Capturing genetic gains in productivity with heterosis

The National Swine Registry (NSR) has two long term goals: 1) to register purebred pigs and thus assure breed purity and 2) encourage genetic progress through performance testing - genetic selection programs. The continued production of purebred lines assures that a number of breeds are available to produce females and terminal cross pigs with high levels of heterosis. Purebred breeders, whose customers are commercial swine producers, have produced substantial rates of genetic progress by use of the STAGES program

Genetic Aspects of Female Longevity

Longevity of the breeding female has both economic and animal welfare implications for the swine industry. High culling levels lead to increased replacement rates and reduce lifetime productivity for individual breeding females and the breeding herd. Greater replacement rates increase production costs related to purchase (or development), isolation, and acclimation of replacement females. PigCHAMP [1-5] summaries (Table 1) from 1998 through 2003, report annualized replacement rates of \u3e 50% and average herd parity of only 2.5 litters. Breeding herd productivity and economic sustainability are compromised when females are culled early in life and prior to achieving a positive return on investment. Breeding program design and genetic selection decisions clearly influence sow longevity and establish the base for a profitable, sustainable breeding herd

The Effect of Substituting High Oil Corn as a Replacement for Normal Corn in Nursery Pig Diets

The objective of this study was to determine the production and monetary effects of using High Oil Corn (HOC) in a nursery phase feeding program and monitor growth performance differences through marketing. Two groups of weaned crossbred pigs (n = 293 trial 1; n = 265 trial 2) were segregated by sex and weight into small, medium and heavy groups and allotted to 12 nursery pens. Pigs received one of two dietary treatments which included; a transitional phase I diet for 7 days; a commercial corn soy based phase II diet (NCII) for 14 days and a phase III diet (NCIII) for 7 days; a HOC soy based phase II diet for 21 days and the NCIII diet for 7 days. Body weight, Average daily feed intake and Gain/Feed (G/F) ratios were measured weekly during the nursery period. Pigs were transferred to a grow/finish barn on d 28 post-weaning. Body weight, Backfat (BF) and Longissimus Muscle Area (LMA) at the 10th and last ribs were ultrasonically evaluated 4 times prior to market. Average daily gain of nursery pigs on the three-phase NC diet was greater than pigs fed the HOC two-phase diet at d 21 post-weaning (p = .0034) and 28 post-weaning (p = .0128). ADG for heavy pigs was greater (p = .0001) than that of medium and lightweight pigs and no treatment�weight group interactions were observed (p = .2043). Pigs fed the three-phase diet had greater G/F ratios than pigs fed the HOC two-phase diet at d 21 (p = .0137) and 28 (p = .0134). LEA for pigs fed the three-phase diet was greater than pigs fed the HOC two-phase diet when measured on d 28 at the 10th (p = .0565) and last rib (p = .0370). Even though pigs were fed alike in the grow-finish period, ADG of pigs fed the three-phase nursery diet was greater (p = .0106) than that of pigs fed the HOC two-phase nursery diet. There were no differences in the predicted 114 kg weight (p = .2658). However, economic differences were noted for the two treatments with the HOC two-phase diet lowering the cost of production of marketed animals. There were no treatment differences for average daily lean growth per day (p = .8611) or percentage lean of carcasses (p = .2865). The results did not support removal of the transitional phase I diet and the substitution of HOC for NC in a phase II diet fed to nursery pigs for maximal nursery growth, nor was carcass composition of pigs at marketing adversely affected

Early appearance of 2, 3-butanediol in acute myocardial infarction. A new marker for ischaemia?

In 28 patients with acute myocardial infarction, the release pattern of 2, 3-butanediol (BD), a product of intermediary metabolism, and creatine kinase activity (CK) in blood were compared. Whereas CKat entry was low in all patients, the BD level was elevated in 18 (64%). However, BD returned to normal levels during the next 24 h whereas CK increased. The BD level at entry did not allow differentiation between patients with transmural or non-transmural infarction; it was independent of clinical findings and biochemical parameters. We suggest that, in patients with acute myocardial infarction, elevated levels of BD originates from myo-cardial metabolism. Whether it reflects ongoing ischaemia or reperfusion of the infarcted area remains unresolve

The Effects of Long Term Selection for Reduced Backfat and Increased Loin Muscle Area on Meat and Eating Quality Traits in Duroc Swine

A study was conducted to evaluate differences in performance, carcass composition, and eating quality characteristics of pigs sired by purebred Duroc boars currently available and pigs sired by purebred Duroc boars from the mid 1980’s. Two lines were developed by splitting and randomly allocating littermate and ½ sib pairs of females to matings by current (CTP) or old (OTP) time period boars. Subsequent boar, barrow, and gilt progeny from two replications were weighed on test at a group mean live weight of 140 lbs. Off-test ultrasonic LMA, BF10, and IMF measurements were collected on 789 pigs at a mean live weight of 240 lb. Records on pigs sired by CTP boars, from both replications (n=556), represented 23 sires while pigs sired by OTP boars (n=231) consisted of 15 sire groups. All available barrows and randomly selected gilts (n=277) were sent to a commercial abattoir and measurements of tenth-rib backfat (CBF10), last rib backfat (CLRBF), last lumbar backfat (CLLBF), and loin muscle area (CLMA) were collected. Chemical intramuscular fat percentage was determined by lab analysis of a loin sample from the 10th rib face of the longissimus muscle. Additional meat and eating quality traits measured were: Minolta reflectance and Hunter L (24 and 48 h); pH (24 h and 7 d); water holding capacity; subjective visual scores for color, marbling, and firmness (48 h); Instron tenderness, cooking loss, and trained sensory panel evaluations (7 d). Six serial ultrasonic measurements of 10th rib loin muscle area (LMA), off-midline backfat (BF10), and intramuscular fat percentage (IMF) from the first replication were collected every two weeks and used to assess deposition rate and growth pattern differences. There was no significant difference in average daily gain of pigs sired by boars from the two time periods. Pigs sired by CTP boars had larger (P \u3c 0.05) LMA measurements and less BF10, while pigs sired by OTP had significantly more IMF. Carcass evaluation revealed larger CLMA measurements, and significantly less CBF10, CLRBF, and CLLBF measurements for pigs sired by CTP boars. Pigs sired by OTP boars had a higher intramuscular fat percentage, lower Instron tenderness values, and higher subjective marbling and color scores than pigs sired by CTP boars (P \u3c 0.05). There were no significant differences between time periods for Minolta reflectance, Hunter L (24 and 48 h), water holding capacity, pH (24 h and 7 d), and subjective firmness scores. Trained sensory evaluations revealed higher (P \u3c 0.05) flavor scores and lower off-flavor scores for OTP sired pigs; however, no significant differences in tenderness score, juiciness score, chewiness score, and cooking loss were found between lines. Progeny of OTP boars began the test period at heavier weights and begin to decrease in daily body weight gain toward the conclusion of the test period, finishing with no advantage in body weight when compared to progeny of CTP boars. The analysis of serial backfat measurements revealed a linear pattern of backfat deposition between 150 and 270 lbs. Pigs sired by OTP boars deposited more backfat (

Experimental partitioning of halogens and other trace elements between olivine, pyroxenes, amphibole and aqueous fluid at 2 GPa and 900–1,300 °C

We present new partition coefficients for various trace elements including Cl between olivine, pyroxenes, amphibole and coexisting chlorine-bearing aqueous fluid in a series of high-pressure experiments at 2 GPa between 900 and 1,300 °C in natural and synthetic systems. Diamond aggregates were added to the experimental capsule set-up in order to separate the fluid from the solid residue and enable in situ analysis of the quenched solute by LA–ICP–MS. The chlorine and fluorine contents in mantle minerals were measured by electron microprobe, and the nature of OH defects was investigated by infrared spectroscopy. Furthermore, a fluorine-rich olivine from one selected sample was investigated by TEM. Results reveal average Cl concentrations in olivine and pyroxenes around 20 ppm and up to 900 ppm F in olivine, making olivine an important repository of halogens in the mantle. Chlorine is always incompatible with Cl partition coefficients D Cl olivine/fluid varying between 10−5 and 10−3, whereas D Cl orthopyroxene/fluid and D Cl clinopyroxene/fluid are ~10−4 and D Cl amphibole/fluid is ~5 × 10−3. Furthermore, partitioning results for incompatible trace element show that compatibilities of trace elements are generally ordered as D amph/fluid ≈ D cpx/fluid > D opx/fluid > D ol/fluid but that D mineral/fluid for Li and P is very similar for all observed silicate phases. Infrared spectra of olivine synthesized in a F-free Ti-bearing system show absorption bands at 3,525 and ~3,570 cm−1. In F ± TiO2-bearing systems, additional absorption bands appear at ~3,535, ~3,595, 3,640 and 3,670 cm−1. Absorption bands at ~3,530 and ~3,570 cm−1, previously assigned to humite-like point defects, profit from low synthesis temperatures and the presence of F. The presence of planar defects could not be proved by TEM investigations, but dislocations in the olivine lattice were observed and are suggested to be an important site for halogen incorporation in olivine

Selection for Intramuscular Fat in Duroc Swine – An Update

Long-term progress or improvement in many economically important traits is ultimately the responsibility of the seedstock supplier. If selection progress is to be made in traits of economic importance, the trait must: 1) be accurately measurable, 2) show sufficient heritability, and 3) display an adequate level of variation. For such reasons, tremendous progress has been made in the swine industry toward increasing lean meat percentage over the past quarter century. However, in more recent years, meat quality traits have received more attention and have become more important in breeding programs as producers and processors try to meet consumer demands for high quality, nutritious products

On-pump beating heart coronary surgery for high risk patients requiring emergency multiple coronary artery bypass grafting

BACKGROUND: Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) with aortic cross-clamping and cardioplegic arrest remains the method of choice for patients requiring standard myocardial revascularization. Therefore, very high-risk patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome, unstable angina, onset of cardiac decompensation and requiring emergency multiple myocardial revascularization, can have a poor outcome. The on-pump beating heart technique can reduce the mortality and the morbidity in such a selected group of patients and this report describes our clinical experience. METHODS: Out of 290 patients operated for CABG from January 2005 to January 2006, 25 (8.6%) selected high-risk patients suffering from life threatening coronary syndrome (mean age 69 +/- 7 years) and requiring emergency multiple myocardial revascularization, underwent on-pump beating heart surgery. The mean pre-operative left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF) was 27 +/- 8%. The majority of them (88%) suffered of tri-vessel coronary disease and 6 (24%) had a left main stump disease. Nine patients (35%) were on severe cardiac failure and seven among them (28%) received a pre-operative intra-aortic balloon pump. The pre-operative EuroScore rate was equal or above 8 in 18 patients (73%). RESULTS: All patients underwent on-pump-beating heart coronary revascularization. The mean number of graft/patient was 2.9 +/- 0.6 and the internal mammary artery was used in 23 patients (92%). The mean CPB time was 84 +/- 19 minutes. Two patients died during the recovery stay in the intensive care unit, and there were no postoperative myocardial infarctions between the survivors. Eight patients suffered of transitorily renal failure and 1 patient developed a sternal wound infection. The mean hospital stay was 12 +/- 7 days. The follow-up was complete for all 23 patients survived at surgery and the mean follow-up time was 14 +/- 5 months. One patient died during the follow-up for cardiac arrest and 2 patients required an implantable cardiac defibrillator. One year after surgery they all had a standard trans-thoracic echocardiogram showing a mean LVEF rate of 36 +/- 11.8%. CONCLUSION: Standard on-pump arrested heart coronary surgery has higher mortality and morbidity in emergencies. The on-pump beating heart myocardial revascularization seems to be a valid alternative for the restricted and selected cohort of patients suffering from life threatening coronary syndrome and requiring multiple emergency CABG