6,406 research outputs found
Effects of infrequent dried distillers grain supplementation on spring-calving cow performance
Feed and supplement costs and the expenses associated with delivery of winter supplements
account for a large proportion of the total operating expenditures for cow-calf
producers. Cattle grazing low-quality dormant native range (<6% crude protein) typically
are unable to consume sufficient protein from the forage base, which limits microbial
activity and forage digestion. Supplemental protein often is required to maintain
cow body weight and body condition score during the last trimester of pregnancy. Low
cow body condition scores at calving are common and may negatively affect lactation,
rebreeding rates, and calf weaning weight. Failure to maintain proper nutritional status
during this period severely affects short-term cow performance, reduces overall herd
productivity, and limits profit potential.
The most effective means of supplying supplemental protein to cows consuming
dormant native range is to provide a small amount of high-protein feedstuff (>30%
crude protein). Dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) are a by-product of the
ethanol refining process. Distillers grains supply the recommended 30% crude protein
level, are readily available, and often are favorably priced compared with more traditional
feedstuffs.
With the rising costs of inputs in today’s cow-calf sector, reducing cost is necessary to
maintain viability of the national cowherd. Reducing the frequency of supplementation
results in less labor and fuel use, effectively reducing input costs; however, this is viable
only as long as cow performance is maintained at acceptable levels. Therefore, the objective
of this study was to examine the effects of infrequent supplementation of dried
distillers grains with solubles on cow body weight and body condition score
Calf health and performance during receiving is not changed by fence-line preconditioning on flint hills range vs. drylot preconditioning
Ranch-of-origin preconditioning can improve the welfare and performance of beef
calves by decreasing the stress associated with weaning, transport, diet change, and
commingling with other calves. Preconditioning methods that involve pasture weaning
coupled with maternal contact (i.e., fence-line weaning) have been promoted as possible
best management practices for minimizing stress. Prior studies focused on performance
and behavior during preconditioning on the ranch of origin. Little information has
been published relating to carryover effects of fence-line preconditioning compared
with conventional drylot preconditioning on performance and behavior during feedlot
receiving.
Our objectives were to measure growth and health during a 28-day ranch-of-origin
preconditioning phase and during a 60-day feedlot receiving phase among beef calves
subjected to 1 of 3 ranch-of-origin preconditioning programs: (1) drylot preconditioning
+ dam separation, (2) pasture preconditioning + fence-line contact with dams, and
(3) pasture preconditioning + fence-line contact with dams + supplemental feed delivered
in a bunk. In addition, we recorded incidences of behavioral distress among these
treatments during first 7 days of feedlot receiving
Optoelectronic Reservoir Computing
Reservoir computing is a recently introduced, highly efficient bio-inspired
approach for processing time dependent data. The basic scheme of reservoir
computing consists of a non linear recurrent dynamical system coupled to a
single input layer and a single output layer. Within these constraints many
implementations are possible. Here we report an opto-electronic implementation
of reservoir computing based on a recently proposed architecture consisting of
a single non linear node and a delay line. Our implementation is sufficiently
fast for real time information processing. We illustrate its performance on
tasks of practical importance such as nonlinear channel equalization and speech
recognition, and obtain results comparable to state of the art digital
implementations.Comment: Contains main paper and two Supplementary Material
Dynamics of axial separation in long rotating drums
We propose a continuum description for the axial separation of granular
materials in a long rotating drum. The model, operating with two local
variables, concentration difference and the dynamic angle of repose, describes
both initial transient traveling wave dynamics and long-term segregation of the
binary mixture. Segregation proceeds through ultra-slow logarithmic coarsening.Comment: 4 pages, 3 Postscript figures; submitted to PR
Signature of the matching field in Bose-glass melting of untwinned YBa_2Cu_3O_(7-δ) single crystals
We map out the phase boundary separating the Bose-glass and vortex-liquid phases in an irradiated twin-free YBa_2Cu_3O_(7-δ) single crystal. We take the phase boundary to be the temperature T_g and magnetic field H at which the crystal begins to screen a small ac magnetic field, h_(ac). There is a significant change in slope dT_g/dH of the phase boundary at the matching field B_Φ (≃0.5 T) indicating that interstitial vortices significantly weaken pinning in the Bose-glass state. There is also a pronounced peak in the slope dT_g/dH just below B_Φ at higher h_(ac). Both features disappear when the field is tilted away from the columns
Bose glass melting and the transverse Meissner effect in YBa_2Cu_3O_(7-δ) single crystals
We map out the phase boundary separating the vortex solid and liquid phases in YBa_2Cu_3O_(7-δ) (YBCO) single crystals with irradiation-induced columnar defects. These randomly distributed, extended defects are expected to localize vortices into a "Bose glass" phase. The transition from the vortex liquid into the Bose glass is predicted to exhibit two fundamental signatures: a vanishing of the linear resistivity and, concomitantly, a screening of de magnetic fields applied perpendicular to the defect axis, the transverse Meissner effect. We have investigated both aspects by systematic measurements on two YBCO single crystals with different defect densities (matching fields of 0.25 and 0.5 T), as well as on an unirradiated control sample. The melting line determined by the temperature, T_m, of vanishing resistance undergoes a 30% decrease in slope as the magnetic field is ramped through the matching field. This is evidence that interstitial vortices are pinned much more weakly than originally thought. If we associate the melting temperature with the Bose glass transition temperature, we obtain static critical exponents of ν⊥=1.7±0.2 and ν⊥=1.9±0.1 for the crystals with matching fields of 0.25 and 0.5 T, respectively. Simultaneously, we use a ten-element, linear array of microfabricated Hall probe magnetometers to observe directly the flux screening associated with the transverse Meissner state. We find the temperature above which the Meissner state breaks down, T_s, to decrease linearly as the magnetic field applied perpendicular to the columnar defect axis increases. This linear trend, found in both irradiated crystals to cover a range of at least 40 K in T_s, is closely in line with the current theoretical expectation ν⊥≃1. However, already for angles as small as one degree, T_s(H⊥) falls below T_m(H⊥) by more than 10 K. Thus, between Ts(H⊥) and T_m(H⊥) we observe a large regime characterized by zero resistivity in the absence of a transverse Meissner effect: vortices remain effectively localized even when rotated off the columnar defects
Geologic Mapping of Athabasca Valles
We are approaching the end of the third year of mapping the Athabasca Valles region of Mars. The linework has been adjusted in response to new CTX images and we are on schedule to submit the 4 MTM quads (05202, 05207, 10202, 10207) and ac-companying paper by the end of this fiscal year
Clustering and Non-Gaussian Behavior in Granular Matter
We investigate the properties of a model of granular matter consisting of
Brownian particles on a line subject to inelastic mutual collisions. This model
displays a genuine thermodynamic limit for the mean values of the energy and
the energy dissipation. When the typical relaxation time associated with
the Brownian process is small compared with the mean collision time
the spatial density is nearly homogeneous and the velocity probability
distribution is gaussian. In the opposite limit one has
strong spatial clustering, with a fractal distribution of particles, and the
velocity probability distribution strongly deviates from the gaussian one.Comment: 4 pages including 3 eps figures, LaTex, added references, corrected
typos, minimally changed contents and abstract, to published in
Phys.Rev.Lett. (tentatively on 28th of October, 1998
Geologic Mapping of Athabasca Valles
Two factors drive us to map the Athabasca Valles area in unusual detail: (1) the extremely well-preserved and exposed surface morphologies and (2) the extensive high resolution imaging. In particular, the near-complete CTX coverage of Athabasca Valles proper and the extensive coverage of its surroundings have been invaluable. The mapping has been done exclusively in ArcGIS, using individual CTX, THEMIS VIS, and MOC frames overlying the THEMIS IR daytime basemap. MOLA shot points and gridded DTMs are also included. It was found that CTX images processed through ISIS are almost always within 300 m of the MOLA derived locations, and usually within tens of meters, with no adjustments to camera pointing. THEMIS VIS images appear to be systematically shifted to the southwest of their correct positions and MOC images are often kilometers off. The good SNR and minimal artifacts make the CTX images vastly more useful than the THEMIS VIS or MOC images. The bulk of the mapping was done at 1:50,000 scale on CTX images. In more complex areas, mapping at 1:24,000 proved necessary. The CTX images were usually simultaneously viewed on a second monitor using the ISIS3 qview program to display the full dynamic range of the CTX data. Where CTX data was not available, mapping was often done at 1:100,000 and most contacts are mapped as approximate
Functional properties of brewer’s spent grain protein isolate. The missing piece in the plant protein portfolio
Plant protein sources, as a part of developing sustainable food systems, are currently of interest globally. Brewer’s spent grain (BSG) is the most plentiful by-product of the brewing industry, representing ~85% of the total side streams produced. Although nutritionally dense, there are very few methods of upcycling these materials. High in protein, BSG can serve as an ideal raw material for protein isolate production. This study details the nutritional and functional characteristics of BSG protein isolate, EverPro, and compares these with the technological performance of the current gold standard plant protein isolates, pea and soy. The compositional characteristics are determined, including amino acid analysis, protein solubility, and protein profile among others. Related physical properties are determined, including foaming characteristics, emulsifying properties, zeta potential, surface hydrophobicity, and rheological properties. Regarding nutrition, EverPro meets or exceeds the requirement of each essential amino acid per g protein, with the exception of lysine, while pea and soy are deficient in methionine and cysteine. EverPro has a similar protein content to the pea and soy isolates, but far exceeds them in terms of protein solubility, with a protein solubility of ~100% compared to 22% and 52% for pea and soy isolates, respectively. This increased solubility, in turn, affects other functional properties; EverPro displays the highest foaming capacity and exhibits low sedimentation activity, while also possessing minimal gelation properties and low emulsion stabilising activity when compared to pea and soy isolates. This study outlines the functional and nutritional properties of EverPro, a brewer’s spent grain protein, in comparison to commercial plant protein isolates, indicating the potential for the inclusion of new, sustainable plant-based protein sources in human nutrition, in particular dairy alternative applications
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