Age at puberty, ovulation rate, and uterine length of developing gilts fed two lysine and three metabolizable energy concentrations from 100 to 260 d of age

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of ad libitum feeding diets differing in standard ileal digestible (SID) lysine and ME concentrations that bracket those fed to developing gilts in U.S. commercial settings. Average SID lysine and ME concentrations in diets currently fed to developing gilts were obtained from a poll of the U.S. commercial swine industry. Crossbred Large White × Landrace gilts (n = 1,221), housed in groups, were randomly allotted to 6 corn-soybean diets in a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement formulated to provided 2 SID lysine and 3 ME concentrations. Gilts received grower diets formulated to provide 1.02% (control = survey average) or 0.86% (control minus 15%) SID lysine and 2.94, 3.25, or 3.57 (survey average ME ± 10%) Mcal of ME/kg from 100 d of age until approximately 90 kg BW. Then, gilts were fed finisher diet containing 0.85% (control = survey average) or 0.73% (control minus 15%) SID lysine and 2.94, 3.26, or 3.59 (control ± 10%) Mcal of ME/kg until 260 d of age. Gilts were weighed, and backfat thickness and loin muscle area were recorded at the beginning of the trial and then every 28 d. Starting at 160 d of age, gilts were exposed daily to vasectomized boars and observed for behavioral estrus. At approximately 260 d of age, gilts were slaughtered and their reproductive tract was collected. Each reproductive tract was examined to determine whether the gilt was cyclic, the stage of estrus cycle, ovulation rate, and uterine length. Data were evaluated for normality and analyzed using mixed model methods. Average age at puberty was 193 d of age with a range from 160 to 265 d. When all gilts on trial at 160 d of age were included in the analysis, 91.0% reached puberty as determine by observation of standing estrus. Differences between dietary treatments on age at puberty or measurements of the reproductive tract were not detected. Growth rates to 160 d were not limiting for attainment of puberty in response to daily boar stimulation from 160 d

Dietary lysine-to-energy ratios for managing growth and pubertal development in replacement gilts

Objective: Our objective was to determine growth rates, body composition, and pubertal development of replacement gilts fed diets with different ratios of standardized ileal digestible (SID) lysine to ME. Materials and Methods: Diets with low, medium, and high ratios of SID lysine to ME (grower: 2.3, 2.6, and 2.8; and, finisher; 1.7, 1.9, and 2.1 g/Mcal) were fed from 100 to 200 d of age, after which gilts were moved from the gilt development unit to sow farms. Boar exposure and estrus detection began at 160 d of age and continued until first detected estrus. Estimates of BW and body composition were determined at 100, 142, 160, and 200 d of age and at puberty. Results and Discussion: Body weights and growth rates were reduced (P \u3c 0.05) as dietary SID lysine–to– ME ratio decreased. Greater SID lysine–to–ME ratios increased the number of gilts that exhibited estrus upon boar exposure, increased the number of gilts with a spontaneous first estrus, reduced the number of gilts requiring P.G.600 (Merck Animal Health, Kenilworth, NJ), and decreased age at first estrus (P \u3c 0.05). Slower growing gilts that weighed less with less backfat were more likely to require P.G.600 to induce puberty (P \u3c 0.05). Implications and Applications: Reducing SID lysine– to–ME ratios in gilt diets can increase the number of gilts within optimal BW range at first estrus, but overall pubertal development is delayed if ratios are reduced below 2.8 and 2.1 g of SID lysine to megacalorie of ME in grower and finisher diets, respectively

THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS Optimal Thermal Management System for HALE UAV

ABSTRACT This paper discusses an optimal thermal management system for a High Altitude Long Endurance Unmanned Air vehicle (HALE UAV). It examines several configurations to reject waste heat from the vehicle's propulsion engine cooling system as well asthe avionic cooling system and identifies the configuration which has a minimum impact on aircraft endurance, component reliability, and development risks. The optimization process incorporates two basic heat rejection approaches. One is aconventional approach which rejects cooling system waste heat to the atmosphere, and the other is a waste heat recovery approach which converts a portion of the waste heat into electricity to power avionics. Both concepts were optimized for three types of propulsion engines: Spark Ignition Piston engines, Rotary engines, and Diesel engines

Reproduction on the Ranch

It is generally acknowledged that reproductive parameters are the most important components of a profitable beef operation. Research in beef cattle reproduction has led to a number of management strategies, each of which could improve efficiency of production and profitability. However, to make good decisions regarding applicability of these strategies to a specific operation requires a thorough cost:benefit:feasability analysis. Whether a strategy is appropriate for a given enterprise will be determined by the goals of the owner/manager and the human, animal, land and fiscal resources available. The following are a few of the most important considerations when making decisions regarding management of the reproductive process on a ranch

Multi-Point Design of Parallel Hybrid Aero Engines

A parallel hybrid configuration is a feasible means to reduce fuel consumption of gas turbines propelling aircraft. It introduces an electric drive on one of the spools of the gas turbine, typically the low pressure spool. The electric drive is supplied by a battery, which can also be charged when excess power is available (for instance during conditions requiring handling bleed in conventional designs). It also requires a thermal management system to dissipate heat away from electric components. While the scientific literature describes parallel hybrid studies and anticipated benefits assuming various future entry into service dates, there is limited information on the design of the gas turbine component of such a system. For conventional gas turbines, multi-point design schemes are used. This paper describes, in a consistent fashion and based on a formalized notation, how such multi-point design schemes are applied to parallel hybrid aero engines. It interprets published approaches, fills gaps in methodology descriptions with meaningful assumptions and summarizes design intent. It also discusses cycle designs generated by different methodologies based on the same cycle model. Results show that closure equations prescribing boost power can be preferable over closure equations prescribing temperature ratios for uniqueness and engineering intuitiveness while the latter can be beneficial in a second step for design space exploration

Effect of feeding three lysine to energy diets on growth, body composition and age at puberty in replacement gilts

This study evaluated the effect of diets differing in standard ileal digestible (SID) lysine on lysine intake, growth rate, body composition and age at puberty on maternal line gilts. Crossbred Large White × Landrace gilts (n = 641) were fed corn-soybean diets differing in SID lysine concentration (%, g SID lysine:Mcal ME); diets were not isocaloric. Gilts received three grower, finisher diet combinations: low (0.68% lysine grower, 0.52% lysine finisher), medium (0.79% lysine grower, 0.60% lysine finisher) or high (0.90% lysine grower, 0.68% lysine finisher). Grower diets were fed from 100 until 142 days of age, and finisher diets were fed until they reached 220 days of age. Body weight (BW), backfat thickness (BF), and loin depth (LD) were recorded every 28 days. From 160–220 days of age, gilts were exposed daily to vasectomized boars and observed for behavioral estrus. Gilts fed the low lysine diet had lower average daily gain and BW (P 0.05), but not fat depth:LD ratio. The percentage of gilts that displayed natural estrus by 220 days of age was low but not different among dietary treatments (low 27.7%, medium 31.0% and high 37.7%, respectively; P = 0.1201). Gilts fed the high and medium diets reached puberty 10 and 6 days earlier, however, than gilts fed the low lysine diet (P porcine epidemic diarrhea (PEDv) just as boar exposure was to begin for the first group of gilts. Results from the present study indicate that growth rate and age at puberty can be altered by ad libitum fed diets that differ in SID lysine concentration.This article is published as Díaz, JA Calderón, J. L. Vallet, R. D. Boyd, C. A. Lents, T. J. Prince, A. E. DeDecker, C. E. Phillips, George Foxcroft, and K. J. Stalder. "Effect of feeding three lysine to energy diets on growth, body composition and age at puberty in replacement gilts." Animal reproduction science 184 (2017): 1-10. doi: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2017.06.007.</p

Dietary lysine-to-energy ratios for managing growth and pubertal development in replacement gilts

Objective: Our objective was to determine growth rates, body composition, and pubertal development of replacement gilts fed diets with different ratios of standardized ileal digestible (SID) lysine to ME. Materials and Methods: Diets with low, medium, and high ratios of SID lysine to ME (grower: 2.3, 2.6, and 2.8; and, finisher; 1.7, 1.9, and 2.1 g/Mcal) were fed from 100 to 200 d of age, after which gilts were moved from the gilt development unit to sow farms. Boar exposure and estrus detection began at 160 d of age and continued until first detected estrus. Estimates of BW and body composition were determined at 100, 142, 160, and 200 d of age and at puberty. Results and Discussion: Body weights and growth rates were reduced (P Implications and Applications: Reducing SID lysine– to–ME ratios in gilt diets can increase the number of gilts within optimal BW range at first estrus, but overall pubertal development is delayed if ratios are reduced below 2.8 and 2.1 g of SID lysine to megacalorie of ME in grower and finisher diets, respectively.This article is published as Lents, C. A., C. Supakorn, A. E. DeDecker, C. E. Phillips, R. D. Boyd, J. L. Vallet, G. A. Rohrer et al. "Dietary lysine-to-energy ratios for managing growth and pubertal development in replacement gilts." Applied Animal Science 36, no. 5 (2020): 701-714. doi: 10.15232/aas.2020-02016.</p

Age at puberty, ovulation rate, and uterine length of developing gilts fed two lysine and three metabolizable energy concentrations from 100 to 260 d of age

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of ad libitum feeding diets differing in standard ileal digestible (SID) lysine and ME concentrations that bracket those fed to developing gilts in U.S. commercial settings. Average SID lysine and ME concentrations in diets currently fed to developing gilts were obtained from a poll of the U.S. commercial swine industry. Crossbred Large White × Landrace gilts (n = 1,221), housed in groups, were randomly allotted to 6 corn-soybean diets in a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement formulated to provided 2 SID lysine and 3 ME concentrations. Gilts received grower diets formulated to provide 1.02% (control = survey average) or 0.86% (control minus 15%) SID lysine and 2.94, 3.25, or 3.57 (survey average ME ± 10%) Mcal of ME/kg from 100 d of age until approximately 90 kg BW. Then, gilts were fed finisher diet containing 0.85% (control = survey average) or 0.73% (control minus 15%) SID lysine and 2.94, 3.26, or 3.59 (control ± 10%) Mcal of ME/kg until 260 d of age. Gilts were weighed, and backfat thickness and loin muscle area were recorded at the beginning of the trial and then every 28 d. Starting at 160 d of age, gilts were exposed daily to vasectomized boars and observed for behavioral estrus. At approximately 260 d of age, gilts were slaughtered and their reproductive tract was collected. Each reproductive tract was examined to determine whether the gilt was cyclic, the stage of estrus cycle, ovulation rate, and uterine length. Data were evaluated for normality and analyzed using mixed model methods. Average age at puberty was 193 d of age with a range from 160 to 265 d. When all gilts on trial at 160 d of age were included in the analysis, 91.0% reached puberty as determine by observation of standing estrus. Differences between dietary treatments on age at puberty or measurements of the reproductive tract were not detected. Growth rates to 160 d were not limiting for attainment of puberty in response to daily boar stimulation from 160 d.This article is published as Calderón Díaz, J. A., J. L. Vallet, C. A. Lents, D. J. Nonneman, J. R. Miles, E. C. Wright, L. A. Rempel et al. "Age at puberty, ovulation rate, and uterine length of developing gilts fed two lysine and three metabolizable energy concentrations from 100 to 260 d of age." Journal of animal science 93, no. 7 (2015): 3521-3527. doi: 10.2527/jas.2014-8522.</p