Blood metabolites and fecal starch as indicators of feed efficiency of beef cattle in the feedlot

ABSTRACT The use of blood metabolites (BM), fecal starch (FS), and apparent digestion of starch, (ATTSD) as indicators of feed efficiency (FE) in beef cattle in the feedlot was studied. Fourteen bulls were used, originating in an industrial cross, without a defined racial group, with mean body weight of 284.86kg, individually fed, being evaluated in a 42-day confinement system. After the evaluation, the animals were divided into two groups according to the individual FE: high feed efficiency (HE) and low feed efficiency (LE). There was a difference between the groups in the variables FE, feed conversion (FC), final weight (FW), and daily weight gain (DWG). The FE had a positive correlation with DWG, FC, and FW. There was no difference between the groups for the variables BM, FS, and ATTSD, nor was there any correlation between these variables and FE. Considering the feed cost, the HE animals proved more profitable. BM, FS, and ATTSD did not statistically show potential to be used as indicators of FE, despite the evidence of numerical differences of these variables between the different groups, tendency of correlations with FE, and discriminating function with potential assertiveness.

Local scour protection using geocell for downstream of spillway

Local scour is an important problem for hydraulic structures. The local scour in the downstream of dams causes problems such as the damage of the dam body stabilization, erosion of the slopes, and the submergence of the turbines. There are many studies investigating the local scour prediction of the downstream of the hydraulic structures, but in recent years, these studies have been replaced by studies of local scour reduction. The new idea of confining the bed materials using the geocell is becoming a popular solution. This solution can be especially used for the reinforcement of the soils. In this study, the preventability of the local scour downstream of chute channel by cellular confinement system, also known as geocell, was investigated. As a result, in case of using geocell, percentage reduction of the maximum scour depth up to 40.63% was observed.

Productive and Reproductive Aspects in Dairy Cows Raised with and Without Access to Pasture in Southern Brazil

Since productive performance in dairy cows is directly linked to the manner in which cows are raised, the breeding system can have a direct influence on the parameters of a farm. Unlike the main European and North American countries, in southern Brazil the use of confinement systems with access to pasture is widespread. Grazing cows are believed to be less stressed from the metabolic point of view. This study was conducted on nine commercial dairy farms located in the Serra Gaúcha, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, from September 2016 to November 2017. A total of 393 Holstein dairy cows were included immediately after birth. The dairy farms had an average of 45 lactating cows and were milked twice a day with an average milk production in 305 days of 9,500 kg / cow for the confinement system with access to pasture and 10,700 kg / cow for the confined system. The confinement system with access to pasture (CAP) was composed of five properties and was characterized by access to rotating pasture, while the confinement system without access to pasture (CNP) was composed of four properties. The study diagnosed uterine diseases, metabolic diseases and their correlations, and assessed the conception rate in the first service of the herds. Animals with access to pasture had generally lower production rates than animals reared in confinement, which suggests that the model with access to pasture used in the extreme south of the country can result in deleterious effects on animal production.

Impact of environmentally friendly technologies on costs and cost-effectiveness of a dairy cattle confinement system

Our goal was to assess the economic impact of some environmentally friendly technologies on the production costs and cost-effectiveness of a dairy cattle confinement system, estimating environmental costs and their representativeness in both effective and total operating costs, as well as in the total cost. We assessed the cost-effectiveness of the cost center of milk production and identified the components that most affect final costs, estimating a break-even point (kg milk year-1) as well. The data were collected in a freestall full-confinement system of a dairy cattle farm located in southern Minas Gerais State (Brazil), from January 2016 to December 2017. The cost of milk production was estimated using a method based on the operating and total costs from a cost center involving lactating and dry dairy cows. The cost center of milk production showed to be economically feasible, showing positive gross and net margin results, as well as positive profitability and cost-effectiveness. Total environmental operating cost was on average R$ 0.015 per kg milk, which represented 1.985% of the total operating cost. Effective environmental operating cost was on average R$ 0.0059, which corresponded to 0.7788% of the total operating cost. Finally, total environmental cost was on average R$ 0.0317, representing 3.3280% of the total cost. The most representative items of the effective operating cost were in descending order: animal feed, workforce, animal health, animal production hormone (bovine somatotropin; bST), vehicle maintenance, machines and equipment, maintenance of improvements, electricity, and freestall bedding sand. Average break-even point was 1,104,038.54 kg milk year-1 or 3,024.76 kg milk day-1, while average production was 4,271,383.00 kg milk year-1 and 11,702.42 kg milk day-1.

Experimental Investigation of RC Columns Confined with Ni-Ti Shape Memory Alloys Wires versus CFRP Sheets

The critical need to enhance existing strengthening methods with more efficient and effective ones has led to the evolvement of smarter and innovative class of materials termed Shape Memory Alloys (SMA). The SMA’s possess unique characteristic properties that lie in their ability to undergo large deformations and return to their undeformed shape through stress removal or heating process. Limited research studies conducted using SMA’s have shown high potential for their use in building industry. Results presented in this research study are from an experimental study that investigated the compressive behaviour of uniaxial concentrically loaded Nickel – Titanium (Ni-Ti) SMA-spirally confined RC columns and compared with RC columns confined with conventional CFRP sheets. The compression tests revealed that actively confining the concrete column with Ni-Ti SMA spiral wires increased the performance of the concrete dramatically. Additionally, the active Ni-Ti SMA-confinement system exhibited superior performance compared to the conventional passive CFRP-confinement system.

Analysis of the Behavior of FRCM Confined Clay Brick Masonry Columns

The behavior of FRCM (Fabric Reinforced Cementitious Mortar) confined clay brick masonry columns is analyzed in this paper. The results of an experimental investigation conducted on small-scale columns made by clay brick masonry confined with steel-FRCM (or Steel Reinforced Grout, SRG), PBO (poly-paraphenylene-benzo-bisoxazole) FRCM and basalt-FRCM, tested under monotonic compressive load, are described and discussed. Tests were conducted on thirteen prismatic columns; eleven columns (two unconfined and nine confined) were tested under concentric load while an eccentric load was applied on two confined columns. For each confinement system, the parameters investigated were the ‘confinement ratio’, the ‘load eccentricity’ and the ‘overlap configuration of the fiber fabrics’. FRCM confinement improved the structural response of masonry columns in terms of ultimate strength, ultimate strain and ductility. Some models from the literature were also examined to evaluate their applicability in predicting the axial capacity of confined columns.

Clinical, hematological and histopathological aspects of experimental induction of laminitis in cattle through lipopolysaccharide infusion

ABSTRACT: The purpose of this research was to confirm the changes occurring in the foot system of the heifers challenged with lipopolysaccharides (LPS), at the clinical, serum and histological levels. We studied 16 clinically healthy heifers, 14 months of age, placed in a confinement system. All the animals were provided with an accelerometer collar to establish their activity. They were categorized into two groups: the LPS group (n=8), or those which were administered two intravenous applications of 2 mL containing 0.5 μg/kg of body weight of LPS, with a 24-hour interval and the Control group (n=8) which were given two infusions of 2 mL of saline solution in the same time interval. General clinical examination and blood collection were done at 0, 4 and 8 hours post the LPS challenges and analyses of the hemograms and paroxonese-1 were performed. The animals were then slaughtered on day 4 and the laminar tissue was collected for histological analysis. The LPS group revealed a lower total leukocyte count with heart rate and greater activity. None of the animals revealed any abnormal signs symptomatic of foot pathology after histological analysis. Hence, the challenge with LPS failed to induce any clinical and histological changes in the foot tissue compatible with laminitis.

Prevalence of foot disorders in lactating Jersey cows raised in semi-confinement

Background and Aim: To establish prevention strategies, recording the prevalence of foot injuries within a herd should be the starting point in determining the risk factors involved in digital diseases. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of claw disorders in lactating Jersey cows raised in a semi-confinement system. Materials and Methods: Five hundred and eighty-four digits were examined from 73 lactating Jersey cows. The lameness score system was used to assess each cow while walking and on standing position, and digital lesions were evaluated with the cows restrained in a hydraulic cattle chute. Results: The prevalence of digital lesions was 93.1%. Among the 68 affected cows, only 21 were lame. Of the 584 digits examined, 970 lesions were recorded, corresponding to 13.3% lesions per cow and 1.66% injuries per digit. Forty-eight cows (65.7%) had lesions in all digits, and 92.8% of digits had at least one lesion. Lesions in digits of fore limbs were more common (55.3%) (p<0.0001) than those of hind limbs (44.7%). Foot injuries in medial digits of the fore limbs were more prevalent (56.8%) (p<0.001) than in the lateral digits (43.2%). The lesions' occurrence was similar in both medial and lateral digits of the hind limbs (p=0.8347). The primary diseases observed were heel horn erosion (53.8%), white line disease (19.3%), and double sole (12.4%), which together accounted for 92.4% and 84.9% of foot disorders diagnosed in the fore and hind limbs, respectively. Other digital diseases occurred less frequently. Conclusion: The prevalence of foot disorders in lactating Jersey cows raised in semi-confinement systems was high. This could be due to the lack of preventive trimming, infectious diseases, and nutritional problems.

Assessing the Financial Feasibility of Slope Protection Through the use of Geocell With Recomposed of Infertile

Soils that have small load capacity need to have their mechanical characteristics improved in order to portray parameters that provide safety to the desired works. The geocells were developed to obtain a cellular confinement system used for reinforcement, protection and coating of slopes, similar to a beehive, which can be filled with soil, granular materials or concrete. However, the present work presents economic viability methods between the projected concrete and the geotextile. With the methodology, it was considered that the alternative use of geocell promoted savings of 35% compared to the projected concrete. The results indicated by tables that compose the projected concrete coatings and geocells were made available by the executing company. Finally, the method was applied to the soil-cement satisfactorily serving the execution, mechanical and economic aspects.