Limit-Fed, High-Energy Diets Can Achieve Improved Feed Conversion Rates Without Compromising Rate of Gain When Compared to Conventional High Roughage Diets

Objective: Compare and determine the effects on animal performance between a conventional high roughage diet and a limit-fed, high energy diet during the receiving and growing phase. Study Description: Crossbred heifer calves (n = 418) originating from Texas and New Mexico were used to determine performance when limit-fed a high energy diet initially offered at 85% of feed intakes from cattle fed a conventional high roughage diet ad libitum at the Kansas State University Beef Stocker Unit. The Bottom Line: Limit-feeding a high energy diet consisting primarily of dry-rolled corn and Sweet Bran (Cargill Animal Nutrition, Blair, NE) can improve rate of gain while significantly decreasing dry matter consumption over conventional high roughage diets fed ad libitum, and cattle exhibit greater muscling and fat deposition

Subsequent Carcass Merit of Feedlot Cattle May Be Improved by Limit Feeding a High-Energy Diet During the Backgrounding Phase

Objective: Determine and analyze the impact of limit feeding a high-energy diet in the backgrounding phase, primarily based on dry-rolled corn and Sweet Bran (Cargill Animal Nutrition, Blair, NE), on animal performance in the finishing phase and carcass merit. Study Description: This project was a continuation of the performance backgrounding study previously conducted at the Kansas State University Beef Stocker Unit. All cattle were shipped to Pratt Feeders (Pratt, KS) on August 26–27, 2019, and were fed in four separate feed groups (approximately 100 head/pen) according to standard operating practices at the feed yard. Original backgrounding treatment integrity was maintained. Cattle were processed at National Beef (Dodge City, KS) on January 14 and February 4, 2020, and carcass data were obtained. The Bottom Line: Limit feeding a high-energy diet to cattle in the backgrounding phase appears to improve muscle deposition, especially in the light-sort cattle during the finishing phase

The ASAS-SN Bright Supernova Catalog I: 2013-2014

We present basic statistics for all supernovae discovered by the All-Sky Automated Survey for SuperNovae (ASAS-SN) during its first year-and-a-half of operations, spanning 2013 and 2014. We also present the same information for all other bright ($m_V\leq17$), spectroscopically confirmed supernovae discovered from 2014 May 1 through the end of 2014, providing a comparison to the ASAS-SN sample starting from the point where ASAS-SN became operational in both hemispheres. In addition, we present collected redshifts and near-UV through IR magnitudes, where available, for all host galaxies of the bright supernovae in both samples. This work represents a comprehensive catalog of bright supernovae and their hosts from multiple professional and amateur sources, allowing for population studies that were not previously possible because the all-sky emphasis of ASAS-SN redresses most previously existing biases. In particular, ASAS-SN systematically finds supernovae closer to the centers of host galaxies than either other professional surveys or amateurs, a remarkable result given ASAS-SN's poorer angular resolution. This is the first of a series of yearly papers on bright supernovae and their hosts that will be released by the ASAS-SN team

The evolutionary history of wild, domesticated, and feral Brassica oleracea (Brassicaceae)

Understanding the evolutionary history of crops, including identifying wild relatives, helps to provide insight for conservation and crop breeding efforts. Cultivated Brassica oleracea has intrigued researchers for centuries due to its wide diversity in forms, which include cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi, and Brussels sprouts. Yet, the evolutionary history of this species remains understudied. With such different vegetables produced from a single species, B. oleracea is a model organism for understanding the power of artificial selection. Persistent challenges in the study of B. oleracea include conflicting hypotheses regarding domestication and the identity of the closest living wild relative. Using newly generated RNA-seq data for a diversity panel of 224 accessions, which represents 14 different B. oleracea crop types and nine potential wild progenitor species, we integrate phylogenetic and population genetic techniques with ecological niche modeling, archaeological, and literary evidence to examine relationships among cultivars and wild relatives to clarify the origin of this horticulturally important species. Our analyses point to the Aegean endemic B. cretica as the closest living relative of cultivated B. oleracea, supporting an origin of cultivation in the Eastern Mediterranean region. Additionally, we identify several feral lineages, suggesting that cultivated plants of this species can revert to a wild-like state with relative ease. By expanding our understanding of the evolutionary history in B. oleracea, these results contribute to a growing body of knowledge on crop domestication that will facilitate continued breeding efforts including adaptation to changing environmental conditions

The impact of two Los Angeles County Teen Courts on youth recidivism: comparing two informal probation programs

OBJECTIVE: This study sought to examine the impact of two Teen Courts operating in Los Angeles County, a juvenile justice system diversion program in which youth are judged by their peers and given restorative sentences to complete during a period of supervision. METHODS: A quasi-experimental design was used to compare youth who participated in Teen Court (n=112) to youth who participated in another diversion program administered by the Probation Department (the 654 Contract program) (n=194). Administrative data were abstracted from Probation records for all youth who participated in these programs between January 1, 2012 and June 20, 2014. Logistic and survival models were used to examine differences in recidivism - measured as whether the minor had any subsequent arrest or arrests for which the charge was filed. RESULTS: Comparison group participants had higher rates of recidivism than Teen Court participants, after controlling for age, gender, race/ethnicity, and risk level. While the magnitude of the program effects were fairly consistent across model specifications (odd ratios comparing Teen Court [referent] to school-based 654 Contract ranging from 1.95 to 3.07, hazard ratios ranging from 1.62 to 2.27), differences were not statistically significant in all scenarios. CONCLUSIONS: While this study provides modest support for the positive impact of Teen Court, additional research is needed to better understand how juvenile diversion programs can improve youth outcomes