Effects of feed form and particle size on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, carcass characteristics, and gastric health in growing-finishing pigs.

Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of feed processing and particle size on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, carcass characteristics, and gastric health in growing-finishing pigs.

Methods: A total of 360 growing pigs (22.64±0.

Effects of Copra Meal Inclusion Level in Growing-Finishing Pig Diets Containing β-Mannanase on Growth Performance, Apparent Total Tract Digestibility, Blood Urea Nitrogen Concentrations and Pork Quality.

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of copra meal (CM) inclusion level on the growth performance, apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) concentrations, and pork quality of growing-finishing pigs fed diets containing β-mannanase. Eighty crossbred pigs with average body weight (BW) of 27.22 ± 0.

Effects of dietary vitamin levels on physiological responses, blood profiles, and reproductive performance in gestating sows.

This study was performed to evaluate the effects of dietary vitamin levels on physiological responses, blood profiles, and reproductive performance in gestating sows. A total of 52 F1 multiparous sows (Yorkshire × Landrace) with an average body weight of 223.5 ± 31.

Effects of dietary energy and crude protein levels on growth performance, blood profiles, and carcass traits in growing-finishing pigs.

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of dietary energy and crude protein (CP) levels on growth performance, blood profiles, and carcass traits in growing-finishing pigs. A total of 180 crossbred pigs ([Yorkshire × Landrace] × Duroc) with an average body weight of 30.96 ± 3.

Effects of dietary energy and protein levels on reproductive performance in gestating sows and growth of their progeny.

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of dietary energy and crude protein (CP) levels on reproductive performance, litter performance, milk quality, and blood profiles in gestating sows. A total of 59 multiparous sows (Yorkshire × Landrace) with similar body weights (BW), backfat thickness (BF), and parity were assigned to one of six treatments with 9 or 10 sows per treatment using a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement and completely randomized design. The first factor was two levels of dietary metabolizable energy (ME) density (13.

Evaluation of barley to replace milk by-product in weaning pig's diet.

The supplementation level of barley was limited because of high contents of fiber in monogastric animals. Barley contained high soluble fiber, thus it could prevent to diarrhea of weaning pigs. Moreover, as the barley break down by enzymes, free sugars come out from the barley, which could be used as an energy source in weaning pigs and replace milk by-products in weaning pig's diet.

Erratum to: Evaluation of barley to replace milk by-product in weaning pig's diet.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.5187/jast.2019.

Effects of different creep feed types on pre-weaning and post-weaning performance and gut development.

Objective: This experiment was carried out to determine the effects of different creep feed types on suckling performance and further adjustments to solid feed after weaning.

Methods: A total of 24 multiparous sows and their litters were allotted to one of three treatment groups: i) provided highly digestible creep feed (Creep), ii) provided a pig weaning diet (Weaner), and iii) provided sow feed (Sow) as creep feed until weaning. After weaning, a total of 96 piglets were selected for evaluation of post-weaning performance.

Effects of dietary energy and crude protein levels on growth performance, blood profiles, and nutrient digestibility in weaning pigs.

Objective: This experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of reducing dietary metabolic energy (ME) and crude protein (CP) levels on growth performance, blood profiles, and nutrient digestibility in weaning pigs.

Methods: A total of 240 crossbred pigs (Duroc×[Landrace×Yorkshire]) with an average body weight of 8.67±1.

Effects of cashew nut testa levels as an alternative to wheat bran in gestating sow diets.

Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary cashew nut testa (CNT) as an alternative feed ingredient to wheat bran on reproductive performance, litter performance, milk composition, and blood profiles of gestating sows.

Methods: Forth multiparous sows (Yorkshire×Landrace) were fed experimental diets starting at 35 days of pregnancy and an initial average body weight (BW) of 211.53±8.

Vitamin D-metabolic enzymes and related molecules: Expression at the maternal-conceptus interface and the role of vitamin D in endometrial gene expression in pigs.

Vitamin D is a secosteroid hormone with many varied functions including regulation of blood calcium levels, cell proliferation, immunity, and reproduction in mammals. Vitamin D is activated by 25-hydroxylase (CYP2R1) and 1-alpha-hydroxylase (CYP27B1) and is degraded by 24-hydroxylase (CYP24A1). Vitamin D is transported by vitamin D-binding protein (group-specific component, GC) through the bloodstream and regulates cellular actions by binding to vitamin D receptor (VDR).

Various levels of rapeseed meal in weaning pig diets from weaning to finishing periods.

Objective: This experiment was conducted to investigate the influence of rapeseed meal (RSM) supplementation in weaning pig diet on growth performance, blood profile, carcass characteristics and economic analysis on weaning to finishing pigs.

Methods: A total of 120 cross bred ([Yorkshire×Landrace]×Duroc) weaning pigs were allotted to 5 treatments in a randomized complete block design. Each treatment had 4 replications with 6 pigs per pen.

Effects of wheat supplementation levels on growth performance, blood profiles, nutrient digestibility, and pork quality in growing-finishing pigs.

Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate various wheat supplementation levels on growth performance, blood profiles, nutrient digestibility, and pork quality in growing-finishing pigs.

Methods: A total of 120 growing pigs ([Yorkshire×Landrace]×Duroc), with an average 27.75± 1.

Effect of different soybean meal type on ileal digestibility of amino acid in weaning pigs.

An experiment was conducted to evaluate apparent (AID) and standardized (SID) ileal digestibilities of crude protein (CP) and amino acids (AA) with 6 soybean products in weaning pigs. A total of 14 weaning barrows with an initial body weight of 6.54 ± 0.

Genome-wide DNA Methylation Profiles of Small Intestine and Liver in Fast-growing and Slow-growing Weaning Piglets.

Although growth rate is one of the main economic traits of concern in pig production, there is limited knowledge on its epigenetic regulation, such as DNA methylation. In this study, we conducted methyl-CpG binding domain protein-enriched genome sequencing (MBD-seq) to compare genome-wide DNA methylation profile of small intestine and liver tissue between fast- and slow-growing weaning piglets. The genome-wide methylation pattern between the two different growing groups showed similar proportion of CpG (regions of DNA where a cytosine nucleotide occurs next to a guanine nucleotide in the linear sequence) coverage, genomic regions, and gene regions.

Among γ-secretase substrates Notch1 alone is sufficient to block neurogenesis but does not confer self-renewal properties to neural stem cells.

Notch signaling pathway enhances neural stem cell characters and regulates cell fate decisions during neural development. Interestingly, besides Notch, other γ-secretase substrates such as APP, LRP2, and ErbB4 have also proven to have biological functions in neural development. We designed a unique experimental setting, combining gain-of- (expression of Notch intracellular domain, NICD) and loss-of-function (γ-secretase inhibition) methods, and were able to examine the function of Notch alone by excluding the activity of other γ-secretase substrates.