The repeatability of feed intake and feed efficiency in beef cattle offered high-concentrate, grass silage and pasture-based diets

peer-reviewedBreeding values for feed intake and feed efficiency in beef cattle are generally derived indoors on high-concentrate (HC) diets. Within temperate regions of north-western Europe, however, the majority of a growing beef animal’s lifetime dietary intake comes from grazed grass and grass silage. Using 97 growing beef cattle, the objective of the current study was to assess the repeatability of both feed intake and feed efficiency across 3 successive dietary test periods comprising grass silage plus concentrates (S+C), grazed grass (GRZ) and a HC diet. Individual DM intake (DMI), DMI/kg BW and feed efficiency-related parameters, residual feed intake (RFI) and gain to feed ratio (G : F) were assessed. There was a significant correlation for DMI between the S+C and GRZ periods (r = 0.32; P < 0.01) as well as between the S+C and HC periods (r = 0.41; P < 0.001), whereas there was no association for DMI between the GRZ and HC periods. There was a significant correlation for DMI/kg BW between the S+C and GRZ periods (r = 0.33; P < 0.01) and between the S+C and HC periods (r = 0.40; P < 0.001), but there was no association for the trait between the GRZ and HC periods. There was a significant correlation for RFI between the S+C and GRZ periods (r = 0.25; P < 0.05) as well as between S+C and HC periods (r = 0.25; P < 0.05), whereas there was no association for RFI between the GRZ and HC periods. Gain to feed ratio was not correlated between any of the test periods. A secondary aspect of the study demonstrated that traits recorded in the GRZ period relating to grazing bite rate, the number of daily grazing bouts and ruminating bouts were associated with DMI (r = 0.28 to 0.42; P < 0.05 - 0.001), DMI/kg BW (r = 0.36 to 0.45; P < 0.01 - 0.001) and RFI (r = 0.31 to 0.42; P < 0.05 - 0.001). Additionally, the number of ruminating boli produced per day and per ruminating bout were associated with G : F (r = 0.28 and 0.26, respectively; P < 0.05). Results from this study demonstrate that evaluating animals for both feed intake and feed efficiency indoors on HC diets may not reflect their phenotypic performance when consuming conserved forage-based diets indoors or when grazing pasture

Heritability of attention problems in children II: longitudinal results from a study of twins age 3 to 12.

this paper we present data of large samples of twin families, with an equal number of girls and boys. The well-known gender difference with boys displaying more OA and AP was observed at each age. Even at the age of 3, boys display more OA problems than girls. Clinical studies have indicated that severe problem behavior can be identified in very young children (see for review, Campbell, 1995; Keenan &amp; Wakschlag, 2000; Shaw, Owens, Giovannelli, &amp; Winslow, 2001) and that the onset of ADHD is during the pre-school period (Barkley, Fisher, Edelbrock, &amp; Smallish, 1990; Table 6 Top part includes percentages of total variances (diagonal) and covariances (off-diagonal) explained by additive genetic, genetic dominance, and unique environmental components based on best fitting models. Percentages for boys and girls are reported below and above diagonal, respectively. Lower part includes correlations calculated for additive genetic, genetic dominance, and unique environmental sources of variance between different ages. Correlations for boys and girls are reported below and above diagonal, respectively Relative proportions of variance and covariance BoysnGirls A% D% E% OA 3 AP 7 AP 10 AP 12 OA 3 AP 7 AP 10 AP 12 OA 3 AP 7 AP 10 AP 12 OA 3 50n41 73 79 75 22n33 17 13 14 28n26 10 8 11 AP 7 59 33n57 50 53 31 39n16 31 28 10 28n27 19 19 AP 10 86 31 41n48 47 6 51 31n25 32 8 18 28n27 21 AP 12 71 24 31 40n54 16 55 45 30n18 13 21 24 30n28 Correlations between different ages BoysnGirls ADE OA 3 AP 7 AP 10 AP 12 OA 3 AP 7 AP 10 AP 12 OA 3 AP 7 AP 10 AP 12 OA 3 1.00 .60 .66 .57 1.00 .30 .16 .20 1.00 .15 .12 .14 AP 7 .57 1.00 .62 .57 .41 1.00 .99 1.00 .15 1.00 .46 .41 AP 10 .68 .56 1.00 .61 .08 .94 1.00 1.00 .11 .42 1.00 .50 AP 12 .49 .42 .53 1.00 .20 .98 .99 1.00 .14 .45 .58 1.00 ..

SARS-CoV-2-specific nasal IgA wanes 9 months after hospitalisation with COVID-19 and is not induced by subsequent vaccination

BACKGROUND: Most studies of immunity to SARS-CoV-2 focus on circulating antibody, giving limited insights into mucosal defences that prevent viral replication and onward transmission. We studied nasal and plasma antibody responses one year after hospitalisation for COVID-19, including a period when SARS-CoV-2 vaccination was introduced. METHODS: In this follow up study, plasma and nasosorption samples were prospectively collected from 446 adults hospitalised for COVID-19 between February 2020 and March 2021 via the ISARIC4C and PHOSP-COVID consortia. IgA and IgG responses to NP and S of ancestral SARS-CoV-2, Delta and Omicron (BA.1) variants were measured by electrochemiluminescence and compared with plasma neutralisation data. FINDINGS: Strong and consistent nasal anti-NP and anti-S IgA responses were demonstrated, which remained elevated for nine months (p < 0.0001). Nasal and plasma anti-S IgG remained elevated for at least 12 months (p < 0.0001) with plasma neutralising titres that were raised against all variants compared to controls (p < 0.0001). Of 323 with complete data, 307 were vaccinated between 6 and 12 months; coinciding with rises in nasal and plasma IgA and IgG anti-S titres for all SARS-CoV-2 variants, although the change in nasal IgA was minimal (1.46-fold change after 10 months, p = 0.011) and the median remained below the positive threshold determined by pre-pandemic controls. Samples 12 months after admission showed no association between nasal IgA and plasma IgG anti-S responses (R = 0.05, p = 0.18), indicating that nasal IgA responses are distinct from those in plasma and minimally boosted by vaccination. INTERPRETATION: The decline in nasal IgA responses 9 months after infection and minimal impact of subsequent vaccination may explain the lack of long-lasting nasal defence against reinfection and the limited effects of vaccination on transmission. These findings highlight the need to develop vaccines that enhance nasal immunity. FUNDING: This study has been supported by ISARIC4C and PHOSP-COVID consortia. ISARIC4C is supported by grants from the National Institute for Health and Care Research and the Medical Research Council. Liverpool Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre provided infrastructure support for this research. The PHOSP-COVD study is jointly funded by UK Research and Innovation and National Institute of Health and Care Research. The funders were not involved in the study design, interpretation of data or the writing of this manuscript

Large-scale phenotyping of patients with long COVID post-hospitalization reveals mechanistic subtypes of disease

One in ten severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infections result in prolonged symptoms termed long coronavirus disease (COVID), yet disease phenotypes and mechanisms are poorly understood1. Here we profiled 368 plasma proteins in 657 participants ≥3 months following hospitalization. Of these, 426 had at least one long COVID symptom and 233 had fully recovered. Elevated markers of myeloid inflammation and complement activation were associated with long COVID. IL-1R2, MATN2 and COLEC12 were associated with cardiorespiratory symptoms, fatigue and anxiety/depression; MATN2, CSF3 and C1QA were elevated in gastrointestinal symptoms and C1QA was elevated in cognitive impairment. Additional markers of alterations in nerve tissue repair (SPON-1 and NFASC) were elevated in those with cognitive impairment and SCG3, suggestive of brain–gut axis disturbance, was elevated in gastrointestinal symptoms. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) was persistently elevated in some individuals with long COVID, but virus was not detected in sputum. Analysis of inflammatory markers in nasal fluids showed no association with symptoms. Our study aimed to understand inflammatory processes that underlie long COVID and was not designed for biomarker discovery. Our findings suggest that specific inflammatory pathways related to tissue damage are implicated in subtypes of long COVID, which might be targeted in future therapeutic trials

Single-channel marine seismic profiling and the analysis of reverberatory sequences

Analogue recordings of single-channel marine seismic profiles have been used for years to study the thickness and configuration of unconsolidated and semiconsolidated sediments in water-covered areas. If the signals are recorded digitally, it is theoretically possible to estimate some of their physical properties as welL The ability to make such estimates would constitute a means of remotely classifying marine soils and would be a valuable asset in contexts ranging from geotechnical and engineering studies to the monitoring of effluent accumulation. Toward such an end, this dissertation considers the digital recording and analysis of near-to-zero-offset marine reflection data. Under proper conditions, single-channel marine profiles can image sea-floor soil hundreds of metres thick while retaining resolution on the order of a metre or less. Such an image contains not only primary reflections but also multiple reflections. These multiples occur in reverberatory sequences of wavelets that often interfere with, or are mistakenly identified as, primary reflections. For this reason multiple sequences are usually classified as noise and much effort is spent trying to suppress them, often with little success. The thesis propounded here is that, even should it not be practical to "remove" multiple reflections from a data set, it is still possible to use sequences of multiples as a source of information. Examples of multiple sequences observed in industrial waterways are presented. Theory is developed showing how information concerning acoustic impedance contrasts and absorption coefficients is encoded in the rate of sequence decay and the change in shape between successive wavelets. It is recognized that the use of certain field techniques serves to simplify the decoding procedure. Under the assumption that these techniques are followed, a mathematical model is developed to act as a framework for the analysis. A deterministic "dereverberation filter" is identified which would be useful for supressing multiples once estimates of physical properties have been obtained. Its effect is demonstrated on the synthetic examples and the result of such "dereverberation" is considered in detaiL Points of difficulty are discussed and conclusions are drawn

Single-channel marine seismic profiling and the analysis of reverberatory sequences

Analogue recordings of single-channel marine seismic profiles have been used for years to study the thickness and configuration of unconsolidated and semiconsolidated sediments in water-covered areas. If the signals are recorded digitally, it is theoretically possible to estimate some of their physical properties as welL The ability to make such estimates would constitute a means of remotely classifying marine soils and would be a valuable asset in contexts ranging from geotechnical and engineering studies to the monitoring of effluent accumulation. Toward such an end, this dissertation considers the digital recording and analysis of near-to-zero-offset marine reflection data. Under proper conditions, single-channel marine profiles can image sea-floor soil hundreds of metres thick while retaining resolution on the order of a metre or less. Such an image contains not only primary reflections but also multiple reflections. These multiples occur in reverberatory sequences of wavelets that often interfere with, or are mistakenly identified as, primary reflections. For this reason multiple sequences are usually classified as noise and much effort is spent trying to suppress them, often with little success. The thesis propounded here is that, even should it not be practical to "remove" multiple reflections from a data set, it is still possible to use sequences of multiples as a source of information. Examples of multiple sequences observed in industrial waterways are presented. Theory is developed showing how information concerning acoustic impedance contrasts and absorption coefficients is encoded in the rate of sequence decay and the change in shape between successive wavelets. It is recognized that the use of certain field techniques serves to simplify the decoding procedure. Under the assumption that these techniques are followed, a mathematical model is developed to act as a framework for the analysis. A deterministic "dereverberation filter" is identified which would be useful for supressing multiples once estimates of physical properties have been obtained. Its effect is demonstrated on the synthetic examples and the result of such "dereverberation" is considered in detaiL Points of difficulty are discussed and conclusions are draw

Single-channel marine seismic profiling and the analysis of reverberatory sequences

Analogue recordings of single-channel marine seismic profiles have been used for years to study the thickness and configuration of unconsolidated and semiconsolidated sediments in water-covered areas. If the signals are recorded digitally, it is theoretically possible to estimate some of their physical properties as welL The ability to make such estimates would constitute a means of remotely classifying marine soils and would be a valuable asset in contexts ranging from geotechnical and engineering studies to the monitoring of effluent accumulation. Toward such an end, this dissertation considers the digital recording and analysis of near-to-zero-offset marine reflection data. Under proper conditions, single-channel marine profiles can image sea-floor soil hundreds of metres thick while retaining resolution on the order of a metre or less. Such an image contains not only primary reflections but also multiple reflections. These multiples occur in reverberatory sequences of wavelets that often interfere with, or are mistakenly identified as, primary reflections. For this reason multiple sequences are usually classified as noise and much effort is spent trying to suppress them, often with little success. The thesis propounded here is that, even should it not be practical to "remove" multiple reflections from a data set, it is still possible to use sequences of multiples as a source of information. Examples of multiple sequences observed in industrial waterways are presented. Theory is developed showing how information concerning acoustic impedance contrasts and absorption coefficients is encoded in the rate of sequence decay and the change in shape between successive wavelets. It is recognized that the use of certain field techniques serves to simplify the decoding procedure. Under the assumption that these techniques are followed, a mathematical model is developed to act as a framework for the analysis. A deterministic "dereverberation filter" is identified which would be useful for supressing multiples once estimates of physical properties have been obtained. Its effect is demonstrated on the synthetic examples and the result of such "dereverberation" is considered in detaiL Points of difficulty are discussed and conclusions are drawn

Single-channel marine seismic profiling and the analysis of reverberatory sequences

Analogue recordings of single-channel marine seismic profiles have been used for years to study the thickness and configuration of unconsolidated and semiconsolidated sediments in water-covered areas. If the signals are recorded digitally, it is theoretically possible to estimate some of their physical properties as welL The ability to make such estimates would constitute a means of remotely classifying marine soils and would be a valuable asset in contexts ranging from geotechnical and engineering studies to the monitoring of effluent accumulation. Toward such an end, this dissertation considers the digital recording and analysis of near-to-zero-offset marine reflection data. Under proper conditions, single-channel marine profiles can image sea-floor soil hundreds of metres thick while retaining resolution on the order of a metre or less. Such an image contains not only primary reflections but also multiple reflections. These multiples occur in reverberatory sequences of wavelets that often interfere with, or are mistakenly identified as, primary reflections. For this reason multiple sequences are usually classified as noise and much effort is spent trying to suppress them, often with little success. The thesis propounded here is that, even should it not be practical to "remove" multiple reflections from a data set, it is still possible to use sequences of multiples as a source of information. Examples of multiple sequences observed in industrial waterways are presented. Theory is developed showing how information concerning acoustic impedance contrasts and absorption coefficients is encoded in the rate of sequence decay and the change in shape between successive wavelets. It is recognized that the use of certain field techniques serves to simplify the decoding procedure. Under the assumption that these techniques are followed, a mathematical model is developed to act as a framework for the analysis. A deterministic "dereverberation filter" is identified which would be useful for supressing multiples once estimates of physical properties have been obtained. Its effect is demonstrated on the synthetic examples and the result of such "dereverberation" is considered in detaiL Points of difficulty are discussed and conclusions are drawn

Commonwealth of Virginia's (USA) implementation of stone matrix asphalt

Paper presented at the 25th Annual Southern African Transport Conference 10 - 13 July 2006 "2010: Will transport infrastructure and systems be ready?", CSIR International Convention Centre, Pretoria, South Africa.This paper was transferred from the original CD ROM created for this conference. The material on the CD ROM was published using Adobe Acrobat technology. The original CD ROM was produced by Document Transformation Technologies Postal Address: PO Box 560 Irene 0062 South Africa. Tel.: +27 12 667 2074 Fax: +27 12 667 2766 E-mail: [email protected] URL: http://www.doctech.co.z