Genetic aspects of feed intake in lactating sows

Productivity of sows has increased worldwide, especially during the last decade. Sows have been changed genetically to produce larger litters. It was hypothesized that including feed intake or feed efficiency during lactation or both in the breeding objective for dam lines is necessary to facilitate sow’s future increase of unproblematic production of grower-finishers that efficiently convert feed into meat. Increasing feed intake of sows is one solution to prevent excessive mobilization from body stores. As a result of selection for leaner pigs with higher feed efficiency, however, feed intake tends to decrease because high leanness and high feed efficiency are genetically associated with low appetite. There is a risk, therefore, that feed intake during lactation reduces due to selection for lean and efficient finishing pigs. In this thesis a model was developed to estimate the energy efficiency of a lactating sow based on on farm observations enabling large scale data recording. Increasing energy efficiency during lactation might be a solution to overcome the apparent contradiction of the desired direction of selection for feed intake during growing-finishing and lactation. Increased energy efficiency during lactation will yield more milk output given the feed intake and mobilization from body stores. To study the consequences of selection, heritabilities and genetic correlations were estimated for fertility, lactation performance and growing-finishing characteristics. For growing-finishing characteristics the genetic models contained social interactions and for lactation feed intake, environmental sensitivity was studied as well. The main conclusion of a simulation of a breeding program in pigs was that it is possible to achieve a balanced genetic progress in fertility, lactation performance and growing-finishing characteristics. Genetic regulation of feed intake during growing-finishing is to a large extend different from genetic regulation of feed intake during lactation. Results of this thesis show that feed intake of sows during lactation is not an immediate risk for further improvement of more and heavier piglets. Higher piglet production is still on its way via the genetic pipeline and will continue to increase by selection for more and heavier piglets. Selection for increased milk production or litter weight gain is preferred; this will lead to increased protein and energy demands as well. At all events, sows need to eat more and be more efficient at the same time to keep up with this increased demand. It is a question of tuning the breeding objective in order to optimize the relation between feed intake and body weight losses during lactation. </p

Selfish Dark Matter

We present a mechanism where a particle asymmetry in one sector is used to generate an asymmetry in another sector. The two sectors are not coupled through particle number violating interactions and are not required to be in thermal contact with each other. When this mechanism is applied to baryogenesis in asymmetric dark matter models, we find that the dark matter particles can be extremely light, e.g. much lighter than an eV, and that in some cases there is no need to annihilate away the symmetric component of dark matter. We discuss a concrete realization of the mechanism with signals in direct detection, at the LHC, at $B$-factories or future beam dump experiments.Comment: 18+5 pages, 2 figures; Journal version: Added references, small changes to the free-streaming length estimate

Bore collapse and wave run-up on a sandy beach

Wave run-up on beaches and coastal structures is initiated and driven by collapsing incident bores, this process is often considered to define the seaward limit of the swash zone. It is hence a key feature in nearshore wave processes as extreme run-up can lead to structure overtopping and coastal inundation during storm conditions. In addition, the turbulent nature of incident bores and their collapse suspends and advects sediment, resulting in a highly morphologically dynamic swash zone. The cross shore bore collapse location varies from wave to wave and the process is very limited in both spatial and temporal extent, making direct measurement problematic. This paper presents high spatial-temporal resolution LiDAR field measurements of the evolving free-surface in the surf and swash zone which enable the bore collapse detection for 166 waves. These measurements are used to investigate the link between broken wave properties at bore collapse and wave run-up. Incident bores are identified at the seaward boundary of the LiDAR profiles and tracked through the inner surf and swash zones to the run-up limit. It is found that the vertical run-up height exceeds that which would be expected for a perfect conversion of potential to kinetic energy during bore collapse for 24% of the bores measured. By returning to an existing ballistic-type model to describe the run-up of individual waves, we show that wave run-up can be divided into three components: the bore collapse, terminal bore celerity and their non-linear interaction. For the present dataset, the contribution of the bore collapse and terminal bore celerity is 26% and 27% respectively, while non-linear interactions between the two dominates and account for 47% of the measured run-up. By including the terminal bore celerity, the ability to predict run-up is increased by 30% with the determination coefficient r increasing from 0.573 to 0.785. Likewise, the RMS-error for the wave run-up shows an approximately 10% reduction from 0.325 to 0.295 m

Classic wisdom about ways to happiness: How does it apply today?

__Abstract__ Since we humans have some choice in how we live our lives, there has always been ideas about what constitutes a good life. Written reflections on that subject focus typically on moral issues, but there have always been ideas about what constitutes a satisfying life. Interest in this classic wisdom is increasing today, as part of the rising concern about happiness. This begs the question of what we can learn from this ancient wisdom. Does it hold universal truth? Or are these views specific for the historical conditions from which they emerged? In this paper I consider some classic beliefs about happiness and inspect how well these apply in contemporary society. The following five beliefs are considered: 1) Happiness is found in fame and power: follow the path of the warrior. 2) Happiness is found in wealth and involvement: follow the path of the merchant. 3) Happiness is found in intellectual development: follow the path of the philosopher. 4) Happiness is found in simplicity: follow the path of the peasant. 5) Happiness is not of this world: follow the path of the monk. Each of these ways to happiness will manifest in specific behaviors and attitudes and I inspected to what extent these go together with happiness today. To do this. I selected relevant research findings from the World Database of Happiness. The classic beliefs 1 and 2 seem to apply fairly well today, but 3 and 4 not. The advice to seek happiness in other-worldly detachment (5) may have been more sensible in the brutish conditions of feudal society, in which it emerged

Геомеханика разрушения и регламент тампонажного упрочнения пород вокруг наклонных стволов вязкопластическими растворами

Наведено підсумки шахтних досліджень руйнування порід навколо стволів вугільних шахт та обґрунтовано параметри їх зміцнення вязкопластичними розчинами.Research results are mine destruction of rocks around the shafts of coal mines and reasonable options to strengthen viscoplastic solutions

Binary Models for Marginal Independence

Log-linear models are a classical tool for the analysis of contingency tables. In particular, the subclass of graphical log-linear models provides a general framework for modelling conditional independences. However, with the exception of special structures, marginal independence hypotheses cannot be accommodated by these traditional models. Focusing on binary variables, we present a model class that provides a framework for modelling marginal independences in contingency tables. The approach taken is graphical and draws on analogies to multivariate Gaussian models for marginal independence. For the graphical model representation we use bi-directed graphs, which are in the tradition of path diagrams. We show how the models can be parameterized in a simple fashion, and how maximum likelihood estimation can be performed using a version of the Iterated Conditional Fitting algorithm. Finally we consider combining these models with symmetry restrictions

The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training on Behavioral Problems and Attentional Functioning in Adolescents with ADHD

The effectiveness of an 8-week mindfulness training for adolescents aged 11–15 years with ADHD and parallel Mindful Parenting training for their parents was evaluated, using questionnaires as well as computerized attention tests. Adolescents (N = 10), their parents (N = 19) and tutors (N = 7) completed measurements before, immediately after, 8 weeks after and 16 weeks after training. Adolescents reported on their attention and behavioral problems and mindful awareness, and were administered two computerized sustained attention tasks. Parents as well as tutors reported on adolescents’ attention and behavioral problems and executive functioning. Parents further reported on their own parenting, parenting stress and mindful awareness. Both the mindfulness training for the adolescents and their parents was delivered in group format. First, after mindfulness training, adolescents’ attention and behavior problems reduced, while their executive functioning improved, as indicated by self-report measures as well as by father and teacher report. Second, improvements in adolescent’ actual performance on attention tests were found after mindfulness training. Moreover, fathers, but not mothers, reported reduced parenting stress. Mothers reported reduced overreactive parenting, whereas fathers reported an increase. No effect on mindful awareness of adolescents or parents was found. Effects of mindfulness training became stronger at 8-week follow-up, but waned at 16-week follow-up. Our study adds to the emerging body of evidence indicating that mindfulness training for adolescents with ADHD (and their parents) is an effective approach, but maintenance strategies need to be developed in order for this approach to be effective in the longer term