The relationship of body size, lactation or gestation with ration intake, nutrient digestibility and digestible nutrient intake in beef cattle

A total of 285 observations from 72 beef cows and 117 yearling cattle were used to determine relationships of cattle characteristics such as body weight, height, length, width, depth, fatness, level of milk production and gestation length with diet intake, nutrient digestibility and digestible nutrient intake. Digestibility was determined using acid-insoluble ash as an internal indicator. In one study, five observations per cow were obtained as the physiological functions of these animals were changing. Cows were fed grass silage while yearlings were fed corn silage plus concentrates. Relationships were determined using multiple regression techniques. In beef cows, body weight was positively related (partial regression coefficient (b) = .0072, P\u3c.05) and body width negatively related (b=-.0801, P\u3c.05) to digestible dry matter (DDM) intake. A curvilinear relationship (P\u3c.05) of gestation length with DDM intake existed. Intake increased from 0 to 60 d of gestation but then de creased at an increasing rate from 60 to 90 d. Digestible crude protein intake and digestible hemicellulose intake were similarly related (P\u3c.05) to the above characteristics. Diet dry matter (DM) intake was positively related (b=.0198, P\u3c.05) to body weight. Curvilinear relationships (P\u3c.05) of DM intake with body width, body depth and gestation length also existed. An increase of one kg of DM intake resulted in a 2.1 (P\u3c.05), 2.0 (P\u3c.05) and 0.8 (P\u3c.10) percentage unit decline in DM, crude protein (CP) and hemicellulose (HC) digestibilities, respectively. Digestibility of CP and HC was positively related (P\u3c.10) with body width (b=.3736 and .4456, respectively), independent of intake effects. Angus cows digested more HC than did Hereford cows (81.7 vs 77.3%, P\u3c.01). In yearling cattle, DDM intake was positively related (b=.0096, P\u3c.05) with body weight. Digestible CP and HC intakes were also related (P\u3c.10) with body weight (b=.0006 and .0018, respectively). Heavier (b=.0147), longer (b=.0316) and younger (b=.0120) animals at weaning consumed more (P\u3c.05) DM. As DM intake increased one kg, DM and HC digestibility decreased 1.2 and 2.7 units, respectively. Crude protein and acid-detergent fiber digestibilities were not affected (P\u3e.10) by changes in DM intake. At constant intake, char acteristics of the yearling cattle were not related (P\u3e.10) to digestibility of DM or individual nutrients. In cows used in the five successive observations, DDM intake was positively related (P\u3c.05) to milk production in light weight cows but was negatively related in heavy weight cows. A curvilinear relationship (P\u3c.05) of gestation length with DDM intake existed. Intake increased from 0 to 70 d and then decreased from 70 to 160 d. Backfat was negatively related (b=-.0935, P\u3c.05) to DDM intake. Dry matter digestibility was related to many characteristics of the cows. Curvilinear relationships (P\u3c.05) existed with milk production, gestation length and body weight. Backfat was negatively related to DM digestibility, however an interaction (P\u3c.10) between weight and backfat also existed. Several other interactions were present. These were milk production with gestation (P\u3c.05), milk production with body weight (P\u3c.05) and milk production with DM intake (P\u3c.10). These relationships were represented graphically utilizing three dimensional figures and indicated the dynamic relationship of factors affecting digestibility

Nutritive value of several silages produced from caged layer excreta and corn stover

Two total-collection trials were conducted to determine the nutrient digestibility and nitrogen utilization of caged layer excreta-corn stover silages treated with or without silage additives. In trial 1, silages were produced from 18 or 30% excreta, 50% corn stover and various amounts of water to achieve a 50% moisture silage, and fed to 12 mature wether sheep. The pH, after ensiling, was 4.6 for the 18% excreta silage and 5.0 for the 30% excreta silage. The 18% excreta and the 30% excreta silages contained: 48.8 and 45.8% dry matter; and on a dry matter basis, 10.5 and 14.0% crude protein; 1.30 and 1.69% ether extract; 29.2 and 28.5% crude fiber; 8.2 and 11.8% ash; 50.9 and 44.2% nitrogen-free extract; 46.2 and 46.4% acid-detergent fiber; and 4.57 and 7.18 mg/g uric acid, respectively. Dry matter intake of the 18% excreta silage was 1.17 kg/day and was similar to the 1.15 kg/day of the 30% excreta silage. Apparent digestion coefficients for the 18% and the 30% excreta silages were: dry matter, 46.4 and 47.1%; organic matter, 48.9 and 49.8%; crude protein, 59.4 and 65.2%; ether extract, 71.5 and 75.2%; crude fiber, 47.6 and 50.0%; nitro gen-free extract, 46.9 and 43.8%; and acid-detergent fiber, 35.0 and 36.5%, respectively. Total digestible nutrients were 46.1 for the 18% excreta silage and 45.5 for the 30% excreta silage. Dry matter, organic matter, crude fiber and acid-detergent fiber digestibilities were similar across treatment (p\u3e.05). A significant increase in the digestibility of crude protein (p\u3c.01) and ether extract (p\u3c.05) was found for the 30% excreta silage while the 18% excreta silage supported higher (p\u3c.05) nitrogen-free extract digestibility. The nitrogen intake, nitrogen retention, true nitrogen digestibility, absorbed nitrogen retained, intake nitrogen retained, net protein utilization and net protein value of the 18% excreta silage were 19.7 g/day, 8.51 g/day, 85.09%, 50.42%, 9.77%, 36.06% and 4.51%, respectively, while for the 30% excreta silage they were 25.6 g/day, 1.94 g/day, 84.68%, 9.80%, -22.85%, 8.36% and 1.17%, respectively. The nitrogen intake was higher (p\u3c.01) for the 30% excreta silage. All of the other nitrogen utilization parameters except true nitrogen digestibility were significantly higher (p\u3c.01) for the 18% excreta silage. The true nitrogen digestibility was similar (p\u3e.05) for both silages. In trial 2, 16 wether sheep were used to determine the effect of silage additives on fermentation of excreta silage, nutrient digestibility and nitrogen utilization. The silage treatments were: no additives (control), Silabac (a bacterial additive), phosphoric acid (an acid additive) or the combination of Silabac and phosphoric acid. The level of excreta used in this trial was 22.5%; the corn stover was 50% of the ensiling material and again water was added to produce a 50% moisture silage. The nutritional composition of the silages was quite variable. The dry matter of the silages treated with no additives (control), Silabac, phosphoric acid or the combination of the latter two was 58.4, 53.5, 55.2 and 61.6%, respectively; other nutrients, on a dry matter basis were: crude protein, 9.2, 8.6, 8.4 and 10.1%; ether extract, 1.22, 0.96, 0.85 and 1.20%; crude fiber, 27.9, 28.0, 36.4 and 28.2%; ash 12.5, 11.4, 9.4 and 15.2%; nitrogen-free extract, 49.1, 51.1, 51.0 and 44.8%; acid-deterent fiber, 42.5, 42.4, 45.0 and 40.9% and uric acid 5.98, 3.30, 3.63 and 9.38 mg/g, respectively. Dry matter intake was 1.22, 0.97, 0.98 and 1.14 kg/day for the silages containing no additives, Silabac, phosphoric acid and the combination of both additives, respectively. Apparent digestion coefficients for these silages were: dry matter, 36.9, 40.8, 39.6 and 42.2%; organic matter, 40.7, 42.8, 45.0 and 44.2%; crude protein, 47.5, 40.5,31.3 and 45.9%; ether extract, 66.0, 58.8, 66.0 and 75.6%; crude fiber, 39.5, 44.1, 47.6 and 43.4%; nitrogen-free extract, 41.8, 46.4, 45.4 and 43.5%; and acid-detergent fiber, 33.3, 31.1, 37.1 and 36.2%, respectively. Total digestible nutrients were 37.7, 40.8, 41.8 and 38.5% for these silages, respectively. Dry matter digestibility was higher (p\u3c.01) for the additive treated silages than that of the control silage although the organic matter digestibility was similar for all silages. The crude protein digestibility was higher (p\u3c.05) for the Silabac treated silage than that of the phosphoric acid silage. However, ether extract digestibility was higher (p\u3c.05) for the phosphoric acid silage than that of the silage treated with Silabac. Silage made with the combination of additives had higher (p\u3c.01) ether extract digestibility than the mean of Silabac and phosphoric acid silages. Crude fiber digestibility was higher (p\u3c.05) for all the treated silages while there were no differences among treated silages (p\u3c.10). Conversely, phosphoric acid treated silages supported higher (p\u3c05) acid-detergent fiber digestibility than that of the Silabac treated silage but the control silage and the mean of the additive treated silages had similar acid-detergent fiber digestibility (p\u3c.10). Total digestible nutrients were higher (p\u3c.05) with the additive treated silages than the control silage. A higher TDN (p\u3c.05) was obtained when the additives were used singly rather than in combination

A Role for Identification in the Gradual Decline in the Pleasantness of Flavors With Age.

Objectives. This study investigated a possible role for identification in the decline in flavor pleasantness with age. Methods. Two hundred sixty-four individuals aged from 16 to 85 years tasted 6 flavored drinks of varying identity and ease of identification, and rated each on pleasantness, a range of other characteristics and identified all flavors. Results. Using regression, firstly, pleasantness was inversely associated with age (β = −0.22, p < .01). Secondly, the decline in pleasantness with age was associated with poorer identification (β = 0.30, p < .01), lower perceptions of sweetness (β = 0.01, p < .01), lower strength of flavor (β = 0.00, p = .02), lower familiarity (β = 0.01, p < .01), and a lower frequency of usual drink consumption (β = 0.04, p < .01). Thirdly, improved identification with age was associated with increased drink familiarity (β =< 0.01, p < .01), coloration compared with no color (β = <0.06, p < .01), and correct compared with incorrect coloration (β = <0.27, p < .01). Discussion: These findings demonstrate a clear role for identification in the decline in flavor pleasantness with age. These findings thus provide clear evidence for a cognitive and perceptual element to these hedonic processes. Our findings suggest that likings for flavors in older individuals may be increased/maintained through the use of improved visual cues, easily recognizable foods, and/or identity labels

Evaluating the Impact of the Revised Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children Fruit Juice Allotment on Fruit Intake, Dietary Quality, and Energy/Nutrient Intakes among Children 1-4 Years of Age

Objective: The goals of this study were to assess the impact of recent changes in the WIC allotment on fruit intake, dietary quality/adequacy, energy/nutrient intakes, and potential impact of the complete removal of 100% fruit juice (FJ) from the package.Methods: 24-hour recalls from children 1-4 years who were WIC participants or income-eligible nonparticipants in the NHANES 2007-2008 and 2011-2014 (before and after WIC package changes) were analyzed.Results: There were no differences in the Healthy Eating Index-2015 total score; subcomponent scores for “greens and beans” and for “fatty acid ratio” were higher in 2011-2014 than in 2007-2008 in children participating in WIC; scores for “sodium” were higher in 2011-2014 than in 2007-2008 in children not participating in WIC but income-eligible. In WIC participants mean intakes of riboflavin, vitamins B12 and C, and zinc were significantly (p&lt;0.01) lower, and intake of vitamin E was significantly (p&lt;0.01) higher in 2011-2014 compared to 2007-2008. One significant difference in nutrient adequacy in children was that of a lower (p&lt;0.01) percentage of inadequacy for WIC participants for vitamin E and a higher (p&lt;0.01) percentage of inadequacy for WIC participants for vitamin A in 2011-2014 as compared to those in 2007-2008. The elimination of FJ from the WIC food packages resulted in a 38-50% lower total fruit intake and a 4-5% reduction in total HEI-2015 score.Conclusion: Changes in the WIC program resulted in potential adverse effects on mean intakes of some nutrients but not on the nutrient adequacy or overall diet quality. Confirmatory studies are needed

Consuming the daily recommended amounts of dairy products would reduce the prevalence of inadequate micronutrient intakes in the United States: diet modelling study based on NHANES 2007–2010

Background: A large portion of Americans are not meeting the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) for several essential vitamins and minerals due to poor dietary choices. Dairy products are a key source of many of the nutrients that are under consumed, but children and adults do not consume the recommended amounts from this food group. This study modelled the impact of meeting daily recommended amounts of dairy products on population-based nutrient intakes.Methods: Two-day 24-h dietary recalls collected from participants ≥2 years (n = 8944) from the 2007–2010 What We Eat in America, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were analysed. Databases available from the WWEIA/NHANES and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) were used to determine nutrient, food group, and dietary supplement intakes. Modelling was performed by adding the necessary number of dairy servings, using the dairy composite designed by USDA, to each participant’s diet to meet the dairy recommendations outlined by the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. All analyses included sample weights to account for the NHANES survey design.Results: The majority of children 4 years and older (67.4–88.8 %) and nearly all adults (99.0–99.6 %) fall below the recommended 2.5-3 daily servings of dairy products. Increasing dairy consumption to recommended amounts would result in a significant reduction in the percent of adults with calcium, magnesium, and vitamin A intakes below the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) when considering food intake alone (0–2.0 vs. 9.9–91.1 %; 17.3–75.0 vs. 44.7–88.5 %; 0.1–15.1 vs. 15.3–48.0 %, respectively), as well as food and dietary supplement intake. Minimal, but significant, improvements were observed for the percent of people below the EAR for vitamin D (91.7 99.9 vs. 91.8–99.9 %), and little change was achieved for the large percentage of people below the Adequate Intake for potassium.Conclusions: Increasing dairy food consumption to recommended amounts is one practical dietary change that could significantly improve the population’s adequacy for certain vitamins and minerals that are currently under-consumed, as well as have a positive impact on health.Keywords: Nutrients; Nutrient adequacy; Dairy; Nutrition and health; NHANE

Reverse graded relaxed buffers for high Ge content SiGe virtual substrates

An innovative approach is proposed for epitaxial growth of high Ge content, relaxed Si1−xGex buffer layers on a Si(001) substrate. The advantages of the technique are demonstrated by growing such structures via chemical vapor deposition and their characterization. Relaxed Ge is first grown on the substrate followed by the reverse grading approach to reach a final buffer composition of 0.78. The optimized buffer structure is only 2.8 µm thick and demonstrates a low surface threading dislocation density of 4×106 cm−2, with a surface roughness of 2.6 nm. The buffers demonstrate a relaxation of up to 107%

Relationship between Snacking Patterns, Diet Quality and Risk of Overweight and Abdominal Obesity in Children

Snacking is very common among Americans; the impact of variety of snacking patterns on nutrient intake and weight status is unclear. This study examined the associations of snacking patterns on nutrient intake and weight in U.S. children 2-18 years (n=14,220) participating in the 2001-2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Cluster analysis generated 12 distinct snacking patterns, explaining 57% of variance in total calories consumed. Only 8% of the children did not consume snacks on the day of the 24-hour recall. Cakes, cookies and pastries was the most common snacking pattern (16%) followed by miscellaneous snacks (e.g. whole milk, orange juice and meat/fish/poultry; 13%), and crackers and salty snacks (10%). Most snacking patterns resulted in higher total energy intake than the no snack pattern. After controlling for energy intake, most snacking patterns resulted in higher intakes of fiber; vitamins A, C, B12, and K; riboflavin; folate; potassium; calcium; zinc; and magnesium than the no snack pattern. However, most of the snacking patterns resulted in higher total intake of saturated fatty acids, solid fats, added sugars, and sodium (nutrients to limit). Several of the snacking patterns (i.e. cakes/cookies/pastries, crackers/salty snacks, sweets, and other grains) were associated with a reduced risk of overweight and abdominal obesity. Overall, several snacking patterns compared with non-snackers had better diet quality and were less likely to be overweight or obese and less likely to have abdominal obesity. Education is needed to improve snacking patterns in terms of nutrients to limit in the diet

Consumption of 100% Fruit Juice is Associated with Better Nutrient Intake and Diet Quality but not with Weight Status in Children: NHANES 2007-2010

Objective: This study examined the impact of various levels of 100% fruit juice (FJ) consumption on intake of nutrients, diet quality, and weight in children using the more recent national data.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study examining the data from children 2-18 years of age (n=6,090). Intake of nutrients and diet quality were assessed using the 24-hr dietary recall and Healthy Eating Index-2010, respectively. Various consumption levels of 100% FJ were determined. Covariate adjusted linear regression means, and standard errors were determined (p&lt;0.01).Results: Average per capita consumption of 100% FJ consumed was 3.6 fl oz (50 kilocalories; 2.9% energy intake); 30% of children 2-6 years exceeded the recommendation for 100% FJ. Among 100% FJ consumers, the mean amount of 100% FJ consumed was 10.6 fl oz (147 kilocalories; 8.4% energy intake). Intakes of vitamin C, magnesium, and potassium and overall diet quality were higher with more 100% FJ consumed; no difference was found in total fiber intake. No trends were seen in weight with increased amounts of 100% FJ consumed.Conclusions: Consumption of 100% FJ should be recommended as a component of a healthy diet

Relaxation of strained silicon on Si0.5Ge0.5 virtual substrates

Strain relaxation has been studied in tensile strained silicon layers grown on Si0.5Ge0.5 virtual substrates, for layers many times the critical thickness, using high resolution x-ray diffraction. Layers up to 30 nm thick were found to relax less than 2% by the glide of preexisting 60° dislocations. Relaxation is limited because many of these dislocations dissociate into extended stacking faults that impede the dislocation glide. For thicker layers, nucleated microtwins were observed, which significantly increased relaxation to 14%. All these tensile strained layers are found to be much more stable than layers with comparable compressive strain