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The article presents abstracts of various papers related to animal nutrition that were presented during the symposium held on July 28, 2005 in Cincinnati, Ohio, which was organized by the American Dairy Science Association, the American Society of Animal Science, and the Canadian Society of Animal Science. One of the papers discussed is "Metabolizable Protein Effects on Ammonia Emissions and Nitrogen Excretion of Steers," by D.Panetta, W. Powers, and J. Russell. Protein degradability effects on N metabolism and NH3 emissions were evaluated. In experiment 1, eight steers were fed diets containing urea, soybean meal, or soybean meal and urea. In experiment 2, nine steers were fed diets containing 0, 12, or 24% distillers dried grain with solubles. Another paper discussed is "Ruminal Fermentation of 15N-Labeled Alfalfa Hay N Fractions In Vitro," by A. Melgart and A.N. Hristov. The objective of this study was to compare the ruminal in vitro rate and extent 15N-labeled alfalfa hay N fractions. Nitrogenous fractions from green house-grown alfalfa hay were isolated and incubated in vitro with mixed ruminal populations.

The article presents abstracts of various papers related to animal nutrition that were presented during the symposium held on July 28, 2005 in Cincinnati, Ohio, which was organized by the American Dairy Science Association, the American Society of Animal Science, and the Canadian Society of Animal Science. One of the papers discussed is "Effect of Stocking Density and Fence Line Barrier on the Behavior of Dairy Cattle," by J.M. Huzzey, P. Valois, T.J. DeVries, M.A.O. von Keyserlingk, and D.M. Weary. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effect of using a headlock or a post-and-rail barrier on the behavior of dairy cows, and to determine how this effect interacts with stocking density. Thirty-six lactating Holstein cows were divided into four groups, two assigned to each barrier design. Groups were followed for 40 d and then switched to the alternate barrier for a subsequent 40 d. Another paper discussed is "The Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System: An Evolving Model," by T. Tylutki and D. Fox. The Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System, a cattle nutrition model, has been under continuous development since the early 1980s. The upcoming version has undergone a comprehensive review with the addition of recent biological advances.

The article presents abstracts of various papers related to animal nutrition that were presented during the symposium held on July 28, 2005 in Cincinnati, Ohio, which was organized by the American Dairy Science Association, the American Society of Animal Science, and the Canadian Society of Animal Science. One of the papers discussed is "Fate of Supplemental Escherichia coil Phytase in the Digestive Tract of Young Pigs," by A.R. Pagano, K.R. Roneker, and X.G. Lei. The objective of this study was to determine the functional site of a supplemental E. coli phytase and its impact on phosphorus contents of digesta in different segments of the gastrointestinal tract of pigs. A total of 18 weanling pigs were allotted to three groups and were fed a low-P corn-soy basal diet (BD), BD + E. coli AppA2 phytase, or BD + inorganic P for 4 wk. Another paper discussed is "The Effect of Wheat Variety and Enzyme Supplementation on Pig Performance," by M.E.E. McCann, K.J. McCracken and P.H. Simmins. Although wheat is a major component of many pig diets, it has been reported to be the most variable in terms of chemical composition and nutritive value. This variation arises from a number of factors, including variety. Wheat nutritive value can also be affected by non starch polysaccharide content, the presence of the IB/IR gene and endosperm hardness.

The article presents abstracts of various papers related to animal feeding that were presented during the symposium held on July 28, 2005 in Cincinnati, Ohio, which was organized by the American Dairy Science Association, the American Society of Animal Science, and the Canadian Society of Animal Science. One of the papers discussed is "Small Intestinal Composition and Hydrolytic Activity in Neonatal Calves Fed Nucleotides," by C. Oliver, C. De Jesus Arias, W. Keller, M. Bauer, and C. Park. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of dietary nucleotides on the small intestine of neonatal calves. Nineteen newborn Holstein bull calves were assigned to one of two dietary treatments: standard milk replacer or milk replacer supplemented with purified nucleotides at 5 times the level found in normal cow milk. Another paper discussed is "Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor 1 Regulates Protein Metabolism in Atrophic Muscle," by J.K. Eash, A.L. Grant, K.M. Hannon, and D.F. Gerrard. Skeletal muscle disuse and subsequent loss of protein is attenuated by augmenting fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling. The exact mechanism for this blunted muscle wasting is not known. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine how FGF signaling affects muscle protein metabolism during disuse atrophy.

The article presents abstracts of various papers related to animal nutrition that were presented during the symposium held on July 27, 2005 in Cincinnati, Ohio, which was organized by the American Dairy Science Association, the American Society of Animal Science, and the Canadian Society of Animal Science. One of the papers discussed is "Effect of Cooked Molasses Block Supplementation and Flax on Newly Received Calf Performance," by D. Larson, M. Bauer, G. Lardy and J. Stewart. One hundred forty-four crossbred steers were used to evaluate the effect of supplemental cooked molasses blocks with and without flax on newly received calf health and subsequent performance. The authors hypothesized that calves would consume blocks, thereby, increase nutrient intake during periods of low feed intake, which typically occur after weaning. Steers were assigned randomly to one of three treatments: control, block without flax and block including ground flax. Another paper discussed is "Effects of Winter Growing Program on Visceral Organ Mass and Oxygen Consumption in Beef Steers," by M. McCurdy, C. Krehbiel, G. Horn and J. Wagner. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of winter growing program on visceral organ mass and oxygen consumption. A total of 46 steers were utilized for the experiment. Four steers were harvested at the beginning of the experiment.

The article presents abstracts of various papers related to lactation that were presented during the symposium held on July 27, 2005 in Cincinnati, Ohio, which was organized by the American Dairy Science Association, the American Society of Animal Science, and the Canadian Society of Animal Science. One of the papers discussed is "Evidence of a Role of Prolactin in Mediating Photoperiodic Effects During the Dry Period," by H.M. Crawford, J.L. Dauderman, D.E. Morin, T.B. McFadden and G.E. Dahi. Short day photoperiod (SDPP) during the dry period increases milk production in the subsequent lactation relative to long day photoperiod (LDPP). In addition we have observed that SDPP improves immune function during the transition compared with LDPP. The hypothesis is that mammary and immune responses under SDPP result from increased prolactin sensitivity. Another paper discussed is "A Proteomic Approach to Evaluate the Effects of Body Weight and Plane of Nutrition on Protein Expression Profiles of Mammary Gland Extracts From Holstein Heifers," by K.M. Daniels, K.B. Webb, M.L. McGilliard, M.J. Meyer, M.E. Van Amburgh and R.M. Akers. Biochemical and cellular mechanisms governing alterations in heifer udder development are poorly understood relative to prepubertal feeding and animal performance. Mammary development in dairy heifers was characterized with the use of proteomics, which is the study of the complete set of translated proteins in a biological sample.

This article presents abstracts of various papers related to animal nutrition management and environment, that were presented during the symposium held on July 26, 2005, Cincinnati, Ohio, which was organized by the American Dairy Science Association, the American Society of Animal Science and the Canadian Society of Animal Science. One of the papers presented is "Assessment of Dairy Farm Management Practices Through Internet Connections," by J.D. Ferguson and others. A major challenge in the dairy industry is transfer of information and technology to dairy farms. Extension systems have been reduced in size due to costs to maintain extensive systems. This reduces the ability to deliver technical assistance to many local dairy farms. Another paper discussed is "Effects of Feeding Varying Concentrations of Dry Distillers Grains With Solubles to Finishing Steers on Performance and Odorant Emissions," by C. Benson, K. Tjardes and C. Wright. Distillers grains are becoming more prevalent as a feedstuff, with dried distillers grains plus solubles being the predominant form. This trial was designed to determine if feeding increasing concentrations of DDGS affects finishing steer performance and odor emissions.

The article presents abstracts of various papers related to animal behavior that were presented during the symposium held on July 27, 2005 in Cincinnati, Ohio, which was organized by the American Dairy Science Association, the American Society of Animal Science, and the Canadian Society of Animal Science. One of the papers discussed is "Assessment of Antibiotic Usage in Dairy Herds in Pennsylvania," by A. Sawant, L. Sordillo, and B. Jayarao. A survey of 113 dairy herds from 13 counties in Pennsylvania indicated that fifty percent of dairy farms maintained antibiotic treatment records. Only 21% had written plans for treating sick animals. Antibiotics were mostly administered (93%) by the owner/manager or designated herdsman, but only 32% of farms sought a veterinarian's advice before administration. Another paper discussed is "The Early Detection of Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) With Infrared Thermography and Treatment With Nitric Oxide," by A.L. Schaefer, B.J. Perry, N.J. Cook and others. BRD is one of the most costly health afflictions affecting the beef industry. Unlimited treatment with antibiotics either before or following the appearance of clinical signs is not optimally effective and moreover, is raising concerns globally regarding the promotion of resistant microorganisms.

This article presents abstracts of various papers related to animal physiology and endocrinology, that were presented during the symposium held on July 26, 2005, Cincinnati, Ohio, which was organized by the American Dairy Science Association, the American Society of Animal Science and the Canadian Society of Animal Science. One of the papers presented is "Prediction of Reproductive Performance on Large Commercial Dairies," by D. Caraviello and others. Data from Holstein cows in large commercial herds that participated in the Alta Genetics' Advantage progeny testing program were analyzed to explain factors affecting conception at first, second, and third services, pregnancy status at 150 days in milk, and days open. Another paper discussed is "Fatty Acid Composition of the Porcine Conceptus in Response to Maternal Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation," by A. E. Brazle and others. Maternal omega-3 fatty acid supplementation is reported to increase litter size in pigs. Therefore we evaluated the hypothesis that omega-3 sources would affect the fatty acid composition of pig concept uses and that the effects would differ with the omega-3 source.

The article presents abstracts of various papers related to animal nutrition that were presented during the symposium held on July 27, 2005 in Cincinnati, Ohio, which was organized by the American Dairy Science Association, the American Society of Animal Science, and the Canadian Society of Animal Science. One of the papers discussed is "Development of an In Vitro Technique to Monitor the Fate of True Proteins of Feedstuffs in the Rumen," by A.A. Sadeghi and P. Shawrang. An integrated artificial rumen and electrophoretic technique were used to develop an in vitro technique to monitor the fate of true proteins of feedstuffs in the rumen. The objective was to adapt an in vitro procedure to obtain simulated rumen fluid and many residue at different incubation times that could be analyzed for true protein patterns by using SDS-PAGE technique. Another paper discussed is "Amino Acid Content of Residues From In Vitro and S. Griseus Incubations," by D.A. Ross and M.E. Van Amburgh. The degradability of ruminant feed proteins has been measured using in vitro and protease procedures but without comparative amino acid (AA) contents of the residues. The objective of this study was to evaluate the AA contents of the residues following a 24-hr IV fermentation and a comparative S. griseus incubation at time points designed to correspond to the protein degradation observed in the IV fermentation for twelve feeds.

The article presents abstracts of various papers related to animal physiology that were presented during the symposium held on July 27, 2005 in Cincinnati, Ohio, which was organized by the American Dairy Science Association, the American Society of Animal Science, and the Canadian Society of Animal Science. One of the papers discussed is "DNA Regulatory Activity and RNA Expression of the Sequence Surrounding the Callipyge Mutation," by A. Skipwith, A. Perkins, T. Shay, S. Eng, D. Moody, N. Cockett and C. Bidwell. The callipyge mutation is a single base pair transition from A (normal) to G (callipyge) in an imprinted gene cluster on chromosome 18 in sheep. The mutation occurred in a highly conserved 12 bp motif in the intergenic region between DLKI and GTL2. The mutation alters the expression of several genes within the 215 kb cluster when the mutation is inherited in cis. Another paper discussed is "Effect of Dietary Conjugated Linoleic Acid on Adiposity and the Adipose-Transcriptome," by K.M. Hargrave, D. Pomp and J.L. Miner. Dietary conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) causes body fat loss in mice. The objective of this study was to determine CLA-induced alterations in circulating metabolic hormone levels and to identify differentially expressed genes.

The article presents abstracts of various papers related to animal feeding that were presented during the symposium held on July 27, 2005 in Cincinnati, Ohio, which was organized by the American Dairy Science Association, the American Society of Animal Science, and the Canadian Society of Animal Science. One of the papers discussed is "Tea Saponins Affect In Vitro Fermentation and Methanogenesis in Faunated and Defaunated Rumen Fluid," by W.-L. Hu, Y.-M. Wu, J.-X. Liu, and Y.-Q. Guo. The effect of tea saponins (TS) on rumen fermentation and methane emission was examined using an in vitro gas production technique named Reading Pressure Technique. Three levels of TS addition were evaluated in the faunated and defaunated rumen fluid. Compared to the control, TS addition decreased the 24h gas production in the faunated rumen fluid, but had a minor effect on gas yield in the defaunated rumen fluid. Another paper discussed is "Ruminal Degradation Kinetics of Corn Silage With Different Additives," by P.A. Katsuk, E.S. Pereira, B.M.O. Ramos and others. Dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber degradabilities of corn silage were evaluated in a 4x4 Latin square assay in ruminal ambient adapted or not with different feed additives.

The article presents abstracts of various papers related to animal health that were presented during the symposium held on July 27, 2005 in Cincinnati, Ohio, which was organized by the American Dairy Science Association, the American Society of Animal Science, and the Canadian Society of Animal Science. One of the papers discussed is "Biosecurity Practices Related to Cattle Purchases," by F. Hoe and P. Ruegg. Wisconsin dairy producers were surveyed in the fall of 2004 using a mailed questionnaire. A total of 583 farms responded for a response rate of 53%. Overall, herds contained 92 lactating cows with a rolling herd average of 8,991 kg and a bulk tank somatic cell count of 245,963 cells/ml. Another paper discussed is "Biosecurity Practices Used During Dairy Herd Expansion," by J. Dalton, R. Norell and M. Chahine. The Idaho dairy industry has undergone rapid growth recently. In December 2004, there were 435,000 lactating cows in Idaho, an increase of 163,000 cows in seven years. Consequently, the demand for dairy cattle has increased in order to fill new and remodeled facilities. A survey of Idaho dairy producers was performed to identify biosecurity practices used during herd expansion.

The article presents abstracts of various papers related to animal physiology that were presented during the symposium held on July 27, 2005 in Cincinnati, Ohio, which was organized by the American Dairy Science Association, the American Society of Animal Science, and the Canadian Society of Animal Science. One of the papers discussed is "Effects of Feeding Pattern on Plasma Ghrelin Concentrations in Pigs," by C. Brown, R. Harrell, and C. Whisnant. The independent role of ghrelin regulation continues to be controversial. Ghrelin, a 28 amino acid peptide identified as the endogenous ligand for growth hormone (GH) secretoagogue receptor, is found in the gastrointestinal tract, predominantly the stomach. Ghrelin stimulates GH secretion, increases feed intake, adipose tissue, and decreases gastric acid. The aim of this study was to determine if a change in meal patterns might affect ghrelin levels in barrows. Another paper discussed is "NEFA and Glucose Levels in Serum of Periparturient Dairy Cows are Indicative of Pregnancy Success at First Service," by M. Burkhart, R. Youngquist, J. Spain and others. Higher serum levels of non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) and lower serum levels of glucose indicate a negative energy balance in periparturient dairy cows. The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between NEFA and glucose levels in periparturient dairy cows and subsequent fertility.

The article presents abstracts of various papers related to animal nutrition that were presented during the symposium held on July 27, 2005 in Cincinnati, Ohio, which was organized by the American Dairy Science Association, the American Society of Animal Science, and the Canadian Society of Animal Science. One of the papers discussed is "Nutrient Digestibility in Microbial Phytase Supplemented Corn-Soybean Based Diets in Two Phases of Growing Pigs," by H. Krebs, C.T. Kadzere, Z. Liu, and E. van Heugten. Phytate phosphorus (P) makes up 40 to 90% of P in cereal grains and in oilseeds and is unavailable to swine except when supplementary phytase is in the diet. In a 4 x 4 CRD study, 16 male castrated pigs were assigned to four homogenous groups of four animals each to evaluate the effects of microbial phytase on nutrient digestibility in pigs in Phase I and in Phase II. Each group was fed one of four diets differing only in P, calcium and phytase content. Another paper discussed is "Effect of Phytase Activity of the Diets on the Faecal and Urinary Phosphorous Excretion in Adult Roosters," by J. Tossenberger, L. Babinszky and I. Kuhn. The effect of phytase on phosphorus (P) excretion of poultry has been customarily determined in studies with intact birds based on collection of excreta. By using cannulation techniques, it is possible to measure faecal and urinary P excretion separately.

The article presents abstracts of various papers related to lactation biology in animals that were presented during the symposium held on July 27, 2005 in Cincinnati, Ohio, which was organized by the American Dairy Science Association, the American Society of Animal Science, and the Canadian Society of Animal Science. One of the papers discussed is "Udder Morphology and Milking Characteristics in Dairy Goats Milked Once-or Twice-Daily," by A.A.K. Salama, G. Caja, M. Rovai, R. Casals, and A. Mart. The effect of once- vs. twice- daily milking on udder morphology and milk emission during machine milking was studied in multiparous Murciano-Granadina dairy goats. Another paper discussed is "Effects of Milking Frequency Prepartum on Postpartum Milk Production, Milk Composition and Dry Matter Intake in Dairy Cows," by R.R. Rastani, N. Silva del Rio, T.F. Gressley, G.E. Dahl, and R.R. Grummer. Forty-eight Holstein cows were utilized in a randomized block design to evaluate different dry period lengths and prepartum milking frequency on subsequent milk production, milk composition and dry matter intake. Lactating cows began the experiment 35 d prior to expected calving date, were milked 2x/d during a 7 d covariate period and were assigned to one of three treatments.

This article presents abstracts of various papers related to animal health, that were presented during the symposium held on July 26, 2005, Cincinnati, Ohio, which was organized by the American Dairy Science Association, the American Society of Animal Science and the Canadian Society of Animal Science. One of the papers presented is "Lactate Dehydrogenase and N-acetyl-b-D-Glucosaminidase Activities in Bovine Milk As Measures of Clinical Mastitis," by M.G.G. Chagunda, T. Larsen, M. Bjerring and K.L. Ingvartsen. The activities of lactate dehydrogenase and N-acetyl-b-D- glucosaminidase and their relationship to somatic cell count was investigated in normal and mastitic bovine milk. A full dataset, consisting of records from Danish Holstein, Danish Red and Jersey cows on one research farm were utilized in the study. Another paper discussed is "Association Between Local Clinical Signs and Important Outcomes of Clinical Mastitis Episodes in Dairy Cattle," by J. Wenz, R. Ella, K. Whitman and F. Garry. Clinical mastitis is the most common infectious disease of dairy cattle and is responsible for significant economic losses. There are many local clinical signs associated with inflammatory changes of the mammary gland during bacterial infection.

The article presents abstracts of various papers related to animal feeding that were presented during the symposium held on July 27, 2005 in Cincinnati, Ohio, which was organized by the American Dairy Science Association, the American Society of Animal Science, and the Canadian Society of Animal Science. One of the papers discussed is "Grazing Behavior and Energy Expenditure by Sheep and Goats Co-Grazing Grass/Forb Pastures at Three Stocking Rates," by G. Animut, A.L. Goetsch, G.E. Aiken, R. Puchala and others. This paper examined the effects of stocking rate on grazing behavior and energy expenditure by growing sheep and goat wethers co-grazing grass/forb pastures. Grazing was for 16-wk periods in 2002 and 2003. Pastures consisted of various grasses, primarily bermudagrass and johnsongrass, and forbs such as ragweed. Another paper discussed is "Goat Preference of Five Tropical Legumes," by S. Pietrosemoli, F. Arenas, D. Bermudez, O. Peley, and A. Casanova. Forage palatability is an important factor in goat production, particularly when forages are expected to provide a major part of the daily nutrient intake. Preference by goats for Indigofera hirsuta, Cannavalia spp., Tephrosia cinerea, Teramnus spp. and Clitoria ternatea harvested at two stages of maturity, 42 and 74 d, was evaluated using four lactating French Alpine X Nubian goats.

The article presents abstracts of various papers related to animal feeding that were presented during the symposium held on July 27, 2005 in Cincinnati, Ohio, which was organized by the American Dairy Science Association, the American Society of Animal Science, and the Canadian Society of Animal Science. One of the papers discussed is "Nutritive Value and Proper Level of Mixed Feeding of Atriplex Cancsens and Panicum Antidotale in Balouchi Sheep," by V. Kashki and H. Tavakoli. Atriplex cancsens is one plant species that is widely used for range reclamation but it does not satisfy total animal requirements; therefore, in this experiment it was used as a complement with Panicum antidutale. Panicum was replaced by Atriplex at levels of 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 percent of dry matter. Apparent digestibility of feeds, digestible dry matter, digestible organic matter, digestible crude protein, digestible cell wall content and digestible gross energy were determined by using 20 male Balouchi lambs. Another paper discussed is "Glyphosate Spraying on Forage Accumulation and Quality of a Range of the Flooding Pampa (Argentina)," by M.J. Arzadun and S.A. Mestelan. Spraying glyphosate at the end of summer is a practice used to improve winter forage of some rangelands of Argentina to enhance the production of Lolium multjfiorum L. developing from a natural seed bank.

This article presents abstracts of various papers related to ruminant nutrition, that were presented during the symposium held on July 26, 2005, Cincinnati, Ohio, which was organized by the American Dairy Science Association, the American Society of Animal Science and the Canadian Society of Animal Science. One of the papers presented is "Effect of Dietary Copper Supplementation on Fatty Acid Profile of Muscle, Mesenteric, and Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue in Goat Kids," by E. Ellis, W. Bergen, S. Solaiman and K. Cummins. A feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of dietary copper supplementation at 0, 100 and 200 mg/d above basal intake on relative amounts of fatty acids in various tissue depots of goats. The effect varied with tissue and affected different fatty acids in different tissues. Another paper presented is "Vitamin E Improves the Number of Transferable Embryos and Born Lambs in Super-Ovulated Ewes," by H. Luo, S. Zhu and Z. Jia. The effect of Vitamin E on the multiple ovulation embryos transfer was studied in two experiments. Fourteen ewes were divided into two groups in Exp 1, and Vitamin E was added 400mg/day to the diet and 16 times higher than the NRC standard in the treatment group.

This article presents abstracts of various papers on amino acids and dietary restrictions related to nonruminant nutrition, that were presented during the symposium held on July 26, 2005, Cincinnati, Ohio, which was organized by the American Dairy Science Association, the American Society of Animal Science and the Canadian Society of Animal Science. One of the papers discussed is "Development of the Enzymes of Homocysteine Metabolism From Birth Through Weaning in the Pig," by D.M. Ballance and J.D. House. In humans, non-human primates and rats, cysteine (CYS) is considered to be a conditionally indispensable amino acid. Developmental delays in the activity levels of a key enzyme from the transulphuration pathway, cystathionine-B-synthase and cystathionine-y-lyase may contribute to the limitation in endogenous CYS availability. Another paper discussed is "Impact of spray-dried plasma form and feeding duration on broiler performance," by J.M. Campbell, J.D. Crenshaw and others. During the experiment, broilers developed necrotic enteritis and tissue cultures were positive for Escherichia coli and Salmonella, Addition of SDP to the feed improved feed intake, and feed efficiency for each time period of the study.

This article presents abstracts of various papers related to meat science and muscle biology of animals, that were presented during the symposium held on July 26, 2005, Cincinnati, Ohio, which was organized by the American Dairy Science Association, the American Society of Animal Science and the Canadian Society of Animal Science. One of the papers discussed is "Prediction of Monounsaturated Fatty Acid in the Rib Eye Marbling of Japanese Black by Image Analysis Using High Resolution Digital Image," by K. Kuchida, Y. Hirayama and others. The purpose of this research was to predict the ratio of monounsaturated fatty acid of marbling fat in the rib eye muscle by detailed image analysis using high resolution carcass images. Japanese Black cattle, which were slaughtered at 24-30 months, were used in this study. Another paper discussed is "Prediction of BMS Number by Image Analysis and Comparison of Estimated BMS Numbers in Different cross Sections of Holstein Steers," by Y. Hamasaki, K. Kuchida, S. Hidaka and others. The aims of this study were to develop a prediction method of the Beef Marbling Standard (BMS) number by image analysis and to investigate the difference between BMS numbers in the 6-7th ribs and those in other areas.

This article presents abstracts of various papers on feedstuffs and processing related to nonruminant nutrition, that were presented during the symposium held on July 26, 2005, Cincinnati, Ohio, which was organized by the American Dairy Science Association, the American Society of Animal Science and the Canadian Society of Animal Science. One of the papers discussed is "Productive Performance of Early-Weaned Pigs Fed Different Vegetable Protein Sources," by D.G. Valencia, M.P. Serrano and others. A trial was conducted to test the influence of the inclusion of several vegetable protein sources in the diet on productivity of young piglets in the absence of in-feed growth promoters. The protein source tested supplied in all cases 5.5% of the total dietary protein. Another paper discussed is "Effect of Ground Flaxseeds on the Performance and Carcass Traits of Finishing Pigs," by K. Saski, S.K. Baidoo and Q. Yang. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of dietary supplementation of ground flaxseeds on the growth performance and carcass traits of finishing pigs.

This article presents abstracts of various papers related to ruminant nutrition of cows, that were presented during the symposium held on July 26, 2005, Cincinnati, Ohio, which was organized by the American Dairy Science Association, the American Society of Animal Science and the Canadian Society of Animal Science. One of the papers presented is "Dietary Cation-Anion Difference and Dietary Protein Effects on Performance and Acid-Base Status of Dairy Cows in Early Lactation," by W. Hu, M.R. Murphy and others. The objective was to examine the effects of dietary cation-anion difference with different concentrations of dietary protein on performance and acid-base status in early lactation cows. Another paper discussed is "Utilization of Phosphorus in Lactating Cows Fed Varying Amounts of Phosphorus and Sources Of Fiber," by Z. Wu. Increasing dietary P increased fecal Phosphorus (P) excretion. Partial substitution of soyhulls for alfalfa hay did not affect milk production, but resulted in less fecal P excretion.

This article presents abstracts of various papers related to beef cattle and its pastures and forage plants, that were presented during the symposium held on July 26, 2005, Cincinnati, Ohio, which was organized by the American Dairy Science Association, the American Society of Animal Science and the Canadian Society of Animal Science. One of the papers presented is "Fatty Acid Composition in Subcutaneous and Intramuscular Fat of Steers Grazing Pasture Supplemented With Corn Oil," by E. Pavan and S. Duckett. To evaluate the effect of increasing corn oil supplementation of grazing steers on fatty acid composition, subcutaneous and intramuscular samples were taken from the left side of the carcass of 18 steers. Another paper discussed is "Coastal, Russell, and Tifton 85 Bermudagrass Hay and Supplement Intake and Digestion by Steers," by G.M. Hill, G.J. Andrae, B.C. Hand and B.G. Mullinix. Coastal , Tifton 85 and Russell bermudagrass hays harvested at 5-wk maturity were fed without or with a supplement to steers to determine DM1 and digestibility.

This article presents abstracts of various papers related to the methodology and modeling of ruminant nutrition, that were presented during the symposium held on July 26, 2005, Cincinnati, Ohio, which was organized by the American Dairy Science Association, the American Society of Animal Science and the Canadian Society of Animal Science. One of the papers presented is "Influence of Fermentation Method on NDF Degradation Parameter Estimates," by D. Bossen, D. R. Mertens and M.R. Weisbjerg. Effect of three methods of fermentation on degradation parameters was studied using feeds ground to different sizes. Corn silage, grass silage, barley grain, sugar beet pulp, and rape seed cake were ground using a shear mill. Another paper discussed is "Measurement of Volatile Fatty Acid Interconversion As a Means to Study the Role of Thermodynamics in the Control of Fermentation," by E. Ungerfeld, B. Bequette, S. Owens and R. Kohn. The molar ratios of volatile fatty acids observed in the rumen may result in part from thermodynamic constraints on rumen fermentation. If certain pathway branches become infeasible because of the buildup of end products, fermentation may shift momentarily to other pathways, keeping the profile of end products in equilibrium.

This article presents abstracts of various papers related to ruminant nutrition, that were presented during the symposium held on July 26, 2005, Cincinnati, Ohio, which was organized by the American Dairy Science Association, the American Society of Animal Science and the Canadian Society of Animal Science. One of the papers presented is "Effects of Omnigen-AF on Milk Production and on Lactation Persistence in a Commercial Dairy Setting," by J. Chapman, S. Pintenney, J. Verano and others. The goal of this study was to evaluate effects of feeding OmniGen-AF, a commercially available feed additive, on milk production and persistence of milk yield during a 60-day field trial. Effects of the two treatments on milk production were assessed statistically with a model which included pre-experiment milk production, days in milk, and lactation number as co-variates. Another paper discussed is "Effect of Increasing Oil From Distillers Grains or Corn Oil on Lactation Performance," by C. Leonardi, S. Bertics and L. Armentano. The objective of this study was to evaluate lactation production response of dairy cows fed distillers dried grains with added solubles.

This article presents abstracts of various papers related to the nutrition management in animals, that were presented during the symposium held on July 26, 2005, Cincinnati, Ohio, which was organized by the American Dairy Science Association, the American Society of Animal Science and the Canadian Society of Animal Science. One of the papers presented is "Electronic Identification of Young Lambs With Mini-Bolus and Effects on Intake and Digestibility During Fattening," by J. Ghiradi, G. Caja, C. Flores and D. Garin. Lambs sucked from their mothers until wk 5 or wk 6, and were intensively fattened thereafter. Growth rate, bolus retention and health status were recorded weekly. Retrieval and fore-stomachs location of cylindrical ceramic mini-boluses at slaughter were also recorded. Another paper discussed is "Multivariate Factor Analysis of Electrical Conductivity in Dairy Cattle," by N.P.P. Macciotta, M. Mele, R. Steri and P. Secchiari. Electrical conductivity of milk is an indicator trait for mastitis and it may be considered as a potential breeding goal for genetic programs, even if an accurate detection of affected animals still represents a problem.

This article presents abstracts of various papers related to the animal physiology and endocrinology, that were presented during the symposium held on July 26, 2005, Cincinnati, Ohio, which was organized by the American Dairy Science Association, the American Society of Animal Science and the Canadian Society of Animal Science. One of the papers presented is "Daylength Induces Changes in Leptin and Leptin Receptors Gene Expression in Adipose Tissue of Lactating Dairy Cows," by U. Bernabucci, N. Lacetera and others. The aim of the present research was to verify the effect of DL on adipose tissue gene expression of leptin and leptin receptors. Four lactating and pregnant Holstein cows were used. The animals were housed in a climatic chamber. Another paper discussed is "Cloning and Expression of Bovine Sodium/Glucose Cotransporter SGLT2," by .F.-Q.Zhao,T.B. McFadden and others. The second member of the Na+/glucose co-transporter family, SGLT2, is a low-affinity active glucose transporter. In human, it is predominantly located on the apical membrane of the S1 and S2 segments of renal convoluted proximal tubules, and, thus, may be mainly responsible for the reabsorption of D-glucose from the glomerular filtrate.

This article presents abstracts of various papers related to the growth, genetics, physiology, health and products of goat species, that were presented during the symposium held on July 26, 2005, Cincinnati, Ohio, which was organized by the American Dairy Science Association, the American Society of Animal Science and the Canadian Society of Animal Science. One of the papers discussed is "Predictive Models for Goat Cheese Yield Using Milk Composition," by S.S. Zeng, K. Soryal, B. Fekadu, and M. Villaquiran. Prediction of yield and quality of different types of cheeses that could be produced from a given type and/or amount of goat milk is of great economic benefit to goat milk and cheese producers. Another paper discussed is "Factors Influencing Urea Space Estimates in Goats," by A. Asmare, L.J. Dawson, R. Puchala and others. Female Alpine goats, 18 approximately 17 mo and 18 that were 5 mo, were used to determine effects of animal age, urea dose, and time without feed and water on urea space estimates.

This article presents abstracts of various papers related to additives, nutrient contents and quality of forage plants and pasture, that were presented during the symposium held on July 26, 2005, Cincinnati, Ohio, which was organized by the American Dairy Science Association, the American Society of Animal Science and the Canadian Society of Animal Science. One of the papers presented is "Effect of Adding Enzyme on Fermentation Quality and Nutritive Value of Corn Stover Silage," by J.-M. Lv, W.-L. Hu and J.-X. Liu. This experiment was carried out to assess the effect of adding enzyme on fermentation quality and nutritive value of corn stover silage. About 120 kg corn stover was used as materials. The result showed that while all corn stover silages were of good quality with low pH, low ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) and high lactic acid content, enzyme addition reduced the NDF content, pH value and the ratio of NH3-N to the total nitrogen, meanwhile increased the concentration of lactic acid as well as the total organic acid. Another paper discussed is "Evaluation of Yield and Nutritive Value of Hairy indigo in Venezuela," by Omar Araujo-Febres. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of cutting age on nutritive value of Hairy indigo.

This article presents abstracts of various papers related to dairy foods' chemistry and products, that were presented during the symposium held on July 26, 2005, Cincinnati, Ohio, which was organized by the American Dairy Science Association, the American Society of Animal Science and the Canadian Society of Animal Science. One of the papers presented is "Rapid Determination of Swiss Cheese Composition by Infrared Spectroscopy," by N. Koca, W.J. Harper, L. Rodriguez-Saona and V.B. Alvarez. The objective of this research was to develop a simple and rapid screening tool for monitoring Swiss cheese composition by using FT-IR spectroscopy. Swiss cheese samples from eight different manufacturers were evaluated. Direct measurements of Swiss cheese slices were made by using a MIRacle three reflection diamond attenuated total reflectance accessory. Another paper discussed is "The Effect of Calcium Removal From Milk on Casein Micelle Stability and Structure," by H. Grimley, A. Grandison and M. Lewis. In this study calcium was removed from raw skimmed milk at levels of 10, 19, 29,40 and 51% of total calcium using an ion exchange resin.

This article presents abstracts of various papers related to the breeding and genetics of animals, that were presented during the symposium held on July 26, 2005, Cincinnati, Ohio, which was organized by the American Dairy Science Association, the American Society of Animal Science and the Canadian Society of Animal Science. One of the papers presented is "Fine Mapping of a Bovine Twinning Rate QTL," by E.S. Kim. A twinning rate quantitative trait locus (QTL) has been previously detected on chromosome 5 in the North American Holstein dairy cattle population. The objective of the current study was to refine the map location of this QTL. In the previous work the strongest evidence for this QTL was obtained from analysis of an extended, four-generation sire family. Another paper discussed is "X- and Y-Cromosomes Bearing Sperm Ratio in Individual Bull Ejaculation," by J. Schenk, M. Meyers and E. Crichton. Small sample sizes often lead to erroneous conclusions about true sex ratios due to binomial statistical variation. DNA resort reanalysis, PCR and fluorescence in situ hybridization can be used to accurately determine sex ratios in a sample of semen.

The article presents abstracts of various papers related to breeding and genetics that were presented during the symposium held on July 24-28, 2005 in Cincinnati, Ohio, which was organized by the American Dairy Science Association, the American Society of Animal Science, and the Canadian Society of Animal Science. One of the papers titled "Simulation Model of Cashmere Goat Production System: I. A Dynamic Herd Simulation Model & Breeding Strategies for Fiber Quality," states that fiber diameter is the most important factor determining the value per unit weight of cashmere fleece. The need to consider fiber diameter in selection programs in addition to cashmere fleece weight has increased in the last decade, because fiber diameter in many Cashmere populations has deteriorated as a result of intensive selection on fleece weight. The objective of this paper was to quantify the superiority of an economic selection index applied to simultaneously decrease fiber diameter and increase cashmere fleece weight in indigenous Cashmere goats. Throughout computer modeling the effects of different breeding schemes applied to a hierarchical integrated cashmere production system, involving purebred goats, were investigated.

The article presents abstracts of various papers related to animal nutrition that were presented during the symposium held on July 27, 2005 in Cincinnati, Ohio, which was organized by the American Dairy Science Association, the American Society of Animal Science, and the Canadian Society of Animal Science. One of the papers discussed is "Effects of Food and Water Intake on Variation in Deal Digesta Viscosity Among Dogs Fed a Maintenance Diet," by C. Dikeman and G Fahey. A two-period crossover design experiment was conducted to address effects of food and water intake on ileal digesta viscosity among dogs. Six ileal cannulated dogs, average weight of 26.0 kg, were fed during an initial 6-d adaptation phase up to individual energy requirements. Another paper discussed is "Canine Diet Matrices Affect Digesta Viscosity In Vitro and Ileal Viscosity In Vivo," by C. Dikeman and G. Fahey. Two experiments were conducted to determine the effects of canine diet matrix on ileal digesta and simulated digesta viscosity in vitro. Three canned diets containing either carageenan, guar gum, or soybean hulls + cellulose and three dry extruded diets containing rice bran, wheat bran, or soybean hulls, were fed to 6 ileal cannulated dogs in a 6 x 6 Latin square design.

The article presents abstracts of various papers related to animal breeding that were presented during the symposium held on July 28, 2005 in Cincinnati, Ohio, which was organized by the American Dairy Science Association, the American Society of Animal Science, and the Canadian Society of Animal Science. One of the papers discussed is "Productive Life Including All Lactations, Longer Lactations, and Calf Value," by P.M. VanRaden and M.E. Tooker. Longer lactations are more profitable than in the past, and daughter pregnancy rate evaluations now allow separate selection for cow fertility and longevity. Measures of productive life were compared, and updated life expectancy factors were derived to replace those estimated in 1993. Another paper discussed is "Detection and Confirmation of Quantitative Trait Loci Affecting Traits of Lifetime Profit Index on 23 Chromosomes in Canadian Holstein Cattle Y. Pan," by J.P. Chesnais, N. Bissonnette, N. Caron and others. Marker assisted selection (MAS) can be used to increase the accuracy of young bull selection prior to progeny testing, leading to increased rates of annual genetic gain or decreased costs for young bull selection or both. The dairy cattle population structure, whereby elite bulls have many sons, themselves proven through a large number of daughters, lends itself to the application of a grand- daughter design to detect quantitative trait loci prior to MAS.

The article presents abstracts of various papers related to animal feeding that were presented during the symposium held on July 28, 2005 in Cincinnati, Ohio, which was organized by the American Dairy Science Association, the American Society of Animal Science, and the Canadian Society of Animal Science. One of the papers discussed is "Ruminal and Post Ruminal Crude Protein Digestion of Halophyte Forages (Kochia scoparia, Atriplex domorphostegia) Determined by Various Procedures," by A. Riasi, M. Stem, M. Danesh Mesgaran, and M. Ruiz Moreno. Ruminal, post-ruminal and total tract crude protein digestion of two low-quality forages originating from central Iranian deserts (Kochiascoparia, Atriplex domorphostegia) were evaluated using in situ, three-step and Daisy incubator procedures. These forages are halophytic plants typically grown on salty land that are a significant part of the local flora in central Iran. Another paper discussed is "Factors Affecting the Quality of Corn Silage Grown in Hot, Humid Areas 1: Effect of Delayed Sealing, Simulated Rainfall and Ensiling Temperature," by A. Adesogan and S. Kim. This study aimed to determine how simulated rainfall, delayed sealing and high ensiling temperatures affect the fermentation and aerobic stability of corn silage. Half of each of four, replicated, 6 x 1.5 m plots of a corn hybrid were harvested at 350 g DM 1kg. The remaining half was harvested after it was sprinkled with sufficient water to simulate 4 mm of rainfall.

The article presents abstracts of various papers related to animal nutrition that were presented during the symposium held on July 27, 2005 in Cincinnati, Ohio, which was organized by the American Dairy Science Association, the American Society of Animal Science, and the Canadian Society of Animal Science. One of the papers discussed is "Near Infra-Red Reflectance Spectroscopy for Prediction of Amino Acids in Feed Ingredients Leads to Important Cost Savings in Diet Formulation," by J. Goodson, D. Hoehier, J. Fontaine and others. Near infrared reflectance spectroscopy calibrations used to predict amino acid levels in feed ingredients can be used to allow swine feed formulators to reduce safety margins in formulation programs. Reduction of these safety margins for amino acids allows the production of feeds which meet animal requirements for protein and amino acids without supplying excessive levels of either. Another paper discussed is "Use of Rice in Substitution of Corn in Diets for Young Pigs," by B. Vicente, D.G. Valencia, R. Lazaro and others. The authors studied the influence of feeding rice on the ileal digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, gross energy and starch and the morphology of the ileum of piglets at 37 d of age. The control diet was a complex diet without in-feed growth promoters and included 50% cooked corn.

The article presents abstracts of various papers related to animal nutrition that were presented during the symposium held on July 27, 2005 in Cincinnati, Ohio, which was organized by the American Dairy Science Association, the American Society of Animal Science, and the Canadian Society of Animal Science. One of the papers discussed is "Fatty Acid Composition in Rumen Bacteria Isolated From Ruminal and Duodenal Digesta," by B. Vlaeminck, R.J. Dewhurst, and V. Fievez. The objective of this study was to compare the fatty acid composition in rumen bacteria isolated from the liquid and solid phase of the rumen and duodenal digesta from dairy cows fed diets varying in forage:concentrate. Another paper discussed is "Development of an In Vitro Method to Estimate Fat Digestibility in the Small Intestine of Ruminants," by T. Glindemann, K.H. Suedekum and E. Wisker. Supplementation of dairy cow diets with rumen-protected fat (RPF) has consistently increased yields of milk and milk fat, and may also improve reproductive performance of ruminants. Although one important feature of the effects of RPF is digestibility in the small intestine, this variable is only very infrequently reported. The objective of the current study was therefore to develop an in vitro method to estimate the digestibility of fats in the small intestine of ruminants by closely mimicking the chemical and physical conditions within the small intestine.

The article presents abstracts of various papers related to animal handling that were presented during the symposium held on July 27, 2005 in Cincinnati, Ohio, which was organized by the American Dairy Science Association, the American Society of Animal Science, and the Canadian Society of Animal Science. One of the papers discussed is "Comparison of Cattle Identification Costs Using Conventional or Electronic Systems in Spain," by C. Saa, M.J. Milan, G. Caja and J.J. Ghirardi. Regulation EC 1760/2000 established a mandatory system of identification and registration for cattle in the European Union based on double ear tagging, an individual passport, and a national database. A decision on the use of electronic identification is foreseen in the regulation but no information is available on the cost impact of the decision. Another paper discussed is "Economic Study of Milk Production in Iran," by A. Karbasi and A. Sarvari. Milk is one of the most essential foods in stabilizing a nation's food supply. Securing a stable milk supply is also important for development of a country's livestock sector and related industries. In addition, milk has a special place in diets of Iranian families, due to the economic impact of employing people in traditional and industrial livestock sectors.

The article presents abstracts of various papers related to animal nutrition that were presented during the symposium held on July 27, 2005 in Cincinnati, Ohio, which was organized by the American Dairy Science Association, the American Society of Animal Science, and the Canadian Society of Animal Science. One of the papers discussed is "Studies on Causes of Sow Disposal at Different Parities of Large White Sows," by J. Arango, I. Misztal, S. Tsuruta, M. Culbertson, and W. Herring. Different reasons of sow removal (RR) at consecutive parities were analyzed with 13,838 records of Large White sows. Data were from seven pure-line farms having, on average, 5.9% unknown RR. Three traits were defined, each corresponding to a classification of RR as a five-category trait, according to parity of removal. Univariate and multivariate linear and threshold models were implemented via animal or sire models. Another paper discussed is "Relations Between Lactation-, and Slaughter/Carcass Traits in Pigs," by E.F. Knol, D.T. Prins, and R. Bergsma. Pork industry benefits from uniformity. Meat companies start to tighten weight grids and implement bonus/malus systems for carcass grading. The authors were interested in the relation between early development and final slaughter traits in pigs.

The article presents abstracts of various papers related to sheep breeds that were presented during the symposium held on July 27, 2005 in Cincinnati, Ohio, which was organized by the American Dairy Science Association, the American Society of Animal Science, and the Canadian Society of Animal Science. One of the papers discussed is "Comparison of East Friesian and Lacaune Sheep Breeds for Dairy Production," by D.L. Thomas, Y.M. Berger, R.G. Gottfredson and T.A. Taylor. East Friesian and Lacaune dairy sheep germplasm was imported into North America in recent years to improve milk production of dairy sheep flocks. No studies have been reported on comparative performance of these two breeds in North America, and few studies are available from other countries. Another paper discussed is "Reproductive Performance and Milk Yield in Awassi and Its Crosses With Either Charollais or Romanov Breeds," by R. Kridli, A. Abdullah, N. AL-Smadi, and M. Momani-Shaker. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of Awassi or Awassi crossbred breed types on reproductive performance, milk production and composition and udder measurements. One hundred, 2- to 6-year-old multiparous ewes of three genotypes were used in the study. Upon lambing, ewes and their offspring were placed in a large pen in which they remained until the end of the experiment.

The article presents abstracts of various papers related to animal nutrition that were presented during the symposium held on July 27, 2005 in Cincinnati, Ohio, which was organized by the American Dairy Science Association, the American Society of Animal Science, and the Canadian Society of Animal Science. One of the papers discussed is "Impact of Rumensin Premix on Reproductive Performance in Dairy Cows," by T. Duffield, S. LeBlanc, D. McClary, H. Green, and J. Wilkinson. Reproductive data were gathered from 966 Holstein dairy cows in a field trial at 9 sites in North America. Primiparous and multiparous cows were randomized to receive 0, 8, 16, or 24 ppm of monensin in the diet from 3 weeks before expected calving, through lactation, into the dry period and for 7 days into the subsequent lactation. At all sites the voluntary waiting period was 50 days in milk (DIM) and breeding was stopped at 200 DIM. Another paper discussed is "Effects of a Yucca Schidigera Extract on Microbial Metabolism in Continuous Culture of Rumen Contents," by J. Clark, T. Miller-Webster, W. Hoover, and B. Clyburn. Two experiments were conducted using dual flow continuous cultures to evaluate the effect of a Yucca schidigera extract product, Micro-Aid on microbial metabolism and efficiency. In both experiments fermenters were maintained at constant temperature, solids and liquid dilution rates.

The article presents abstracts of various papers related to animal health that were presented during the symposium held on July 27, 2005 in Cincinnati, Ohio, which was organized by the American Dairy Science Association, the American Society of Animal Science, and the Canadian Society of Animal Science. One of the papers discussed is "Utilizing Data Loggers and Vaginal Temperature Data to Evaluate Heat Stress of Dairy Cattle," by M. Brouk, B. Cvetkovic, J. Smith, and J. Harner. Body temperature rise may indicate heat input has exceeded the heat exchange capacity of the dairy cow. Previous studies show a strong positive correlation between vaginal temperature and respiration rate. This indicates the stress response of the cow to increased body temperature. The ability to measure body temperature over time could help producers operate and select heat abatement systems. Another paper discussed is "Use of Physiological Measures As Predictors of Heat Dissipation During Heat Stress in Dairy Cattle," by B.C. Pollard, P.C. Gentry and R.J. Collier. The use of infared thermography to measure surface temperature is a very practical tool for dairy farmers to evaluate heat stress in dairy cattle. Data was compiled from three trials conducted in climatic rooms at the University of Anzona-Agricultural Research Complex.

The article presents abstracts of various papers related to animal handling that were presented during the symposium held on July 27, 2005 in Cincinnati, Ohio, which was organized by the American Dairy Science Association, the American Society of Animal Science, and the Canadian Society of Animal Science. One of the papers discussed is "Competency Acquisition of Workers Participating in the Penn State Dairy Production Skills Certificate," by S.S. Costello, L.A. Holden, A.J. Heinrichs and others. High performing dairy workers must effectively apply key production competencies in their work. The Penn State Dairy Production Skills Certificate (DPSC) is intended to improve job competencies of new employees. DPSC consists of six 2-day modules taught on a commercial dairy. To obtain a certificate, workers must successfully complete the General Production module and 3 additional electives. Another paper discussed is "Calf Sense: Learning to Manage Newborn Dairy Calves," by R.B. Stup, A.J. Heinrichs, R. Van Saun, and D. Wolfgang. Calf morbidity and mortality continues to be a large problem on dairy farms across the United States. Although mortality rates of less than 2% are achievable, the average rate in the U.S. in 2001 was 8.7%. Calf management practices at birth and in the first hours immediately thereafter can have a profound impact on health and survivability.

The article presents abstracts of various papers related to animal feeding that were presented during the symposium held on July 27, 2005 in Cincinnati, Ohio, which was organized by the American Dairy Science Association, the American Society of Animal Science, and the Canadian Society of Animal Science. One of the papers discussed is "Development of an On-Farm Feed Management Assessment Tool for Use With Dairy Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans," by L. VanWieringen, J. Harrison, R. Kincaid, A. Hristov and others. A requirement of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's guidelines for concentrated animal feeding operations in 2003 is to develop a nutrient management plan. One form of a nutrient management plan is a comprehensive nutrient management plan that is described in the NRCS Field Office Technical Guide. Another paper discussed is "Evaluation of Whole-Farm Nutrient Balances on a Commercial Dairy Operation," by T. Nennich, J. Harrison, D. Davidson and others. Evaluations of whole-farm nutrient balances are an important part of understanding nutrient management on dairy operations. Whole-farm nutrient balances supply specific information as to the flow of nutrients on dairy operations and provide data as to whether or not dairy operations are net importers or exporters of nutrients.

The article presents abstracts of various papers related to animal breeding that were presented during the symposium held on July 27, 2005 in Cincinnati, Ohio, which was organized by the American Dairy Science Association, the American Society of Animal Science, and the Canadian Society of Animal Science. One of the papers discussed is "Educating Beef Cattle Breeders on the Use of Genomic Technology for Quantitative Traits," by W. Shafer. Individuals with little or no technical expertise make the majority of beef cattle breeding decisions. Even so, due to an extensive educational effort and the technology's effectiveness, the decidedly technical expected progeny differences have become common currency in beef cattle breeding--evolving into the primary tool for affecting additive change in a population. Another paper discussed is "Using Appropriate Genetic Evaluations to Make Better Selection Decisions," by D. Garrick. Genetic change is easy to achieve by selection. Selection on expected progeny differences (EPD) provides a predictable response in the characteristics described by the EPDs. Genetic improvement is more difficult to achieve than genetic change as selection typically results in simultaneous change in a number of characteristics. Some of the characteristics for which EPDs are available are economically relevant traits that directly influence income or expenses.

The article presents abstracts of various papers related to animal nutrition that were presented during the symposium held on July 27, 2005 in Cincinnati, Ohio, which was organized by the American Dairy Science Association, the American Society of Animal Science, and the Canadian Society of Animal Science. One of the papers discussed is "Genetic Background and Phosphorus Nutrition Affect Bone Strength and Gene Expression in Young Pigs," by L. Hittmeier, R. Lensing, L. Grapes, M. Rothschild, and C. Stahl. Phosphorus (P) is essential to bone growth and turnover; however, little research has focused on the genetic mechanisms controlling P utilization. In this study, 36 guts from six litters were sired by two lines known differ in bone structure. Pigs were assigned to three dietary treatments: P adequate, repletion, or P deficient. Another paper discussed is "Dietary Selenium Sources in Swine: Maternal Transfer to Embryos," by M.E. Fortier, H. Quesnel, J.F. Bilodeau and others. This project aimed to determine the effect of selenium(Se) as inorganic Na-selenite or organic Se-yeast on maternal Se transfer to embryos, embryonic antioxidant status and litter performance.

This article presents abstracts of various papers related to muscle growth and fresh meat quality, that were presented during the symposium held on July 26, 2005, Cincinnati, Ohio, which was organized by the American Dairy Science Association, the American Society of Animal Science and the Canadian Society of Animal Science. One of the papers presented is "Myostatin Regulates MyHC Isoform Expression During Myoblast Differentiation in Cattle," by S. Hayashi, K. Watanabe and others. Myostatin belongs to the transforming growth factor beta superfamily and has been shown to function as an inhibitor of skeletal muscle proliferation and differentiation. Another paper discussed is "Cardiac and Skeletal Muscle Protein Synthesis and Activation of Translation Initiation Factors are Stimulated by Leucine, But Not Isoleucine or Valine, in Neonatal Pigs," by J. Escobar, J. Frank and others. Protein synthesis in skeletal muscle of neonatal pigs increases in response to a physiological increase in plasma leucine. However, the effect of a physiological increase in plasma isoleucine and valine on skeletal muscle protein synthesis has not been investigated in neonates.

This article presents abstracts of various papers related to dairy products, that were presented during the symposium held on July 26, 2005, Cincinnati, Ohio, which was organized by the American Dairy Science Association, the American Society of Animal Science and the Canadian Society of Animal Science. One of the papers presented is "Influence of Calcium, Phosphorus, Residual Lactose, and Salt-to-Moisture Ratio (S/M) of Cheddar Cheese on Proteolysis During Ripening," by P. Upreti, P.S. Lehtola and L.E. Metger. The objective of this study was to determine how different levels of calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P), residual lactose, and S/M in cheese influences proteolysis during ripening. Eight cheeses with two levels of Ca and P, lactose at pressing and S/M were manufactured. Another paper discussed is "Mathematical Modeling of Buffering Properties of Cheddar Cheese," by P. Upreti, P. Bulhmann and L.E. Metger. The objective of this study was to quantitatively characterize the chemical species responsible for buffering properties of cheese. The cheeses were analyzed for total Ca and P, proteins, water-soluble P, organic P, citric acid, and lactic acid.