Environmental Effects on Growing Swine Performance

The effects of environmental conditions on performance of growing pigs (30-50 kg) were studied over a four-week period. Pigs were exposed to natural occurring diurnal temperatures and a constant 32°C ambient temperature during normally hot weather conditions and constant 21 and 10°C ambient temperature conditions during cold weather. For each temperature treatment pigs were divided into single, 9 and 18 head per pen groups. The constant 32°C ambient temperature had a significant (P\u3c0.05) effect on average daily gain and feed intake. Average daily gains were reduced from 0.72 to 0.64 kg/d and average daily feed intake was reduced from 1.53kg/d to 1.36 kg/d when comparing pig performance from the naturally occurring diurnal to constant 32°C temperature treatments. The 10°C cold weather treatment had no significant {P\u3e0.05) effects on overall pig performance. Pigs from the 10°C treatment gained at a rate of 0. 72 vs 0.74 kg/d for pigs in the 21°C treatment. Average daily feed intake was 1.61 kg/d for pigs at 10°C versus 1.64 kg/d for pigs at 21°C. The 9 and 18 pigs per pen group size had no significant effect on pig performance in any of the temperature treatments. Pen microenvironments varied considerably with each temperature treatment. Pig and floor surface temperatures were significantly affected by temperature and group size. During the cold weather tests the pigs housed in the single pigpens had significantly (P\u3c0.0001) lower surface temperatures than the pigs from the 9 and 18 pigs per pen group. The objective of the study was to determine the effects of maintained warm or cold temperatures and group size on growing swine and characterize the pen environment for each condition

Testing of cryogenic photomultiplier tubes for the MicroBooNE experiment

The MicroBooNE detector, to be located on axis in the Booster Neutrino Beamline (BNB) at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab), consists of two main components: a large liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC), and a light collection system. Thirty-two 8-inch diameter Hamamatsu R5912-02mod cryogenic photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) will detect the scintillation light generated in the liquid argon (LAr). This article first describes the MicroBooNE PMT performance test procedures, including how the light collection system functions in the detector, and the design of the PMT base. The design of the cryogenic test stand is then discussed, and finally the results of the cryogenic tests are reported

First Observation of Coherent π0\pi^0 Production in Neutrino Nucleus Interactions with Eν<E_{\nu}< 2 GeV

The MiniBooNE experiment at Fermilab has amassed the largest sample to date of $\pi^0$s produced in neutral current (NC) neutrino-nucleus interactions at low energy. This paper reports a measurement of the momentum distribution of $\pi^0$s produced in mineral oil (CH$_2$) and the first observation of coherent $\pi^0$ production below 2 GeV. In the forward direction, the yield of events observed above the expectation for resonant production is attributed primarily to coherent production off carbon, but may also include a small contribution from diffractive production on hydrogen. Integrated over the MiniBooNE neutrino flux, the sum of the NC coherent and diffractive modes is found to be (19.5 $\pm$1.1 (stat) $\pm$2.5 (sys))% of all exclusive NC $\pi^0$ production at MiniBooNE. These measurements are of immediate utility because they quantify an important background to MiniBooNE's search for $\nu_{\mu} \to \nu_e$ oscillations.Comment: Submitted to Phys. Lett.

Test of Lorentz and CPT violation with Short Baseline Neutrino Oscillation Excesses

The sidereal time dependence of MiniBooNE electron neutrino and anti-electron neutrino appearance data are analyzed to search for evidence of Lorentz and CPT violation. An unbinned Kolmogorov-Smirnov test shows both the electron neutrino and anti-electron neutrino appearance data are compatible with the null sidereal variation hypothesis to more than 5%. Using an unbinned likelihood fit with a Lorentz-violating oscillation model derived from the Standard Model Extension (SME) to describe any excess events over background, we find that the electron neutrino appearance data prefer a sidereal time-independent solution, and the anti-electron neutrino appearance data slightly prefer a sidereal time-dependent solution. Limits of order 10E-20 GeV are placed on combinations of SME coefficients. These limits give the best limits on certain SME coefficients for muon neutrino to electron neutrino and anti-muon neutrino to anti-electron neutrino oscillations. The fit values and limits of combinations of SME coefficients are provided.Comment: 14 pages, 3 figures, and 2 tables, submitted to Physics Letters

Interactive effects of porcine somatotropin and the beta-agonist salbutamol on growth and carcass criteria of three genotypes of swine

The objective of this research was to examine the interactive effects of porcine somatotropin (pST) and the beta-agonist salbutamol on the growth and carcass characteristics of three genotypes of pigs differing in lean and fat deposition potential. Thirty-two pigs each of either 1/4 Duroc-3/4 white composite (Duroc crossbred), purebred Meishan, or 1/4 Meishan-3/4 white composite (Meishan crossbred) breeding were injected daily with 0 or 4 mg pST and fed a diet containing 0 or 2.75 ppm salbutamol for approximately 34 d and subsequently slaughtered. As the percentage Meishan in the genotype increased, loin muscle area, semitendinosus weight, average daily gain (ADG), and carcass gain decreased. There was an interaction between salbutamol and genotype for ADG, daily protein gain, and total carcass gain, resulting in Meishan crossbred pigs having similar rates to non-treated Duroc crossbred pigs. When Duroc crossbred pigs were treated with salbutamol, both daily protein gain and total carcass gain were greatest, whereas ADG was nonsignificantly greater than that of untreated Duroc crossbred and salbutamol-treated Meishan crossbred pigs. Meishan pigs did not respond to salbutamol treatment for the criteria mentioned. Both pST and salbutamol increased loin muscle area and semitendinosus weight across genotypes. Leaf fat was reduced more by pST treatment in purebred Meishan pigs than in the other two genotypes, and salbutamol treatment resulted in small reductions in leaf fat across genotypes. Efficiency of feed utilization was similar among genotypes but increased with either pST or salbutamol treatment. The results of this research indicate that porcine somatotropin and the beta-agonist salbutamol have additive effects on the growth and carcass criteria of pigs. However, both growth modifiers appear to have differing degrees of response in different genotypes of swine