Direct contact may affect the efficacy of stallion exposure in hastening the onset of cyclicity in anestrous mares.

Introducing males to seasonally anestrous females has been shown to increase LH concentrations and hasten the first ovulation in ewes and goat does. Investigation of this sociosexual phenomenon in mares has not been well studied. The objective of this study was to determine if direct or indirect exposure of anestrous mares to a stallion would result in a similar increase in LH and hasten the first ovulation.

Investigating causal biological relationships between reproductive performance traits in high-performing gilts and sows1.

Efficient management of swine production systems requires understanding of complex reproductive physiological mechanisms. Our objective in this study was to investigate potential causal biological relationships between reproductive performance traits in high-producing gilts and sows. Data originated from a nutrition experiment and consisted of 200 sows and 440 gilts arranged in body weight blocks and randomly assigned to dietary treatments during late gestation at a commercial swine farm.

Implementing structural equation models to observational data from feedlot production systems.

The objective of this study was to illustrate the implementation of a mixed-model-based structural equation modeling (SEM) approach to observational data in the context of feedlot production systems. Different from traditional multiple-trait models, SEMs allow assessment of potential causal interrelationships between outcomes and can effectively discriminate between direct and indirect effects. For illustration, we focused on feedlot performance and its relationship to health outcomes related to Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD), which accounts for approximately 75% of morbidity and 50-80% of deaths in feedlots.

Susceptibility of various life stages of Rhyzopertha dominica (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) to flameless catalytic infrared radiation.

In laboratory experiments, a flameless catalytic infrared emitter, fueled by propane, was used to disinfest hard red winter wheat, Triticum aestivum L., containing different life stages of the lesser grain borer, Rhyzopertha dominica (F.), an economically important insect species associated with stored wheat in Kansas.

Effect of elimination games on physical activity and psychosocial responses in children.

Background: This study evaluated the effect of elimination and nonelimination games on objectively measured physical activity and psychosocial responses in children.

Methods: A total of 29 children in grades 4 to 6 (65.5% male; 10.