Study of air pollutant detection by remote sensors

Air pollution detection using satellite observatio

Bulls Are More Efficient Than Steers with Similar Meat Quality

Bull breeding soundness evaluations are often performed as a critical component of beef cow herd management to ensure that herd bulls have adequate semen quality, are physically capable of enduring the breeding season, and to determine the serving capacity per bull. Currently, there are approximately 30.3 million beef cows and 2.1 million bulls in the U.S. Depending on the breeding soundness evaluation failure rate, there are likely several hundred thousand bulls which will enter the beef market annually and a portion will be young bulls with the potential to be fed and sold to produce saleable meat of choice or select quality grade. Castration of male cattle is a common procedure that is practiced world-wide, but is more common in the U.S. than in many countries. Behavioral benefits from castration include reduced aggressiveness and sexual activity by reducing testosterone levels. In addition, castrated animals maintain a lower muscle pH post-harvest producing fewer “dark cutters.” Bulls have greater feeding performance and efficiency than steers. However, a bull’s ability to gain efficiently and produce a leaner carcass, with more value to the packer and retailer, is overshadowed by the perception that meat from bulls is less tender than meat from steers. Castration methods and the age at castration influence the potential stress on the animal, resulting in concerns regarding animal welfare and animal performance; therefore, castration of post-pubertal bulls to improve meat quality should be re-evaluated. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of castration and the use of growth promotion technologies in post-pubertal bulls on feeding performance, carcass traits, and meat quality characteristics compared to intact post-pubertal bulls

Prevalence of Horns in a Pen Does Not Affect Incidence of Carcass Bruising in Feedlot Cattle

Disbudding and dehorning are two common practices done to remove horns from cattle to prevent injury to handlers and other cattle and to reduce bruising of carcasses. Bruised carcasses result in substantial reduction in profit due to trim loss, increased sanitation risk, and loss in time on the rail during processing. Previous research has indicated that cattle with horns increased hide damage of cohorts and caused injury to handlers. Cattle with horns cause circular shaped bruises that lead to trim loss due to bruising. Cattle with tipped horns do not have a lower bruising rate than cattle with intact horns. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of horn prevalence within groups of slaughter animals and the incidence of bruising on the carcasses of those same cattle

The design of a clicker game for text labelling

Games for text annotation / labelling are becoming more common, but it's difficult to find a mechanics that fits. In this work we discuss a clicker game that can support text annotation. We believe this type of game is uniquely suited to addressing some of the challenges faced by games featuring text annotation as a core task

Determination of Omega_b From Big Bang Nucleosynthesis in the Presence of Regions of Antimatter

Production of regions of antimatter in the early universe is predicted in many baryogenesis models. Small scale antimatter regions would annihilate during or soon after nucleosynthesis, affecting the abundances of the light elements. In this paper we study how the acceptable range in Omega_b changes in the presence of antimatter regions, as compared to the standard big bang nucleosynthesis. It turns out that it is possible to produce at the same time both a low 4He value (Y_p < 0.240) and a low D/H value (D/H < 4e-5), but overproduction of 7Li is unavoidable at large Omega_b.Comment: 9 pages, PRD version, ref. 6 correcte

Flake Density, Roll Diameter, and Flake Moisture All Influence Starch Availability of Steam-Flaked Corn

Steam-flaked corn is commonly fed in feedlot finishing diets because steam-flaking improves starch availability and nutrient utilization, thus improving the overall feeding value of corn. In most operations which utilize steam-flaked corn, grain is processed to a pre-determined flake density by setting the rolls to a specific separation distance and using tension to hold rolls together. Flaked grain is most often produced to a bulk density between 24 and 32 lb/bu, with a common recommendation of 27 lb/bu for corn; however, flake density among steam-flakers within a single mill and among feedlots can vary greatly. Flaking to a similar density using 2 flakers does not ensure similar starch availability. The degree of starch gelatinization or starch availability of steam-flaked corn can be estimated using analytical procedures such as enzymatic hydrolysis, gas production, and steam-flaked corn gelatinization methods. Routinely evaluating starch availability is used as a quality control method to standardize the steam-flaking process to ensure within-day and day-to-day manufacturing consistency. The concentration of readily available starch in steam-flaked corn is indicative of the rate of starch fermentation in the rumen. When starch is too readily available and is fermented at an excessively rapid rate, acid can accumulate in the rumen, reducing ruminal pH, and ultimately resulting in increased prevalence of digestive disturbances. Factors that contribute to variation between feedlot operations with respect to steamflaked corn quality include type and dimensions of flaking equipment, grain type, grain variety and moisture content, roll wear, and steam-flaking procedures. Sampling and handling procedures contribute to precision of results; therefore, sampling procedures need special attention, and consistency must be evaluated when attempting to determine starch availability of steam-flaked corn. The objective of this study was to evaluate starch availability of steam-flaked corn comparing roll dimensions and steam-flaked corn flake densities among flaking systems and feedyards and to provide information on the equipment utilized, steam-flaked corn flaking procedures, and to define current manufacturing practices of steam-flaking in commercial feedlot operations

A monument to the player: Preserving a landscape of socio-cultural capital in the transitional MMORPG

This is the pre-print version of the Article. The official published version can be accessed from the links below - Copyright @ 2012 Taylor & Francis LtdMassively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) produce dynamic socio-ludic worlds that nurture both culture and gameplay to shape experiences. Despite the persistent nature of these games, however, the virtual spaces that anchor these worlds may not always be able to exist in perpetuity. Encouraging a community to migrate from one space to another is a challenge now facing some game developers. This paper examines the case of Guild Wars® and its “Hall of Monuments”, a feature that bridges the accomplishments of players from the current game to the forthcoming sequel. Two factor analyses describe the perspectives of 105 and 187 self-selected participants. The results reveal four factors affecting attitudes towards the feature, but they do not strongly correlate with existing motivational frameworks, and significant differences were found between different cultures within the game. This informs a discussion about the implications and facilitation of such transitions, investigating themes of capital, value perception and assumptive worlds. It is concluded that the way subcultures produce meaning needs to be considered when attempting to preserve the socio-cultural landscape

Relationship Between Trauma Sustained at Unloading and Carcass Bruise Prevalence in Finished Cattle at Commercial Slaughter Facilities

Bruising in cattle can be an indicator of poor animal welfare, as well as a significant cause of economic loss due to decreased carcass value. Previous literature suggests sources of trauma causing bruising in beef carcasses include horn prevalence, rough transport conditions, cattle handling techniques, cattle temperament, and vehicle design; however, evidence of correlations between such trauma and actual carcass bruising is limited. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between trauma sustained at unloading and carcass bruise prevalence in finished cattle at commercial slaughter facilities

Giving voters what they want? Party orientation perceptions and preferences in the British electorate

Some of the most important propositions in the political marketing literature hinge on assumptions about the electorate. In particular, voters are presumed to react in different ways to different orientations or postures. Yet there are theoretical reasons for questioning some of these assumptions, and certainly they have seldom been empirically tested. Here, we focus on one prominent example of political marketing research: Lees-Marshment’s orientations’ model. We investigate how the public reacts to product and market orientation, whether they see a trade-off between the two (a point in dispute among political marketing scholars), and whether partisans differ from non-partisan voters by being more inclined to value product over market orientation. Evidence from two mass sample surveys of the British public (both conducted online by YouGov) demonstrates important heterogeneity within the electorate, casts doubt on the core assumptions underlying some political marketing arguments and raises broader questions about what voters are looking for in a party

Testing game mechanics in games with a purpose for NLP applications

This paper describes a highly configurable game-with-a-purpose (GWAP) designed to explore the effects of different game mechanics on GWAP for NLP problems with a view to improving both quality of annotation and player uptake. The details of the game are discussed along with some of the questions the game hopes to answer