Search

Past research (40+ years ago) suggests feeding fat to sows before parturition and during lactation improves piglet energy stores, sow colostrum fat percentage, sow milk fat percentage and piglet survival. Therefore, the objective was to evaluate the impact of sow fat feeding on piglet survival and throughput in a modern production system. Data were collected from 1,866 sows at a 3,600 sow commercial farm in eastern North Carolina between May and August. Sows were randomly assigned to one of four treatments from day 108 of gestation until farrowing (no supplementation; Control), supplemented with 227g or 454g of soybean oil per day, or supplemented with 227g of coconut oil per day. Oil sources were top dressed daily with 2.27kg of lactation diet. After farrowing, sows had ad libitum access to the lactation diet. At birth, piglets received a colored ear tag corresponding to prefarrow diet. Traits recorded included total number of piglets born, stillborns, crossfosters, number weaned, piglet survival (number weaned ÷ total number born), litter weaning weight, lactation length, whether a sow farrowed a subsequent litter, subsequent total number born, subsequent number born alive, subsequent stillborns, Knauer sow body condition caliper score prefarrow and sow caliper score at weaning. Linear models were used in statistical analysis. Fixed effects included sow prefarrow diet, parity, contemporary group and location of the sow within the farrowing room. Covariates were included when applicable. Results are shown in Table 1. Stillborns and stillborn percentage did not differ (P > 0.05) between dietary treatments. Yet sows supplemented with soybean oil tended (P = 0.10) to have fewer stillborn piglets (0.06 piglets) than Control sows. No differences (P > 0.05) in piglet survival across dietary treatments were observed. Sows supplemented with soybean or coconut oil prefarrow had greater (P < 0.05) subsequent total number born (13.71 vs. 13.31 piglets) and tended (P = 0.07) to have greater subsequent number born alive (13.07 vs. 12.72 piglets) than Control fed sows. Accordingly, sows supplemented with soybean oil tended (P = 0.08) to have more subsequent total number born (13.69 vs. 13.31 piglets) and tended (P = 0.09) to have greater subsequent number born alive (13.07 vs. 12.72 piglets) than Control fed sows. No differences (P > 0.05) in sow body condition loss during lactation were observed between dietary treatments. In summary, prefarrow fat supplementation did not impact piglet survival but did enhance subsequent litter size. The authors would like to thank the United Soybean Board for funding projects designed to enhance pig farmer profit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article cites a study that determined the factor structure of the McCarthy Scales for a referred group of male and female children, ages six to eight and a half, from rural eastern North Carolina, and compared their factor structure to that of the standardization sample. Three hundred and one males and 177 females were separated into two groups and examined independently. The 21 individual test scores of the McCarthy were correlated and then subjected to a principal factor analysis followed by Varimax rotation.

Bioswales are a promising stormwater control measure (SCM) for roadway runoff management, but few studies have assessed performance on a field scale. A bioswale is a vegetated channel with underlying engineered media and a perforated underdrain to promote improved hydrologic and water quality treatment. A bioswale with a rip-rap lined forebay was constructed along state highway NC 211 in Bolivia, North Carolina, USA, and monitored for 12 months. Thirty-seven of the 39 monitored rain events exfiltrated into underlying soils, resulting in no appreciable overflow or underdrain volume. The bioswale completely exfiltrated a storm event of 86.1 mm. The one event to have underdrain-only flow was 4.8 mm. The largest and third-largest rainfall depth events (82.6 and 146 mm, respectively) had a large percentage (85%) of volume exfiltrated, but also had appreciable overflow and underdrain volumes exiting the bioswale, resulting in no peak flow mitigation. Overall, this bioswale design was able to capture and manage storms larger than the design storm (38 mm), showing the positive hydrologic performance that can be achieved by this bioswale. The high treatment capabilities were likely due to the high infiltration rate of the media and the underlying soil, longer forebay underlain with media, gravel detention layer with an underdrain, and shallow slope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study on which this article is based was conducted at the University of North Carolina's Family Practice Center to analyze the content of teaching that occurred in the face-to-face chart review sessions. Data were collected from a sample of 276 chart reviews and processed by a microcomputer program that compiled reports of types of problems encountered by residents, topics of discussion pertinent to those problems, and learning needs defined as a result of those discussions. Reports were generated for faculty members nad residents, and summary reports were produced for the teaching encounters. This system of computerized data analysis can be used to identifying learning needs of residents and areas of teaching emphasis for faculty. The information can be used for educational planning and faculty development.