Feed Supplements for Young Dairy Breed Calves After Turn-Out to Pasture: Effect on Weight Gain and Subclinical Coccidiosis in Organic Production Systems

On two organic farms, the effect of supplementation with either home-grown barley or organic commercial concentrates primarily based on local protein sources and barley, on weight gain and subclinical coccidiosis was investigated in 3-5 months old dairy breed calves in the period after turn-out to ryegrass/clover pastures. The calves (mean liveweight ± SD, 124 ± 24 kg and 133 ± 24 kg on Farm I and II respectively) were supplemented daily with 3 kg energy and protein-rich commercial concentrates (group EP), 3 kg barley (group E) or ½ kg barley (group Eres) for 8 weeks following turn-out on pasture. Daily weight gains in the 8 weeks were for Farm I: 1216 and 1042 g/day for group EP and E (P < 0.01) and for Farm II: 1071, 671 and 770 g/day for group EP, E and Eres respectively (P < 0.001). However, liveweights were similar between groups at housing, although group EP had significantly higher liveweight at housing on Farm I (P < 0.01). Initial liveweight had effects on daily gain in the grazing season, but supplementation with energy and protein reduced this effect on Farm I. No clinical signs of coccidiosis were observed, but markedly higher levels of oocysts per gram faeces (opg) were observed on Farm II, using pastures previously grazed by cattle compared to Farm I. Calves having a maximum oocyst count above 5 000 opg were subclinically affected by coccidiosis, as indicated by low faecal dry matter and reduction in daily gain of 222 g/day (P < 0.05). It is concluded that liveweight can be increased when supplementing calves with organic concentrates rich in energy and protein in the period following turn-out compared to supplementation with barley alone. However, the overall gain at the end of the grazing season is limited due to compensatory growth in the grazing period following supplementation

Herbage intake in Danish Jersey and Danish Holstein steers on perennial ryegrass/white clover pasture

The objective of this study was to estimate herbage intake in Danish Friesian and Danish Jersey steers at an age of 8-9 months on ryegrass / white clover pasture. The steers were turned out on pasture in late April and herbage intake was estimated in June in steers of a mean live weight (± S.D.) of 264 ± 14 kg and 185 ± 25 kg for Danish Friesian and Danish Jersey respectively. Faeces and herbage samples were analysed for alkanes to estimate herbage dry matter intake, dry matter digestibility (DMD) and botanical composition of intake. The weight gains at the time of herbage intake estimation in June (kg/day) were 1.142 ± 265 kg/day and 0.927 ± 168 kg/day for Danish Friesian and Danish Jersey respectively. Daily herbage intake (kg dry matter (DM)) estimated by alkanes C32 /C33 was 8.33 ± 0.97 and 6.28 ± 0.61 per day (P<0.001) and 3.15 ± 0.32 and 3.43 ± 0.30 per 100 kg liveweight (LW) (P<0.05) for Danish Friesian and Danish Jersey respectively. The botanical composition of the diet was the same for Danish Friesian and Danish Jersey with about half of the diet being grass leaves and the other half clover leaves. It is concluded that Danish Jersey steers have higher herbage intake per 100 kg LW than Danish Friesian steers of the same age, but herbage intake per kg metabolic LW is not different between the two breeds

Biometric monitor with electronics disposed on or in a neck collar

A highly portable biometric monitor is disclosed. At least one remote sensor member (12, 12') includes one or more biometric sensors (20, 22, 24, 25) configured for operative coupling with a patient. A neck collar (14, 114, 214, 314, 414) includes electronics (36, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48) for operating the at least one remote sensor member. The at least one remote sensor member is separate from and not disposed on the neck collar. Optionally, the collar also includes one or more biometric sensors (53). A communication link (18) operatively connects the remote sensor member and the electronics of the neck collar.; A motion sensor (26) and position sensor (28) may be disposed with the one or more biometric sensors to sense movement and position, and the electronics (36, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48) configured to account for error in a signal produced by the one or more biometric sensors due to movement sensed by the motion sensor or position sensed by the position sensor. The electronics (36, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48) may log patient activity and body position

Separability and entanglement in 2x3xN composite quantum systems

The separability and entanglement of quantum mixed states in \Cb^2 \otimes \Cb^3 \otimes \Cb^N composite quantum systems are investigated. It is shown that all quantum states $\rho$ with positive partial transposes and rank $r(\rho)\leq N$ are separable.Comment: Latex, 15 page

The Interplay Between the "Low" and "High" Energy CP-Violation in Leptogenesis

We analyse within the "flavoured" leptogenesis scenario of baryon asymmetry generation, the interplay of the "low energy" CP-violation, originating from the PMNS neutrino mixing matrix $U$, and the "high energy" CP-violation which can be present in the matrix of neutrino Yukawa couplings, $\lambda$, and can manifest itself only in "high" energy scale processes. The type I see-saw model with three heavy right-handed Majorana neutrinos having hierarchical spectrum is considered. The "orthogonal" parametrisation of the matrix of neutrino Yukawa couplings, which involves a complex orthogonal matrix $R$, is employed. In this approach the matrix $R$ is the source of "high energy" CP-violation. Results for normal hierarchical (NH) and inverted hierarchical (IH) light neutrino mass spectrum are derived in the case of decoupling of the heaviest RH Majorana neutrino. It is shown that taking into account the contribution to $Y_B$ due to the CP-violating phases in the neutrino mixing matrix $U$ can change drastically the predictions for $Y_B$, obtained assuming only "high energy" CP-violation from the $R$-matrix is operative in leptogenesis. In the case of IH spectrum, in particular, there exist significant regions in the corresponding parameter space where the purely "high energy" contribution in $Y_B$ plays a subdominant role in the production of baryon asymmetry compatible with the observations.Comment: Results unchanged; comments and references added; version to be puplished in Eur.Phys.J.

The minimum-error discrimination via Helstrom family of ensembles and Convex Optimization

Using the convex optimization method and Helstrom family of ensembles introduced in Ref. [1], we have discussed optimal ambiguous discrimination in qubit systems. We have analyzed the problem of the optimal discrimination of N known quantum states and have obtained maximum success probability and optimal measurement for N known quantum states with equiprobable prior probabilities and equidistant from center of the Bloch ball, not all of which are on the one half of the Bloch ball and all of the conjugate states are pure. An exact solution has also been given for arbitrary three known quantum states. The given examples which use our method include: 1. Diagonal N mixed states; 2. N equiprobable states and equidistant from center of the Bloch ball which their corresponding Bloch vectors are inclined at the equal angle from z axis; 3. Three mirror-symmetric states; 4. States that have been prepared with equal prior probabilities on vertices of a Platonic solid. Keywords: minimum-error discrimination, success probability, measurement, POVM elements, Helstrom family of ensembles, convex optimization, conjugate states PACS Nos: 03.67.Hk, 03.65.TaComment: 15 page

Diffusion of gold nanoclusters on graphite

We present a detailed molecular-dynamics study of the diffusion and coalescence of large (249-atom) gold clusters on graphite surfaces. The diffusivity of monoclusters is found to be comparable to that for single adatoms. Likewise, and even more important, cluster dimers are also found to diffuse at a rate which is comparable to that for adatoms and monoclusters. As a consequence, large islands formed by cluster aggregation are also expected to be mobile. Using kinetic Monte Carlo simulations, and assuming a proper scaling law for the dependence on size of the diffusivity of large clusters, we find that islands consisting of as many as 100 monoclusters should exhibit significant mobility. This result has profound implications for the morphology of cluster-assembled materials