Using simulation models to predict feed intake: Phenotypic and genetic relationships between observed and predicted values in cattle

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the accuracy of the Decision Evaluator for the Cattle Industry (DECI) and the Cornell Value Discovery System (CVDS) in predicting individual DMI and to assess the feasibility of using predicted DMI data in genetic evaluations of cattle. Observed individual animal data on the average daily DMI (OFI), ADG, and carcass measurements were obtained from postweaning records of 504 steers from 52 sires (502 with complete data). The experimental data and daily temperature and wind speed data were used as inputs to predict average daily feed DMI (kg) required (feed required; FR) for maintenance, cold stress, and ADG; maintenance and cold stress; ADG; maintenance and ADG; and maintenance alone, with CVDS (CFRmcg, CFRmc, CFRg, CFRmg, and CFRm, respectively) and DECI (DFRmcg, DFRmc, DFRg, DFRmg, and DFRm, respectively). Genetic parameters were estimated by REML using an animal model with age on test as a covariate and with genotype, age of dam, and year as fixed effects. Regression equations for observed on predicted DMI were OFI = 1.27 (SE = 0.27) + 0.83 (SE = 0.04) × CFRmcg [R2 = 0.44, residual SD (sy.x) = 0.669 kg/d] and OFI = 1.32 (SE = 0.22) + 0.8 (SE = 0.03) × DFRmcg (R2 = 0.53, sy.x = 0.612 kg/d). Heritability of OFI was 0.27 ± 0.12, and heritabilities ranged from 0.33 ± 0.12 to 0.41 ± 0.13 for predicted measures of DMI. Phenotypic and genetic correlations between OFI and CFRmcg, CFRmc, CFRg, CFRmg, CFRm, DFRmcg, DFRmc, DFRg, DFRmg, and DFRm were 0.67, 0.73, 0.41, 0.63, 0.78, 0.73, 0.82, 0.45, 0.77, and 0.86 (P \u3c 0.001 for all phenotypic correlations); and 0.95 ± 0.07, 0.82 ± 0.13, 0.89 ± 0.09, 0.95 ± 0.07, 0.91 ± 0.09, 0.96 ± 0.07, 0.89 ± 0.09, 0.88 ± 0.09, 0.96 ± 0.06, and 0.96 ± 0.07, respectively. Phenotypic and genetic correlations between CFRmcg and DFRmcg, CFRmc and DFRmc, CFRg and DFRg, CFRmg and DFRmg, and CFRm and DFRm were 0.98, 0.94, 0.99, 0.98, and 0.95 (P \u3c 0.001 for all phenotypic correlations), and 0.99 ± 0.004, 0.98 ± 0.017, 0.99 ± 0.004, 0.99 ± 0.005, and 0.97 ± 0.021, respectively. The strong genetic relationships between OFI and CFRmcg, CFRmg, DFRmcg, and DFRmg indicate that these predicted measures of DMI may be used in genetic evaluations and that DM requirements for cold stress may not be needed, thus reducing model complexity. However, high genetic correlations for final weight with OFI, CFRmcg, and DFRmcg suggest that the technology needs to be further evaluated in populations with genetic variance in feed efficiency

Using simulation models to predict feed intake: Phenotypic and genetic relationships between observed and predicted values in cattle

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the accuracy of the Decision Evaluator for the Cattle Industry (DECI) and the Cornell Value Discovery System (CVDS) in predicting individual DMI and to assess the feasibility of using predicted DMI data in genetic evaluations of cattle. Observed individual animal data on the average daily DMI (OFI), ADG, and carcass measurements were obtained from postweaning records of 504 steers from 52 sires (502 with complete data). The experimental data and daily temperature and wind speed data were used as inputs to predict average daily feed DMI (kg) required (feed required; FR) for maintenance, cold stress, and ADG; maintenance and cold stress; ADG; maintenance and ADG; and maintenance alone, with CVDS (CFRmcg, CFRmc, CFRg, CFRmg, and CFRm, respectively) and DECI (DFRmcg, DFRmc, DFRg, DFRmg, and DFRm, respectively). Genetic parameters were estimated by REML using an animal model with age on test as a covariate and with genotype, age of dam, and year as fixed effects. Regression equations for observed on predicted DMI were OFI = 1.27 (SE = 0.27) + 0.83 (SE = 0.04) × CFRmcg [R2 = 0.44, residual SD (sy.x) = 0.669 kg/d] and OFI = 1.32 (SE = 0.22) + 0.8 (SE = 0.03) × DFRmcg (R2 = 0.53, sy.x = 0.612 kg/d). Heritability of OFI was 0.27 ± 0.12, and heritabilities ranged from 0.33 ± 0.12 to 0.41 ± 0.13 for predicted measures of DMI. Phenotypic and genetic correlations between OFI and CFRmcg, CFRmc, CFRg, CFRmg, CFRm, DFRmcg, DFRmc, DFRg, DFRmg, and DFRm were 0.67, 0.73, 0.41, 0.63, 0.78, 0.73, 0.82, 0.45, 0.77, and 0.86 (P \u3c 0.001 for all phenotypic correlations); and 0.95 ± 0.07, 0.82 ± 0.13, 0.89 ± 0.09, 0.95 ± 0.07, 0.91 ± 0.09, 0.96 ± 0.07, 0.89 ± 0.09, 0.88 ± 0.09, 0.96 ± 0.06, and 0.96 ± 0.07, respectively. Phenotypic and genetic correlations between CFRmcg and DFRmcg, CFRmc and DFRmc, CFRg and DFRg, CFRmg and DFRmg, and CFRm and DFRm were 0.98, 0.94, 0.99, 0.98, and 0.95 (P \u3c 0.001 for all phenotypic correlations), and 0.99 ± 0.004, 0.98 ± 0.017, 0.99 ± 0.004, 0.99 ± 0.005, and 0.97 ± 0.021, respectively. The strong genetic relationships between OFI and CFRmcg, CFRmg, DFRmcg, and DFRmg indicate that these predicted measures of DMI may be used in genetic evaluations and that DM requirements for cold stress may not be needed, thus reducing model complexity. However, high genetic correlations for final weight with OFI, CFRmcg, and DFRmcg suggest that the technology needs to be further evaluated in populations with genetic variance in feed efficiency

Scaling of the superfluid density in high-temperature superconductors

A scaling relation \rho_s \simeq 35\sigma_{dc}T_c has been observed in the copper-oxide superconductors, where \rho_s is the strength of the superconducting condensate, T_c is the critical temperature, and \sigma_{dc} is the normal-state dc conductivity close to T_c. This scaling relation is examined within the context of a clean and dirty-limit BCS superconductor. These limits are well established for an isotropic BCS gap 2\Delta and a normal-state scattering rate 1/\tau; in the clean limit 1/\tau \ll 2\Delta, and in the dirty limit 1/\tau > 2\Delta. The dirty limit may also be defined operationally as the regime where \rho_s varies with 1/\tau. It is shown that the scaling relation \rho_s \propto \sigma_{dc}T_c is the hallmark of a BCS system in the dirty-limit. While the gap in the copper-oxide superconductors is considered to be d-wave with nodes and a gap maximum \Delta_0, if 1/\tau > 2\Delta_0 then the dirty-limit case is preserved. The scaling relation implies that the copper-oxide superconductors are likely to be in the dirty limit, and that as a result the energy scale associated with the formation of the condensate is scaling linearly with T_c. The a-b planes and the c axis also follow the same scaling relation. It is observed that the scaling behavior for the dirty limit and the Josephson effect (assuming a BCS formalism) are essentially identical, suggesting that in some regime these two effects may be viewed as equivalent. This raises the possibility that electronic inhomogeneities in the copper-oxygen planes may play an important role in the nature of the superconductivity in the copper-oxide materials.Comment: 8 pages with 5 figures and 1 tabl

Prediction of genetic values for feed intake from individual body weight gain and total feed intake of the pen

Records of individual feed intake (FI) and BW gain (GN) were obtained from the Germ Plasm Evaluation (GPE) program at US Meat Animal Research Center (USU.S. Meat Animal Research Center). Animals were randomly assigned to pens. Only pens with 6 to 9 steers (n = 289) were used for this study (data set 1). Variance components and genetic parameters were estimated using data set 1. Estimated genetic values (EGV) for FI were calculated by 5 methods using single and 2-trait analyses: 1) individual FI and individual GN, 2) individual FI alone, 3) 2-trait with individual GN but with FI missing, 4) individual GN and pen total FI, and 5) pen total FI alone. Analyses were repeated but with some of the same records assigned artificially to 36 pens of 5 and 4 paternal half sibs per pen (data sets 2 and 3). Models included year as a fixed factor and birth and weaning weights, age on test, and days fed as covariates. Estimates of heritability were 0.42 ± 0.16 and 0.34 ± 0.17 for FI and GN. The estimate of the genetic correlation was 0.57 ± 0.23. Empirical responses to selection were calculated as the average EGV for the top and bottom 10% based on rank for each method but with EGV from method 1 substituted for the EGV on which ranking was based. With data set 1, rank correlations between EGV from method 1 and EGV from methods 2, 3, 4, and 5 were 0.99, 0.53, 0.32, and 0.15, respectively. Empirical responses relative to method 1 agreed with the rank correlations. Accuracy of EGV for method 4 (0.44) was greater than for method 3 (0.35) and for method 5 (0.29). Accuracies for methods 4 and 5 were greater than indicated by empirical responses and correlations with EGV from method 1. Comparisons of the 5 methods were similar for data sets 2 and 3. With data set 2, rank correlations between EGV from method 1 and EGV from methods 3, 4, and 5 were 0.47, 0.64, and 0.62. Average accuracies of 56, 75, and 75% relative to method 1 (0.67) generally agreed with the empirical responses to selection. As expected, accuracy using pen total FI and GN to obtain EGV for FI was greater than using GN alone. With data set 1, empirical response to selection with method 4 was one-third of that for method 1, although average accuracy was 65% of that for method 1. With assignment of 5 paternal half sibs to artificial pens, using pen total FI and individual GN was about 81% as effective for selection as using individual FI and GN to obtain EGV for FI and was substantially more effective than use of GN alone

Formalism for Multiphoton Plasmon Excitation in Jellium Clusters

We present a new formalism for the description of multiphoton plasmon excitation processes in jellium clusters. By using our method, we demonstrate that, in addition to dipole plasmon excitations, the multipole plasmons (quadrupole, octupole, etc) can be excited in a cluster by multiphoton absorption processes, which results in a significant difference between plasmon resonance profiles in the cross sections for multiphoton as compared to single-photon absorption. We calculate the cross sections for multiphoton absorption and analyse the balance between the surface and volume plasmon contributions to multipole plasmons.Comment: 29 pages, 1 figur

Theoretical development in ethical marketing decision making

Abstract The current state of knowledge about ethical marketing decision making is explored from a historical perspective. While much research focuses on ethical issues, our purpose is to provide a holistic perspective of existing theory, skills, and research. We address both normative and descriptive approaches to ethical decision making theory development. Additional dimensions of ethical decision making such as institutional, resource-advantage, and value chain theory are advanced for future research

Order of Two-Dimensional Isotropic Dipolar Antiferromagnets

The question of the existence of order in two-dimensional isotropic dipolar Heisenberg antiferromagnets is studied. It is shown that the dipolar interaction leads to a gap in the spin-wave energy and a nonvanishing order parameter. The resulting finite N\'eel-temperature is calculated for a square lattice by means of linear spin-wave theory.Comment: 10 pages, REVTEX, 1 figure available upon request, TUM-CP-93-0

Genetic studies of human apolipoproteins

Apolipoprotein H (APO H) has recently been identified as a structural component of chylomicrons, very low-density lipoproteins (VLDL), low-density lipoproteins (LDL), and high-density lipoproteins (HDL). Although the precise metabolic function of APO H in lipid metabolism is not certain, it has been suggested that APO H may be involved in triglyceride (TG) metabolism. In addition to the previously described quantitative polymorphism, we have recently detected a common qualitative polymorphism at the APO H structural locus. To test the role of APO H genetic variation in determining lipoprotein and lipid levels, we have estimated the allelic effects of APO H variation on TG, VLDL, LDL, HDL, HDL3, and total cholesterol on 356 Nigerian blacks(189 males, 167 females). While no significant effect of phenotype was observed on lipoprotein levels, the effect of interaction between phenotype and gender was significant. Therefore, data on males and females were analyzed separately using analysis of variance after adjusting for age and body mass index. Logarithmic transformation of pertinent variables was done to bring the distribution of the variables closer to normality. A statistically significant effect of phenotype was observed on triglyceride levels in females only (P<0.05). Further analysis of this phenotypic effect revealed that it is due to the impact of the APO H∗ 3 allele, which raises triglycerides by 9.92 mg/dl as compared to the common allele, APO H ∗2. These findings are in accordance with the postulated role of APO H in triglyceride metabolism. On the basis of its sex-specific effect, we propose a hypothesis that may explain the combined influence of the quantitative and qualitative polymorphisms at the APO H locus on triglyceride levels in females

Genetic studies of human apolipoproteins. XI. The effect of the apolipoprotein C-II polymorphism on lipoprotein levels in Nigerian blacks

The human apolipoprotein C-II locus exhibits genetically determined structural polymorphism in United States and African blacks. In the present study, we have investigated the effect of the apoC-II polymorphism on quantitative serum levels of total cholesterol, total high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, cholesterol in high density lipoprotein subfractions, low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and triglycerides (TG) in a sample of 368 unrelated Nigerian blacks. The frequencies of the APOC-II1 and APOC-II2 alleles in the samples were 0.947 and 0.053, respectively. In males, the effect of the APOC-II2 allele was to lower the total serum cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol levels by 13.28 mg/dl and 10.55 mg/dl, respectively, relative to the common allele, APOC-II1. In females, the effect was to lower total plasma cholesterol by 4.49 mg/dl and LDL-cholesterol by 3.21 mg/dl. The effect of apoC-II on quantitative lipoprotein levels is shown to be independent of variation at the linked apoE locus, but the products of the two loci interact in determining overall quantitative phenotypes

Calibration of Atomic Force Microscope Tips Using Biomolecules

Atomic force microscope (AFM) images of surfaces and samples mounted on substrates are subject to artifacts such as broadening of structures and ghost images of tips due to the finite size and shape of the contacting probe. Therefore, knowledge of the radius of the AFM probe tip is essential for the interpretation of images. We have deduced the shape of the AFM tip by imaging cylindrical biological molecules of various diameters such as deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), tobacco etch virus (TEV) and bacteriophage M-13 (M-13). Using a paraboloidal tip model and numerically solving equations of contact, the curvatures of the tip and lithographically sharpened tip were ascertained