Market Structure and Conduct of the North Dakota Livestock Marketing Industry

Industrial Organization, Marketing,

Single-Calf Heifer System Profitability Compared to Other North Dakota Beef Production Systems

Production Economics, Productivity Analysis,

Outcome of renal grafts after simultaneous kidney/ pancreas transplantation

Nineteen patients with endstage renal failure due to Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus received simultaneous pancreas/kidney transplants using bladder drainage technique. Another group of 25 Type 1 diabetic patients received pancreas/kidney transplants by the duct occlusion technique. We observed a higher incidence of rejection episodes in the patients of the bladder drainage group than those in the duct occlusion group, 14 of 19 patients (74%) vs 7 of 25 (28%) respectively. Anti CD3 antibodies (Orthoclone, OKT3) as a part of induction treatment was used more often in the bladder drainage group (58%) than in the control group (20%)

Upper Limits on the Extragalactic Background Light from the Gamma-Ray Spectra of Blazars

The direct measurement of the extragalactic background light (EBL) is difficult at optical to infrared wavelengths because of the strong foreground radiation originating in the Solar System. Very high energy (VHE, E$>$100 GeV) gamma rays interact with EBL photons of these wavelengths through pair production. In this work, the available VHE spectra from six blazars are used to place upper limits on the EBL. These blazars have been detected over a range of redshifts and a steepening of the spectral index is observed with increasing source distance. This can be interpreted as absorption by the EBL. In general, knowledge of the intrinsic source spectrum is necessary to determine the density of the intervening EBL. Motivated by the observed spectral steepening with redshift, upper limits on the EBL are derived by assuming that the intrinsic spectra of the six blazars are $\propto E^{-1.8}$. Upper limits are then placed on the EBL flux at discrete energies without assuming a specific spectral shape for the EBL. This is an advantage over other methods since the EBL spectrum is uncertain.Comment: 33 pages, 14 figures, accepted by Ap

PAYLEAN® Improves Growth and Carcass Merit of Pigs with 25% and 50% Nebraska Index Line Genes

The Nebraska Index Line excels in reproduction and is being used in industry breeding programs. However, because it has been selected only for litter size since 1981, growth and carcass merit of pure-line pigs are below industry standards. The objectives of this experiment were 1) to compare growth and carcass traits of Index cross pigs with either 50% or 25% Line I genes in a crossbreeding system typical of how the line is used in the industry and 2) to determine the effects of feeding 18 g PAYLEAN® per ton during the last 28 days of the feeding period on Index cross pigs. Line I was crossed with Danbred® USA Landrace (L) boars and Duroc-Hampshire terminal boars to produce F1 pigs with 50% Line I genes and terminal cross pigs with 25% Line I genes. Pigs with 25% Line I genes grew faster (2.03 vs. 1.97 lb/d) from 65 days of age to approximately 240 lb than pigs with 50% Line I genes (P \u3c 0.05). They also ate more feed per day although the difference was not significant (5.82 vs 5.76 lb per d). Thus, the difference between groups in feed conversion was small and not significant. Terminal cross pigs with 25% Line I genes had only 0.02 in less backfat at the end of the experiment than F1 pigs with 50% Line I genes, but they had significantly larger longissimus muscle area (6.42 vs 6.10 in2) and greater percentage carcass lean (52.4 vs 51 %). Pigs of both genetic groups and both barrows and gilts responded similarly to a diet with 18 g PAYLEAN® per ton. Feeding PAYLEAN® at 18 g/ton for 28 days significantly increased growth rate (2.19 vs. 1.80 lb/d), reduced feed intake (6.49 vs. 6.81 lb/d) improved efficiency of growth (0.33 vs 0.26 gain/ feed ratio, corresponding with 3.03 and 3.85 feed/gain ratios), increased carcass weight (185.4 vs 177.2 lb), increased dressing percentage (75.2 vs 74.3%), and increased carcass lean (53.6 vs 49.9%). Performance and carcass merit of pigs with 25% Line I genes were greater than for F1 pigs with 50% Line I genes, and feeding PAYLEAN® at the rate of 18 g per ton produced similar increases in performance and carcass merit of both groups