Improving feed grains

Clearly, to encourage grain growers to focus their production systems towards feed grains, it is important to first identify the reasons for variation in the nutritional value of grains and then to develop rapid, cheap, and accurate methods of measuring these factors. The analytical methods should ideally be suitable for application either at the site of grain delivery from the farm or within the place of stockfeed manufacture. This will mean the nutritional value of the grain can be known before it is used. The rational marketing of feed grains could then be achieved, with the benefits from more efficient animal production being shared between the grain grower and animal producer.

Yellow lupins for the pig industry

There is no doubt that Yellow lupins are suitable as an ingredient in the diet of pigs from weaning through until slaughter. While no research has been conducted on feeding this variety to breeding stock, there is no reason to believe that it would not be a suitable source of energy and amino acids. Whether it will become a significant ingredient in pig diets will depend on its availability and price

Sheep Updates 2016

This session covers eleven papers from different authors: 1. Forward, Dr Bruce Mullan, Director Sheep Industry Development, Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia 2. The Australian sheep industry in 2025, Mick Keogh, Australian Farm Institute 3. Decision making in a risky environment, David Cornish, Cornish Consulting 4. Business Transitioning, Michael Chilvers, Nile Tasmania 5. Advisory Boards in WA Agriculture - making life \u27easier\u27 for everyone, Gerry Hinkley, Producer, Tincurrin and Danielle England, Aginnovate 6. Principles of Successful Family Business Succession Strategies, Rosemary Bartle, Succession Planning Facilitator, Rabobank 7. Diversifying the Feedbase...is the grass really greener? Brad Wooldrige, Producer West Arthur, Dr Norm Stantich, Landgate 8. Seasonality of Lamb Supply - Have We Interpreted the price signals? John Young, Farming Systems Analysis Service 9. A comparative analysis ising Gross Margin for grain and sheep enterprises, Ashley Herbert, Farm Management Consultant, Agrarian Management 10. Tri Lamb Focus Program, Jamie Heinrich 11. The Dorper Lamb Story, Graeme Howi

Sheep Updates 2015 - Merredin

This session covers fourteen papers from different authors: 1. The Sheep Industry Business Innovation project, Bruce Mullan, Sheep Industry Development Director, Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia 2. Western Australian sheep stocktake, Kate Pritchett and Kimbal Curtis, Research Officers, Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia 3. Wool demand and supply - short term volatility, long term opportunities, Chris Wilcox, Principal of Poimena Analysis 4. Myths, Facts and the role of animal welfare in farming, Lynne Bradshaw, president, RSPCA WA 5. Latest research and development on breech strike prevention, Geoff Lindon, Manager Productivity and Animal Welfare, AWI 6. Lamb Survival Initiative and 100% Club, Katherine Davies, Development Officer, Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia 7. How to boost your lamb survival, Joe Young, Sheep Consultant, R.B. Young and Son 8. Using genomic technology to increase genetic gain, Stephen Lee, School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Adelaide and Sheep Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) 9. A case study of sheep breeding using the latest genetic and genomic technology, Dawson Bradford Producer, Hillcroft Farms, Narrogin WA 10. The impact of lamb growth on meat quality, Khama Kelman Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia 11. Economics of feed lotting - to feed-lot or not?, Lucy Anderton, Economist, Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia 12. National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) for sheep and goats - what is the NLIS database? Jaq Pearson Biosecurity Officer, Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia 13. Sheep industry traineeships - encouraging a new generation of farmers, Jackie Jarvis, Consultant, Agrifood Labour & Skills 14. Opportunities and challenges facing youth in the sheep and wool industry, Ben Patrick, Yarrawonga Stu

Sheep Updates 2015 - Ravensthorpe

This session covers fourteen papers from different authors: 1. The Sheep Industry Business Innovation project, Bruce Mullan, Sheep Industry Development Director, Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia 2. Western Australian sheep stocktake, Kate Pritchett and Kimbal Curtis, Research Officers, Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia 3. Wool demand and supply - short term volatility, long term opportunities, Chris Wilcox, Principal of Poimena Analysis 4. Lifetime management for maternal ewes, Mike Hyder, Research Officer, Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia 5. National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) for sheep and goats - what is the NLIS database? Leigh Sonnermann, Biosecurity Officer, Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia 6. Myths, Facts and the role of animal welfare in farming, Lynne Bradshaw, president, RSPCA WA 7. Latest research and development on breech strike prevention, Geoff Lindon, Manager Productivity and Animal Welfare, AWI 8. Lamb Survival Initiative and 100% Club, Katherine Davies, Development Officer, Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia 9. How to boost your lamb survival, Joe Young, Sheep Consultant, R.B. Young and Son 10. Using genomic technology to increase genetic gain, Stephen Lee, School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Adelaide and Sheep Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) & Ian Robertson, Merinotech WA 11. Economics of feed lotting - to feed-lot or not?, Lucy Anderton, Economist, Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia 12. Anameka and other shrubs to fill feed gaps, Hayley Norman CSIRO & Ed Barrett-Lennard UWA & Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia 13. Sheep industry traineeships - encouraging a new generation of farmers, Jackie Jarvis, Consultant, Agrifood Labour & Skills 14. Opportunities and challenges facing youth in the sheep and wool industry, Ben Patrick, Yarrawonga Stu

Sheep Updates 2015 - Katanning

This session covers fourteen papers from different authors: 1. The Sheep Industry Business Innovation project, Bruce Mullan, Sheep Industry Development Director, Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia 2. Western Australian sheep stocktake, Kate Pritchett and Kimbal Curtis, Research Officers, Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia 3. Wool demand and supply - short term volatility, long term opportunities, Chris Wilcox, Principal of Poimena Analysis 4. Lifetime management for maternal ewes, Mike Hyder, Research Officer, Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia 5. National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) for sheep and goats - what is the NLIS database? Leigh Sonnermann, Biosecurity Officer, Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia 6. Myths, Facts and the role of animal welfare in farming, Lynne Bradshaw, president, RSPCA WA 7. Latest research and development on breech strike prevention, Geoff Lindon, Manager Productivity and Animal Welfare, AWI 8. Lamb Survival Initiative and 100% Club, Katherine Davies, Development Officer, Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia 9. How to boost your lamb survival, Joe Young, Sheep Consultant, R.B. Young and Son 10. Using genomic technology to increase genetic gain, Stephen Lee, School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Adelaide and Sheep Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) & Ian Robertson, Merinotech WA 11. Economics of feed lotting - to feed-lot or not?, Lucy Anderton, Economist, Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia 12. Anameka and other shrubs to fill feed gaps, Hayley Norman CSIRO & Ed Barrett-Lennard UWA & Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia 13. Sheep industry traineeships - encouraging a new generation of farmers, Jackie Jarvis, Consultant, Agrifood Labour & Skills 14. Opportunities and challenges facing youth in the sheep and wool industry, Ben Patrick, Yarrawonga Stu

A permethrin metabolite is associated with adaptive immune responses in Gulf War Illness

Gulf War Illness (GWI), affecting 30% of veterans from the 1991 Gulf War (GW), is a multi-symptom illness with features similar to those of patients with autoimmune diseases. The objective of the current work is to determine if exposure to GW-related pesticides, such as permethrin (PER), activates peripheral and central nervous system (CNS) adaptive immune responses. In the current study, we focused on a PER metabolite, 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA), as this is a common metabolite previously shown to form adducts with endogenous proteins. We observed the presence of 3-PBA and 3-PBA modified lysine of protein peptides in the brain, blood and liver of pyridostigmine bromide (PB) and  PER (PB+PER) exposed mice at acute and chronic post-exposure timepoints. We tested whether 3-PBA-haptenated albumin (3-PBA-albumin) can activate immune cells since it is known that chemically haptenated proteins can stimulate immune responses. We detected autoantibodies against 3-PBA-albumin in plasma from PB + PER exposed mice and veterans with GWI at chronic post-exposure timepoints. We also observed that in vitro treatment of blood with 3-PBA-albumin resulted in the activation of B- and T-helper lymphocytes and that these immune cells were also increased in blood of PB + PER exposed mice and veterans with GWI. These immune changes corresponded with elevated levels of infiltrating monocytes in the brain and blood of PB + PER exposed mice which coincided with alterations in the markers of blood-brain barrier disruption, brain macrophages and neuroinflammation. These studies suggest that pesticide exposure associated with GWI may have resulted in the activation of the peripheral and CNS adaptive immune responses, possibly contributing to an autoimmune-type phenotype in veterans with GWI

Institutional capacity for health systems research in East and Central Africa schools of public health: enhancing capacity to design and implement teaching programs

BACKGROUND: The role of health systems research (HSR) in informing and guiding national programs and policies has been increasingly recognized. Yet, many universities in sub-Saharan African countries have relatively limited capacity to teach HSR. Seven schools of public health (SPHs) in East and Central Africa undertook an HSR institutional capacity assessment, which included a review of current HSR teaching programs. This study determines the extent to which SPHs are engaged in teaching HSR-relevant courses and assessing their capacities to effectively design and implement HSR curricula whose graduates are equipped to address HSR needs while helping to strengthen public health policy. METHODS: This study used a cross-sectional study design employing both quantitative and qualitative approaches. An organizational profile tool was administered to senior staff across the seven SPHs to assess existing teaching programs. A self-assessment tool included nine questions relevant to teaching capacity for HSR curricula. The analysis triangulates the data, with reflections on the responses from within and across the seven SPHs. Proportions and average of values from the Likert scale are compared to determine strengths and weaknesses, while themes relevant to the objectives are identified and clustered to elicit in-depth interpretation. RESULTS: None of the SPHs offer an HSR-specific degree program; however, all seven offer courses in the Master of Public Health (MPH) degree that are relevant to HSR. The general MPH curricula partially embrace principles of competency-based education. Different strengths in curricula design and staff interest in HSR at each SPH were exhibited but a number of common constraints were identified, including out-of-date curricula, face-to-face delivery approaches, inadequate staff competencies, and limited access to materials. Opportunities to align health system priorities to teaching programs include existing networks. CONCLUSIONS: Each SPH has key strengths that can be leveraged to design and implement HSR teaching curricula. We propose networking for standardizing HSR curricula competencies, institutionalizing sharing of teaching resources, creating an HSR eLearning platform to expand access, regularly reviewing HSR teaching content to infuse competency-based approaches, and strengthening staff capacity to deliver such curricula.DFI