Practical and economic advantages of choice feeding systems for laying poultry

Poultry can be managed under different feeding systems, depending on the husbandry skills and the feed available. These systems include the following: (1) a complete dry feed offered as a mash ad libitum; (2) the same feed offered as pellets or crumbles ad libitum; (3) a complete feed with added whole grain; (4) a complete wet feed given once or twice a day; (5) a complete feed offered on a restricted basis; (6) choice feeding. Of all these, an interesting alternative to offering complete diets is choice feeding which can be applied on both a small or large commercial scale. Under choice feeding or free-choice feeding birds are usually offered a choice between three types of feedstuffs: (a) an energy source (e.g. maize, rice bran, sorghum or wheat); (b) a protein source (e.g. soyabean meal, meat meal, fish meal or coconut meal) plus vitamins and minerals and (c), in the case of laying hens, calcium in granular form (i.e. oyster-shell grit). This system differs from the modern commercial practice of offering a complete diet comprising energy and protein sources, ground and mixed together. Under the complete diet system, birds are mainly only able to exercise their appetite for energy. When the environmental temperature varies, the birds either over- or under-consume protein and calcium. The basic principle behind practising choice feeding with laying hens is that individual hens are able to select from the various feed ingredients on offer and compose their own diet, according to their actual needs and production capacity. A choice-feeding system is of particular importance to small poultry producers in developing countries, such as Indonesia, because it can substantially reduce the cost of feed. The system is flexible and can be constructed in such a way that the various needs of a flock of different breeds, including village chickens, under different climates can be met. The system also offers a more effective way to use home-produced grain, such as maize, and by-products, such as rice bran, in developing countries. Because oyster-shell grit is readily available in developing countries at lower cost than limestone, the use of cheaper oyster-shell grit can further benefit small-holders in these countries. These benefits apart, simpler equipment suffices when designing and building a feed mixer on the farm, and transport costs are lower. If whole (unground) grain is used, the intake of which is accompanied by increased efficiency of feed utilisation, the costs of grinding, mixing and many of the handling procedures associated with mash and pellet preparation are eliminated. The choice feedstuffs can all be offered in the current feed distribution systems, either by mixing the ingredients first or by using a bulk bin divided into three compartments.

Managing new product development in the Chinese steel industry: An empirical investigation

This study explores several important aspects of the management of new product development (NPD) in the Chinese steel industry. Specifically it explores NPD success factors, the importance of management functions to new product success and measures of new product success from the perspective of the industry's practitioners. Based on a sample of 190 industrial practitioners from 18 Chinese steel companies, the study provides a mixed picture as China makes the transition from a centrally-controlled to market-based economy. On one hand, respondents ranked understanding users' needs as the most important factor influencing the performance of the new products. Further, formulating new product strategy and strengthening market research are perceived as the most important managerial functions in NPD. However, technical performance measures are regarded as more important and are more widely used in industry than market-based or financial measures of success.

An overview of drugs and ancillary equipment for the dentist's emergency kit

The concept of a basic (i.e., essential) medical emergency kit suitable for a general dental practitioner varies somewhat between different authorities. A practitioner's choice is also dependant on the proximity of medical aid and the nature of the dental practice. Over recent years the trend has been to restrict the items to a minimum, in the interest of both common sense and safety, for example, just oxygen, adrenaline 1:1000, an oral carbohydrate source, glyceryl trinitrate and aspirin as first options. Ancillary equipment should include an oxygen therapy facemask, a pocket mask and a set of oral (Guedel) airways. Two further medication options for consideration are an aerosol bronchodilator and, in certain circumstances, an injectable antihypoglycaemic agent. This paper provides a selective overview of the subject. An absolute necessity is for dentists to be competent in Basic Life Support skills, and to maintain a complete and current medical history for all patients.

The suitability of written education materials for stroke survivors and their carers

This study evaluated the suitability of written materials for stroke survivors and their carers. Twenty stroke survivors and 14 carers were interviewed about the stroke information they had received and their perceptions of the content and presentation of materials of increasing reading difficulty. The mean readability level of materials (grade 9) was higher than participants’ mean reading ability (grade 7–8). Satisfaction with materials decreased as the content became more difficult to read. Seventy-five percent reported that their information needs were not met in hospital. More stroke survivors with aphasia wanted support from health professionals to read and understand written information, and identified simple language, large font size, color, and diagrams to complement the text as being important features of written materials. Simple materials that meet clients’ information needs and design preferences may optimally inform them about stroke.

Influence of planting date, method of handling and seed size on supersweet sweet corn seed quality

A supersweet sweet corn hybrid, Pacific H5, was planted at weekly intervals (P-1 to P-5) in spring in South-Eastern Queensland. All plantings were harvested at the same time resulting in immature seed for the last planting (P-5). The seed was handled by three methods: manual harvest and processing (M-1), manual harvest and mechanical processing (M-2) and mechanical harvest and processing (M-3), and later graded into three sizes (small, medium and large). After eight months storage at 12-14degreesC, seed was maintained at 30degreesC with bimonthly monitoring of germination for fourteen months and seed damage at the end of this period. Seed quality was greatest for M-1 and was reduced by mechanical processing but not by mechanical harvesting. Large and medium seed had higher germination due to greater storage reserves but also more seed damage during mechanical processing. Immature seed from premature harvest (P-5) had poor quality especially when processed mechanically and reinforced the need for harvested seed to be physiologically mature.

Improving the ionic conductivity of yttria-stabilised zirconia electrolyte materials

Low-temperature anneals (1200 degreesC for 40 h) of 8 mol% yttria-stabilised zirconia, prior to the samples being sintered at 1500 degreesC, had the effect of improving the ionic conductivity of the specimens. The presence Of SiO2 in the specimens was shown to be detrimental, however. Irrespective of the SiO2 content, this type of heat treatment also leads to improvements in conductivity. Extensive microstructural analysis provided indication of the mechanism of this phenomenon. This included selective formation of zircon, relief of sintering strain leading to the formation of coherent grain boundaries and segregation effects. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V All rights reserved.

The effectiveness of aphasia-friendly principles for printed health education materials for people with aphasia following stroke

Background: Provision of health information to people with aphasia is inadequate. Current practice in providing printed health education materials to people with aphasia does not routinely take into consideration their language and associated reading difficulties. Aims: This study aimed to investigate if people with aphasia can comprehend health information contained in printed health education materials and if the application of aphasia-friendly principles is effective in assisting them to comprehend health information. It was hypothesised that participants with aphasia would comprehend significantly more information from aphasia-friendly materials than from existing materials. Other aims included investigating if the effectiveness of the aphasia-friendly principles is related to aphasia severity, if people with aphasia are more confident in responding to health information questions after they have read the aphasia-friendly material, if they prefer to read the aphasia-friendly brochures, and if they prefer to read the brochure type that resulted in the greatest increase in their knowledge. Methods & Procedures: Twelve participants with mild to moderately severe aphasia were matched according to their reading abilities. A pre and post experimental design was employed with repeated measures ANOVA (p

Biaxial failure model for fiber reinforced concrete

Steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC) is widely applied in the construction industry. Numerical elastoplastic analysis of the macroscopic behavior is complex. This typically involves a piecewise linear failure curve including corner singularities. This paper presents a single smooth biaxial failure curve for SFRC based on a semianalytical approximation. Convexity of the proposed model is guaranteed so that numerical problems are avoided. The model has sufficient flexibility to closely match experimental results. The failure curve is also suitable for modeling plain concrete under biaxial loading. Since this model is capable of simulating the failure states in all stress regimes with a single envelope, the elastoplastic formulation is very concise and simple. The finite element implementation is developed to demonstrate the conciseness and the effectiveness of the model. The computed results display good agreement with published experimental data.

Polyethylene-layered silicate nanocomposites for rotational moulding

A series of polyethylene-layered silicate nanocomposites has been studied as possible new candidates for rotational moulding. Two organically treated layered silicates were melt-compounded into a maleated linear low-density polyethylene host polymer at loadings of 6 and 9%, by weight. The morphology and properties of the nanocomposites were assessed by using dynamic mechanical thermal analysis, parallel-plate rheometry, wide-angle X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The sintering behaviour of the nanocomposites was qualitatively assessed via hot-stage microscopy, indicating that the choice of nanofiller will play an important role in terms of producing nanocomposite materials with acceptable processability for rotational moulding. (C) 2003 Society of Chemical Industry.