Partial replacement of corn by cassava starch byproduct on performance and carcass characteristics of feedlot heifers

The objective of this work was to study the effects of partial substitution of corn grain (COR) by dry cassava starch byproduct (CAS) on feed intake, weight gain, feed conversion and carcass physical characteristics in crossbred beef heifers finished in feedlot. Fifty-four heifers, of approximately 15 mo of age and 317 kg mean liveweight, were randomly distributed, in blocks according to breed group, between two treatments, with 27 replicates for performance characteristics and 9 for carcass evaluation. The animals were fed ad libitum twice daily, with corn silage and one of two different concentrates, based on soybean meal and either COR or half COR and half CAS as energy source. No differences (P>0.05) were found between treatments in the variables studied, overall mean values being: daily weight gain (1.1 kg), dry matter (DM) intake (9.1 kg), DM intake/100 kg liveweight (2.6 kg), feed conversion ratio (8.4), warm carcass weight (209.3 kg), carcass weight in arrobas (13.9), carcass yield (51.7%) carcass length (121.1 cm), leg length (71.5 cm), rump roast thickness (25.5 cm), subcutaneous fat thickness (6.6 cm), muscle percentage (30.5), bone percentage (15.5), and muscle plus fat:bone proportions (5.4:1). The dry cassava byproduct can replace 50% of corn in the concentrate without effects on performance and carcass characteristics of crossbred heifers finished in feedlot

Erratum to: 36th International Symposium on Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1186/s13054-016-1208-6.]

ATLANTIC EPIPHYTES: a data set of vascular and non-vascular epiphyte plants and lichens from the Atlantic Forest

Epiphytes are hyper-diverse and one of the frequently undervalued life forms in plant surveys and biodiversity inventories. Epiphytes of the Atlantic Forest, one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world, have high endemism and radiated recently in the Pliocene. We aimed to (1) compile an extensive Atlantic Forest data set on vascular, non-vascular plants (including hemiepiphytes), and lichen epiphyte species occurrence and abundance; (2) describe the epiphyte distribution in the Atlantic Forest, in order to indicate future sampling efforts. Our work presents the first epiphyte data set with information on abundance and occurrence of epiphyte phorophyte species. All data compiled here come from three main sources provided by the authors: published sources (comprising peer-reviewed articles, books, and theses), unpublished data, and herbarium data. We compiled a data set composed of 2,095 species, from 89,270 holo/hemiepiphyte records, in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay, recorded from 1824 to early 2018. Most of the records were from qualitative data (occurrence only, 88%), well distributed throughout the Atlantic Forest. For quantitative records, the most common sampling method was individual trees (71%), followed by plot sampling (19%), and transect sampling (10%). Angiosperms (81%) were the most frequently registered group, and Bromeliaceae and Orchidaceae were the families with the greatest number of records (27,272 and 21,945, respectively). Ferns and Lycophytes presented fewer records than Angiosperms, and Polypodiaceae were the most recorded family, and more concentrated in the Southern and Southeastern regions. Data on non-vascular plants and lichens were scarce, with a few disjunct records concentrated in the Northeastern region of the Atlantic Forest. For all non-vascular plant records, Lejeuneaceae, a family of liverworts, was the most recorded family. We hope that our effort to organize scattered epiphyte data help advance the knowledge of epiphyte ecology, as well as our understanding of macroecological and biogeographical patterns in the Atlantic Forest. No copyright restrictions are associated with the data set. Please cite this Ecology Data Paper if the data are used in publication and teaching events. © 2019 The Authors. Ecology © 2019 The Ecological Society of Americ

Efeitos da suplementação alimentar de bezerros mestiços sobre o peso à desmama e taxa de prenhez de vacas multíparas Nelore (Effects of supplemental feeding of crossbred calves on their weaning weight and on pregnancy rate of their multiparous Nelore dams)

This experiment used a simple random design with two treatments and 87 replicates, with the objective of evaluating the performance of crossbred calves (1/2 Nelore x 1/2 Red Angus) with or without supplemental concentrate feeding from birth to weaning and also the effect on subsequent reproductive efficiency of the dams during a 210-d period. The animals grazed stargrass (Cynodon nlemfuensis ) and the concentrate supplement was formulated with 20% CP and 70% TDN. Supplementation increased weaning weight by 9.4% over non-supplementation. No significant difference was observed between the two groups of dams in pregnancy rate, but those whose calves were supplemented showed 10.7% advantage in this criterion. Under the conditions of this experiment supplementation of calves promoted faster weight gain to weaning and tended to benefit the dams also