Kansas State University
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Effects of ValoproWin and Formulation Strategy on Nursery Pig Performance and Fecal Dry Matter
No full textA total of 335 pigs (initially 12.3 ± 1.91 lb) were used to evaluate the effect of ValoproWin (VLPW) level and formulation strategy on nursery growth performance and fecal dry matter (DM). ValoproWin is a fiber ingredient that contains a purified source of coarse indigestible fiber, oat hulls, and yeast autolysate. At weaning, pigs were randomly assigned within two body weight (BW) blocks to one of the five dietary treatments in a generalized randomized block design. There were four or five pigs per pen and 14 replicate pens per treatment. Experimental diets were fed for 23 d, and then pigs were fed a common diet for 22 d. Dietary treatments were arranged in a 2 × 2 + 1 factorial design, with the main effects of added VLPW (2.5 or 5%) and formulation strategy (diluted or adjusted). An additional control treatment, which contained no VLPW, was included for comparison. In the diluted diets, VLPW was added at the expense of the complete diet without further adjustments to the formulation, resulting in nutrient dilution proportional to the VLPW inclusion. In contrast, adjusted diets were reformulated to maintain a similar nutrient composition to the control diet, regardless of VLPW addition. No significant interactions between VLPW inclusion or formulation strategy were observed for any of the performance criteria or periods. For the experimental period (d 0 to 23), pigs fed the diluted diets tended (P = 0.091) to have greater ADFI than those fed the adjusted diets. No differences were observed in ADG between formulation strategies. Consequently, pigs fed the adjusted diets tended (P = 0.084) to have improved F/G compared with those fed diluted diets. No significant main effects of VLPW level were observed for ADG and ADFI; however, pigs fed diets containing 5% of VLPW tended (P = 0.056) to have worse F/G compared with those fed diets containing 2.5% of VLPW. Also, increasing VLPW from 0 to 5% tended (P = 0.051) to linearly worsen F/G in the diluted diets but not in the adjusted diets. For the overall period (d 0 to 45), no main effects of the formulation strategy were observed for any of the performance parameters. However, pigs fed diets with 5% of VLPW during the experimental period tended (P = 0.059) to have poorer F/G compared with those fed diets with 2.5% VLPW. No significant effect of formulation strategy was observed for fecal DM. However, fecal DM linearly increased (P \u3c 0.001) on d 10 as VLPW inclusion increased, independent of formulation strategy. At d 24, fecal DM tended to linearly increase (P = 0.098) as VLPW inclusion increased in the adjusted formulation strategy. In conclusion, the effect of added VLPW was independent of the formulation strategy. Increasing dietary VLPW improved fecal DM, particularly on d 10; however, F/G tended to worsen as VLPW level increased during both experimental and overall periods. During the experimental period, pigs fed the diluted diets had greater ADFI and poorer F/G than those fed the adjusted diets, although these differences were not maintained overall
Effect of Phase Feeding Budget and Weaning Weight on Nursery Pig Growth Performance and Economics: A Follow-Up Study
No full textThis experiment was conducted to validate the results of a previous study that observed no difference in overall growth performance, but better economic outcomes when a simple phase feeding program was used compared to a more traditional complex program. At weaning, a total of 360 pigs (initially 13.3 ± 0.36 lb) were sorted by body weight (BW) and then randomly assigned to one of three dietary treatments arranged in a 3 × 3 factorial. Main effects included nursery phase feeding budget (high, medium, or low) and BW category (light, medium, or heavy). There were five pigs per pen and 12 pens per treatment. The feed budgets for phases 1 and 2 were 4, 2, 0, and 12, 8, 4 lb/pig for high, medium, and low nursery feeding budget programs, respectively. All pigs were then fed a common phase 3 diet thereafter. Phase 1 was formulated with specialty animal protein and lactose products and was formulated to contain 18.0% lactose with 16.3% soybean meal. In phase 2, specialty protein sources and the lactose level were reduced, with diets containing 7.2% lactose and 22.5% soybean meal. Phase 3 was a common corn-soybean meal-based diet with no specialty protein or lactose sources. Through the course of this trial, pigs were in good health with no mortality or removals. No interactions were observed between phase feeding budget and BW category for any response criteria. Overall (d 0 to 43), pigs fed with the low-budget program had greater (P \u3c 0.05) ADG than those fed the high-budget program, with pigs fed the medium budget program intermediate. No differences in ADFI were observed among feed budget programs. Pigs fed the low-budget program tended (P = 0.054) to have improved F/G compared with those fed the high-budget program, while pigs fed the medium-budget program were intermediate. Feed cost and feed cost/lb of gain decreased as the phase 1 and 2 feed budgets were reduced (P \u3c 0.001). There was a tendency (P = 0.077) for increased revenue with decreasing feed budget; however, no pairwise differences between treatments were observed. Income over feed cost improved (P \u3c 0.001) as the phase feeding budgets decreased. For BW category, d 42 BW, ADG, and ADFI increased (P \u3c 0.001) as the initial BW increased. However, no differences in F/G were observed between any BW category. Also, economic criteria improved (P \u3c 0.001) as weaning BW category increased. In conclusion, in healthy pigs, the use of low phase 1 and 2 feed budget programs resulted in an overall improvement of ADG and F/G. Economics improved as simpler feed budgets were used. Finally, pigs that were heavier at weaning had better overall nursery performance and economic returns than lighter-weight weaned pigs
Resistant Palmer Amaranth Seed Production and Retention in Kansas Soybean Production
No full textThe effective management of Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri) seedbanks is a critical challenge in Kansas soybean production. This study investigates Palmer amaranth seed production and retention at the time of soybean harvest, providing insights into the weed’s seed production in Kansas soybean fields and the potential effectiveness of harvest weed seed control tactics for its control. Data were collected from 12 counties in Kansas, where female Palmer amaranth plants were collected and seed and debris of the plant, fallen on the ground, were vacuumed. Results showed that female Palmer amaranth plants with an aboveground biomass of 0.3 and 0.4 lb produced on average 58,100 and 84,900 seeds, respectively. Moreover, approximately 97% of the seeds remained on the plant at harvest, suggesting that a Harvest Weed Seed Destruction (HWSD) strategy could be highly effective in reducing the number of Palmer amaranth viable seeds that return to the soil seedbank
An Early Evaluation Of A Responsible Fatherhood Program, Fathers Empowered To Learn, Lead, And Achieve Success (FELLAS)
No full textAbstract
OBJECTIVES. This study was a pilot test of the FELLAS responsible fatherhood program. METHODS. Fathers (n=388)completed a 35-hour program designed to help them improve life-skills, parenting skills and make progress toward economic stability. The analytic sample consisted of 131 fathers who had completed questionnaires at pretest, posttest, and six-month follow-up. The quantitative measures were not specific health outcomes, but have been shown to have a positive influence on health. Some fathers also participated in focus groups, the purpose of which was to gain feedback from participants about their views of the program, and the skills they had gained from the program. RESULTS. Participants showed significant improvement from pretest to posttest for five of the seven outcome measures, including: Attitudes Toward Finances, Parenting Skills, Father’s Involvement, Conflict Resolution, and Decrease in unemployment. These changes were maintained at the six-month follow-up for four of the five measures; all except Father’s Involvement. One of the outcome measures, which did not show change from pretest to posttest, Increase in Full-time Employment, did show significant change from pretest to follow-up. Participant feedback from fathers in the focus groups was also positive and included the development of more positive parenting. skills. CONCLUSION. The positive results shown in this pilot study set the stage for a more rigorous evaluation of the intervention
Trauma-Informed Care in Education: Reflecting on School-led Interventions to Foster Community Resilience
No full textTrauma-informed care in education and its role in fostering resilience in communities is the central theme of this article. It focuses on a three pronged approach to implementing trauma-informed practices in a DEIS primary school in Dublin, located in an area of extreme disadvantage, to support young people engaging in the process of resilience. The first trauma-informed practice adopts an ecological approach to promote community resilience, involving training for staff and community members to spread awareness and implement trauma-informed care. The second trauma-informed practice introduces a mentoring program targeting at-risk pupils in their final year of primary school. The third trauma-informed practice focuses on a peer support group for teachers, recognising the impact of vicarious trauma on educators. Challenges to the implementation of trauma-informed practice in schools are discussed, including service provider buy-in, conceptual clarity, and the lack of consistent policies. The article concludes by emphasising the importance of collaboration across services and the need for a united effort to address the complex issue of childhood trauma
Effect of Administering GnRH at the Time of Insemination on the Fertility of Dairy Heifers Bred at Estrus
No full textHeifer reproductive performance has gained attention from both the dairy industry and academia. Thus, strategies tested in cows have been proposed to be used in heifers at the field level. The current field trial tested the hypothesis that administering GnRH at the time of insemination would increase pregnancy per artificial insemination (P/AI) in dairy heifers bred at estrus. Using Holstein heifers (12 months and older) from a heifer yard in KS, a total of 5,809 breedings were randomized to a CONT (control, untreated) or a GNRH group (a single dose of 100 mcg of GnRH at estrus-AI). The heifers were subject to the regular reproductive program of the heifer yard, which prioritized breeding to estrus, and were randomized without any blocking factor. Pregnancy per AI (P/AI) at 45 ± 3 days post-AI was compared between CONT and GNRH groups using generalized linear models. The AI technician, AI sire, breed, and semen type (sexed and conventional) were considered in the statistical analysis. Data curation consisted of removing groups that lacked representation, and the final statistical analysis included 4,774 breedings (CONT n = 2,376 and GNRH n = 2,398). Our hypothesis was not supported by the results, as evidenced by a lack of significant difference between the P/AI of CONT (41.4 ± 3%) and GNRH (42.9 ± 3%). An interaction of group by service number was also not observed. Thus, the use of GnRH at the time of AI is not recommended in heifers bred at detected estrus under the current experimental conditions
Financially Focused Sessions for Support Interventions for Parents of Children with Disabilities
No full textPeer-Reviewed Theory and Practice Article: The current manuscript highlights the need for and proposes a best practice model of incorporating financial therapeutic elements into support intervention programming designed to assist caregivers of families with at least one child with a disability, as recognized by the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA). The current manuscript proposes adding four financially focused sessions, creating a space for the caregivers to (1) radically accept their current financial circumstances, (2) empower themselves by activating financial agency, (3) develop financial persistence, and (4) create and enact a future financial strategy. These four sessions have been designed using systemic financial therapy, a theoretical framework that applies family systems theory to financial therapy. A case vignette illustrates how to address caregivers\u27 unique challenges in caring for an afflicted child. These challenges are worsened by significant financial stress and poor management. The vignette shows how implementing four financially focused sessions can help
Examining the Expertise of TTRPG for STEM Education: A Role-Playing Exploratory Study of Dungeon Master\u27s Praxis
No full textThis study explored how Tabletop Role-Playing Games (TTRPGs) could be applied in STEM education to help students grasp complex concepts by modeling scientific processes. A key focus was the role of Dungeon Master(s), whose skills in designing and running games mirrored the adaptive work of teachers creating engaging, inquiry-driven classrooms.
The research began with a bibliographic and theoretical analysis that traced ideas from games in general to Role-Playing Game(s), and finally to the specific case of Dungeon Master’s praxis in TTRPGs. This review established the conceptual foundation for comparing experiential learning (EL) with inquiry-based learning (IBL). Prior studies indicated that TTRPGs enhanced traditional teaching by creating interactive spaces where students assumed roles, tested ideas, and applied theory in practice: activities that fostered motivation, collaboration, and knowledge retention.
Building on these insights, the study developed a survey instrument to document how DMs facilitated games and to examine how their methods might translate into STEM pedagogy. The tool was piloted at an academic conference, refined through expert feedback, and analyzed within a comparative, mixed-methods framework. The study concluded by situating DM expertise within broader pedagogical debates, demonstrating how role-playing dynamics can inform inclusive, experiential, and practice-based approaches to STEM learning