Fifty-eight high grade Bonsmara steers were used to evaluate effects of high-fiber versus high-starch pasture supplements on subcutaneous (s.c.) and intramuscular (i.m.) adipose tissue accretion during growing and finishing phases. Cattle were stratified by body weight (BW), randomly assigned to one of three treatments, and placed on irrigated ryegrass pastures. Treatments were 1) no supplement (NC); 2) commercially available, pelleted high roughage (HR) supplement, designed to promote higher acetate fermentation, fed at 1.36 kg/hd (as-fed) 6 d/wk; or 3) corn-based high starch (HS) supplement, designed to promote higher propionate fermentation, fed at the same rate and frequency as HR. Throughout growing (140 d) and finishing (119 d) phases, full BW was measured every 28 d. Ultrasound ribeye area (REA), percent i.m. fat (IMF), and 12th rib fat thickness (BF) were measured on d -15, 56, 112, 182, and 231. Mixed model repeated measures analysis was performed on growth performance and ultrasound data. All responses increased over time (P < 0.01). Treatment by time interaction (P = 0.05) for BW was due to treatment rank changes among days; within day separations were minimal. Neither treatment nor interaction affected (P > 0.20) IMF, but treatment influenced ultrasound REA (P = 0.05); HS-fed steers had larger REA than HR-fed steers; NC steers were intermediate. Treatment effects on REA with similar IMF suggest that HS-fed steers accreted a greater total amount of i.m. fat. One-way structure analysis of carcass data was performed. Treatment did not affect hot carcass weight (HCW), carcass REA, or carcass fat thickness (FAT) (P > 0.48), but tended (P = 0.15) to affect marbling score (MARB). Supplemented cattle tended to have greater MARB than non-supplemented steers, and MARB was greater for HS-fed steers than that of HR-fed steers. The relationship between carcass REA and MARB is consistent with the relationship observed between ultrasound REA and IMF. These observations suggest that source of energy supplementation partitioned nutrients during the growing phase to favor i.m. fat accretion.

Fifty-eight high grade Bonsmara steers were used to evaluate effects of high-fiber versus high-starch pasture supplements on subcutaneous (s.c.) and intramuscular (i.m.) adipose tissue accretion during growing and finishing phases. Cattle were stratified by body weight (BW), randomly assigned to one of three treatments, and placed on irrigated ryegrass pastures. Treatments were 1) no supplement (NC); 2) commercially available, pelleted high roughage (HR) supplement, designed to promote higher acetate fermentation, fed at 1.36 kg/hd (as-fed) 6 d/wk; or 3) corn-based high starch (HS) supplement, designed to promote higher propionate fermentation, fed at the same rate and frequency as HR. Throughout growing (140 d) and finishing (119 d) phases, full BW was measured every 28 d. Ultrasound ribeye area (REA), percent i.m. fat (IMF), and 12th rib fat thickness (BF) were measured on d -15, 56, 112, 182, and 231. Mixed model repeated measures analysis was performed on growth performance and ultrasound data. All responses increased over time (P < 0.01). Treatment by time interaction (P = 0.05) for BW was due to treatment rank changes among days; within day separations were minimal. Neither treatment nor interaction affected (P > 0.20) IMF, but treatment influenced ultrasound REA (P = 0.05); HS-fed steers had larger REA than HR-fed steers; NC steers were intermediate. Treatment effects on REA with similar IMF suggest that HS-fed steers accreted a greater total amount of i.m. fat. One-way structure analysis of carcass data was performed. Treatment did not affect hot carcass weight (HCW), carcass REA, or carcass fat thickness (FAT) (P > 0.48), but tended (P = 0.15) to affect marbling score (MARB). Supplemented cattle tended to have greater MARB than non-supplemented steers, and MARB was greater for HS-fed steers than that of HR-fed steers. The relationship between carcass REA and MARB is consistent with the relationship observed between ultrasound REA and IMF. These observations suggest that source of energy supplementation partitioned nutrients during the growing phase to favor i.m. fat accretion.

These study objectives were to evaluate the effects of: initial bodyweight, energy supplementation, distance and days traveled and hair coat shedding on performance and health. Crossbred heifers (n=120) were purchased as either lightweight (136 kg) or heavyweight (226 kg) calves. Factors affecting morbidity and growth were tested using Poisson or linear regression (PROC GLIMMIX), with a correlation structure defining clustering by pen. Incidence density was 53.7/103 calf-days and 19.0/103 calf-days for light and heavy initial BW, respectively. Lightweight calves were 2.8 times more likely to be treated for BRD (p=0.02) and each increase in hair shed score increased risk for BRD 1.6 times (p=0.04). Initial BW did not affect gain (P=0.573), but heifers receiving supplementation gained 5.84 kg more than heifers not receiving supplement (P=0.005). Cattle that received LOW HS (n=14) had higher total gain (P=.00016), and ADG (P=.00016) compared to cattle receiving shedding classification of MED to HIGH (n=106).

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in beef cattle. Common management practices in addition to BRD have been shown previously to cause inflammation. The objectives of this study were: (1) characterize the inflammatory profiles as indicated by interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) and haptoglobin concentrations; (2) evaluate the impact of on-arrival metaphylactic antimicrobial therapy on inflammatory profiles in high risk cattle; and (3) examine the relationship between inflammatory profile and BRD morbidity and mortality. Eighty sale barn heifers were purchased over a two-year period (n=160). At arrival, heifers were randomly assigned to either receive tulathromycin (Draxxin, META, n=40) or not (NO META, n=40). Inflammatory profiles remained increased for all groups through d70 (P = 0.028). Metaphylaxis did not affect haptoglobin concentration (P > 0.10). There was a significant increase in BRD cases from day 0 to 20 (P = 0.002). Morbidity (BRD vs no BRD) did not impact haptoglobin concentrations.

The study objective was to evaluate the effects of vaccination (respiratory and clostridial vaccination or no vaccination) and deworming (fenbendazole and levamisole or no deworming) of high risk stocker calves on-arrival on health and growth performance. Eighty sale barn origin calves were purchased three separate years (n=240) from local order buyer. Steers (n=61) and bulls (n=179) were received over three days (d -3 to -1). On d 0 calves were stratified by arrival BW and FEC into 20 pens of 4 calves each, and treatment was applied to pens in 2 x 2 factorial. Vaccination increased the likelihood of BRD 1.7 times (P=0.07) versus calves not vaccinated. Vaccination did not affect gain, but calves receiving dewormer had greater ADG than those not receiving dewormer. Calves that arrived uncastrated or with high fever (≥40.0°C) gained less and were 1.7 and 4.3 times more likely (P<0.10) to be treated for disease, respectively.

Master of Science / Department of Agricultural Economics / Glynn Tonsor / Accessing new management information is crucial for the effective management of an operation in any industry. Beef producers are no exception to this as producers are exposed to numerous risks. The use and implementation of new management information by producers can assist in managing the operation to limit a producer’s risk exposure. The beef industry in the United States today is comprised of a large number of small producers, and operations can be categorized into three segments - cow-calf, stocker/backgrounder and feedlot. Identifying and understanding the characteristics of beef producers assists in the effective design, development, and delivery of educational materials and new information. In 2008, a National Stocker Survey was conducted to collect data from producers nationwide on operation characteristics and production practices as they related to the stocking and backgrounding of calves. The survey was comprised of 10 areas which focused on all aspects of production during the stocker phase. Included in the survey was a section on communication and education, where producers were asked to indicate their level of trust for the 14 sources and 11 methods where by management information might be accessed. The primary objective of this thesis is to identify specific producer and operation characteristics that are key drivers of producer trust for a number of sources and methods where producers may access management information. The factor analysis procedure was utilized to determine the underlying common factors which represented the sources and methods that are used to access management information. Multivariate tobit regression analysis was used to determine the influence producer, operation, and management characteristics had on trust for the underlying factors which represent the sources and methods of information. Summary statistics from this research provide relevant information and show the average level of trust survey respondents have in the sources and methods included. While the models were unable to identify key producer, operation, and management characteristics that are significant drivers of trust, the results of these models do provide insights that may be useful in guiding future research. Producer trust for a number of the sources and methods will likely continue to shift as new technology continues to be integrated into the beef operations and new information is discovered.

Master of Science / Department of Agricultural Economics / Glynn Tonsor / Stocker cattle economic research is very limited in scope. A focus of this research is to deepen our understanding of how cattle price and animal performance variability is viewed and approached by stocker cattle producers in the United States. Another part of this research focuses on what characteristics may be drivers of whether producers choose to practice different risk management strategies. To analyze how cattle price and animal performance variability is viewed and approached by stocker cattle producers, a stated preference valuation method was used to find willingness-to-pay (WTP) estimates. Two different approaches were used to provide outcome probability information where one approach had probabilities for expected ADG change across scenarios and ADG ranges were held constant (Treatment Group A) and the second approach had ADG ranges change across scenarios and the probabilities were held constant (Treatment B). The results of our study suggest that survey respondents process scenarios differently when presented in formats Treatment Group A versus Treatment Group B. The underlying reason for this is beyond identification in this study as respondent certainty and comfort as assessed in follow-up questions was similar across the treatments. Results indicate that producers value buying cattle versus opting out of purchasing cattle and they value higher performing cattle; however, each additional pound is not valued the same. To determine the characteristics of producers and their operations that use different risk management practices, we estimated multiple probit models with the dependent variables being use of the different risk management practices. Results from the probit models suggest how producers source cattle for their operation, whether it is the region or the different markets they source from, are key determinants on whether producers practice different management strategies for market and price risk. The results suggest the model were not a good fit. Of the 30 explanatory variables included in the model, on average five explanatory variables were significant throughout the seven different dependent variables. This could be attributed to factors our study does not explicitly observe; therefore it remains a knowledge gap for the industry.

Master of Science / Department of Animal Sciences and Industry / Dale A. Blasi / Four pen studies and one digestibility trial were conducted to evaluate the effects of energy level and intake of corn by-product based diets on newly received growing cattle. In Exp.1 there were four diets where one was offered for ad libitum intake and formulated to supply 0.99 Mcal NEg/kg DM (0.99/100) and the other three treatments were fed at 95, 90, and 85% of the ad libitum treatment and to supply 1.10 (1.10/95), 1.21 (1.21/90), and 1.32 Mcal NEg/kg DM (1.32/85), respectively. ADG was unaffected by treatment (P = 0.32). However, G:F increased linearly with increasing energy and decreasing intake level (P < 0.01). In Exp. 2, a digestibility trial was conducted to study diets from Exp. 1. Ruminal propionate linearly increased with increasing dietary energy and decreasing intake (P < 0.01). Total tract DM digestibility increased linearly with increasing energy and decreasing intake (P < 0.01), whereas passage rate decreased (P < 0.01). Experiment 3 validated results from Exp. 1 feeding the 1.10/95 treatment at 2.40% of BW daily and the 1.32/85 treatment at 2.2% of BW daily and studied a DNA-immunostimulant (Zelnate, Bayer Animal Health, Shawnee Mission, KS). Zelnate had no effect on parameters measured. ADG was not different between energy treatments (P = 0.75), but efficiency was greater for the 1.32/85 treatment (P = 0.03). Experiment 4 was designed to observe effects of the 1.32 Mcal NEg/kg DM diet fed at four intake levels of 1.9, 2.2, 2.5, and 2.8 % of BW daily. ADG increased linearly with increasing intake (P < 0.01), however G:F was not affected (P = 0.98). In Exp. 5 a factorial design was employed to evaluate the effects of two by-products; wet corn gluten feed and wet distiller’s grains plus solubles, and two levels of corn processing; whole corn or dry-rolled corn. Final ADG and G:F were not affected by by-product, corn processing, or their interaction (P > 0.30). Additionally, animals and diets from Exp. 1 were used to study effects on antibody production, acute phase protein response, stress, and immunocompetency of healthy and morbid cattle. Diet had no effect on the parameters measured (P > 0.10). A quadratic response to time (P < 0.01) was detected for haptoglobin, titers for bovine viral diarrhea type 1 (BVD-1), and infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR). Haptoglobin was highest on d 14, and close to baseline levels by d 27. Titer levels for BVD-1 and IBR were higher on d 14, and significantly higher on d 27. Titers for bovine viral diarrhea type 2 (BVD- II) responded linearly (P < 0.05) to time with the highest levels on d 27. Haptoglobin was elevated in morbid animals compared to healthy pen mates (P < 0.05). Titer levels for BVD-I and IBR were higher in healthy animals (P < 0.01). Fecal cortisol was higher on arrival than on d 14 (P < 0.05). In summary, high-energy limit-fed diets based on corn by-products do not affect health and are more efficient than when roughage-based growing diets are fed.

Orientador: Antonio Rafael Carvalho dos Santos / O exemplar da Biblioteca do IA, acompanha um CD-ROM / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Artes / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-04T01:52:47Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Presta_JoseFernando_M.pdf: 17650293 bytes, checksum: 8938e50fcc01585ce82e55b5d92cd375 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2004 / Resumo: Esta dissertação tem como principal objetivo traçar um panorama da improvisação e dos aspectos composicionais para violão e guitarra, na obra do músico Olmir Stocker "Alemão" através dos diferentes gêneros da música .popular brasileira. Serviram de fonte para esta pesquisa as improvisações do artista Olmir Stocker, registradas em seus discos publicados. A pesquisa visa a diwlgação das diferentes técnicas de improvisação para violão e guitarra. A metodologia abordou, além da transcrição e análise das improvisações, entrevistas com o intérprete / Abstract: The main subject of this essay is to trace a view upon the improvisation and composicional aspects fOI;: the eletric and classical guitar, in the works of Olmir Stocker, known as "Alemão", through different genres of Brazilian popular music. The resourses of this research are the improvisations of the artist Olmir Stocker, registered on his published Compact Discs. The purpose oh this research is to contribute to spread different improvisation tecniques for the eletric and classical guitar. The metodology of this essay includes the edition and analysis of improvisations and interviews with the perfonner / Mestrado / Artes / Mestre em Artes

Master of Science / Department of Agricultural Economics / Glynn T. Tonsor / The purpose of this analysis is to examine two aspects of price analysis in the stocker industry in order to better assist producers making purchasing decisions. One analysis looks at forecasting value of gain, while the second looks at drivers of price differentials between calves and yearlings. When analyzing forecasts on value of gain, weekly data was collected to compare a naïve approach and futures market implied basis-adjusted approaches that include one to five years of historical average basis. This allowed for the assessment of five different models for nine scenarios. The conclusions from this were inconsistent with what was hypothesized and the naïve approach was either worse or no better when compared to using the futures market implied basis-adjusted approaches to forecast value of gain. The drawback to this analysis was that it was solely influenced by error on forecasting the selling price and in future work a forecasting horizon will be incorporated on the buying price. In order to analyze the price premiums and discounts between calves and yearlings, a confirmation, update and expansion were completed following monthly models by Marsh (1985). Three elements are considered when predicting price premiums and discounts between two weight classes; cost of gain (proxied by corn price), slaughter price, and seasonality. Estimated models in the confirmation for years 1972 to 1982 and the update for years 1973 to 2013, show that premiums and discounts are influenced by expected changes in corn price and/or slaughter price, but not highly affected by seasonality. However, in the expansion for years 1993 to 2013, corn price, slaughter price, and seasonality were all significant to the models and in higher magnitude when compared to those results in the confirmation and update. Understanding the relationships between all variables in these models allows producers in the cattle-feeding industry to make management decisions based on current marketing conditions and trends.