Evaluation of Feather Meal as a Source of Sulfur Amino Acids for Growing Steers

In situ and digestion studies were conducted to evaluate feather meal (FTH), blood meal (BM), and meat and bone meal (MBM) for escape protein content, amino acid composition of the escape protein, true protein digestibility, and digestibility of the individual amino acids. Following 12 h of ruminal incubation, escape protein values were 73.5, 92.4, and 60.8% of CP for FTH, BM, and MBM, respectively. Blood meal and MBM were poor sources of sulfur amino acids (SAA), whereas FTH was a good source. Most of the SAA of FTH, however, was Cys, with very little Met. True protein digestibilities were not different for the protein sources (P \u3e .15), ranging from 86.7 to 94.0% of the CP. However, digestibilities of the individual amino acids were quite different. Two growth studies were conducted to evaluate FTH as a source of SAA for growing cattle. The first study used 120 steers (228 ± 15 kg) supplemented with urea, MBM, MBM plus 1% FTH, or MBM plus 2% FTH. Additionally, incremental amounts of rumen-protected Met were added to treatments containing MBM. Supplementation of MBM increased (P \u3c .05) ADG compared with the urea control. Addition of FTH to MBM resulted in a linear (P \u3c .01) increase in ADG. However, addition of rumen-protected Met to MBM plus FTH treatments further improved gains. Although FTH is an effective source of SAA, Met probably was first-limiting. The second study used 90 steers (243 ± 18 kg) supplemented with BM plus incremental amounts of SAA from either FTH or rumen-protected Met. Addition of SAA improved ADG compared with BM alone (P \u3c .05). Rumen-protected Met as a source of SAA improved ADG compared with FTH (P \u3c .05). The SAA from FTH promoted a gain response equal to 50% of the response obtained with rumen-protected Met. Formulation of ruminant diets for metabolizable amino acids must account for escape value and digestibility of each individual amino acid. Feather meal is an effective source of SAA; however, Cys supplies over five times the amount supplied by Met

Evaluation of Feather Meal as a Source of Sulfur Amino Acids for Growing Steers

In situ and digestion studies were conducted to evaluate feather meal (FTH), blood meal (BM), and meat and bone meal (MBM) for escape protein content, amino acid composition of the escape protein, true protein digestibility, and digestibility of the individual amino acids. Following 12 h of ruminal incubation, escape protein values were 73.5, 92.4, and 60.8% of CP for FTH, BM, and MBM, respectively. Blood meal and MBM were poor sources of sulfur amino acids (SAA), whereas FTH was a good source. Most of the SAA of FTH, however, was Cys, with very little Met. True protein digestibilities were not different for the protein sources (P \u3e .15), ranging from 86.7 to 94.0% of the CP. However, digestibilities of the individual amino acids were quite different. Two growth studies were conducted to evaluate FTH as a source of SAA for growing cattle. The first study used 120 steers (228 ± 15 kg) supplemented with urea, MBM, MBM plus 1% FTH, or MBM plus 2% FTH. Additionally, incremental amounts of rumen-protected Met were added to treatments containing MBM. Supplementation of MBM increased (P \u3c .05) ADG compared with the urea control. Addition of FTH to MBM resulted in a linear (P \u3c .01) increase in ADG. However, addition of rumen-protected Met to MBM plus FTH treatments further improved gains. Although FTH is an effective source of SAA, Met probably was first-limiting. The second study used 90 steers (243 ± 18 kg) supplemented with BM plus incremental amounts of SAA from either FTH or rumen-protected Met. Addition of SAA improved ADG compared with BM alone (P \u3c .05). Rumen-protected Met as a source of SAA improved ADG compared with FTH (P \u3c .05). The SAA from FTH promoted a gain response equal to 50% of the response obtained with rumen-protected Met. Formulation of ruminant diets for metabolizable amino acids must account for escape value and digestibility of each individual amino acid. Feather meal is an effective source of SAA; however, Cys supplies over five times the amount supplied by Met

The Use of Plasma Urea as an Indicator of Protein Status in Growing-Finishing Pigs

An experiment is being conducted on commercial swine operations to determine if plasma urea concentration can be used as an indicator of protein status in growing-finishing pigs. Swine producers in Eastern Nebraska are being selected to participate in this on-farm study. The experiment includes the completion of a 30-question survey and an on-farm visit for the collection of blood and feed samples. The survey includes questions about genetics, nutrition, housing and health. Preliminary results suggest that crude protein is overfed in most finishing diets. Gilts consistently have lower plasma urea concentrations than barrows when gilts and barrows are fed the same diet during the finishing growth period. This confirms the concept that gilts utilize protein more efficiently for lean growth. These results suggest that within an individual swine operation, plasma urea is a useful indicator of protein status in growing-finishing pigs

Dietary Amino Acid Utilization for Body Protein Deposition — Current and Future Research

In modern pork production it is important to maximize the animal’s potential for daily lean gain by increasing the body protein deposition with as little wastage of the ingested amino acids as possible. Therefore, it is important to maximize the efficiency with which dietary amino acids are used for protein deposition or lean gain. This efficiency is measured by using nitrogen balance studies or comparative slaughter procedures. Supplementing swine diets with crystalline amino acids and replacing part of the dietary protein can reduce diet cost and will also reduce the amount of nitrogen excreted in manure. However, it has been demonstrated that the efficiency of utilization of crystalline amino acids may be lower than that of amino acids bound in protein. Although the reasons for this are unclear, it may be associated with the frequency of feeding and differences in the rate of absorption between the two sources of amino acids. Research in progress is designed to investigate the efficiency with which crystalline lysine is utilized for protein deposition in nursery pigs. This research will obtain additional information about the relative utilization of crystalline and protein-bound amino acids

Evaluation of 2d Electrical Resistivity Imaging and Self- Potential Anomalies over Agbani Sandstone, Southern Benue Trough: Implication for Sulphide Ore Enrichment

The evaluation of 2D electrical resistivity imaging and self potential anomalies over Agbani Sandstone has been carried out. The aim of the study was to investigate the possible/lateral extent of rock types, mineralization potential and their implication for sulphide ore enrichment. Data was acquired using the versatile ohmega resistivity meter, employing wenner configuration and the direct measurement method. Data set were analysed using the Res2dinv and Excel tool kits. Interpretation was basically qualitative. Based on the 2D electrical resistivity interpretation, Agbani sandstone is laterally limited in extent with fractures/joints, while the mineralization potential is high as the result of the high negative sp anomalies. The negative sp value range is -100mV to -500mV. This is practically indicative of a sulphide ore bodies- possibly Pyrite (FeS2). Possible sulphide ore enrichment model is by gravity flow. The fractures/joints are possible ore enrichment zones. However, stream sediments analysis and rock geochemical studies are recommended. Keywords:2D resistivity, Self potential, Mineralization potential, Pyrite, enrichment zone, Agbani sandstone

Paleoenvironmental Analysis of Sandstone Deposits within ESUT Agbani Campus, Enugu State, Nigeria, using Pebble Morphometry and Textural Analysis

Pebble morphometric and textural analysis were carried out on the sandstone deposits within the Agbani Campus of Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) in an attempt to reconstruct the paleoenvironment of deposition. The area has four major lithological units which include: Coarse Sandstone, Medium Sandstone, Clayey Shale and Very Fine to Fine Sandstone. A total of ninety fresh Quartz pebbles (fifteen each from six locations) were collected for Pebble analysis and five sandstone samples were collected for sieve analysis. Morphometric parameters such as size, flatness ratio, elongation ratio, maximum projection sphericity, form geometry and oblate index were computed. Bivariate scattergrams of roundness versus oblate-prolate index were also plotted.Results show that the coefficient of flatness for the area range from 45.76 to 226.6    while mean values of sphericity and oblate prolate index ranges from 0.061 to 7.615 and 0.746 to 18.872 respectively. These values suggest fluvial origin for the pebbles. Scatter plots of coefficient of flatness versus sphericity and sphericity versus oblate-prolate index suggests that the pebbles were formed in a fluvial environment. Bivariate plots of sand-textural parameters such as simple skewness against simple standard deviation also suggest that the sediments are more of a fluvial and partly shallow marine environment. The widespread of Orphiomopha, Skolitus and Rhizocolarium in the area supports the idea of a near shore depositional environment. Keywords: Pebble Morphometry, Paleoenvironment, Coefficient of Flatness, Oblate-prolate Index, Roundnes

Optimizing sustainment logistics for a U.S. Army infantry brigade combat team with integer programming

Proceedings of the 49th Annual Meeting of Western Decision Sciences Institute. The article of record as published may be found at http://wdsinet.org/Annual_Meetings/2020_Proceedings/ProceedingsPapers.htmlThe U.S. Army has directed the manning and equipping Brigade Support Battalions to fulfill the organic sustainment needs of brigades, as An Army Infantry Brigade Combat Team cannot organically transport all of its assigned assets. We formulated an integer programming model to optimize sustainment outcomes of supported units and analyze risk associated with shortfalls that may arise. We developed a scenario reflecting the steady resupply of an Infantry BCT during combat operations and a system for prioritizing competing resupply needs. Our mathematical modeling framework provides a foundation on which more advanced applications and analysis can be developed in the future

Nonlinear multi-state tunneling dynamics in a spinor Bose-Einstein condensate

We present an experimental realization of dynamic self-trapping and non-exponential tunneling in a multi-state system consisting of ultracold sodium spinor gases confined in moving optical lattices. Taking advantage of the fact that the tunneling process in the sodium spinor system is resolvable over a broader dynamic energy scale than previously observed in rubidium scalar gases, we demonstrate that the tunneling dynamics in the multi-state system strongly depends on an interaction induced nonlinearity and is influenced by the spin degree of freedom under certain conditions. We develop a rigorous multi-state tunneling model to describe the observed dynamics. Combined with our recent observation of spatially-manipulated spin dynamics, these results open up prospects for alternative multi-state ramps and state transfer protocols

Continuous and discrete Clebsch variational principles

The Clebsch method provides a unifying approach for deriving variational principles for continuous and discrete dynamical systems where elements of a vector space are used to control dynamics on the cotangent bundle of a Lie group \emph{via} a velocity map. This paper proves a reduction theorem which states that the canonical variables on the Lie group can be eliminated, if and only if the velocity map is a Lie algebra action, thereby producing the Euler-Poincar\'e (EP) equation for the vector space variables. In this case, the map from the canonical variables on the Lie group to the vector space is the standard momentum map defined using the diamond operator. We apply the Clebsch method in examples of the rotating rigid body and the incompressible Euler equations. Along the way, we explain how singular solutions of the EP equation for the diffeomorphism group (EPDiff) arise as momentum maps in the Clebsch approach. In the case of finite dimensional Lie groups, the Clebsch variational principle is discretised to produce a variational integrator for the dynamical system. We obtain a discrete map from which the variables on the cotangent bundle of a Lie group may be eliminated to produce a discrete EP equation for elements of the vector space. We give an integrator for the rotating rigid body as an example. We also briefly discuss how to discretise infinite-dimensional Clebsch systems, so as to produce conservative numerical methods for fluid dynamics

Relating imperatives to action

The aim of this chapter is to provide an analysis of the use of logically complex imperatives, in particular, imperatives of the form Do A1 or A2 and Do A, if B. We argue for an analysis of imperatives in terms of classical logic which takes into account the influence of background information on imperatives. We show that by doing so one can avoid some counter-intuitive results which have been associated with analyses of imperatives in terms of classical logic. In particular, I address Hamblin's observations concerning rule-like imperatives and Ross' Paradox. The analysis is carried out within an agent-based logical framework. This analysis explicates what it means for an agent to have a successful policy for action with respect to satisfying his or her commitments, where some of these commitments have been introduced as a result of imperative language use