matches European Journal of Physics C versio

Observation of a new chi_b state in radiative transitions to Upsilon(1S) and Upsilon(2S) at ATLAS

The chi_b(nP) quarkonium states are produced in proton-proton collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV and recorded by the ATLAS detector. Using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.4 fb^-1, these states are reconstructed through their radiative decays to Upsilon(1S,2S) with Upsilon->mu+mu-. In addition to the mass peaks corresponding to the decay modes chi_b(1P,2P)->Upsilon(1S)gamma, a new structure centered at a mass of 10.530+/-0.005 (stat.)+/-0.009 (syst.) GeV is also observed, in both the Upsilon(1S)gamma and Upsilon(2S)gamma decay modes. This is interpreted as the chi_b(3P) system.Comment: 5 pages plus author list (18 pages total), 2 figures, 1 table, corrected author list, matches final version in Physical Review Letter

Search for displaced vertices arising from decays of new heavy particles in 7 TeV pp collisions at ATLAS

We present the results of a search for new, heavy particles that decay at a significant distance from their production point into a final state containing charged hadrons in association with a high-momentum muon. The search is conducted in a pp-collision data sample with a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV and an integrated luminosity of 33 pb^-1 collected in 2010 by the ATLAS detector operating at the Large Hadron Collider. Production of such particles is expected in various scenarios of physics beyond the standard model. We observe no signal and place limits on the production cross-section of supersymmetric particles in an R-parity-violating scenario as a function of the neutralino lifetime. Limits are presented for different squark and neutralino masses, enabling extension of the limits to a variety of other models.Comment: 8 pages plus author list (20 pages total), 8 figures, 1 table, final version to appear in Physics Letters

Measurement of the inclusive isolated prompt photon cross-section in pp collisions at sqrt(s)= 7 TeV using 35 pb-1 of ATLAS data

A measurement of the differential cross-section for the inclusive production of isolated prompt photons in pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy sqrt(s) = 7 TeV is presented. The measurement covers the pseudorapidity ranges |eta|<1.37 and 1.52<=|eta|<2.37 in the transverse energy range 45<=E_T<400GeV. The results are based on an integrated luminosity of 35 pb-1, collected with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The yields of the signal photons are measured using a data-driven technique, based on the observed distribution of the hadronic energy in a narrow cone around the photon candidate and the photon selection criteria. The results are compared with next-to-leading order perturbative QCD calculations and found to be in good agreement over four orders of magnitude in cross-section.Comment: 7 pages plus author list (18 pages total), 2 figures, 4 tables, final version published in Physics Letters

Measurement of D*+/- meson production in jets from pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

This paper reports a measurement of D*+/- meson production in jets from proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of sqrt(s) = 7 TeV at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. The measurement is based on a data sample recorded with the ATLAS detector with an integrated luminosity of 0.30 pb^-1 for jets with transverse momentum between 25 and 70 GeV in the pseudorapidity range |eta| < 2.5. D*+/- mesons found in jets are fully reconstructed in the decay chain: D*+ -> D0pi+, D0 -> K-pi+, and its charge conjugate. The production rate is found to be N(D*+/-)/N(jet) = 0.025 +/- 0.001(stat.) +/- 0.004(syst.) for D*+/- mesons that carry a fraction z of the jet momentum in the range 0.3 < z < 1. Monte Carlo predictions fail to describe the data at small values of z, and this is most marked at low jet transverse momentum.Comment: 10 pages plus author list (22 pages total), 5 figures, 1 table, matches published version in Physical Review

Search for scalar top quark pair production in natural gauge mediated supersymmetry models with the ATLAS detector in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV

The results of a search for pair production of the lighter scalar partners of top quarks in 2.05 fb-1 of pp collisions at sqrt(s) =7 TeV using the ATLAS experiment at the LHC are reported. Scalar top quarks are searched for in events with two same flavour opposite-sign leptons (electrons or muons) with invariant mass consistent with the Z boson mass, large missing transverse momentum and jets in the final state. At least one of the jets is identified as originating from a b-quark. No excess over Standard Model expectations is found. The results are interpreted in the framework of R-parity conserving, gauge mediated Supersymmetry breaking `natural' scenarios, where the neutralino is the next-to-lightest supersymmetric particle. Scalar top quark masses up to 310 GeV are excluded for the lightest neutralino mass between 115 GeV and 230 GeV at 95% confidence level, reaching an exclusion of the scalar top quark mass of 330 GeV for the lightest neutralino mass of 190 GeV. Scalar top quark masses below 240 GeV are excluded for all values of the lightest neutralino mass above the Z boson mass.Comment: 7 pages plus author list (20 pages total), 4 figures, 1 table, matches published PLB versio

Measurement of the production cross section of prompt j/psi mesons in association with a W (+/-) boson in pp collisions root s=7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

The process pp → W±J/ψ provides a powerful probe of the production mechanism of charmonium in hadronic collisions, and is also sensitive to multiple parton interactions in the colliding protons. Using the 2011 ATLAS dataset of 4.5 fb-1 of p s = 7TeV pp collisions at the LHC, the first observation is made of the production of W± + prompt J/ events in hadronic collisions, using W± → μ and J/ψ → μ+μ-. A yield of 27.4±7.5 -6.5 W± + prompt J/ψ events is observed, with a statistical significance of 5.1. The production rate as a ratio to the inclusive W± boson production rate is measured, and the double parton scattering contribution to the cross section is estimated. Copyright CERN, for the benefit of the ATLAS Collaboration