Farm-based Production Parameters and Breakeven Costs for Yellow Perch Grow-out in Ponds in Southern Wisconsin

For over 30 years the yellow perch (Perca flavescens) has been viewed as a species with great potential for aquaculture in the North Central Region (NCR). The species has been the focus of a significant amount of research over this period, and has been a priority species for research sponsored by the North Central Regional Aquaculture Center (NCRAC) since its inception in 1988. Despite these efforts almost no information has been available on “real world” production parameters and costs of raising yellow perch to market size using different system types. The lack of such basic information on production costs is a primary reason for the failure of numerous yellow perch operations in the NCR

Effects of Increasing the Energy Density of a Lactating Ewe Diet by Replacing Grass Hay with Soybean Hulls and Dried Distillers Grains with Solubles

The objective of this experiment was to determine the effects of increasing the energy density of a lactating ewe diet by replacing grass hay (GH) with soybean hulls (SH) and replacing soybean meal (SBM) with dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) on ewe body condition, milk production and nutrient composition, and lamb performance. Sixteen 2-year-old ewes were selected based on a common lambing date. All diets contained 60% roughage and 40% concentrate. Dietary roughage source, however varied from completely GH to completely SH, and SBM was replaced by DDGS. Diets were formulated to contain 13.9% CP and an increasing amount of dietary energy as SH and DDGS replaced GH and SBM. The control diet for this experiment was composed of 60% GH and 11.6% SBM (GH-SBM). Treatment diets were 60% GH and 25.4% DDGS (GH-DDGS); 20% GH, 40% SH, 15.3% DDGS (SH40-DDGS); and no GH, 60% SH, 10% DDGS (SH60-DDGS). The SH, protein concentrate, and mineral portion of the diet was pelleted and mixed with the chopped GH, when GH was included in the diet. The SH60-DDGS diet was a completely pelleted diet. Ewes were offered feed twice daily, and a weigh-suckle-weigh technique was performed weekly throughout the 8-week lactation to quantify production and characterize nutrient composition milk in the ewe. Ewe BW and BCS was recorded at the beginning and end of the trial and lamb growth performance was monitored weekly. Replacing GH and SBM with SH and DDGS increased milk production without decreasing ewe BW and BCS during lactation. Although, total milk solids, protein, and fat were decreased when SH and DDGS replaced GH and SBM, lamb growth performance was improved. Increased milk production that resulted with the inclusion of SH and DDGS in the diet was sufficient to overcome the lesser nutrient composition of the milk to result in differences in lamb growth. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that replacing GH and SBM with SH and DDGS increases dietary energy density and results in increased milk production and lamb growth without compromising ewe BW and BCS

Effects of Increasing the Dietary Energy Density by Replacing Grass Hay with Soybean Hulls and Dried Distillers Grains with Solubles on Nutrient Digestibility and Rumen Fermentation

We hypothesize that soybean hulls (SH) and dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) can be used in lamb diets to increase dietary energy density compared with a traditional grass hay (GH) and soybean meal (SBM) diet without causing adverse effects on nutrient digestibility and rumen function. To test this hypothesis, four ruminally-cannulated wethers were used in a 4x4 Latin square design to determine the effects of replacing GH with SH and replacing SBM with DDGS on nutrient digestibility and rumen fermentation. All diets were formulated to contain 60% roughage and 40% concentrate on DM basis. Dietary roughage source, however, varied from completely GH to completely SH, and SBM was replaced by DDGS. Diets were formulated to contain 13.9% CP and an increasing amount of dietary energy as SH and DDGS replaced GH and SBM. The control diet was composed of 60% GH and 11.6% SBM (GH-SBM). Treatment diets were 60% GH and 25.4% DDGS (GH-DDGS); 20% GH, 40% SH, 15.3% DDGS (SH40-DDGS); or no GH, 60% SH, 10% DDGS (SH60-DDGS). The SH, protein concentrate, and mineral portion of the diet was pelleted and mixed with the chopped GH, when GH was included in the diet. The SH60-DDGS diet was a completely pelleted diet. This trial was divided into four periods. Lambs were allowed 14 d to adapt to their respective treatment diet which was offered twice daily. Following adaptation, total feed, fecal, and urine samples were collected and weighed during the 4-d collection period and subsequently composited for nutrient analyses. On the day following collection of fecal and urine samples, rumen fluid was collected at -2, 0, 1, 4, 8, 12 h relative to feeding, for analysis of VFA and ammonia concentrations. Replacing GH with SH improved DM digestibility and the DE content of the diet. Although increasing SH in the diet decreased rumen pH, ADF and NDF digestibility was not affected adversely. Lower rumen pH did favor increased propionate concentrations in the rumen. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that DDGS and SH can be used to increase the energy density of lamb diets compared to a traditional GH and SBM diet without affecting nutrient digestibility and rumen pH adversely

ECONOMICS OF VARIABLE RATE NEMATICIDE FOR SUGAR BEETS

The benefit of applying fumigant for control of the sugar beet nematode on a variable versus uniform rate basis is examined. Compared to fumigating an entire filed at a constant full-label rate, varialbe rate application provides a savings ranging from $31/ac (heavily infested field) to$69/ac (lightly infested field).Crop Production/Industries,

Grassroots Conservation: Volunteers Contribute to Threatened and Endangered Species Projects and Foster a Supportive Public

Educational programs for volunteers participating in threatened and endangered species conservation projects foster supportive attitudes in individuals who then become valuable advocates. We surveyed volunteers to assess the impact of the Tern and Plover Conservation Partnership\u27s program. This program trains volunteers to protect Interior Least Terns and Piping Plovers nesting at sand and gravel mines, lakeshore housing developments, and river sandbars. Volunteers increased their knowledge and appreciation of threatened and endangered species and conservation policy. They expressed interest in contributing to conservation policymaking and felt that they can make a difference in the recovery of legally protected species

Acquisition of Ly49 Receptor Expression by Developing Natural Killer Cells

The formation of the repertoire of mouse natural killer (NK) cell receptors for major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules was investigated by determining the developmental pattern of Ly49 receptor expression. During the first days after birth, few or no splenic NK cells express Ly49A, Ly49C, Ly49G2, or Ly49I receptors. The proportion of Ly49+ splenic NK cells gradually rises to adult levels during the first 6–8 wk of life. The appearance of appreciable numbers of splenic Ly49+ NK cells coincides with the appearance of NK activity at 3–4 wk. After in vivo transfer, NK cells not expressing specific Ly49 receptors can give rise to NK cells that do, and cells expressing one of these four Ly49 receptors can give rise to cells expressing others. Once initiated, expression of a Ly49 receptor is stable for at least 10 d after in vivo transfer. Hence, initiation of Ly49 receptor expression occurs successively. Interestingly, expression of one of the receptors tested, Ly49A, did not occur after in vivo transfer of Ly49A− cells. One possible explanation for these data is that the order of Ly49 receptor expression by NK cells is nonrandom. The results provide a framework for evaluating models of NK cell repertoire formation, and how the repertoire is molded by host class I MHC molecules

Lack of growth enhancement by exogenous growth hormone treatment in yellow perch (Perca flavescens) in four separate experiments

Author Posting. © The Authors, 2005. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of Elsevier B. V. for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Aquaculture 250 (2005): 471-479, doi:10.1016/j.aquaculture.2005.03.019.The effect of exogenous growth hormone (GH) treatment on the growth of juvenile yellow perch (Perca flavescens) was investigated in four experiments. In the first two experiments, juvenile yellow perch were reared at either 13°C or 21°C, and injected weekly with bovine GH (bGH) at 0.1, 1.0 or 10.0 μg/g body weight for 84 days. No significant growth enhancement in GH-treated fish was measured in fish in either of the experiments. In the third experiment, juvenile yellow perch were treated with estradiol-17β (E2, 15 μg/g of diet), bGH (1.0 μg/g body weight) injected weekly or both hormones for 70 days at 21°C. E2 alone stimulated growth, but no further growth stimulation occurred in the E2 + bGH-treated fish. In addition, no growth enhancement was found in fish treated with bGH alone. We measured no difference in serum insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) levels between the treatment groups at 12 and 24 h after the final injection of GH; however, a drop in IGF-I levels after 24 h was observed. In a fourth study, the effect of recombinant yellow perch GH (rypGH, 0.2 or 1.0 μg/g body weight) injected weekly was evaluated in yellow perch juveniles. The fish were reared for 42 days at 18°C. Neither GH dosages improved growth compared to control-injected and non-injected fish. Taken together, the lack of effect of mammalian GH or rypGH in our experiments suggests (1) low binding affinity between these hormones and the GH receptor in yellow perch, (2) that the endogenous GH levels were already at biologically maximal levels or (3) that other endocrine factors are needed in order for GH to promote yellow perch growth. The reduction in IGF-I levels 24 h after handling suggests a negative effect of handling stress on the GH-IGF-I axis in yellow perch.This work was supported by the University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences and School of Natural Resources; the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources; the University of Wisconsin Sea Grant College Program, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, US Department of Commerce; the State of Wisconsin (Federal Grant NA46RG0481, Project No. R/AQ-38); and the USDA NOAA Project R/A-05-99, grant #NA86RG0048 to FG and SR. This study was also funded by the Norwegian Research Council (NFR)

Sensitivity to horizontal resolution in the AGCM simulations of warm season diurnal cycle of precipitation over the United States and northern Mexico

This study examines the sensitivity of the North American warm season diurnal cycle of precipitation to changes in horizontal resolution in three atmospheric general circulation models, with a primary focus on how the parameterized moist processes respond to improved resolution of topography and associated local/regional circulations on the diurnal time scale. It is found that increasing resolution (from approximately 2?? to 1/2?? in latitude-longitude) has a mixed impact on the simulated diurnal cycle of precipitation. Higher resolution generally improves the initiation and downslope propagation of moist convection over the Rockies and the adjacent Great Plains. The propagating signals, however, do not extend beyond the slope region, thereby likely contributing to a dry bias in the Great Plains. Similar improvements in the propagating signals are also found in the diurnal cycle over the North American monsoon region as the models begin to resolve the Gulf of California and the surrounding steep terrain. In general, the phase of the diurnal cycle of precipitation improves with increasing resolution, though not always monotonically. Nevertheless, large errors in both the phase and amplitude of the diurnal cycle in precipitation remain even at the highest resolution considered here. These errors tend to be associated with unrealistically strong coupling of the convection to the surface heating and suggest that improved simulations of the diurnal cycle of precipitation require further improvements in the parameterizations of moist convection processes.open37

Deep generative modeling for single-cell transcriptomics.

Single-cell transcriptome measurements can reveal unexplored biological diversity, but they suffer from technical noise and bias that must be modeled to account for the resulting uncertainty in downstream analyses. Here we introduce single-cell variational inference (scVI), a ready-to-use scalable framework for the probabilistic representation and analysis of gene expression in single cells ( https://github.com/YosefLab/scVI ). scVI uses stochastic optimization and deep neural networks to aggregate information across similar cells and genes and to approximate the distributions that underlie observed expression values, while accounting for batch effects and limited sensitivity. We used scVI for a range of fundamental analysis tasks including batch correction, visualization, clustering, and differential expression, and achieved high accuracy for each task

Ticagrelor versus Clopidogrel in Symptomatic Peripheral Artery Disease

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