1,721,206 research outputs found
Fat Protein ratio as a tool to monitor dairy cow metabolism
No full textMetabolic disorders and anomalies in ruminal fermentation can affect chemical characteristics of dairy cow milk. Fat to protein ratio (FPR) has been mentioned as a sensitive indicator of metabolic status of dairy cows, and of nutritional imbalances. Some authors indicated as optimal a FPR between 1.2 and 1.4 typical of a positive energy balance, with higher values relating to a metabolic shift towards ketosis, and values below 1.1 probably deriving from rumen acidosis. Moreover, several studies demonstrated the influence of rumen environment on milk fat fatty acid (FA) profile. Some studies showed as a decrease in rumen pH induce a change in the biohydrogenation of unsatured FA resulting in the formation of C18:1trans10 and C18:2trans10 cis-12. Other researchers showed that feeding low fiber diet or inducing acidosis in cows lead to an increase in odd-chain FA from C7:0 to C17:0 including C10:0, C12:0 and C12:1cis9. Additionally, it has been speculated as C18:1trans-10 and the C18:1trans10/C18:1trans11 ratio could be good indicators for the diagnosis of SARA. The aim of the present work was to investigate the difference in milk FA profile between cows with low and normal FPR. The study was carried out on a total of 96 early lactating Italian Holstein dairy cows (60-80 DIM) from 3 different farms, fed total mixed rations typical of the northern Italy. For each farm, the milk of 16 animals with FPR 1 and <1.4 were sampled and analyzed for protein and fat content by infrared spectroscopy and for FA profile by gas-chromatography. Cows with LFPR showed variations in FA concentration typical of subacute acidosis, such as the significant increase of odd chain FA (whose sum increased from 2.49 to 2.72 g/100g; P < 0.01), C10:0, C12:0, C18:1trans10 (0.42 vs 0.59 g/100g; P < 0.01) and the numerical decrease of C18:1trans11, observed by other authors feeding cows acidogenic diets. The same animals showed an increase of the C18:1trans10/C18:1 trans11 ratio found in acidotic cows. Based on these results, it appears that dairy cows showing LFPR are probably facing subacute acidosis–like metabolic variations, probably attributable to specific feeding behavior of these animal, such as sorting, lowering ruminal pH
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Quantifying morphological stage to improve the organisation of the feeding system and enhance yield and quality of sulla and lucerne
No full textA better knowledge of forage legume production physiology in different environments is
necessary to exploit their potential, through new harvesting and grazing systems. The paper reports the results of
several experiments under different environmental conditions on lucerne (Po Valley) and sulla (Sardinia and
central Italy) with the aim of relating the codified stage to forage quality. The OM digestibility, which is known
to be the most important determinant of the nutritive value of forage, resulted to be inversely related to the stage
evolution of both legumes. The use of the quantified morphological stage proved to be an easy pre-harvest tool
to enhance yield and quality of legumes and to determine cutting or grazing schedules, for a profitable
management of the crop
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Relationships among early lactation milk fat depression, cattle productivity and fatty acid composition on intensive dairy farms in Northern Italy
Full text linkAn observational study was conducted on three northern Italy Holstein dairy herds to evaluate the impact of milk fat depression (MFD, defined as milk fat lower than 3.2) on milk production and fatty acids (FA) composition in order to investigate the practical consequences and the possible origin of this phenomenon. The diet composition and the individual milk production and composition, were monitored during the first six months of lactation. Two virtual groups were created in each farm on the basis of the milk fat levels observed during the first two months of lactation (higher or lower than 3.2). Individual milk samples were taken from 16 animals /group/farm for composition and fatty acid analysis. The diet of Farm A, characterized by the highest average prevalence of MFD (33.1%), showed the highest acidogenic attitude (high NFC, low NDF, low peNDF8). The milk fat level differed significantly per group over time in all farms. Cattle with MFD showed tendentially lower energy corrected milk output and greater concentrations of C12:0÷C15:0, C18:1trans10, total polyunsaturated, total odd chain (OCFA), total n-6 as well as OCFA/branched chain fatty acids, and C18:1trans10/C18:1trans11 ratios. Farm A milk fat showed higher values of C12:0, C13:0, C14:0 and C15:0. It appears that MFD cattle are characterized by lower mammary energy output and a milk FA profile similar to cattle fed acidogenic diets, thus suggesting an alteration in the rumen fermentation patterns, as occurs in acidotic cattle
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Full text linkWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
koamabayili/VECTRON-author-checklist: VECTRON author checklist
No full textWe have done our best to complete the author checklist relating to the use of animals in the hut study. Note that the objective for the hut study was to evaluate the IRS treatment applications for residual efficacy against Anopheles mosquitoes, including the local An. coluzzii mosquito population. Cows were only used to attract mosquitoes into the huts and no tests were carried out directly on the cows. The author checklist is intended for use with studies where experiments are carried out on animals, which is why we have had such difficulty in completing this for the hut study, as many of the questions do not relate to how the cows were used
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