Effect of Megasphaera elsdenii NCIMB 41125 drenching on health and performance of steers fed high and low roughage diets in the feedlot

Lactate utilising bacteria (LUB) assist in reducing the risk of ruminal lactate acidosis when high concentrate diets are fed to feedlot cattle. Ruminal lactate acidosis can lead to lower animal performance and morbidity. Preliminary studies suggested that the strain, Megasphaera elsdenii (M.e.) NCIMB 41125, is a particularly potent LUB. The potential of M.e.NCIMB 41125 to improve the health and performance of feedlot cattle was investigated. Four hundred and forty eight Bonsmara steers (ca. 240 kg) were used in a 100-day feeding trial. Half the steers received at processing 200 mL M.e.NCIMB 41125 per os (LY) and the other half no LUB (LN). The diets in each of these treatments were divided into a low roughage (2%) (RL) and high roughage (8%) (RH) diet. The effects of LY vs. LN, RL vs. RH as main effects and their respective interactions (LYRL, LYRH, LNRL & LNRH) were compared in terms of morbidity, feedlot performance and carcass characteristics. The steers were weighed at two week intervals, feed was offered daily and the orts were removed weekly from each pen. The faecal consistency score and incidence of morbidity were recorded. At slaughter, carcass data were collected and the health status of the liver and rumen epithelium was assessed. Steers dosed with M.e.NCIMB 41125 had a 5.6% better average daily gain (ADG) during weeks 3 - 5 (2.09 kg/day vs. 1.98 kg/day for LY and LN, respectively). Feed conversion ratio (FCR, Weeks 1 - 13) was better for the steers fed the RL than the RH treatment (4.72 kg/kg vs. 4.99 kg/kg for RL and RH, respectively). Steers on the LNRH treatment during weeks 3 - 5 used more feed per kg gain than steers on the other treatments (5.39 kg/kg for LNRH vs. 4.74 kg/kg and 4.72 kg/kg for LYRL and LNRL, respectively). More steers (21) on the LNRL treatment were treated for morbidity than on the other treatments (8, 7 and 5 for LYRL, LYRH and LNRH, respectively). In general, animal performance was not improved by dosing with M.e.NCIMB 41125, but since ADG was improved in the immediate postadaptation phase (weeks 3 - 5) and morbidity levels were lower on the low roughage diet, dosing of steers on low roughage, lactate acidosis-prone, diets with M.e.NCIMB 41125 should prove useful.Keywords: Beef cattle, lactic acid utilising bacteria, acidosis, morbidit

Co-products in maize-soybean growing-pig diets altered in vitro enzymatic insoluble fibre hydrolysis and fermentation in relation to botanical origin

The study examined the effects of botanical factors and fermentation-based, high-level dilution of co-product feeds in maize–soybean growing-pig diets on enzymatic insoluble fibre hydrolysis and fermentation. Feed insoluble fibre residues that were recovered after pepsin-pancreatin digestion were subjected to Roxazyme® G2 (Roxazyme) versus Viscozyme L® V2010 (control) hydrolysis, and to 64-hour fermentation using pig faecal inoculum. The control diet was a 13 MJ metabolizable energy, 141 g total dietary fibre/kg dry matter maize-meal/hominy chop-soybean diet, which was diluted with maize cob, soybean hulls, barley brewer’s grains, lucerne hay or wheat bran in 12 MJ metabolizable energy, 246 g total dietary fibre/kg dry matter iso-nutrient, single co-product test diets. Fermentable insoluble fibre was employed in a computerized iterative selection of ingredients in two iso-nutrient 11 MJ metabolizable energy 319 total dietary fibre/kg dry matter mixed fibre test diets for maximal contrast (high (HF) versus low (LF)) in fermentability. Insoluble fibre extractive pepsin-pancreatin digestibility differed between feed ingredients, and the single co-product test diets, and between the HF and LF mixed co-product diets. Fibre digestibility depended on both the origin and enzyme, with interaction, whereby carbohydrases expressed similar low (0.04 - 0.05) insoluble fibre digestibility for maize cob, moderate (0.12) digestibility for wheat bran and brewer’s grain, with inferior Roxazyme G2 digestibility for maize hominy chop (0.02 vs 0.10) and meal (0.04 vs 0.16), dehulled soybean meal (0.02 vs 0.17), lucerne hay (0.08 vs 0.18), and soybean hulls (0.05 vs 0.33). Co-product-enzyme affinities were expressed in single fibre diets. Low Roxazyme-basal fibre affinity limited its comparative single co-product (0.03 - 0.07 vs 0.16 - 0.22) HF (0.07 vs 0.17) and LF (0.4 vs 0.20) dietary fibre digestibility. Screening for HF/LF did not affect enzymatic digestion, though enzyme combination increased HF, but not LF digestibility. Gas and short chain fatty acid production predicted fermentability proportionately in the declining order of dehulled soybean ≥ maize ≥ soy hulls ≥ maize hominy chop > wheat bran >lucerne hay ≥ brewer’s grain = maize cob. Induced HF and LF contrast was significant. Co-product fibre enrichment decreased fermentability for all except the soy hull and HF diets. Cereal fibre yielded proportionately less acetate, with more propionate and butyrate, and a greater butyrate shift for maize fibre. The HF fibre induced more ACE and less butyrate. Biomarkers of deleterious proteolytic fermentation were high for lucerne (iso-butyrate) and soy hulls (iso-valerate). In conclusion, high-level and fermentation based co-product feed dilution into maize-soybean growing pig diets altered enzymatic insoluble fibre hydrolysis and fermentation in relation to botanical origin. Roxazyme expressed weak hydrolytic potency on maize and soybean insoluble fibre.Keywords: fermentation gas, fermentation kinetics, fibre fermentability, insoluble non-starch polysaccharides, non-starch polysaccharide degrading enzymes, proteolytic fermentation, short-chain fatty acid

Revival of the magnetar PSR J1622-4950: observations with MeerKAT, Parkes, XMM-Newton, Swift, Chandra, and NuSTAR

New radio (MeerKAT and Parkes) and X-ray (XMM-Newton, Swift, Chandra, and NuSTAR) observations of PSR J1622-4950 indicate that the magnetar, in a quiescent state since at least early 2015, reactivated between 2017 March 19 and April 5. The radio flux density, while variable, is approximately 100x larger than during its dormant state. The X-ray flux one month after reactivation was at least 800x larger than during quiescence, and has been decaying exponentially on a 111+/-19 day timescale. This high-flux state, together with a radio-derived rotational ephemeris, enabled for the first time the detection of X-ray pulsations for this magnetar. At 5%, the 0.3-6 keV pulsed fraction is comparable to the smallest observed for magnetars. The overall pulsar geometry inferred from polarized radio emission appears to be broadly consistent with that determined 6-8 years earlier. However, rotating vector model fits suggest that we are now seeing radio emission from a different location in the magnetosphere than previously. This indicates a novel way in which radio emission from magnetars can differ from that of ordinary pulsars. The torque on the neutron star is varying rapidly and unsteadily, as is common for magnetars following outburst, having changed by a factor of 7 within six months of reactivation.Comment: Published in ApJ (2018 April 5); 13 pages, 4 figure

The MeerKAT telescope as a pulsar facility: System verification and early science results from MeerTime

We describe system verification tests and early science results from the pulsar processor (PTUSE) developed for the newly commissioned 64-dish SARAO MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa. MeerKAT is a high-gain ( ) low-system temperature ( ) radio array that currently operates at 580–1 670 MHz and can produce tied-array beams suitable for pulsar observations. This paper presents results from the MeerTime Large Survey Project and commissioning tests with PTUSE. Highlights include observations of the double pulsar , pulse profiles from 34 millisecond pulsars (MSPs) from a single 2.5-h observation of the Globular cluster Terzan 5, the rotation measure of Ter5O, a 420-sigma giant pulse from the Large Magellanic Cloud pulsar PSR , and nulling identified in the slow pulsar PSR J0633–2015. One of the key design specifications for MeerKAT was absolute timing errors of less than 5 ns using their novel precise time system. Our timing of two bright MSPs confirm that MeerKAT delivers exceptional timing. PSR exhibits a jitter limit of whilst timing of PSR over almost 11 months yields an rms residual of 66 ns with only 4 min integrations. Our results confirm that the MeerKAT is an exceptional pulsar telescope. The array can be split into four separate sub-arrays to time over 1 000 pulsars per day and the future deployment of S-band (1 750–3 500 MHz) receivers will further enhance its capabilities

The SARAO MeerKAT 1.3 GHz Galactic Plane Survey

We present the SARAO MeerKAT Galactic Plane Survey (SMGPS), a 1.3 GHz continuum survey of almost half of the Galactic Plane (251\deg $\le l \le$ 358\deg and 2\deg $\le l \le$ 61\deg at $|b| \le 1.5\deg$). SMGPS is the largest, most sensitive and highest angular resolution 1 GHz survey of the Plane yet carried out, with an angular resolution of 8" and a broadband RMS sensitivity of $\sim$10--20 $\mu$ Jy/beam. Here we describe the first publicly available data release from SMGPS which comprises data cubes of frequency-resolved images over 908--1656 MHz, power law fits to the images, and broadband zeroth moment integrated intensity images. A thorough assessment of the data quality and guidance for future usage of the data products are given. Finally, we discuss the tremendous potential of SMGPS by showcasing highlights of the Galactic and extragalactic science that it permits. These highlights include the discovery of a new population of non-thermal radio filaments; identification of new candidate supernova remnants, pulsar wind nebulae and planetary nebulae; improved radio/mid-IR classification of rare Luminous Blue Variables and discovery of associated extended radio nebulae; new radio stars identified by Bayesian cross-matching techniques; the realisation that many of the largest radio-quiet WISE HII region candidates are not true HII regions; and a large sample of previously undiscovered background HI galaxies in the Zone of Avoidance

The SARAO MeerKAT 1.3 GHz Galactic Plane Survey

We present the SARAO MeerKAT Galactic Plane Survey (SMGPS), a 1.3 GHz continuum survey of almost half of the Galactic Plane (251○ ≤l ≤ 358○ and 2○ ≤l ≤ 61○ at |b| ≤ 1 5). SMGPS is the largest, most sensitive and highest angular resolution 1 GHz survey of the Plane yet carried out, with an angular resolution of 8″ and a broadband RMS sensitivity of ∼10–20 μJy beam−1. Here we describe the first publicly available data release from SMGPS which comprises data cubes of frequency-resolved images over 908–1656 MHz, power law fits to the images, and broadband zeroth moment integrated intensity images. A thorough assessment of the data quality and guidance for future usage of the data products are given. Finally, we discuss the tremendous potential of SMGPS by showcasing highlights of the Galactic and extragalactic science that it permits. These highlights include the discovery of a new population of non-thermal radio filaments; identification of new candidate supernova remnants, pulsar wind nebulae and planetary nebulae; improved radio/mid-IR classification of rare Luminous Blue Variables and discovery of associated extended radio nebulae; new radio stars identified by Bayesian cross-matching techniques; the realisation that many of the largest radio-quiet WISE H II region candidates are not true H II regions; and a large sample of previously undiscovered background H I galaxies in the Zone of Avoidance

The 1.28 GHz MeerKAT DEEP2 Image

We present the confusion-limited 1.28 GHz MeerKAT DEEP2 image covering one qb » ¢ 68 FWHM primarybeam area with θ = 7 6 FWHM resolution and s = m - n 0.55 0.01 Jy beam 1 rms noise. Its J2000 center position α = 04h 13m 26 4, δ = −80° 00′ 00″ was selected to minimize artifacts caused by bright sources. We introduce the new 64-element MeerKAT array and describe commissioning observations to measure the primary-beam attenuation pattern, estimate telescope pointing errors, and pinpoint (u, v) coordinate errors caused by offsets in frequency or time. We constructed a 1.4 GHz differential source count by combining a power-law count fit to the DEEP2 confusion P(D) distribution from 0.25 to 10 μJy with counts of individual DEEP2 sources between 10 μJy and 2.5 mJy. Most sources fainter than S ∼ 100 μJy are distant star-forming galaxies (SFGs) obeying the far-IR/ radio correlation, and sources stronger than 0.25 μJy account for ∼93% of the radio background produced by SFGs. For the first time, the DEEP2 source count has reached the depth needed to reveal the majority of the star formation history of the universe. A pure luminosity evolution of the 1.4 GHz local luminosity function consistent with the Madau & Dickinson model for the evolution of SFGs based on UV and infrared data underpredicts our 1.4 GHz source count in the range -5 log Jy 4 [ ( )] S

The MeerKAT Galaxy Cluster Legacy Survey: I. Survey overview and highlights

Please abstract in the article.The South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO), the National Research Foundation (NRF), the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, US National Science Foundation, the South African Research Chairs Initiative of the DSI/NRF, the SARAO HCD programme, the South African Research Chairs Initiative of the Department of Science and Innovation.http://www.aanda.orghj2022Physic

Field implementation of a transient voltage measurement facility using HV current transformers

Thesis (MScEng)--University of Stellenbosch, 2003.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The bandwidth of standard HV measurement devices such as capacitive voltage transformers is too limited in order to measure wideband phenomena. This thesis is concerned with the investigation into a non- intrusive HV transient voltage measurement facility using standard substation HV current transformers (CI's) configured in a transconductance topology. The sensing, summation and integration of the CT capacitive earth currents are investigated. This thesis also reports on the development of a optically isolated link using optical fibre for signal transfer and a computer based data acquisition system.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Standaard hoogspannings (HS) meettoerusting soos kapasitiewe spannmgs transformators het beperkte bandwydte vir die meet van wyeband verskynsels. Hierdie tesis handel oor die implementering van 'n HS meetstelsel wat op meinbrekende wyse oorgangsverskynsels meet deur middel van HS stroomtransformators wat in 'n transkonduktansie topologie gekonfigureer is. Die meet, sommasie en integrasie van kapasitoewe grondstrome word ondersoek. Hierdie tesis doen ook verslag aangaande die ontwikkeling van 'n optiese geisoleerde koppelvlak wat gebruik word vir seinoordrag en 'n rekenaar gebasseerde data versamelaar.pdv20140