The tilt of mean sea level along the east coast of North America

The tilt of mean sea level along the North American east coast has been a subject of debate for many decades. Improvements in geoid and ocean circulation models, and GPS positioning of tide gauge benchmarks, provide an opportunity to produce new tilt estimates. Tilts estimated using tide gauge measurements referenced to high-resolution geoid models (the geodetic approach) and ocean circulation models (the ocean approach) are compared. The geodetic estimates are broadly similar, with tilts downward to the north through the Florida Straits and at Cape Hatteras. Estimates from the ocean approach show good agreement with the geodetic estimates, indicating a convergence of the two approaches and resolving the long standing debate as to the sign of the tilt. These tilts differ from those used by Yin and Goddard (2013) to support a link between changing ocean circulation and coastal sea level rise

Long-term and recent changes in sea level in the Falkland Islands

Mean sea level measurements made at Port Louis in the Falkland Islands in 1981-2, 1984 and 2009, together with values from the nearby permanent tide gauge at Port Stanley, have been compared to measurements made at Port Louis in 1842 by James Clark Ross. The long-term rate of change of sea level is estimated to have been +0.75 ± 0.35 mm/year between 1842 and the early 1980s, after correction for air pressure effects and for vertical land movement due to Glacial Isostatic Adjustment (GIA). The 2009 Port Louis data set is of particular importance due to the availability of simultaneous information from Port Stanley. The data set has been employed in two ways, by providing a short recent estimate of mean sea level itself, and by enabling the effective combination of measurements at the two sites. The rate of sea level rise observed since 1992, when the modern Stanley gauge was installed, has been larger at 2.51 ± 0.58 mm/year, after correction for air pressure and GIA. This rate compares to a value of 2.79 ± 0.42 mm/year obtained from satellite altimetry in the region over the same period. Such a relatively recent acceleration in the rate of sea level rise is consistent with findings from other locations in the southern hemisphere and globall

Correction to "Long-term and recent changes in sea level in the Falkland Islands"

In the paper “Long-term and recent changes in sea level in the Falkland Islands” by P. L. Woodworth et al. (Journal of Geophysical Research, 115, C09025, doi:10.1029/2010JC006113, 2010), in paragraph 47 we adopted a value of −0.52 mm/yr for the estimated rate of present-day sea level change in the Falkland Islands due to glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA). This value was used to remove the contributions of GIA to our measurements of historical and recent rates of sea level change. However, it was based on a misreading of the data file of Peltier [2004] on the Permanent Service for Mean Sea Level Web site (http://www.psmsl.org/train_and_info/geo_signals/gia/peltier). More reasonable values to apply to the observed changes since the mid-nineteenth century and in recent years would be −0.69 and −0.61 mm/yr respectively. Consequently, the long-term rate of sea level change between 1842 and the early 1980s, after correction for air pressure effects and for GIA, reported as +0.75 ± 0.35 mm/yr in paragraphs 1, 47, 55, and 61 should be +0.92 ± 0.35 mm/yr, the corresponding rate between 1842 and the midpoint of recent data of 1.06 ± 0.22 mm/yr in paragraphs 48 and 55 should be 1.23 ± 0.22 mm/yr, and the corresponding rate since 1992 reported as 2.51 ± 0.58 mm/yr in paragraphs 1 and 52 becomes 2.60 ± 0.58 mm/yr. The middle of paragraph 63 becomes “The Stanley data suggest that the rate of change of sea level in East Falkland since 1992 has been approximately 2.6 mm/yr, a rate supported by information from satellite altimetry.” These small GIA model corrections have no bearing on the main findings of our paper on the difference in the rates of sea level change between the historical (1842 to present-day) and recent (last 2 decades) epoch

The quick and the dead: when reaction beats intention

Everyday behaviour involves a trade-off between planned actions and reaction to environmental events.Evidence from neurophysiology, neurology and functional brain imaging suggests different neural bases for the control of different movement types. Here we develop a behavioural paradigm to test movement dynamics for intentional versus reaction movements and provide evidence for a ‘reactive advantage’ in movement execution, whereby the same action is executed faster in reaction to an opponent. We placed pairs of participants in competition with each other to make a series of button presses. Within subject analysis of movement times revealed a 10 per cent benefit for reactive actions. This was maintained when opponents performed dissimilar actions, and when participants competed against a computer, suggesting that the effect is not related to facilitation produced by action observation. Rather, faster ballistic movements may be a general property of reactive motor control, potentially providing a useful means of promoting survival

Effects of a high protein, whey protein concentrate and spray-dried animal plasma on growth performance of weanling pigs

A 35-d experiment was conducted to compare the effects of increasing spray-dried animal plasma and a high protein whey concentrate (73% CP) on starter pig performance. Spray-dried animal plasma and whey protein concentrate replaced dried skin1 milk on an equal lysine basis. Pigs fed increasing spray-dried animal plasma protein had increased ADG and ADFI from d 0 to 7 after weaning, but not for any other period in the study. Increasing whey protein concentrate had no effect on growth perforn1ance in relation to the pigs fed dried skim milk.; Swine Day, Manhattan, KS, November 20, 199

Lessons Learned from Managing Electronic Sow Feeders and Sow Body Weight Data

As the swine industry is transitioning from individual gestation stalls to different styles of group housing, new challenges are being presented for collecting data in the gestation barn. Electronic sow feeders (ESF) are computerized feeding stations that track and dispense feed for each sow that enters the feeding station. Individual intakes for sows can be recorded, which creates an opportunity for conducting nutrition studies in gestation. A research study was conducted on a commercial sow farm in central Nebraska, where sows were group-housed with ESF. A total of 74,114 feed intake observations and 663,204 sow weights were recorded during the study. Feed intakes were downloaded daily, with unknown errors occurring during download 13 of 149 days. Intakes had to be downloaded prior to the system reset each day or the previous data would be deleted. Zeroes observed as feed intake values indicated the sow walked through the system, but did not consume any feed. Weights were automatically recorded and stored in system software for multiple weeks at a time. Numerous challenges were presented when attempting to determine accurate sow weights generated from this system, thus two weights were manually collected on all sows and used as reference weights. The reference weights were applied to the data set to eliminate inaccurate weights based on expected weight gains. Using these data, we found that even with adequate training, parity 1 sows were reluctant to consume the assigned feed allowance immediately after placement into the pen as well as throughout the course of gestation. Parity 2 and 3+ sows had similar struggles immediately after placement. It is unknown what could be causing this type of behavior, however, as we continue to generate research within these types of feeding systems, we will continue t

The Effects of Increasing Stocking Density on Finishing Pig Growth Performance and Carcass Characteristics

A total of 405 pigs (PIC 327 × 1050) from 2 consecutive finishing groups (group 1 initially 145 ± 3.9 lb, group 2 initially 134 ± 5.5 lb) were used to examine the effects of stocking density on finishing pig growth performance and carcass characteristics. Pigs were randomly allotted to pens upon entry into the finishing facility. Pens of pigs were balanced by initial BW and randomly allotted to 1 of 3 treatments with either 7 or 8 replications per treatment (group 1 and 2, respectively). Pens were stocked with 9 pigs, and adjustable gates provided treatments that allowed for 9, 8, or 7 ft2 per pig. All pigs were fed the same diets in 3 phases. There was a two-hole feeder in each pen providing 1.56 in. of feeder space per pig. In both studies, as stocking density decreased, ADG and ADFI increased (linear; P \u3c 0.019), but there was no difference in F/G. In group 1, these effects were evident when pigs reached approximately 238 lb; however in group 2, decreases in ADG and ADFI were already observed when pigs averaged 163 lb. As a result, final weight was 8.5 and 11.7 lb lower (linear; P ≤ 0.005) in groups 1 and 2, respectively, when comparing the lowest and highest stocking density treatments. In group 1, there were no differences in carcass characteristics with the exception of an increase in BF (linear; P = 0.051) as stocking density decreased. In group 2, HCW and BF increased (linear; P ≤ 0.007) and carcass yield decreased (linear; P = 0.004) as stocking density decreased. The k-value for each body weight was calculated at each of the three space allocations using the formula reported by Whittemore. When comparing growth performance to a suggested required k-value of 0.0336, performance should have been affected above 267.2, 224.1, and 183.6 lb at 9, 8, and 7 ft2 per pig, respectively. In group 1, these pen weights were not reached until after d 42 (239.8 lb), d 28 (206.9 lb), and d 14 (176.7 lb) for the 9, 8, and 7 ft2 per pig treatments, respectively. However, even after d 14 negative effects of increased stocking density were observed on ADFI (linear, P \u3c 0.08). In group 2, performance should not have been affected until after d 56 (258.9 lb), d 27 (190.5 lb) and d 14 (162.7 lb) for the 9, 8, and 7 sq ft2 per pig treatments. Similar to group 1, feed consumption, and consequently ADG, decreased linearly (linear; P ≤ 0.033) after d 14 as stocking density increased, before pigs reached the k-value that should have influenced performance. The data suggest that the accepted k-value of 0.0336 might underestimate the impact of increased stocking density on ADG and ADFI. Overall, this study indicates that increasing stocking density resulted in poorer ADG driven by a reduction in ADFI

Generating an Equation to Predict Post- Farrow Maternal Weight in Multiple Parity Sows

ost-farrow maternal weight is required when partitioning maternal and fetal weight gains throughout gestation. Equations were developed from the analysis of 150 females (Line 1050, PIC, Hendersonville, TN) to predict the weight of conceptus by difference of pre- and post-farrowing weight change in multi-parity sows. Females were individually weighed as they were moved into the farrowing house at d 110 to 112 of gestation and again at 12 to 24 h after farrowing. Data were divided into 4 groups: (1) parity 1 sows; (2) parity 2 sows; (3) parity 3 sows; and (4) parity 4+ sows. Each group tested 3 predictor variables: pre-farrow weight, total born, and difference in days between the pre- and post-farrow weights. Prediction equations were then developed using models with significant terms based on the Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC). The optimum equations to predict maternal body weight were similar for all parities except for the intercept (b) and can be described as:Post-farrow maternal body weight (lb) = b + (0.897 × pre-farrow BW, lb) - (1.118 × total born, n) + (6.87 × days pre to post-farrow, d)Where the intercept (b) for parities 1, 2, 3, and 4+ were -5.93, 5.15, 11.90, and 32.31, respectively.The prediction equations were then used to estimate post-farrow maternal BW using 332 mixed parity sows (PIC 1050). Pre-farrow weights were taken on d 113 of gestation and maternal BW was taken within 24 h of farrowing. On average, the predicted postfarrow maternal BW was overestimated by 3.3 lb of the actual. Management practices differed in how females were fed from the validation experiment, possibly contributing to the overestimating of post-farrow maternal BW. This indicates that further evaluation of the equation is needed to see if the difference is due to litter size, parity distribution, or feeding management practices

Determining the Impact of By-O-Reg+ in Diets with or without a Feed Grade Antibiotic on Growth Performance of Nursery Pigs

A total of 717 nursery pigs (PIC C-29 × 28 and PIC L3-1050 × 1040, initially 12.48 ± 0.10 lb) from two consecutive nursery groups were used in a 35-d growth study. The objective was to determine the impact of increasing levels of By-O-Reg+ in diets with or without 50 g/ton Carbadox. By-O-Reg+ is a unique mixture of essential oils primarily based on oregano. It utilizes encapsulation technology to stabilize the essential oils and is suggested to have antimicrobial-like properties. The present study evaluated growth performance of nursery pigs fed 1 of 6 dietary treatments that were arranged as a 2 × 3 factorial with main effects of antibiotic (none vs. 50 g/ton Carbadox) and By-O-Reg+ (0, 1, or 2 lb/ton). Experimental diets were fed for 21 d and then a common diet was fed for the final 14 d. Pens of pigs (5 barrows and 5 gilts) were balanced by initial BW and randomly allotted to treatments, with 12 replications (pens) per treatment. During the period when treatments were fed (d 0 to 21) no interactions were observed between By-O-Reg+ and Carbadox. Increasing By-O-Reg+ decreased, and then increased (quadratic P = 0.016) F/G. Pigs fed diets with Carbadox had improved (P \u3c 0.007) ADG, ADFI, and F/G. From d 21 to 35, when a common diet was fed, pigs previously fed diets with Carbadox had increased (P = 0.007) ADFI. However, an interaction (linear, P = 0.039) was observed with pigs previously fed diets without Carbadox showing decreased ADFI as By-O-Reg+ increased; whereas when pigs were previously fed diets containing Carbadox, ADFI increased as the level of By-O-Reg+ increased. For the overall period (d 0 to 35), an interaction (linear, P = 0.031) was observed for ADFI with pigs fed diets without Carbadox having decreased ADFI as By-O-Reg+ increased; whereas when pigs were fed diets containing Carbadox, ADFI increased with increasing By-O-Reg+. No main effects of By-O-Reg+ were observed for the overall data; however, adding Carbadox for 21 d after weaning improved (P \u3c 0.015) ADG, ADFI, and final BW and tended to improve (P \u3c 0.087) F/G. Overall, this study confirms the benefit of including a feed grade medication in nursery pig diets to improve growth performance. Increasing By-O-Reg+ in diets elicited few changes in performance, but during the test period the pigs fed 1 lb/ton of By-O-Reg+ had better F/G than those fed none or the 2 lb/ton of By-O-Reg+. More research is needed to confirm if 1 lb/ton inclusion of By-O-Reg+ is the appropriate dose to elicit the best response

Effects of stocking density on finishing pig growth performance

Citation: Thomas, L. L., Goodband, R. D., Tokach, M. D., DeRouchey, J. M., Woodworth, J. C., & Dritz, S. S. (2016). Effects of stocking density on finishing pig growth performance. Journal of Animal Science, 94, 54-54. doi:10.2527/msasas2016-115A total of 405 pigs (PIC 327 × 1050) from 2 consecutive finishing groups (group 1 initially 66 ± 1.8 kg BW, group 2 initially 61 ± 2.5 kg BW) were used to examine the effects of stocking density on finishing pig growth performance. Pens of pigs were balanced by initial BW and randomly allotted to 1 of 3 treatments with either 7 or 8 replications per treatment (group 1 and 2, respectively). Pens were stocked with 9 pigs, and adjustable gates provided treatments that allowed for 0.84, 0.74, or 0.65 m2 per pig. All pigs were fed the same diets fed in 3 phases. Pigs were provided with 7.91 cm of feeder space per pig. In both studies, as stocking density decreased, ADG and ADFI increased (linear, P < 0.019), but there was no difference in G:F. As a result, final weight was 3.9 and 5.3 kg greater (linear, P ? 0.005) in groups 1 and 2, respectively, when comparing the lowest to the highest stocking density treatments. When comparing growth performance to a suggested required k-value of 0.0336, performance should have been affected above 122, 102, and 83 kg at 0.84, 0.74, and 0.65 m2 per pig. In group 1, performance should not have been affected until after 109.0 kg, 94.0 kg, and 80.3 kg for the 0.84, 0.74, and 0.65 m2 per pig treatments, respectively. However, in group 1 even after d 14 (less than 74.5 kg), negative effects of increased stocking density were observed on ADFI (linear, P < 0.08). In group 2, performance should not have been affected until after 118 kg, 87 kg, and 74 kg for the 0.84, 0.74, and 0.65 m2 per pig treatments. Similar to group 1, feed consumption and consequently ADG decreased linearly (P ? 0.033) as stocking density increased, before pigs reached the k-value that should have influenced performance. Overall, this study indicates that increasing stocking density resulted in poorer ADG driven by a reduction in ADFI and the accepted k-value of 0.0336 might underestimate the impact of increased stocking density