Evaluation of Differences in Body Composition and Carcass Characteristics in Lambs Divergent in Residual Feed Intake

The objective of this study was to evaluate differences in growth performance, carcass characteristics and quality, and body composition in lambs selected for divergent residual feed intake (RFI). Mixed-breed 4-mo-old wether lambs (n = 65) were placed on a 47 d feeding trial in September, 2014 to obtain an estimate of individual intake. Residual feed intake, an efficiency measurement based upon the difference in actual and expected feed intake, wascalculated for each lamb. Wethers with an RFI of one standard deviation greater (HIGH; less efficient; n = 6) or lower (LOW; more efficient; n = 6) than the mean RFI (approximately 0) of the 65 wethers were used in the present study. Lambs were processed, and organ weights and carcass data were collected in December, 2014. Performance measures were not affected (P > 0.05) by RFI class. Back fat thickness (BF) and yield grade (YG) were greater (P < 0.03) in HIGH lamb carcasses, while rumen weight (P<0.005), total GIT and viscera weights (P<0.03), and lung and trachea weights (P<0.03) were greater in LOW lamb carcasses.Regression of lung weight on hot carcass weight (HCW) indicated that lighter carcasses had102 © Intermountain Journal of Sciences, Vol. 21, No. 1-4, December 2015 heavier lungs (P < 0.02, R2=0.45); this relationship was observed in both RFI classes (HIGH: P < 0.04; R2 = 0.68; LOW: P < 0.04; R2 = 0.68). In growing lambs, selection for RFI seems to affect fat deposition and visceral organ weights, although more research is necessary tounderstand the relationship between lung weight, RFI, and HCW

Sexuality and Intimacy in the Context of Cancer

The impact of cancer on sexuality and intimacy: A key aspect of quality of life In 2006, more than 106,000 new cases of cancer were diagnosed in Australia, with the number of new cases in New South Wales alone expected to grow to 40,116 by 2011 (AIHW et al., 2007, Tracey et al., 2005). It is now widely recognised that cancer and its treatment can have a significant effect on the quality of life of both people with cancer (Stommel et al., 2004) and their family members, in particular their intimate partner (Hodges et al., 2005). Sexuality and intimacy are important aspects of an individual's quality of life (World Health Organisation, 1995), and there is a growing body of evidence to show that cancer can result in dramatic changes to sexuality, sexual functioning, relationships, and sense of self, regardless of cancer type. Indeed, these changes can be experienced as the most significant in the person with cancer's life (Anderson et al., 2000)

Effect of age of Japanese quail on physical and biochemical characteristics of eggs

The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of age of birds on egg quality in Japanese quail. The eggs were randomly selected from among all eggs laid on the same day when the birds were 15, 23 and 31 weeks old. At each time point, 90 fresh eggs were evaluated for their physical and biochemical characteristics. Egg weights were similar over time. At 23 and 31 weeks, the eggs had less shell than at 15 weeks. Crude fat and ash contents of the eggs increased with the age of the birds. Crude protein was also highest in eggs of the oldest quail. At 31 weeks old, the eggs were lowest in pH of yolk and white. Quail that were 23 and 31 weeks old laid eggs with significantly higher polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) and lower saturated fatty acid (SFA) contents. The lowest cholesterol content was in egg yolks from 23-week-old quail. The oldest birds had the highest contents of sodium, potassium, zinc, selenium, copper, and manganese. The content and activity of lysozyme decreased with ageing of the birds. From the consumers’ point of view, eggs from older birds appeared to be the most valuable. At the same time, as the quail ages, the antibacterial properties of eggs deteriorate, which may indicate a shorter shelf life

Indices of Body Composition and Repeatability of Residual Feed Intake in Growing Columbia Ewes Fed the Same Diet

Residual feed intake (RFI), an efficiency measurement based upon the difference in expected and actual feed intake, is used to improve production efficiency of livestock. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the repeatability of ewe RFI measured for two consecutive years, and to investigate the relationship between indices of body composition in yearling ewes and RFI. Two trials, using the same Columbia ewe lambs (n = 17) were conducted in consecutive years (2014, 2015) using the same diet. RFI was calculated for each ewe each year. RFI did not differ (P = 0.77) between years. Each year, ewes were separated into RFI classes (LOW (efficient); MOD (average); HIGH (inefficient)). In 2014, ewe lamb performance did not differ among classes (P > 0.3). In 2015, dry matter intake was greater for HIGH ewes (P < 0.0002). Ribeye area (REA; cm2) and backfat thickness (BF; cm) were measured by ultrasound on day 0 (start of trial), 17, and 45 (end of trial) in 2015 and used to calculate estimates of final body composition. RFI classification did not affect REA or BF (P > 0.25). There was a trend for whole-body muscle mass to differ among RFI classes (P = 0.09), but no other body composition estimates were affected. Results suggest that RFI is repeatable; however, indices of body composition seem to be independent of RFI in Columbia ewes fed the same diet under similar conditions

Non-supersymmetric extremal multicenter black holes with superpotentials

Using the superpotential approach we generalize Denef's method of deriving and solving first-order equations describing multicenter extremal black holes in four-dimensional N = 2 supergravity to allow non-supersymmetric solutions. We illustrate the general results with an explicit example of the stu model.Comment: 17 pages, v2: some clarifications adde

Fake supersymmetry versus Hamilton-Jacobi

We explain when the first-order Hamilton-Jacobi equations for black holes (and domain walls) in (gauged) supergravity, reduce to the usual first-order equations derived from a fake superpotential. This turns out to be equivalent to the vanishing of a newly found constant of motion and we illustrate this with various examples. We show that fake supersymmetry is a necessary condition for having physically sensible extremal black hole solutions. We furthermore observe that small black holes become scaling solutions near the horizon. When combined with fake supersymmetry, this leads to a precise extension of the attractor mechanism to small black holes: The attractor solution is such that the scalars move on specific curves, determined by the black hole charges, that are purely geodesic, although there is a non-zero potential.Comment: 20 pages, v2: Typos corrected, references adde

First-order flows and stabilisation equations for non-BPS extremal black holes

We derive a generalised form of flow equations for extremal static and rotating non-BPS black holes in four-dimensional ungauged N = 2 supergravity coupled to vector multiplets. For particular charge vectors, we give stabilisation equations for the scalars, analogous to the BPS case, describing full known solutions. Based on this, we propose a generic ansatz for the stabilisation equations, which surprisingly includes ratios of harmonic functions.Comment: 27 pages; v2: presentation improved and references added as in the published versio

Pseudo-Killing Spinors, Pseudo-supersymmetric p-branes, Bubbling and Less-bubbling AdS Spaces

We consider Einstein gravity coupled to an n-form field strength in D dimensions. Such a theory cannot be supersymmetrized in general, we nevertheless propose a pseudo-Killing spinor equation and show that the AdS X Sphere vacua have the maximum number of pseudo-Killing spinors, and hence are fully pseudo-supersymmetric. We show that extremal p-branes and their intersecting configurations preserve fractions of the pseudo-supersymmetry. We study the integrability condition for general (D,n) and obtain the additional constraints that are required so that the existence of the pseudo-Killing spinors implies the Einstein equations of motion. We obtain new pseudo-supersymmetric bubbling AdS_5 X S^5 spaces that are supported by a non-self-dual 5-form. This demonstrates that non-supersymmegtric conformal field theories may also have bubbling states of arbitrary droplets of free fermions in the phase space. We also obtain an example of less-bubbling AdS geometry in D=8, whose bubbling effects are severely restricted by the additional constraint arising from the integrability condition.Comment: typos corrected, extra comments and references added, version appeared in JHE

Non-extremal Black Holes, Harmonic Functions, and Attractor Equations

We present a method which allows to deform extremal black hole solutions into non-extremal solutions, for a large class of supersymmetric and non-supersymmetric Einstein-Vector-Scalar type theories. The deformation is shown to be largely independent of the details of the matter sector. While the line element is dressed with an additional harmonic function, the attractor equations for the scalars remain unmodified in suitable coordinates, and the values of the scalar fields on the outer and inner horizon are obtained from their fixed point values by making specific substitutions for the charges. For a subclass of models, which includes the five-dimensional STU-model, we find explicit solutions.Comment: 33 page