The impact of ractopamine hydrochloride on growth and metabolism, with special consideration of its role on nitrogen balance and water utilization in pork production

Two experiments were conducted to determine if ractopamine hydrochloride (RAC) could improve nutrient utilization and decrease water utilization, thus reducing the environmental footprint of hog operations. The tissue accretion experiment used comparative slaughter involving 120 barrows (95 ± 3 kg of BW), including 12 assigned to an initial slaughter group; the remaining pigs were slaughtered at 108 or 120 kg. Growth performance and nutrient retention were determined. The 15-d metabolism experiment consisted of 54 pigs (95 ± 3 kg of BW). Growth performance, feed and water intake, and urine and fecal output were measured. The metabolism experiment used 9 dietary treatments arranged as a 3 × 3 factorial: 3 quantities of RAC (0, 5, and 10 mg/kg) and 3 standardized ileal digestible-Lys:DE ratios (1.73, 2.14, and 2.63 g/Mcal of DE). The tissue accretion study was designed as a 3 × 3 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments using the same 9 dietary treatments to include slaughter BW (108 and 120 kg of BW) as an additional factor. In the tissue accretion experiment, RAC had no effect on ADG, ADFI, or G:F (P \u3e 0.10). With increased Lys, G:F improved (P = 0.029), but not ADG or ADFI (P \u3e 0.10). Protein deposition rates increased numerically (P = 0.11); water deposition rates increased (P = 0.050), whereas lipid deposition tended to decrease with RAC inclusion (P = 0.055). With greater RAC and Lys, the pigs had improved ADG (P = 0.002) and G:F (P \u3c 0.001) in the metabolism experiment. Daily water intake (P = 0.017.) and water output (P = 0.033) decreased with RAC inclusion. Lysine inclusion did not alter the water balance (P \u3e 0.10). Urinary N excretion (P \u3c 0.001), total N excretion (P = 0.003), and the urine N:fecal N ratio (P \u3c 0.001) decreased with the addition of RAC; fecal N (P = 0.008) increased with RAC inclusion. Retention of N improved with addition of RAC to the diet (P = 0.003). With greater dietary Lys, fecal N was reduced (P \u3c 0.001). The pigs fed the 2.14 g of Lys/Mcal tended to have the least urinary N (P = 0.069) and total N excretion (P = 0.086) and to have the greatest N retention (P = 0.086) and urinary N:fecal N ratio (P = 0.009). A RAC × Lys interaction was observed for N digestibility (P = 0.001), excretion (P = 0.001), and retention (P = 0.002) and for fecal (P = 0.001) and urinary N (P = 0.036). By improving N and water utilization in finishing pigs, RAC-containing diets supplemented with sufficient Lys can reduce N excretion into the environment from swine facilities

Plowing the Zen Field: Trends Since 1989 and Emerging Perspectives

This survey article focuses on the object and scope of Zen Studies, and on trends visible since 1989. It argues that scholarship about Chan, Zen, Chan, Seon, and Thieˆn should be more closely integrated with Buddhist Studies, and that the boundaries of this field need to be expanded. Critical and epistemologically aware scholarship only emerged in the 1990s. Hence, scholars need to make a concerted effort in devoting more attention to methodological issues. This in turn ought to be skillfully distilled to non-academic audiences

Chronic Rejection Pathology after Orthotopic Lung Transplantation in Mice: The Development of a Murine BOS Model and Its Drawbacks

Almost all animal models for chronic rejection (CR) after lung transplantation (LTx) fail to resemble the human situation. It was our attempt to develop a representative model of CR in mice. Orthotopic LTx was performed in allografts receiving daily immunosuppression with steroids and cyclosporine. Controls included isografts and mice only undergoing thoracotomy (SHAM). Allografts were sacrificed 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 or 12 weeks after LTx. Pulmonary function was measured repeatedly in the 12w allografts, isografts and SHAM mice. Histologically, all allografts demonstrated acute rejection (AR) around the blood vessels and airways two weeks after LTx. This decreased to 50–75% up to 10 weeks and was absent after 12 weeks. Obliterative bronchiolitis (OB) lesions were observed in 25–50% of the mice from 4–12 weeks. Isografts and lungs of SHAM mice were normal after 12 weeks. Pulmonary function measurements showed a decline in FEV0.1, TLC and compliance in the allografts postoperatively (2 weeks) with a slow recovery over time. After this initial decline, lung function of allografts increased more than in isografts and SHAM mice indicating that pulmonary function measurement is not a good tool to diagnose CR in a mouse. We conclude that a true model for CR, with clear OB lesions in about one third of the animals, but without a decline in lung function, is possible. This model is an important step forward in the development of an ideal model for CR which will open new perspectives in unraveling CR pathogenesis and exploring new treatment options

The impact of ractopamine hydrochloride on growth and metabolism, with special consideration of its role on nitrogen balance and water utilization in pork production

Two experiments were conducted to determine if ractopamine hydrochloride (RAC) could improve nutrient utilization and decrease water utilization, thus reducing the environmental footprint of hog operations. The tissue accretion experiment used comparative slaughter involving 120 barrows (95 ± 3 kg of BW), including 12 assigned to an initial slaughter group; the remaining pigs were slaughtered at 108 or 120 kg. Growth performance and nutrient retention were determined. The 15-d metabolism experiment consisted of 54 pigs (95 ± 3 kg of BW). Growth performance, feed and water intake, and urine and fecal output were measured. The metabolism experiment used 9 dietary treatments arranged as a 3 × 3 factorial: 3 quantities of RAC (0, 5, and 10 mg/kg) and 3 standardized ileal digestible-Lys:DE ratios (1.73, 2.14, and 2.63 g/Mcal of DE). The tissue accretion study was designed as a 3 × 3 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments using the same 9 dietary treatments to include slaughter BW (108 and 120 kg of BW) as an additional factor. In the tissue accretion experiment, RAC had no effect on ADG, ADFI, or G:F (P > 0.10). With increased Lys, G:F improved (P = 0.029), but not ADG or ADFI (P > 0.10). Protein deposition rates increased numerically (P = 0.11); water deposition rates increased (P = 0.050), whereas lipid deposition tended to decrease with RAC inclusion (P = 0.055). With greater RAC and Lys, the pigs had improved ADG (P = 0.002) and G:F (P P = 0.017.) and water output (P = 0.033) decreased with RAC inclusion. Lysine inclusion did not alter the water balance (P > 0.10). Urinary N excretion (P P = 0.003), and the urine N:fecal N ratio (P P = 0.008) increased with RAC inclusion. Retention of N improved with addition of RAC to the diet (P = 0.003). With greater dietary Lys, fecal N was reduced (P P = 0.069) and total N excretion (P = 0.086) and to have the greatest N retention (P = 0.086) and urinary N:fecal N ratio (P = 0.009). A RAC × Lys interaction was observed for N digestibility (P = 0.001), excretion (P = 0.001), and retention (P = 0.002) and for fecal (P = 0.001) and urinary N (P = 0.036). By improving N and water utilization in finishing pigs, RAC-containing diets supplemented with sufficient Lys can reduce N excretion into the environment from swine facilities.This article is published as Ross, K. A., A. D. Beaulieu, J. Merrill, G. Vessie, and J. F. Patience. "The impact of ractopamine hydrochloride on growth and metabolism, with special consideration of its role on nitrogen balance and water utilization in pork production." Journal of animal science 89, no. 7 (2011): 2243-2256. doi: 10.2527/jas.2010-3117.</p