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Objective: The objective of this study was to estimate standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of amino acids (AA) in growing pigs fed diets containing increasing levels of copra meal (CM) with β-mannanase supplementation.Methods: Twenty barrows (initial body weight: 34.43±0.11 kg) surgically fitted with T-cannulas at the distal ileum were individually housed in metabolism crates. Pigs were allotted to 5 dietary treatments in a completely randomized design with 4 replicates per treatment. The dietary treatments were: i) NC, negative control, corn-soybean meal (SBM) based diet, ii) PC, positive control, basal diet + 0.10% β-mannanase supplementation (800 IU/kg), iii) CM6, PC diet with 6% CM supplementation, iv) CM12, PC diet with 12% CM supplementation, and v) CM18, PC diet with 18% CM supplementation. A nitrogen-free diet was used to estimate basal endogenous losses of AA for SID calculation. All experimental diets contained 0.5% chromic oxide as an indigestible marker. Each period consisted of a 4-d diet adaptation period and a 3-d ileal digesta collection period.Results: There were no differences in apparent ileal digestibility (AID) and SID of all AA between the NC and PC treatments except that the PC treatment had lower AID and SID of glycine than the NC treatment (p

Fungal pre-treatment and fermentation could improve nutritional value of wet corn distillers’ grains and solubles (WDGS), soybean hull (SH), and their blend in swine and poultry diets, which can potentially increase revenues for corn-ethanol and soybean processing industries while reducing feed cost in swine and poultry production systems. This study evaluated the effectiveness of pre-treatment of SH, WDGS, and their mixture by Trichoderma reesei and fermentation by Aspergillus oryzae to improve the nutritional profile and digestibility of these ingredients. T. reesei produced cellulase and xylanase, resulting in structural carbohydrates reduction by 69.2% while concentrating amino acids from 6.8% to 11% in SH. Fermentation with A. oryzae degraded phytate by over 50% and improved in vitro digestibility of amino acids in WDGS and its mixture with SH. Fermenting T. reesei pre-treated SH by A. oryzae showed higher in vitro dry matter digestibility than non-fermented substrate. Moreover, the proportion of key amino acids (arginine, threonine, methionine, and lysine) in both T. reesei and A. oryzae fermented substrates were significantly improved. The results demonstrated the feasibility of combining T. reesei and A. oryzae in improving feeding value of WDGS and SH for potential use as feed ingredients for monogastric animals.

Objective: In this study, we investigated the effects of Rubus coreanus-derived lactic acid bacteria (LAB) fermented feed (RC-LAB fermented feed) and three types of LAB (Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium animalis) on the expression of transcription factors and cytokines in Th1, Th2, Th17, and Treg cells in the intestinal lymph nodes and spleens of rats. In addition, the effect on intestinal microbiota composition and body weight was investigated.Methods: Five-week-old male rats were assigned to five treatments and eight replicates. The expression of transcription factors and cytokines of Th1, Th2, Th17, and Treg cells in the intestinal lymph nodes and spleens was analyzed using real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction assays. Intestinal tract microbiota compositions were analyzed by next-generation sequencing and quantitative polymerase chain reaction assays.Results: RC-LAB fermented feed and three types of LAB increased the expression of transcription factors and cytokines in Th1, Treg cells and Galectin-9, but decreased in Th2 and Th17 cells. In addition, the intestinal microbiota composition changed, the body weight and Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes (F/B) ratio decreased, and the relative abundance of LAB increased.Conclusion: LAB fermented feed and three types of LAB showed an immune modulation effect by inducing T cell polarization and increased LAB in the intestinal microbiota.

A combined algorithm comprising multiple dust detection methods was developed using infrared (IR) channels onboard the GEOstationary Korea Multi-Purpose SATellite 2A equipped with the Advanced Meteorological Imager (GK2A/AMI). Six cloud tests using brightness temperature difference (BTD) were utilized to reduce errors caused by clouds. For detecting dust storms, three standard BTD tests (i.e., $${BT}_{12.3}-{BT}_{10.5}$$, $${BT}_{8.7}-{BT}_{10.5}$$, and $${BT}_{11.2}-{BT}_{10.5}$$) were combined with the polarized optical depth index (PODI). The combined algorithm normalizes the indices for cloud and dust detection, and adopts weighted combinations of dust tests depending on the observation time (day/night) and surface type (land/sea). The dust detection results were produced as quantitative confidence factors and displayed as false color imagery, applying a dynamic enhancement background reduction algorithm (DEBRA). The combined dust detection algorithm was qualitatively assessed by comparing it with dust RGB imageries and ground-based lidar data. The combined algorithm especially improved the discontinuity in weak dust advection to the sea and considerably reduced false alarms as compared to previous dust monitoring methods. For quantitative validation, we used aerosol optical thickness (AOT) and fine mode fraction (FMF) derived from low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites in daytime. For both severe and weakened dust cases, the probability of detection (POD) ranged from 0.667 to 0.850 and it indicated that the combined algorithm detects more potential dust pixels than other satellites. In particular, the combined algorithm was advantageous in detecting weak dust storms passing over the warm and humid Yellow Sea with low dust height and small AOT.

In this study, the effects of nickel and copper on the mechanical and thermal properties of Al-Si alloys were investigated, for different alloy compositions. Thermodynamic calculations were carried out to predict the alloys’ solidification behavior (solidification temperature, solid fraction and physical properties (density, thermal conductivity, elastic modulus, bulk modulus)). The aluminum alloys were produced by high pressure die-casting process with a 125 ton die-casting machine. Microstructures in the Al-Si-Ni alloys were characterized by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The mechanical properties were evaluated by tensile tests. Thermal conductivity was measured using a laser flash method. The addition of Ni and Cu improved the mechanical properties of the alloys by different strengthening mechanisms. Solution strengthening was the more effective method of improving mechanical properties, compared with strengthening by intermetallic compounds. The addition of an appropriate concentration of soluble alloying elements consistently improved alloy strength. However, addition of alloying elements decreased the thermal conductivity of the primary alpha aluminum phase. EDS analysis confirmed that soluble alloying elements like Cu not only can form intermetallic compounds, but can also change other kinds of compounds. Accordingly, careful consideration should be given to the chemical composition of soluble/insoluble alloying elements when attempting to improve mechanical properties and thermal conductivity at the same time.

Environmental factors affecting the errors in wind speed estimates were investigated using the Advanced Land Observing Satellite-2 Phased Array L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar-2 (ALOS-2 PAL...

In the present investigation corrosion behavior of the Al-Si-Zn alloys with and without the addition of Mg was studied. Microstructures revealed the presence of eutectic Si and Zn phases at the grain boundaries and Mg addition led to the formation of Mg2Si phase. X-ray diffraction results clearly indicated the presence of pure Si, Mg2Si and α-Al phases. Corrosion behavior of all the alloys was investigated in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution using electrochemical and immersion corrosion techniques. Potentiodynamic polarization test results after 48 h of exposure indicated that, the corrosion resistance increased as the Zn content in the alloy was increased, while the addition of Mg decreased the corrosion resistance. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) results as a function of exposure time are also revealed a variation in the surface layer and charge transfer resistance values with and without Mg addition. Corrosion rates calculated from the immersion test further substantiated the electrochemical corrosion results. Corrosion morphologies after immersion test confirmed the dissolution of α-Al matrix and presence of cathodic Si phase at the grain boundaries. The presence of anodic Mg2Si phase in the Mg containing alloy could also be responsible for the decrease of corrosion resistance.

The supplementation level of barley was limited because of high contents of fiber in monogastric animals. Barley contained high soluble fiber, thus it could prevent to diarrhea of weaning pigs. Moreover, as the barley break down by enzymes, free sugars come out from the barley, which could be used as an energy source in weaning pigs and replace milk by-products in weaning pig’s diet. Therefore, present study was conducted to investigate the influence of barley to replace milk by-product in weaning pig’s diet on growth performance, blood profile, nutrient digestibility, diarrhea incidence, and economic analysis in weaning pigs. A total of 112 crossbred ([York-shire × Landrace] × Duroc, weaned at 28 days of age) piglets were allotted to 4 treatments in a randomized complete block (RCB) design. Each treatment has 7 replications with 4 pigs per pen. Pigs were fed each treatment diet which containing different levels of barley (0%, 10%, 20%, and 30%) at the expense of whey powder and lactose. Three phase feeding programs were used for 6 weeks of growth trial (phase 1: 0–2 weeks; phase 2: 3–4 weeks; phase 3: 5–6 weeks). During 0–2 week, body weight (BW), average daily gain (ADG) and G:F ratio were decreased as barley level increased in the diet (linear response, p < 0.01). In blood profile, blood urea nitrogen was decreased as the barley level increased in the diet (linear, p < 0.01). However, no significant differences were observed in blood glucose level. In nutrient digestibility, crude fat digestibility was linearly increased as barley increased (linear, p < 0.01). The incidence of diarrhea was improved as increasing barley contents in all phases (linear, p < 0.01). These results demonstrated that supplementation of barley to replace milk by-product influenced negatively on growth performance during 0–2 week. However, the incidence of diarrhea and later growth performance from 3 week postweaning were improved as dietary barley level increased.

A literature review and meta-analysis was conducted to determine the effects of dietary energy system (NE or ME), oil content of cDDGS, diet inclusion levels, and pig age on growth performance in pigs fed cDDGS-based diets. The mean differences (MD) of ADG, ADFI, and gain-to-feed ratio (G:F) were calculated and expressed as a percentage change relative to feeding corn-soybean meal (CSB)- and cDDGS-based diets to nursery (BW < 25kg) and growing-finishing (BW > 25kg) pigs. In addition, MD were determined in CSB- and cDDGS-based diets to determine the effects of supplementation of various types of exogenous enzymes with or without phytase on growth performance. A total of 27 studies with 106 growth performance observations were included in the non-enzyme supplemented dataset, and 36 studies with 84 observations for enzyme responses in CSB and cDDGS diets were in the enzyme dataset. Feeding the cDDGS diets resulted in decreased (P < 0.01) the MD of ADG (- 4.27%) and G:F (- 1.99%) for nursery pigs, and decreased (P < 0.01) the MD of ADG (-1.68%) and G:F (-1.06%) for growing-finishing pigs. Feeding high oil (≥ 10% ether extract) cDDGS-based diets to pigs resulted in a 2.96% reduction in ADFI while feeding reduced-oil (< 10% ether extract) cDDGS-based diets reduced G:F by 1.56% compared with pigs fed CSB diets. Supplementation of exogenous enzymes improved (P < 0.05) the MD of ADG and G:F by 1.94% and 2.65%, respectively in CSB diets and by 2.67% and 1.87%, respectively, in cDDGS diets. Proteases, enzyme cocktails, or xylanases improved (P < 0.05) ADG by 7.29%, 2.64% and 2.48% in pigs fed CSB-based diet, respectively. In conclusion, cDDGS-based diets slightly reduces growth performance of nursery and growing-finishing pigs, but supplementation of xylanase or enzyme cocktail improves G:F of pigs fed cDDGS-based diets

New processes are being used in some dry-grind ethanol plants in the United States and Brazil to improve ethanol yield and efficiency of production while also providing nutritionally enhanced corn coproducts compared with conventional corn distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS). The objectives of this study were to determine the chemical composition and in vitro digestibility of 5 conventional corn DDGS sources and 10 emerging novel corn coproducts for swine and ruminants, and compare coproducts produced using similar processes in the United States and Brazil. Chemical composition, on a dry matter (DM) basis, among the 15 coproducts ranged from 18.5% to 54.7% for crude protein (CP), 12.3% to 51.4% for neutral detergent fiber (NDF), 1.6% to 8.6% for acid detergent fiber, 4.7% to 12.3% for ether extract, and 1.6% to 8.6% for ash. For swine, in vitro hydrolysis of DM and CP were greater (P < 0.01) for the three U.S. corn DDGS sources compared with the two Brazilian corn DDGS sources, but in vitro fermentability of DM was comparable (P > 0.05) among all sources except one U.S. DDGS source that had less fermentable DM. High-protein and yeast dried distillers grains (Ultramax, UM; StillPro, SP) coproducts also had comparable (P > 0.05) DM fermentability for swine, but UM coproducts had greater (P < 0.01) DM and CP hydrolysis compared with SP. High-protein distillers dried grains (HP-DDG) from Brazil had greater (P < 0.01) DM and CP hydrolysis, but less (P < 0.01) DM fermentability for swine than HP-DDG produced in the United States, using the same process. For ruminants, total DM digestibility was greater (P < 0.01) in conventional DDGS sources from the United States compared with the two DDGS sources from Brazil. Total protein digestibility for ruminants was comparable and above 81% for all coproducts except for a DDGS source from Brazil, a HP-DDG source from the United States, and a UM sample. Interestingly, the corn fiber + solubles coproduct had not only relatively high digestibility of NDF (67.9%), DM (91.6%), and total CP (81.9%) for ruminants, but it also had relatively high total tract digestibility of DM (86.2%) and CP (69.9%) for swine. These results suggest that nutrient digestibility of conventional DDGS sources produced in the United States appear to be greater than corn Brazilian DDGS sources, but new process technologies being implemented in ethanol and coproduct production in both countries can enhance the nutritional value of corn coproducts for both swine and ruminants.

A meta-analysis was conducted to determine the effects of the dietary energy system (net energy or metabolizable energy), oil content of corn distillers dried grains with solubles (cDDGS), diet inclusion levels, and pig age on growth performance of pigs fed cDDGS-based diets. Mean differences of average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI), and gain:feed (G:F) were calculated and expressed as a percentage change relative to feeding corn–soybean meal (SBM)- and cDDGS-based diets to nursery [body weight (BW) < 25 kg] and growing-finishing (BW > 25 kg) pigs, and to compare the effects of supplementing various types of exogenous enzymes without or with phytase on growth performance. A total of 27 studies with 106 growth performance observations were included in the cDDGS dataset, and 34 studies with 84 observations for enzyme responses in cDDGS diets were used in the enzyme dataset. Approximately, 64.7% of the observations showed no change, and 26.7% of observations showed a reduction in ADG, ADFI, and G:F when feeding cDDGS-based diets to the nursery and growing-finishing pigs compared with feeding corn–SBM-based diets. Furthermore, feeding cDDGS diets resulted in decreased (P < 0.01) mean difference of ADG (–4.27%) and G:F (–1.99%) for nursery pigs, and decreased (P < 0.01) mean difference of ADG (–1.68%) and G:F (–1.06%) for growing–finishing pigs. Every percentage unit increase in the inclusion level of cDDGS in growing–finishing pig diet was associated with a decrease (P < 0.01) in ADG (–0.10%) and ADFI (–0.09%). Feeding high oil (≥10% ether extract) cDDGS-based diets to pigs resulted in a 2.96% reduction in ADFI whereas feeding reduced-oil (

The objective of this study was to conduct a meta-analysis to quantitatively summarize the growth responses of broilers fed cDDGS and the efficacy of various types of dietary enzyme supplementation. A total of 12 publications with 69 observations were included in the database. Individual observations were analyzed using a multivariable linear mixed model. The mean differences (MD) of BWG, FI, and gain efficiency (G/F) were calculated by subtracting either the enzyme response in corn-soybean meal (CSB) or CSB+cDDGS based diets to the control, and was expressed as a percentage (MD = (enzyme – control)/control ×100%). A type of exogenous enzymes (xylanase; protease; carbohydrases; cocktail = proteases + carbohydrases), and feeding phase (starter = d 0 to d 21; finisher = d 21 to d 42 or 49; overall = d 0 to d 42 or more) were included as fixed effects. Dietary enzyme inclusion showed significant improvement on BWG (3.19%, P < 0.01) and G/F (5.69%, P < 0.01) in broilers fed cDDGS diet. However, no significant enzyme responses were observed in broilers fed CSB diet on growth performance. Broilers fed cDDGS diet had increased (P < 0.01) BWG with the addition of protease (3.32 %) and cocktail (3.27 %), whereas addition of xylanased improved (P < 0.01) G/F by (3.56 %) and carbohydrases (1.90 %). Broilers fed cDDGS diet with enzyme supplementation showed greater improvement in BWG (3.71 %, P < 0.01) and G/F (3.78 %, P < 0.01) at finisher phase compared with starter phase. Likewise, Broilers fed CSB diet with enzyme supplementation increased BWG (9.40 %, P < 0.01) and G/F (3.11 %, P < 0.01) at finisher phase. In conclusion, supplementation of xylanase and carbohydrases in cDDGS diet improved G/F, and the enzyme response can be maximized when fed during the finisher phase diet compared with the starter phase diet.

Published studies involving different feeding strategies and diet inclusion rates of corn distillers dried grains with solubles (cDDGS) for broilers have resulted in variable growth performance responses. Therefore, a meta-analysis was conducted to quantitatively summarize the impact of feeding diets containing cDDGS on growth performance of broilers using a total of 16 publications with 56 observations in the database. The mean difference (MD) of BWG, FI, and G/F ratio were expressed as percentage between feeding corn-soybean meal-based (CSB) diet and addition of cDDGS into CSB diet of broilers. Individual observations were analyzed using a multivariable model (Proc GLIMMIX, SAS) to evaluate growth performance responses based on feeding phase, inclusion level of cDDGS, and oil content of cDDGS as a fixed effect. Broilers fed cDDGS diet had decreased BWG (-0.1 %, P < 0.01) and increased FI (0.3 %, P < 0.01) compared with broilers fed CSB diet. Moreover, every percentage unit increase in the inclusion level of cDDGS in CSB diet was associated with a decrease in BWG (0.30 %, P < 0.01) and FI (2.64 %, P < 0.01). The MD of BWG was greater for broilers fed cDDGS in the starter (4.70 %, P < 0.01) and entire (3.00 %, P < 0.01) period compared with the finisher feeding period. However, entire feeding period showed greater MD of G/F ratio (2.11 %, P < 0.01) compared with starter and finisher periods. The MD of BWG (-1.02 %, P < 0.01) and FI (-2.48%, P < 0.01) were decreased for broilers fed more than 20 % in the diet. In conclusion, including more than 20 % cDDGS into the broiler diet decreased BWG and FI. The recommended inclusion level of cDDGS into the broiler diet is 10 to 20 % during the entire period.

The corrosion performance of high pressure die-cast Al-6Si-3Ni (SN63) and Al-6Si-3Ni-2Cu (SNC632) alloys in 3.5% (mass fraction) NaCl solution was investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and microstructural studies revealed the presence of single phase Si and binary Al3Ni/Al3Ni2 phases along the grain boundary. Besides, the single Cu phase was also identified at the grain boundaries of the SNC632 alloy. Electrochemical corrosion results revealed that, the SNC632 alloy exhibited nobler shift in corrosion potential (ϕcorr), lower corrosion current density (Jcorr) and higher corrosion resistance compared to the SN63 alloy. Equivalent circuit curve fitting analysis of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) results revealed the existence of two interfaces between the electrolyte and substrate. The surface layer and charge transfer resistance (Rct) of the SNC632 alloy was higher than that of the SN63 alloy. Immersion corrosion test results also confirmed the lower corrosion rate of the SNC632 alloy and substantiated the electrochemical corrosion results. Cu addition improved the corrosion resistance, which was mainly attributed to the absence of secondary Cu containing intermetallic phases in the SNC632 alloy and Cu presented as single phase.

Corrosion behavior of high pressure die-cast Al-Si-Ni alloys (Al-3Si-1Ni (SN31) and Al-3Si-3Ni (SN33)) with and without copper (Cu) addition has been investigated. Corrosion behavior was assessed in 3.5 wt% NaCl by electrochemical and immersion corrosion techniques. The presence of single phase pure Si and binary Al3Ni phases were confirmed from the X-ray diffraction (XRD) and microstructural studies for SN31 and SN33 alloys. Interestingly, Cu addition (1 at.%) resulted in formation of Al3Ni2 phase along with a marginal decrease in Al3Ni fraction and did not produce any Cu containing phases. Potententiodynamic polarization studies revealed an increase in corrosion current density (icorr) value as the Ni content was increased. However, the addition of Cu to SN31 and SN33 alloys increased their corrosion resistance. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy studies confirmed the higher charge transfer resistance (Rct) values for the Cu added alloys. Immersion corrosion test results revealed that, the corrosion rate of Cu added alloys were three times lower than SN31 and SN33 alloys. In the SN alloys, increase in corrosion rate is attributed to the increase of Al3Ni phase as the Ni content was increased. The added Cu dissolves in the Al alloys and also reduce the Al3Ni fraction thereby improved their corrosion resistance.

OBJECTIVE This experiment was to evaluate the effects of the dietary energy levels on the physiological parameters and reproductive performance during gestation over three parities in sows. METHODS A total of 52 F1 gilts (Yorkshire×Landrace) were allotted to one of four dietary treatments using a completely randomized design. The treatments contained 3,100, 3,200, 3,300, or 3,400 kcal of metabolizable energy (ME)/kg diet but feed was provided at 2.0, 2.2, and 2.4 kg/d in the first, second and third parity, respectively. RESULTS The body weight and body weight gain during gestation increased as the dietary energy level increased (p

Objective This experiment was conducted to evaluate the optimal space allowance on growth performance, blood profile and pork quality of growing-finishing pigs. Methods A total of ninety crossbred pigs [(Yorkshire×Landrace)×Duroc, 30.25±1.13 kg] were allocated into three treatments (0.96: four pigs/pen, 0.96 m2/pig; 0.80: five pigs/pen, 0.80 m2/pig; 0.69: six pigs/pen, 0.69 m2/pig) in a randomized complete block design. Pigs were housed in balanced sex and had free access to feed in all phases for 14 weeks (growing phase I, growing phase II, finishing phase I, and finishing phase II). Results There was no statistical difference in growing phase, but a linear decrease was observed on average daily gain (ADG, p

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of gestating sows housed in groups with electronic sow feeding (ESF) system over three consecutive parities. A total of 83 pregnant gilts [Yorkshire×Landrace] were housed into ST: gilts housed in individual stalls, and ESF: gilts housed in groups with ESF system on the basis of body weight (BW) and backfat thickness (BFT) in a completely randomized design. Rice hulls were used as bedding material on the group housing floor. The same commercial gestating diet was provided daily at 2.0 kg, 2.2 kg and 2.4 kg/day in the first, second and third parity, respectively, in both treatments. All sows introduced farrowing crates five days before expected farrowing. BW and BFT of the sows were measured at d 35, and 110 of gestation as well as at 12 h and d 21 postpartum. Parturition time was recorded during farrowing. Reproductive performance, including total born, stillborn, mummy, born alive, mortality, weaning pigs as well as litter and piglet weight were recorded. Scratch incidence and locomotion scores in sows were assessed at d 36, 70, and 110, respectively. Ten sows in each treatment were randomly selected for blood sampling. Serum samples were analyzed for cortisol and oxytocin levels. In the gestation period, ESF tended to increase BW gain in the second parity (P=0.08), and consistently showed significance during the third parity (P

The objective of this experiment was to determine preweaning survival of pigs when sows were supplemented with 3 dietary levels of zinc (Zn) in late gestation. Gilts and sows (n = 339) were assigned to 1 of 3 dietary treatments based on parity. Dietary treatments were 1) Control—sows fed a corn–soybean meal-based diet containing 125 ppm total supplemental Zn supplied by ZnSO4 (75 ppm Zn) and AvailaZn (50 ppm Zn, CON); 2) Intermediate—as Control + 240 ppm supplemental Zn as ZnSO4 (INT); and 3) High—as Control + 470 ppm supplemental Zn as ZnSO4 (HI). Final supplemental Zn concentrations of the 3 dietary treatments were 1) CON—125 ppm; 2) INT—365 ppm; and 3) HI—595 ppm. Sows received dietary treatments from about day 85 of gestation until farrowing. Individual piglet birth weights were recorded within 12 h of parturition. Instances of piglet mortality were recorded daily. The statistical model considered fixed effects of treatment and random effects of parity. Piglets from sows fed the INT diet had heavier (P < 0.05) birth weights than those fed CON (1.42 vs. 1.38 kg, respectively), while offspring from sows fed HI tended to have heavier (P < 0.10) birth weights (1.40 kg) than pigs from INT sows. Furthermore, incidence of low birth weight pigs was less (P < 0.05) for sows consuming INT compared with sows fed CON and HI. Despite differences in birth weight, there were no differences (P > 0.05) in total pigs born, born alive, or weaned, nor differences in individual piglet gain or weaning weight across treatments. Mortality of low birth weight pigs was lowest (P < 0.05) for offspring from sows fed HI (28.1%) compared with offspring from sows fed INT (36.1%) and CON (38.3%). Similarly, overall piglet mortality tended to decrease (P < 0.10) as dietary Zn content increased (CON: 15.0%, INT: 13.2%, and HI: 12.2%). A subset of pigs (n = 420, n = 140/treatment) were selected at weaning to evaluate effects of dietary treatment on postweaning performance. There were no significant effects of sow Zn supplementation on final body weight, days to market, or carcass characteristics of market pigs. Overall, effects of supplemental dietary Zn at 365 and 595 ppm in late gestation improved preweaning survival of low birth weight piglets and reduced overall preweaning mortality of piglets.

An experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of inoculum volume (IV), substrate quantity, and the use of a manual or automated gas production (GP) recording system for in vitro determinations of fermentation of corn distillers dried grains with solubles (cDDGS) and soybean hulls (SBH). A 2 &times, 2 &times, 2 factorial arrangement of treatments was used and included the factors of (1) ingredients (cDDGS or SBH), (2) inoculum volume and substrate quantity (IV30 = 0.2 g substrate + 30 mL inoculum or IV75 = 0.5 g substrate + 75 mL inoculum), and (3) GP recording system (MRS = manual recording system or ARS = automated recording system). Feed ingredient samples were pre-treated with pepsin and pancreatin, and the hydrolyzed residues were subsequently incubated with fresh pig feces in a buffered mineral solution. The GP recording was monitored for 72 h, and the kinetics were estimated by fitting data using an exponential model. Compared with SBH, cDDGS yielded less (p &lt, 0.01) maximal gas production (Gf), required more time (p &lt, 0.02) to achieve half gas accumulation (T/2), and had less (p &lt, 0.01) fractional rate of degradation (&micro, ) and in vitro fermentability of dry matter (IVDMF). Using the ARS resulted in less IVDMF (p &lt, 0.01) compared with MRS (79.0% vs. 81.2%, respectively). Interactions were observed between GP recording system and inoculum volume and substrate quantity for Gf (p &lt, 0.04), &micro, (p &lt, 0.01), and T/2 (p &lt, 0.04) which implies that increasing inoculum volume and substrate quantity resulted in decreased Gf (332 mL/g from IV30 vs. 256 mL/g from IV75), &micro, (0.05 from IV30 vs. 0.04 from IV75), and T/2 (34 h for IV30 vs. 25 h for IV75) when recorded with ARS but not MRS. However, the recorded cumulative GP at 72 h was not influenced by the inoculum volume nor recording system. The precision of Gf (as measured by the coefficient of variation of Gf) tended to increase for IV30 compared with IV75 (p &lt, 0.10), indicating that using larger inoculum volume and substrate quantity (IV75) reduced within batch variation in GP kinetics. Consequently, both systems showed comparable results in GP kinetics, but considering convenience and achievement of consistency, 75 mL of inoculum volume with 0.5 g substrate is recommended for ARS.

In this study, using in situ measurements at 17 buoy stations off the Korean Peninsula, C-band model (CMOD) functions for Sentinel-1A/B IW mode synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data were validated. In total, 395 Sentinel-1A/B IW mode dual-vertical polarized images were used for collocation with in situ measurements from May 1, 2015, to September 30, 2017, and 807 matchup points were obtained. Prior to the validation, preprocessing such as speckle noise reduction and ship and land masking was completed. The in situ wind speeds were converted to a 10-m neutral wind considering atmospheric stability. High-resolution wind speeds were estimated by using the CMOD functions such as CMOD4, CMOD_IFR2, CMOD5, CMOD5.N, and CMOD5.Na. The root-mean-square errors of each model were less than approximately 1.8 m·s–1 (1.83, 1.82, 1.69, 1.68, and 1.65 m·s–1, respectively). The biases of all models were higher in the western coastal region than those in the eastern coastal region. The results showed the advantages and disadvantages of each model in the estimation of wind speeds in the coastal region around the Korean Peninsula as proposed in a concept of combined errors. The wind speeds derived from the SAR data also presented a tendency for water depth to be overestimated over shallow bathymetry and to be underestimated at high wind speeds. In addition, this study assessed potential sources of wind speed errors such as the effects originating from wind direction input, different platforms of Sentinel-1A and Sentinel-1B and their calibration, and from radar interference or regional oceanic characteristic environments.

An experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of exogenous enzyme supplementation and solid-state fermentation (SSF) with a mixed bacterial culture on in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) and short chain fatty acid (SCFA) production of soybean meal (SBM) or rapeseed meal (RSM). A 2 × 2 factorial design was used and included the factors of 1) exogenous enzyme cocktail (supplemented and non-supplemented), 2) microbial fermentation (fermented and non-fermented) applied to SBM or RSM in vitro. The exogenous enzyme cocktail consisted of non-starch polysaccharide (NSP) degrading enzymes (NSP-EZ) with phytase (10,000 FTU/kg), and the SSF were carried out using Bacillus subtilis. The fermented feed ingredients were collected after 48 h incubation at 37oC. Samples were hydrolyzed in two steps using pepsin and pancreatin to calculate IVDMD. Subsequently, the hydrolyzed residues were filtered, dried, and pooled for incubation in a buffered mineral solution with fresh swine feces. Gas production kinetics during fermentation was measured for 72 h and analyzed by fitting data to an exponential model. The fermentation residues were filtered, and the supernatant was analyzed for concentration of SCFA. The IVDMD from simulated gastric and small intestinal hydrolysis was greater (P < 0.01) for SSF in both SBM and RSM. During fermentation, the hydrolysis residue from SBM treated with SSF required less time to reach half asymptote, had greater maximal gas production, and greater fractional degradation (P < 0.01, respectively) compared with non-fermented SBM. The IVDMD from simulated total tract digestion was greater (P < 0.01) for SSF in RSM compared with SBM, while SBM had greater IVDMD for both SSF and NSP-EZ (P < 0.01). Production of butyric acid was greater for SSF (P < 0.01) compared with non-SSF in both SBM and RSM. These results suggest that SSF can improve IVDMD and produce greater amounts of butyric acid compared with NSP-EZ supplementation in SBM and RSM.

Simple Summary Traditional proximate analysis measures (i.e., moisture, crude protein, crude fat, crude fiber, and ash) have little value for estimating the actual nutritional and economic value of feed ingredients fed to swine, yet they unfortunately continue to be commonly used in research studies, feed label regulations, and commodity-trading contract guarantees. Increasing energy and nutritional efficiency while simultaneously reducing negative environmental impacts of pork production requires the adoption of precision nutrition practices in global pork production systems. Precision swine nutrition can only be achieved by using more accurate and comprehensive methods and measures to determine the true nutri-physiological value of feed ingredients used in swine diets. There are several characteristics in some types of feed ingredients that are detrimental to swine health and performance, but they are seldom measured and deserve greater consideration. Likewise, there are also several value-added benefits provided by some functional feed ingredients that are not given enough consideration when formulating swine diets. The purpose of this review is to provide a holistic assessment of the benefits and limitations of existing chemical analysis methods and measures used to evaluate feed ingredients for swine and explore the benefits of using additional measurements to more accurately assess their true nutri-physiological value. Abstract Many types of feed ingredients are used to provide energy and nutrients to meet the nutritional requirements of swine. However, the analytical methods and measures used to determine the true nutritional and physiological (“nutri-physiological”) value of feed ingredients affect the accuracy of predicting and achieving desired animal responses. Some chemical characteristics of feed ingredients are detrimental to pig health and performance, while functional components in other ingredients provide beneficial health effects beyond their nutritional value when included in complete swine diets. Traditional analytical procedures and measures are useful for determining energy and nutrient digestibility of feed ingredients, but do not adequately assess their true physiological or biological value. Prediction equations, along with ex vivo and in vitro methods, provide some benefits for assessing the nutri-physiological value of feed ingredients compared with in vivo determinations, but they also have some limitations. Determining the digestion kinetics of the different chemical components of feed ingredients, understanding how circadian rhythms affect feeding behavior and the gastrointestinal microbiome of pigs, and accounting for the functional properties of many feed ingredients in diet formulation are the emerging innovations that will facilitate improvements in precision swine nutrition and environmental sustainability in global pork-production systems.

A significant portion of gross energy (GE) in corn distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) is indigestible by non-ruminants, and the impact of ammonia fiber expansion (AFEX) on improving GE digestibility is unknown. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of AFEX and enzymes on crystallinity index and neutral detergent fiber (aNDF) degradation in DDGS using a porcine in vitro fermentation system. Two sources of DDGS samples (ICM and POET) were pretreated with liquid ammonia at 100 °C and 2069 kPa for 30 min. The DDGS samples with or without AFEX pretreatment were predigested with pepsin and pancreatin with or without carbohydrases (1500 U/g xylanase, 1100 U/g β-glucanase, 110 U/g mannanase, and 35 U/g galactosidase). Residues were then subjected to in vitro fermentation (directly inoculating DDGS samples with fecal inocula) and accumulated gas production recorded up to 72 h. Concentration of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) were measured in the fermented solution. On a dry matter (DM) basis, non-protein nitrogen was increased by 20.8 g/kg, and aNDF was decreased by 146 g/kg in corn DDGS after AFEX pretreatment. Pretreatment with AFEX decreased the crystallinity index of fiber in DDGS from about 15 to 0 %, increased (P