Over 2 yr, 45 Angus-sired steer offspring of Angus and Angus crossbred females were used to determine the effects of early weaning on feedlot performance, carcass characteristics, and economic return to the cow-calf enterprise. Steers were assigned by birth date to one of two weaning treatments: 1) weaned at an average age of 100 d (early weaned) or 2) weaned at an average age of 200 d (normall...

Two hundred and forty calf faecal samples from 16 Malaysian farms were screened by PCR for Giardia spp. The overall prevalence was 12.5% and the overall farm prevalence was 68.8% (11/16 farms). The prevalence in pre-weaned and weaned calves was 16.7% and 8.3%, respectively. Sequence analysis of 25 isolates identified all as G. duodenalis assemblage E. Management factors associated with an incre...

Eggs of the indigenous laying hens are preferred by consumers to those obtained from commercial breeds. The present study aimed to compare the fatty acid (FA) composition of yolk lipids of indigenous eggs (Indigenous; n = 20) and conventional eggs (Conventional; n = 20). Indigenous and conventional eggs were collected from Lori layer hens reared under free-range condition and an commercial farm...

LORI (learning object review instrument) is an evaluation framework designed to support collaborative critique of multimedia learning resources. In this chapter, the interactions among reviewers using LORI are framed as a form of collaborative argumentation. Research on collaborative evaluation of learning resources has found that reviewers’ quality ratings tend to converge as a result of their...

This article presents the structure and theoretical foundations of the Learning Object Review Instrument (LORI), an evaluation aid available through the E-Learning Research and Assessment Network at http://www.elera.net. A primary goal of LORI is to balance assessment validity with efficiency of the evaluation process. The instrument enables learning object users to create reviews consisting of...

Early weaned piglets are vulnerable to diarrhea because of weaning stress and immaturity of intestinal tract. Compelling evidence suggests that gut microbiota is vital to host health. However, it is not well understood on the composition and succession of piglet gut microbiota during the weaning transition. In our two trials, total 17 commercial piglets were studied in a pig farm in Jiangxi Pro...

With regard to animal welfare concerns, behavioral information of weaned and mixed piglets is great interest in swine production. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the change in behavior of weaned piglets over time in two different groups (littermates and piglets from different litters) after mixing. Two weaned groups of piglets (72 individuals in all) housed either with littermates or w...